First Car Discussion

Key Points from the Discussion

• My first car was a 1968 Oldsmobile Delta 88, identical in color and trim to the one pictured. It was a massive vehicle, almost Cadillac-sized, offering significant safety due to its sheer bulk. I purchased it for $600 and later left it behind when I moved for college.
• My first car was a B5 Audi A4 in black. The engine blew at 72,000 km, less than a year after I acquired it, right in front of an Audi dealership. Police officers had to help push the car to a bus stop.
• My parents bought me a new 1988 VW Jetta 1.8. With 90 hp for 920 kilos, it was considered fast for its era. I drove it for 11 years, accumulating 289,000 km, and made several modifications including bigger brakes, lighter wheels, and aero enhancements.
• I also received several speeding tickets and wrecked my first vehicle, a 1994 Ford Ranger 2WD 5-speed, just two weeks after taking delivery. Later, I acquired a 4WD extended cab version and made modifications like 31-inch BF Goodrich tires and Rancho shocks.
• My first car was a 1934 Morris 8, purchased for £25 in 1962 after multiple scooter falls. As an RAF cadet, I enjoyed driving this antique, which consumed more oil than petrol and proved excellent in the severe UK winter of 1963.
• I inherited a GAZ-24 Volga from my father in 1999. While it was a dream car for an average family in the USSR, its limitations, such as 80 hp from a 2.4L engine and a lack of modern safety systems, are apparent today.