I started thinking about all of the cars that I have owned since the age of 16 and realized I have a problem . I love cars and have been through many of them. I think that if I hit the lottery I would open a used car lot that consisted solely of cars that I've bought, driven and put up for sale to buy another. There hasn't been enough money or room to afford to keep more than one or two so I keep moving on. The pictures below are a pictoral history of my cars; pretty much in order. I have done my best to accurately portray them in condition, color and year if the actual car is not shown. I believe I may have missed a few, but I will try to put in notes as I go along.

 

no pics....but great story

 

#1 1966 Pontiac Tempest - My first car
I bought it when I was 16 with my own money. It came with a 2spd power glide and an overhead cam 6cyl engine. I had been working as a small engine mechanic and was mechanically inclined, but had no real car experience until this baby. I bought a 67 Lemans with a Pontiac 326 (big block) and a turbo 400 transmission and swapped it over myself outside in my driveway; in the snow! It was my first experience with building cars and I learned alot. To me it was simple; the Tempest didn't go fast and I wanted it to, so I needed to find a way to make that happen.

 

#2 1976 Buick Opel - Not sure why I went to a 4 cyl from the big block? Not the actual picture but it was a fun little car to beat on. I bought it for $1500 and sold it for $2000 a year later.

 

#3 1976 Camaro LT 305 V8 auto - Bought in 1982 for $2500. Put rims, tires and pin striping (yes, it was cool back then). Drove her for a year with the air filter cover flipped over because that made it sound mean. I sold it for $3500 and used that money for a down payment on my Shelby.

 

In before the next car...

 

#4 1983 1/2 Dodge Shelby Charger - My first New car. I paid $8,700 for it plus TTL and used the $3500 as my down payment. I ended up with a 3 year loan of $235 per month. If you do the math, I think the interest was about 14% or something ridiculous but I had to have that car. Still to this day there aren't many cars that can handle as well as that car could. For it's time, it was the real deal.

This was Shelby's first car with Chrysler and the first 4cyl super car of the era.

 

#5 Look what they've done to my Car! I got a speeding ticket with the Shelby at the ripe only age of 20 and my insurance went up to $4400 per year. That would be the equivalent of $8,000 per year now and there was no way I was going to pay twice as much for my insurance payment as I was for my car payment so she had to go. In the mean time...this lovely 1976 Chrysler Cordoba!

 

#6 1967 Firebird - So while I waited for the ticket to wash and the insurance to go down I built this little baby. This isn't the actual pic, mine had a vinyl roof. Small block 400 and a turbo 350 trans with rev valve body. It went...
I had her until I got married for the first time and then had to grow up. Notice how grow up and marriage go together?

 

I learned how to drive on my sister's '86 Charger. Non-Shelby version of course. I've always had an interest in the Shelby Charger, Daytona and GLH. I think they're incredibly under-rated and over-looked. I'd love to have any of them as a fun project car someday.

 

#7&8 Yes, the were...but that was all they were.
Bought two of these at one time. Got married, got
responsible, got all of the fun sucked out of my life....
and you can figure out the rest

 

#9 1987 300ZX - Right before the end of the marriage, I talked the wife in to trading in one of the Hyundais for this baby. T-Tops N/A 5 spd base model but she was beautiful. I loved the color...the T-Tops and how the woman turned their heads It was almost as good as having a red... ah, nevermind .

At the end, the wife took it in the divorce anyway but I got something better; happiness

 

So we're leading in to number 10 now but I'll have to take a break. Company is coming over soon. Having my leg in a cast is giving me all the time I need to put this together, so I'll continue on tomorrow. Feel free to insert here!

Here's a tease at #10

 

I like this thread!

 

These were hot little cars back in the day when they were new. I wanted one baddd!!!

BTW - I'm liking this thread!

 

Yes! I've been waiting to hear about your rides since you've teased us with your sig...

Subscribed

 

indeed this is a very good thread

 

Great thread. My first car was a 67 Lemans. It was the color of your 67 firebird. My dad and I restored that car in 1989 during my junior year in HS. A co-worker had one of those Shelby's. It was a nightmare.

