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Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
8/7/23 2:42 p.m.
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Remember your first car? Sure, maybe a window didn’t roll down or rust was eating away at the roof or it could only be started with the trunk open–but it was your first car.

Imagine, one day, that you had the chance to buy your first car back. (Assuming it’s in the same or very similar condition it was in …

Read the rest of the story

Pete. (l33t FS)
Pete. (l33t FS) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/7/23 2:44 p.m.

When I parted with it?  Hell no.  It was rusty and had a blown engine.  Junkyard gave me $25 and I probably got the better end of the deal.

 

When I bought it?  Yeah, that'd be pretty sweet.  No idea what I'd do with it or where I'd park it, but absolutely.

 

(Not mine but very similar - dark green paint and roof, color 4Q)

I swapped the wire wheel covers for dog dishes, slapped some 245/60 Eagle STs on it, lowered the front one coil, and it was just about perfect.

matthewmcl
matthewmcl Dork
8/7/23 2:47 p.m.

No. I parked it and stopped driving it for reasons that I have not second guessed. '86 Ford Econobox GT that would not stay running.

Now all I have to do is finish getting my second car back on the road...

Edit: so I guess you can't type that model name, anymore. Is that an anti-canoe thing?

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
8/7/23 2:48 p.m.

To answer my own question: Yes, in a heartbeat.

There was a lot wrong with my '94 Integra sedan, but I bet it would be a lot of fun if it got fixed up.

The good news is that it still lives within my family–even if it is on blocks.

93EXCivic
93EXCivic MegaDork
8/7/23 2:49 p.m.

No because I still own my second car and I like the 5th gen Civics more then the 6th gen. Also cause I crashed it.

Appleseed
Appleseed MegaDork
8/7/23 2:52 p.m.

The 54 Oldsmobile ? In a heartbeat.

Tom Suddard
Tom Suddard GRM+ Memberand Director of Marketing & Digital Assets
8/7/23 2:53 p.m.
L5wolvesf
L5wolvesf Dork
8/7/23 3:00 p.m.

1964 Impala SS (not lowered), 327, Th350 auto. Hell yes but . . . 

It was wrecked by a drunk woman while parked in front of a speed shop.

Placemotorsports
Placemotorsports GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/7/23 3:03 p.m.

First car no, third car on yes

no but i'd buy another one just like it.

bmw88rider
bmw88rider GRM+ Memberand UberDork
8/7/23 3:16 p.m.

I bought back the exact duplicate about 30 years later. Then I remembered why I sold it in the first place. Pain to work on. Dodgy wiring. And more sounds than go. Oh well. Made a little money from it. Now I am into reliving my 20s.  Via la Miata

drock25too
drock25too GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
8/7/23 3:18 p.m.

Absolutely. 1965 Buick Riviera white with a black vinyl top and black leather seats. 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
8/7/23 3:23 p.m.

My first car was an ’82 Accord sedan–blue on blue with a five-speed–and, yeah, I‘d buy it back.

 

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 PowerDork
8/7/23 3:28 p.m.

My first car was a 95 Firebird V6. I loved that car and made a ton of memories in it and even kept it around after buying a Trans Am. Would I buy it back? No, it was such a POS. From the coil packs on the 3.8 constantly failing to leaking from every conceivable area, to the AC never working properly, it was a hot mess. 

I had a chance to buy back my 3rd car, a 2000 Trans Am that I did a ton of work to. The kid I sold it to A) Thought the car increased in value after he trashed it and B) He trashed it. It came up for sale again for a reasonable value but when i went to look at it I immediately remembered all the issues I had with it and said to hell with it, I'll just hold on to the good memories of it. 

Had a chance to buy back my first new new car, a 2010 Civic Si. Stopped at a dealer that had a Dyno Blue Pearl Si Sedan out front. Test drove it and started looking around. Found the original purchase agreement in the glove box with my name on it. Dealer wanted too much for it so I said bye. That one, I would have taken back since they are impossible to find in good coniditon now. 

dyintorace
dyintorace GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
8/7/23 3:37 p.m.

