My First Car - 67' Buick Special
Published on February 19, 2025
I've loved cars for as long as I can remember, but not being from a "car" family, I didn't grow up around many cool cars. When it came time to think about finding my first car at 16 years old, and not having enough money to buy a cool car, I was happy to take the hand-me-down car that no one else wanted. It was a 1967 Buick Special with a 300 ci V-8 making 210 hp. This turquoise 68,000-mile, 4-door sedan came with white wall tires, AM radio with one speaker, two-speed automatic transmission (TH 200), and a huge front bench seat. My grandparents purchased MY Buick new and it spent its life being driven by my grandmother.
Desperately wanting a cool car, I added 14" Keystone Classic wheels, Road Hugger radial tires with the rears being much wider than the fronts, air shocks, tinted windows, dual exhaust with glass-pack "mufflers", a cheap stereo system with two 12" woofers in the trunk, and a CB radio to communicate with my friends when we were out cruising the hood. My Buick was not a fast car, but it looked and sounded faster than it was. Grandma was not happy.
I drove this car for many, many years hauling many friends to heavy metal concerts, parties, camping trips and doing things that neighbors and local cops apparently found extremely annoying. After more than 15 years of dedicated service, my beloved Buick was retired to the backyard where my dog Chewbacca would spend his days sitting on the roof watching the world go by.
