When did you first become interested in cars?

[OldsDoug]

Barry's topic about occupations made me think of this one. (I'm a computer geek with a not-very-interesting employment history, so I didn't bother to post there!)

(Good thread, by the way!)

But I'll start this one off - I grew up here in the Washington DC area in the 1950s and can remember sitting on the front steps of my grandparents' house, watching the cars go by, and saying, there goes a Hudson, that's a Packard, there's a Nash, that one is a Studebaker (note all the orphan brands that you still saw then). All that was as early as 1954, when I was 4 years old, because I remember the night we picked up our '54 Plymouth (it was a dark blue Plaza 2-door with no options) from Royal Motors in DC. (I came home from the hospital in a '48 Plymouth.)

Which leads me to another topic, what cars did your family have?

At any rate, while in high school, I was a student instructor in the driver education program. Back then, local dealers loaned cars to the program. In 1969, the summer after I graduated, that was still my summer job. We had 3 Olds Cutlasses from a local dealer (among other cars) and that's when I became an Oldsmobile enthusiast.

[Guest Stonefish]

Growing up in Hershey...I had no choice!

My earliest Memories are from my Grandparent's house. It was on West Derry Road (now inside the Hersheypark) their garage faced the fall meet...My family would sell hot dogs and soup out of the garage.

there house is the large white house (mid left of pix) as you can see the garage was a prime spot!!

http://local.aaca.org/hershey/images/1968.jpg

My home was on top of the hill...where the Rose Garden is... I sold newspapers in the swap and camping areas and put many miles in walking the meet.

Always looked forward to the fall meet and the cars! Was very happy when I had a car to bring on the show field!

[Mika Jaakkola]

It was about back in 1993 when there was LOT's of old American made automobiles were on the roads in Finland during the summer time. Yes, I guess they were "IN" at that time and gas was lot cheaper .

I was 13 years old and decided that I must have one (...atleast?) too.

Got my first finnish vintage US car magazine then - There was a story about cars in Cuba as well '58 Chevy custom, 57 Chrysler NY conv and '34 Ford Roadster stories.

The thing that came into my mind was that I'll get driver's licence soon and I might as well buy an old American made car. My first car was a 1964 Imperial Crown that I found from a local magazine ad.

OK - now when I think about this. I feel like A REAL NEWBIE

[TG57Roadmaster]

Is this early enough? It's Christmas Eve & Morning, 1960,

and my brother Lloyd and I are at Grandma & Grampa's house

in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for the holidays. Lloyd's the taller, headless one.

Even the arrival of Sister Kathy in 1961 couldn't pry a car from my hand. Growing up, this place proved to be a treasure trove of automotive discovery. (See <span style="font-style: italic">The Name(Plate) Game</span> in the Collectible/Automobilia Forum.) Thank Heavens this all happened before zoning!

TG

(If only I hadn't wrecked the '59 Bandai Buick Tin and '60 Ford Promo...

The preferred method was crushing them with the biggest rock available!)

[Guest rbl2]

I was 13 in 1963 when I went to stay with an "elderly" uncle. He was 50 years old and ran a "Flying A" gas station/garage in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Having been born in 1913 he pretty much grew up with the car industry.

Among other things he worked on old cars. As time was passing he would tell stories of his youth and the cars he had as a young man. His stories were quite interesting to me in my youth. Also, as time passed he would teach me about the old cars and slowly allowed me to work on them. I'm talking about cars from the 20's and 30's. Some in beautiful original condition and others restored to one degree or another but still very beautiful automobiles.

The first car he allowed me to work on was a 1930-31 Ford woodie. I also remember working on a 1937 Cord. WOW, what a beautiful machine.

I stayed with my uncle 3 years full time and then off and on for several more after that. Being poor I couldn't afford anything resembling a new car. The best I could do were cars from the late 40's and early 50's. My first car, bought in 1966, was a 1952 Chevy, 4 door sedan. In 1969 I bought a '46 Pymouth business coupe that just wouldn't die. It was kinda like that pink rabbit that just keeps going and going. As the years went by I bought other, newer cars but the Plymouth was always there.

