What got you interested in cars?

[Rafterman]

I was just wondering. I know, the thing that really got me hooked was the first time I ever heard my dad fire up that 1968 Firebird 400 of his. Then my first car being a 80 TTA.

[79T/A]

As a kid in the 80's, I spent my Friday nights watching "Dukes of Hazzard" followed by "Knight Rider" religiously. I think that was the early beginning. Then, in my teen years, my 'cool' uncle bought a '74 Camaro. This thing was an absolute basket case. It had a ton of body damage up front, but I guess the subframe and unibody were straight because he built that ride from the ground up. Every time I would visit my grandparents, he was out there rebuilding the engine or the trans or fixing whatever he abused. When he was done, it went from a crappy metallic brown hunk of metal to a straight ride that was black with white rally stripes. Still miss that car (He eventually threw a rod in Texas, where he now lives, and then got addicted to Jeeps...got me hooked on those, too!). That's what got me hooked.

[Untamed]

Like many, I watched Smokey and the Bandit and had the bird on my mind ever since.

Still looking for that elusive 2nd gen TA for pennies on the dollar. :)

[AliWantsNss]

Stupidity

[MonmouthCtyAntz]

As far back as I can remember I liked cars...Loved 5.0's in the 80's...Buddy had a 93 LT1 Camaro in the early 90's that got me into fbodies...was never big on 1st,2nd, and especially 3rd gens....though there are some sweet 1st gens.

[GP99GT]

my dads 67 chevelle SS396 he had til i was like 10....then my buddy bought a 93 Z28 when he turned 16 which interested me in fbodies...then my other buddy had 3 foxbody mustangs so that turned me on to them....and here we are

[jola]

I would say my dad's 87 T/A and also my lack of money to pay someone to work on my car, LOL.

[88Z-Man]

I always was into cars. Anyone old enough to remember Matchbox cars? Always dreamed of having one of those little cars when I grew up. Also remember being a kid and my dad telling stories about the Hudson Hornets he would tear apart and rebuild and race to the 56 Chevy he had. ( I want a 57 though) By the time I was 8 or 10 I couldn't wait to get a lisense so I could get my own car. (a 74 Chevelle with a 350 by the way) Always wanted either a Camaro or T/A back then and finally did and have had it for 20 years now. Of course I still want more cars that I will never be able to get.

[foff667]

A bunch of my friends all had fbodies and I lost to one, I've been hooked to not only fbodies but cars in general ever since.

-Bill

[Batman]

Born to a car family

[bandit88]

I wanted to bond with my dad..... and GM was the way to go lol

[WildBillyT]

As a kid in the 80's, I spent my Friday nights watching "Dukes of Hazzard" followed by "Knight Rider" religiously.

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

[Tru2Chevy]

My dad is a mechanic, has been since I was born. My mom was at the local dirt tracks when she was pregnant with me, i was at my first dirt track race when i was 13 months old, and all my toys as a child were cars (most of my toys still are....).

- Justin

[racerx520]

what got me interested was my dad being a mechanic and working on cars at home....like his two 69 Nova's, and building a 350 for his truck in the garage when i was a kid.....since then i was always fascinated with cars....especially vettes but mainly anything in the GM category.....then i fell in love with 3rd gen camaros, when i found one for sale, it would up being an LS with Z28 gfx on it and was asking wayy too much. then when i drove around in my Nissan Stanza with my head hung low, i saw an 87 t/a for sale....got that puppy for 1700 and since then i have been working on little stuff here and there and each time i find something else to do on the car, i become more and more fascinated with cars

[nj96z28]

My Neighbor's Porsche 911. ironically enough lol. .He used to let me sit in it and pretend to drive it. All the guys in my family are Ford Losers, so it was only natural for me to go Chevy.

