Your first car - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

derburger · #46 08-10-2009, 03:32 AM

1980 300cd bought in high school. In retrospect it was too much effort keeping it in good condition and I should have bought a huge crap wagon as my first car. Actually it was either a volvo 240, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, or diesel MB to buy.

I bought a Subaru XT this January because driving the 300cd in the winter with no garage was a huge PITA. Good luck even getting into the 300cd to start it at -20f outside, the door locks freeze shut, and the key head broke off when I tried to turn the lock. The 300cd got a new set of tires, a new headunit and four speakers. The price for that stuff is near the same amount my Subie cost.

My subaru XT is a fun car, but not terribly reliable or good on gasoline. It's a fun goofball with the 80's future car wedge shape, digital dash, turbo decals everywhere, psuedo-arcade interior, air suspension, 4wd, popup headlights, etc.

Conclusion: My first car is a 300cd and it made me anal about auto care and maintenance.

LUVMBDiesels · #47 08-10-2009, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike D

'63 Corvair Spyder Monza. I bought it for $50 with my paper route money.

My first was a '63 Corvair Monza Convertible (Christine) White over Aqua. It only had the 102HP engine, but I could make it go

You could still get leaded Hi Test gas back then! She was more stable at 70 than at 30 due to the flat floor pan under the car (like a LeMans racer of the period)

The two best things about her were the looks people gave me as I flew by with the top down and pulling into a NJ gas station and watching the attendant try to figure out where the fuel filler was... I also had fun doing that with the '57 Chevy.

I was very sad when the cancer took her from me.

How many belts did your Spyder throw? I just kept at least two in the trunk at all times.

LUVMBDiesels · #48 08-10-2009, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derburger

1980 300cd bought in high school. In retrospect it was too much effort keeping it in good condition and I should have bought a huge crap wagon as my first car. Actually it was either a volvo 240, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, or diesel MB to buy.

I bought a Subaru XT this January because driving the 300cd in the winter with no garage was a huge PITA. Good luck even getting into the 300cd to start it at -20f outside, the door locks freeze shut, and the key head broke off when I tried to turn the lock. The 300cd got a new set of tires, a new headunit and four speakers. The price for that stuff is near the same amount my Subie cost.

My subaru XT is a fun car, but not terribly reliable or good on gasoline. It's a fun goofball with the 80's future car wedge shape, digital dash, turbo decals everywhere, psuedo-arcade interior, air suspension, 4wd, popup headlights, etc.

Conclusion: My first car is a 300cd and it made me anal about auto care and maintenance.

I love that XT -- you should keep it forever. Someday it will be collectible.

SwampYankee · #49 08-10-2009, 08:04 AM

'79 F100 with the self-draining bed option. 2WD, 302, auto. I was the power brake king and went through tires like crazy. I had a lot of fun with that thing and got in and out of a lot of places a 2WD had no business going.

Mike D · #50 08-10-2009, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUVMBDiesels

How many belts did your Spyder throw? I just kept at least two in the trunk at all times.

The answer to that question is, EVERY one of them!

I got to be the quick change belt artist in the 6 months I owned the car.

Yeah, filling the gas tank was a hoot. I had a guy back into the fender and crease the fill tube. It'd only accept gas at a small trickle and of course the only time I needed gas was in the rain!

Yup, the old "fill up the oil and check the gas" machine. Stinking, warped, sheet metal valve covers. It would probably be still on the road if we'd had silicone gasket goo back then. All we had was good old Permatex #1 and #2. Oh yeah, and that weld your parts together, "Indianhead Shellac".

Fun car to drive but what a miserable POS to own. Learned to drive in the winter time peering through a 1" wide slot which is all the, ahem, "defroster" would clear.

We went through quite a Corvair stage. I musta owned 5 or 6 of them. They could be had for $50 all day. We bought them just for the engines. It was easier to replace an engine than to rebuild them. My partner and I had the engine swaps down to a science. We could completely swap engines in under an hour.

Lexxani · #51 08-10-2009, 09:36 AM

'99 SAAB 9-5. Got it brand new. Slammed it into the front end of a '93 Mustang GT 'vert (killed the mustang!!!). Got it fixxed, drove it till the lease was up in 8/02. Incredible car, and looked tons cooler than anything my friends had (honda's and similar imports). I wonder what ever became of that car...

Looked identical to this one...

