First Car, First Buick

[Guest Dans 77 Limited]

Maybe this has been done before. But I saw it on another site and it looks like it could be fun so ............

What was your 1st car ?

What was your first Buick ?

My 1st car was a seafoam green 2 DR 1970 Chevy Impala. 350 2 barrel. Before I was done with it I had duals with thrush mufflers, Chevy rally wheels, raised white letters , and a mustang (thats the brand name on it ... I still have the radio) AM/FM Cassette radio. Pretty serious equipment for 1981 . It was at my aunts house just waiting for me to turn 16. My cousin "borrowed" it one night from my aunts driveway. He hit what us Pittsburghers knew as a safety island. Safety Islands were about a 10 ton concrete block that sat in front of the boarding platforms for the old PCC streetcars that used to serve my neighborhood. There wasnt a whole lot left of the Impala. I never got to drive it.

The 1st car I actually got to own and drive was a slant 6 1972 Dodg Dart Swinger .

My first Buick was a 1979 Buick Skyhawk...... the biggest POS I have ever run across in my life. Luckily it didnt kill my tatse for Buicks.

Dan

[JohnD1956]

My own first car is hard to determine. Can't be Dad's 55 Special I used to drive around the neighborhood before I was 16. Can't be Dad's 65 electra as it was Dad's car that I pretty much had exclusive use of. It might have been the 60 MGA I brought home and Dad made me get rid of. I never really even drove that car. IT could be the 57 Special convertible I bought with my own $$$ but never got registered. It can't be Dad's 69 Cutlass convertible that he bribed me with to sell the 57. But it probably was the 64 Corvair convertible that I bought with my own money, and insured and registered and drove for three years or so. A fun 4 speed car. The first Buick was the 57 special afore mentioned, but the first drivable Buick was the 56 Roadmaster given to me by our neighbor, who had determined he was too old to keep driving.

My brother and nephew still have the Corvair. The Roadie went to the scrap heap back in 1975.

[pphil]

first car(truck) was a 1973 chevy 1/2 ton 250 6cyl 3 speed manual posi rear

first buick was a 1964 wildcat 2-4s 4 speed(had to part it out its gone now)

latest buicks are 1970 wildcat (50,000 miles)

and a 1976 skylark(daily driver with 82,000 miles)waiting on a 455 transplant

scott

[Thriller]

My first car was a '74 AMC Javelin AMX. 401 4-speed car with a Hurst shifter. It was fun, but I never got very far on any restoration work.

My first Buick was Ellie. She sat for almost 12 years with little done to her before restoration. The first Buick I drove was the '52 Roadmaster (it was my 4th Buick owned). Of course, now it doesn't want to start after sitting a bit too long...sigh.

[page2171]

My first car was a 1971 Pontiac LeMans hardtop coupe. It had a Pontiac 350 V8 and auto trans. The previous owner spray-bombed it gold (probably because the body panels were three different colors underneath) and it had a brown vinyl interior. I only paid $150, drove it for 3 years, and reluctantly sold it for $750 to a guy restoring a GTO. I had to sell it to make room for something more fuel efficient (I was dating my wife at the time and our colleges were about 350 miles apart).

My first and only Buick is my '62 Electra 4 door sedan. I bought it a month before I left for Marine Corps boot camp. I wasn't looking for a Buick (I had always been more of a Pontiac fan), was just attracted to it because it was an old car and had a powerful V8. I paid $2100 for it. It spent most of the next 8 years in storage until I got to a point in my career in the Marines where I could afford to get it out of storage. Currently doing small projects on it to keep it roadworthy so I can take the family cruising in it.

[Guest sintid58]

First car I ever drove on a regular basis was our 1965 Buick Special station wagon. If had a V/6 and no options other than an am radio. I totaled it out by hitting a bridge while duck hunting (fell asleep at the wheel). Then my dad bought me a 1962 Chevy Belair station wagon for $200 and I drove the wheels off it. That car had bondo all over it and dents in most panels but the 283 just wouldn't give up, one day the gas tank literally fell out of it because the bracket holding it in rusted out. We hung it back in using a chain and kept driving it until it just quit moving one day when the tranny gave up. I learned how to work on cars with that old wagon just keeping it running. By the way both of those first cars were RED.

