What about your first few years of mechanised/motorised transport

[Muhendis]

The topic elsewhere of Triumph motor bikes got me thinking about what I did for transport from fifteen onwards. Here's a few of mine up to age 21. 

 

First was a bicycle which for me was a Dawes Double Blue. I went all over Bristol UK, my city of origin, on that. It was a very nice road racer.

Next came a BSA Tiger Cub. I think it had 125cc of raw two stroke power with jam jar suspension on the back. Didn't keep that long but graduated to a 250cc BSA C15 four stroke which seemed like a rolls after the Cub. Went all over the UK on that.

 

Then along came my one and only BMW which was a not so grand Isetta bubble car. Had lots of student fun with that whilst at the same time tried to get a bond three wheeler working. It had a Villiers engine mounted on the front wheel and started by a lever inside the car which pulled a wire to operate the kickstart. Drove it a few times then striped it down for the scrap aluminium which was about all it was good for.

 

After that came my first proper car. A Triumph Mayflower. It had a 1200cc side valve engine and lasted about three years with me. As a jazz musician it was far better for carrying my trumpet than trying to balance it on the back of my C15.

 

What about you?

 

[Woof999]

Age 6ish. Hand-me-down Raleigh Tomahawk

Age 8ish. Hand-me-down Raleigh Chopper

Age 9ish. Raleigh Grifter. My first new bike. Loved that thing but it was HEAVY

Age 17. Mother's 1994 1.0L Austin Metro

Age 17. Brother's 1996 1.4S Fiesta

Age 17. Astra GTE Mk 2. The first car ever registered in my name

 

I then worked in the motor trade for a while and corporate software for many years so had many company cars from age 18 and up.

 

Stand out cars that I bought myself thereafter were things like:

 

TVR Chimaera - just stupidly fast

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA - oh the sound. Was an Alfa petrol head for a decade or so with numerous 156/147s

 

 

[rocketboy2]

5 hours ago, Muhendis said:

Next came a BSA Tiger Cub. I think it had 125cc of raw two stroke power with jam jar suspension on the back. Didn't keep that long 

Did you mean

BSA Bantam  ( two stroke) 125cc , 150cc, 175cc

Triumph Tiger Cub ( four stroke) 200cc

I did have both as field bikes. 

 

 

 

[Ralf001]

6 to 8 - Suzuki JR50.

8 to 12 - Suzuki RM 80.

12 to 15 - Suzuki RM125.

15 to 17 - Suzuki RM250.

17 to 19 - Suzuki RM500.

Moved to suburbia, stop riding bikes.

[Lacessit]

Going to college, a secondhand bike I bought for 5 pounds ( pre decimal currency ) with the proceeds from collecting scrap metal. About 10 km between school and college, rain or shine. Rode that bike for 4 years.

 

Saved up from my first job, bought a FX Holden sedan for 50 pounds. Still traveled to work by train. Sex became possible once I had four wheels.

[Muhendis]

2 hours ago, rocketboy2 said:

Did you mean

BSA Bantam  ( two stroke) 125cc , 150cc, 175cc

Triumph Tiger Cub ( four stroke) 200cc

I did have both as field bikes. 

 

 

 

Thanks for remembering.

Yeah.

 It was a Bantum

[pgrahmm]

56 Chevy -

61 TR3 I barrelled , jetted, & cammed -

53 Studebaker pick up I put a Chrysler hemi in (a fast beast at 2218#) -

64 Malibu SS convertible 300/327 4spd.....

On the mc side a Honda 160 before they stepped up to larger bikes & Ducati 250 hill/flat track bike at the same time.....The brakes & shifters were  opposite on each bike, making for some interesting mini-moments.....

 

[Gsxrnz]

Aged 15 in 1975, I bought a 1960 MKII Ford Zephyr from my BIL.  Proceeded to:

 

Install a MKIV front bench seat.

Install a phase III Kelford Cam, head, and flows from a wrecked MKIII Zodiac.

Install a 4 speed box from the same Zodiac, with an Impala in-line floor shifter.

The same Zodiac donated power assisted brakes.

Lifted the rear end - didn't work as the springs just sagged.

Fitted twin 150 Strombergs. Had problems getting the correct size needles, but after buying almost every needle available, I got lucky.

 

Did all the usual - mag wheels, painted it British Racing Green, new carpets, padded dashboard.

 

Paid $600 to the BIL.  Spent $3,000 ( a year's salary) doing it up. Sold it for $900 to pay for my wedding.  

 

That's the only car I ever made money on. 

 

 

[alanrchase]

Push bike.

Yamaha RD200 Electric.

Yamaha RD350B.

Honda 400NA

Suzuki GS850G/Vauxhall Viva B,

Ford Cortina Mk2, Vauxhall Viva A, Ford Cortina Mk4.

Suzuki GS850G (first got stolen)/ Rover 2.6 SD1.

Kawazaki GPZ900R/Ford Capri 2.0

Mazda 323

Ford Escort 1.6

Nissan Pathfinder 2.4

Toyota Hilux Sport Rider 2.4

Hyundai Accent.

Honda CB300F/Honda Civic 1.8.

 

[Muhendis]

On 8/10/2023 at 8:36 AM, Gsxrnz said:

Aged 15 in 1975, I bought a 1960 MKII Ford Zephyr from my BIL.  Proceeded to:

 

Install a MKIV front bench seat.

Install a phase III Kelford Cam, head, and flows from a wrecked MKIII Zodiac.

Install a 4 speed box from the same Zodiac, with an Impala in-line floor shifter.

The same Zodiac donated power assisted brakes.

Lifted the rear end - didn't work as the springs just sagged.

Fitted twin 150 Strombergs. Had problems getting the correct size needles, but after buying almost every needle available, I got lucky.