[bad64chevelle]

My dad had a 1950 Chevy and a 1954 Chevy on the side of our house for as long as I can remember....he eventually sold the 50, but we decided to restore the 54 when I was about 9. We pulled it all apart, we bought an aircompressor and a sand blaster and we blasted it. We were going to restore it all original. The day we took the blue flame 6 motor out some dude stopped by and had a 1954 corvette he was restoring without the engine or trans. The guy offered us a rediculous amount of money because the engine so happened to match the build date of his Vette. Right then and there we sold it, bought the ZZ4, and we started to build it as a hotrod...unfortunately my dad bought his 66 Thunderbird, then his 68 GTO Convertible that sidetracked us big time. I cut grass, shoveled snow, raked leaves, saved birthday money and did everything I could to make money to buy what at the time was my dream car (a 69 Chevelle) but I couldnt afford them. When I was 13, I found my 64. I bought it because it had well over 6k in body work, brakes, and a 12bolt with 4:10s already in it...the rest is history until in 2003 3 weeks after I graduated from HS, and my Jeep was starting to decide it wanted to break down more than stay running. I put it out front for sale and this guy bought it within 30 minutes...Two days later when my dad traded our Van in for our Pacifica I saw what would soon be my 94 Z28 get traded in by an older lady. The rest is history.

[alamantia]

old man has been drag racing since the 60's, used to drag me to island when I was 1 plop me in the playpen, tell me to block out the noise, sometimes give me some tools or something to play with. When I was 16 I started working at his pontiac dealership and I bought a 91 RS camaro that came in on trade and started running the cars. I learned a lot working in the shop, including not wanting to be a machanic, so I went to school for engineering instead. My brother however is between crew chief and driver on a pro mod team. When im at the track and watch him make a 6 second pass it ,makes me wonder sometimes wonder if I made the right choice. Im so bored at work all I find myself doing is surfing the web for car parts. In retrospect I prolly should have done something in the automotive industry. Although I once heard it said that "a hobbie is a lot of work you wouldnt do for a living" My passion for years was playing hockey and softball, after my last three knee surgerys, Im leaning more towards racing now tho...

[Teds89IROC]

Ever since I was little I've had matchbox cars and so on, on top of my dad having his 65 stingray. All throughout growing up my dad and uncle raced jersey speed skiffs so thats where I really fell in love with the sound of a worked SBC through open exhaust. My dad and my uncle always had cars growing up and friends in the local towns who had their share of tearing up the streets with their muscle cars back in the day. It's always been a part of my life.

[Stroked355Z28]

As most have said, I too was born into a family that has always been involved in cars. My grandfather had a black '65 Ford Galaxie that he bought with a high-output thunderbird engine. I always had Matchbox cars as well as models that I would put together. My dad and uncle used to always bring me from car show to car show, every year till this day we still go to the LEAD EAST car show at the Hilton Hotel in Parsippany. My dad used to take me and my brother to drag events and Monster Truck Shows when I was little. My uncle built up a '55, thats right a '55 Porscshe that he always used to race on the round track. Him and my dad always had cars growing up that I have heard stories about. Their choice of car was the '57 Chevy. My dad at one point had a '55, a '56 with no motor or trans, and a '57 Bel-air sitting on the street in front of my grandfather's house. The one car he had, a black '57 with a white hard top, was all jacked up and had exhaust cut-outs, one time he went down the shore w/ his friends and told my grandfather if he needed it to use it, so when he came back from the shore, my grandfather was coming home from the food-market, and my dad just heard my him nail 2nd and smoke the tires coming down the street. Then my uncle's first car was a '57 that my dad gave him for his birthday and my uncle still has it till this day. My dad unfortunately doesn't have any hot-rods anymore, most recent car was a '49 Merc that he got rid of when I was 4 because his landlord at work told him he couldn't keep it there anymore. My uncle on the other hand still has a '67 Marina Blue Corvette Stingray, '55 Ford F-100 with a 454, blower on top, painted black with yellow, orange and red flames in the front, and right now is building up a '53 Willy's Aero Ace. When my cousin who is two years older than me got his license, he bought an '87 Mustang GT that he built into a monster with a supercharged 306 pumping out 600 horse painted custom, silver in the front fading to black in the back, and I was hooked on mustangs since I was 12, so when I got my license, bought an '89 GT. I restored mine, but things started going wrong with it, so I put it up for sale for $5,500, but my friend gave me the tip on an '83 Z-28 w/ a brand new 355 Stroker without any miles on it that the guy wanted $2,000, when I asked why so cheap, the motor alone cost $5,000 when he was done with it, the guy said he needed the money to make a college payment, so $2,000 was his price, a week later, dropped the price of the stang down to $3,500, sold it for $3,200 a few days later, on the same day took a flat bed to get the camaro, and used the remaining $1,200 on insurance and rims. So my whole life I have been hooked on cars, I've had my share of races for a 19 year old. When I drive a car of my own, I need to hear that rumble and smell the exhaust smell that we all love so much. Love cars and will probably love them till the end of time, I get very curious to see what cars lie ahead in my future. Later, Jeff.

