Your First Real Car: Why It's Probably Special
#31
Drifting
#32
Race Car
#33
This is probably one of my favorite threads here, because I'm currently in the process of choosing my very own first real car. I don't plan on rushing into a Porsche anytime soon - the journey to earning one is all part of the experience and now isn't the time as a fresh grad (especially as I'll be commuting to work with it lol).
The top candidate right now is the '16 GTI 5-door with Performance Package. Mom has had one for the past 2 years since it launched (under my recommendation to forget getting a Q5 and jump into one of those), and I did my driving test with it haha. She swears by GTI's now and wins the award for the coolest mom. With the GTI, other than the really petite side mirrors, everything else is nothing short of awesome.
MA dealers are pretty stingy right now so I might have to go out of state. Hope to close a deal on one by the end of the month before I start my first job in August!
The top candidate right now is the '16 GTI 5-door with Performance Package. Mom has had one for the past 2 years since it launched (under my recommendation to forget getting a Q5 and jump into one of those), and I did my driving test with it haha. She swears by GTI's now and wins the award for the coolest mom. With the GTI, other than the really petite side mirrors, everything else is nothing short of awesome.
MA dealers are pretty stingy right now so I might have to go out of state. Hope to close a deal on one by the end of the month before I start my first job in August!
#34
Rennlist Member
my first three cars:
1 - 1970's beige ford ltd station wagon with real-fake wood grain on side panels (aka family truckster)
2 - 1980 beige dodge omin. yes, 2nd beige car in a row that i saved up $99.99 for a maaco paint job to change it to black. when i picked up car, 20% of the car was still beige (not included in their $99.99 paint job) and i had to pony up another $100 for them to paint the rest of the car............true story. still a $200 paint job though and i saw it in relative's driveway years later with black paint almost completely pealed off of hood (it didn't look good in black/tan two-tone either).
3 - brand new 1990 stripper ford ranger. i'm sure my dad ordered a brand-new $5,000msrp 0-option ford ranger (well, he handed me the payment book with the car) for weight savings so it could double as my DE car on the weekends :-). mooty, it had a snack tray where the radio would be but it was only single din; so, had to be 1-course snack only (usually pbj). i used it as a courier truck in the summer; AWESOME driving around with no radio and no a/c in Kansas City heat all summer long on vinyl seats. gives a whole new definition to SWASS!!! add a manual tranny with key map in one hand, pbj in the other; forget heal/toe shifting; i learned the deadly art of knees and elbows steering and the clutch was optional once rolling. man, where was google maps back then!!!!
i have ZERO love loss for any of those vehicles and would be fine if i never saw any of them again. only reason i could see me trying to find/buy them again would be for target practice or a bon fire.
MY first "fun car" was a 2005 maserati qp. i loved that car at the time and filled a very specific niche when i couldn't fathom having a 3rd car! my wife said "i don't care what you get as long as it has 4 doors"............at that time, the QP was ground-breaking for what a 4-door car could be (i'm sure that car is a boat anchor today).
one day i test drove a 2007 gt3, and i caught the porsche bug big time; once you pass 3 cars, you quickly get to the "counting on fingers and/or toes to remember how many cars you currently own" phase. it's like having more than 2 kids; no real difference between 3 and 7?! i traded in that 07gt3 for a 4.0 (which i still own); i would consider buying it back again one day if i could find it; it was my first real car crush. the 7.1 gt3 platform will always be special to me. i bought a 7.1rs to fill the hole: no other car will be able to replace the feel, smell and flood of first-car-crush memories for me, that come along with a 7.1 gt platform.
1 - 1970's beige ford ltd station wagon with real-fake wood grain on side panels (aka family truckster)
2 - 1980 beige dodge omin. yes, 2nd beige car in a row that i saved up $99.99 for a maaco paint job to change it to black. when i picked up car, 20% of the car was still beige (not included in their $99.99 paint job) and i had to pony up another $100 for them to paint the rest of the car............true story. still a $200 paint job though and i saw it in relative's driveway years later with black paint almost completely pealed off of hood (it didn't look good in black/tan two-tone either).
3 - brand new 1990 stripper ford ranger. i'm sure my dad ordered a brand-new $5,000msrp 0-option ford ranger (well, he handed me the payment book with the car) for weight savings so it could double as my DE car on the weekends :-). mooty, it had a snack tray where the radio would be but it was only single din; so, had to be 1-course snack only (usually pbj). i used it as a courier truck in the summer; AWESOME driving around with no radio and no a/c in Kansas City heat all summer long on vinyl seats. gives a whole new definition to SWASS!!! add a manual tranny with key map in one hand, pbj in the other; forget heal/toe shifting; i learned the deadly art of knees and elbows steering and the clutch was optional once rolling. man, where was google maps back then!!!!
i have ZERO love loss for any of those vehicles and would be fine if i never saw any of them again. only reason i could see me trying to find/buy them again would be for target practice or a bon fire.
