How did you got your 1st car

[Telecolor 3007]

How did you get your 1st car?

[old_tv_nut]

My dad, who had been a dealer service manager but had developed health issues that prevented him from working, took me to a dealer he knew to get a very cheap used car ($400, about $3300 today) right after I graduated from college (1966), so I had something to drive to work until I built up some savings to make a down payment on a new car. It was probably used in racing, and was blue with one green fender. The engine smoked from the crankcase breather, and the turn signals sometimes didn't work. I had to buy two tires for it immediately because the fronts were bald. But it started and ran OK (at least during the summer) and the automatic transmission worked OK. That fall I bought a new 1966 Mustang, and have owned only new cars ever since.

[Tony V]

I mowed yards, ect to get my first car. That was the easy part. Getting insurance was a whole other matter. I was able to get it done all by my self though.

[Electronic M]

The summer before my last year of college 2014 I got an internship earned IIRCsomething like 4-5k then spent around 2.5k on my Lincoln that has a thread in this section. I made the rest of the funds last.

[MadMan]

My parents gave me a ~96 Hyundai Elantra for my 16th birthday. It wasn't actually there, however, I had to wait a while to actually get it. In that short time, my brother crashed the car into a light pole. So I had to wait some more for it to be repaired. It was a decent enough car, but it was still cheap and beat up. The engine would always stall when parking. I didn't have it very long - doubtless my dad just wanted to make sure I wouldn't wreck it - then he upgraded me to a then-nice 94 Chrysler Concorde. My dad said it was a "big person's car" (I'm 6'2"). He was right, though, I could sit in my Concorde while wearing a tall hat.

[Hawkwind]

In 1974 I went north into Montgomeryville, Pa on Rte 309. Stopped at a mechanics shop and he had a 1966 Studebaker for sale for $800.00. I sold some stocks and bought it 04/04/1974. I was 17.75 years old when I did this.

Drove this to school when I was a senior. Bought a second one for parts in 1978. That car gave me factory air plus full wheel covers, AM radio, better front bumper brackets and dashboard. Someone in 1979 asked me if the car was from Russia. Was a great "head-turner"...

[Telecolor 3007]

For how long did you owned it?

[SpaceAge]

2018, in college. I scraped together $3k, parents tossed in another $3k, and I bought this Mercedes and still have it today. Only somewhat major issue is the AC compressor crapped out last year which landed it in the shop ($900). Otherwise I’ve been able to handle maintenance and repairs myself. Not planning to get rid of it anytime soon although it drinks premium gas which is now around $4. That upcoming Ford 40 mpg hybrid baby truck is looking very interesting…

[AdamAnt316]

My first car was a 1991 Dodge Spirit (base model, not the R/T), which had formerly belonged to a deceased family member. It was handed down to me when I got my license in 2002; it was a glorified K-car, being a bit larger (and more rounded) than the Dodge Aries which had preceded it, and with a V6 engine under the hood which gave it a lot of 'pep'. I eventually found that if I tried to go much faster than 95MPH, it would start shaking violently like a jackhammer.

In my first year of driving, it suffered the usual ills of a new driver, including a couple of nasty accidents, but it soldiered on. At one point, I thought the infamous "A-Sick-Oh-Four" automatic transmission might be failing, but it instead turned out to be bad motor mounts. I drove it around for three years until my mother handed me down her old 1996 Chrysler Concorde, and the Spirit was retired. The Concorde was much more luxurious, but turned out to be an utter lemon, and itself was put out to pasture after a mere six months. I tried to bring the Spirit out of retirement, but one of the fuel lines had failed, and it eventually ended up being donated. Here is a photo of it from after its retirement, showing its various dents and dings (not to mention hubcaps 'borrowed' from a Mercury Tracer):

[Hawkwind]

Originally Posted by Telecolor 3007

For how long did you owned it?

I put it in storage in 1980. I sold it in 1989...