[Slo86Bird]

also born into a family of cars. my dad had a 57 chevy pickup, sold it and got a 73 cuda which i fell in love with. after he sold that i got a 85 camaro, 87 firebird, 91 firebird, and now my 86 bird. my sister had a 70 ****stang and now she has a 69. my brother had a 78 t/a that was a rusted p.o.s and he sold that and got his vette. when i was a baby my mom had a gold 79 t/a. i have always wanted to go fast, prolly because i grew up near quads, dirtbikes and cars, which explains my speeding tickets but u cant do that with a riceburner so its a good thing my family got me hooked on american cars.

[BlackBADaSS02]

I was born into a car family. Since I was 2 or 3, my dad always took me to Atco & NHRA national events at Englistown & Maple Grove. My uncle Mark has a 66 Nova Drag car since the early 90's. I grew up around my dad building his Beretta Drag Car. I was just always exposed to cars and racing.

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

Born into a car family, and it was ingrained. I still have fun with it though!

[Blacdout96]

Tho my father once owned a crap brown 73 Camaro, which to this day he regrets selling, He was never big into cars, so I basically grew myself up in them. First I loved trucks, like Big rigs and stuff, the more wheels the merrier, but then when I was 7, I bought a car set at Sams club, which was to become my favorite race driver, Mark Martin. So I became a big NASCAR racing fan, and hated all other forms of racing. then when I was about 11, I became a fan of Vipers, and Vipers moved me onto other cars, but I knew I never would be able to own one. Back in the day around here, many 3rd gen Camaro's were around, so I'd see them all the time, and oddly enough I liked they're styling, so my intrest in Camaro's flourished from there. My father would tell me about his Camaro, and all the good times he had with it, and one day when I was 17 a guy came into Advance Auto Parts and I overheard him talkign to another co worker about him selling his 79 Camaro. I quickly jumped on the deal and brought it home. Tho I loved cars and tho my parents werent too happy that I bought it, it became basically my classroom, my car that I learned a good 40% of my knowledge on how to work on things, where things were at, and what not to touch and break lol. then 3 days bfreo I graduated I had a friend whos cousin was selling a 3000GT, and I bought that, which I regret still lol. then a 3 months later, my Aunt was selling her 96 Camaro. I had only rode in it once before, which was the weekend that Dale Earnhardt won the Daytona 500. My mother only said hey your Aunt Dawn is selling her Camaro. I immediatly shouted I want it!!!. my mom said I didnt even tell you anything abotu it, I said I dont care I want it. 3 weeks later, it was in my possesion and have since had the front end rebuilt after an accident I had, and has become one of the nicest loking V6 Camaro's to this day. It was even autographed by Carroll Shelby, who when he say the T-top on the Table, in the middle of his signing he said, whats this out of, my father said hessitantly, its out of a Camaro. Carroll said God damnit I knew it, in a joking manner and continued to sign it. So wher is the 79 today? sadly I sold it last Fall, and I miss it still. One day ill have another 79 and make that into the car Ive always dreamed of. Now I love all forms of motor racing, adn am enthusiastic to learn more each day.

[bubba428]

dad was a mechanic, had a 69 Chevelle with a 400SBC. So from birth I was always around cars and always helping work on them. He got his shop when I was 6 so naturally thats where I went after school. I knew how to mount and balance tires by the time i was 8, and put together a Ford V6 when I was 10. so now I play with my own cars more or less out of habit.

[1QWIKBIRD]

I remember my dad telling stories of how he got out of the service in 69 and bought a brand new Z28. Going to Reedman to buy headers and sidepipes for it over at the parts counter. He bought is speed parts at Langhorne Speed Shop.

