• Welcome to the CaliforniaSpecial.com forums! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all our site features, please take a moment to join our community! It's fast, simple and absolutely free.

    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

    Please Note: If you are an existing member and your password no longer works, click here to reset it.

What kind of cars did your parents own growing up?

BroadwayBlue

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2005
Messages
2,900
Location
Hudson Valley Area, NY
My Dad used to keep his cars for about 10 years before replacing them.
Not intentionally it just worked out that way.

In my lifetime he had the following all purchased new except where noted:

1958 Pontiac Safari Station Wagon
1968 Ford LTD Country Squire Wagon
1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88
1990 Plymouth Grand Voyager

For a short while we were a 2 car family as well:
In 69 my Dad bought a used 1959 Chevy Impala with 3-speed on the column. (there's that 10 year thing again) The wheel fell off one day and he got rid of it ... would love to have that car today.
For awhile we also had a 1976 Chevy Station Wagon that was purchased used as well
 

390cs68rcode

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
2,864
Location
Houston Texas
most of my early car memories is from my fathers 1974 Oldsmoblie Cutlass Supreme. I can remember he would open it up on a long freeway when we were going fishing. The sound of that 4 barrel carb "doing it's business" sure was cool at 120 mph. My father is coming to visit me in a few months and I am gonna take him for a ride in the 390 CS and let him hear how my 4 barrel sounds doing it's business. Might even bust out the big guns and do it in the Cobra Jet.

My mother had a early 70's beetle and I would stand up in the front seat while she drove around so I could see out the windshield. Boy have times changed.
 

nfrntau

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
1,020
Location
Rosharon, Texas
My father was a Ford Dealer while I was growing up. He always drove a brand new T-bird, switched to a crown vic and now drives an Expedition. I learned how to drive in a brand new lipstick red 75 t-bird with white leather interior. High horse power nope, cool factor for a 15 year old kid, yep.
 

hookedtrout

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2003
Messages
1,929
Location
Idaho
Dad always drove a new Ford Truck, he would trade in every 2-3 years. He did venture off and try a Dodge here recently when Dodge first came out with the Semi looking front end as he loved the looks. After the seat folding lever broke off and the tail gate chrome/aluminum cover fell off all within the first 6 mos he immediately traded back to a built Ford Tough F250.

I can remember in 1979 he bought a new2X4 F250 and in those days 4X4's were something you rarely found on the lot, you had to order them in but they were starting to show up more and more and I can remember him saying I've never needed a 4X4 so I'll never buy one. The next truck he bought was a 4X4 and every truck since, you can't even find a 2X4 on a lot here in Idaho anymore. If you want 2 wheel drive you order it.

As a kid Mom had a 67 Caddy, a 68 Caddy, they had a 68 Tbird for awhile, and then they started buying new GM cars and trading every 3-4 years, Olds Cutlass, Pontiac Grand Prix, moved on to Buick Park Ave's and stuck with them for a lot of years trading every few years and now that they are retired she drives new a new Caddy with the greatest option I've ever seen in a car. AC in the seats. Everyone used to think heated seats were awesome, I'm here to say AC in the seat is way better than heat. The leather heats up fast when you sit on it anyway but a hot day in the sun and AC keeps your crack cool all day.

Cory
 

Mustanglvr

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Messages
3,258
hookedtrout said:
Everyone used to think heated seats were awesome, I'm here to say AC in the seat is way better than heat. The leather heats up fast when you sit on it anyway but a hot day in the sun and AC keeps your crack cool all day.

