My first car -- A stroll down memory lane

I want to take you on a stroll down memory lane today. I have talked a little to friends and started reminencing about my first car. My dad got me my first car. He was always trading with someone to get cars ( his brothers did too). He got me a  1976 Pontiac Lemans. The car needed a paint job bad but I loved it.   Here is a pic of a   Lemans similar to the one I had.

My car was grey and blue. The vinyl on top needed replaced, it was torn and sun bleached. I had planned to repaint it someday metallic blue with white pin stripes (I never got too).  Anyway the car had one big problem... I could only fill the gas tank half way due to a hole in the tank.  I learned to deal with it though and had to watch it when I turned left or my tank would leak. Dad never did fix it. Eventually  reverse went  out of it so every where I went I to make sure I could pull out of I was stuck. That sucked. I told dad and he said I will find you another car.

Dad did find me another car and he brought it to me. He got me a 1976 Ford Granada.   Here is a pic of a car similar to that one.The car I had was real close to the color of this one. (We owned a bronze looking one too). I didn't like the car as much as the lemans but it was better and safer than my first car.  Dad decided he liked the granada and came over one day in a Ford Mustang II (it was a 1976 or 1979 I can't remember). I commented on the car and he laughed and said I got this for you  and I'll drive the other car. Dad was good about that kind of stuff. He was also good about fixing them if he could. He was good at tune ups and brakes.  The biggest issue I had with the  Mustang was a power steering leak and the sunroof was sealed shut otherwise the car was great. Here is another pic of a similar one.

The one I had was a deep almost golden brown color. without the stipes like the one in the photo.I drove that car for several monthes when mom came home one day in grandma Mary's old car an Oldsmobile royal eighty eight. She told me she was going to sell my mustang and I could drive her 1979 Plymouth Duster. Grandma got a new car signed her other one to her and I get the duster. I was angry for a few but the Duster had nothing wrong with it and it would be safer for me to drive in the long run. I wasn't happy  but I did as I was told ( my mom scared me so I usually just agreed with her).  Last pic of the simialr cars.

 

The Duster I had was sun bleached red. It looked rough but it drove great. The only thing was in the winter time it  hated to start. I would cover the engine with a blanket at night  so it would start in the mornings. LOL!   Dad always put a piece of cardboard  between the radiator and grill to help in the wintertime. I loved that car, dad taught me how to do tune ups on it myself and he always did the oil changes for me.  I drove that car for years.  I had it for 3 years into my marriage to Randy when the  (slant 6 engine)engine finally locked up.  We needed diapers and baby food for Gage so I finally parted ways with that car and sold it to a junk yard. (Honestly I cried when they took the car away, I wanted to rebuild it). I still miss that cold natured car to this day. I loved my first car but for my forth car (technically) I loved it as if it was my first. I had alot of good times with that car and a lot of funny memories.  It amazes me how some memories will just pop up and give you a smile out of nowhere (especially with a car).