Not the hand me down old Buick LeSabre that pops gave you, the first one you bought with your own money.
Mine was the iconic 1983 Plymouth Horizon, in sweet sweet burgundy, or as my friends called it, "racing red". It was the "upscale" version of the Dodge Omni. This beast put the Chevettes and Acadians of the world to shame. Bought it in 1986 for $2,400 and sold it 18 months later for $2,000. Buying it was the greatest day of my life to that point. Selling it turned out to be an even greater day.
It had so many luxury features you can't find in today's vehicles like:
- Battery that died after 6 months resulting in me having to push start this thing for a year (I got really good at parking facing downhill and offering rides to people who would help with the push start)
- Crank windows
- AM/FM radio
- No passenger side rearview mirror
- No A/C
- No heat - bought the car in April, found out about the no heat in November. Got dumped by the frigid GF in December.
- Hubcapless rims
In spite of all that, I loved this bad boy.
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or so later upgraded to a '68 camaro ss 396.
Did not have the cash to trick it out like an asshole kid fast and furious style though. Had to sell it a few years later because bouncing around shitty independent league baseball does not really pay the bills...decided on college and drove a used honda civic after that
Doppleganger Part 2.
My 2nd car was a brand new 1987 Acura Integra. I drove the hell out of it. At the time I had airside clearance at the Toronto airport because we were doing some runway repair work. One afternoon I radioed the tower and got clearance to see just how fast the Integra could go. I got it up to 220 kmh (135 MPH) and it was shaking and rattling all over the place. Scared the crap out of me. Those runways are not smooth at all.
Anyway, after drive it into the ground I traded what was left of it for a, wait for it, 1993 Honda Civic Si.
second or third hand. Bit of a junker but it ran for another 2 yrs. I put a lot of miles on it.
I sold it for more than I paid for it.
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Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6witSyEPeM
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Bought used when I was 17
400 cubic inch engine
Installed the 8-track player and 6x9 Jensen Tri-axial speakers myself.
Large back seat
Fast in a straight line.
Only had a few tickets in it
This is not mine in the image, but it is pretty close
Link: https://images.app.goo.gl/SoiErt4YLQyioW2G7
The 1988 Pontiac Gran Am. What the hell?
Bitch ran a stop sign and hit me.
Anyway, her left front quarter hit my right front quarter.
I was relatively broke so I took the insurance money, banged the headlight back so it was straight and put a metal bar on it. Her car was towed away...
(My car resembled this...except paint color was a bit more orange. Lousy color. Loved that car.)
My brother was driving down from Northern Michigan and his car broke down in Port Windsor I believe. Anyway, I went down with tow chains to tow him back to New York.
We got to the NY border and the Canadian authorities were trying to sort out our situation before we crossed.
At the time, I was living in Michigan, I had a NY driver's license and the car was registered in Indiana. My brother was living in Pennsylvania, Had NY driver's license and was missing some paperwork on the car we were now towing.
The border authorities kept questioning us and didn't like the story and/or couldn't follow why so many states were involved. Eventually, after trying to run through it multiple times, they gave up and just waived us through out of sheer annoyance. Would never happen today...
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5 speed.
Replaced the 305 with a 350 I built myself. 4 bolt main, 10:1 flat top pistons, '69 Corvette cam, Edelbrock intake and 4bbl carb.
At my tender age at the time, the insurance on it was more than 50% of the car note. But man.......I loved that car.
Sheesh.
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Pretty much wore this thing every one of those happy days.
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Some of us also worked to buy the vehicle, and got the work done on our rides either by ourselves or with friends.
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Not an exotic concept. As to the next generation, my youngest worked in a menโs store through HS and College. Bought his own car. So did my daughter.
The only one working with a hand me down is the oldest boy cause of Law School Tuition which he is paying. He didnโt have one in college either.
Mine was destitute and was touch and go for a while. For example, I totally understand how a young person could choose a life of crime, some of my "friends" did. When you're forced to grow up too soon, it has consequences that it may take a lifetime to undo.
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Which is a double-edged sword.
Plus you wanted to Jack the back end of the ride up a bit.
No need living in Chicago.
Before that I had a couple of beaters my parents paid for.
And even that one was a boring, entry-level sedan.
Before that, I had to drive the family truckster or worse.
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I had never driven same. Learned as I drove across country to my 1st duty station.
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