Old Cars

[4RNR]

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My dad bought this 38 Ford in the sixties and restored it, twice. I drove it to school once or twice in the early 80s. It sat in the back of the barn for years. He sold it a couple years ago, he told my daughter he didn’t have it in him to get it going again (he’s 82 now).

In high school my best friend's dad bought a 1940 Ford Pickup. It was slightly hot rodded. Had a newer V8 and an auto trans, painted orange. Wasnt crazy fast but sounded good. Was lots of fun riding in the bed.

My dad always drove big American cars up until the first Toyota Avalon came out. Prior to that I remember an early 90s Regal, late 80s Pontiac Catalina (Chevy Caprise) painted like the Rhodesian FAL green! When I got my license my dad bought me my first car. It was a cheap auction car. 92 Eagle Talon 1.8 none turbo producing probably 32hp

[Bigghoss]

First car was a 1974 Ford Ranchero I bought in 1999. It got wrecked in 2011 sadly. I've had an '85 Caprice wagon, '84 Monte Carlo, '80 Suburban, '74 Pontiac Catalina, 89 F150, 90 F250, 75 Lincoln Mark IV, 93 GMC Sonoma, and a 94 Ranger. I currently own an '84 Chevy K5 Blazer, and 82 Chevy G20 conversion van, and a 98 Dodge 2500 Cummins.

I would really like to get a K20 suburban but everyday squarebody Chevys get more and more and more expensive so might not happen. If money were no object I would get a 70's F350 crew cab 4x4 and slap a Cummins in it, put a 4bt in my Blazer, an LS in my van, and maybe a Jeep XJ with a 2.3l Cummins in that. And then I'd need powerful RWD car of some kind.

[Suvorov]

My first car in 1995 was a 1965 Mustang hard top with a 289 V8.

My second car was a 1992 Mustang LX 5.0.

Trips me out now that the 92 would be older now than the 65 was when I got it...

As someone with a ‘98 Cobra 🐍 - this is something I often times think about which begs the question to the OP: DEFINE OLD!

[RoyGBiv]

'72 Chevelle, 302, back in '82.
First year for emission control that sucked the life out of that engine.
I hated that car until I gave it to my cousin, so he could hate it instead of me.

'68-'71 muscle cars are , maybe a few older as well.
Mom sold her '70, Rocket 350, Cutlass Supreme the year before I could get my license. I've still not forgiven her for that.

[fatdog]

'....I hated that car until I gave it to ....so he could hate it instead of me.

That was me and my '68 Mustang with the 289. Engine was fine until the oil pump failed while on the interstate and took me too long to figure out what was going on, then had to be replaced with a rebuild. It needed power steering badly but did not get it at the factory. No factory air and the aftermarket repro console AC I bought worked ok but I could never clear up the freon leaks. Stupid drum brakes should have never been the braking system. Distributors had a life of 20K miles until I finally found a solid state. Electrical system burnt through at least 3 alternators over the 25 years I owned it. It was a hole in the road into which money was poured, I can't even remember the other stuff that went bad. It could however smoke some tires when called on.

[Joe in PNG]

As someone with a ‘98 Cobra 🐍 - this is something I often times think about which begs the question to the OP: DEFINE OLD!

For cars, I'd say it's the point where the value of an auto stops depreciating, and begins to become something that is generally desirable.

[idahojess]

Some require more time than others. (Stock photo -- I don't own the fine example pictured).

[Coal Train]

My first car in 1995 was a 1965 Mustang hard top with a 289 V8.

My second car was a 1992 Mustang LX 5.0.

Trips me out now that the 92 would be older now than the 65 was when I got it...

As someone with a ‘98 Cobra 🐍 - this is something I often times think about which begs the question to the OP: DEFINE OLD!

My first car in 1993 was a 1984 Mustang GT Convertible with the 4-cylinder turbo (non-SVT). It was repossessed from the principle of our rival high school. My Dad bought it from the bank and we overhauled the motor. It looked nice but wasn't all that fast. About a year later our neighbor sold me her 1989 Mustang LX 5.0 (pictured below). Black with Red interior. It was faster than the '84 but girls were much more interested in riding in the convertible than the 5.0.

Many folks comment that growing up in the 80's/90's kind of sucked from a car standpoint. Which in someways was true........if you looked at the performance of the new cars at the time. However, my best friend in high school had a 1969 Camaro. My other close friend had a '68 Chevell. Other cars I remember in my rural Kentucky high school parking lot included Olds 442, various Chevelle's, a LeMans, Mustangs, and a few others I have forgotten. My neighbor had four Super Birds in various conditions inside and in pieces outside his barn. I almost talked my Dad into letting me trade my 89 LX in for a 1969 Mach 1 Mustang (he correctly refused because the car was a project). High school kids could not afford these types of cars today. Heck, my high school friends that owned those cars back then probably couldn't afford to own them now. :-)

So indeed, the definition of old car is relative!

Great topic.

[Suvorov]

Great topic.

That is a damn sexy car. Every time I see a nice Fox Body on the road my heat skips a beat. While I appreciate all muscle and sports cars, Mustangs have a special place in my heart in no small part due to the fact my cousin (who I very much looked up too) bought a brand new 1980 Cobra with the same 4 cylinder turbo you mentioned. To me it was the car of the Gods, performance numbers be damned!

[Joe in PNG]

Way back in the late 80's I was a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol. I once rode to Tampa with the chaplain in his Fox bodied Mustang convertible. I remember it was not long after the Federal 55 speed limit went away, and he celebrated that new freedom in appropriate fashion. Fun times.