I still had it in 2003 when I went to Iraq. I left it in someones care, someone I paid to store it for me until I returned. When I returned my son ran into the man a few days later and told him we'd pick up the car by the weeks end. Neither he nor my car has been seen or heard of since.

But to answer the original question, I guess between staying with my uncle as a young man sparked my interest in old cars and the Plymouth fed that interest.

My apologies for getting off subject.

[Steve Braverman]

I guess I was born into the hobby. My parents met through the local AACA region. The first photo is my mother and me with my father's 1923 Franklin at my first Franklin Trek in 1974. The second photo is my grandfather and me with his 1935 Ford at Hershey, also in 1974. The third and last photos are me and my dad in his 1910 Sears, and me alone a few years later.

Now my life is ruined and all I think or talk about is old cars.

The last photo is my family and me with our Franklin. Now it starts all over again. Yes, my father still has the Franklin and Sears.

[novaman]

Too young to remember. I do know my dad took me to Hershey when I was 3 months old. Been every year execpt about four in the late 70s. I remember standing on the frame rail oif my dad's '38(?) Mercury Convetible, standing one spot on the cowl. I think that's why I hate sandpaper now.

In 1969 the local car club was promoting increasing membership. When it was announced my mom was pregnant with my sister, she was told this was not the method of membership increasement they had in mind.

I've always been around old cars and have the bug worse than my dad.

[michel88]

I was very interested in cars as far back as I can remember. Just like most car fanatics I could identify just about any car I saw by the time I was 5 years old. The first car that I remember being impressed with was a 1949 (brand new) Chrysler that was a beautiful bright blue color. I thought that was a great looking car. I also admired the 1949-51 Fords looks. My Dad bought a new '51 Ford and I still remember being at the dealer picking it out, when I was 6 or 7 years old. I felt a little sad as we drove the new car from the dealer and I saw our '40 Buick Super Coupe that we had traded in.

[Guest Moepar]

<span style="font-family: 'Arial'">[First car I can remember my folks having was a '65 or '66 Rambler Wagon, roof rack, white with b&w vinyl interior. Growing up in Miami, the black part of the vinyl was always a tricky to negotiate, being between 6-7 years old, & feet not able to reach the floor. That blazing sun would instant melt any skin to the seat (when wearing shorts) so I had to jump over it to the white center stripe to avoid third degree burns.

My dad also owned a '76 Caddy at one point, and a Saab, but mostly he drove Fords until the last 6 years.

One girl I carpooled with to high school drove her dad's '73 Javelin. I loved that car - would have robbed a bank to buy it from them. She rolled it a couple of years later. </span>

[Twitch]

Been interested in cars and airplanes since I was little kid. I used to shift my Dad's pre-war Packard on command for him when I was about 4 years old.

[Packard enthus.]

The WAR was just winding down. We were coming across the Arizona desert, somewhere between Wickenburg and the state line. The Japanese were about to surrender, but hadnt, so the war-time speed limit of 35 mph was still in effect. During the war years, you did NOT want to do anything "unpatriotic" ! We were in a long line of cars obeying that awful speed limit. We were in our Packard "120" series ( an excellent high quality middle income car, but quite ordinary - 280 cu in. engine. Performance typical of that day - just not a very exciting automobile).

Suddenly, there was a faint high pitched scream, and a BANG, and the hulk of a "BIG" series Packard disappearing into the distance so fast, all I could remember was that it was BIG, BLACK.and LONG ! Going at least TWICE our speed, probably closer to three times...!

"Dad"...I asked..."how can he get away with that". My father answered very somberly..."son....THAT was a Packard Twelve...!

I had to have one ! Finally did in 1955. Yes, it was over-priced, because it needed a battery...! I mean..who in their right mind would pay twenty five bucks for an old tank like that....!

But that's not the end of the story. Years later, someone asked me what I think happened to that particular car that so impressed me. "c'mon"...I said...that was forty years ago-probably long since scrapped.

Obviously, the fellow in that Packard Twelve who could break the war-time speed limit with impunity, had to be a VERY high ranking govt. official, on official business.

