With our BangShift Daily Tune Up being the “Little Old Lady From Pasadena”, it made me think about having a Granny that had a Super Stock Dodge. That would be cool! And then it got me thinking about all the cars that the different member of my family have owned over the years, including Mustangs, Rancheros, El Caminos, Camaros, Cadillacs, Studebakers, Old Fords, and more. But which one was the coolest? Clearly Dad’s ’68 Z28 is up there at the top of the list, but what about the older stuff that my grandparents had? Grandma’s Coupe DeVille was cool, and Grandpa’s old Ford trucks were pretty neat. But probably one of the best has to be my Grandpa Lanning’s ’50 Studebaker truck because it was his first hot rod, and he didn’t buy it until he was 75, and then spent the next 5 years building it on his own. That rules.
So…What’s the Coolest Car or Truck that anyone in your family ever owned, and why did you love it so much?
Had numerous cool cars come through my family…the bonus of young parents and relatives. Mach 1’s, Chevelles, El Caminos, a psychotic ’75 Omega…but I think the winner by far was a car that was passed around the family for a while, a ’70 Fury GT that had been converted to a 440-6. Dark green coupe, was built by an uncle, then my dad got it, and then my mother.
Tough call. But I think the first car we ever took the the dragstrip would have to be it, my Mom’s ’59 Dodge D-500. Blue and White, power everything, and swing out seats that the Monte Carlo guys thought Chevy invented…Automatic high beam shut off, power dual rear antennas, the car was just plain BOSS! But at that same time, my Dad had a ’58 D-500 (fins weren’t as cool on ’58’s). Then we bought our ’64 max wedge, and my Dad’s Chrylser 300. Then my Mom’s ’67 440 GTX, followed by our ’67 Hemi four speed GTX, then my brother’s ’68 Road Runner, and my ’69 Dart 383 GTS, then my brother’s superbird….damn, it’s just so HARD for me! (I’m leaving the real race cars out of it).
My cousin’s 63, 425hp 409 Impala. Going for a ride in it when he bought it brand new. I was 7 at the time.Even then I knew what it was! The 409 replaced his 57 that he had put a 327 Yvette engine in. He bought the 327 new in a crate from the dealer when they came out in 62. Ya think he did a little street racing?
1. My brother’s 69 Corvette 427, 4spd convert with factory side exhaust
2. My uncle’s 67 Olds 442 4 spd convert
3. My father in law’s 68 Dodge Charger R/T 440 Magnum
My dad’s 68 Buick GS California, it was cream with a black vinyl top, and he put in a 455 which he bored put to 462, 4 speed. Rare car. The car got trashed as one of the owners after my dad left in a shed at the bottom of the hill which got flooded out. Hopefully the current owner is restoring. This is the car that i blame for my obsession with old cars
I come from a family of nerds. Not much to brag about. The best I can offer is, for many years, my uncle drove a two-tone black and white ’55 Ford 2 door with a V8 and a four barrel carburetor!!
Dad had a few cool cars before he got stuck on Hondas. He first car was a triple black ’50 Merc convertible he bought in 1955. It had the flathead 3 spd and O/D. He crashed it, fixed it; but it didnt drive right anymore so he traded it in for a new ’56 chevy 210 coupe. It was off red/off white or tomato and eggshell depending on who you ask. The 210 had the blue flame six with the 3 spd o/d and topped out about 85 mph. He later got a ’62 Skylark coupe with thw aluminum 215. He traded for the ’64 Skykark Sport wagon. Whats not cool about skylights on a wagon?
My dad’s little brother bought a ’63 Impala SS convertible right out of college. It was red with white interior. Everyone in the family says that he bought it “to chase girls”. I knew I liked him.
my mom had a ’64 Malibu mor door. Was green, jacked up in the back had an 8 Track and a CB. Wide tires to match the stance. Was mean she says. That was 1976 and she traded it in on a new Chevette. Felt having a newborn on the way she wanted something reliable,,,,,boy should of kept the Malibu. I’ve always wanted one since in the same style.
Well, grandma had 66 Chevelle with the V6, Dad had succession on mid-70’s 4 door Impalas. Maybe his ’58 DeSoto Firedome (also a 4 door) counts?
My grandfather might of had one of the best in my family. He had a 49 Plymouth Coupe with a swapped in early Hemi. he also had a 49 Ford Coupe that he raced on the dirt tracks. he had both in the mid-late 50s. My oldest uncle had a 70 Boss 429 that he drag raced alot in the mid-late 70s at Englishtown and York. My dad had a 73 Charger SE when I was born. it had a 400 originaly but he swapped it out to a 440 6-pack (this was in the early 80s when you could still find stuff like that in junkyards). my other uncle had a Ramcharger with a 440 police car engine in it he used to street race all the time in the mid-late 80s. All of them are long gone. My oldest uncle has a 65 Mustang fastback with a 289 and a 4-speed now and I have my 73 javelin/AMX that I bought in high school, 12 years ago. this month is its 40th birthday.
Grandpa’s 1950 Ford pickup. Spent the summers i So Oregon and his truck was bright red and needed a wax job so I spent a entire day waxing it. Started in the shade but the afternoon sun got me and it was one of those 104 degree days. Was 11 years old and could not find the keys and had to finish. Looked great when I was done but not sure who was the redest when done. Days of pain
my brothers 66 GTO
I had a 65 GTO later in lfe
My Aunt Rose’s 1967 Dodge Dart with the 273 “Power Package.” Carter Thermoquad Carburetor, 3 inch, single mind you Exhaust, and for little 273, ran like something was chasing it.
