What was your first vehicle like?
By Phyrre
@phyrre (2317)
United States
August 19, 2009 12:35pm CST
I always like to compare these firsts. I was talking to a friend the other day and her parents have some money and they bought her her first car and it was an extremely nice car. Brand new and everything, not even used (which I don't agree with, but that's not the point).
Then I got to thinking about my first car. I offered to buy my father's car off of him because he was getting ready to sell it for $2,000. I didn't have that money at that point, but i said I would pay him on a payment plan if he didn't mind. He seemed to like the responsibility I took in it, so he gave it to me. Now, this car had gone through my father, my brother, my sister, and then back to my father. I know that my brother and sister beat the crap out of it while they had it. It was a Buick Century, awesome car, 170k miles, but not in good shape. Every month something or another would break on it. After 6 months and $600 worth of repairs, I decided to sell it and buy a different used car (Chevy Cavalier with 100k miles).
But I still loved my first car, even though it was unreliable and didn't run right half the time. I think there's something about a first car that most people tend to fall in love with. Maybe it's the idea of being independent and owning something that important?
Anyway, what was your first vehicle like?
3 people like this
15 responses
@thedailyclick (3017)
•
19 Aug 09
My first car was a second hand Peugeot 309 which I bought for around £1250. Well actually my parents bought it and I spent the next year paying them back. It was pastel blue, not the manliest of colours, but beggars can’t be choosers and my then girlfriend gave it the name Alfie. I have to say I absolutely loved that car, spending hours washing and waxing it and despite within 6 months of buying it things would regularly go wrong I still have many fond memories of trips in that old car. That is until someone drove in the side of me and basically wrote it off by twisting the chassis.
2 people like this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
19 Aug 09
Sounds like a rather nice vehicle! I like pastel blue and like you said you can't complain! Hubby's first car was a powder blue jeep that his grandmother gave him. He was such a macho man, so it was hilarious watching him drive around in a little powder blue car!
I think there seems to be a deep connection with your first car. No matter how many nicer cars people seem to get there's always something that's extra special about their first one, even if it hardly runs at all.
@kykidd (6812)
• United States
19 Aug 09
My first car was a 1978 Oldsmobile. It didn't even run when I bought it off of a guy that I worked with. The same as you, he agreed to let me make payments. I had to get a transmission put in it, in order to be able to drive it.
It seemed to always need work, and the stereo didn't play. But it got me to where I needed to go. Luckily, I worked in the office of a garage, and the owners let me make payments whenever I needed work done.
That car took me a lot of miles, and eventually ended up standing up to a 19 point deer. It was solid steel, and I got almost half the money I paid for it when I finally sold it a couple of years later. Of course, it ran a lot better at that point. :)
2 people like this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
19 Aug 09
Wow, that sounds like a pretty sturdy car. Quite a fixer-upper, but you must've felt real proud putting that much effort into it and being able to call it your own! I know a lot of people that love fixer-uppers because they love to put in the elbow grease required and make it their own. ^_^
Oldsmobiles are pretty sturdy cars anyway. My mother had one that ended up getting in a wreck, but it seems like it lasted just about forever.
@mkrishna22 (465)
• India
19 Aug 09
yeah, your first vehicle hs always got be special and is unforgettable. my first vehicle was my hero honda bike which i drove for almost 8 yrs. it was great fun and i loved it. i have great memories with that bike and will never forget it.
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
19 Aug 09
Oh, a bike as your first vehicle, huh? That's really neat! I had a dirtbike for offroading before I even got my driving license, but I don't think I'd ever be able to drive a motorcycle or anything on the road. I'm too nervous about driving at speeds over 50 with them, especially since if anything goes wrong it can mean trouble and I'm not that great of a driver on one.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
19 Aug 09
My first car was a 1992 Saturn. My mother bought it for me from a used car lot. This was in 1996. It was a blue four-door with 70k miles. I loved that car but we only kept it for just over a year before we traded it in for a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am.
My mother got me a decent car because prior to my getting my license, she was the only driver in the family. She figured I needed to have a decent car so that I could help her with running my little brother and sister to their extra-curriculars as well as taking the load off of her for my own extra-curriculars.
2 people like this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
19 Aug 09
That sounds like a really reasonable solution. Glad you could help your family out like that. :) Everyone in my family had cars, so getting me one wasn't really a priority.
Sounds like you had a nice little car, though. It's hard getting rid of a car after you're used to it for a while, isn't it? Especially if it's one you liked to begin with.
@kitty42 (3923)
• United States
20 Aug 09
My first car was a 1991 Nissan Sentra,I loved my car, I named her after my daughter, I still remember my license plate number, anyway she was small I am really tall so I had to give her up. I miss that car will always remember my first car, and how I felt when I purchased it what a feeling that was, Thank you for taking me down memory lane, great post
1 person likes this
@preema723 (117)
• United States
19 Aug 09
I remember going to look at my first car. It was a rickety old thing but I loved it - hey, it was wheels and freedom! At the time, my parents were not in a financial position to be buying me a car, but somehow they managed it. They gave it to me on Christmas morning with a big, red bow on it. It was a 1989 Nissan Sentra and I was thrilled. Most people would consider it a lemon. Believe it or not, the speedometer did not work at all, so I just kept with traffic and when I was alone on the highway, I counted how fast the lines in the road went by to help me figure out my speed. The trunk leaked every time it rained, so i just didn't use it. It seemed I was always dumping money into it - for a new transmission, an engine repair, a supposed leak repair (even though it still leaked), an exhaust system - you name it, I fixed it on that car. But it was mine and it was hard to part with. Every now and then, I see one still running on the road - how I don't know- but it always makes me fondly think of the one I had.
