When did you first realize you were addicted to cars ?

[Roadman]

       Well, growing up in Monroevillle Pa., in the 50's and early 60"s you didn't see many cool cars. I went to school, came home rode my bike, played ball in the street with my buds, etc. Dad went to work in the Dodge Seneca in the steel mills during the day, Mom went to work in the Hospital at night as an RN.
        In 1962 my Grandfather bought a 150 unit trailer park in North Miami and wanted my folks to move down and manage it. Well, Dad was sick of the winters, so he rented a U Haul, sold the house , loaded me, Mom and my sisters up and headed south.
         This was the first time I had ever been on the open road, so as we went thru the big cities I'm seeing all these cool cars with awesome colors. And great sounds. I mean Vettes, Fairlanes, Sport Furys, etc. And I'm bugging Dad about them from the back seat.
          Well, we landed in N. Miami on my 10th birthday, and Dad got me an AMT model of a 62 Vette. Crap, I was hooked, me and Dad spent hours glueing it together. Painted it Red.
          So we get set up in the trailer park, and there is a Jeep.  So I'm 10 yo and Dad shows me how to drive it, and I can drive anywhere in the park, about 5 acres. So I'm mowing everybody's grass, buying HOT ROD mags, and saving my money. Had enough saved to buy a 58 Chevy DelRay from an old couple in the park that didn't want it anymore. Man, I worked on the car every spare minute I had. Hurst Mystery shifter, built my own side exhaust, jacked up the ass end, rolled and pleated interier, etc. My Mom will tell you to this day that the love of cars kept me off the streets, and out of trouble in my teen years. Miami is no Monroeville. 

So lets hear ya'll story.   

[73440]

I remember delivering the morning Pgh Post-Gazette starting at 13 yo in 1972 and seeing a plum crazy challenger a couple streets from home. That is really the only car I remember on that route.
Three bikes on the route , a Triumph , Honda 750 and HD Police Servi-Car and the officer would coast down the hill to start the bike away from his house.
Worked at a Boron gas station , pumping gas , patching flats .
Also had a friend whose family owned an auto body repair shop, wish I had learned more there.

[RUNCHARGER]

I loved cars as long as I can remember. I enjoyed going down to the Chrysler dealer with dad since I can remember (probably 3 years old). Dad knew a few guys with Sprint cars too and I can remember sitting in a few of them from about the same age.

[Cudajason]

Hmmm thats a good question.

I have spent my life around cars.

I was born in 74, well past the best era of muscle cars, but my Dad was a body man, who worked on the side out of our house and owned a few cool cars of his own.

I remember when I was 5 he owned a 29 chev sedan.  Nothing special, all stock, but it was so cool.  I remember sitting in his lap and driving it around the block.  He also bought a 75 Vette in 76 that was wrecked.  It was fixed but sat in primer in our garage FOREVER. my brother and I used to get so much trouble for sitting in it and rowing the gears!!   He never did get it painted and on the road.

Once I hit 16, we set out to find my first car, it ended up being the cuda I currently have.  But along the way there were countess magazines and model car kits, trips to the local speedway.  My brother was 2 years older than me and just as much of a car nut.  When I was 14, the two of us used to cruise around with a bunch of friends in what ever cars we had.  We were fortunate to live in a small town with a great car culture and saw some great cars every night and got to know most of the guys that owned them.

I am not sure there was ever that realization that I loved cars, I just always did.   I got away from it for awhile while I sorted my life out, career family, house, but never let my cuda go, let a few other cars go,  but once I had the opportunity to bring my Cuda home the car addiction came back harder than ever.

Now I spend most of my time dreaming about the next project, restoring my cuda or some other crazy project (I have a few I would love to do).  I just want to make enough money to do all the things I want, and build a killer shop.  Fortunately I am still young enough to make that happen.

Jason

[Chryco Psycho]

I was born with a Snap On wrench in my hand .
My Mom said I was facinated with cars & trucks before I could walk , it started with Corgi & Matchbox toys , then model kits , hot wheels around 68 , then  AFX slot cars by 71 & had over 100 of the cars & was modifying them to make them faster & better  , by the time I could afford a R/C car I could afford a real car for the same cost so I bought an Javelin SST 343 & started working on it at about 15 years old   & the story continues ...


I do remeber numerous Cars when I was growing up , there was an orange 69 ss camaro around the corner , but there was an F8 69 Bee nearer & an orange 70 Cuda behind our house , neighbor across the street had a red 65 Chrysler 2 dr convert  , my best friend had a 69 T&C wagon , we used to ride around in the rear seat facing backwards ! One girl used to get dropped off at school in a 70 sliver Judge , there was a disassembled red 70 GTX in the body shop in grade 10 & we repainted a 70 B5 Blue Chall that year  in school , my friend had a B5 Demon white roof & b5 interior we would cruise listening to Budgie & Angel , there was a 409 2 dr chev never as fast as the reputation , another friend had a 340 4 spd lemon Duster , there was a 70 Hemi R/T SE 4 spd Charger Black with gator grain & burnt Orange interior , I know that car is still around . Memories !!

