I love American cars. I cut my teeth on a 1964 Ford Mustang.

[IsItJustMe]

Then I had a 1967 Ford Mustang with a 289 in it. Then there was that Ford Gallaxy 500 that had a 351 Cleavland and then the 1973 Ford Torino with the 351 Winzer.

Then there was that Chevy Impalla with the 350 in it. And then there was that Chevy Nova.

I learned all my night moves in these cars. And after the night moves, I would usually drive my chevy down to the levy and think about it all.

Nuff said.

[Brinee]

1. OUCH!

"I cut my teeth on a 1964 Ford Mustang"

OWCH!!!
Too bad the Airbag hadn't been invented yet.

[zbdent]

18. bet his pop got angry about having to fix the paint ...

[123infinity]

2. I had a 64 too...IMO it was the best looking model of any before or since.

Coincidentally I saw a beautiful red one just before lunch going down the highway!

[TlalocW]

3. Now let me play Devil's Asshole... er, Advocate

How many years did you have each of those cars, and why did you give up one car for the other?

I'm 36. I've had 3 vehicles in my lifetime - an 83 Chevy Camaro when I was in high school and college which gave me lots of trouble, and I currently have a Ford E250 Cargo Van (runs on Compressed Natural gas) that I use for a side business (have had it for just over a year) and a 1994 Nissan Sentra that I've had since 1995 that has cost me less than $1500 in repairs in the near 15 years I've had it.

TlalocW

[Kalyke]

19. Can I answer with my own story?

I've had four Mustangs. Kept the first one for six years and just wanted a newer model. Kept the second for two years and then a semi totalled it for me. Kept the third one for 13 years and just traded it in two years ago on the newest model - because I think they're sexy.

The 13 year old Mustang had nothing wrong with it on trade in except it was going to need a clutch.

[sam sarrha]

4. my brother cut more than that because it under-steered so bad...

[frustrated_lefty]

5. Yep

There was a time America built good cars.

[TlalocW]

6. Posting again because I got an error

My post showed up, but I don't find it in my list of posts.

TlalocW

[earth mom]

7. My first car was a 65 mustang and then I got a 64 1/2. I was obsessed with those cars, lol!

B-)

[soothsayer]

8. Today you could sue for that.

[HubertHeaver]

9. Cut you teeth on a '64 Mustang, eh?

Did you have a mouth full of rust? I remember them well. The rocker panels rusted. The fenders around the headlights rusted. Even the top of the fuel tank rusted.

But, the Mustang did save Ford in '64 and re-focused US car manufacturing for a generation.

[DainBramaged]

10. Had a '66 for two weeks in '69, and then we got this used '65 GTO in

(it was where I apprenticed at a Chevy dealer here in NJ). And that old horsepower music took over. Had it for 6 months. Paid $2500 for the car. My insurance with State Farm for 6 months was $2500. 18 and stupid and broke. Then I got a '63 Olds 98 luxobarge for drive in duty.

Those were the days.

[FirstLight]

11. I had 2 Mustangs in my teens & early 20's

Though it was a '79 model, i still loved my little beach-girl car!
(for the record, i totaled the first one ...so I got another one the same year & model)

I wish someone could come up with the easy conversion technology to just add a part or 2 and we can still drive our favorite babys! I have always wanted a 65 'stang...to wrench on it and really fix it up. There's nothing wrong with our classic cars and nostalgia...let's just find the ways to make a simple "conversion kit" and then we could ALL have our cars re-tooled.


My vision is that we have a $500 credit for every person who goes in to a shop and gets the conversion kit installed, send in the certificate with your tax return, like a smog check cert... it could be SO simple, if we could only change our ways...

[Oregone]

12. No such thing as a 1964 Mustang...

Isn't it a 1964 and a 1/2 Mustang?

[IsItJustMe]

13. I thought it was a 64. It way have been a 65. It was my first car and if I am not mistaken, it had

6 cyclinder in it.

[Oregone]

17. Its just that they came out in the middle of 64...

http://www.svs.com/zim/mustang/64faqlist.html

"1964½ is a term that is used by Mustang owners and enthusiasts to
describe the earliest Mustangs ever built. Although Ford never officially
used the term "64 and a half" to describe these cars, they did arrive on
the market in early 1964, before other true 1965 models. The first Mustang
actually rolled off the Dearborn, Michigan assembly line on March 9, 1964.
This was in the middle of the normal 1964 model year, giving rise to the
common term "1964½" Mustang.

