How good was your first road legal car and what was it?

1973 my dad who was forever forced to be on strike at Stanlow oil works “ Merseyside” . He wanted to build his own house. Did it with me as his 17 yr old full time labourer. All my mates were off to Uni. My wages were a promise of his old wolseley 1100…reg GBG 161E.. unfortunately he ran out of money and couldn’t give me the car but I was allowed to drive it.
2 years after that he bought an Austin 2200 a great big piece of rubbish. He parked it in a pub and it was nicked. At the time Radio Merseyside had a “ phone in “ for stolen cars, my sister rang in…gave details and about 3 hours later my dad got a call that it had been found. My dad , his brother and me went to get it…..I can remember it like yesterday, the front end was about 2 foot higher than normal….they had nicked the engine!
Ps. Hubcaps had been left

 

Vauxhall Victor 1800…….. HDU510 L…….. bag of Marmitee….. but I thought I was King of the Road

 

72 VW Beetle…. Bought for a grand.

to say it was first roadworthy car might be pushing it a bit. In fact, there was a fair amount of pushing it as I recall!

 

My first car was very nearly a 3.4 litre MkII Jag, in British Racing Green, which would have been a very cool way to get to school! It was offered me for £35, including new MOT, tyres and exhaust, but I had as much success trying to get insurance as no doubt a 17 year old would today.

I went down to General Accident, because they insured my Mum, but was politely asked to leave by a security bod.

 

My first car was a 1985 Mexican Beetle. Brand new for only £3300 at the time! My wonderful dad went over to Willi Lotterman's at Bad Camberg to pick it up and drive it back for me as I was away at college. He lent me the money to buy it and I paid him back at £100pm over the next 3 years. Great car, I drove it for 9 years and 72k miles then sold it for £3200 at Stanford Hall VW show in '94.

 

Dark green 1700 Corsair. It was about 15 years old when I bought it, complete with slipping clutch and completely shagged gearbox bearings. It had been hit down one side by a forklift, which had neatly shaved off all the trim. No carpets down the front, just the furry underlay, which caught fire on the M6 one day when I flicked fag ash on it. I just chucked it out the window. Sadly, all the core plugs fell out one cold night, as I'd forgotten to put antifreeze in it, so it was towed off to the scrappers...

Gave me a couple of years of happy motoring for £50

 

1954 Split Screen ( real barndoor), cost me $100 in 1972.
Sold it in 1974 for $150 and thought I'd done well.

 

Bet you wish you kept it, their worth over twice that, now…

 

Only owned motorbikes until my mid twenties.
First car was my first triumph spitfire 1500 that I slowly rebuilt into a good car

 

1.3 Morris Marina, white . A 10 year old rot box ..in 1985. £100. Or I could have had a Citroen Dyane for £80.

Did 30k miles in the Marina, dripping and burning oil. Used to sit at an indicated 80mph in lane 1 of the M25 on the flatter sections because it was empty...

 

Crown Emulsion , I bet that had a dazzeling glint when the sun was out .

 

I had a 1976 Morris Marina 1.3 Super De-luxe - LNH 113P - bought for £200 with a years MOT from Northampton car auctions. I kept it for a year and went everywhere in it, mechanically it was spot on and only needed minor maintenance but unfortunately it rusted away faster than I could bodge it up

 

A '67 mini 850 paid £90 at auction bought by my uncle without me and my dad wasn't best please as it wasn't good.
Went to the top of Scotland and back just because everyone said it wouldn't make it and took me and mates to various gigs around the country.
Used more oil than fuel and when the mot was due swapped it for some seat covers for a newly purchased Datsun 160b.

 

MK1 Escort estate with Rostyle wheels , unfortunately it had different size tyres on each wheel, I was clueless back then.
Bought off a wannabe Arthur Daley in deepest darkest Manchester!
My uncle sent me £40 to get 4 new tyres, only thing he ever gave me

 

£40 for four new tyres... bargain

 

Those were the days, although they may have been remoulds!

 

Good god no not crossply’s