I had a 1972 Olds Cutlass, which my mom drove for many years before giving it to me. She originally purchased it in No. CA, and it had no AC, so it was really warm in Maryland summers.
My kids are spoiled, and got cars in HS, because you really can’t leave our neighborhood without a car. One got a Mazda 3 (since totaled in a snow/ice related incident, and the other got a Scion.
1951 Willy’s CJ-3A with about 4" of suspension lift, substantially larger than stock tires and wheels, a 231 Buick making much more peer than necessary, and painted primer flat black.
Sold it to buy a bicycle that I rode to Nova Scotia (volunteer counselor/leader, it neither cost nor paid anything) among other places.
Good Jeep. I took the gas tank out in about 20 minutes one afternoon because I was bored. Took 15 or so to put it back in.
I had a 1960 Ford Falcon, which I bought for around $300, some time in 1972. It didn’t last very long, maybe around a year and a half. That was a step up from my high school car, a red corvair that my father paid $235 for, and later sold back to the same dealer for about $150 or so when I headed off to college.
Had a Plymouth satellite. With a vinyl roof. The car and the vinyl roof were green. Was a hunk of junk but it had 4 wheels and a horn.
- And brakes. I can't recall the year- but it was used. I think it was a 1971. Might have been older though. Gremlins were the new rage when I was in college!
'95 4runner 4WD V6 5-spd
It drank gas like nobody’s business, but it was a blast to drive, and very useful all around. I miss it!
I had a 11 year old Citroen DS. From sophomore to senior year, my son had a Subaru Impreza that was 13 years old when he got it. Both were thoroughly underpowered. My D doesn’t drive yet, though we will have to work on that this year as she has just gotten her MSN and may need to drive when she gets a job.
I shared a car with my sisters. Since I commuted to university, I carpooled or took the bus.
My older daughter took a car to school when younger D started college. 2 years later, older D had permanent use of the '06 Kia and in another two years younger got the older Acura we bought off of MIL when she stopped driving. Lack of decent public transport in both college towns, not to mention no desire to ride bikes in the rain, was the impetus for letting them have cars on campus. Oh, and I got tired of the driving to pick them up at breaks when they couldn’t get home any other way.
No car in college but bf had a VW beetle that we drove all over the eastern half of US.
On graduation, my parents bought me a beautiful red used 78(?) Dodge Omni. Named it Baby.
@blprof, I loved, loved, loved my Omni. Summer after graduation, 2 girlfriends and I took it on a 2 month long 13,000mi all over the country trip (missed only OK and NV in the continental US) then had it for 6+ years after that until 1987. Took a quart of oil every 300mi initially and every 200mi by the time I sold it for $100. Kept a case in the car and put one in every time I filled up the gas tank. Had a wonderful neighborhood mechanic who kept it going. The door handle pulled up and the cheap plastic doohicky inside was prone to breaking. I became an expert at pulling the door apart and replacing the 79 cent piece that I had to drive an hour to the dealer to buy. Also, in Chicago winters, the handle would freeze and not open. More than once, had to crawl into the car through the hatchback. Very sad when I gave it up but it went to a good home–a mechanic who wanted an around town car and thought he was getting a great deal because it was worth $400 he said. Still brings a smile to my face when I think of that car.
No cars for the kids. Colleges in big cities.
I have to say, the “$300 car” stories scare me. There’s a time for economizing but car safety isn’t one of those things. I would not have allowed my kids to have bought / driven some junkyard car, no matter how much they wanted to.
I had a yellow body, black vinyl roofed 66 Chevy Malibu for my last 2 years of college (needed to get to nursing clinicals). It used more oil than gas; that was in the day of odd/even gas rationing.
Replaced her with a red 74 Chevy Vega being sold by a family friend who needed something bigger for his growing family.
Only my oldest had a car in college. Took our 94 Plymouth Voyager (kids’ car) minivan in her sophomore year. Used it to get to co-op job and to visit somewhat local extended family.
DS#1 drove my very old minivan. They called him soccer mom. But it was very convenient for hauling lots of stuff. DS#2 drove a relatives very old Toyota Avalon. He only recently replaced it. Drove that thing into the ground.
Wait for it…a Chevy Vega. Boom. I win.
The car I most want to have back - 1968 Ford Mustang California Special… Regretted selling the car at the time - and really regret it today…
1962 Pontiac Catalina - cost $200
1973 VW Beetle - Speedometer stopped at 100 mph, but one night on Rte 93 in Beantown I went faster going downhill
1971 VW Bus - my partymobile
I didn’t have a car of my own in college, but second semester senior year, my parents let me take one of their cars of school - a 1974 AMC Hornet. I remember driving 250 miles back to campus in the snow. The car didn’t have any weight in the back and I fishtailed all over the place.
The first car I actually owned was a Datsun 200SX. It was a fun car, but it always needed a tune-up (remember those?)
In college I had a 75 Capri which a friend totaled and then I got a Datsun 210 or something like that. Parents bought both cars for me.
@Mansfield, I had a Datsun 200SX, too -which I bought around 1988. It was a fun car to drive but terrible in snow.
S had a 2008 used Subaru Outback but since he graduated and is earning good money he’s upgraded to a pre-owned 2013 Audi A4.
Freshman year: 1978 Puch moped. Torched by vandals, almost burned down my dorm. 100mpg.
Sophomore year: 1980 Fuji Gran Tour bicycle. Rode 3000 miles in the summer.
Junior year: 1971 Volvo 164 Bondo mobile. More holy than the Vatican. 16 mpg highway (!). Always in the shop.
Senior year: 1975 Ford Gran Torino V8. Would go 20mph @ idle. Had the infamous Firestone 721 tires, all 4 blew.
I only miss the bicycle.
@TooOld4School “1980 Fuji Gran Tour bicycle…” I bought one new in '78 or '79. It was the first 18 speed bicycle and it had a lightweight aluminum frame. I lived on the third floor. It cost about $180 and it was stolen from my city garage in about 1995. I still miss it.
In high school I had my dad’s one owner commuter '64 Bug. I bought a brand new Toyota Corolla for about $3500 for college. It was my own money. It went everywhere over the next five years.
1963 Ford Fairlane with the stick on the column (by the turn signals). $300 paid for by my own self as well as the insurance.
Only had problems when the defrost went out a few years later in the winter.
Drove this car, my first clutch, around the block 3 times and then drove 10 miles home.
Should mention that D is driving 1995 Subaru --a hand me down from us–doing ok
mainly as it has roll up windows and such–less to break down.
Very funny when kids get in and have no idea how the windows work.
I had a 1974 Mustang II, candy apple red, no a/c, no power steering, no power brakes and a standard transmission. It did, however, have a sunroof and we had a blast popping up through it, throwing beer cans out of it, etc.