[coolcaddy]

What is the first car you ever remember being in?

For me, it was my uncle's white 1959 Chevy station wagon. The first car belonging to my parents that I have memories of was their powder blue 1964 Chevy Impala station wagon.

I was born in '67, so this would have been in the late 60's.

Howsabout you folks?...

 

[marinerbc]

I loved this 1961 Chevrolet Impala, the first of a series of Impalas at our house. I can still smell the new car smell. I remember the ' 64' and 65 better, but this '61 was my first memory of any car. Thanks, Dad.

 

[Dumb_Ass_2003]

My mom's '68 Firebird 400 convertible with Ram Air, silver. Such a beautiful car. Unfortunately she had to sell it because our car seats touched the roof in the back. She also said it was because my dad was lazy and never washed it

I could almost cry knowing that I could have driven it to grad this year if she hadn't sold it

 

[69nova]

Maybe not first but most memorable cars.
1964- Graduation week, a high school kid comes to school with a yellow Fairlane (black interior) convertible. A South Chicago HS where hardly anybody had a car, this beauty captured my heart.
1969- My older brother comes home with a 69 dark green Grand Prix. My only thoughts were "this is why I'm going to school; to get one of those". In 73, I bought a metallic red 73 GP and owned it for 11 years.

 

[yoblues]

My dad had a car called a Kaiser. It was brilliant Green. I do not know what year it was. I wish I owned it today it would be worth a fortune.

 

[coolcaddy]

Originally posted by yoblues@Jul 5 2004, 08:07 AM
My dad had a car called a Kaiser. It was brilliant Green. I do not know what year it was. I wish I owned it today it would be worth a fortune.

Get outta' here! A Kaiser? What kind, what year?? Can you find out??

The story of Kasier-Frazer is a very fascinating one. For those who are not familiar with the marques, Kasier-Frazer emerged as a new automaker in the immediate aftermath of WW2, selling cars under the brands "Kasier" and "Frazer".

The company did very well for the first few years on the strength of an incredibly hot postwar market and on some original and innovative ideas.

One interesting Kaiser, the "Henry J", was among the first compact cars ever offered by an American automaker. Notably, the "Henry J" was also sold through the Sears catalog under the brand "Allstate".

Learn more about Kasier-Frazer history here. I also found this really nifty page chock full of Kaiser-Frazer advertising literature.

 

[LGRpup]

I cant remember the cars year, probably late 70's early 80"s. It was a red Cutlass with a white interior, my dad had bought it for my mom on Valentines day. I remember loving that car, especially compared to out rusty Omega. But then my dad crashed it in front of our house, and lets just say he was doing something that contributed to the crash. My mom didnt talk to him for weeks.

 

[yoblues]

CoolCaddy, I can't answer your questions, man I was five when my dad bought it. That would have been 1953/1954. It might have been used, I do not know. That photo on that website of the golden dragon looked at lot like it except it was all green, not two tone. The reason I remember it so well was my dad taught my mon how to drive with that car. I was in the backseat and it was an adventure. You have to understand, not a lot of women had a drivers licence in those days, it was a different era. My mom and dad were a little offbeat for the times. Mabey that's why he bought a Kaiser.

 

[coolcaddy]

Originally posted by yoblues@Jul 5 2004, 09:22 AM
CoolCaddy, I can't answer your questions, man I was five when my dad bought it. That would have been 1953/1954. It might have been used, I do not know. That photo on that website of the golden dragon looked at lot like it except it was all green, not two tone. The reason I remember it so well was my dad taught my mon how to drive with that car. I was in the backseat and it was an adventure...

Are your parents still with us? Do you happen to have any photos that show the car?

Sounds like neat memories. I was born in '67, so I have no reference as to what life was like as a child in the 1950's, which I'm sure was different than life as a child in the 1970's. I suspect the 50's weren't what they're cracked up to be as presented by Leave it to Beaver and other cultural references of the time, but I'd sure love to spend just a few minutes in 1954 in the back seat of a Kaiser watching my mom learn to drive.

 

[yoblues]

My parents are long gone, no photos of the car but I was on those websites you posted looking at the adds and it was definitely a 1953 Kaiser. Leave it to Beaver was as far from reality as the twilight zone. Mabey thats how the real rich people lived but thats not how the regular folks lived. Actually the 50's were great for kids. It was very safe, I could roam anywhere with no fear. No drug problems, no teens packing guns, no metal detectors anywhere, the public schools were great, no unwed mothers to be seen, no one on the public dole, everyone worked, most had two jobs, no terrorism, great rock music and GM built the best most dinamic cars in the world. Dad had a Kaiser but I wanted a Chevy. it was a completely different time. The era before Vietnam when everything changed and not for the better. I am glad I grew up then.

 

[coolcaddy]

Sounds really neat, yoblues. Like I said, it's an era I wish I could have experienced, even if only for a brief period of time. I'm a big fan of 50's TV programs and artifacts, and I've studied the culture quite a bit.

One of my favorite books to curl up with is called Populuxe, which examines 1950's pop culture. Although the book spends a lot of time criticizing the culture, reading about it only makes it more fascinating and alluring to me.