WVOtoGO · #52 08-10-2009, 09:39 AM

1971 Datsun 1600 pick up.
As “Plain Jane” “Bottom of the line” as they came.
Had a 1971 Vega (trunk. no hatch) about the same time.
It was my date car. Girls didn't care for trucks so much back then.

Second car (first car I actually bought new) was the 1980 300D I still have.

For some reason, my dating life changed after that.

Go figure.

Actros617 · #53 08-10-2009, 09:47 AM

Hmm... My first car is suppose to be a 1985 300D Turbodiesel PERFECT interior saved it from the crushers, but dad had to sell it

, next 1979 300D dark blue, with mocha interior perfect mechanical condition, I owned it for a year never drove (no DL or permit yet), and my dad sold it

, then 3 weeks later i all of a sudden my dad bought a 1992 ford probe as a first car, WOST $200 car ever, i drove it with my dad (Drivers permit lol), in less than one mile i told him "send it back to where it came from!!!"(This probe drove like crap, bad engine) two weeks later we sold it. Then finally i got my REAL first car My 1984 300SD, it was a dog at first, but with my magic hand's i turned it into a ROCKET. Then i was given a 1995 E320, i put my 300SD on jack stand and a cover it and Drove the E320 for 2 months, later some idiot rear ended it and it was totaled

, so i switch back to my trusty 300SD

lutzTD · #54 08-10-2009, 10:05 AM

$50 1970 ford Maverick, drove it trouble free for 2 years. traded for a 74 Camaro which swore me off from GM for life. traded that for 74 VW bug, learned to work on my own car with this one, loved it except in winter with no heat. then brand new 88 toyota PU and 5liter mustang. all the while working on a 70 mustang CJ, which was later traded for a cherry 70 SCJ. along the line I got a 61 vette which I dismantedled and added tube chassis. 01 excursion for hauling toys around, got my fist MB when I needed a car for 60 mile commute, now have my 300CD with manual 4spd and 2.47 for >30 MPG and indestructable engine. too bad the A/C isnt also indestructable

. somewhere in the mix I had a brand new 98 5liter explorer xlt, loved it but couldnt pull my car trailer and a vw cabriolet which was peppy but maintainance needy

jlomon · #55 08-10-2009, 10:55 AM

1988 Honda Accord EX-i two door coupe with a 5 speed manual transmission. Burgundy interior/exterior.

Phil · #56 08-10-2009, 11:02 AM

1956 Ford 6 cylinder with 3 speed on the column (my brother flipped it end over end)

1956 Volvo (broke a connecting rod on the Golden Gate Bridge)

1968 VW (traded it in)

1966 MGB (Forced to learn to work on cars with this one)

1973 Pinto (Great car as long as you didn't get hit)(bought new for $3000 and 1/3 third of that was options)

1974 Fiat 124 sport coupe (handled like a dream and lots of fun- had to tune it every 30 days)

1970 Dodge PU with 8' stepside (Ex forest service truck- had 4 speed with granny low that was so low you could get out and walk beside it steering through the window)

1983 Chevy van (I now use it for a storage shed)

1978 Saab EMS (Loved this car)

1987 Saab 900 Turbo (even better than the last one)

1990 Accura Legend (This was probably good when new but)

1983 MB 300SD (

)

1994 Saturn SC-2 (some one gave me this because they couldn't get it started - new starter and now I use it to hall stuff around that I doen't want to put in the MB)

There have been some others that were my kids even though they always brought them to me when something was wrong.

420 · #57 08-10-2009, 11:45 AM

86 Mercury Sable, Light blue metalic on dark blue

PaulC · #58 08-10-2009, 11:53 AM

Same color combination as my 1974. Mine was a four cylinder but had the Mach 1 flat black rocker panels and decal. A total POS that cornered well but had little else going for it.

tbomachines · #59 08-10-2009, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynalow

It's halfway down the driveway of old Chetwynd Apts., east of campus near County Line Road, right on the Pike, high on the hill on the right hand side. Junior Year.

Are you an alumnus? I know you mentioned your daughters going to 'Nova in another thread breifly (maybe I'm wrong?). Small world! Anyways, if I get really bored and/or want to take the mercedes out for a Sunday spin, I'll see if I can keep a close eye out for it. I lived on County Line the last two years, across from the hospital. Moved on to bigger and better things

cjlipps · #60 08-10-2009, 12:39 PM

1969 IH Scout Aristocrat.
Still have it and in fact, my youngest son and I have started to bring it back to life. It's a limited edition and looks very cool. He's more excited about it than I am I think.