I think we might have done this a billion years ago, but we've got a few new faces around here these days, so thought it would be worth a shot at asking again:

What was your first street car and/or the first car you drove to high school?

Year, make, model, engine, color... anything you did to soup it up or just to look cool... How much it cost, other???

I almost hate to ask, but if you want to include it.... let us know what happened to it.

For those who also raced, if you want, in addition to your first street car, let us know the very first race car you ever competed in (type of car), did you build it or buy it?, where/when did you race it?  And.... what happened to it once you were done with it?

I don't want to make it too complicated, so let us know how much, or how little info you want, and if you have a picture and can figure out how to add it to your post, go ahead and add it (and I'll adjust it if it needs it.)

Thanks, and I hope all have a nice November weekend.

My First street car - a 1969 Mercury Cougar, 351 Windsor, 4 barrel carb, Auto Trans, Hideaway headlights, Power Steering, Power Brakes, A/C, Am radio, Blue with a Vinal Top. The only modifications were  70 series tires.  I purchased it needing a fender, hideaway headlights/ doors, and a front bumper.  I forget what I had to spend in total, maybe somewhere around $750.00

My First time in a race car was at Taylorville Illinois in an exhibition race, the car was loaned to me for the event by a local who raced in the  Bomber Division. 

My first time in a Sportsman was a car, I helped put together with Stan Malamut Jr. I eventually took over owning the car and raced it several times. The frame and body came from Wayne Bachman #18 out of the Hawthorn NJ area. 

When I turned 17 and got my license (a long time ago), my first car was a 1941 Ford business coupe.  That meant that there was a long shelf behind the front seat.  The seat back flipped up to reveal a cavernous trunk for, what else, businessmen!  Like a lot of guys at the time, I had a red and white Naugahyde interior put in it.  That's why Nauga's are now extinct. LOL         Car had a stock flathead V-8.  Car looked like the photo below less the whitewalls and the original paint wasn't that shiny.  I still thought it was cool.  

My dad let me use his car when he got a company pick up. It was a 1974 Chevelle, black with black interior. The cool thing was it had a 350 with a 4 barrel, and tiny moon like hubcaps. Drove it for my senior year in high school. When I had to get my own car, it was a 1972 Vega in that ugly blue color. That car started a roller coaster of cars that may not have ended yet....

My first car that actually went on the road was a 75 Vega wagon. Kinda a bronze color. I added GT wheels, CB radio and a crappy stereo from Englishtown flea market. It vapor locked in the summertime because I put an electric fuel pump under the hood. 

Dad knew better than to let me get something decent for a first car.  So I spent $400 on a 1974 Pinto Wagon.  Left school early one day Senior year in the rain and spun off the road, up the embankment and over one time, landing back on its wheels.  Less than 100 yds from where good friend Eddie Harrington rolled his car a couple years earlier.  The passenger roof was smashed down to the dashboard.  After contemplating what to do for a couple minutes I started it back up and drove it home in the rain with no windshield.  Sold it for parts to Howie Cronce's body man (my future father-in-law) T.A. Bachardy.  The next couple cars didn't end up much better, so Dad was right.

Remember this like it was yesterday! Bought a 1955 Chevy (2 door 210 with a post) when I was 15 years old. That gave me two years to work on it before I got my license at 17. Bought it for $150 at some junkyard on Old Bridge-Englishtown Road. This must have been 1973. Did most of the work myself so that I would learn. Ended up having a fully blueprinted and balanced 11:1 327 (angle plug heads, Isky with solids, Edelbrock, 780 Holley, Accel fire and Hooker pipes) M-22, Lakewood blow proof bell-housing, 3200 lb clutch/pressure plate, old style Pontiac rear with locker and 4:56 Schiefer gears, and those yellow Lakewood slapped bars. Put on a one piece fiberglass tilt nose that had a “Grump Lump” and shaved the side spears off the body. Anson aluminum mags. Black tuck and roll interior with Camaro buckets. Gray primer, ran out of money for paint (paint don’t make you go faster). Was also my first “race car”. Best time was a 12.3 at somewhere around 115 on 7 inch street tires. Ended up selling the motor to some guy who put it in a Jersey speed skiff and the body went to another fella from somewhere up near Newark. That car was followed by a black and white 1956 Bel Air with a 302 out of a Z28, but that’s a story for another day......