Edited December 27, 2009 by sintid58
spelling (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

My first was a 1940 Chevy Special Deluxe. Vacuum assisted shift. That car was newer when I bought it than my daily driver is now.Wow. About a year later came my first Buick. A 1940 Special. Lot of memories.

Ben

[keiser31]

You may have heard the story of my very first car. It is a 1931 Dodge Brothers DH6 business coupe and is still in my garage. My father gave it to me when I was 15 years old. He bought it in 1959 when I was 7. My cousin drove it for a while and then brought it back to my dad. He took it apart to restore and ran out of time and money. I "discovered" it when I would play hide and seek in it. It was love from then on. At 13, I re-assembled it (man, that was hard to do without a manual) and drove it to high school when I was 16 and 17. I then decided to take it apart to restore it. Removed the engine and took it down into our basement to rebuild it. Moved to California and left the car there in Michigan. Came back a year later to find that the engine was buried in the back yard of the house where I used to live. Waited for the owner to sell the house so that I could retrieve the engine. After hours of searching the yard, I found my engine and re-assembled the car in order to tow it to California. Got it there and continued the restoration as much as I could do until I got married and had children. It came up here to southern Oregon and now I am still gathering parts to finish it's restoration. Here are some photos of it....oh and sorry...never owned a Buick, but my wife has a 1998 Buick Skylark Custom 4 door.

[38Buick 80C]

My first car is a 1969 Dodge Charger 318cid. I say "is" because I still own it. I bought it in NJ in 1996. The car was originally from Charlotte and all previous owners were from Charlotte, so it's back home now.

My first Buick is my 38-80C. My second car, formerly owned by my father.

I also still have my third, forth, fifth and sixth car...I haven't sold a car yet. I need a bigger garage before my better half lets me have any more.

[PONTIAC1953]

my first car was a 1962 chevy impala sport sedan (4 door hardtop), 235 six and powerglide trans. my dad paid $100.00 for it, santa monica, ca. 1972, i drove it 15,000 miles in 6 months, the 235 blew a head gasket, it sat long enough, that my dad sold it for $10.00, it still ran, i was trying to save up enough $$ to get it fixed.

my first buick (wish i still had it), was a 1958 roadmaster four door hardtop, fully loaded, i remember wishing it was a 58 limited.

my second car, i still have it today (first car bought with my own money), is a 1953 pontiac chieftain custom catalina 53-2537SD, bought it in the spring of 1973, santa monica,ca., the pontiac had been used during the 53 model year by the wife of the santa monica pontiac dealer, when she gave it up for a 54, the 53 was bought by mr & mrs tony zito, of santa monica,ca., she drove it till 1971, by then, her ability to judge distance suffered, the grill had several place where the dents had been filled, and silver painted,lol. she was given a new ford pinto to drive, what a downgrade,lol. and the pontiac sat for two years, under a big shade tree, mr zito would start it several times a month. i remember that first time i saw it, boy oh boy, what did i see, two tone paint, driver's side spotlight, two door hardtop, fender skirts, continental kit, olds fiesta hubcaps, pep boy seat covers, 18" steering wheel, power steering, straight eight, dual range hydra-matic trans. well, that's my pontiac, and i'm sticking to it. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor, poci.

[Guest my3buicks]

My first car and first Buick was my 67 Special Deluxe hardtop Sport Coupe - I bought it from my Grandad in 1979 as my first car, he had bought the car new.

Still own the car going on 31 years. It is "Special" owning your first car : )

Edited December 29, 2009 by my3buicks (see edit history)

[Guest Redwind89]

I would have to say the first car that I bought and owned was an 84 Chevy Celebrity that I got for $150.00 when I was 14. My dad and I fixed it, we did all of body work to it and had it for three years. My first Buick was an 89 Lesabre Limited 2 door, that needed nothing. I owned that for a couple of years.

