What was popular as far a cars where you grew up

[17 10 Flat]

Read with interest the thread started by H2O tole concering square body GM vehicles. I grew up in Michigan. Square body meant nothing, would rarely see a low rider. Late 50’s, into 60’s all about drag racing. One would pick up a 55 Chevy/Ford for a few hundred V-8 manual trans.

First thing put a floor shift in. Then go to junk yard find a 4bbl manifold with a carb on it.

Then into the garage pull the intake, heads, drop the pan. Clean everthing maybe take the heads in for a .030 cut add a little compression. New cam w/lifters and springs was about 3 weeks wages at $1 an hour. So that was optional.
Put all back together it was off to Woodward to street race. Maybe a trip to Detroit Dragway where a low 16 or high 15 time was rockin.
Woodward was where the money lived, the Totem Pole or Teds. Kids parents there bought their babies last years drag cars from GM, Ford or Chrysler, dealers.

Usually a quickie paint job but the sponsors lettering, Motor size, drivers name still came through.

Could of bought a brand new 1962 409 Chevy but that was years wages.

I was poor somewhere else.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Born and raised outside of LA. Driving in the mid 90s. Had some friends that were all about bent beam Rangers and desert stuff, some into mini trucks and some into street racing. I was more into "Ricky-Racing" as my parents put it. A high 11 was a decent car, but watching the trailered rides was the highlight. Some cars with lexan windows, and masking tape covering sponsors. The more popular cars were 80s Camaros and Fox's, some of the 60's stuff, and the occasional Vega. As for imports, RX7's were a threat, but most others were in their street racing infancy.

Us poor folk learned how to rebuild transmissions, setup the chassis with minimal cash, and then learned to rebuild diffs Learned how to tell which kids thought there car was fast, and which "old" guys new the routine.

 

[CommanderLee]

Late 80s and early 90s in LA/OC area I lived and still live in there was a little of everything but mini trucks were king. Like a dumb ass I sold a 61 bug that I built from the ground up and bought my first mini truck. I don't regret how it all turned out but damn I miss that bug and want another one.

 

[H20 Toie]

My first car was a 70 Chevelle
First new car was 79 Chevy pickup
My first dodge was a 70 challenger rt
Traded it in for a corvette. Always regretted that trade

 

[17 10 Flat]

My first car was a 70 Chevelle
First new car was 79 Chevy pickup
My first dodge was a 70 challenger rt
Traded it in for a corvette. Always regretted that trade

There were some seriously cool cars back in the day !!!

 

[4Waters]

 

[ka0tyk]

Aside from the normal sports cars and such…

My mom had a 5.0 thunderbird back in the day. I remember seeing them all over everywhere. Now I don’t think one even exists anymore.

Also these were popular. Everyone had one. Now they’re gone.

 

[HTTP404]

Lowered Mini Trucks in the IE.

 

[RVR_RCN]

Aside from the normal sports cars and such…

My mom had a 5.0 thunderbird back in the day. I remember seeing them all over everywhere. Now I don’t think one even exists anymore.

View attachment 1320915

Also these were popular. Everyone had one. Now they’re gone.




View attachment 1320916

I had a new T-Bird in 91 and it was a hunk of crap, think I paid $13.5 new with V-6. I am not surprised there are none on the road 30 years later!

 

[H20 Toie]

There were some seriously cool cars back in the day !!!

In hindsight
Giving a 16 year old boy a Chevelle was not a smart thing on my mom’s part
But I survived

 

[The Prisoner]

This olds 442

And moms car exactly this color 78 Cougar xr7

 

[92562]

Mostly 396 Chevelles, 396 & 350 Camaros, Some Novas, Mopars with 383s or 440s, Fords with 289s & 390s, a buddy had a 66 442 and another had a 69 GTO. I chose a 65 Chevelle with a 327 because at the time nobody wanted them and I got mine for $800. Still have it!

 

[RVR_RCN]

Anyone else have one of these in their car in the 90's?

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Having one as opposed to taking the bus, walking or begging for rides. I didn’t care as long as it had 4 wheels and could move under its own power.

Were I to be some kid who had money (or parents who had money) maybe I would have had a cool kid car. But nope. I had a 1980 Chevy Cavalier with the bad paint and axle shafts that squealed going down the road. I could be heard a block away.

The only chicks I managed to get in my car were a couple of German high school foreign exchange students who’s standards for getting a ride were apparently as low as mine.

