Dad's Car - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

alabbasi · #1 02-02-2007, 12:30 AM

Not sure if this has been done before, but what was your Dad's car when you were growing up?

Here are mine in the order that he owned them up until I was about 12.

(1974) 1974 W114 Mercedes 250 Bright red, manual (bought new)
(1979) 1976 Rover P6 3500S bought in 79 - Tobacco, got stolen
(1980) 1978 Datsun 120Y - Green rusted away, ran like a train
(1984) 1978 Fiat 132 - He hated that car.

He later moved on to a Toyota Super Saloon , then a Mitsubishi Galant and Finally a BMW 316i

I wish I had pictures.

tc20 · #2 02-02-2007, 03:59 AM

Good thread Al,

I'll try to remember as many of these as i can. I was born in 1970, so i guess we'll start there-

1970 - Ford Anglia, grey (the Harry Potter non-flying model)
1975 - Vauxhall Viva, yellow. Gearstick literally came out of the floor in his hand one day
1978 - Ford Escort Mk1 - dark green. I loved that car, remember being in it when clocked 100,000mile and dad tooting the horn

1981 - Renault 12, red. First car i drove
1984 - Opel Kadett, yellow. I totalled this car one night, rolled it twice and got out without a scratch (in '89)
So i bought dad a replacement-
1989 Ford Fiesta, blue

Not sure of the yearbuild of the cars, just when he got them

Ara T. · #3 02-02-2007, 04:17 AM

Nothing terribly interesting, my parents had an orange Toyota station wagon and also a light blue Toyota Tercel. I think the Tercel might have been a hatchback but I can't recall.

truckinik · #4 02-02-2007, 04:26 AM

I like this one:
1968 Chevy Nova w/307 V8
1972 Olds Cutlass "s" 350V8
1971 Chevy Malibu wagon w/350 V8
1974 Chevy Caprice Classic wagon 400 sbc V8 w/th400 trans, and 3:55 possi.The king of all the cars before,and after as far as everyone in the fam was ever concerned. My mom called him "Sarge". It was definately a male car, if ever you can gender a car. Huge heavy, and nice to look at. Beautiful car, loaded w/options. It had that gate and glass in back that went up into the roof, and down into the floor to open. Remarkable engineering in that system. Wish I had that one all to myself today.
1979 Chevy C-10 half ton 2wd p/u Straight six/auto, killer ladder rack,short bed. He got well over a ton of dirt, and stone into that thing on more than one occasion that I can remember. We also used to deliver newspapers off the back. He would drive down the street with my bros. and I in the back throwing papers to front porches off the tail gate..
1984 Olds Custom Cruiser wagon probably the best most reliable of these olds wagons he had.
1984 Olds Delta 88 Royal Broham sedan he hated that p.o.s.
1986 Olds Custom Cruiser wagon, very good car
1988 Olds Custom Cruiser wagon, all looks, was a junk though

G-Benz · #5 02-02-2007, 07:48 AM

In order of purchase:

1959 Mercedes-Benz 190E - sold 14 yrs later for $1100
1966 Ford Thunderbird - I broke the glovebox lock the first day it came home!
1968 Buick Imperial
1973 Buick Electra - with the factory 8-track option (wheeeeee!)
1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE - still owned today!
1969 Chevrolet Corvette - mid-life crisis purchase, show vehicle
1972 Fiat 124 Spyder - bought in the dead of winter...sealed its fate for the impending rust issues

As Dad got older, his purchases were geared towards "sensible" (i.e., boring). I won't even bother listing those...

R Leo · #6 02-02-2007, 07:53 AM

1956 Ford F1 pickup
1956 Buick Special
1963 Chevrolet BelAir 2-dr (dark blue, no a/c)
1964 Dodge 1/2 ton pickup
1966 Chevrolet Impala
1969 Ford F250 pickup
1972 FJ-40 Toyota
1967 VW Beetle
1978 Dodge 9-psgr Window Van