[Guest ewing]

MY first car is my 38 McLaughlin BUIck.

I bought it for $125 off a used car lot here, in 1967. Wasn't quite old enough to get a driver's licence yet.

Had it towed home ( althought it did run), but it did need brakes and some TLC. I still have the car and lots of stories with it.

I have a picture of a young me beside my 'new' car.

And just to be clear, the broken off bumperette aand punched in fender was that way when I bought it. However, I can take credit for punching in the other front fender shortly after I started to drive it, haha.

Edited December 28, 2009 by ewing (see edit history)

[The Old Guy]

My first car was a 1931 Buick 4 door model 57 that I bought, with most of the engine in the back seat. I put it together and drove it for a year. I then bought a 37 Century side mounted slant back 4 door model 67 and drove it until my senior year. By then it had a 42 dual carb set up and dual straight pipes. I passed my Dad at 105 MPH, and he picked my next car. It was a 39 Pontiac 6 and although it probobly kept me alive, was not nearly as much fun to drive.

[ice man]

My first car was, and still is, a 1967 Buick GS-340. I purchased the car new ( my name is on the protect-o-plate), shortly after returning from Vietnam in early 1968. I used it, abused it, totaled it, kept it, and eventually restored it. It received it's " Gold Senior Award " at the 2005 National Meet in Batavia, New York, and was featured in the March 2009 issue of "Hemmings Muscle Machines". It sits along side another GS -340 I purchased several years ago for my wife, but now we aquired a 1990 Reatta coupe which she has since commandeered. So I recon the other GS is mine now too!

[keiser31]

I cannot believe that there are so many folks out there who still have their first car! That's GREAT!!

[rivgs]

My first car is a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine ( undergoing restoration now ) and the first Buick was a 1968 Wildcat convertible , blue mist with a blue interior and a white top.

[Guest Dans 77 Limited]

There is a main road thru the business district of my old neighborhood known as Broadway ave. Its the street with the "Safety Islands". The Safety Islands took care of my 1st car - the Impala

My 2nd car - the Dart also died on broadway.

The first Buick , the devil possesed Skyhawk blew its motor on broadway. I do wish I still had the Impala (or at least even have got to drive it) and the Dart was a great car.

Last night I saw the girl that "had to have the Skyhawk" when I finally got disgusted and sold it for the first time in about 10 years or so. She told me she loved her Skyhawk...... damn if I remember it that way. It seemed to me that she hated it as much as I did. Oh well I guess time makes things better as t it goes by .

Dan

[MrEarl]

My first car that I bought with my own cash was a

'54 Buick Century two-door hardtop. $200. Great car!

There's a pic of it somewhere in this forum.

I do believe dis would be it........

[MrEarl]

First car- 1957 Chevrolet bought in 1966 for my 16th birthday.

First Buick - 1954 Special (is anyone surprised) bought in 1972 for $250. Sold it in 1982, for $250, to buy my new bride a washing machine.

Edited December 29, 2009 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[50jetback]

First car was really a motor cycle ( does that count? )

Talked my parents into letting me buy a Harley Davidson UL 74 ( 74 cubic in flathead Vee twin ) in 1966 when I was 16. Big bike for a scrawny 16 year old and did have some spills. I still have that same motor cycle.

First Buick, 1928 Buick Standard Roadster model 28-24X. Purchased that as an 18 year old back in 1968 and sold it about 4 years ago to fund another project. It went to the UK so I don't think I will see her again.

[Marty Roth]

1st car actually registered in my name was a red '49 Pontiac Convertible with the flathead straight 8-cylinder engine and 3-on-the-tree stick-shift.

1st Buick was a '71 LeSabre - a red convertible with the 350 ci engine, 4-bbl carb, and turbo-hydramatic 400 tranny - had a white interior and white top - sorry I let it go, thinking we would like the '66 Mustang GT convertible we threw to much $$$ at, and never finished. My wife and I, along with both kids and Gypsy, the Dalmatian would all go CRUISIN' on the front seat of that dreamboat.