[madlabs]

I drove motorcycles from 16 to 20 years old. Bought them all needing work and fixed them up, including a '69 Norton Commando. Then when I was 20 I bought a Datsun B210 that had been sideswiped so that the driver door wouldn't open. It was a pain in the ass but I bought some white stick on letters and spelled "OUCH" on the side with the dent. Drove that for a year, gave it to a friend when I bought a '64 Dodge Dart. Then a '62 Chevy truck and then a '72 Chevy truck. Then I bought the love of my life, a 1960 Valiant. Notice I didn't say Plymouth Valiant. For two years the Valiant was its own car company. My girlfriend wrecked it. Never lend a car you love. Then I started driving Subaru's, which I still do. Bought 'em all myself.

[MadMan]

Originally Posted by AdamAnt316

the infamous "A-Sick-Oh-Four"

I read that, and most of the problems were electronic. Gotta remember, the A604 was an entirely electronic transmission, with computer control on par with (better than some) today's cars - some THIRTY years later. 1989 was still really early for anything (let alone a complicated mechanical apparatus) to be completely computerized. Especially with an almost-AI that learns how you drive to adapt itself.

No wonder it had some teething problems. Regardless, it's a great transmission. I wish I could work on more of them, but they are starting to not be around anymore, the late 2000's was about the last of them.

[AdamAnt316]

Originally Posted by MadMan

I read that, and most of the problems were electronic. Gotta remember, the A604 was an entirely electronic transmission, with computer control on par with (better than some) today's cars - some THIRTY years later. 1989 was still really early for anything (let alone a complicated mechanical apparatus) to be completely computerized. Especially with an almost-AI that learns how you drive to adapt itself.

No wonder it had some teething problems. Regardless, it's a great transmission. I wish I could work on more of them, but they are starting to not be around anymore, the late 2000's was about the last of them.

I've heard multiple theories on what ails the A604. One is that using any transmission fluid besides Mopar ATF+3 (or +4?) is a very bad thing, unlike the earlier A413 3-speed which wouldn't implode if you used Dexron/Mercon. Several guides (like this one) imply that Dexron/Mercon is an analog for ATF+3, which apparently is not true for the A604. When I thought the transmission was going in my Spirit, I bought five quarts of ATF+3, which I gave to the local shop (along with a replacement filter) when I couldn't figure out how to drop the transmission pan myself to install said filter.

Another thing I found out about A604s is that sometimes they just glitch. One day, while driving home from college, I got on the highway and discovered that the transmission had dropped itself into "limp home mode", limiting me to first and second gear. After several harrowing miles with the engine screaming at 55MPH, I drove it directly to my local shop, expecting the worst. Instead, I ended up returning a few hours later to pick up the car, as the transmission was now shifting fine, and they couldn't figure out a cause for why it had dropped into limp-home mode.
-Adam

[MadMan]

Originally Posted by AdamAnt316

Several guides (like this one) imply that Dexron/Mercon is an analog for ATF+3, which apparently is not true for the A604.

Dexron III is an analog for ATF+3. It's only really Dexron II that was the bane of the A604, which unfortunately was the prevailing fluid in the early 90s. Something about it just didn't agree with the 604 and it's doubtless a big reason for its bad rep. Luckily, Dexron II is not easily found nowadays, as III is backward compatible, so getting fluid for the A604 is no longer a concern. (Though ATF+4 is commonly available.) You really can use any old fluid... at least now, anyway. A few years ago, GM stopped licensing the Dexron III name, so most generic fluids now are referred to as ATF III (which is confusing, because ATF+3 is a Chrysler trademark). But really, they aren't so picky, I've found, as long as you don't use II.

Originally Posted by AdamAnt316

Another thing I found out about A604s is that sometimes they just glitch.

While I can't say I've seen much of that myself, it doesn't surprise me. Every computerized car has software glitches, in fact it's only gotten worse, the more complicated the computer systems have become. (Especially since the average modern car has tens of millions of lines of code.) That's why manufacturers are constantly updating their software, and any given car has a dozen TSB's that advise updating the computer software as the solution to a problem.

[JOJCANADA]

I still have only owned one car as I am only just graduated, It is a 1966 mercury parklane with the breezeway body style I bought it myself pretty cheap, it has a big block 390 in it and runs great, i have plans to put disk brakes under it as the stock single circuit drums are somewhat lacking, other than that its a great looking and driving car although it hurts the wallet a bit to drive