[70 Challenger Lover]

As long as I can remember, I've loved cars. Always helped my dad doing car maintenance and even a couple engine rebuilds. At 16, I picked up a 2 door 71 Buick Centurion with a 455. Naturally I did everything I could to hop it up even though there was little Buick stuff back then. Few other hot rods here and there but once I got a great paying job at 22, I hunted down a 70 Superbee which I had for over 20 years.

My addiction has grown steadily worse. Now I have a 64 Vette and two 70 Challenger 4 speeds. I'd buy more if I had more room.

[Topcat]

I started off on Tot Rods with my Cousin back around 1966 or 1967. These were pedal cars.
We drove them everywhere all over Fremont.

By the time I was 7, I was into slot car racing.
It was really popular then an I couldn't believe how good some of these guys were and how fast they could keep them on the track.

In 1972, it was all about Hot Wheels.
And I was King of the Hot Wheels in my neighborhood.
Dual figure 8 tracks with Superchargers. About 100 plus cars I had.

In 1976, my rich buddy got a 67 Mustang.
He was fixing it up really good. I was envious.

At the same time, my parents had a 71' Barracuda.
I was jonsing for it and they knew it. In 78' they gave it to me as a Grad present.

[70/6chall]

I guess I got my start with anything auto related building model cars and entering them in model car shows, I was probably 8 or 9 years of age at the time. Growing up in SoCal, Orange Co. Cars were all around me. My very first real car build was a 1940 Ford 1/2 Tn pick-up. I was about 13 years old with Dad helping me with his vast mechanics knowledge and know how. The year was 1960 and finally by my senior year in high school, I really had a beautiful '40 Ford, 3/4 race, flathead hot rod truck. Dad worked nights as a night manager at a Standard service station in Garden Grove Ca. I of course helped out and in turn was able to use the stations lift and tools to keep my ride in top condition. After the Ford was a 1959 Chevrolet Impala 348 factory tri-power, a week-end cruiser. After this a succession of Mopars until 1968 when Uncle Sam called (USN). 4 years later and back from overseas, I purchased my SL6 '70 Challenger in 1973 and another succession of Mopars, marriage, kids, and a govt career (41 years).       Thanks,   Al

[YellowThumper]

Way back in the 60's when the only thing I could wrench on and customize had 2 wheels and pedals...
I am also the only one in my entire family that has the car bug.
To everyone else they are only replaceable transportation items. 

[wldgtx]

I do not remember a time when I was not obsessed with cars.  When I was very young, I was obsessed with knowing the details of cars.  My dad had a 68 GTX so naturally I had to know everything about it.  Then I had to know everything about Mopars, every engine, cubic inc, HP and Tq ratings, what years, what cars, what engine combinations, etc.  I used to build models like every other kid, but I would only want to build Mopars and I had a ton of them, I would build the same ones over and over.

Once I was in my teens my friend had a 68 Barracuda and the fascination was on full tilt.  I bought my first car when i was 15 (1970 Challenger RT/SE) my neighbor had a 68 Hemi GTX, that I would buy from him 33 years later.  I can't tell you the name of all of the girlfriends I have had, but I can tell you the details of every car I have ever owned.

[soundcontrol]

My first memory of a cool car is mid 60's, my dad had a late 50's Ford Fairlane and I remember it was the coolest thing I've ever seen. Seemed huge at the time, nice colors and chrome.

[anlauto]

It all started when I left the womb ....when they carefully placed me on the floor in a 1964 Pontiac Laurentian for the ride home from the hospital...

[Marc70challenger]

Up until I was 9 we had a '68 Charger. My first spoken word was "car".  Lol

[RUNCHARGER]

I was brought home in Dad's 53 Hemi. I did the same thing when my son was born, I brought him home in the FM3 R/T that had a Hemi swapped in at the time.

[Cudajason]

I do remember when I became addicted to mopars...no one in my family owned Mopars before me.

There were some around town growing up, including a orange billboard cuda that frequented our neighborhood.  it was always a  moment. But I never really new what it was.

Anyway, the summer I turned 16, my dad and I spent the summer looking for my first car.  I pretty much had free range to look at anything. I spent a lot of time looking through the Auto Trader that summer.  I was focused on a gen I firebird.

One trip we looked at a 70 cuda, red, 340, 4 speed. It was a solid 10 maybe 20 footer.  My dad said no way, it had glass fenders and was probably a real rust bucket.  We did not even talk to the guy.

There was just something about that car...I had to have a Cuda.  Shortly after that I found my 74.

Jason