Johnhef · #7 02-02-2007, 08:34 AM

In my lifetime, a 1979? Mercury Capri, and then he bought new an 86 Nissan Longbed pickup (still going, 215K)

t walgamuth · #8 02-02-2007, 09:28 AM

51 studue v8 stick overdrive two door, 53 studie lowey coupe v8 auto, 57 studie four door six with auto (he used to curse the doggy perf.), 59 studie wagon six stick overdrive, 61 dodge lancer wagon 177 six auto pushbutton, 63 dodge dart wagon stick 225 six, 67 plymouth full sized wagon six stick, 72 dodge monaco 318 auto, 71 dodge dart six auto, 74 plymouth volare (rusted so bad he switched to volvos) 73 volvo 244 stick od, 78 volvo245 stick od, 85 volvo wagon auto.

i could go back too but i wouldnt be sure of all them. these are the ones i personally remember.

going back from before my memory and just going from hearing him talk about them or seeing them in old pictures: 48 studie, 36 chebbie, model t with speedster body.

the speedster bodied T, he bought the chassis with a sedan or touring body on it either for $5 or it was given to him i am not sure. the motor was stuck. he soaked the cylinders with kerosene then tapped them with a block of wood and a large hammer, then pulled the car til the clyinders broke loose. then he removed the body and installed the speedster body. the speedster never had a proper seat and was missing the nut holding the steering wheel on, so if you put the brakes on the natural tendency was to pull on the steering wheel which of course pulled it off the column. nice.

the 36 chebby is remembered for a story about a fellow passing dad on a foggy day and meeting another car coming from the other direction. both cars pulled to the far shoulder, then back on the road twice before hitting head on right beside dad. i think dad said the air cleaner popped up and landed really far away. i can only imagine the carnage with no seat belts, no safety glass and no padding anywhere.

OUCH!

oh i also remember him telling about the reo truck he used to drive to spread lime on the fields. he said it was so smooth running that you could stand a coin on edge with it running.

tom w

TX76513 · #9 02-02-2007, 09:52 AM

From the 50's Mom always got a new caddy every two years or so. I can remember some big fin jobs

Dad was a die hard Dodge/Plymouth buyer. In my 18 years at home we probably had 30 new cars go through the garages. They had some serious disposable income and definitely threw the $$ at cars.

One perception that I recall growing up in heavily unionized NE Ohio - it wasn't a very good idea to; 1. have a foreign built auto 2. definitely not own a German made car WWII was still in many peoples mind.

Mistress · #10 02-02-2007, 09:56 AM

1940 something MGTD
1955 Ford w/ ragtop
1956 Lincoln Mark IV
1960 Fiat
1965 Barracuda
1968 Barracude w/ slant 6
1970 something Cordoba
1980 Oldsmobile Delta 88 DIESEL
1985 Cadillac Seville

Dee8go · #11 02-02-2007, 10:20 AM

Mine owned a succession of aircraft carriers with wheels. A bunch of Chrysler New Yawkers, Deuce-n-a-quarters, etc. I think they came with their own zip codes.

pj67coll · #12 02-02-2007, 10:54 AM

I barely recall a 1970's Holden (Aussie Chevrolet) as my first automotive recollection.
1960's Humber Super Snipe.
1962 Impala.
1966 Peugeot 404 Station Wagon.
1970's Valiant Station Wagon.
And my mother for most of my life had a 1960's Morris Minor 1000.

- Peter.

raymr · #13 02-02-2007, 11:01 AM

Most memorable was a 71 Mercury Capri. Owners used to flash their lights and wave to each other.

R Leo · #14 02-02-2007, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee8go

I think they came with their own zip codes.

...and gravitational fields. As a squeaker, I never realized just how big my Granny's new '59 Coupe de Ville was until I worked on Kevin Reynolds' student movie in the late '70s. It was the one that ultimately became Fandango. In his student version, we had a '59 or '60 Caddy that we used for the interior synch sound shots. The sound man hid on the passenger side floor with a mic and his Nagra while we towed that beast down the backroads of SW Travis county. It damned near flipped my Land Cruiser on one curve.

MS Fowler · #15 02-02-2007, 11:49 AM

OK, the second part of this is to guess the age of the son/daughter who is posting the information.

For me
'48 Ford 4 dr Maroon, after it faded it became black.
56 Ford 4 dr 312 V8
60 Ford Fairlane 4 dr 292 V8
65 Ford Country Sedan 352 V* no woodgrain
72 Frairlane/Torino wagon