1st Buick we purchased new - 1982 Century Limited 4-door sedan w/ 3.0 V-6 and all of the options -- regrettably not a good example of what a Buick should be - had to raise the engine out of the chassis to change the water pump - constant problems with the relays for the electric cooling fans for the radiator, resulting in frequent overheating - a real disappointment. The worse disappointment was the dealership (still in business in my hometown), and lack of support from the Factory Rep.

My vintage Buicks are much better cars than the one I bought new.

Edited December 30, 2009 by Marty Roth
typo (see edit history)

[g-g-g0]

My first car was a 1940 4 dr Chevrolet and I got it in March 1956. It was an elderly neighbors car that my dad bought for $100. I lived in a small rural town in central Illinois and needed transportation to get to my farm jobs. My hourly wage was $1.00 per hour. After school was out I would make up to $100.00 per week. That was a lot of money then but the hours were long and the work was HARD. By the way gas was about $.23 cents per gallon.

My second car was a 1939 Buick Special business coupe. I got it in February or March 1957 and it was a fun car. Paid $125.00 plus the ' 40 Chevy. It could haul lots of stuff like my bass violin or 6 to 7 girls! It was a great car and pretty fast for its time. The speedometer went to 120 and it would go to the peg. Once, out ran a new 1957 Ford Thunder Bird on my way home late one night. It took a long time to get that old straight eight wound up but it would fly after a mile or two! The cars down fall came when I found a two carb manifold off of a 40 or 41 and installed it on my car. Cut one flange off of the exhaust manifold and turned around so that I could install duals and glass packs. You could hear it for blocks when I got on it!! The only problem was that after I put the dual carb manifold on it seemed like it had a cooling problem and kept burning the top out of number 8 piston.

I really miss the old girl. The last time I saw her she was setting beside a house on West Sagamon Ave in Springfield, Illinois. She sat there for several years in the late 50's/early 60's. Does any one know where she is now??

Since then I have had many Buicks with a Chevy or two plus one Mustang convertible mixed in but I guess it could be said that I have been a Buick man most of my life.

Happy New Year

Gary

[dship]

My first car was a 1956 Mercury 2dr that my brother and I bought together for $35. That was back in 1966 when I was 17. My brother was one year younger and had not yet gotten his license so I had to drive him around. We bought the car off a neighber's father who could no longer drive. It had a 292ci w/ a 4 bbl and 3 on the floor (originally on the tree). Not having much money between us, we didn't have money to buy new tires. So, we had a snow tire on the right front (just in case I hit a curb...was still a newbee at driving a std tranny). We sold it a year later for $50.

I always wanted a Buick but wife and kids were the priority for many years. I wasn't until 1997 that I bought my first Buick....a 1996 Riviera....then added a 1997 Riviera the next year. These were daily drivers and were traded later for 1999 and 2000 Eldorados (have those today). After retirement in 2003, my wife and I restored a 1985 and two 1992 Rivieras...sold the '85, kept the two '92's.

[HurstGN]

First Car - 1976 Mercury Cougar XR7 - Triple white w/red dash. It looked fantastic when I bought it, it wasn't. It was a rust bucket that I learned a hard lesson on...what a POS. I ket that thing running for many years.

First Buick - 1987 Grand National - Mildly modified when purchased. All those modified parts have since been removed in favor of modifications that work. The original owner did the mods in the very early days when little was known about the Grand Nationals. First emissions test it took, it registered over 900 on the HC (I think I have that one right...) allowable to pass was like 200 at the time. Now all sorted out with better tune, it runs faster than ever before, and passes the now stricter emissions test with flying colors. Yes, I still have this Buick today.

[Mark Shaw]

My first car was a 62 MG Midget. Really nice girl getter....but no guts.

My First Buick was a 1929-27 Standard which is now my son's car.

[Guest Skyking]

My first car was a brand new 1964 Chevelle 300 2dr post with a 283 and 3-speed. The only accessories were whitewall tires and a radio. I paid $2100 for it.

My first Buick was 1955 Special model 48. I kept that car for 20 years...