MY first "fun car" was a 2005 maserati qp. i loved that car at the time and filled a very specific niche when i couldn't fathom having a 3rd car! my wife said "i don't care what you get as long as it has 4 doors"............at that time, the QP was ground-breaking for what a 4-door car could be (i'm sure that car is a boat anchor today).
one day i test drove a 2007 gt3, and i caught the porsche bug big time; once you pass 3 cars, you quickly get to the "counting on fingers and/or toes to remember how many cars you currently own" phase. it's like having more than 2 kids; no real difference between 3 and 7?! i traded in that 07gt3 for a 4.0 (which i still own); i would consider buying it back again one day if i could find it; it was my first real car crush. the 7.1 gt3 platform will always be special to me. i bought a 7.1rs to fill the hole: no other car will be able to replace the feel, smell and flood of first-car-crush memories for me, that come along with a 7.1 gt platform.
#35
Race Director
1964 356C coupe, silver with black interior.. Bought for $11,000 in 1994, Drove it to high school daily junior and senior years in Michigan, even in winter.. Most kids in my class helped push it after school as 6 volt system wouldn't start after a cold day. Spun it many times and miraculously never hit anything. Obvious reasons why I should never have sold it.. Used it as a way to find out if a girl was cool or not.. If she complained on a date she was out, if she thought it was ok to sweat ***** in summer and freeze in winter while fearing for her life... If keep her as long as she lasted. I wish I had never sold it
#36
1964 356C coupe, silver with black interior.. Bought for $11,000 in 1994, Drove it to high school daily junior and senior years in Michigan, even in winter.. Most kids in my class helped push it after school as 6 volt system wouldn't start after a cold day. Spun it many times and miraculously never hit anything. Obvious reasons why I should never have sold it.. Used it as a way to find out if a girl was cool or not.. If she complained on a date she was out, if she thought it was ok to sweat ***** in summer and freeze in winter while fearing for her life... If keep her as long as she lasted. I wish I had never sold it
Anything other than above - let's be friends.
Especially with the 356, I can imagine...
#37
When I was 16 my dad bought me an ancient 1967 MGB. He didn’t let me drive it until he went through all the mechanical and safety related systems. It had the odd dent and scratch, and the no first gear synchromesh design made it a challenge to drive. But I didn’t care, I just wanted a cool convertible sports car to tool around in. My Dad being my dad, decided he would schedule the little MG into his shop for a full paint, but first he would stop all oil leaks, which is pretty difficult since they are part of the DNA of English sports cars. When he also told me he had acquired the parts to convert the transmission to an all synchromesh and build an additional overdrive, I was in despair that I may never get to drive the car.
Just when I though things couldn’t get any worse, I was summoned to help with the machining and final assembly of the transmission. I really didn’t enjoy smelling like gear oil for a week.
The body prep and painting were more hard work. Again I didn’t like smelling of paint thinner for a week, but the car was now beautiful. Dad said learning all this was a good investment and that caring for your car can be very satisfying.
A few weeks later just as the paint was almost fully cured, my stupid high school boyfriend was leaning/sitting up against the car with his scruffy blue jeans. I was in a panic to save my car from any hurt. I opened my mouth to yell, but what I had recently learned about the workings of the teenage boy’s mind made me realize that would be counterproductive. Instead, I lunged at him with a vicious sucker punch to the gut sending him reeling. Dad was right. Caring for your car can be very satisfying.
Just when I though things couldn’t get any worse, I was summoned to help with the machining and final assembly of the transmission. I really didn’t enjoy smelling like gear oil for a week.
The body prep and painting were more hard work. Again I didn’t like smelling of paint thinner for a week, but the car was now beautiful. Dad said learning all this was a good investment and that caring for your car can be very satisfying.
A few weeks later just as the paint was almost fully cured, my stupid high school boyfriend was leaning/sitting up against the car with his scruffy blue jeans. I was in a panic to save my car from any hurt. I opened my mouth to yell, but what I had recently learned about the workings of the teenage boy’s mind made me realize that would be counterproductive. Instead, I lunged at him with a vicious sucker punch to the gut sending him reeling. Dad was right. Caring for your car can be very satisfying.
#38
Race Director
Originally Posted by wysl94
"Nice Beetle" - out.
Anything other than above - let's be friends.
Especially with the 356, I can imagine...
Anything other than above - let's be friends.
Especially with the 356, I can imagine...
#39
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by CAlexio
Funny enough, we also had a pristine 356B roadster from 1961 which I was only allowed to drive to prom once… Much more valuable car. Both of these however served to propagate the rumor that my family was in the mob, as we were a fresh off the boat Italian family, the only one in town for sure. I would take any cool points I could get.
#41
Drifting
First Car: 87' Fiero GT (Fast Back). LOVED That car. I had my Senior Picture taken with it.. LOL. I've considered looking for it again, actual car. Not sure how to do that, but there has to be a way? If not the actual car I'd like to get the same yr/spec just to have. It was similar to my grandfathers and a cool little pocket rocket for a 16yr old. Kept it for a few years into college when I sold it and purchased a new 1997 GTI VR6. What a car! The GTI sold me on German Engineering. I ended up modding it and competing in SCCA Auto-Cross for a couple years.
Slippery Slope from there...
Slippery Slope from there...
#45
Rennlist Member
'69 Karmann Ghia sportomatic, orange, lowered on Fuchs with 2-12" subs in the back seat during the late 80's
Miss it, probably not so much if I had a chance to drive it again...
Miss it, probably not so much if I had a chance to drive it again...