71 Javelin with a six banger

My first car was a black 1963 Corvair, 3 manual speed coupe with red interior.  That car kept Pennzoil in business as it leaked a ton oil. Now that you've got my of the subject of "past rides"  Here's my list of my cars after the Corvair.  1966 Chevelle SS396, 1970 Camaro Z28, 1971 Corvette coupe, 1971 Monte Carlo, 1975 Corvette & 1971 Monte Carlo (owned at same time), and another 1971 Monte Carlo (replaced the previous '71 Monte that was totaled by a Pinto in front of the Trenton baseball park).  That takes me up to when I got married in 1990.   My favorite by far of the bunch was the '66 Chevelle SS396.  The least favorite was the '71 Camaro Z28.  It looked good but rode and drove like a truck. If I knew then what I know now, I'd a kept of them.  Scott Ely 

My first car was a 1960 Corvette Tuxedo Black/Red Signet interior 283/245 4 speed paid $1,300 in 1966. Gave that car to my brother when I enlisted in the US Army. Rod Stalnecker (raced a Red 1940 Willys Coupe sponsored by S&W Speed Shop out of Spring City Pa.) installed a 270 ISKY cam and springs which made a huge difference in speed and performance. My brother traded that car in 1970 at Stoudt Auto Sales in Reading Pa. For a 1968 SS 396/375 Royal Plum/Black interior. Moved to California mid 70’s met Gary Schroeder bought his 3/4 midget 1983. Raced that car and won the 1984 California Motor Sports Association at Venture County Fairgrounds. In 1984 I won the Western States National Midget Racing Association as Owner at Ascot Park Gardena California with Gary Schroeder behind the wheel. Sold that car back to Gary 1988. Retired in 2019 after 38 years from Santa Monica BMW moved to Brookhaven Ga. Thank you Joe for this wonderful sight that I can keep up with the drivers I use to watch at Sanatoga, Hatfield, Reading, Nazareth, Flemington, Harmony, ect. Especially The late Old Desperado Mose Moore. I worked with Mose at the Limerick Texaco in Pennsylvania he took me to Nazareth National race 1966/67 when he drove the #9 for Russ and Lonnie.

Richard A Kritzski aka Richard Allen

The ones I should have kept: 1970 240Z bondo bucket, but still, daily driver

1963 356 coupe, it was a basket case, never drove it. 

Mr Allen - Great story ! Mose Moore ( and Harry -his brother ) were childhood racing heros to me. My dad worked at both Sanatoga and Hatfield as the Chief Scorer. I saw Mose run many times at Hatfield and Reading. 

 Never knew he worked at the Limerick Texaco ( near the diner, on 422  I believe..) I think his brother Harry worked at Norco Welding ( not 100% on that...) 

Thanks for sharing the memories 

1964 Chevy Impala SS 300 hp 4 speed white with red interior. That was my ride for high school and college.Parked it on our farm and bought a 72 chevelle from King Chevrolet (Joe Scamardella). Still have the chevelle. Finally sold the Impala when I got married. One of the worst mistakes I ever made (selling the car). I get sick every time I see one in the music videos bouncing up and down 😔.

Firs car was a '72 Datsun 510. Drove it so long the floorboard rusted out on drivers' side, and you could see the road if you looked down between your legs. Car ran a long time. Dad ended up with it as a third car. 

Allen Urry 

Bought when I was 14 YO.  Did some minor resto work.  Sold when I was 15 YO.

Afterwards, I had 73 Chevy Laguna.