Coincidentally, I recently found out who bought my own Packard V-12 and had it well into the late 1940's.

General Walter P. Storey, United States Army !

How's that for a "ghost story" ! The car that so fascinated me as a child in 1945......we now know what happened to it...IT IS SITTING IN MY GARAGE GASSED UP AND READY TO GO ~!

[Guest DaveCorbin]

I suppose I started out as a car nut at as early an age as anyone. I was born 5/19/1939 and went with my parents to the Indy 500 on 5/31/1939. Went to my 3d Indy 500 in 1941 at 2 yrs + 12 days. Frst words: Light, Car. Lived on US 40 in Springfield, Ohio from age 5 to 17. If you wanted to see them all, a pretty good place to start. A mechanical engineer who worked for IH for 29 years, building trucks, combines, and diesel engines. 36 year member of the Buick Club. Went to 13 Indys (Sam Hanks won the last time I was there.), 27 Hersheys, chair or co-chair of 3 Buick Club Nationals, and a 10 year member of The Society of Automotive Historians. Current garage inhabitants: 1939 Buick Roadmaster Model 81, 1938 Buick Model 48 Self-Shifter, 1966 Olds Toronado (bought it new & had sense enough to keep it!) Is that a lifetime as a car nut?

Regards, Dave Corbin

[MCHinson]

Hi Dave, Haven't seen you around in a while. Good to see you posting.

Now, back to the topic at hand.

I suspect that, in part due to living through the Great Depression, my parents never threw much out. We had lots of old stuff that just seemed to stick around. I grew up with an appreciation of the quality of good old American goods that lasted and lasted.

My first car was a 1961 Cadillac Hearse that we bought in 1976. That car was a classic example of American manufacturing. It was a little bit weird, but it was loads of fun!

In the early 1980's as a young small town police officer on Midnight Shift, I occasionally had to stop and walk around for a few minutes to stay awake. My love of old stuff drew me to some old cars in a field behind a car wash that was owned by the local Olds/GMC dealer. I caught the old car bug walking around those cars during the middle of the night. They were a 1938 Buick and a 1939 Buick. I really liked the 1938 Buick. I tried to buy that car, but of course, it was not for sale. I determined that I would own a car like that some day. I did a lot of reading and figured out that with my limited experience it would be best to start out with a Model A Ford. I am on my 4th Model A Ford and haven't managed to get around to the 1938 Buick yet, but some day I still plan to own a 1938 Buick.

[The Old Guy]

I was born in 1933 , and was tearing apart my toys by the time I was 4. My Dad ran a gas station, and I started working there when I was 11 (filling oil bottles ,washing windshield etc.) I bought my first car at 14, a 1931 Buick .with the engine mostly in the back seat (only the crank and block were where they belonged) I guess living in "Buicktown' it was inevitable that I have always gravitated toward Buicks. I worked for Chevrolet as a toolmaker for 37 years, but was always hooked on Buicks. I had 6 children so the family wouldn't even fit in an old Chevy, so my purchase of a 1932 Buick 90 series 4 door was the start of my "old car"passion, and it has never waned!

[Durant Mike]

The first antique car I was interested in was a 1916 Ford Milk Truck. I first saw it parked in front of an antique store. On the way to our summer home at the beach, my father and I stopped to look at the truck. He was a woodworker by trade and after we looked over the truck, which had a price of $600.00 on it, we left. Over that weekend we talked about it and my dad advised that if I would be willing to learn and do the mechanic work, (which he hated) he would do the woodwork for me to restore the truck. We waited to early Monday morning to go back home so we could be at the antique store early and buy the truck. When we returned it was gone, someone had bought it on Saturday. Always was disappointed that we did not get a father-son project going. Lost my dad in the late 70's. In the 80's I had some extra $ and was able to buy a 47 Packard Taxi and a 1950 Pontiac ambulance. Partially restored those, but had to get rid of them because of a new job and relocation. Now again I have a 1971 Triumph TR6 and a 1928 4dr Durant. I will never get rid of these.

