Did You Ever Get a Free Car? (Somewhat OT)

[JerseyHarold]

My first car was a '64 Mercury Comet that my cousin's friend didn't want anymore. It supposedly didn't run, but 15 minutes after pushing it home I drove it down my street. I received two '51 Plymouths at different times, the business coupe I have now and a Cranbrook that I parted out (and now regret). And the only foreign-make vehicle I ever owned was a beat-up Toyota Corolla someone gave me that needed an alternator. That was a fix-n-flip because I didn't have any use for a foreign car.

Do you have a freebie story to share?

[Robert Horne]

I have had many free cars over the years. Many I used as parts cars, and some I repaired and used. I was given a 77 Corolla with a bad clutch slave cylinder, that I repaired and drove a few years before the frame got weak. I saved the fuel tank and installed the tank in my 38 Coupe. Many of the parts in my Coupes are from free cars, wheels, tires, brake parts, seats, carpet, insulation, lights, exhaust, paint, bondo, fuse box, etc..

[P-12 Tommy]

My grandmother quit driving in '80 and gave me her '71 Mercury Comet she bought new.

Tom

[E.L Lane's 48]

Yes, as a matter of fact my uncle had been storing my great grandfathers (the late E.L Lane) 48 plymouth speacial deluxe sedan in his garage for 25 years. I had expressed intrest in it and said if he ever decided to sell it I would be glad to make an offer. Nothing ever came of it. Much to my surprise I got a call from my uncle around Christmas 2 years ago and he said if I was still intrested in the car that I could have it. Of course I was there the next day with a rollback and a huge smile on my face! The motor was locked and brakes were no good etc... But it was still one heck of a christmas present. I think the most fun I have had yet was driving the car to my uncles house, and parking in front of the garage where it sat for 25 years. The look on his face said alot.

[Plymouthy Adams]

a freind of mine went into the Army..before he left, he drove his 1950 Plymouth over to my house and gave me the keys and signed it over..Inot long after than also joined the Army and in turn passed it on in the same manner..from there Ihave no clue what happened to the car

flash forward..friend retires from the military...decides on a tour of the US plenty of walking involved in this venture...he gives me his 58 Dodge truck...I kept it running for him years earlier till then..I now have that truck here at the house...needs work but at least its not in a junkyard..

[faucet47custom]

1979 Toyota Celica "Supra" was given to me by Steve my ex-stepfather. The car had been sitting at his parents house for 5 years and had been occasionally started up for a few minutes. They even paid to have it towed to my house. I rebuilt the brake calipers and did a tune up, couldn't figure out why it would die after running for 30 minutes. Sold it to a friend who clean ruct off of the fuel pickup that was causing it to run lean and vapor lock.

[dparksie]

I was given a 77 Mustang II, a 64 Ford 3/4 ton truck and a 78 Chevy Monza. I really do not recommend using either a Mustang II or a Chevy Moza as a work truck. They really do not last for some reason....

[JIPJOBXX]

My first car was a 1928 Ford Roadster and it was given to me by my brother to get me out of his hair. I first started to work on it when I was 14 years old and took it all apart and then put it back together just in time for my first driver car for high school!!! I had no money to put into the old car but I did have good sprite and between that and cleaning and saving old parts that car was back put back together. It did not have a top and was painted a dark green from paint I found in one of our old garages. Life was so simple back then.

[BobT-47P15]

In 1994, when my Dad bought a new Dodge Caravan, he asked if I wanted

their 1979 Toyota Corolla as the trade-in was not going to be very much.

I said "sure, I'll take it." It's still sitting in my driveway, some worse for

wear after sitting out in the weather since 94. It runs OK, is licensed

and gets driven on rare occasions. Our youngest grandson says he

would like to have it, but I don't think it's in good enough shape for a

trip to Florida where he lives.

While I was in college, an elderly lady almost gave me a 52 Dodge

two door fastback. The sale price was $20. I drove it for a while,

then sold it to a fellow who proceeded to run it into the ground.

[Young Ed]

Yup few years ago guy gave me a 51 plymouth 2dr. Rustiest pos I've ever seen.

[Eneto-55]

1960 Falcon with a busted transmission extension. Pulled the engine & dropped it in a 64 Fairlane for a buddy of mine. My first engine swap where I was the responsible party.

[GaryPrice]

All the good stuff. Had all options except for A/C and for some reason it had power steering but manual drum brakes all around.

My aunt bought it new. In 1983 I was 19 and knew she'd bought a new car. I was going to buy it from her, but we worked a deal and I insulated her basement and help frame out some walls for the den she was putting down there. When I was done, she signed over the car. I got married the next year. Still have the video tape of the wedding and me burning rubber pulling away from the church.

A couple of years later, sold the Challenger for literally next to nothing and bought a 79 Warlock that I used for a fishing vehicle. Gave that one away.