My family is pretty lame when it comes to cars. I’m the only gearhead in several generations past and present. My parents had a 63 Polaris wagon, 318, typewriter when I got my license and it was pretty cool, I’ve preferred wagons ever since. I guess the coolest car ever in the family was my 69 383, a/t Road Runner. My 83 Malibu wagon was fast and loud, but not like the R. R.
When I was a senior in high school, my brother and I owned a 1957 Miller Meteor hearse.Had a lot of fun with it.365 did,6200 lbs. actually got it to chirp the tires once!
my cousin and i had a black on black 55′ sedan delivery with a 348 3 speed. changed motors and trans many times ended with a 409 4speed, Holley, Hedman, Crager SS with the drums painted bright red. raced at the old Brohman track and once at US131 speedway. a blast from 72′ until i went in the army in 79′. the only thing i did not like was the carrier bearing driveshaft!
My brothers ’57 Chevy sedan delivery with a 396 BB. When you abused it, the engine would smash the distributor cap against the firewall. That was followed by a ’68 AMX w/ a 401 dual quads. Finally, I wish I had my ’67 Chevelle SS 396 4-speed back.
My dad owned a 1/4 scale tractor trailer that was based on an American Bantam. We updated the drivetrain with a Datsun B210 engine/trans, and stretched the cab so an adult could fit in it to drive it. It was built to look like a ’48 White. It even had a 1/4 scale Southern Body box trailer with it. Dad also had a ’35 Chrsylser convertible that was supposed to be 1 of 8 prototypes, and the only of those 8 that wasn’t destroyed by the factory. He also had a 35 Chrysler Airflow with 5000 original miles. And he had the last ’60 Edsel convertible that was built. #76 out of 76 built. And I had a ’64 VW truck that was a shorty. It had 4 feet removed from the middle. I could turn it around in the middle of a 1 car garage and drive ir back out. Lots of memories from those days. Dad sold most of the cars before cancer took him in 1993.
My grandmother’s 1956 belair sports coupe, which she gave me for high school graduation. (actually got it my junior year) It didn’t stay stock for long, alot of great memories with that car until it was stolen. Maybe someday I’ll get another.
My Grandfather had a cool 49 Caddy and he actually had a Auburn and a Reo. Those were obviously before my time. My uncles had a fleet of Caddy’s and Lincoln’s and other assorted large cars . My cousins 80 Trans Am with murals painted all over was really cool (ex Isca show car that he daily drove and ruined) .
My dad used to have a ’55 Chevy pickup with an Rochester injected small block. And a ’70 Boss 302. Back in the day he had a ’58 Impala and a k-code fastback.
I still think the coolest was his ’70 Bronco that he used for desert racing in the 80s.
My grandfather had a bunch of 60’s mercedes w111 and 230’s parked in his yard untill 85. All where very rotten examples as this is Nova Scotia Iam talking about. They probably where rusty after only a few years in this province, as the road crews applied generous amounts of road salt then and only up to a few years ago. Also had a 77 capri 2.8 and 81 econoline van camper converted, 81 toyota diesel pickup. earliest cool car I can remember was a green fiat sedan that my grandmother drove when I was like three. There are a bunch more that I just cant remember as my grandfather used to drag em home replace the body and anything that needed replacing and resell.it.
When I was a kid my mother used to drive us around in a red and white 55 Nomad. I remember it sat in the garage not running for a few years and my father sold it for $100.00 so my mother could get some new curtains for the house.
The one car that has left a very big impression on me was my father’s 1960 Nomad,gray with carnation interior.( It was stolen and driven for a joy ride until the gas tank went dry.Then, the two scumbags broke out every window).
My uncle’s 1970 351-C/ 4-speed Mach I,(red with black interior),owned since new and still in the driveway.
My aunt’s Metalflake Blue 1966 Chevelle Super Sport(396 badges with a tough-running 427 under the hood, white interior).
I was told as a child she used to drag race.When I asked my uncle what she had won, he smiled and said,”The Parkway!”
(If you street raced for money in the Northern N.Y.C. Metro/Northern New Jersey area in the late 1960s through the mid 1970s and were beaten by a blond in a well-tuned Chevelle, that was my aunt).
Thanks,BangShift.
My dad had a ’67 Barracuda fastback,later a 1971 Satellite Sebring with a 383 Magnum.
My aunt had a 1970 Barracuda that she still misses today.
My uncle had a 1969 Dart GTS 340.
My late brother and I built a 1975 440 Duster in the ’80s, before my brother passed away,he always talked about my Duster to co – workers at the U of A.
My sister in laws 1950 Chevy Suburban that my late brother built for her.
My late brother’s ’29 Ford Tudor on ’32 chassis.
My dad had several cool cars, 67 GTX, 69 roadrunner. LS1 SS Chevelle (he had a brain fart and bought a chevy ?!), but the coolest I think was the 69 1/2 440 six pack Superbee, it had a 4 speed with 4.10 gears, awsome!
Me: 68 Charger 440
Brother: supercharged 03 Marauder
Sister: 79 Malibu coupe
Mom: 59 Chevy
Dad: Triumph TR3
My uncle always had the coolest Oldsmobiles. The one that stands out was a “Jetstar” I think? It was a 1 year only fastback. It was the first car I’ve ever seen with a center console with a tach. But my cousins had the REAL cars. One was a 1967 Cougar with a 390 FE engine, Top loader 4 speed and 3.90 gear. Then came a 1969 Boss Mustang. My other cousin had a 1969 Camaro SS 396.