When did you get your first Muscle Car??

[johnnyseville]

Most guys, including me, are not in their 20's anymore, to say it politely.  When did you get your first hot car, any brand?  For me, I was lucky, my first car was a Hemi GTX, 4 spd, Dana,  when I turned 17, had half the cash and my father gave me the rest.  I was looking for either a Hemi or Boss 429, and this one showed up in the classifieds.  To be honest, would have preferred the Boss, since my friend had a 69 Mach I, 351 and I loved it, but wanted the Monster engine. When we went to check out the car, the guy took us for a ride and powershifted without the clutch, WOW!.  My father liked it too so he sprung for some money.  BTW, totally stock, except for headers, we chewed him down to $2850, car even had a real custom candy apple paint, with all type of design work from the door on back to the quarter, really nice too.   I started driving it to High School and even drove it to college for a while, always parked it on the street too. Those were the Good Ole Days

[dyslexic teddybear]

I certainly get the 20s reference.

May 1978


73 Challenger 340 Rallye.

Was actually looking for a Bird or a Charger.....but this little used car dealer would take my honda bike in trade. My dad fronted me the coin cuz he hated the bike and thought I would more likely live thru.......adventures, so to speak, in the Challenger. He was right, as I still have a barely noticeable scar to remind me I was not that good with a bike. Never got in any trouble at all with the Challenger, not even a speeding ticket. Certainly luck......not lack of trying.

My dad was a good guy. But he never understood why [his words] I would want to sit on the floor, try to see over this stupid big bump in the hood, and shift myself when I could have had an auto.

I still have it. Needs a full restore, lots of rust. One day soon, it will roll again under it's own power.

[TruckDriver]

1983 I paid $500. for my 1973 Mustang coupe that had all Mach 1 engine (351 SCJ) and drivetrain in it from the factory. The car was very soild too, with only minor rust in the rear quarters. Saddly, I only got 1 or 2 photos of the car.

[johnnyseville]

I certainly get the 20s reference.

May 1978


73 Challenger 340 Rallye.

Was actually looking for a Bird or a Charger.....but this little used car dealer would take my honda bike in trade. My dad fronted me the coin cuz he hated the bike and thought I would more likely live thru.......adventures, so to speak, in the Challenger. He was right, as I still have a barely noticeable scar to remind me I was not that good with a bike. Never got in any trouble at all with the Challenger, not even a speeding ticket. Certainly luck......not lack of trying.

My dad was a good guy. But he never understood why [his words] I would want to sit on the floor, try to see over this stupid big bump in the hood, and shift myself when I could have had an auto.

I still have it. Needs a full restore, lots of rust. One day soon, it will roll again under it's own power.

Awesome, NEVER get rid of it, even if you do nothing to it.  It is part of your history now, irreplaceable.

[johnnyseville]

1983 I paid $500. for my 1973 Mustang coupe that had all Mach 1 engine (351 SCJ) and drivetrain in it from the factory. The car was very soild too, with only minor rust in the rear quarters. Saddly, I only got 1 or 2 photos of the car.

I know, don't even have one pic of my first one, really wish I did.  Looking at old cars and the memories that go along with them  are priceless.

[GOTWING]

IN 1984 I GOT MY FIRST CAR, MY 73 CHARGER S/E  ( HAVE TODAY )

IN 1985 RED 1966 CHARGER 383 4SPD

IN 1985 GOLD 1971 ROAD RUNNER 383

[polywideblock]

1978 got a 1975 SL/R 5000 torana. 32 000km   308 4 speed ,white with black decals/hood with full body kit , black/houndstooth int, 265 MT radial torque twisters(the widest tyres i had ever seen )    went like a scalded cat    still kick myself for selling it

[Cooter]

1987...High School. My best friend's Cousin hadda 1967 Plymouth Satellite with 440 and 4-speed. Originally a 383 car. I knew the car when the black guy bought it brand new. It was green.
I knew I wanted one like it, so over to town Momma brought me to "Larry's Auto Sales" on 12th and Campbell. First one I see is a Bright blue 1967 Belvedere II 318 car, With Diamond tuck interior and bench seat. My auto mech. cousin takes one look at the tranny fluid and says "GEESH!" Momma says no way, but I wanted that Plymouth. Fast Fwd. about a year. Built myself a nice little 340 with tunnel ram and twin Holley 660 center squirters, 10.0:1, and My first Nitrous kit. 125 "powershot" Non adjustable because my shop teacher said I'd blow my junk up if I could mess with it.

