A first car is a learning curve that should lead to something better when it's time to pick out that next vehicle. I viewed my first car as a stepping stone that would lead me to my second car. The work that I had done on that first car raised it's value, so I could sell it and use the money to buy the next one. I'm one of those people who is always watching the side of the road to see what's for sale even if I'm not in the market for a new ride. Certain cars are instantly written off with not much more than a glance, but others require a u turn and at least a walk around. One day a maroon Mustang popped up in a small gravel parking lot with a For Sale sign propped in the windshield. I made the u turn and did the walk around! It was a '66 coupe and the body was in great shape. It had a 289 V8 and an automatic with a factory console and a black interior. Asking price was $1000. This was definitely a step up compared to the '64-1/2. A test drive confirmed that this was to be my next car. My father lent me the money with assurances that I'd pay him back when the '64-1/2 sold.
That '66 was a great car. I drove it to my senior year in High school, college and even a trip to Vermont.
Even now I kick myself for selling it when I made the misguided decision to buy car #3.