These early cars also have a large number of important differences from the
true 1965 model Mustangs. (See below)

Basically, if the car was built before August 17, 1964 - it will have come
with a generator instead of an alternator, and therefore be considered a
64½ Mustang.

Officially, Ford stamped a 1965 VIN number on all 1964½ and 1965 Mustangs."

[Greyhound]

21. Yes. n/t

[LeftHander]

14. Cheer up soon you can buy a DongFeng Happybird...nt

[dhpgetsit]

15. I started with a '62 VW bug.

But I loved my 66 Barracuda.

I'm asking Santa for one of these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1C44JQU7Pc

[carlyhippy]

16. I had a 1981 Chevy Camaro Z28

it had many problems mechanically, but I did look hot driving it around town.
Carly

[Greyhound]

20. I had a '67 that I shoehorned a '68 428 SCJ into. Everyday transportation was a

Montego, then came a Falcon/Torino (70 1/2 what a piece of shit that was), followed by a Nova (350 that got 200 miles per quart).

An old insurance salesman broadsided the Nova and I found a used '73 240Z and that changed everything. That car was decades ahead of everything I'd ever driven to that point. It beat my Mustang (flat 11's 1/4 mile) in the twisties, looked great, and never, ever, broke down. First time in my life that I didn't have to spend nearly every weekend wrenching on my car.

[zbdent]

22. hmm ... for me

1st car: 74 Ford Maverick

78 Pontiac Sunbird

84 Mercury Topaz

92 Ford Tempo (first "new" car)

99 Ford Escort wagon (when gas was still around $1 a gallon ... instead of a lesser gas mileage pickup truck)

98 Ford Contour (inherited wife's when she bought van)

76 Chevrolet Corvette - this is the keeper; I may not be its first owner (or second owner), but I will be its "last" owner ... orig engine and 36K miles on it at this point

07 Ford Focus

[Vinca]

23. I haven't purchased an American vehicle in 30 years.

The straw that broke the camel's back was driving a brand new Pontiac off the lot, stopping down the road for coffee and having to have it towed back to the dealer because it wouldn't start. After the 4th or 5th tow I traded it for a Toyota and have been Toyota loyal ever since. That's how the American auto industry lost most of us. I'm told their quality has improved, but now they're priced too high.

[Bobbieo]

24. There is a light blue '64 Ford Mustang parked in the driveway across the street from my house.

[OxQQme]

25. I have had,

in order, from 1956:

'30 Ford Model A, '49 Mercury, '51 Ford Victoria, '50 Chev PU, '56 Chev Wagon, '56 Chev PU, '53 Studebaker, '65 Merc Comet, '69 El Camino, '70 Ford EconoVan, amongst later others.......

I currently drive a '99 Suzuki Swift, 4cyl-5 speed, that I purchased brand new for $10k when the 2000's came out, and with 150k on the odometer I still LUV it.

Starts up instantly even on cold mornings. Good power to weight ratio. Accelerates up to freeway speed easily. Cruises easily at prevailing freeway speeds.
I keep a logbook. It's never been under 40 mpg--best: 49 mpg.
Zero problems beyond tires, brakes and a battery.

btw, very easy to find a place to park it.

[ixion]

26. That's when America still made real cars

cars you could actually work on, cars that were reliable. That is no longer the case.

[Bake]

27. My big brother had a '70 Chevelle Malibu with the 350 engine

That car was sweeeeeeeeeeet! More power than I was used to, though. He let me drive it and I put it into a guard rail. I thought for sure he was gonna kill me, but he just got it fixed (a little minor body work is all it took).

I loved that car.

Bake

[GentryDixon]

28. My husband has a 72 Chevelle

He keeps it covered in the garage and drives it only on nice sunny days. We live in Utah so the snow precludes much winter driving. But he does enjoy it.

[MarkInCA]

29. Ahhh that takes me back

1st: 1966 Impala, 283, "power-growl" trans
2nd: 1967 Caprice, 396, TH 400
3rd: 1988 Chevy PU
4th: 1990 Grand Am
5th: 1991 Ford Ranger
6th: 2008 HHR

Buy American, even if it was made in Mexico (HHR) or was half Mitsubishi (Ranger)

[Pathwalker]

30. 1953 Chevy. Bought it for $50.00. Sold it for $50.00

It had been a little old ladies car and refused to go faster than 55 miles an hour. Used a quart of oil a day, but a quart of oil was 10 cents then.
I called her "Grey Ghost". LOVED that car.