How did you get your cool carz?

[rpmcarter]

No offense but most of you from what I can tell "bought" your cars at 17 or so ... how you did that I'll still trying to figure out... I was working 80 hours a week for a buck and some change. But I thought it might be a fun topic. Apology if it coincides with a former thread. SHOW THE PIC!!!

This is how I found the 70 Cougar XR7 351 c with two barrel. I bought it for the purpose of restoration and she quickly became a financial donor for my convertible. she cleaned UP Nicely!!!! bought it and made roughly 3500 profit which was donated immediately to purchasing the 67 convertible. Now lets back up for a second...I've done this for a long time so my start reaches back buying and flipping cars. so this is an "interesting" start but not THE start.....

 

[Kit Sullivan]

I was saving every penny, nickel and dime I could scrounge from time I was about 10 years old, with the sole purpose of buying me my dream-Mustang when I was old enough.

My dad made the off-handed remark that if I had the money I could buy whatever I wanted! I took that to heart.

After the first year of saving everything, I had about $900 saved up. Everyone in my family was flabbergasted that I had managed to do that.

I had a small paper route. I babysat for neighbors, I mowed lawns and washed cars in the neighborhood, anything and everything I could think to do to make some money. My relatives got in on it soon enough, and would I get money from some of them instead of gifts at Christmas and my birthday.

I was a single-minded, purpose-driven money-saving machine.

When the 71s were announced, my dad and I went down, and I ordered what I wanted. I had $4500 saved, the car listed for $5500. He loaned me the remainder with the proviso that I paid him back before I started driving it. I did without any problems.

 

[will e]

From the age of 13 or so on I had a paper route. It was a great way to learn about working and money management. You collected from folks and then paid the paper, if the subscribers paid you a month in advance you had to make sure you had cash to pay the paper.

Around the my 15th brithday I aquired a job at 'The windmill Dinner Theater'. I scrubbed fish pans. I hate fish. Minimum wage (and not a living wage but back then it wasn't supposed to be) and about 20 or 30 hours a week. The cook hated me. Well, actually, she hated most everyone under 18.

My first paycheck! BIG BUCKS! My father informed me I was not going to keep it all. That some was going into a bank account. I was mad. It was MY money! He made me do this then entire time. I got some pocket change but the money was to be put aside for my first car.

At 15 years and 11 months one of the guys I knew pretty good had to sell his Mach 1. 73, 351c, green, awesome. He had received it as an Easter gift but messed up and his parents made him sell it. I had almost the asking price. Dad went for a test drive with me and spotted me the rest.

Dads, can teach you good lessons. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have saved the money. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't had enough to buy it.

Not many pics of the Mach 1. It got taken out 3 years later by a drunk driver. I searched around a little and found the convertible that I now own. That's another story.

 

[Kermit 460]

I"ve only had mine 1 1/2 yrs , always owned Fords ,never an old stang. My Dad , before he passed unexpectedly from cancer 7 yrs ago , was spending winters in TX. with a girlfriend and was bringing a 77 Corvette back to life there. He had told me " when I die it"ll be yours , but you"ll probably trade it for a MUSTANG ". I shipped it to Maine , then discovered it needed about every moving part replaced .My cousin asked if I wanted to trade for a Harley ......well yaaa. After a yr on the Sporty I needed a Big Twin , got a new street glide , after 2 yrs got a streetbob 96" efi . After 2 yrs and back problems decided to hunt my elusive old mustang .Bought the Harley as a leftover which instantly lost 2 yrs depreciation as soon as it left the lot. Found "Kermit the Frog " and traded the Harley . I took a little beating on the deal , but I can get another Harley easy , not too many old Mustangs in Maine so I did it. The funny thing about compliments and thumb's up is some people like Harley's , but everyone likes old cars . So no , I didn't buy mine new , I was 5 when it rolled off the assembly line. So , my Dad is still smiling from above, cause He new I always wanted an old Mustang !

 

[Luke]

Paper run from 13 used to get me 23-30 bucks a weekend and I would do any job you paid me for eg split your wood, clean your gutters mow your lawn. cash was king. Started a trade at 16 and worked every hour going or done piece work eg x amount of parts for x dollars then when you had knocked them over work the rest of the day at the normal rate and always worked at least 1 hr overtime everyday and a minimum of a half day Saturday. Never brought lunch and wouldn't spend a cent if I didn't have too.

 

[rpmcarter]

WOW,,,,, great stories already!!!! I love it!! Most of you know the real beginning for me... the 62 Chevy II.... four door POS!! Three on the tree was jammed up so it had a hole cut in the floor board. It didnt have a shifter... i changed gears by wrapping my left arm through the steering wheel ...reaching down into the floor a litterly grabbing the unattached linkage... and shifting gears. IT smoked so BAD ... I would not drive it into the school parking lot. Worked 80 hours a week during the summer , worked FULL TIME during school....saved up and built my 63 Falcon. Now THAT was the beginning.... sold the Falcon...bought a 56 Chebbie for 150.00 and it was SO sweet when I finished it.... IT was purchased for a radio station in Nashville and given away in a contest. I still miss both those carz!!!