[Guest kaycee]

My first car was a '49 Chevy club coupe. Two years later came the first of many Buicks in my life, a '50 Super Riv. 2 dr. ht., that came from California to a local Buick dealership. It was a stick shift with a replaced custom interior of black and white leather, dark green top and light green bottom exterior, and had previously been fitted with a higher ratio Dynaflow rear end. It was my pride and joy for about three years before I sold it to a best buddy, and bought a '55 White, red, white Century 4dr. ht. ' Loved all my Buicks!, and am still a old diehard Buick man!

kaycee

[bhclark]

Same Car. My grandfather died when I was 15 and I inherited his 1965 Buick Wildcat 2 dr sedan (which I had been driving since I was 12).

Bucket seats, ironing board console, vinyl top, wire wheel covers, originally black vinyl top over red, repainted gray about 8 years before I got it. Mint interior. That was 1988. Car was totaled and engine destroyed by 1989.

[Guest Roxana]

My first car was a 1987 Chevy Camaro LT. Man I loved that car...Curving thru the Ortega Hwy heading toward Dana Point.... Ill never forget those days. My camaro was so sleek... so shiny and FAST ! Ha.. that 5 Freeway near Bakersfield.... passing all of those big rigs... Ha!

Ok. My first Buick. 1997 Riviera. I just got on at an auction for $900. Its the best used car I have ever had. It runs GREAT! Its smooth. Sleek. Powerful. And FAST!

Engine is almost perfect. Body is almost perfect. And the inside is almost perfect. Almost everything works.

Ive been looking at this site for a month or so and got some real good ideas but I will be posting some questions soon on how to fix things and finding parts.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Roxana, welcome.

A '97 Riviera for $900!! Gotta love bargains like that.

Ask away. Someone will be able to answer all Questions. We would like to see you join the BCA.

Ben

[Guest Roxana]

Thanks Ben !

I sure will....

Roxana

:: Id like to give a shout out to The King-Happy Birthday Elvis! TCB !! ::

[Guest jamper]

1st car, 1989 olds cutlass ciera.

1st buick, just got my 1972 Buick Skylark Suncoupe. Needs some work, but its a blast to drive! Gets a lot of looks, even despite the rust!

[Guest InkedGhandi]

My first car was a 1997 Ford Ranger. My stepdad bought that for me I guess as a graduation gift from high school. As for my first Buick that would be my 1964 Buick Wildcat that I bought 4 days ago for $1500 with the only problem with it being a transmission leak. Everything else had been redone by the guy that owned it before the guy I bought it from if that makes any sense.

[NCReatta]

First car and first Buick (either good luck or bad.. Not sure which yet) '89 Buick Reatta. Paid $600 for it and a parts car. Sold the parts car for $300 to have money to finish fixing my driver up. So if you do the math, running driving Reatta with 140k for $300.. I'm pretty satisfied. Since then, I've bought 2 more Reattas.. Perhaps I should expand my horizons..

[Larry Schramm]

My first car was a Buick. A 1983 Skylark Station wagon with the aluminum V-8 and every option available at the time. It was a former GM executive company car.

[John_Maine]

My first car was a '64 Corvair 700 4 door sedan, black with a red interior, 3 speed manual. I was commuting to college and thought it would be good in the snow and I wouldn't have to worry about anti-freeze, etc. It had 49K on it when I bought it for $850 in September 1968. I had it about a month and had to replace the head gaskets. Ran it through the winter; then in the spring, it started sucking exhaust fumes through the heat ducts. It was awful. I couldn't find anyone who knew why, went to the local Chevy dealer to see if they would look at it and was told they didn't work on Corvairs unless they were purchased at the dealership. At that point, I traded for a '64 Falcon Futura, more conventional and easier to repair - and it needed a lot of repairs in the 3 years I owned it.

My first Buick is the '71 Lesabre that my uncle gave me in 2000. He purchased it in 1980 from some friends of his in NJ, so I have known it since it was new. Have only driven it 10 miles since getting it out of hibernation in early April. It still looks good and runs ok, but needs some work. Hope I can make it to Danvers.....