Jim Scanlon (deceased)
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Dec 17, 2009 6:34:57 GMT 9
I sent out a set of pictures of old transporters carrying old cars. They were taken years ago.
Got me to thinking.
Maybe, just maybe, some of you owned some Old Iron as the very first car you bought.
Not your dad's car, but the first one you actually payed for with your own money.
You might want to let us know what the first car, or whatever, that you drove. May be different than the first car you bought.
The first car I bought was a 1931 Chevrolet 3-window coupe. It had a green body, black fenders and a cloth top that was treated with a tar like dope. Had an overhead valve six cylinder engine and a three-speed tranny on the floor.
I bought it from my boss, Lou Wertz owner of Wertz Ranch in Napa, California. It was his dad's old car. I paid him $25. It needed new floor boards, they were wood, and a new tail light. My cousin and I cut a piece of plywood to make the new floorboards and I bought some rubber covering and the tail light at Western Auto. I bought the car in April 1951.
Ran good and gave it to my cousin when I enlisted in the Air Force in Jan 1952.
The first car I drove was my cousin's 1931 Ford Model A three-window couple. We took the trunk lid off and made a box bed to put in the trunk. Made it a sort of pickup.
I also drove my cousin's 1947 Oldsmobile Model 78, 4-door sedan. Had a flat head straight eight.
The first vehicle I drove was a 1943 Dodge Half-track. My cousin owned it and we used it to boon-dock in the McDoel, CA area.
I also drove a John Deere Model A tractor, and other tractors.
Jim Too
:god_bless_usa
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Post by lindel on Dec 17, 2009 9:28:47 GMT 9
Not necessarily old iron as above, my 64 Mercury Comet is as old as I've owned. I kept her for 13 years until a lack of parts killed her.
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Dec 17, 2009 10:54:20 GMT 9
1966 Plymouth Satellite convertible.
Year was 1969/70 and the girls loved it.
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MOW
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Post by MOW on Dec 17, 2009 12:25:52 GMT 9
First car I actually purchased myself was a 63' Chevy Impala SS, bucket seats, 3 speed on the floor, that special silver diamond reflective-like rearend. Since then have had older cars I bought myself; 57 Chevy 4 door (boat), 57 Vette, 62 Caddy Couple Deville, and a 63 Caddy convert. But the 63 was my first... you never forget your first  |
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Post by oswald on Dec 18, 2009 3:18:12 GMT 9
The first car I owned was a 56Ford. The oldest car was a 46 Willys Jeep half-cab with a snow plow on it.
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Post by jimpadgett on Dec 18, 2009 11:03:23 GMT 9
My first was a 1950 Plymouth. Oldest I owned was a 1951 Military Jeep (24 volt electrics) with a 1962 F-head engine.
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Post by lugnuts55 on Dec 18, 2009 21:35:39 GMT 9
My first car was a '55 Olds. Fill the oil and check the gas. Good thing I worked in a filling station. It did get me around, though.
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Post by daoleguy A.J. Hoehn (deceased) on Dec 19, 2009 4:39:22 GMT 9
My first was a black VW bug vintage 1961. Loved that car. Great in snow. Next was a 71 VW bug. Also nice and of course I had to do the Empy Powerpack and Hurst shifter (Thru Eli Whitney) with red stripe LP Wide Ovals.
In 71 I finally went whole hog and bought a 1972 911S Porsche, my dream car (My father nearly had a heart attack with the 911 buy). Took 6 years of saving for it and 8 months of waiting for it to be delivered to Presque Isle.
At The Griff I acquired 55 and 64 356 Porsches. 55 was a Coupe and 64 a convertible. Made some nice scratch refurbishing both. I also got a 65 Mustang at that time for a junker. I used it as a tow car for the 911 when I raced.
In 76 I bought a new 944 homolgation Porsche. Not a bad car but the water cooling was a pain. Always overheated. My last youthful splurge was a 1968 European release 911 S. Sweet ride too. Bought it from the GM of the Andrews Federal Credit Union. Hehehe. his wife said "Her or the car". After that I became demostiicated and ended up with a Plymouth Voyager. Definately a big change from earlier rides, but marriage and a little one predicated it.
AJ
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Norm Weiderhaft
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Post by Norm Weiderhaft on Dec 19, 2009 6:04:26 GMT 9
First car was 1956 Chevrolet BelAir 2 door hardtop. Bought in 1961, only 30,000 miles on it. First new car was 1966 Chevelle 2 door hardtop 327--4 speed. I've owned 48 other cars up to now. Lots were muscle cars. Have had 9 different Corvettes.Presently have a 1962 Chevy BelAir 2 door sedan--409 dual quad, 4 speed. What a ride !!!! Also have a 2004 T-Bird & a 1987 El Camino SS (which just happens to be for sale).
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Post by pat perry on Dec 19, 2009 6:22:05 GMT 9
First car was 1956 Chevrolet BelAir 2 door hardtop. Bought in 1961, only 30,000 miles on it. First new car was 1966 Chevelle 2 door hardtop 327--4 speed. I've owned 48 other cars up to now. Lots were muscle cars. Have had 9 different Corvettes.Presently have a 1962 Chevy BelAir 2 door sedan--409 dual quad, 4 speed. What a ride !!!! Also have a 2004 T-Bird & a 1987 El Camino SS (which just happens to be for sale). Wow Norm! That's quite a stable of ponies you've had. What are you asking for the 87 El Camino SS? Pat P. :-X |
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Post by Jim on Dec 19, 2009 10:54:46 GMT 9
First vehicle I drove was a 1940 Ford Ferguson tractor with the 3 point hyd lift............... I was 10 and drove the tractor to pull the hay up into the haymow............. First vehicle that I owned was a 1934 Indian 4 banger that I bought that had been stored next to a chicken coop.... I was 16 and could just barely touch the ground........... My first car was a 1951 Chrysler New Yorker Town and Country station wagon that I bought in 56 to tow our 8x45 ft house trailer from Sarasota, Fla, to Griffiss . When I went to Amarillo to Duece school, I could have sold it for twice what I paid for it and a plane ticket back to Rome....... A trailer dealer there modified them to tow house trailers............ Made a cute house toter.......................