Cory

Ha, ha funny Cory.
 

case12

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
1,450
Location
Crystal Lake, IL
Dad had more cars than I can remember, but the one's that stand out:
1934 Ford Truck chopped and channeled (today they would call it a rat rod).
1963 Impala Convertible
1968 Cadillac Fleetwood (a boat) - which I took to high school and totaled by hitting a 1955 chevy belair (the chevy was parked).
1974 Olds 98 convertible (which I took to the prom - what a night!) Casey
 

Perkchiro

Well-known member
Joined
May 1, 2004
Messages
1,112
Location
Nixa, MO
My folks had a 56 Buick 2 door sedan, (Wish I had that one now!), a 64 Caddie, 72 caddie and an Olds delta 88(forgot the year) and two Lincoln Town Cars. My dad has always driven Ford Pickups and he will be 80 in September and guess what? He still drives a Ford F-250 diesel.
 

mmarsalone

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2004
Messages
324
Location
New Orleans, LA
The first car I remember my dad having is a 68' Mustang. It was Royal Maroon. I was born in 65' and I guess I was probably 4 or 5 years old when I began to pay attention. I remember for my birthday my parents took me to the local dime store and I picked out a toy Mustang because that's what my dad had.

Then in late 71' my dad traded my uncle even his 68' for my uncles 66' Mustang. My uncle was buying a Porsche 911 and my dad's car had a higher trade in value. The 66 was a 289, 4 speed car with Pony interior. One summer morning in 1975 I was leaving my friends house who lived next door. My dad's Mustang was in the neighbors yard sideways. A teenager up the street came home drunk and ran into the back of it. The insurance company totalled it and gave him $600.

It was all down hill from there. Next came:
Opel 1900 (?) wagon
Toyota Carolla Sports Coupe
Toyota Tercel
Honda Accord
Toyota Camry ( still has this one. Water got to the floor boards during Hurricane Katrina. The insurance company totalled this one also but they kept it.)

The first car I remember my mom having was either a 63' or 64' Falcon. Then in 1971 she got her first Brand new car, a Pontiac Lemans. Then she got the Honda Accord stated above. At some point they got rid of the Tercel and they only had one car since the Camry.
 
OP
OP
BroadwayBlue

BroadwayBlue

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2005
Messages
2,900
Location
Hudson Valley Area, NY
hookedtrout said:
she drives new a new Caddy with the greatest option I've ever seen in a car. AC in the seats. Everyone used to think heated seats were awesome, I'm here to say AC in the seat is way better than heat. The leather heats up fast when you sit on it anyway but a hot day in the sun and AC keeps your crack cool all day.

Cory

We just got those in our new Expedition. I can't wait for the warm weather to see how effective they are. So far they seem like they will be pretty cool! (pardon the pun) :rolleyes:
 

390cs68rcode

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
2,864
Location
Houston Texas
Everyone used to think heated seats were awesome, I'm here to say AC in the seat is way better than heat. The leather heats up fast when you sit on it anyway but a hot day in the sun and AC keeps your crack cool all day.

I completely agree a cool crack is better than a sweaty crack anyday.
 

marie68csmustangs

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
287
Location
Sacramento, CA
My dad had a 1983 Toyota Tercel and a 1983 Blazer (diesel) I drove the Blazer and the Tercel.. I drove the Tercel until 2002 when the transmission blew. It's now in Colorado.. Now, my dad has a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummings Turbo Diesel..
Marie
 

Canuck CSter

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2003
Messages
130
1976 AMC Pacer.....

Oh the memories of trying to open the 150 pound passanger door by myself as a young lad, and trying not to get crushed in its recoil.
 

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,011
No money in our household.
56 Oldsmobile - used
64 Rambler - used
70 Plymouth Fury - used
77? Mazda GLC - New
Late 80s Buick Regal - used
The nicest vehicle we had was my Dad's new '72 GMC 1/2 ton long bed that is in the gallery. I drove it all through high school until I bought my 1st GT/CS, also in the gallery.
 

