What was the first car you modded and what did you do?

[XcYZ]

Thought this might be a fun topic for people to get involved with.

The first car I modded was also my first car - a 76 Camaro. It was super clean 1-owner with only 40k miles on it. It had the bad ass 165hp (I think, lol) 350, a TH350 and a 3.08 rear. I had this bright idea that I could make it go faster with a cam, intake and carb swap. I put in a big hydraulic cam (don't remember which one now, that was almost 20 years ago! LOL), a Torker intake :rolleyes: and a Holley 750 on the stock compression (8.5:1) and stock heads. I was 16 at the time and I did it all myself, and looking back, it's just amazing that it even ran. Talk about being out to lunch, lmao... but it's fun to think back on it.

Ok, who else is going to tell their story? :thumbsup:

[jannes_z-28]

This topic will be interesting.

My very first car (at an age of 18) was an 1965 Opel Kadett, it had an 1200cc 40 hp engine. This was 1975. It managed 0-60 in about 70 seconds. Driving it more than it could handle I overevved it after 6 months and a rodbearing said goodbye.

This was my opportunity :D Being very interested in dragracing I immediatly went crazy and cut it appart to build a Pro-Stocker of it. It was sligthly smaller than the Dodge Colt that some where driving Pro Stocks with. They put Hemi's in them. Sox & Martin was one example.

After 4 years it was ready, the goals had been raised a few times and it ended up with a pretty stout 331 Chevy engine, Lenco 4-Speed, Strange 9". Koni shocks. Full tubular frame, fiberglass front and so on.

http://www.protouring.se/old/racing/images/suhr1.jpg

More info can be found at my site under "My old racecars"


Jan

[jy211]

my first was the 68 camaro I am redoing. It had a 327 in the car. We had a drag Nova and I wanted the motor out of that in my camaro...so that was the first mod I ever did.... :D

[Payton King]

I got my first car..hand me down, at 15. 1974 Laguna S-3. My first mod was an under dash Sanyo Fm/8 track. I left the stock Am radio in it with a set of Sanyo box speakers that would slide around the rear package area. Shortly after put a set of "double hump" heads and a holley 650 spread bore carb, headers. Per the advertisement I got 15 extra Hp with the Moroso open element air cleaner.

My friends thought that my car was faster than it actually was...it sounded fast when that spread bore opened up with that Moroso air cleaner. Basically it made a lot of noise and did not go anywhere. With a one-legger' and a 2.73 rear and cheap tires, I could spin that one tire for as long as I wanted to hold the gas down.

Now my second car was cool, but that is another story for another time.

[Steve1968LS2]

I bought my first car when I was 15 1/2 years old.. I used to sell t-shirts at softball games and gold/silver spiked that year and I sold a pretty big coin collection to get the car.

1964.5 Mustang.. I6 and auto trans that was owned by a little old lady out in the desert.. They still had the window sticker and it was the first Mustang that the dealer had gotten (later found out it was one of the first 200 mustangs ever made.).. seatbelts were listed as an option on the window sticker.

I restored the light blue interior and put in a stereo. Centerline wheels outside and shot the car in cadillac midnight blue. replaced most of the brightwork and had a blast driving it through high school. If it would of had a V8 I would have killed myself. lol

My second car was the '67 Camaro on my website.. and the rest was history.

[vanzuuk1]

my first car was a 73 delta 88 that i put rally wheels on and painted the trim flat black.I thank god there are no pictures of the car available.

the color: spanish gold (said it on the touch up can)

And the engine had the upside down air cleaner, for monster power!

[Derek69SS]

I'm still driving it :)

'69 Malibu (in sig) I bought it in very rusty but running/driving condition when I was 15. It had a good running 350 2bbl/TH350/2.56 open 10-bolt, 89,000 miles. I drove it for a month when I turned 16 and tore it apart for a "quick paint-job" in my Dad's body shop. 2.5 years later, it was painted 95 corvette "Dark Cloissonne" with white stripes, and had Cragar Street-Stars on it. I finished it with 3 days left of my Senior year in H.S.