 

Did all the usual - mag wheels, painted it British Racing Green, new carpets, padded dashboard.

 

Paid $600 to the BIL.  Spent $3,000 ( a year's salary) doing it up. Sold it for $900 to pay for my wedding.  

 

That's the only car I ever made money on. 

 

 

You did all that when you were 15?

 

What job did you do after education?

 

Car repairs maybe?

[KhunLA]

Pedal bike pre first purchase, 1974 ...

First 1966 (?) VW Van - hippy dippy days

Next up, 1950 Buick Special

1965 Buick SportWagon w/glass roof

1963 Chevy Impala

1968 (?) Ford Fairlane Wagon

Then moved on to JP vehicles, at least 1

while owning USA crap at same time

1979 Datsun 310

Not in order, but close

Chysler New Yorker

1976 Honda 750cc

1980 Honda 900cc

1976 Monte Carlo

Caddy Coup de Ville

1986 (?) Nissan Pick up (only new purchase (work)

1980 Pontiac Firebird

Mazda 323

1973 Chevy Vega (worst car ever)

1969 (?) Dodge Dart (2nd worst)

Ford F100 Pick up

Ford Escort (Rebadged Mazda)

1988 Nissan Maxima

Thailand ...

2001 (?) 2006 (?) Toyota Vios (2)

2012 Mazda 2 sedan

MG ZS (ICE) 2020

MG ZS EV 2022

[Ralf001]

On 8/10/2023 at 8:13 AM, pgrahmm said:

(a fast beast at 2218#) -

 

 

Wat dis mean ?

[Ralf001]

4 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Pedal bike pre first purchase, 1974 ...

First 1966 (?) VW Van - hippy dippy days

Next up, 1950 Buick Special

1965 Buick SportWagon w/glass roof

1963 Chevy Impala

1968 (?) Ford Fairlane Wagon

Then moved on to JP vehicles, at least 1

while owning USA crap at same time

1979 Datsun 310

Not in order, but close

Chysler New Yorker

1976 Honda 750cc

1980 Honda 900cc

1976 Monte Carlo

Caddy Coup de Ville

1986 (?) Nissan Pick up (only new purchase (work)

1980 Pontiac Firebird

Mazda 323

1973 Chevy Vega (worst car ever)

1969 (?) Dodge Dart

Ford F100 Pick up

Ford Escort (Rebadged Mazda)

1988 Nissan Maxima

Thailand ...

2001 (?) 2006 (?) Toyota Vios (2)

2012 Mazda 2 sedan

MG ZS (ICE) 2020

MG ZS EV 2022

555 first few years.

[KhunLA]

1 minute ago, Ralf001 said:

555 first few years.

couldn't help myself ... going down memory lane ????

First 3 covered first 5ish years of driving.

[brianthainess]

My first push bike I made from parts collected at the local rubbish tip.

 

[steve187]

1st car at 17 in 1972,  Austin A40 farina i would guess a 1960 model 

1964 B reg BRG Austin mini 850cc (myself & 2 friends had the exact same colour car at the same time)

1968 F reg Ford cortina mk2 1600GT

1971 J reg triumph 1500 FWD

1974 Ford Granada my 1st Auto, its now 1977 i'm 22 & i'm driving Routemaster buses through central London route number 30

 

 

[pgrahmm]

2 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Wat dis mean ?

Big engine & total vehicle weight at 2200 pounds of which 754 pounds were the hemi engine.....

Very quick & very fast.....

[Muhendis]

12 hours ago, brianthainess said:

My first push bike I made from parts collected at the local rubbish tip.

 

Yeah.

If you could get enough discarded parts you could build a complete bike.

Great time stripping bottom bracket bearings and cleaning rust off balls.

[itsari]

Suzuki 50 was my first motorcycle given to me by my grandfather .

First car was a fiat 600 

[Tug]

About 12 my brother and I built a mini bike at 14 years I was given 5 broken solex  mopeds got 3 of them running a Ducati at 17 yrs (lucky I dident get killed) a bug eyed sprite then a Austin healley mk3 vw bugs all the bikes through the years bmw Harley Honda even had a urals gear up 3 Toyota Tacomas 1 Toyota fj several Jeep’s I’m driving a Jeep gladiator now busy boy!

[stratocaster]

I am curious to know what means of transport the posters have used since moving to Thailand? Did your petrol head bubble burst? I now run a 2003 4.7 liter Grand Cherokee and 1990 560 SEC Mercedes Benz. There ain't no substitute for cubic inches. Never mind the cost feel the torque. And no, I will not be buying an EV.

[rocketboy2]

First car and first car had sex in, Mk 1 Escort. 

[sometime]

This was my first, Norman Cyclemate 32cc

[bunnydrops]

I learn to drive in a 47 dodge pickup and my step fathers 46? Ford flat head woody. My grandparents gave me their 49 Plymouth. First car I bought 53 Studebaker coup, followed by 57 Studebaker Silver Hawk. My first mc (really it was my younger brother's) was a 53 Harley with ape hangers (the smallest engine they made at the time, I don't remember). That got me into my 20's and ended my motor head days. Became a hippy and bought a VW bus that I painted.

[bunnydrops]

On 8/14/2023 at 8:18 PM, stratocaster said:

I am curious to know what means of transport the posters have used since moving to Thailand? Did your petrol head bubble burst? I now run a 2003 4.7 liter Grand Cherokee and 1990 560 SEC Mercedes Benz. There ain't no substitute for cubic inches. Never mind the cost feel the torque. And no, I will not be buying an EV.

My motor head days were over 1/2 a century ago. But about a year or so ago I saw a Thai pull into a station in a 1968 chevy impala running a 3/4 cam. I don't think I had heard one of those in just about as long.