Mustanglvr

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Messages
3,258
My dad being born in 1911 first had a team of horses named Bob and Maude he used to get around on the prairies of South Dakota. Later, he had the proverbial Model A Ford and others like it. My mother drove a 1941 Ford convertible till my dad decided she was too much of a flirt with her blue eyes and flowing blonde hair and he sold it for $900.00. That car today is worth alot! She complained for many years wanting a 1959 T-bird, but never got it till she threatened him with a divorce and finally in 1970 he got her a 1970 Mach 1 Mustang with a 351 Cleveland. He had a 1967 Ford Custom he had made her drive or the 1967 Ford F250 truck till we got the Mustang and then all hell broke loose and she finally divorced him in 1974. Thats the year he bought his Ford LTD with a 351 Cleveland. She moved me and my sister to the Washington coast and we lived there for 2 years. She found out he was selling the family farm and wanted her cut so we packed up the Mustang and towed it behind a U-haul truck on a towbar back to South Dakota. In Wyoming we were stopped waiting to enter a 4 lane highway and a car with 2 drunk 18 year old girls smashed their car into the back of my mom`s mustang. There was a 16 year old boy on a motorcycle in between the two cars, but luckily he saw the car coming and lifted himself off the back spoiler of the mustang and catapaulted into the air and came down with such a force that it broke his helmet in two pieces. He had a concussion but came out ok I guess. The gas cap from the mustang was found in the ditch on the other side of the 4 lanes. I remember being an 11 year old, crying my eyes out searching for the gascap. Thinking I could`nt bear to leave it behind in Wyoming. The towtruck driver wrapped a chain around the motorcycle and when he tried to pry it away from the mustang, it lifted the front of the towtruck. It finally came out with a loud crack. My mom had to wait for the drunken girls grandfather to pass away, to get their inheritence, to get paid for the damage, but when the money came in, the lawyer absconded it and has never been heard from again. The mustang was drivable although she was pretty dented in, in the back. I drove it around and even street raced it for a few years. That thing really moved. My dad finally sold the mustang for $1800.00 in 1990. It had 90,000 original one owner miles on it.
I have had a 1973 Camaro, a 1967 Mustang convertible, various puddle jumpers to tool around in (Toyotas mostly). A 1966 mustang coupe, 1991 Ford Explorer (which was junk). Now I have a 1987 Acura Legend I tool around in and a 1990 Ford Aerostar van that is waiting for a transmission adjustment. And then I have this GT/CS Mustang I don`t know what to do with. It needs a complete restoration. It can`t be done now, but it has some rust. How long before its too late to restore a car that has rust? Anybody know? If I put it in a temperature controlled environment, would that stop it from rusting even worse? My husband said I would have to spray it down with WD-40 first. Is that right? Sorry, I`m just rambling again. Rhonda:smile:
 

68gt390

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2004
Messages
2,021
Location
Columbus, Ohio
390cs68rcode said:
I completely agree a cool crack is better than a sweaty crack anyday.

We've got the kind of people here in Columbus who don't care what kind of crack they have, as long as they have crack. Ooops, wrong kind of crack. :rofl:

I do have to say after driving my CS all last summer w/o A/C and vinyl interior, swamp ass is no fun espcially when your doing a lot of walking. Kind of amazing though that back in the 60's and out in the 100 + degree days in Palm Springs we never worried about A/C.

The car that stands out for me was a 68 Ford Custom my grandmother had. Neat car, it had a 390 and auto. Everytime she wanted to go some where I was right there to volunteer. She even let me borrow it every now then to go to school in. What a blast. She never could figure out why the tires wore out so quick on it.

Don :cool:
 

rvrtrash

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2003
Messages
3,649
Dad had a GT-40 and Mom had a 427 Fairlane. Oops, that's what I wanted them to have.:grin: We actually had a '64 Rambler, '65 Dodge Dart, '68 Galaxie 500 (got my drivers license in that one), and a '73 Galaxie wagon. My mom still thinks about the '53 Ford Victoria she had when she got married. If I ever get my '69 XL Convertible sold, I'm buying her one.
Steve
 