All I did for mods, was stock discs up front, and 2-1/4" dual exhaust with glasspacks :rolleyes: . Probably would have run a 15.8-16.0 :D

I have since put a stock 190,000 mile 400 sbc in it (cracked a head on the 350, and the 400 was a good runner) rebuilt the tranny, and stuck a used 3.08 posi 10-bolt out of a '66 oldsmobile in it, and put 4-wheel discs on it. I've run a 15.04, but I think I can muster up a 14.999 out of it before I tear it apart for the LT1 I'm sticking in it :)

This car is NOT my first car though... first car is my '69 SS I bought when I was 12... no engine in it then, and now. I've owned it 10.5 years and have never driven it :(

[69rs]

1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle. Orange. I replaced the AM radio with a Pioneer Super Tuner, complete with 2 speakers shoved in the corners of the rear seat in....get this....Tupperware bowls! Couldn't have all that sound escaping to the rear. I also added wide Centerline "style" American Racing Wheels. I don't remember the wheel and tire sizes, but they filled up the fenders! Air shocks to keep those wide rears from ripping the fenders off. A couple of bags of cement in the trunk for that perfect rake. Oh yes, the EKG inspired "heartbeat" pinstripes on the windows. I did eventually paint the car Porsche guards red, after shaving the hood handle, emblems and molding. And I peeled the pinstripe off the windows! There, I've said it. I hope you people are happy now. :_paranoid

[907rs]

It was actually my second vehicle, circa 1987. '82 2WD Silverado short bed, 305 4bbl and TH350.

After about six months of beating the crap out of it, I toasted a rod bearing, and being the 17 year old gearhead that I was, there was no way it was getting a stock rebuild. After the machine work was done and I had the bottom end put back together, I immediatly ordered the biggest Crower cam Summit listed, as well as a Torker intake and 750 double pumper.

Needless to say, It never ran right again........

[Streetking]

1976 Trans Am 455 4spd(no T-Top), headers, exhaust, all Herb Adams suspension, 8" WS6 wheels. I worked at a quick lube, got to change the oil every week!!

SW

[kel]

Well,

Growing up in El Paso Texas, trucks were the thing.

I inherited Dad's Chevy shortbed 4X4 and of course went right to work changing it.

I lifted it 4", added 36" tires on chrome modular rims. Put an Edelbrock manifold and Holly carb on as well as headers. Added a chrome roll bar, 4 KC daylighters and painted the whole thing Black!

Was a great truck and had many fun times in the desert with it climbing hills and four wheeling. :yes:

[Bill Howell]

The first car I every modded was a 1964 malibu. I bought it for $350. It had no motor or tranny. I put a 327, 3speed in it. Bought a set of killer (at the time) wheels for $180, painted the interior with a spray can black from its original red. A set of trush mufflers, no tail pipes, yeah I was bad. Oh yeah, don't forget the airshocks....
Just for those who haven't figured it out yet, this was in 1974, and I think my hourly pay was $1.80. Oh, to be 16 again-LOL

[USAZR1]

The first car I ever modded was a 1957 Chevy 150 Business Coupe. Pulled the inline six and overdrive three speed trans then replaced them with a 283 punched .060 over,Corvette dual quad set-up,Duntov 097 solid cam & tach-drive distributor,and BW T10 four speed. With Stahl headers and 4.11 cogs,that car ran some low 14sec 1/4's at 95-96mph,,pretty quick for 1968.

[Musclerodz]

My 68 I am working on now if you don't counts wheels, hyperchips, K&N induction kits. I wish now I would quit modifying it so I will get it finished. I have modified a bunch of old airplanes though. :unibrow:

Mike

[Rybar]

Here's my 1st car: 1994 T/A with an 8# ATI blower, made 415 rwhp/rwtq and was a balst to drive. But the rear-end was junk, I learned to drive and learned how to mod a car with this one so that with my Camaro I won't make the same mistake twice.

