What were you driving at 16 ?

Mike T

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 3, 2013
For some reason I have been a little nostalgic lately and digging through boxes of stuff and old photos. I found these photos in my tool box and my best guess is that they have been in there for almost 30 years.

I bought this 68 Camaro at 16 and blew the original 327 with in a few months. After getting 2 other junkyard motors that were no good I found an old 327 Corvette motor that came with a small journal steel crank and 2.02 heads. This was the first motor that I had ever rebuilt completely by myself but in the end it was one of if not the best motor I ever owned.

As a 16 year old kid I drove this car everywhere on slicks and sometimes with open headers. The transmission was a PG with a manual valve body and it had an 8 inch 4000 B&M converter. I beat this old car to death and I ran it up to 7000 RPM on a regular basis but the only thing I ever broke was the input shaft in the transmission.

Feel free to add photos of anything that you may have driven as a youngster:).

Mike

Mikes 68 Camaro 1.jpg

Mike 68 Camaro 2.jpg
Mike 68 Camaro 3.jpg
 
Don't have pics handy but mine was a 64 1/2' Mustang. Canary yellow/black interior with a high-po 260 and 4speed with 70K from the original owner. Paid $1100 for it, then like most 16 year olds, proceeded to trash it.
 
The first car I drove daily was a hand me down 1994 Cadillac Sedan Deville. I turned 16 4 years ago. I'll be 21 in March. It was totaled in a rear end collision with 215,000 miles on it. The accident wasn't my fault:). I bought my first car on August 23, 2009, my 1970 GS. A few others have come and gone since then. Currently I have the GS and my 87 GN.
 
Don't have pics handy but mine was a 64 1/2' Mustang. Canary yellow/black interior with a high-po 260 and 4speed with 70K from the original owner. Paid $1100 for it, then like most 16 year olds, proceeded to trash it.

That was my very first car also! It too was a 289 high-po, rally wheels, automatic, turquoise with black stripes on the hood and deck . My dad bought it from a tow yard for the tow bill way before I could drive. When I turned twelve he and I went through the motor and only replace the bare minimum because we had very little money. I did get to drive it on the street in front of our house a few times well before I had a DL. After that my parents decided that it may have been too much for me and sold it:cry:.
 
That was my very first car also! It too was a 289 high-po, rally wheels, automatic, turquoise with black stripes on the hood and deck . My dad bought it from a tow yard for the tow bill way before I could drive. When I turned twelve he and I went through the motor and only replace the bare minimum because we had very little money. I did get to drive it on the street in front of our house a few times well before I had a DL. After that my parents decided that it may have been too much for me and sold it:cry:.
I got mine a few months before I turned 15. Step Dad was a banker and got me a loan for it- $53 dollars a month. By the time I had a DL there was 78K on it . Folks were mad but what did they expect?:rolleyes: That I put 8K on the car driving up and down the driveway?:p
I had 6 or 7 more of the early Mustangs until I turned 20. For what they bring now, I wished I still had all of them. Which is why my Buicks just aren't for sale:cool:
 
The first car I drove daily was a hand me down 1994 Cadillac Sedan Deville. I turned 16 4 years ago. I'll be 21 in March. It was totaled in a rear end collision with 215,000 miles on it. The accident wasn't my fault:). I bought my first car on August 23, 2009, my 1970 GS. A few others have come and gone since then. Currently I have the GS and my 87 GN.


One of my friends had an early seventies Cadillac when we were in high school and I would say riding around with him was some of the best times that I can remember. It wasn't uncommon to have 8 people loaded up and smoking that one right rear tire for a city block on a Saturday night:ROFLMAO:.
 
My mom and step dad bought me a 1974 AMX Javelin, for 250.00 bucks, for my 15th birthday. 401, T-10, go pack. Of course the engine and trans were in the trunk and back seat! Took me two years to put it together, one summer to blow it up! I miss that car, way more horsepower than a 16 year old should have! Phil.
 
One of my friends had an early seventies Cadillac when we were in high school and I would say riding around with him was some of the best times that I can remember. It wasn't uncommon to have 8 people loaded up and smoking that one right rear tire for a city block on a Saturday night:ROFLMAO:.
One of my friends had a mid 40's Caddy Hearse that we would all roll around in. It wasn't fast, but it had a beer cooler in the back and a tap below the dash....
 
Started with this from my cousin.
66 Bel Air.jpg

Then to this.
68 Chevelle before.jpg

Got it to look like this before I sold it.
68 Chevelle after.jpg
 
3842656.jpg
74 Olds 98. Had that gold tapestry fabric seats. Light yellow with a tan vinyl roof. Big car with a 455 that wouldn't get out of it's own way. I took the 850 quadrajet off it and put on a 750 quadrajet and it ran alot better.
 
I bought a white 1972 Olds Cutlass with a black vinyl top,
about a year later had it painted jade green with the vinyl top.
Drove it for 6 years before I sold it for a more economical work car...
 
3842656.jpg
74 Olds 98. Had that gold tapestry fabric seats. Light yellow with a tan vinyl roof. Big car with a 455 that wouldn't get out of it's own way. I took the 850 quadrajet off it and put on a 750 quadrajet and it ran alot better.


The mandatory modification for any quadrajet equipped car was to flip the air cleaner cover upside down......this gave you at least another 50 hp:):rolleyes:

The other thing that sticks in my mind about the bigger cars was the incredible ride that came along with all that weight.
 
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My first car. Was a real 69 z28 with a 327 and ss wheels. Had the 8000 rpm tach, 3.73 12 bolt and m21 Muncie trans. Wish I still had that car! Bought for 2100 dollars in 1980!
 
My first car. Was a real 69 z28 with a 327 and ss wheels. Had the 8000 rpm tach, 3.73 12 bolt and m21 Muncie trans. Wish I still had that car! Bought for 2100 dollars in 1980!


My best friend had an 69 SS/RS, orange/black stripes, 4 speed with deluxe interior and hide away headlights. His was a little rough but he regrets selling it also.
 
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