Diesel Donna

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 22, 2004
Messages
2,005
The first car Dad had when I was little was a 1952 Ford Wagon. I even still have the receipt for it. He got it at his cousin's Ford dealership in 1955 when he traded a Buick in on it for $100.00 trade in value. The Ford cost $900.00. We had a lot of kids so from then on we always had a Ford Country Squire wagon. Dad had his work truck too, a 1952 GMC stake bed pickup and I could hear that clutch noise like a big old bullfrog every time he released it. We loved to ride in the back on a stack of inner tubes and go to the lake for the day.
Back in 1947, Dad had a red 1929 Indian motorcycle. Only last June he was still riding his 1947 Indian Chief. He passed away in September at 79. One of my brothers has the Indian now.Dad rode that Indian with a kickstart and if my brother rode with him on one of his HD's, Dad told him he had to ride the 1960 because if Dad's gotta kickstart...brother has to kickstart!
Dad also had a Suburban (I can't believe he had a Chevy) and he drove that until the rust couldn't hold it together anymore. In his later years he always had a Ford F250. I will be driving that to New York in May for my stepmom to sell.(Towing MY Suburban, to get back home in)

My mother had a Dodge station wagon with all the bells and whistles and it was red with a white top...no wonder I have a thing about ambulances. I forgot what year...like early 60's. Then she got a 1963 Pontiac wagon, 1967 Plymouth Fury, a Dodge Polaris sedan and a 1977 Ford Courier.

In 1959 Dad,Mom and I went to Arizona from NY. For some reason all the other siblings got farmed out to relatives while we were gone.I remember the radiator spewing out rust colored water some place in New Mexico. Dad still remembered that I never asked "Are we there yet?" It was always: "NOW where we going Dad!" I was born to be on the road.

Thanks for the memories by starting this thread!

~~~~Donna
 

AZ68

Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2004
Messages
24
Location
Arizona
Too many to remember...

My parents had so many cars...but here goes....

1970 Mercury Cougar - Candy Apple Red, VERY fast, and jacked up in the rear. I remember my parents getting a lot of speeding tickets in this car! My mother was 8 months pregnant with my brother when she got pulled over for noise ordinance. She had the stereo turned up too loud, and she told the officer that my father had just installed it and that she didn't know how to turn it down!!! He actually believed her and let her go without a ticket, but he was kind enough to show her how to turn the volume down first!:icon_ecst :tongue: :icon_ecst :tongue:

1977 Volvo Station Wagon
1978 Monte Carlo

1978 VW Rabbit - It was brown and was known as the "poopy bunny car". It was a loud little diesel, and also the only thing that would lull my brother to sleep when he was a baby. My parents used to strap him into his car seat, start the car and drive around the block. He would be asleep in 5 minutes!

1980 VW Rabbit Convertible

1982 Mercury LN7 - This car wasd defunct! I about 5 years old, sitting in the back seat when my mom simply shut the passenger side door, and the windows on the passenger side imploded. Interesting!

1987 Chrysler Mini-Van
1989 Ford Aerostar
1993 Ford Taurus
1992 Acura Integra - bought for $900 because some idiot forgot to put oil in it. Bought a motor for $900. They only had $1800 into the car and sold it for $8000.
1998 Ford Ranger
1998 F-150 Lariat
1998 Toyota truck
1999 Honda Accord

2000 Lexus, which my mom sold for a 2001 Chrysler 300M that she currently drives because she couldn't stand the thought of ruining the lexus in Mexico. And I have to say, the Chrysler WAS pretty, until it came down here with all the tap-and-runs. I say "tap" because no one really hits your car, they just tap them enough to leave scratches and dents, and then leave.
My father currently drives a 1996 Ford Ranger and has an LTD sitting in front of his house because he's using the tranny for some other car he is working on. He just finished restoring my uncle's engine, back to the original specs, for his 1967 GTO. He's always working on some ones car, and ours always come last! There are other cars I'm forgetting, but not enough room on this forum~! And I'm just boring and have had a 1998 Ford Expedition for 5 years, my Cal Special for 11 years, and now we own a 2005 Harley Davidson Nighttrain. I guess I just don't get bored as easily.
 

Midnight Special

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Messages
3,713
Location
Grass Valley, California
Growing up, we had:

1963 Olds station wagon
1967 T-Bird
1967 Nissan Patrol jeeps (2)
1945 (Ford) Willy's military jeep
1972 Lincoln
1973 GMC truck
1973 Chevy Blazer
1972 Datsun 510
1972 AMC Gremlin
1983 Dodge Colt

There were numerous others after I left the house...
 
Top