And that was the beginning of the end. I remember drawing nothing but cars on my books in grade school. In high school me and few friends ate, slept and planned cars, then wrenching on em'. I had a 68 RS (20/20 car, mostly original 15.4@90 in quarter) in high school, my other budddy had Vega (VegaKen) with V8 (fast, fast, fast....not pretty...but fast) and the other guy had a 72 Camaro....good times. I think we hung out on Route 33 at the McDonalds almost every night. Then we'd do Levittown Parkway, the Boulevard in NE Philly, Route 29 along the River, Franklin Mills on Sunday Nights.....never ending.

Chris

[DaSkinnyGuy]

1. Had like 300 matchbox cars and hot wheels.
2. Born into a GM car family
3. watch dukes of hazard
4. watch smokey and bandit re runs all the time
5. Loved racing games
6. family friend took me for a drive in his Chevy pick up with a Corvette motor in it and that was when the adrenline kicked in
7. loved go karts on the boardwalk
8. loved nascar races at pocono race way
9. when ever i was in a car i would always shout out what type of car was next to us.
10. Had a friend do a 100ft brakestand in his 87 Monte SS for me with me in it.
11. Getting my 1992 Firebird from my uncle /grandpa

[MonmouthCtyAntz]

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.
:nod: same here...

[firebirdcrazy]

I think some of us are born crazy about cars. I have been crazy about cars since I able to talk from what my parents told me. I have owned a sportscar since I have had my license. Like I said I think your born with it.

[The Fixer]

Man, what an awesome thread! I got into cars as a kid; always loved looking at them, drawing them, and building models. I got my first chance to help out an old gearhead neighbor of mine when I was about 10 years old. He just got a '58 Vette as a roller (no motor, trans, or interior) and needed help getting it off the trailer. So, he saw me riding my Mongoose down the street and asked if I could help him steer it into the garage while he pushed it. From that moment, I was hooked. I spent the next 5 years helping him get tools and watching him work on all of his cars - he had the '58, a custom '63 Vette, a '55 Nomad, and his daily driver was a '72 Chevelle 'vert. He moved when I was 15, otherwise I probably would have been wrenching on my own stuff sooner; I was 24 when I got my old '85 SS as a "fun car" and learned by working on that. My parents always thought I was crazy, but they supported me by letting me work on the car in the garage and not giving me a ton of crap about spending $$. In retrospect, I shouldn't have spent that much $$, but it did keep me outta trouble. :)

[Predator86]

Like most guys ive always had a basic basic interest in cars but nothing special. Theres been a few things here and there but the number 1 thing that did it for me was the very car i drive today! Fiona (86 firebird) made me fall in love with f-bodies as well as all other cars and auto-mechanics from the first time i changed the oil on her......me getting this car has sparked a new future for me that seemed crazy roughly 3 years ago!

I <3 :tta:

[firebirdcrazy]

None of my families were into cars. The closest thing my Dad had to A MUSCLE CAR was the plymouth 2 door Duster. I remember it did have some power and it was the color gold. Then after that we had old plymouth wagons. But I still loved all the cars I saw around. Always pointed them out and tell my dad what they were. I didnt have much growing up so I guess I am making up for it now lol. My 1st being an 86 350 Formula when I was 17 I wish I still had RIP. Since then I have owned an 87 TA, 87 Iroc Z, 87 Monte SS, 87 300 Z, 94 Suzuki Katana my 1st new bike, and a few more beater imports not worth mentioning. In 98 I had to get rid of everything due to being sent over seas for 3 yrs. When I came back in 2001 I bought my 1st new car yup my current 2001 Formula AKA Josephine. And I love that car I just wont part with it even with the constant offers I keep getting. I also picked up a 2006 Cobalt SS in blk, Just traded my 2000 trooper for a 2007 Blk Jeep. I also purchased my harley new in 2003 after returning from Iraq. Yes I was a Duke of Hazzard Fan, Knight Rider, Smokey and the bandit oh how I love those movies. I didnt really like the last one to much though. How about Cannon Ball RUN? Anyone remember those? the old one and the New ones made in the 80's and one in the 90's? Those were really good too. Teh scene with the Bouncing Lamborghini Countach on the river was a favorite seen. I need to go find those movies now lol

[Untamed]

So, he saw me riding my Mongoose down the street....