 

[Luke]

Yep I was such a tight arse I wouldn't buy a crap car as it distracted from my end goal rode the push bike everywhere or rode along in friends cars. Interesting I wanted my first cool car to be a silver Baldwin Motion Camaro that was for sale at a petrol station in Adelaide when I was on holiday with the family. We lived about 2000km away from there so dad said no. That camaro will be my one that got away story for the rest of my life. Had to make do with a HG GTS 350 . Life changed and I sold it, Since I sold it, it has been judged to be the best example in the country a few times over now bummer,but that's what happens when your not the entering car shows kinda dude. Pic is of me @ 20 with that car and a Harley I just paid cash for and I was getting ready to chop up

 

[rpmcarter]

Luke...your GtS 350 had many different looks to it as it relates to the US GM cars. But odd enough it had an AMC slant or look to it, not so much

GM. but it appears to be a light body car and with a 307...I it should have had "build" opportunity.

another good story!!!

 

[Luke]

Mr RPMCarter think Aussie Camaro. 350 sbc and a power glide 3.55 posi. was a full delete car no radio etc only options on it are the glide and vinyl lid very low mile car. The Guy that brought it new was a rev head he had a 69 ss Camaro 396 4 speed and a 72-73 Trans Am SD the only one I have ever seen for real, as well as a few other big block bruisers. He was also the magistrate you went up against for street racing and he was tuff. I already had another HG by then (time of photo) as well, Stroker SBC, nitrous. Full manual turbo box and a 9in. About 610hp worth of good with the bottle cracked open, was suppose to be putting in a Crate alloy headed genuine LS7 454 only I had some trouble trying to get a dominator carb in Aus in the early 90s. Tales of past glories hey. Pic is of a random Monaro so you can see the shape better

 

[rpmcarter]

ahh okay ... I that pic helps... I can see the camaro look in it, just thicker roof lines throws it off a bit. cool....

so a 454? dang looks like it sits around 3100 lbs???

 

[gewalker]

Already told this elsewhere, but I bought mine off of my Father-in-Law's friend Mickey who was doing some carpentry for us and was looking to sell the car on (he'd had it about 15 years).

 

[rpmcarter]

ge.... I have a philosophy ...if you're always looking...you never know where opportunity will meet with your goal. I"m always on a constant search. That's how I came about the Cougar. I ask and the guy got it in some kinda package deal for some construction equipment. He had no interest.... and I was the lucky cat winner. She was going to be a nice restore...but the magic worked and my friend decided to sell the convertible.

 

[71_resurrection]

I got mine after my mom and stepdad got married. It was his and they let me drive it in high school, finally signed the title over to me soon after that, so I have had it since I was like 14, so 18 years now.

 

[rpmcarter]

Now that is a cool and unusual step-dad

 

[69 Rustang]

I had actually turned 18 between negotiating the price and actually paying for it, but I paid $300 for my 1969 Mach 1 in 1985. Dad towed what was there home on his car trailer as it did not run and had lots of issues. It took until late May until I could actually move it under its own power. That consisted of burn outs in the driveway when Mom and Dad weren't home. A buddy helped hide the evidence with brooms as best we could. Dad never commented on it. Drove that car everywhere through graduate school. I have spent around 100 times that initial purchase price restoring it-still cheap for what it is today.

The '72's acquisition is another story which includes some divine intervention back in 2007. The short version is my truck broke down halfway home (200+ miles away), two complete strangers towed the car/trailer and hauled me to my driveway (and, bonus, they didn't murder me). AAA took care of my broken truck.

 

[Totalled]

Inherited the Mach1 from Dad. Everything else was bought with my cash and built with my sweat.

 

[Gold Rush]

My 72 was given to me by a couple we bowled with. It ran but wouldn't move. Rebuilt FMX and she drove me and the wife around for the next five years.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

[rpmcarter]

Cool stuff!! It is interesting some of the trials we've gone through to get our cars.

Gold Rush noticed your in Ocala... i've shown my convertible at the gardens there.

 

[jhawk635]

My story pales by comparison...but I stumbled onto my '72 convertible in 1999 when I saw it setting in a parking lot for sale. I had never really been a Mustang fan as I considered them mostly secretary cars at the time. I've had several Camaro's and a really nice '70 GTX but never really even looked at a Mustang.

For some reason it caught my eye and really had cool look to it so I stopped to check it out. Next thing you know it was parked in my driveway right next to my '72 Camaro. Interestingly, when I decided it was time to restomod (I guess that's what you call it) one of them, I chose the Mustang. Goes to show that I guess I've been converted! or at least partway!

Cheers!

John