I figure ill start off, back in May I bought a 1978 F-150 ranger 2wd longbed 390 FE C6 transmission, it's green and has blue doors and a white tailgate (it has character) and right now isn't running due to electrical issues BUT, I've put around 5 to 600 dollars into it, and I am honestly proud of it. Nowadays kids get stuff handed to them and I love the reaction people give me when I tell them I bought it with my money, all the money put into it is mine, and Ive worked on it virtually alone. Plus, the chicks at my school dig my old pickup but i'd like to hear your stories about your first fixer upper/first vehicle

 

Mine is a 71 f100. I got it for free from my ol man. I stopped counting after I passed $5,000 into it. But I rebuilt basically the whole damn truck. It had been sitting for 18 years prior. But now it's my daily driver and its as reliable as can be.

 

1970 Dodge Dart Sedan with a 225 slant six

 

Minty 96 bronco as the stocker and pretty one, and I recently purchased a 73 highboy as a project. It is now reliable and I daily drive it.

 

Hmm, that was 6 years ago... I bought a 1983 Ford Ranger from my dad for right next to nothing.

He had replaced the original 2.2L diesel Mazda engine with a 2.2L Nissan diesel because the original had problems but parts were very difficult to find. My grandpa had the Nissan engine so that was the thing to put in.

This wasn't a very pretty truck. It was low, 2x4 and also had rust. I worked on the floorboard to keep the dust out. I replaced the water pump and drove it. I only ran it for about a year and had a few problems with it, but I liked that truck. Wasn't fast and powerful but with the 5 speed manual it was fun to drive. Super good on fuel too.

Good memories... I should make the 5 hour drive up and see if I still have it sitting at my friend's farm or if his dad sent it to a crusher already...

Here's a link to a photo of it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1e...p=docslist_api

 

Technically I got my 1990 F-150 from my grandfather as a gift fixed it up and dallied it up until the point gas kept eating me alive at payday, I knew it wouldn't last so I went out a bought one lemon of a car, a 1995 Nissan Sentra, full of rust, the carpet was full of dog hair and everything on the engine besides the oil filter was factory original. I put a ton of work into her and made her road legal and i still drive the living crap out of this car. Its ugly, but it works.

 

My 88 F150 4x4 302 is my first vehicle and my project but now I have two project trucks at least I can drive the ford right now though.
Trav

 

Had the bronco first, DD that for a year or so, then got the highboy to share the work, it eventually became primary DD for a while, working on it slowly on the side. Undergoing some pretty serious surgery right now, (bodywork, wiring, steering, brakes, interior, etc) so the bronco has taken full DD duty again.

 

Technically it was a 1929 Ford Doodlebug, I got it off a guy for free when he couldn't start it at a local tractor show. Pulled the gear reduction box, added front brakes, and cruised it around town at night for a few months.. I registered it as a Model A but it was actually built by Worthington.. eventually people caught on that it wasn't a real vehicle and I sold it before I got in any trouble.
When I was 13, a good friend of mine passed away, and left me his 1938 International D-3 Pickup. It had some old straight 8 engine, with only 2nd and 5th gear remaining, kind of reverse.. still got it in a shed, I'll restore it some day. Red Green inspired that truck back when he owned it. Climbing hills required aid by the 6 volt starter..
Then I bought a 1971 Plymouth Valiant with a 225 Slant 6 and an automatic. It was baby-crap brown with a 1968 Valiant Signet nose, a '69 engine, and mostly '71 body and running gear. It was a bondo-buggy and it only cost me $50.00, but I really loved it. The muffler was gone, it sounded like an old Farmall, the carb was junk and the distributor shaft could be wobbled about 1/4". I rigged it to work with parts from an old snowmobile engine. The starter was a jerry-rigged reduction-less motor from a 1958 Plymouth Fury. I rolled the odometer for supposedly the third time and then the entire dash just quit right then and there. Rigged up a Raleigh speedometer and ran it around the back roads with an Antique registration.. sold it a few months later, my mother never figured out I owned it, never has either. It was a deathtrap, and when the front torsion bar mounts failed I sold it to a friend who wanted the engine, it never burnt a drop of oil.. what great engine the 225 was. It always started right up whenever you wanted it.
Shortly after that escapade my grandfather gave me his old '96 '89 '92 etc. F-150, and I've been driving that ever since, about 15,000 miles now in just under a full year.
I would like another '71 Plymouth.. there was just no other car like it.

 

My first truck and project is my 1975 F100 custom. RWD regular cab with a canopy. It's fire truck yellow for now. So far I have added hooker competition headers. New cold air intake and an offenhauser intake manifold. Paint is next on the list

 

Any pictures of it? You oughta pay a visit to the 73-79 forums.

 

I'll post pictures soon and I thought i did but I'll check again

 

1995 Mitsubishi Mirage was my first car. My older brother acquired it in I believe 1999 and promptly beat the s**t out of its automatic transmission by neutral-dropping it to show off. It blew at 134,000, along with the head gasket. Then he conned my mom into co-signing for a brand new 2001 Hyundai Accent and lumping in the Mirage's payoff into the loan by saying "its a cheap easy fix, just do this and it'll be awesome again" She fell for it, hook line and sinker and put out another $1600 to get the transmission replaced, getting completely robbed by the 'mechanic' (whom my brother said to go to). Their exact words were "she'll be back".

