Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The days when a brand new car were under $10k and you could cherry pick your options.
And you could fix anything with a hammer, a coat hanger and some duct tape.
The days when a brand new car were under $10k and you could cherry pick your options.
And you could fix anything with a hammer, a coat hanger and some duct tape.
And the car was shot after 80-100K miles, if it didn’t blow something sooner. And if the oil was changed every 1000-2000 miles. Don’t miss distributor caps, points, bodies and exhaust systems rusting away, marshmallow suspensions and drum brakes that took forever to stop.
My 1970 Chrysler Imperial 440 cu in with dual exhausts had 6 cigarette lighters and got an astounding 8 mpg. Bench seats front and back. Everything a 20 yr old guy needed.
My 1970 Chrysler Imperial 440 cu in with dual exhausts had 6 cigarette lighters and got an astounding 8 mpg. Bench seats front and back. Everything a 20 yr old guy needed.
Nothing like a big back seat and a soft suspension
My 1970 Chrysler Imperial 440 cu in with dual exhausts had 6 cigarette lighters and got an astounding 8 mpg. Bench seats front and back. Everything a 20 yr old guy needed.
LOL, that reminds me of my first car. My dad bought it for me in the late 1960s from a co-worker. 1960 Lincoln Continental Landau, pale yellow, and got about six miles to the gallon -- on high-test of course. But in those days it was 25 cents per gallon.
The thing was the very definition of a 'land yacht' and had a pair of solid steel front bumper guards that looked like something Madonna would have worn for a concert. My mom loved it because she figured that the only way I'd ever get hurt in an accident would be if something like a Mack truck hit it, and she was basically correct, LOL
The days when a brand new car were under $10k and you could cherry pick your options.
You got that right. My first NEW car, ordered from the Pontiac dealership in Mineola, was a 1967 Firebird, with the overhead-cam six. What a gorgeous car, pure white with chrome reverse wheels and a white leather interior (only the carpet and the dashboard were black.) It was also an absolute lemon -- the proverbial Ralph-Nader-Special Monday-morning production car, lol -- and ate timing chains like a moviegoer eats popcorn. Constantly in and out of the shop but my gosh I loved that thing for entire 36 months it took me to pay off the loan, LOL.
I still remember the price of the car: $2700 plus tax. My monthly car payment was $40, after having traded in the 1960 Lincoln. At the time I was making $50/week - before taxes - at my first job.
You got that right. My first NEW car, ordered from the Pontiac dealership in Mineola, was a 1967 Firebird, with the overhead-cam six. What a gorgeous car, pure white with chrome reverse wheels and a white leather interior (only the carpet and the dashboard were black.) It was also an absolute lemon -- the proverbial Ralph-Nader-Special Monday-morning production car, lol -- and ate timing chains like a moviegoer eats popcorn. Constantly in and out of the shop but my gosh I loved that thing for entire 36 months it took me to pay off the loan, LOL.
I still remember the price of the car: $2700 plus tax. My monthly car payment was $40, after having traded in the 1960 Lincoln. At the time I was making $50/week - before taxes - at my first job.
$2700 sounds low, but when you factor in inflation that's over $20K today. Considering it was pre-emissions, pre-airbag, pre-electronics it was the spiritual equivalent of a basic econobox (but with more steel) today.
I had a '75 Chevelle Malibu (which was NOT a "true" Chevelle) that was a hand-me-down car that ate camshaft lobes for breakfast. Eventually threw a rod and made a hole the size of an orange in the block.
And the car was shot after 80-100K miles, if it didn’t blow something sooner. And if the oil was changed every 1000-2000 miles. Don’t miss distributor caps, points, bodies and exhaust systems rusting away, marshmallow suspensions and drum brakes that took forever to stop.
I have to agree. I'm old enough to remember the carb run cars that had to be warmed up for a few minutes in the winter, no power windows, crappy drum breaks, no anti-lock breaks, no all wheel drive, etc. As nostalgic as those older cars are I do not miss them.
I think the sweet spot was the mid-late 2000's. Cars were still built well, modern and you could fix them. I still got two late 2000's model cars that are running great and are easy to fix. It's starting to go downhill drastically now. Especially the European cars. Audi, BMW and Mercedes are all junk cars that you would be very foolish to buy. Only lease those cars and let them be someone else's problem after the lease is up.
Parallel parking with no power steering. My mom didn't need no Jazzercise!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
