What was the first car you owned? Mine was a ’58 Chev Biscayne, 2-door.
It had a 235-Chev 6 with a 3-speed overdrive with 4:11 posi rear end. I installed forged pistons, a Melling 3/4 race cam, Offenhauser intake with twin single barrel Rochester carbs, and installed headers from Sears that went into a split V-8 exhaust.
I have to admit I blew up a few of those fragile 3-speeds!
I bought the car in 1965 when I was in high school.
Roger
About Roger
Driver of our '57 Chev from 1972-2019, Vietnam veteran (A Troop, 3/17th Air Cavalry Scout helicopter Line Chief and later Cobra Periodic Inspection team leader), retired ASE rated automotive mechanic. Roger became involved in drag racing during his high school days and after his stint in the Army ran E & F/MP [Modified Production] here in Division 6 before switching to bracket racing when the '57 became obsolete for class racing. He often raced at Puyallup, Kent-Pacific Raceways, Bremerton, Portland & the original Mission, B.C. track.
MY FIRST CAR WAS A ’67 PLYMOUTH VALIANT 4-DOOR. I GOT THE CAR FROM MY GRANDFATHER AND DROVE THE SHIT OUT OF IT THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL UNTIL ONE DAY THE LITTLE 273 V8 DECIDED IT HAD HAD ENOUGH AND SPUN #7 ROD BEARING.
DAD AND I REBUILT THE MOTOR AND I DROVE THE CAR FOR A COUPLE MORE YEARS. AFTER THIS I DECIDED TO BUY A CHEV! THOSE MOPARS JUST DON’T REV HIGH ENOUGH! SO FROM A VALIANT 4 DOOR THEN A 12-SECOND ONE TON DUALLY AND NOW A 10-SECOND WAGON! WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKIN!!!!!!
CHRIS
Chris,
How about that Crower cam we put in the 273 during the engine rebuild?
It was wonderful, it didn’t make any power at any RPM! The factory cam was far superior!
The good news was the engine didn’t smoke after the rebuild!
Dad
Hey guys,
My favorite memory was when we were on our way to RB HS and the Valiant blew the soft plug and we had to catch a cab. I know Chris gets a kick out of this memory! 🙂
OK..Im in. I started to PAY for my first car when I was sixteen. I made payments for two years before I took possesion. I would go to start it up and rev the engine just drooling for the day I could cruise. I didnt get my license until I was 18 which is a big reason for my poor driving skills today. I dont think there are any blog rules? So Im putting a twist on this thread. Chris or Paul, I challenge you to name my first car. Winner can wax the Cobra (haha hows that for punishment!) like you used to LOVE help me do when you were stupid little brats. Muuuuhahaha!
I can’t tell you the name of your first car and even if I were to win I wouldn’t choose the Cobra it would definitely be the Chevelle! You need to get it out to the track this year and see what it can do!
Dale,
Do I get to guess your first car? Hint: I believe it was yellow and powered by a big block with a TH-400, but it wasn’t your Chevelle!
And who would want to wax your Cobra? 😉
Paul, u were too young (no pun intended). Roger I knew you would remember that is exactly why i excluded you! No big block though, 4 bolt main 350 we pulled out of a freinds smashed Chev Blazer. You tricked the heads out with a freshening and we put a shift kit in the TH400. We re-cammed it and broke the cam in on a Saturday morning/afternoon. I did something wrong with the shift kit, and we couldnt get it into gear so we decided to look at it the next day because it was getting dark. That night was the night that !@(!!&^%$#! took a hard right into it. It ended up on top of your Dart! Never got to drive it. But ohhhh the memories of that night live on…lol
Thanks Dale for refreshing my memory that it was a small block. I’m getting senile!
Yes, I remember that night well when our cars were hit. Not to mention our interesting encounter with the SPD that evening and the next day at the precinct! 🙂
I think we won that battle!
Hi Ya’ll…My first car was a 59 Chevy 2 door post (aircraft carrier)It had a 348 boat anchor for the engine and a 3 speed trans (Roger, I bet I broke more than you did until the 4 speed finally went in it) With the help of a friend Tim Broughton we installed a 30/30 Duntov camshaft in it, and for the size it was, the thing actually ran great. Shocked a few 396 Chevelles and Goats wiuth the 4:11 gears and all that torgue. B4 I sold it, I installed a 409 and 4 speed, yes, I was crazy. But it was fun for a first car. It was painted midnight blue, then changed over to a silver. Raced nothing but chevs during my racing career and now all I own is Fords? I blame it on the stroke I had in 1999….lol
Terry,
I bet you wish you had those 348 & 409 engines today! They are a bit rare to say the least!
As to the Fords you own today, what can I say?
For our viewers, Terry’s race cars are featured on our web site at:
http://northwestvets.com/racing.htm#blasts
Take care my friend!
Roger,
My first car was a ’78 or ’79 Mustang II (i know). It ran good but never hit the road, anyways it had a hole in the floor.
My second car was a ’70 Chevelle that was parts, now it is together and running. It is actually my first car that hit the streets
I have had 2 other chevelles since