[Guest Leonard Shepherd]

My Mother told me that as soon as I could stand up on the seat of our 40 Chevy and look out the window, I was calling out the cars and their colors. Can you imagine a parent letting a child stand up on a seat and stick his head out of the window of a rear suicide door? Never would happen today.

But the first time I remember really noticing what a car looked like was when a neighbor of ours came home with a new 53 Studebaker Starliner. We lived in a rural area of Central Virginia on a dirt road, but I would walk out to the end of our driveway and wait for him to come home from work, just to get a look at his car. I have had a love affair with Studebakers ever since. Of course my family had Studebakers but not pretty ones like that.

My Mother (Bless her heart!) saved all of the drawings and school work that I did, so I have quite a collection.

Here is a drawing that I did when I was 9 years old after visiting our Studebaker Dealer.

At school all I did was draw cars in class. Here is a self portrait on me in school.

I even did my term paper in the 7th grade on Studebaker.

To my Mother’s dismay, I was always working on her car. One time I took some engine parts off and painted them on my bedroom floor. I couldn’t get them back on so she had to call a mechanic!

I was also interested in building model cars. Thanks to my Mother, I still have some of them

[Sign Mike]

I was born in 1944, and my dad pointed out all the high dollar cars to me - by the time I was 3 or 4 I knew everything on the road in Los Angeles more expensive than a Buick. There were a LOT back then. I knew them by their radiator designs, or the marques on the hubcaps. I wanted to know them all but he would be disgusted with me when I asked about a Flivver or old beater (Model Ts and As, and all the economy models were "beneath" him). My mom wanted a Crosley real bad, but the Old Man wouldn't hear it! I can't identify many makes made after about 1962, though, and almost no foreigners.

I now own a '54 Chevy pickup and a '35 Dodge sedan

(Ok, Ok, also a '67 Chevy Suburban daily driver with around 600,000 miles)

[Guest 4buick7]

Apparently when I was very young. I was told that I could identify the different makes of cars when I was two years old. I didn't know the years but I knew most of the makes. Of course in the late 1930's makes were distintive, they all didn't look alike.

I remember when I was about 6 years old I saw a 37 Cord for the first time. I'd never seen anything like it. I was impressed that it was so low I could almost look across the hood. Most cars of that era were so high that my vantage point was looking at the side of the hood or at the center of a side-mounted spare. I was determined that someday I would own one. When I was old enough to drive I found a convertible for sale for $750. Of course it was in poor condition and my dad couldn't understand why I would want a 16 year old piece of junk. Also, the $750 was a lot more than I had. Years later I did acquire a sedan but that's another story.

47 Buick woodie

[Clipper47]

I was born during World war 2. After the war when my dad returned from fighting Nazis he like many other servicemen couldn't find a good used car because of the demand for them. He finally was able to buy a 1934 Ford 4 door for I think $400 which was a lot of money in those days. I guess that is where I fell in love with old cars because that is pretty much all we could afford to buy! My first "collector" car was a 1947 Cadillac 75 Imperial limousine which I bought in 1966 from a used car lot in Sudbury, Ontario. It had belonged to the Eaton family who owned many department stores in Canada. I paid $300 for the low mileage limo. I had to sell it a few years later because I just couldn't afford to restore it and lost storage. It was many years before I could afford to buy another.

[MarkV]

Well, I was born in 1988 (the era of crappy cars). And when I was about 4 my grandpa and I started work on his old '21 chevy that was in the family for along time and he wanted me to drive it to school! We worked 1000's of hours on that car, also at the same time in my grandparents backyard was my grandpa's '48 Lincoln Continental which he sold and I just found and bought back! and my mom's dad's 1941 Dodge Coupe, which I own now. So, I guess that that is how I got interested in the old cars!