In my house, I've set up a room called the "Radio Room", which includes a couch, an easy chair, a coffee table, and a working antique radio. One of my computers is set up to broadcast on an AM frequency, so I tune in to one of the many nostalgia radio programs online, or pop in a Glen Miller/Elvis/Sinatra/etc. CD, then listen through the antique radio while reading and enjoying a cold drink.

I guess it's the closest I'll ever get to living in the 1950's. B)

 

[marinerbc]

Originally posted by Dumb_Ass_2003@Jul 5 2004, 12:07 AM
My mom's '68 Firebird 400 convertible with Ram Air, silver.  Such a beautiful car.  Unfortunately she had to sell it because our car seats touched the roof in the back.  She also said it was because my dad was lazy and never washed it

I could almost cry knowing that I could have driven it to grad this year if she hadn't sold it

You almost brought me to tears with that wonderful post. I drove a Candy Apple Red '75 Caprice Convertible with a white interior (courtesy GM, Ste Therese PQ where I worked part time) to my grad. I wish you'd had that pretty 'bird at yours.

 

[demonspeed]

My first memory was seeing an 80's Monte Carlo SS (this was sometime between 88-90). The guy had the t-tops out and I remember asking my mom how you rolled the windows into the roof. It plauged me for years until I started looking for my first car back in 98. I got my IROC with t-tops and figured out how t-tops worked

I also thought red third gen convertibles were where it was at

 

[paul8488]

Originally posted by demonspeed@Jul 7 2004, 03:00 PM
The guy had the t-tops out and I remember asking my mom how you rolled the windows into the roof.  It plauged me for years until I started looking for my first car back in 98.  I got my IROC with t-tops and figured out how t-tops worked 

hahaha... poor demonspeed, lying awake at night, trying to wrap his mind around bendable glass! that's classic! glad you finally figured it out!

my earliest car memory was dad tearing around our front yard (littered with small trees) with my sisters and i his late 70's lada! dinky little white sedan. it was so tiny, and turned rather sharply... we got such a kick out of racing (okay, it was a lada... strolling!) through the trees.

funny... my first experience was with a lada and yet i STILL like cars! go figure!

this is pretty much what it looked like, if i can trust my memory at 4!

 

[BRMike]

The first family car I remember was the 1974 lime green Monte Carlo with the white top. I managed to drive that car through the garage door when I was three or four years old. I don't remember, but my mom has told me the story many times. I somehow managed to shift the car into drive and that tank just rolled through the old wooden door. One of my earliest memories was of my uncle's 1967 blue Camaro. I can barely see it. It was sitting in the front yard. He drove it down here (Baton Rouge, La.) from Grand Forks, N.D. ....... I also remember my black and white F1 style pedal car! I wore that poor thing out!

 

[IMPALAon20s]

remember as a youngster, grandpa had a 1965'ish mercury comet caliente! all i really remember bout the car, was the ugly green interior and torn dash covered with a sticker.

 

[doh]

My parents drove AMC's a new 1 every 2 years, the AMC dealer is 150 miles away from home at my parents home town, Dad and the owner were friends. On 1 trip dads Ambassador needed repairs and we had to go back home that sunday,I still remeber the owner offering a metalic blue Javlin to dad to take home for the week. He opted for a Rebel coupe instead that blew a rad hose on the way home.

As a 7 year old at the time I sure wished he would have taken the Javlin.

Dad drove AMC till 1978 when that dealer swithed to Chev Olds (due to Chrsyler buyout) when he bought a 78 Monte Carlo which to this day says it was the best car he ever owned.

 

[T-Type]

My earliest car memories are of my Dad's 1972 Brown Ford LTD. I also can remember managing to put it in gear while dad busy opening the garage door. The car started rolling down the alley and my dad came running. He managed to stop it before it hit anything. No harm done, but it sure scared the crap out of him.

CoolCaddy, LakeMichigan - you guys are 37? I always though you guys were a lot older (no offense intended).

 

[coolcaddy]

Originally posted by T-Type@Jul 7 2004, 01:58 PM
CoolCaddy, LakeMichigan - you guys are 37? I always though you guys were a lot older (no offense intended).

Excuse me, sir, but I'm only 36! ... B) I'll be 37 in November.

I guess my avatar looks old? :blink:

 

[69nova]

Now you,ve got my memory juices going.
Early 60's and the kid across the street found an old vette in the bone yard for sale for a few bucks. It was a 53, white, and I still remember the wire mesh on the headlights. Now, it would cost a left nut.
On tv, Jim Moran had a very long commercial which ended with a blanket picture of used cars going for 49 bucks. These were 40's era cars. Nobody thought of retro then.
Demolition derby at Soldier's Field seeing Barracudas, Dodge Coronets, and other (now priceless) cars being ruined. Union Grove (WI) drag racing- Hemis, Chevy and Ford big blocks were everywhere as well as Henry J's. I thought 14 seconds was fast until some guy did 9.5 seconds on a bike. I thought "This guy is nuts!".
I helped my brother-in-law tow home a Willys that he bought for 10 bucks (the guy wanted 20!).