First car I ever owned...

[jestmaty]

Bought this 1968 Olds in 1980. I was 15 yrs old.

Actually, my dad bought it and gave it to me as a 16th Birthday gift in summer of 1981, the date of the picture.

It had 39,000 original miles on it's clock being a 12 yrs old car.

Was the classic 'little-old-lady-driven" scenario. The woman drove it 3 days a week to her part time job at the libraray 4 miles away. My dad and I figured it was maybe their son's car, yet he was no longer living? Maybe Vietnam? They were too old to be keeping this car for anything other than a deceased family ;member?

We kept it for a while, I started 'bling-blinging' it up. I was starting to drift toward the pot-head era of my life and these types of cars are what the pot-heads were driving. My dad and mom talked me into a Triumph TR-6, ( more refined ha!! ) so that I would steer away from the muscle car dopers.

Oh well I don't even remember what I sold it for, maybe $2000 as it sat. We paid even less that that if you can believe it. I think we bought it for $1500 bucks in 1980.

Sure wish I'd have kept it. It was in fantastic shape back then and I have always kept my cars in nice condition.

1968 Olds 442
4= 400 cubic inch engine
4= 4 barrel carb
2= dual exhaust

That's what my dad told me 442 stood for......

[Tim]

Bought a 60 catalina from a buddy of mine when I was 17 back in 1970. It was black with lots of rust. (not as pretty as this picture).

[krygny]

Originally posted by jestmaty
...
1968 Olds 442
4= 400 cubic inch engine
4= 4 barrel carb
2= dual exhaust

That's what my dad told me 442 stood for......
...

That's correct, IIRC.

Mine was a 1971 Chevy Nova sedan (also given to me by my father). It had a 307 with a 2-speed "slim-jim" AT; got terrible mileage. I put 137,000 miles on it (on top of the 76,000 that was already there) before a valve rod dropped into the cam tearing the teeth off the timing gear.

[jestmaty]

Some trivia from wikipedia regarding 4-4-2 moniker....

It appears that my old 1968 4-4-2 was merely the official GM name designated for that model.

From Wiki....

Some people mistakenly believe that the designation "442" referred to the displacement of the engine in cubic inches. The reality is that a 442 has never had a 442 cubic inch engine. Rather, the genesis for the name 4-4-2 came from the attributes of the 1964 model:

1964 (Original meaning)
4: Four Barrel Carburetion
4: Four On the Floor
2: Dual Exhausts

With the 4-4-2 moniker established, later editions did not officially follow any adherence to features stemming from the numerals "4-4-2". However, in some later model years, the features did informally match the 4-4-2 numerals, as described below.

1965 (First year of automatic and three speed manual transmission option on 442)
4: 400 Cubic Inch Displacement
4: Four Barrel Carburetion
2: Dual Exhaust

1966 (First and only year with multiple carburetor option L69) 4: 400 4: Nothing, Tri Carb L69 was an option above the 4 bbl quadrajet. 2: Dual Exhaust

1967 (First year a 2bbl was available) 4: 400 engine 4: Nothing, 2bbl Turnpike Cruiser option available 2: Dual Exhaust

1968-71 Official name of car was 442

1972 Reverts to option package W29, but with no connection to the numerals 442.

1985 to 1987 (Last of RWD 442s)
4: Four speed automatic
4: Four barrel carburetor
2: Dual exhaust

1990 and 1991 (FWD 442)
4: Four cylinders
4: Four valves
2: Two camshafts

[MK23666]

A lightly used 83 Civic sedan (old lady owned it and only used it in town) Her name was Baby Blue, I tinted the windows, changed all the stereo equipment and installed a manual sunroof in the dark blue vinyl top ... oh yeah, I changed the rims and tires.

I sold her to my brother for a dollar when I bought my second car (89 Civic sedan) He drove her till she died and then left her in his backyard to rust away. A few years ago I took her back and have her resting under the covered patio out back. I was hoping to restore her for my daughter, but she doesn't want it now. UGGH, TEENAGERS!

[N_Jay]

Originally posted by MK23666
A lightly used 83 Civic sedan (old lady owned it and only used it in town) Her name was Baby Blue, I tinted the windows, changed all the stereo equipment and installed a manual sunroof in the dark blue vinyl top ... oh yeah, I changed the rims and tires.

I sold her to my brother for a dollar when I bought my second car (89 Civic sedan) He drove her till she died and then left her in his backyard to rust away. A few years ago I took her back and have her resting under the covered patio out back. I was hoping to restore her for my daughter, but she doesn't want it now. UGGH, TEENAGERS!

I light blue 83 Civic sedan was the first new car my wife Nada I bought.
110,000 trouble free miles. Sold it in 1990 to a friend in desperate need a reliable car and even after we lost track of the friend would see it driving around Orange County well into the 90's.