 

[whiteworks]

This was my program from about age 17 to 22, lucky to have survived that phase, woke up in a new world everyday, still sorta do that

 

[H20 Toie]

Anyone else have one of these in their car in the 90's?

View attachment 1320922

i had the panasonic version

 

[Spitfire]

Yes I did!

 

[Hypnautic]

Aside from the normal sports cars and such…

My mom had a 5.0 thunderbird back in the day. I remember seeing them all over everywhere. Now I don’t think one even exists anymore.

View attachment 1320915

Aside from the normal sports cars and such…

My mom had a 5.0 thunderbird back in the day. I remember seeing them all over everywhere. Now I don’t think one even exists anymore.

View attachment 1320915

Fords MN12 body. The Thunderbird.
My first car was a 1990 SuperCoupe. Bought it 01/01/1994 in Tustin. Blk/Blk auto fully optioned car. Love the SC.

Several years ago I bought another SC. A 1995 with a 5spd. Last year of the SuperCoupe and lowest production year in total and with 5spd. Only 574 made with manual trans in '95.
Car, unfortunately, sat outside for a few years but we are putting it back together for my son to have as his 1st car.


Going to the shop


Look at that wheel gap


Did you know—the first 5 plugs take just a few hours to change and the last plug takes the same amount of time as the first 5.


She’s back home. Lowered 1.6”, new Alt, plugs/wires, sway bar links, harmonic balancer, brakes, MAF/throttle body, drained tank/flush lines, E-brake cables.

We are doing the rest ourselves-but she runs, is relatively fast for age and weight of car and gets thumbs up going down the road.

 

[Desert Whaler]

When I was in high school 85-88 … popular cars were … Volkswagen Rabbits, (chicks) …. GTI’s, Jetta’s, Scirocco’s… Lowered Mini-Trucks, lifted broncos, blazers, & Toyotas …. a few dudes had muscle cars …. a few buddies had Volkswagen’Things’ …. But bugs , squarebacks & buses were way more popular ….. the rest seemed to have random hoopties & hand-me-downs.

 

[SOCALCRICKETT]

90s sport trucks.





Still are all time favorite

 

[17 10 Flat]

Aside from the normal sports cars and such…

My mom had a 5.0 thunderbird back in the day. I remember seeing them all over everywhere. Now I don’t think one even exists anymore.

View attachment 1320915

Also these were popular. Everyone had one. Now they’re gone.




View attachment 1320916

The supercharged 3.8L T-Birds rolled pretty good

 

[monkeyswrench]

When I was in high school 85-88 … popular cars were … Volkswagen Rabbits, (chicks) …. GTI’s, Jetta’s, Scirocco’s… Lowered Mini-Trucks, lifted broncos, blazers, & Toyotas …. a few dudes had muscle cars …. a few buddies had Volkswagen’Things’ …. But bugs , squarebacks & buses were way more popular ….. the rest seemed to have random hoopties & hand-me-downs.

My first real serious girlfriend had a VW Cabriolet...the same car we always called "Beaver Baskets" at the street races. (Always seemed to be a black or white one running around with girls...street race groupies?) Yep, my girl had one Like playing twister in a lunch box!

 

[Canuck 1]

B body Pontiacs with BB chev power(Canadian stuff), BB chev square bodies, FE powered Fords and GM metric cars, what else could you need?

Still have at least one of each

 

[ka0tyk]

90s sport trucks.





Still are all time favorite

The scsb 454 trucks were and are, still cool.

 

[ChrisV]

Supra, mr2, nsx, 240sx etc. Basically 90s era was dope for
Imports.

 

[beerrun]

Popular where I grew up lowriders and toyota trucks on 38 mudders

 

[92562]

Fords MN12 body. The Thunderbird.
My first car was a 1990 SuperCoupe. Bought it 01/01/1994 in Tustin. Blk/Blk auto fully optioned car. Love the SC.

Several years ago I bought another SC. A 1995 with a 5spd. Last year of the SuperCoupe and lowest production year in total and with 5spd. Only 574 made with manual trans in '95.
Car, unfortunately, sat outside for a few years but we are putting it back together for my son to have as his 1st car.

View attachment 1320930
Going to the shop

View attachment 1320931
Look at that wheel gap

View attachment 1320932
Did you know—the first 5 plugs take just a few hours to change and the last plug takes the same amount of time as the first 5.

View attachment 1320933
She’s back home. Lowered 1.6”, new Alt, plugs/wires, sway bar links, harmonic balancer, brakes, MAF/throttle body, drained tank/flush lines, E-brake cables.