So my mom was now stuck making payments on a car that wasn't trustworthy, her credit was completely gone and then she had no means to get another car. That's how I got the Mirage at 156,000, after the second transmission she put in was trash from the start due to the #1 moneymaker scam a 'mechanic' can pull: automatic transmission rebuild on a japanese car with an unknowing female owner. By the time she realizes it and files a claim in court, they disappear from the national chain of shops they were a part of.

Soon as I attempt to drive out of town for the very first time at 160,000, torque converter blows. My friend goes to find a pay phone to call AAA and gets hit by a 4runner that rear-ended another car right in front of a fire station. I get it towed home, start doing the homework and take it to a known reputable shop (***where my Expy is at this very moment***). They crack it open and find the original torque converter from 11/1994 still in there, part number clearly embossed on it, but spraypainted black. Also found out that both prior 'shops' dumped in Dexron instead of Diamond ATF. So I pay $600 for a new one, a new solenoid harness (old one was ruined) and the correct fluid and she's back up for another 5,000 miles when the remainder of the 'rebuilt' transmission self-destructs.

Then I inherit a 1987 S10 Blazer from my dad (retired mechanical engineer) with 192,000 miles on it. Thinking the Mirage was just a bad example, I take my brother's word that the Blazer will be fine, backed up by my dad's records and logbook. BIG MISTAKE. First time I do a tune-up on it, ALL of the plugs are rusted to the block. Then its entire ignition system takes a dive. Then the starter which wouldn't always stay engaged properly (spins but didn't crank) gave out. The last straw was when it suddenly quit getting fuel to the TBI type 'injectors'. No information was available about WHERE the PCM actually was, five identical trucks could have it in five different spots, with seemingly no rhyme or reason to it. I sold it to a guy for $350 so he could have a drivetrain for his truck.

That was a couple weeks after I got my 1987 RX7, which has been an excellent teacher with incredible aftermarket support (thank you RX7Club!!!) in a few simple lessons that many overlook:
Do the homework
Get the Factory Service Manual and dealers' Parts Catalogs, read them often
Don't put in garbage autozone parts (especially electrical ones!), go get the good stuff. Either do the job right or don't do it at all.

The last lesson is the most important, as RX7s punish you for trying to cheap out by destroying any attempt along with a few more parts too. A prime example of this was when the original exhaust was giving out after 20+ years and a very poor attempt by the previous owner at 'fixing' it. So I attempted to use one of those bandage-type patch kits and the car didn't like it. A few days later, she backfires louder than a 12-gauge as I'm driving in town. Soon as I stop, I find the muffler and the patch wrap completely gone. The amputated muffler was half a mile away and the path was never found. This is how I have a stainless steel catback that laughs off having flames belched through it. Made by Racing Beat, just for RX7s in California and worth every penny of the $680 I paid for it.

Moral of the story, as told from my dad's perspective: A new car won't get you there any faster, safer or cheaper. Just Shinier, for now.

***Update: The shop I referred to, Hestons Auto Service in Lancaster, OH, I must permanently and unconditionally rescind my recommendation for, due to attempted fraud, ignoring the customer and unauthorized repairs made on my Expedition by Andy, the new "owner" or so he claims. Jim Heston, whom I have dealt with multiple times and owned/operated the shop untill at least 2013 had always been straight with me, answered questions with the proper respect and inspired me to follow in the path for myself. As such, I make a point of doing the homework multiple times to make certain I know what I am speaking of. And should I be wrong, I take it in stride and revise my position to reflect the new information. As such, I'm VERY tough to argue with.

Anyway, I picked up my truck today and examined the work before paying as I always do. No mounts were re-tapped to M6x1.0 as I requested and was quoted 1-2hrs labor for ($70-140), none of the A2 Grade Stainless Steel bolts were used. I made it crystal clear what I wanted while on the phone with Andy before bringing the truck to them, and again in person while pointing it out to Andy before handing over the keys.

The original rusted beyond safe use M5 bolts circa 12/1996 were still in place, all eight coils were as they were (despite him saying he replaced one because it was 'bad'). When I asked which coil he replaced, he couldn't say. Yet he still wanted to charge me for redoing the coil mounts and 'giving' me a good coil...

After arguing and getting nowhere with me for 10 minutes, he chose to take a loss on the coil stuff entirely. If I were to guess, it would be because I made him answer the following yes or no question:
"So what you are saying is that all eight coil mounts' original threads (M5x0.8 thread size) are in perfect working order, despite being specifically asked to tap them for M6x1.0 regardless of the condition of original threads, then demanding payment for such work which was not performed?"

Checkmate

 

First vehicle and project, my 1991 explorer 4x4 with 158k on it, bought for a grand total of $301. Has been an excellent, dependable rig aside from semi frequent suspension issues common with TTB front axles.(Like travis S was saying above, its not worth buying the cheap parts, I've gone through three sets of cheap radius arm bushings)
Aside from quite a few minor issues and rust problems, this truck has served me well, and probably will continue to even after i finish my current f250 project.







I built the brush guard, roof rack, rear leaf spring shackles, rear bumper, rear tire carrier, and grill myself.

 

1966 Ford Ranchero. Sittin in my garage as we speak. Although it is a straight six, me n dad want to swap it to a 289 v8. only problem is is that we have to find one first...