[tysouthwick]

My first give away was a 1993 mercedes 190e with a bad head gasket I got it running for about 2 seconds and then I decided that I dont like fixing cars with a lot of technology, Then in April my neighbor gave me my 1949 dodge b1b just a day after my birthday!

[RobertKB]

Free 1968 Mercury with 390 CID last year. It had been sitting for 10 years. Old fellow was selling his house and contacted me to see it I would take it and move it. Had it running before I trailered it home, in fact drove it onto the trailer. Brakes still worked but tires were iffy other wise I would have driven it the 10 miles home. It was filthy but I cleaned it up and sold it for $1000. Easiest money I ever made.

Before at his place

After at my place

[41/53dodges]

my 41' 1.5t was kinda free, just help the farmer every now and then!

[blueskies]

Not a classic car, but I won a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid in '08. It was a free drawing giveaway at a convention. Couldn't believe it when I found out I won...

It isn't a car I would have bought on my own, but it has been a saving grace with the lousy economy. I have about 60,000 miles on the car already, commuting 200 miles a day for work.

I have saved about $8,000 in gas over driving my Tahoe the same distance at $3/gallon...

Pete

[49 Dodge Dude]

I won a car from a local radio station back about 1990. It was a Renault Alliance (snicker) but it was only about 3-4 years old and in great shape. Only problem I had with it was the clutch cable kept breaking and on random occasions it would simply quit running. 10 or 20 cranks later and it would start up and drive like nothing ever happened.

[captden29]

my first car was a hand-me-down in the family, a 1950 dodge meadowbrook. drove it about two years until the tranny went bad. i got $5 for it for junk. i was offered a 1955 chevy in college but i turned it down. a freind gave me a 1989 chevy s-10, and then when he got a new truck gave me his 1980 dodge pick-up. i eventually sold both trucks and gave him the money. free cars used to be common. capt den

[John Mulders]

My first car was a 'given' to me in exchange for some paint-repairs on a boat.

A 64 Autobianchi , needed some repairs aswell.

Based on a Fiat 500, this two cylinder aircooled engine was fun to drive.

Had to double-clutch but I could park it anywhere.

Major issue was to get my 6'4" frame into the car

Felt like a backpack.I had to modify the Driver seat rails to allow it to go "all" the way to the back.

No need for rearwindow defrost, could clean that with one hand while driving.

First repair were the brakes (sounds familiar?) , I crawled under the car to find the master cylinder, could not find it at first. But located it, is was inches behind the front bumper, immediately followed by the pedals. Basically your legs were under the hood and the gastank was located between the hood and your legs (behind the dashboard).

But it was a car and I was proud of it, in the end I bought another car and I had the Autobianchi taken to the junkyard, something I regret now but at that time I had no place to store it.

I searched for good pics but came up with this one.

Still amazed I could get in (and out of) the car.

John

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Autobianchi_Bianchina.jpg/220px-Autobianchi_Bianchina.jpg

[Johnny S]

Actually two over the years. The first was a 1948 Chevrolet 4-door sedan .... it had been sitting on a nearby farm for years and the owner decided I needed something to "play" with so he sent it my way for $0.00. I ended up selling the old radio, the radiator, engine and just generally having a blast with the old beast.

The second was a 1954 Ford Four-Door ..... I would start it up and sit in it and rev the motor. Finally sold it for $20 to another kid. Actually came from a friend of the guy who gave me the '48 Chevy.

[48P15Annie]

I didn't but my dad got his first car for free. A 1967 Plymouth Satellie. It was a total rust bucket lol.

[aero3113]

I never received a free car but I did get this bbq for free this weekend My wife's brother and his wife bought a new house and the previous owners left it. They have a good bbq so they asked if we wanted it. I installed new burners and it is as good as new .

[JBNeal]

My great grandfather's '48 B-108 was a farm truck all of its life, and in '79 it started burning oil so it was parked by the barn until Dad could get around to fixing it. Seven years later, I asked about it and eventually was told that if I could get it running, I could have it. I wanted to fix it up so I could go take my driver's test with it, but having no $$$ and little spare time meant that I missed that deadline by a decade. I eventually got that basket case rolling under its own power and got the title signed over to me, drove it around for another 10 years, and have recently made the decision to strip it down, straighten the frame & fenders, and give it a nice coat of paint & a set of new brakes & tires. There's no heater, radio, turn signals or overdrive, but that old beater is all mine...SWEET

[Greenbomb]

When I was a kid a friend gave me a '55 Chevy Bel Air 2dr. hdtp. It needed a carb, so I parked it out in front of the house and 2 weeks later joined the Navy. Got home from boot camp and my Mom wanted it gone NOW!!!! Called the wrecking yard and they would give me $15.00 for it if I brought it to them, otherwise if they came to get it I got nothing. So as to not get shafted out of my 15 bucks I towed it to them. DOH!!!!!

[meadowbrook]

I paid $1 for my D34