We are doing the rest ourselves-but she runs, is relatively fast for age and weight of car and gets thumbs up going down the road.

Love your SC!

My Mom ordered an XR-7 in 1990 and had it optioned with the 3.27 rear gear instead of the standard 2.73. It was a hoot to drive and a real tire fryer!

 

[skifaster]

The Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit was my absolute dream car when I was 5. Might still be

 

[jetboatperformance]

I have honestly owned more than 150 cars since 16 56 Belair 301 3 speed , 64 SS 409, A 65 GTO , an Olds 442 a 67 Mustang, a 70 Road runner, 3 63 Impalas, one 60 Chevy 348 3 spd , several Novas and a Triumph TR 4A given time I can come up with more

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

I forgot to mention it but a car I would have killed for in high school was the 1987 Buick Grand National GNX, black, with the turbo. That was a pretty nice car back in the day, and a sleeper.

 

[cofooter]

Graduated High School in '81. Everyone wanted a late 60's early '70's Camaro or El Camino, or Chevelle. I had a '72 Chevelle I bought from my folks for $200. It had a 307, no so Koooool!!!

 

[Instigator]

Pickup with a Gun Rack in the back window !!

Ironically, you could leave the windows down and the doors unlocked too and nobody would ever steal anything because if you got too close the dog would get out and bite your ass.

 

[cjbuilder1]

Picked up a '67 Buick Skylark GS at dealer's showing date '66 November in San Francisco. That car was a true "Sleeper"

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Mostly 396 Chevelles, 396 & 350 Camaros, Some Novas, Mopars with 383s or 440s, Fords with 289s & 390s, a buddy had a 66 442 and another had a 69 GTO. I chose a 65 Chevelle with a 327 because at the time nobody wanted them and I got mine for $800. Still have it!

Now you're talking ...In VA countryside when I was around 15-17 [1975] I hung with a kid who had redneck folks & uncles .... those men were scary ex prison types and always under the hoods of their cars ... I recall mostly late 60s Mopars and the occassional front wheels lifting off on burnouts. Entirely different compressions back then.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Having one as opposed to taking the bus, walking or begging for rides. I didn’t care as long as it had 4 wheels and could move under its own power.

Were I to be some kid who had money (or parents who had money) maybe I would have had a cool kid car. But nope. I had a 1980 Chevy Cavalier with the bad paint and axle shafts that squealed going down the road. I could be heard a block away.

The only chicks I managed to get in my car were a couple of German high school foreign exchange students who’s standards for getting a ride were apparently as low as mine.

We dont do poor here buddy.... move along now

 

[cofooter]

Now you're talking ...In VA countryside when I was around 15-17 [1975] I hung with a kid who had redneck folks & uncles .... those men were scary ex prison types and always under the hoods of their cars ... I recall mostly late 60s Mopars and the occassional front wheels lifting off on burnouts. Entirely different compressions back then.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Yes I did!

If memory serves correct I had my first mounted cell in an '87 Jag.... before that it was those Bag Cells in maybe '86... with those $300 monthly bills.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Fords MN12 body. The Thunderbird.
My first car was a 1990 SuperCoupe. Bought it 01/01/1994 in Tustin. Blk/Blk auto fully optioned car. Love the SC.

Several years ago I bought another SC. A 1995 with a 5spd. Last year of the SuperCoupe and lowest production year in total and with 5spd. Only 574 made with manual trans in '95.
Car, unfortunately, sat outside for a few years but we are putting it back together for my son to have as his 1st car.

View attachment 1320930
Going to the shop

View attachment 1320931
Look at that wheel gap

View attachment 1320932
Did you know—the first 5 plugs take just a few hours to change and the last plug takes the same amount of time as the first 5.

View attachment 1320933
She’s back home. Lowered 1.6”, new Alt, plugs/wires, sway bar links, harmonic balancer, brakes, MAF/throttle body, drained tank/flush lines, E-brake cables.

We are doing the rest ourselves-but she runs, is relatively fast for age and weight of car and gets thumbs up going down the road.

Oh those early SCs were super cool I thought... I had no idea the mid 90s versions had manuals available. Awesome rides.

 

[X Hoser]

Bought a 1956 Chevy Belair 2 dr hardtop as my first car. Very rough! Only had it about 2 weeks and traded it for a nice 1957 4dr wagon. Total beach cruiser with rack on top with surfboards and all. Totalled it while parked and an accident in the intersection came right into us. Took the insurance money and bought a 1962 Impala SS. Small block with “3 on the tree”! Took it to OC Dragway many nights and they almost had to use a calendar to time me. I can remember driving at 5000 RPM and doing 35 MPH on the way home because I fried the clutch!