2 people like this
@dreamr802 (985)
• United States
20 Aug 09
My first car was a 1999 Toyota Camry...my car was only 1 month old when my dad gave it to me...he drove it around for the first month. My parents are funny about getting used cars...we've never had one. But then again my dad was a sales manager for Toyota so we didn't even have to own a car till I started to drive, until then we used dealer cars. My car was our first car since I was born that was leased...then they leased my mom a car and my dad a car when he left Toyota...My toyota went back to the dealership when I left for college because my uncle (his father in law owns the dealership) let us lease till I left for college.
When I was a junior in college I bought a brand new toyota corolla...I don't want to buy used cars...I would rather it be new and from the dealership because then I can have a warranty and with used cars you take a chance, I've heard so many people have trouble and buying lemons or something breaks and nothing can be done for them. I'd rather pay for the newness lol.
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
20 Aug 09
Well i have had my share of bad experiences with cars. First car i got was when i was seventeen. My mom and stepfather bought me a used protege. It wasn't fancy and it of course was stick shift. So my stepfather tried to teach me. After having it for a couple of weeks we got dissappointing news. We found out the scum that sold it to us stole the car from florida. My parents didn't get their money back and we lost the car. I was sad. Till a year later my grandma bought me a used 1994 toyota camry. Nice car great on gas. But like you one thing after another then the engine went. It sat in our back yard for the longest time. Then last year i leased a used 98 mazda 626. It was my most favored car. Someone pulled out in front of me and totalled it. Then got another piece of well you know. Then just this past february i went to my first car auction. Found a 2000 chevy cavalier. I have had a couple of minor problems. But im going to fix this baby up to last me a while. It only had 127,000 miles on it when i bought it.
@prinzcy (32322)
• Malaysia
20 Aug 09
Apart from my bicycle 
, I owned a car since two years ago. I bought it with my own money (the part that I am still proud of 
) It's an automatic and can be classified as mini car (small = mini 
) I don't mind people complaining about me driving automatic car. What should they care? It's my car. Even if I buy a new car someday, I will keep this car as it's my first car.
, I owned a car since two years ago. I bought it with my own money (the part that I am still proud of ) It's an automatic and can be classified as mini car (small = mini ) I don't mind people complaining about me driving automatic car. What should they care? It's my car. Even if I buy a new car someday, I will keep this car as it's my first car.
@patofgold23 (5069)
• Philippines
20 Aug 09
mine was a white box type lancer..that was when i was 17.
T'was my brother's old car..
he didn't want it anymore after he got a new one.
I bargained to buy it for a really "almost-give away" price.
It was so beat up and has no airconditioning in it.........
@ibodemeh123 (77)
• Nigeria
20 Aug 09
Dear, i have a similar feeling too. My first car was a brand new KIA RIO given to me as my official car. The company i worked for had serious problem. Infact they are almost parking up now. I returned the car on getting another job. In this present place no official car was given. At the moment i use publick transport and it is not easy moving my family around. I am saving seriously to get another one atleast for the sake of my family. Each time i see a similar car on the road or when my kids sees one they shout 'daddy daddy see your type of car' really i feel somehow!
@suneethamalathi (34)
• India
20 Aug 09
Hi, I like bicycle , it is very less cost and it is basic stage to learn from child hood onwards. Parents also wants to give the bicycles to all the child. After learning bicycle i got to thinking about my Scotty. After that i got to thinking about my first car. So in this way every one want to by new vehicles. Now in this world become a different types of models, so if you want to get a vehicle we want money for that. may be its the idea of being independent and and owning money something that is very important in our life. But I still loved my first bicycle.
@klasburt (7)
• United States
20 Aug 09
My first car was a 67 Chevy Chevelle 4-door driven (amazingly true she was my great aunt) by a little old lady who drove it to school and church. When she retired and couldn't drive anymore she requested that I get the car if I wanted. So I worked all summer to raise the money and $500.00 dollars later she was mine with only 30,000 miles. It wasn't the sportiest one around but it was a sharp looking car that ran forever. It got me to school in NY and back to the midwest twice. I put over 125,000 miles on that car. When I bought my first new car I sold it to our local mechanic who gave it to his father to drive around town. He put another 90,000 miles on it and wouldn't give it up until his son made him get rid of her. He was affraid that as old as it was that he might get stranded out of town especially in winter. Now THAT was a Great car!!
@Gafrick (18)
• United States
20 Aug 09
My first car was a Kia rio that my parents bought for me and i honestly would never recommend this car to anyone but it was a ok car for the first year i had it.
@Secretes (11)
• United States
20 Aug 09
My first car, and still my car to this date, is a '97 Honda Accord LX, black. It's a 2 door model and has a sun roof. It was given to me from my mother for my graduation and it has served me so well. I have never had any serious problems with it and it has great gas mileage.