Allow me a slight thread derailment here.... Mongoose, PK Ripper, Spyder, man those names bring me back. Seemed like everyone just had to have one of those BMX style bikes to ride to grade / middle school.

Fast forward to high school and everyone I grew up around, in South Florida, just had to have a fox body Mustang. They mostly preferred the LX since it didn't have the weight of the GT rear hatch. Then my senior year I see a few kids roll in with late 3rd gen Trans Ams. Smokey and the Bandit had me hooked, but the image of the 3rd gen TA's stayed with me all these years. I still really like the 3rd gen TA styling.

[firebirdcrazy]

Oh yeah like TPI monte ss said I built many models too. Mongoose bike ehh!! I bought one of those at a flea market when I was 16 lol. English town Flea market where my parents shopped for all my needs lol.

[Mike]

my dad.....

huge chevy guy that had (and wishes he never sold) enough sick chevys that he crys when he sees barret jackson on tv....

he also used to race anything and everything from front engine rail cars to off-shore speed boats to dirt bikes and dune buggies...

hes a mechanic and body man/painter and ive grown up in that enviornment my whole life and when i was 3 he bought the 68 camaro thats in my garage now.

he encouraged me to get into sports cars as i was getting ready to buy and the best thing he ever did was force me to settle on a v6 fourth gen as my first car, learned how to drive before i steped up to a 98 mustang gt, and then 6 months later got into my ls1.

now that i have a daily driver and a good paying job he encourages my racing and laughs when i break ****.

so, i owe my hobby and my financial debt to my dad.

[Dars Z]

I, like may here, got it from dad & grand-dad. I was driven home from the hospital after being born in dad's '46 CJ-2a Jeep (It was a snowy night in January) At that time, had a '63 Corvette, a few years later, he had a 440Superbird, during the gas crunch he bought a Monza (with a 305 & stick, later bolted on a set of 327 heads...woke THAT car up) My older brother had a '73 340 Challenger when & was 7. sold that, bought an MGB, then in '78, ordered a '78 Silver Ann. Corvette (he still has it.) Grandad offered me my first chance to drive on the street (I was 14) A '70 340 Dart with a 4 sp & 4:56's is still etched in my mind! I've had some big trucks, a '78 Cutlass that we put a 383 in. Traded that car for a '79 Z28, traded that in for my '85 Mustang GT in '86 (I still have that car) Met my wife (Dar) in '90 she owned our current Z28. (It was cooler than the one I had).

So, what got me started? Like Hank Williams Jr...."It's a Family Tradition"

[Predator86]

tell u what....if i have a boy someday then hes gonna be under the hood of a car from age 3

[ar0ck]

I was big into aircraft & the military until high school when a senior had a very well kept 96 or 97 Z28. It was black with an SS hood & Y2K Vette wheels. He was dating one of the hottest girls in our grade and I was envious of that at the time. To add to that one of my friends came from a big Ford family and loved mustangs so in order to defend my likings of the black Z28 I just learned as much as I could about the cars to have a better argument.

I should thank Kim B. for getting me into LT1 cars & debt :lol:

[WayFast84]

Ive always had match box cars, motor scooters, and a dirtbike, I owe my friend for getting me into fbodys.

[Knipps]

just always been interested.. i want to go fast :twisted:

[79CamaroDiva]

not only was i born into a car family.. i was born into a race track. i never had a chance :lol:

[Savage_Messiah]

my dad woudl tell me stories of ho he used to be into cars... then once i got my license and got the camaro (neighbor's kid's girlfriend was selling it, right time place and price) then i got into it, and my dad kinda got back into it a little too

[chemicalstylez]

Born into a all GM family. My uncle had a 87 Monte Carlo SS when i was growing up (i was born in 84). I absolutely loved his car, he said he would sell it to me when i was 16, instead the bastage traded it in on his new truck for pennies when i was 15!!! I wound up getting an 88 SS when i was 17. Soon after my friend bought a 94 Z28 and i've been HOOKED to f-bodies ever since. I love Camaros and Trans Ams... 4th gens anyway.

