1979 Honda Civic Hatchback
Bought it when I was 14 years old for $100. It had been totalled in an accident, but I pried the fender off the back tire with a cro-bar and replaced the rear light that was broken. Stick shift with an 1,169 cc engine. I once drove it 110 miles per hour on the rte. 4 hill that runs through East Greenwich between the milk farm and the high school. Also, took it for “air” several times on upper Middle Road. Kept it until I was 17.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1979_civic1.jpg)
1984 Audi 4000s
Nice car for a teenager who bought with his own hard-earned money @ $3.25/hr. Stick shift, really expensive to run due to fuel injection issues…had it serviced by Hans Imports in North Kingstown. Kept this until I was 19.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1984_audi.jpg)
Honda Spree
I got this for around $100. Fun to ride around on but probably looked silly. When it was about to run out of gas, it would speed up to ~40mph. Worked great until I tried to jump-start it but reversed the polarity and fried the electric system.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/spree.jpg)
1979 Fiat Spyder
I managed to own or borrow this for a summer. Fun to have a convertible except for that one time when I floored it to ascend a hill on rte 1 and the gas pedal got stuck. It was a hairy situation as I approached a construction site at 80mph and couldn’t unstick the gas. Eventually, I shut off the ignition, but not early enough to escape the police officer that was pretty upset with my driving.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1979_fiat.jpg)
1986 Chevy C-10
Got this truck from a vehicle auction. It had been in a rollover. It had a lift kit on the body that was actually just 2 hockey pucks in-between the body and the frame. Rebuilt it, put in a bunch of aftermarket engine parts like a holley carburetor and edelbrock intake manifolds and headers with straight exhaust pipes.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1986_silverado.jpg)
1978 Dodge Truck
My dad bought this, but I have happy memories in it.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1978_dodge1.jpg)
1978 Dodge Sportvan (Sweet Pickles)
A monster van with an extended cab. Fun to drive. Huge V-8 engine, passed everything except the gas station. Lost interest when a brake job cost thousands.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1978_dodge_sportvan.jpg)
1981 Yamaha Midnight Special
Very powerful 1100cc engine. Fun to ride until I hit a Cadillac (his fault, not mine) and went over and through the handlebars. Badly broken leg, otherwise fine.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1981_midnight_special.jpg)
1984 Toyota Celica
Stick shift. Strong 4 cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive. Fun ride. Was $400 and had been rear-ended. I pulled the dent, filled the repair site with bondo and spray painted with silver Krylon paint. I sold it to Rone and it was stolen and used in a series of robberies. The police questioned me and Rone about them.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1984_celica.jpg)
Stanza
What a piece of junk. I was driving it on the highway and the sunroof actually flew off. Worked fine, but then I got rear-ended in a hit and run accident. There was no question that the car was totalled.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1984_stanza.jpg)
Maxima
Nice car, but this was my last “old and cheap” car. I remember paying over $600/month in repairs and a commercial came on TV for a sweet Jeep Cherokee, brand new that would lease for less money monthly.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1984_maxima.jpg)
1996 Civic Hatchback
I liked this car. Got it used in 1998. Sat low, stick shift. Basic but peppy.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1996_civic.jpg)
1998 Toyota 4Runner
Really nice SUV. Fun to drive, nice to look at. Never went off-roading with it.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1998_4runner.jpg)
Ford F250
Not enough cargo for a family trip, not enough truck for serious work, but a lot of power in the engine. Fix Or Repair Daily.
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1998_f250.jpg)
2009 Chevy Silverado
First vehicle I ever bought brand new. Proud to have purchased with no options. Just a work truck with a vinyl floor. V-6 engine
![](https://www.timthorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2009_silverado.jpg)
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