I would. It was a 1987 Mustang LX 5.0 bought brand new (my parents had no idea). Looked just like this.

ChrisTropea
ChrisTropea Associate Editor
8/7/23 3:39 p.m.

My first car, a 2002 Cavalier coupe with a 5-speed in yellow with a z24 appearance package, no, I would not buy that back. My second car a 1999 Volkswagen GTI with the 12 valve VR6 and tropical orange paint I would 100% buy back. 

iansane
iansane GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/7/23 3:42 p.m.
Colin Wood said:

Yes, in a heartbeat.

This.

'87 Firebird Formula TPI. Would 100% rock that thing again.

Probably not. It was an AE86 Toyota Corolla GT-S coupe which I bought used from a fellow autocross/track-day guy when it was already a decade old.

Then I used it for another sixteen years worth of daily driving, moving to and from college, rallycross, blasting gravel farm roads and logging roads, track days, autocross, snow and ice, gravel TSD, and more.

Tons of fun when I had it, but probably best to keep those as memories. I'd hate to buy it back and be disappointed in it, or find that I didn't use it because it is worth too much now. laugh

calteg
calteg SuperDork
8/7/23 3:44 p.m.

80's notchback mustang.  Absolutely not. That thing was a menace to society, it's an absolute miracle I  never wrecked that  turd

Mr_Asa
Mr_Asa UltimaDork
8/7/23 3:46 p.m.

One of the things I picked up very quickly as a car guy was how many other car guys lamented how they sold their first car.

So I decided to never have that problem.

Despite the fact that she's hiding at Dad's right now, I still have my girl.

 

 

There are plenty of regrets with her, primarily how long she has languished.  But I don't have to worry about her being gone.

Powar
Powar UltraDork
8/7/23 3:48 p.m.

Definitely. I'd overpay for it, even. I currently have a very similar car in the stable, but I'd have that exact car back regardless of the condition. I now have the parts and knowledge to keep it alive.

wae
wae PowerDork
8/7/23 3:48 p.m.

I wouldn't want it back in the condition that I left it - it had been hit by a Tercel that had a driver who was looking right and turning left and the rusty subframe sheared apart.  But the 1986 Subaru GL wagon that was the first car I ever bought myself remains my favoritist car evar.

(That's not a picture of mine.  But mine was similar.  It had the more spokey wheels, though, and I liked those a lot)

Pete. (l33t FS)
Pete. (l33t FS) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/7/23 3:59 p.m.
wae said:

I wouldn't want it back in the condition that I left it - it had been hit by a Tercel that had a driver who was looking right and turning left and the rusty subframe sheared apart.  But the 1986 Subaru GL wagon that was the first car I ever bought myself remains my favoritist car evar.

(That's not a picture of mine.  But mine was similar.  It had the more spokey wheels, though, and I liked those a lot)

The SECOND car I ever had was an '88, with the dual range 4wd.  I would absolutely buy another one of those, too.  But when I got rid of it, it was so rusty that the junkyard gave me nothing, scrap value was about the cost of the tow so they took the title and the car.

I can still smell its interior.  That weird 80s Subaru smell.  And hear the engine throbbing when I'd start it in my crappy apartment parking lot.  All you EJ fanboys only THINK you know boxer rumble.  An EJ is Camry-smooth compared to an EA engine.  You could watch the engine bounce around at idle smiley

Tom1200
Tom1200 PowerDork
8/7/23 4:16 p.m.

Technically my first car is the Plymouth Valiant Scamp my dad gave me which I sold almost immediately. First car I bought with my money was a65 Baja Bug. I wouldn't mind having it back but not sure I'd want to pay for it.

Firsts race car, yes I would and did. I actually sold the Datsun to friends; the first time the day after I bought it (it was still a road car then) and the second time I sold it to fund another race car which I came to hate owning so I bought the Datsun back 3 1/2 years later.

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter)
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
8/7/23 4:26 p.m.

My first car was a twin to this one. 225 slant six, three on the tree, only option was a heater. 
Definitely yes. 
 

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