Info & Pics:
http://hometown.aol.com/ryanb94ta/index.html

http://groups.msn.com/GMsFbody/rybar.msnw?pgmarket=en-us

http://groups.msn.com/GMsFbody/rybarsnewpics.msnw?albumlist=2

[Rick Dorion]

Whew - an oldie! Well, my first car was a Rambler American with a 6. This was back in 1966 but I don't remember the car's year :). I put gauges, floor shift, exhaust and cruised! Had a three speed. What a pro-touring candidate it would be now. Sigh.

[CAMAROBOY69]

The first vehicle I modded was a 67 Chevy pickup truck. My first vehicle and it was given to me when I was 16. I added headers, aluminum intake, 600 edelbrock carb, stereo, bodywork, changed rear end and some other goodies most I did my senior year in high school. IN AUTOSHOP CLASS!!! How awesome was that?! I got all my other work done so fast that I asked if I could work on my truck in there and he said yes. At the end of the year he was so impressed he let me fry the tires right in class. That was the most awesome teacher I ever had. :cool: :hail: :hail:

[jonny51]

Mine was a 76 400,4 speed trans am.I put a performer manifold a Holly 750 carb and some shiny stuff on it.Then I just beat it like every other 16 year old did.

[evilzee28]

My first experienxce of owning a modified car would have been when I was 21 & I managed to get a '69 Firebird with 283 & 3 speed manual. This was hopped up with a cam, torker, intake headers etc & ran 14.9 @98mph.This car was featured in our Hot Rod & Custom magazine & was painted black /blue flip flop with 5 spokes all 'round. I then imported a '55 210 sedan with a hot 327, & a load of goodies in the engine. I painted it matt black & terrorised the neighbourhood with it (That film Two Lane Blacktop's got a lot to answer for). I sold that car but swapped the 283 into it & the 327 into my Firebird, which eventually ran 13.5@110 mph in full street trim. I then built a '55 Chevy sports coupe, 468 cu in , tunnel ram etc which ran 10.50@135 & was fully street legal. After that I had a coupla other cars of no major consequence. I then went into business making fibre glass panels for VW's. I made fibreglass fronts to transform bay window vans into split screen lookalikes.I fitted one to a van I got fairly cheap & custom painted a 3D flag onto it, lowered it & fitted twin dellortos & a big bore exhaust. Working on VW's all day slowly did my head in, so I started to build a '29 A pickup along the lines of the wacky show cars of the '60's. The roof was chopped 41/2 ",& it was painted metalfalke paint over House of Color Passion purple pearl. The pick up bed was hand fabricated with '59 Caddy style rear wings etc. The engine was a 283 with a 6-71 & tri power carb set up. Just before it was finished I was offered a good sum of money for it, so it was sold to be replaced by a red Firebird which I transformed into my white race car. Again before I had a chance to race this I was offered good money for it, so it was sold to finanvce my current car which has always been at the top of my wish list, my '69 Camaro.I've pics of some of my other cars but I'll have to scan them in as their on film.

Hey guys how about posting some pics of your earlier cars as well, :thumbsup:

[trapin]

For me it's always been this '68 Camaro in my possesion....I've always been too busy blowing my money on other things to have had others to work on.