Loved that car. Hadda lotta good times in it. Finally, in my senior year, I rolled it twice and tore it all to pieces. Been chasing that feeling I had back then ever since. Hemi's were stupidly priced even back then for me. My first car was GONNA be a 1967 Coronet R/T with 440 and 4-speed, but I couldn't drive it to save my life. So, dude gets in and takes us round the block. Slams 2nd, then third, Momma yells WHOA! TOO MUCH MOTOR!!" I lost that one by one week.

[wingcar]

I purchased my first car in High School.....a 1966 Charger for the sum of $500.00 (Cash) from a used car lot.  It had a strong 383 4-bbl in it.  My parents wanted me to buy something with a six in it......but, I had to have a Charger.  This car only need basic body work and some interior work to get it back to almost like new condition.  Once I fixed it up, I promptly traded it for a 1969 Charger RT/SE with a 440 within a year. 

[chargerboy69]

Around 1991 I bought my first of many Trans Ams.  A 1980 TA, black, with black interior with a 60's 400 in it. I drove it through part of my senior year of high school.

A beautiful car, paid $2250.00 for it.  I took my dad and he negotiated the price.

[cdr]

1976-77 ,had met a guy around the corner that had a bannana yellow 68 charger 318 he could drive i was to young ,& i was always lookin in the paper.green sheet cars for sale,found an ad at a used car lot off us59 for a black 68 charger,my buddy took me to look at it 150.00 was the price & all i had was my 10 speed bike that i had built from the trash that people threw away it was a schwinn frame, well they were going out of buisiness & he traded me for my bike & towed it to the apartments that i lived in,it did not run & rt front torsion bar was out & someone had hammered the rear hex of frame so i couldnt put it back in, at that time i had no clue what to do,so i put a jack stand under it so the apartment managment would stop threatining to tow it away,anyway it had rt on car but was a 383 h code i did some odd jobs & got a carb kit & rebuilt that old avs carb,put points & cond & got the car to run,not bad for a 13 year old,well the torsion bar issue i couldnt get help to fix & the apartment people wanted it gone so i sold it,

[warpspeed]

First car, 67 Dart, in 1971 after graduating from HS.  Drove it five years and traded it for 71 Challenger.  Couldn't wait to get a Challenger after getting out of school and earning money for the first time.  Had seen the Vanishing Point movie in HS and HAD to have that car.  Sold it eventually to a guy who wanted to make it a drag car.  Didn't really want to let it go, but, had a "company" car and didn't need to pay extra for insurance.  Hated to see it go.  That car only had one ding in the molding on the trunk.  Now, can drive another 71 with a 440 anytime I want, so reliving my young adulthood!!!
Oh yeah, I had a bumper hitch on it so I could pull my sailboats around to regattas, AND a bicycle rack for my racing bikes,  ha, ha!!

[FJ5WING]

 In 1981 I bought my first (muscle car? ) it was a 67 Mustang fastback small block and followed that up with a pair of 351 powered Torinos...not sure about those being muscle either.
  In 1983 I got a real muscle car when I bought a 428 CJ Mach1  but that didnt last long as I bent it a little after only 3 months.
I picked up my Superbird in 86. By then I wasnt using the "old" cars for daily use and was able to have a toy. My parents were so very gracious to build a garage for my car and my brothers 70 Vette

[1BAD68]

Back in 1982 I was 15 and a friend of mine bought a 69 Cutlass with a 350 Rocket, sounds cool but it was beat up and only cost $350 bucks.
After a couple days he couldn't get it to start anymore and it sat in his driveway. Soon after that, his mom wanted it out of the driveway so he told me "if you can get it out of my driveway, you can have it"
So I immediately troubleshot it and found a bad fusible link, fired it up and drove it home where my parents told me to get it out of the driveway (didn't have a drivers license yet) but was able to stall them until I turned 16 and got my license.
I drove that car for about a year when a combination of broken motor mount, slipping trans and no money other than for gas forced me to sell it.

[tan top]

  1989   , technically  17  , but by the time i actually got it  , had just turned 18 by a couple of weeks      

picture below , first day    

[Marck]

I was 28 when I bought my first and only musclecar, my '68 Charger.. I'm now 34 and it's still not done but I was able to drive it for the last two summers..  Not the easiest thing to raise funds for Charger stuff with two little kids in the house.. I'm not in a hurry though.. 

[charger Downunder]

Back in 1982 i was 16 years old when i bought my 70 dodge charger rt se and still have it today.

[Back N Black]

1985, i had a 74 Roadrunner.