57 Pontiac Chieftain. 347 ci, 4 barrel, factory dual exhaust, auto trans. Not great off the line but fast once you got it rolling. Blew up the trans and junked it. I've regretted that one for 53 years.

52 Buick Special...gun metal grey...2 door..DYNA-FLO automatic trans,,,AM radio that was TUBE TYPE...got it from my grandfather's estate

69 Pontiac Granprix, dark green with black vinyl roof, 400 ci with turbo 400 turbo. Bought it used for $1100. Drove it for senior year of high school then traded it in for a 76 Olds Cutlass Supreme with a 350. Blue with white Landow roof. Loaded it was $3600. Wish I had both of them today.

65 Caddy convertible, came in the junkyard as a recovered theft. Gas at the time was.39 a gallon, no way I'm spending that much, so I was back at the junkyard siphoning gas out of wrecks, 3-4 times a week. 

First race car was former Piscopo 39 with a motor we pulled out of wrecked 69 Z-28. Lasted about 3 warm up laps at Harmony and blew it up.

1971 Monte Carlo - Bought in April 1977  which gave me 4 months to do some stuff before I was old enough to get my NJ license in August.  Bought it for $1600 from a private owner on Davidson Mill Rd in South Brunswick NJ..  350ci, 2bl... Car was completely stock, and was a real pretty blue with a black vinyl roof.  It had stock wheels & hubcaps when I bought it.  I wasn't worried about going anywhere fast... but just worried about looking cool going everywhere!

I put air shocks on it, dual exhaust, and Appliance wheels, G 60's in the back and 70's in the front.... all before I could get my license, and then parked it on my front lawn so all the kids riding the bus could see it (Wasn't being too obvious, right?)....

Then when it came time to get my license, I put the stock skinny tires with wheels with the stock hubcaps back on it, and let some of the air out of the air shocks, so it once again looked like some old guy's Monte, so that the guys at DMV wouldn't give me a hard time when I went for my behind the wheel driver's test.  It worked... I passed, and as soon as I got home, the cool tires and wheels went back on, and the back end was once again raised to just the right height with a few lbs of air.

The car really put me on the map....  Felt like my popularity increased overnight, as did my dating prospects!  (Yea... I can admit it... it was the car....)

This one is not my car (below) but this is the exact blue and black vinyl roof combo that mine had:

What happened to it?......  Unfortunately, the car got totaled when a guy crossed lanes on Hardenburg Ln in East Brunswick (still remember... it was 11/24/79) and hit the left front pretty much head on.  The Monte did it's job as all 3 of us in the front seat of the Monte (none of us were wearing seat belts back then) got out pretty much with very minor injuries all things considered.  

Always thought I'd get another Monte just like it at some point in life, but never did... But the '70 - '72 Monte's are still probably my all time favorite cars.

I remember like it was yesterday. Sitting in class, Junior year, at Red Bank Catholic, 1979, and over the loud speaker, "Kevin Eyres, report to the office" Oh shit, what now? My Father was sitting there with the Monsignor, of course they were friends, because my father donated a car to him to get me in school.

We went right to the local Chevy dealer and he said "pick whatever you want." He was in the car business and was'nt going to let his son drive some used car! (I really appreciate it now). I picked out a Luv pickup truck. Luckily he said "NO way".  So a 1980 Chevy short bed was the next choice. Boughti it and right to the local truck center for a lift kit, wheels/tires, roll bar, push bar, and lights. Thanks Dad, because like Joe, the cool meter went way up. Derfinitely had the nicest pick up truck in school, at a Catholic school, it was the ONLY pick up in school. When you look like Howdy Doody, it really helped with the girls!