The first time I modded it, it was a street racer that I occasionally took to the track. I had a little 331 (327 punched out) with a 4340 crank and highly ported/modified Dart heads. Mechanical roller camshaft, ported/matched Victor Jr. intake, 750 double pumper, 11.5:1 compression with a 125 nitrous shot. It had around 500 horsepower.....ran like a Tazmanian Devil on crack, it was loud as hell. I had the old Flowmaster single chamber exhaust on it that I dumped before the axle. Turbo 400 trans/Cheetah valve body, 4.56 rear end. My best time was 11.64 at Ubly Dragway. I did a lot of racing out on Telegraph road, Hall road, and French road down in Detroit before some nice policemen had a talk with me in the back of their squad car and persuaded me that it would be in my best interest to find another hobby. I smartly took their advice and now I'm here with all you fine people. :D

[hotwheels]

my first real attempt and (modding), and i call it modding, cause i am building something for me..Not to worried about what everyone else think's i should build.
It is this 1992 mustang gt. When i bought it, it had 52,000 original mile's, since then, i have added an entire maximum motorsport's suspension, (that way i can drag race and scca race), i added an x2cmotorsport's version 2 transmission (5speed) it is supposed to be good for up to 1200hp, i also added a mclead sfi bellhousing and flywheel shield, an aluminum driveshaft, heavy duty yokes and ujoints....then the turbo set up, it started out as a kit from a now defunct company, several year's back. I recieved most of the part's, but not what i had paid for. After almost a year of cutting and welding i finally got her together so she can run. The best it has done on the track is a 12.2 at 115mph.........

here is a pic of the turbo set up that i cobbled together........

[radrambler]

this is my 1971 camaro that i did back in 1991-3...my first resto-mod ride...car started as an all original 71- 307 -3 spd manual..no option car.it was a local two owner w/ original paint....$500.oo. bought me this not running up on blocks 71 out of a guys back yard...damn was it solid.....dirty as hell and all there..
completely pull it down....replaced front fender with gm..(i had just got a job at the local chevy dealer parts dept. after i started the car ) and drivers door skin.....pulled and blasted subframe .painted it.stripped body down .intalled a fiberglass cowl hood and had painter at the dealership shoot torch red ppg concept on it..intalled all poly bushings .every working park on the suspension and brakes was repalced .stiffer springs.intalled a 3:90 gear in a disc trans am posi 10 bolt rear..intalled a muncie 4 spd...scattershield 11 clutch...and my the first motor i ever built ..350-30 over forged flat top trws...comp 292 hyd cam ..ported th 186 casting heads(with help from local head building gu-ru) rpm intake 780 holley and ak 5000 headers...all chevy chrome trim...last but not least...torq thrust mags had just came back out from american racing....man i loved that car . ....got interested in a woman...and sold it to pay off bills .....MY WORST MOVE IN LIFE EVER.....

well here it is .. my first kick ass car...

[RussMS]

My only attempt at modifying a car of any kind was a truck.

My father died in 1985 and I inherited a white 1981 Ford F-250.

Among the wonderful features this vehicle had were a 300 straight 6. No functioning speakers or radio the same ratty interior that it came with when he bought it from a local power company. No A/C. It was a nightmare to drive, but it was my Dad's truck and being 14, I didnt know much better.

My first modifcation was the radio. I bought the cheapest one I could find at a local junkyard and installed it. After shredding most of the dash with a screwdriver and a hammer, I had installed my first radio. It had a tape player, but that was about it. Not knowing anything about stereos I ran 5 6X9s behind the seat with that little 4watt radio. It was laughable but it played. I went thru 2 more steros in that truck and learned a lot abot wattage and how to get better sound as opposed to just having more speakers. That was the first of 20 or so radios I have installed for myself or others over the years.

Next item of importance (to me) was the appearance. It was still a white work truck. I actually got this change right the first time. Fire Engine red with a Charcoal Gray. Looked suprisingly good despite all the people that turned up their noses when I told em what I was doing.

Rims and tires came next. I went with 16" chrome rims with huge oversized tires. I was determined to have all the tires the same size so I had almost 2" spacers added to the front springs.

The truck was sold in 1989 to a man that turned it back into a work truck. In a way, I am glad. That was what it was always meant to be anyway and its still cool to see a spot of charcoal gray and fire engine red still driving down the road. Who knows, one day I might buy it back again. Just for the memories.