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

The Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit was my absolute dream car when I was 5. Might still be

I actually got a new one ordered from factory as a HS grad gift winning a D1 scholarship. Hate to break it to ya but it was such a dog.... loooked and road really sweet but Lord almighty that 6.6 litre motor had nothing to offer.

 

[SJP]

This was my car in HS. Also a big fan of the fox 5.0 88-92.

 

[76 Hondo]

Picked up a '67 Buick Skylark GS at dealer's showing date '66 November in San Francisco. That car was a true "Sleeper"

I had a ‘67 Skylark GS, in 1970, then found a ‘70 Stage one Skylark in ‘73.
Like these but not mine, who took pictures back then!

 

[BoatCop]

Got my license in '71. Mom (newly divorced) traded in our '66 Dodge Monaco Wagon for a 1970 1/2 Chevy Camaro SS396. Dad got the '70 Dodge Swinger. I got to drive around the 1965 Dodge Dart. (Dad was from Michigan and a Dodge Boy) I spent most of summer, '71 at the River at our place in Jolly Knight. I took the Camaro for a drive up to Havasu one time. Just cruising taking in the sights, when I looked down and saw the speedo ticking 100 MPH. For the heck of it, I punched it up, to see how far I could go with it, but backed down at 130. Even at 16, I knew my limitations. Pulled over, got out and walked around for a few minutes, I was shaking so bad. After that, I got a '66 Chevy C-10, 283-Power Glide, full size bed (to haul the dirt/race bikes).

Late '60s - '70s my crowd (South Bay Beach cities) was mostly VWs, P/Us, Vans, although a couple of my hard core surfer friends had low-riders, old early '50s wagons and bombers, slammed to the ground w/ aloha racks on them.

 

[samsah33]

Grew up in the rust belt in the 70's and 80's, me and my buds could only afford people's discarded winter beaters, which were usually old rusted out Gran Furys or Impalas or 88s or some other worthless gas-guzzling boat...

Only problem with 4 door boats is that I was always elected to drive, so I eventually put huge massively-under-powered house speakers in my back seat (ya know, for the rockin 8-track players...). Fortunately with bench seats in the front, I didn't really need the back seat...

 

[Willie B]

…My first two cars were a 1940 LaSalle and a 1937 Buick… OK I’m not that old… or I would be dead I’m sure… I have just always liked old cars …
…1962 to about 1967… 55 to 57 Chevys were the big ones then… if you had a 55 to 57 Chevy nomad wagon you were a big deal with the girls… and stood a pretty good chance of getting laid in the back …59 Chevy impalas… a few 57 Ford rancheros… Somewhere along the line 62 Ford galaxies 406 four-speeds came around and everybody had to have one of those … the street racers went for 63 Mopar 426 max wedge cars… Quite a few of those around… as they were far and away the fastest…
… Then came 1966 and the VW beetle became the thing to have… I think pot coming into play had a lot to do with that… 67 Volkswagen 1500 cc first year of the 12 V…Muntz 4 track, tape player, my most favorite car I’ve ever owned… I’ve owned a lot of cars… I really don’t know how many???…

 

[Orange Juice]

Anyone else have one of these in their car in the 90's?

View attachment 1320922

Buck a minute.

 

[xlint89]

GNX

 

[PRIMO]

 

[TrollerDave]

Having one as opposed to taking the bus, walking or begging for rides. I didn’t care as long as it had 4 wheels and could move under its own power.

Were I to be some kid who had money (or parents who had money) maybe I would have had a cool kid car. But nope. I had a 1980 Chevy Cavalier with the bad paint and axle shafts that squealed going down the road. I could be heard a block away.

The only chicks I managed to get in my car were a couple of German high school foreign exchange students who’s standards for getting a ride were apparently as low as mine.

My buddy in high school wanted a 5.0 Mustang so bad, but ended up with a Honda accord. He would always say
“4 wheels beats 2 heels!”
A lot of care-free fun can be had in a hoopty.

 

[skifaster]

I actually got a new one ordered from factory as a HS grad gift winning a D1 scholarship. Hate to break it to ya but it was such a dog.... loooked and road really sweet but Lord almighty that 6.6 litre motor had nothing to offer.

Sounds like you played football with Eric Dickerson getting a trans am as a gift.
Bummed it was a dog, the sound effects in the movie sure made it sound bad ass.