[Mopar Nut]

In 1978 bought a 68 442, then bought a 69 442, then bought a 69 post Cutlass Sport. Parents wanted me to sell them saying we are not a used car lot. In 89 bought a new Chrysler Conquest and bought a 70 Challenger for $400.00. Moved and sold everything.

[4cruzin]

Back in 1982 i was 16 years old when i bought my 70 dodge charger rt se and still have it today.

1982 for me as well and I also still have it!  1973 'cuda . . .

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

16: First car was a Corvette
17: First musclecar was a Dodge Charger
17: First "pony car" was a Trans Am

Still have first car, sold the Charger when I turned 18, kept the Trans Am until I was in my 30s

[hatersaurusrex]

Last January, my '68 is my first Muscle Car

[BrianShaughnessy]

I was 17 in 78 when I got Sinnamon the first time around.

[nvrbdn]

16 years old in 1973. a 68 dodge charger. 383 4 bbl white vinyl top, white interior, blue body, bucket seats, console, auto car.

[JT01]

I was 12 my mom and dad always had camaros they bought me a 72 camaro also the year I was born in 70-73 have always been my fav camaros

[Fitz73Chrgr]

August 2004.  Right before my senior year of highschool.  1994 Firebird Formula.  Newer muscle.

Well, March 2003 actually is when my Dad and I brought the Charger home.  We've never had it on the road though.

[charger490]

may of 1968 it was ordered in nov67  i paid 3800. for it and drove it to may of1969 and was hit head on so that was the end of that one.
when i picked the car up it needed gas so i went and filled it up and the kid in the gas station wanted to know what an old man 40  years old want with a car like this.i said wait for it and i got in and floored it out of there leaving 2 black marks

[moparstuart]

may of 1968 it was ordered in nov67  i paid 3800. for it and drove it to may of1969 and was hit head on so that was the end of that one.
when i picked the car up it needed gas so i went and filled it up and the kid in the gas station wanted to know what an old man 40  years old want with a car like this.i said wait for it and i got in and floored it out of there leaving 2 black marks

glad your still here and kicking      I was two months old when you got the car   

[Ram07]

may of 1968 it was ordered in nov67  i paid 3800. for it and drove it to may of1969 and was hit head on so that was the end of that one.
when i picked the car up it needed gas so i went and filled it up and the kid in the gas station wanted to know what an old man 40  years old want with a car like this.i said wait for it and i got in and floored it out of there leaving 2 black marks

glad your still here and kicking      I was two months old when you got the car   

I was 5...

[FC7 V code]

The spring of 1982, a new Pontiac Trans Am. I was 23 and Mopar didn't have much in the way of performance at the time. After a couple of weeks I came to the conclusion the TA was all flash with no dash and I started searching for a 68-70 Charger. Bought a 70 Charger RT/SE in the summer of 83 and drove it till fall. Then I started working on the Charger and finally got it fixed up into a respectable condition by the spring of 85.
I got so lonesome for a hot Mopar that I bought a 383 Chally SE in the summer of 84 to drive while the Charger was being re-built, for the ungodly price of $500.00. What a deal, drove the hell out of it until about 1987 and one hot late summer night tore the whole exhaust system off while going all Baja on a dirt road. Stuck the Chally in the pole barn and bought an AAR. The AAR was in decent shape for 1987 standards and I treated it a lot better than the old Chally. Still have all of them and a couple summers ago my Son talked me into getting the Challenger out running and now we have started a resto on it. Sure an heck is gonna cost a little more that my original purchase price .     
That damn Trans Am is still in my possession with the grand total of about 17k miles on it . I think my Wife and Son have put about 7k of the miles on it. Once I got into the Chargers and E-bodies the Trans Am felt a like a toy and I hardly used it after 1988 or so.

[Bob T]

January 2002 aged 33. Australian Chrysler Valiant Charger R/T 265 6pk & 4 speed in Mercury Silver, would do 14.1 1/4. Had a V8 panelvan and a V8 race boat in my 20's but they don't count as muscle cars
Had only been married a year and had brought a first house so the car came along after that stuff. Had it for 2 years and sold it to put the money into the business.

