Name a car your parents owned you thought was goofy but now is cool.

[JackR]

Dad bought mom a '59 for her 25th birthday because '59 was the year she was born.

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It went through a couple of color changes before I got it as a 16th birthday gift and it became my first car. And indeed it had the 352ci, T-bird engine in it. This is what the final resto looked like when I was done with it. Had my hands in everything but spraying the color. Dad was the master at that.

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Feels like this thread is turning into "cars our parents had". I've been fighting posting this, but if you want to see all the cars my parents had I have them all listed in this thread. (Please be advised it is a tribute to my dad after he passed last year and can be a bit heart-wrenching to some).

John S. Rehberg, 8/31/1956 to 9/14/2022, Dad you may be gone but you're always with me...

My parents had a 59 ford wagon, then a 63 Chevy wagon, then a 69 Chevy kings wood wagon wood vinyl on the sides. That one I drove when I first started driving. Flipped the air cleaner lid over so it sounded fast anyway.

 

[PlymCrazy]

My parents had a 59 ford wagon, then a 63 Chevy wagon, then a 69 Chevy kings wood wagon wood vinyl on the sides. That one I drove when I first started driving.

Any pics of any of the wagons? '59 Ford, especially wagons, I haven't met many who've had one of those.

Flipped the air cleaner lid over so it sounded fast anyway.

Used to love to do this too. When I was about 19yo I had a beater '76 LeSabre I'd do that with regularly. Oh the black plume that would trail me when I floored it. But it sounded pretty darn cool.

 

[JackR]

Any pics of any of the wagons? '59 Ford, especially wagons, I haven't met many who've had one of those.


Used to love to do this too. When I was about 19yo I had a beater '76 LeSabre I'd do that with regularly. Oh the black plume that would trail me when I floored it. But it sounded pretty darn cool.

No pictures of the 59. It was brown/beige Just like the one in the picture.

 

[Garceau]

I was lucky - born in 74 to parents that were both car nuts, and an old man that bought and flipped street rods and muscle cars. I remember getting taken to school in a variety of them.

73 Satellite
74 Dart
69 Chevelle SS 396
66 El Camino (I think 66)
23 T-bucket with tunnel Ram
39 Chevy Coupe
70.5 split bumper z28

Those were ones he kept for at least a little while, there was always a car in and out of the garage and I spent many, and many hours in there being baby sat by him while he wrenched away. He was a mechanic by day and would always bring stuff home for me to disassemble. I had my own little bench, and own tools.

When I had auto shop in HS (really didnt take much of it, didnt need it as I grew up with it) but the one day I was wiping down the tools when I was putting them away, the teacher asked me what I was doing and why....I told him cuz my old man would hit me up side the head if he reached in the tool box and grabbed a greasy wrench....LOL

 

[ffgreg32]

Class of ‘91 here

My dad had a ‘90 Geo Metro, 5-speed, 3 cylinder, 1.0L/50hp engine.
Took my road test on that car.
It was goofy then and it’s still goofy today to me, if you can even find one in that combination.
The only reason I’d want one today is it touted 53 city/58 hwy mpg.

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Torpedo back 49 Chevy, the package tray was about 4 feet wide

 

[33 IMP]

Torpedo back 49 Chevy, the package tray was about 4 feet wide

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I LIKE that one. My grandparents had the same car, same year, same color. But it was a four door. I was a two door snob even then. (About 6yrs old)
They replaced it with a 57 chevy..... yep, another green four door.
Next one was a midnight blue 64 Impala, two door. I liked that one!

 

[PlymCrazy]

...But it was a four door. I was a two door snob even then...
...yep, another green four door...

Hey, I like more I mean four doors

 

[Curiousyellow71]

Mom had a 60 Belair 4 door. She drove it to high school and my Granparents bought it new. I once thought it was hideous. Now I think it is actually pretty Kool and unusual. We still have the car, its identical to this one.

 

[ffgreg32]

Mom had a 60 Belair 4 door. She drove it to high school and my Granparents bought it new. I once thought it was hideous. Now I think it is actually pretty Kool and unusual. We still have the car, its identical to this one.

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The second car we had, is one I would love to have today. It was a 56 Belvedere in this color combination.

 

[RiverRaider]

Dad had a 58 retractable.

 

[33 IMP]

9

Dad had a 58 retractable.

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The retractables were always cool, imo. I just have never cared for continental kits, aftermarket OR factory.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

Dad had a 58 retractable.

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There is an ORIGINAL, 1 FAMILY OWNED red, black & white, skirts, cont kit in garage across the street; Herb Sr bought it new, Jr got it after Sr passed 20 yrs ago, shame it just sits in garage. It sits, it decays, absolute shame.
Talked to Jr about 6 years ago, don't think he can "get it up to speed", that is life.

 

[cosgig]

Dad traded in his Vista Cruiser as a down payment on his 70 Roadrunner. As a kid we loved that Vista Cruiser too, especially those little too windows around the raised rear area. What was probably the coolest wagon available back then, it was still a wagon, and not worthy of anybodies adulation. Nowadays they have quite a following, and look super sleek when decked out like this example.

 

[Photon440]

Dad traded in his Vista Cruiser as a down payment on his 70 Roadrunner. As a kid we loved that Vista Cruiser too, especially those little too windows around the raised rear area. What was probably the coolest wagon available back then, it was still a wagon, and not worthy of anybodies adulation. Nowadays they have quite a following, and look super sleek when decked out like this example.

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[Sahara]

An old post, but I just found it. In 1970 my dad bought a new 1970 Ford truck with a 390 four speed. Went like it was shot out of a cannon. Back then it was just a truck to us but I sure wish that I had it now. I remember one time on vacation in Nelson, B.C. we were at a boat launch, which had a fairly steep hill coming out of the water. A guy with a chev truck with a big camper broke a motor mount pulling his boat out. Dad hooked the ford on and pulled the whole works up the hill. It was pretty cool.

 

[Phantomx]

My dad bought an early 50’s Dodge bus that was converted to a motorhome in ‘82?? I was 10. I liked going camping but didn’t want to be seen in the partridge bus. He got rid of it in the late 90’s when he moved and didn’t have room to park it. I wish I still had it, had a swapped in 350, sm465 trans and 2 speed rear. It was pretty cool
Travis..

 

[Richard Cranium]

Most of my dad’s cars were Ford Country Squire wagons with the fake wood grain siding.

He did venture out of his comfort zone a couple times with an early Chevy wagon that featured a tailgate that slid down underneath the car, a Pinto station wagon and later an early 80s Lincoln Town car & a 90s gaudy red Cadillac with gold trim and a Continental kit. That car in particular was the epitome of a pimp-mobile.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

"SUPER FLY" pimp mobile NY city style!!!

 

[threewood]

My dad had a 73ish Fury, green on green. It was a boat! I'm not sure what he traded it in on (maybe our 79 Volare Station wagon) but it would be a sweet cruiser today.

 

[64BEL]

a Pinto station wagon

Glad you survived those Pinto years, RC!