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Jim Scanlon (deceased)
Senior Staff
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Commander South Texas outpost of the County Sligo Squadron
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Dec 19, 2009 11:58:32 GMT 9
The Old Sarge talked about his Chrysler trailer hauler.
Some of our young guys may not remember the old trailers.
They were all single-wide and were pulled by a larger car or pickup.
When they started getting to be 10' and 12' wide, the car wasn't able to pull them.
Back in the Fifties and early Sixties, there were lots of guys who owned house trailers.
Most of them are about the size of a big travel trailer to-day.
I knew lots of guys who had 8'x 36' or 40' trailers. They pulled them with Pontiacs, Buicks, Chrylers, International pickups and other "Old Iron".
Life was a lot simpler then.
If you owned a trailer and got PCS orders, no big deal. You hooked up to the hitch on the back of the car, disconnected the power, water and sewer. Made sure the trailer tires were full of air and left for your new base. Your wife had to put pillows in the cabinets and you set 14" TV on the floor and off you went.
I don't know if you got extra travel pay to pull your home to the new base.
If you want to see what it was like, get hold of a copy of "The Long, Long Trailer" movie. It stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Funny, funny movie.
Jim Too
:god_bless_usa
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Post by Tom Dlugosh on Dec 20, 2009 4:06:58 GMT 9
First veh ever I owned was a root beer brown '53 Pontiac panel truck with a Buick 311ci engine and 4 on the floor with electric overdive. I bought it from Msgt Joe Eves. I think he used it to tow his stuff to Loring. Sold that and bought a '56 MG convertable - in Maine! How stupid youth can be. I traded that for a '58 Chevy Bell Air with a 6 cyl and automatic tranny (so my wife could drive it.) I rebuilt the engine at the base auto hobby shop so I could drive it home when I got out, but my wife got pregnant and she was advised not to make the trip by car, so we sold it for enough money for air fare. We loved that car, sometimes wish we still had it.
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biendhoa
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Post by biendhoa on Dec 20, 2009 9:27:05 GMT 9
If the MG was a TC or a TD It would be worth around 50 to 60 grand on the market today.
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Post by Tom Dlugosh on Dec 21, 2009 3:42:18 GMT 9
"A" model, but it would probably be fun to run around in in my old age.
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Post by pat perry on Dec 22, 2009 2:34:31 GMT 9
First car was 1956 Chevrolet BelAir 2 door hardtop. Bought in 1961, only 30,000 miles on it. First new car was 1966 Chevelle 2 door hardtop 327--4 speed. I've owned 48 other cars up to now. Lots were muscle cars. Have had 9 different Corvettes.Presently have a 1962 Chevy BelAir 2 door sedan--409 dual quad, 4 speed. What a ride !!!! Also have a 2004 T-Bird & a 1987 El Camino SS (which just happens to be for sale). Wow Norm! That's quite a stable of ponies you've had. What are you asking for the 87 El Camino SS? Pat P.  Here's the details on the El Camino from Norm Asking $6400 for El Camino. Good condition. 126,000 miles. White with blue cloth interior. Painted 4 years ago. Needs new console & dash has cracks. Seats, headliner & carpet are good. Carpet is slightly dirty, but good. Has dark blue tonneau cover. Drives like new. Would really appreciate you putting it out there wherever you can. It's a good solid vehicle, just decided we want a 1949 to 1957 Chevy or Ford pickup. Engine is a 305, automatic, bucket seats, console, power windows & AM/FM cassette player. Cointact via e-mail or phone 256-995-0043- Norm Pat Picture attached to post in "Old Iron" thread  |
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biendhoa
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Post by biendhoa on Dec 23, 2009 10:02:35 GMT 9
My first car was a 1917 model T ford i bought from a flower shop in Wilmington Delaware in 1952. Drove it all over new castle county until a Delaware state trooper stopped me and told to get THAT DAMN thing off the road because it was to dangerous to be on the highway.hehehe Drove it any way,you cant tell a 18 year old GI not to anything and expect him to listen.
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cc790
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Post by cc790 on Mar 16, 2010 2:37:11 GMT 9
The 64 GTO was my first car. I didn't even have a license when I bought it. A buddy needed $600 real bad and I just happened to have it!  it had a 389 tri-power, M-22 Muncie 4 speed with a Mister gasket inline shifter. Had to sell it in 88 to finance my divorce. The pickup is a 56 Dodge. I drove it in the winter. I traded a 69 Chevelle for it. Had a flat head 6. My most vivid memory of this truck was the windshield wipers. They worked off vacuum. They would all but come to a stop when going up a hill. Both are parked in the 5 FIS barracks parking lot. |
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it had a 389 tri-power, M-22 Muncie 4 speed with a Mister gasket inline shifter. Had to sell it in 88 to finance my divorce. 