[grdprx]

My first and only muscle car is my Charger. Got it August 2007. Big project, got it as a rolling chassis; now it's a running rolling restoration!  Haha

[Nwcharger]

me and my brothers where big into mopar at a young age do to them duke boys and dmcl and vanashing point. my first was a 1968 charger around 1995 or 96 so i was 11 or 12 years old. my brother found  a 68 charger in the neighbor hood while riding his bike, he would ride by it all the time and stop and check it out. one day he was checking it out and the owner came outside and asked my brother if he lived at the house down the road with the brown power wagon in the driveway, my brother said yes and the truck belonged to my father. they starting talking and my brother made a deal with the guy to trade our dads powerwagon for the 68 charger and another 68 charger in the garage that was striped but had all the parts minus the motor/trans and front seats. my brother raced home on his bike and told my dad about the trade. my dad was really pissed off and told my brother that was only 12 or 13 that people are scammers and to not try and make deals on things that dont belong to him. my brother would not let it go and continued to bother my father for hours and finally to shut my brother up he they got in the powerwagon and drove it to the house of the charger owner to show my brother it was not true. long story short my dad and brother towed the charger in the garage 3 blocks our house with the powerwagon, drove it back and came home in the running charger. the extra car went to my brother and the runner my father kept. soon after my brother lost interest in the car and we traded something i dont remember, probably bmx parts or something for the car. in the summer of 98 we moved from portland to denver and my dad told me the car was not coming and i had to sell it or he will. i talk to a friends mom and was able to store the car in her garage until i found a way to move it to denver. it sat in my friends garage until  late 1999 early 2000 when i got a got a call from my friend and she said her mom got married and the new husband wants the car out or his newly acquired garage. i had 2 weeks to move or sell the car. i ended up selling the car for 150 bucks to a father and son. sucked really bad. now i own 6 mopars and im always looking for more. 

[Mopar Nut]

That's a cool story, sad, but cool.

[lloyd3]

Spring of 1979, got my very first car. 1970 Roadrunner, lime green, bone stock 383 magnum auto. black and silver interior, 8-track player. Paid $500 for it. Car had 4-lbs of bondo in the front fenders and rear wheelwells (Pennsylvania!), didn't matter because it ran great. Cherry bomb glass pack mufflers made it sound even better. I'm sure my neighbors loved me.

[John_Kunkel]

I can't answer the question until somebody comes up with an indisputed definition of what constitutes a "muscle car". Some of the cars mentioned here would be "pony cars" by some definitions.

I consider my '63 Max Wedge (purchased in '65) to be a muscle car but many don't....it was my first.

[charger_fan_4ever]

Summer 1993 bought  two 70 dusters. One a 6 cyl with a nice body and the other a rotted 340. Plans were to stuff the 340 drivetrain into the six banger body and it be a prom car. Got the 6 banger primed underneath and on the outside. Things stalled and i ended up selling it back around 2002 unfinished.

[Mopar Nut]

I can't answer the question until somebody comes up with an indisputed definition of what constitutes a "muscle car". Some of the cars mentioned here would be "pony cars" by some definitions.

I consider my '63 Max Wedge (purchased in '65) to be a muscle car but many don't....it was my first.

I would consider it a muscle car. Do you still have it, post some pictures.

[OldGuy]

1969, I was 22 years old and bought a 1968 Charger R/T - QQ1, black vinyl top, white BB stripe, black interior, 440, auto trans.  The guy I bought it from bought it new the year before for around $4,300.  He and his wife were getting ready to have a baby, so he had to unload it.  Bought it for $2,600.  Had it until 1970 when gas shot up to 32 cents per gallon for premium and insurance went up.  Traded it for a 1968 Malibu plus had to kick in $400 so the dealer would take it off my hands.

[kidsixpack]

I got mine in 1986 at the age of 19.  A 440 six pack 4spd. red coupe with black buckets and a white tailstripe.
KID

[Ponch ®]

Got the '74 Charger in 2001, I was still 20. But then I got on the interwebs and found out I didn't have a "real muscle car" because it was a 74, and it had a 318, and a 2bbl, and a hood ornament and blah blah...

[Budnicks]

1974 I was 15 y/o, got a near perfect 1968 Charger R/T 440ci 4bbl w/727 auto & 3.55:1/8.75" rear, dark green with Black vinyl top & Black bucket seat w/console interior, for $350, from a hot younger neighbor lady, 20 something single mother divorcée, that lived in our neighborhood, I mowed lawns for...

[Indygenerallee]

1996 I was 17 I bought a 1972 Dodge Challenger 360... Six pack hoodscoop, Viper blue, tore it apart and never ran again!! 

[areibel]

I bought my first Charger in  Aug. 1977, it was a '71, a lovely shade of dark green (like F8 but it was something else on the tag, like F9?), 318 auto.  I beat the heck out of it until the spring of 1978 when I jumped it about 30 feet down into a field.  Actually would have been fixable if I would have known, but it went to Earl Murphy's Junkyard    Spent $200, got $50 out of it.