First race car. Charlie Kojsza built a bunch of cars for different guys. Built Ray Evernham his 1977 championship Modern Stock at Wall. He a good reputation as a good fabricator. I met Charlie when I raced go-karts. His son Chuck and I raced together for a few years and became good friends. Charlie was from Hazlet, not far from me.  At the end of 1980, I had won the championship in karts, so Charlie sat down with my Father,  my Father agreed to let us build a stock car for Wall. Charlie laid out a budget of $5,000. Off to Bobby Howards junk yard for parts. Went to MNO and bought a cage and all the tubing. Luckily one of our brand new rental cars, a 1980 Monte Carlo, was totaled and paid for by insurance, so we had a good body. John Wieczoreck had built some winning engines at Wall, so a good straight six cylinder powered it. Got it finished up in June, high school graduation and off to Wall Stadium 1981. Won that year in September than sold the car to buy a Sportsman.

My first car was a '68 cinnamon bare bones Camaro...I loved that car. $5 in my gas tank lasted 7-10 days for cruising around Flemington, Somerville, Clinton, New Hope.  My favorite is the '02 teal TBird in the driveway..thankful for a fiance who loves cool cars too.

1968 Ford Fairlane 2 door sedan, lime gold, black vinyl top, parchment interior.  Had 19,000 miles on it when I got it in 1981.  Called it the Beast.  Did some quick and dirty stuff like painting some of the grille chrome black, baby moons instead of the stock wheel covers, and shackled the springs on the back to improve the stance. After I was able to lift up the rubber floor mats and see the road, began fixing all of the rust on it.  Then did the body work, had it literally ready to go in for paint and some yutz from Sugerman's where I worked at the time put a crease down the side of it with his POS Dodge midsize. Got a job shortly thereafter that paid for a new car (1986 Cavalier Z24) and the old Beast sat under the hemlock tree in my parents' back yard while I was waiting for the next summer to finish the restoration, but before that happened rust killed what was left of the frame.  Still have the grille, dashboard, and a tub full of parts in case I find one I want to restore in a few years when I have the space and time.

So it seems first gen Monte Carlo’s we’re the trend on this list. Not the most seen car on the road, even back then.  Nat Reynolds cut a bunch up to race street stock at Wall. He stored the donors at our shop. 

The Vega is maybe the distant 2 on this list. My Vega didn’t up my cool factor in school. But, it did give me the ability to drive to towns where they didn’t know I was a dweeb. The CB radio played a big part in that.

63 Mercury Comet 2 door, 170 w/3 speed on the floor.  Had it about 5 months and sold to buy a 1960 MGA I had to have.  That one didn't last too long either

Kinda same story as caddy daddy -  55 chevy belair no post.  Around 15 years old.  Fun time building that.  Had a 283 3 speed black with a champagne colored roof.  Wish I still had.  Sold it to go racing.  Bought a sportsman car in Allentown NJ from Dave Floyd.  I think it was an old Dusty Malsbury car.  Wrecked that and my brother built me a new chassis.

1968 Camaro. Bought from my grandfather in 1978 for $800. Swapped engine trans and rear and drove through high school. Got married, had kids and raced quarter midgets, micros then Crate mod with them. Car sat in the garage until 2018 and then started to restore it.  Car is now 100% done. New GM crate engine, turbo 400 and 3:73 rear. Factory Marina Blue.

283  3 on the tree, sold it to a school mate.

My first car was a 1964 Chevy II, I paid $350 from a private seller. 194 CI with 3 on the tree! I installed a Hurst shifter while working at my cousin’s Sunoco station in Emerson, NJ. I was only 17 and he trusted me to run the station on Sundays. Once I attempted to adjust the valves in my back yard and destroyed a few lifters. He said you should’ve asked me how to do that before attempting. There was no You Tube back then only Chilton’s manuals! I had my one barrel carb rebuilt at a local shop and on a trip to Pennsylvania I got 60 MPG! My goal was to drop in a 283 or 327 and see how’d i do at Raceway Park in Englishtown. That never happened because my younger cousin accidently backed in  his parents 1966 Chevy Caprice into the front end of my Chevy II. The car was totaled!