[ted gerlach]

lets see, the house next to me when i was growing up i would have been 9 they were all arround 17 -20 had, the blues brothers black and white dodge cop car [ even was an ex-cop car] 69 road runner, 66 gto, 69 charger, 65 lemans, as well as all ther friends cars
72 monte car witch i bought when i was 16, there were a couple chevelles, novas, my cousans had a 69 couger, 57 belvedere, and a 63 impala ss i bought this car when i was 21, at my houes my dad had that 56 ford victoria that i was given from my dad a few months back, i had one before that that my dad said was mine when i was 11 but i decided that the roof off the car was a good place to jump, also a good launch pad for making the match box cars fly, witch i had so many i enjoyed the street in breaking them apart to put the wheels on other cars, countless model kit cars still have some of them today, but the best menory i have is my dad drove a corvette and my mom drove a brown 70 buick convert we also had countless ford parts cars and the 59 impala witch was given to me 9years ago its a mess i have a pic of its former glory before she was stolen and destroyed, thats when it was given to me, so i guess i could say i was born into it,
i was into monte carlos if i was to guess i had over 30 70-72 monte carlos, all differend conditions from drivers to parts cars, still have 2 one 72 monte carlo big block and my dads yellow small block, then i moved into 86-88 monte carlo ss i bet i had arround 20 of them if not more, i made a custome awsome looking 88 monter carlo ss that i sold cheep due to the fact that there was an ex-fiance involved with the car,
i have had 2 elcaminos one was a parts car and i stll have the other one,
i found my first 3rd gen by accident, it was out front of a garage on fisher blvd, it was a black on black 89 formula t-top 5-speed with no plates, i bought it for $900 drove it for a month blew a head gasket, took the motor out to find out it had a 30 350 in it, thats when the whole third gen started, i have had only 5 4th gens, including the new grayis perple z-28 i have now, first one was a white 96 formula, 2nd one was a red 95 z-28 third one was a purple v6 camaro convert hit both sides, 4th one was a black 95 trans am and the 5th one is the camaro that i have now,
accually tryed to get out of car parts twice, i have started to stop buying cars, accually want to get out of it all but definatly slowing down for now, does anyone want a complete list of all the car i have now?

[1972LT1]

Born into it. The Camaro I own was my fathers first new car. He had 2 GTO'sbefore that. He knew what he wanted and went to the dealer and ordered it. After it came in he borrowed $100 from his Dad(1972) to replace the AM radio with an AM/FM 8 track(it still works!!). I can remember going to BenPilla on the weekend and walking around looking at all the parts while my Dad shot the breeze with the owner(they went to high school together). Went to a few car shows in the early to mid 80's with my Dad. I would walk around and look at all the different kinds of vehicles and compare the engines and bodies and wheels. 40 or 50 cars back then was a huge show, today that's a club meet or a cruise. I had tons of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars back when they had different wheels and rubber tires.Transformers. Got a HOT ROD 3 in 1 model kit for xmas in 85. It had a rustang, a 3rd gen Camaro and a 3rd gen T/A. Been building them ever since. Also my Dad used to work for Buick. I remember the day he brought home a Grand National as a demo car. He dusted a vette on his way home and had a grin on his face. And going to the Auto Show and seeing all the prototypes(Buick Wildcat,Pontiac Banshee,CERV,and others) Nature and nurture.

[LS1Hawk]

My Dad's old '66 GTO (mostly from the pictures and stories about it) and my Mom's old '68 Mustang are what initially got me interested in cars as a kid. I know it's become a cliché now for guys my age, but around the age of five I got into Firebirds from watching Knight Rider. It's been my favorite nameplate ever since.

[NJSPEEDER]

i grew up with cars all around me. one neighbor used to have a big block vette with side pipes that jsut sounded evil, another neighbor had an old V12 jag, plus all the cool cars that have always been around my town.
got into f-bodies because i liked the styling and i coudl afford them. as a kid i was realy into vettes until i met some of the stereotypical "vette guys" that completely turned me off to being a part of that scene.

[12secondv6]

My high school buddies knew a very little bit of car knowledge... just enough to make them dangerous.

I watched and learned.

I bought a 72 chevelle.... learned some more

Got the bird.... learned tons...

Kept on working on families cars and trying to squeeze more MPG and HP and TQ out of them.

Then..... an ex convinced me to go to the race track.... and race.... it was down hill from there..... and I was hooked