This will be a long one as I'm so old.
Highschool:
- 1970 something Chevrolet 3/4 ton plow truck - squarebody - SBC 350, manual gearbox that was my dad's but I drove it for a while.
- 1964 Chevrolet Impala - 4 door, 283 V8 with powerglide
- 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo - my dad found it in an Ihop parking lot abandoned with a broken ball joint. He was a cop so was able to get a title for it and was going to use the SBC 350 for another project. The dad we went to go pick it up I was skating my backyard ramp with some buddies. I ended up falling and popping my shoulder out of the socket. My dad being an EMT got me on the kitchen table and popped it back in. Drove down to the Ihop, got the ball joint in and got it home. By buddies were still at the house so I got some painful carves in. Ended up using the Monte for the summer after HS graduation. I sold it at the end of the summer for $600 and bought a Specialized Rockhopper Comp to bring to college.
College rides:
- 1984 VW Jetta Mk1 - my dad found it at the junkyard for cheap as it needed a rear quarter. I drove this sophomore year. Great college ride but automatic
- 1978 Jeep Cherokee FSJ 4 door - 360 V8 with a manual
- 1974 Mercedes Benz W115 250 - was a diesel that my dad swapped to inline 6 gas engine. 4 speed manual. These cars weren't much money back then but wow they were impressive. Still one of my favorites and I have pie in the sky dreams of buying one and slapping a modded OM617 and manual in one. I had a hell of drive up the hill to the house during a snowstorm with my girlfriend in Stowe after hanging at the Rusty Nail where Vanilla Ice was playing. 30 years later I still think of hanging the back of that car out on every turn trying to keep momentum.
- 1980 Saab 900 5 door Turbo 5 speed - Being in Vermont Saab's were the car to have and I wanted one dearly. Good ones weren't cheap but we found it for under a grand locally in Mass. Great rig in the snow and the highway. I'd like to get a classic Saab one day.
- 1974 Dodge Ramcharger - 318 auto with headers - green and white top. It sounded amazing with the headers and I'd get on it on early mornings to mess with my roomates that were asleep. I had to drive this for a while when the Saab needed a turbo back home.
Post college/Boston:
- 1984 Jeep Cherokee XJ - crappy 2.8 V6 with the Peugeot 5 speed. Good little rig that I ended up taking to Boston to move in with my girlfriend (now wife). I ended up getting T-boned and used that insurance money to invest in a Fidelity fund. Years later I cashed out that fund to by my wife her engagement ring.
- 1987 Saab 9000 Turbo 5 speed - this was my girlfriend's mom's "hand me down". Once the XJ got roached we needed a car. Ended up delivering food with it as a second job in Boston. I got really good at navigating that town. That thing had some turbo lag. Great driver and drove all over New England in it. On one trip from Mass to NJ we lost the clutch and I had to learn how to drive without a 3rd pedal. The tolls were tricky and any time I stopped I had to start it in gear. And it was the first car (and hopefully last) that I took a Thule rack with 2 bikes on top clear off. Luckily just a small dent and broken saddle was the only damage.
- 1975 Volvo 242 auto. Hand me down as the Saab 9000 blew a head gasket and needed something and that was the only extra at my parents house. Actually had a super rad burnt orange paint and looked great with a Thule rack on top.
- 1984 Volvo 244 4 speed with OD. I bought this right before I moved to NJ. It ended up being rusty but I welded all new floors and finished with POR15. I ended up smashing it in the nose running late to the Matawan train station one morning.
Attached are photos that are close to the some of the actual ones I had. I never took picture of my cars back then.
that was an awesome journey!