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I was 17. I bought a then 20 year old Corvette (L-82, 4 speed, red 
). Two thirds of the money came from my savings from summer jobs, the other third came directly from my parents. My parents were very supportive of my automotive choices at the time.
A few years later when I added an Alfa Romeo Milano and a ratty Triumph TR-7 to my stable (their yard) while still in college they were not so supportive.
I bought a 1980 Buick Park Ave 350 Diesel when I was 15 for $250. Car was pristine, had every service, every tank of fuel recorded. interior was absolutely gorgeous. Car ran oK once moving, but 2 weeks before my liscense the injector pump took a swan dive into an empty pool head first. Back then, AutoZones weren't in my area, so a rebuilt pump was over $500 at the time.
My parents, feeling sorry for me, lent me the use of their 84 Tempo 5-spd if I'd fix it. Put in an axle, and drove the crap outta the car. They signed the title over to me on graduation, and 2 weeks later bought the first Love of my Life: 1989 Caprice 9C1. Drove that through college, and into the working world. Sold it to a friend who promptly destroyed the 210k mile car.
I still miss that car. Unfortunately, I still have that friend. . .
I got my license at 16, but I didn't buy a car until I was 20. I worked part-time minimum wage at a couple of retail stores until December '07. I had (and still have) a lot of college bills and had to pay for all my insurance, so until recently I never had enough money to buy a halfway decent car.
My father would either drive me to work in his 98 Mazda MPV or I would drive into work and he would drive the car home. It was putting a strain on us because he was the only driver in our household at the time. We have a 96 Taurus wagon he was going to give me, but the rear engine oil seal was leaking like a sieve. I knew jack E36 M3 about working on cars back then, couldn't afford any tools, and the cost to have it repaired at a shop would have been over $2000, which we didn't have.
This went on until I was nineteen. I could only afford a $500 or less car, but my dad couldn't drive me for much longer. We almost pulled the trigger on a smokey '80s Accord that shook like crazy at idle and an 80's Volvo 740 turbo sedan with starting and electrical problems up the wazoo, but eventually I settled on a 92 Nissan 240SX coupe. I've been over the laundry list of problems my old basket case had ad nausem, so I won't repeat it again unless I'm asked, but somehow it survived one very long year of use and abuse before it gave up the ghost. I also credit it with cementing my preference for RWD cars. I probably wouldn't have bought my RX-7 if I didn't like or buy my S13.
Salanis wrote:HiTempguy wrote:Having said that, you said you were/had been spoiled and that is what it sounds like. You admit it, so obviously you aren't really spoiled so much as taking advantage of a beneficial situation.
If you can say you were spoiled, without gloating, then you probably aren't.
You've had a lot of advantages, but it doesn't sound like you feel entitled to anything, That says to me that you're not really spoiled. Having been given material things isn't what makes a person spoiled. Feeling entitled to always get your way is what makes someone spoiled.
You think it's totally reasonable to follow your dad's direction. Therefore, you're not that spoiled. Advantaged, yes. Spoiled, no.
Thats what I was trying to say. I wasn't trying to cut into the guy, as he sounds pretty honest about the situation and that he never expected this stuff to come without conditions.
1971 I think; 1959 Rambler American.. 100 bucks. Drove it about a year, before moving onto Pinto-Land.......
I was given a '73 Ford LTD 2-door with a 400/c-6 from a guy that owned a truck stop. He was my boss and I asked him if I could have it, as it had been abandoned there for about 3 or 4 months. He told me if I quit having sex with his daughter I could have it..........................................well about 3 months after that I ended up getting the car as he was tired looking at it and he could see I wasn't gonna.................................long story short, I fixed it with a timing chaing set I pulled off of an older Ford and found the title at a "Buy Here, Pay Here" -type establishment. The guy told me I could have the title for $75. That car was the most reliable car I ever owned. When I got it, the clock on the dash didn't work, but after pulling it out of the ditch one Sunday morning at about 2 a.m., I noticed the second hand moving. It kept perfect time after that and eventually ran the battery down after I quit driving it so much!
-Les
The first car I bought. 1973 VW Beetle 16000cc duel port it was pink. It had a set of EMPI sprint stars on it,they look really cool. I think they are still on her. I call all my cars girls names. Dont realy miss her, now that I still have Belle my 1970 beetle. I just have to score a motor for it.