[john2dameron]

Born 11/24/39, lived by a 2-lane blacktop. At 4-years of age two of my favorite pasttimes were looking at automobile ads in old magazines and standing in our front yard trying to identify all the cars that drove by. Then WWII ended, cars got new styling and that made it simpler. Dad had two Chev. touring cars, '22 and '23 sitting in the barn. Loved sitting behind the wheel pretend driving (and gathering eggs from the back seats (even the chickens liked the cars). My first car was a '52 Chevy. It was a stinker. Then a '57 Pontiac 2-door hardtop. It also was a dog. Then a '60 Ford Sunliner convertible, followed by a brand-new '63 Ford Galaxie 500 XL Sunliner. Next was a brand-new '65 Chevy Impala Super Sport Convertible. It stunk and didn't stay long. I swapped it on a '65 Cadillac Convertible. That was traded on a new '68 Chrysler 300 convertible. A few later I had another Chevy convertible; another piece of junk. Since then I have acquired a wife and children and lots of cars and pickups but no convertibles. Someday soon maybe. Right now I entertain myself with diecast (for less than $100.00 I can buy about any car I want and I have about 1,000 diecast models. I also have lots of automotive books and advertising and I love to attend car shows and car museums. Doomed to be a car nut until I die and loving every minute of it.

Jay

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Cool topic!

I was born in 1967; I guess I became interested in cars & trucks as soon as I knew what they were.

I began taking things apart to see how they worked at an early age... supposedly the first "victim" was my older brother's American Flyer "Silver Bullet" train set... I was about two. The Bullet never recovered from the experience, and my brother has never let me live it down.

( I did find out the big brother had a similar experience with Dad's GE Clock-radio, in the back seat of the '46 Plymouth between Rantoul, Illinos & Ft. Worth, Texas when Dad was transferred to a new assignment in the Air Force(c. 1954). He was two, too !)

I grew-up in Howard Co. MD, which was still mostly rural at the time, and my Dad worked in DC... my brother went to Catholic U. in DC, so I remember quite a few trips down there with Dad going in on the odd Saturday or to visit big brother... this was the early 1970's

I used to make a little game of being able to identify cars at night, by their tailights, because at that time, a given year/model had very distinctive tailights...

My grandad had a '56 Chevy Bel Air "Sport Coupe" (2 dr HT), yellow with a black roof & sweep, and a very tired '54 Chevy 3600 pick-up (five-window, stripper)... I loved riding with him in that old truck - the smell of dry horse

hair seat stuffing mixed with a whif of gasline fumes... I used to be able to stand-up on the floor of the cab, and hook my fingers into the defroster openings at the base of the windshield - I could just see over the hood that way...

I vividly remember the squeal from the rear brakes (that turned-out to be worn down to the rivets !), and the brake pedal that "dribbled" against the toe-board when you let your foot off of it, it's rubber bumper having disappeared long before... I also loved that foot-pedal starter !

Grandad gave me that truck when I was six, I still have it, and will probably be buried in it...

Old cars were literally put out to pasture, in Grandad's field, so we kiddos played in retired '50 Ford Tudor, '61 Chevy Biscayne wagon, '63 VW bug, etc.

On Dad's side of the family, my uncle had inherited the family homestead, and he always had old vehicles around - '41 Chevy Special Deluxe 2-dr, '39 Studebaker Champion Coupe, '39 Lincoln Zephyr sedan, etc.

I really loved "old-fashioned cars" as I called them, which would be anything with wooded-spoke wheels, preferable Brass or Nickel cars.

In the early to mid '70s, when we would go on little day trips to Southern PA, we 'd stop at the occasional auto museum, including Zimmerman's Automobile-a-Rama .

Since I was about five and could get into my Dad's tool-box, I would play with lawnmower engines and anything mechanical; Dad did all his own vehicle maintenance, so I grew-up watching and helping.

Didn't start going to car shows until my teens...

So, that's my story... and to this day, if I remember a car being "new", I have trouble accepting it now as an "antique"... ( Vegas and Pintos, for example...)

My old "rule" used to be "never drive anything younger than I am"... I made good on that one up to about age 35 (my age)...

[imported_ktm858]

My father and cousin were into cars when I was 8 so being around them brought me to my first car that I would buy. A 1967 Chevy Impala SS convertable which I still have 27 years later. Now between myself and my father we have 21 cars with the oldest being a 28.

Stanley Sipko