My First Car Purchase - 1964 Mustang
Published by admin under Cars, Dad, Firsts on March 10, 2008
My first car was a “hand-me-down” from my Dad, his old Plymouth Valiant station wagon with it’s slanted-six engine, and standard shift on the column. It was Grey, I learned to drive in that car with my Dad at my side, but when it became my car, I painted large colorful flowers on it, wearing my fringed vest and leather headband. I had my first accident in that car…slamming into the back of a car which in turn slammed into a Cadillac in front of it…why just mess up one car when you can mess up two? Actually I felt terrible and broke down and cried, and was happy no one was hurt. I guess Dad must have handled all of the insurance matters, I don’t remember him getting angry or saying much about it…one of those things you think about in retrospect and wish your parent was there to thank them for.
Getting to the 1964 Mustang…which, by the way, made it’s debut 44 years ago today, I didn’t get mine new. After wrecking the station wagon, I went out car-shopping and it was love at first sight when I saw the used 1964 Mustang in good condition, white, with a black vinyl roof, 4-on-the-floor stick shift, and most important of all, a radio that worked. I went home and asked my Dad to come with me to help me buy the car…he was great at dealing. At one point, however, I was a wreck, because he told the salesman that if he didn’t take the price we were offering, we would be leaving, I watched in horror as he began to stand to leave, and open-mouthed just looked at him and started to get up myself honoring my Dad’s decision, but the salesman said “just one minute”, left the room, and came back, and sold the car for what my Dad offered. That was a great lesson to me. Wish you were here to hug ya, Dad, thanks.We’ll get into the accident that I had with that car another time….maybe.
