High school beaters
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Senior User
Joined: May 2004
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From: Eastern Taxachusetts
High school beaters
I don't know if I'm getting nostalgic about graduating 10 years ago, or what, But I've been thinking about the cars the kids who bought their own cars drove in high school. Most popular were the mid eighties Ford Escort, Plymouth Horizon, Mustang, mid 70's Monte Carlo and F-150. That was when and where people learned to drive a manual transmission. I almost wish I had one of those Escorts to beat on now. There aren't very many on the road these days. They all rusted too much to pass inspection out here. Those were the good old days....
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From: Cameron, OK
A buddy of mine was the beater king... he had an 84 Ford Thunder Chicken, nice car when he got it, but he slid off a road one day and wedged it up against a tree. In trying to pull it out he drug the tree all the way down the side of the car, looked really bad. He eventually traded it for a late 70's Elcamino... it was primer red with a huge hood scoop on it and rally wheels... under the hood was a... you ready for this. A bone stock 305. It was such a piece of crap.
Other beaters I remember..
D50 Pick-ups
Anything that said GEO on it
80's Model SkyLarks
80's 2 door Cutlass
Other beaters I remember..
D50 Pick-ups
Anything that said GEO on it
80's Model SkyLarks
80's 2 door Cutlass
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From: Eastern Taxachusetts
My brother had a Gutless, they were a bit less popular with those of us a few years younger. The only kids who drove GEOs were parent-funded. nobody would admit to buying one, anyway...
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From: Cameron, OK
Yeah, I hadn't thought about that with the GEO's, I'm sure they were PF. I think the cutlasses were going out when I graduated, which was about the same time as you. I just remembered a kid that had an early 80's capri that he had done everything too to make it into a mustang, I guess his only real mistake was telling us that it was really a capri... we dogged him about it a lot.
Myself, I had an 85 B2... with the 2.8L V6. I rode the bus a lot, it was hard to keep that thing going.
Myself, I had an 85 B2... with the 2.8L V6. I rode the bus a lot, it was hard to keep that thing going.
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From: Eastern Taxachusetts
My brother in law's best friend still has the Capri that really wanted to be a Mustang. Even after he got some old Fastback restored nicely, he drives that stupid Capri!
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From: Elverson, PA
Yea man - memories memories... My first car was a baby blue, stick, Plymouth Horizon. I put almost 80,000 miles on that crapper and I can positively say I will never own a little puddle hopper again!! I'll stick with trucks from now on!! I was totally embarrased of that thing - but hey - it got me around.
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From: Marsville Canada
The days, 70 Chev Nova, looked great for a year or so until a couple harsh salty winters and the bondo started falling out. straight 6 cyl never die (lack of power) one wheel peel. Mind ya lots of room in the back seat for the lady's
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From: Arlington, TX
I had a 1982 Firebird base model that originally had a v6 and a 4 spd manual. It was a dog until my Senior year. Bought if off the original owner (my dad) for 1500.00 Saved up my jr/sr year so I could buy a chevy 383 stroker and a rebuilt "turbo-700" 4 spd trans. Bad thing was I had an "Oscar's Garage" $200 paint job and an open rear diff. Tell you what, that one tire would spin like crazy...Luckily in San Antonio there are used tire stores everywhere.
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I had a 69 fury 3.... I loved that boat. copper metalic and lotsa chrome, looked like a big shark. super quiet.
I tried to peel tires in it once and ripped the engine mounts out... it took me awhile to figure out what the thump whats when I put it in drive... it was the engine turning over and hitting the hood....
was fun being a stupid kid!
I got ahold of a 66 mustang converable, was in really clean shape, it needed some floor work.... with a teens atention span it sat till it rusted away.
you know how much that thing is worth NOW?
I have to stop... I'm getting a headache...
I tried to peel tires in it once and ripped the engine mounts out... it took me awhile to figure out what the thump whats when I put it in drive... it was the engine turning over and hitting the hood....
was fun being a stupid kid!
I got ahold of a 66 mustang converable, was in really clean shape, it needed some floor work.... with a teens atention span it sat till it rusted away.
you know how much that thing is worth NOW?
I have to stop... I'm getting a headache...
Last edited by 2ndmouse; Jun 11, 2004 at 04:28 PM.
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From: Summit, NJ
I first drove my mom's old brown 1984 Buick Century station wagon. A few months after I got my license someone smacked the car on the passenger side - had a nice big dent in the thing. It constantly needed the CV joints replaced. Seemed like almost every 3 months we were replaceing them. Finally gave up on it when the exhaust manifold cracked. Sold it to a guy for 300 bucks. I wonder where that car is now? (Probably a junkyard or rolling around as a rice burner..)
The first car I owned was a 1978 Chevy Caprice. This thing was pretty rusty, it was off the road more than it was on.. but I sure loved it.. because it was 100% all mine. That car was a ticket to adolescent freedom. I still miss that old car to this day.. many fond memories (and some not so fond - usually involved a tow truck, repair bill, etc).
The first car I owned was a 1978 Chevy Caprice. This thing was pretty rusty, it was off the road more than it was on.. but I sure loved it.. because it was 100% all mine. That car was a ticket to adolescent freedom. I still miss that old car to this day.. many fond memories (and some not so fond - usually involved a tow truck, repair bill, etc).
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I always had the mud truck of the month. Junky, go any where, until i tore one up and time for another. My car on the other hand no beater. Chevy nova hatch back on tube chassis. 10.8 quarter. Change the rear end gear, 180 mph. Would do more, but I wouldnt.
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From: Billings, MT
I can finally laugh about this now, but my first vehicle was a rusty old '62 Chevy pickup. We lived on a gravel road, I remember bumping down the road one day when all of a sudden the door handle fell right off the door and before I could catch it....right through the rusted out floorboards. 
That was definetely embarrassing backing up to retrieve my door handle. And the worst part was that there were witnesses!!!