I had an experience like Cooter's too- After a couple weeks of borrowing Mom's 74 Fury she decided I had to find another car.  We went to look at a 70 challenger nearby- what a beauty!  No rust (real unusual for a PA car 8 years old), black, 340 console auto, headers and a custom velour interior, all for $1000!   But when we took it for a test drive the woman selling it kept barking the tires at every stop sign, telling me about how she ran the local Vette and beat it, how her cousin was hurt when he wrecked his Chevelle- that was all it took with Momma in the back seat.  We politely said good bye, I was stioll hopeful but the minute we pulled out of her driveway Mom says "No way in Hell!", and I'd never heard Mom swear before!  I knew she meant it!

[AKcharger]

I was 16 in 1981 bought a 318 Duster for $300 put a 4 speed and 8 3/4 in it
1982 - 1970 Charger 383 4 bbl for $350 good but rusty
1983 - 1972 318 Challanger for $900...then traded it for a '70 340 4 speed duster...then traded that for a '73 440 Roadrunner (Chick came with the deal)

1984 - I then traded Road runer back for my Challanger
       - Sold Challanger, bought Mustang Cobra II
...Then I went overseas for the next 23 years

[dads_69]

Oh gees Bill. I dated a chic 20 years that has a Cobra like that. She thought her car was scary fast, until I gave her a ride in my 69' charger at 140 mph! 

[moparstuart]

I was 16 in 1981 bought a 318 Duster for $300 put a 4 speed and 8 3/4 in it
1982 - 1970 Charger 383 4 bbl for $350 good but rusty
1983 - 1972 318 Challanger for $900...then traded it for a '70 340 4 speed duster...then traded that for a '73 440 Roadrunner (Chick came with the deal)

1984 - I then traded Road runer back for my Challanger
       - Sold Challanger, bought Mustang Cobra II
...Then I went overseas for the next 23 years

So when you traded the road runner back for the challenger , did you have to trade the chick back too   

[dstryr]

From sometime in '84 through spring of '86 I looked at a 73 340 'cuda, 72 383 Challenger, a 70 AAR, a 69 RR hdtp, 69 RR coupe, 67 Sat, then with not much money to spend on a car since most was saved for college, I bought a 69 GTO w/ 4speed. 
I drove that car for a few years then parked it for most of 15 more, bought 3 parts/projects, and then finally a #s Judge.  In Nov '02 I finally picked up my first mopar.  Sold the first 4 GTOs in '05 and have kept my RR & Judge.

[ws23rt]

This thread should have been titled How old are you?. I was 19 when I bought a 69 super bee 383 4sp. My first new car. Drove it hard for 11 months and 36000 miles. Had to roll it back to 28000 to give it back to the finance co.

[AKcharger]

So when you traded the road runner back for the challenger , did you have to trade the chick back too   
[/quote]

No my current wife made me get rid of her 

MOPAR always triumphs Ford..good work Dad! what's wierd is ford NEVER made a Red/Black cobra II but a ton of them (including mine) have been repainted to those colors 

[71ChallengeHer]

Shelby was 14 when she got the Dodge Super Coupe and she is 22 now. And yes, she still owns it.   

[dyslexic teddybear]

And yes, she still owns it.    

Seems you have taught her well

[71ChallengeHer]

And yes, she still owns it.    

Seems you have taught her well

yes, and we just picked up a Mopar for her last nite.    

[dyslexic teddybear]

No such thing as to many Mopars.

But it's easy to have too small a garage....

[71ChallengeHer]

No such thing as to many Mopars.

But it's easy to have too small a garage....

it. Is her 6th Mopar. She has never owned any other brand. As of right now she has 3 Mopars in her name.  Until we take the 1 to the junkyard. LOL

[dyslexic teddybear]

Good to see loyalty.

My sons have had really good luck with Mopars. My oldest wants a stroker in his Dakota, when $$$ are available. Youngest want to tune up his Cummins......when $$$ are available.
My daughters however, have sorta gone to the dark side. Their husbands have got them into Subaru's. Guess Subs are ok, but both admit.....imports are not all they are cracked up to be.
There's hope! My youngest and her husband are looking at a Cummins Dodge.  
I'll get them back to Mopar.

[71ChallengeHer]

Good to see loyalty.

My sons have had really good luck with Mopars. My oldest wants a stroker in his Dakota, when $$$ are available. Youngest want to tune up his Cummins......when $$$ are available.
My daughters however, have sorta gone to the dark side. Their husbands have got them into Subaru's. Guess Subs are ok, but both admit.....imports are not all they are cracked up to be.
There's hope! My youngest and her husband are looking at a Cummins Dodge. 
I'll get them back

keep working on them