 

wow already a great thread! some nice cars! i can't appreciate the econo boxes at my young age, but your muscle car lineup is very nice!

 

I'm in...loving it so far.

 

In for the rest!

 

#10 Nissan 300zx SS (Shiro) - This car was a big deal in so many ways... My ex had taken the 300 in the divorce and really stuck it in my face. The 87 Z was my baby and she took it to hurt me; no other reason. The Shiro was my redemption. It was so much more the the 87 was. It had a turbo, Recaro buckets, special paint, wheels and spoilers. Number 87? of 1001 made. It was rare and it was hot. Eighteen months later, I was t-boned so badly it took 40 minutes for them to cut me out of the car. It was totalled and I was so spooked I opted for something a little bigger and safer in my next car. This one gets a few pics. They are not of mine, but one I almost bought recently on Ebay. It had 19,000 original miles. I bid to win it but lost in the last minute. The winning bid paid more for it then I paid new.

 

#11 1990 Ford Bronco II - This was my reaction to a really bad accident. Looking back, the Nissan did its job keeping me alive, but fear was hell. I wanted to drive something a little bigger and a bit safer.

 

#12 1992 Dodge Grand Caravan SE - My second marriage and my first son meant it was time to move in to something with a bit more room. I figured if I had to go minivan, I would go with all white, special ground effects, white wheels, biggest engine possible...wait, I think I am seeing a theme here

 

#13 1979 Dodge Colt - I had to trade in the Bronco on the Minivan which left me in a bind. I was building something else (#14) but needed a beater to drive to work until it was done. This little car did well. Bought her cheap and sold her for more.

 

I'll give you a hint for number 14: "SS"

 

Camaro!! Loving it so far. Can't wait for the rest..

 

 

loving it..but dude... can you just post all 34 cars at once??? i hate this teaser shit

and i just realized.. for the past 7 years i had been going back and forth with 2 make/models ... wtf is wrong with me...

 

I'm hoping to see a Chevelle SS

 

Loved the Z definitely a great car, my dad had a 200ZR, sickness, got rid of it to my cousin and he sold it to someone else...smh...no one knew of such rareness till now. I really wanna get my hands on a 200ZR someday...definitely always a place for that car in my place.

 

x2

 

This thread is amazing. I love reading these stories man. Can't wait for number 14!

 

I wish I still had pics of all of my cars. Unfortunately my car history pre-dates digital cameras (as does yours)!!

 

Saab Sonnet?

 

Ha! No, I can't just put them all down. I am getting pics together that I do have and finding pics as accurately as possible for those I don't. Plus It's pretty hard to remember them all so quick. I've been writing them down now to make sure I've got the sequence right.

I can't find them all so some I am using representative pics. But as a lead in to #14, I took the one picture I had left and scanned it. It was kind of blurry to begin with, so the quality sucks but it's all I've got.

 

#14 SORRY not an SS yet - It just dawned on me that at the same time I drove car #15, I was driving this 1988 Honda CRX. It was used when I bought it and had a terrible overheating problem. I drove it back and forth to Newark every day for work because gas on #15 was way too expensive. The overheating problem got so bad I had to buy #16 to go back and forth to work with.

 

#15 My other baby - 1969 SS 327 4spd purchased in 1992- I spent many hours under and inside of this car. 4 speed hurst, 411 12 bolt. It wasn't numbers matching, but you could eat off of the engine. I started a business in 1993 and things started to get very busy by 1995. Too busy to spend time working on it and I needed more capital for the business. Sadly, I made the decision in 1996 to sell her off.

 

#16 1995 Nissan 4wd pickup - I needed something to deliver machines with (talk about low budget!) and bought this as a dealer demo. As it turned out, it was a lemon. The second gear shaft in the gear box was bent or out of balance so badly that the whole truck shook especially with a load. The dealer refused to take care of it and I was too naive to know how to fight them. Pine Belt Nissan in Keyport NJ will never get another car out of me and they've lost soo many since (so you will see).

 

Your sig says, Acura = 34th car. Still a long way to go....

LOL at the 2 Hyundai Exels - I remember those things - cheap and absolute POS!