What were you driving when you graduated to a 2002?

[SydneyTii]

Triumph Dolomite sprint, awesome little car,

but the 02 is just better in nearly every way!

[Lorin]

I edited the first post to include some pictures.

[gracer]

55 Ford Club Coupe.

 

[jmiller]

'69 Datsun 510  Bought in 1975, drove for five years, then got the '70 2002 in 1980.  The 510 got me through college, but once I got a job and had some money the 2002 was my first major purchase.  Big upgrade!  What a difference!  Yes, I have restored the 2002 and now is much better than when I bought it 40 yrs. ago!

[jgerock]

My profile picture explains it each time I post.  Bought the Beetle basket case in April 1992. Bought the tii December 2006. Sold the Beetle March 2016.

[YoungWilliaM]

A 1971 Capri, the Sexy European, that my dad and I saw at the SF Import Car Show.  First mod I did was to swap out the "Automatic" badges on the front quarter panels with the standard "2000" as I couldn't be seen driving a slushbox.  It was definitely a chick magnet.  In fact, my future better half bought, as her first car, a brand new '73 Capri over a used roundie, but that's another story. 

[adawil2002]

My Mom's wretched  Silver 1984 Chevrolet Cavalier. First car I bought was a 1972 2002 for $2K, I was 19.

[Krynvel]

1987 Pontiac Fiero GT, I still have it.

[SoKvlt]

1988 cutlass supreme, brown exterior with a brown interior. The thing was barely driven when I got it. 20k kilometres. It was my great aunts she bought it new when she was 88 and gave it to me when I got my license  

[John_in_VA]

Sold the 1974 VW Sun Bug (special edition), my first car, for the 1970 Sahara 2002 in 1980.

Edited August 20, 2020 by John_in_VA

[wojo]

A Bug Yellow VW Beetle.  Wanted a 2002 when they were new but had little money in college.  Found my '74 '02 in 1978 a year after finishing school.  Got a job with a company car and the rest is history.

[AustrianVespaGuy]

Although I've been around for a while now, I'm still probably on the younger end of the 2002 driver-spectrum.  My dad had a 2002 when I was baby/toddler, but it (sadly) got replace with a 4-door sedan at the very edge of my memory, but obviously dad continued to sing is praises forever after, and I grew up a tinkerer of my bicycle, and helped dad with later rebuilds of an R75/5 and then the 911.  Then in high school, I went off to study abroad in Austria, got bored of not having mechanical toys to play with, but fortunately one day unearthed a torn apart Vespa Rally 200 in my host parents basement, and spent my weekends putting it back together and getting it running again (hence my handle). Gave my poor host-sister a heart attack when I started the engine up (without exhaust installed) the first time in the attic right over her head! Loved it so much that when I got home I bought one, which was/is (still have) my first 'own' vehicle:

But then I went off to college across the country, leaving the Vespa at home for summer use, and after the first semester, found my hands bored again. . . but $425 in the early days of ebay landed me a nice rusty 2002 within accessible range!

Graduation saw it get replaced with a less rusty 'keeper' car, the one I still have, but I learned how to do everything on that first car (including rebuilding the head in my dorm room) and mad me fall in love with Mintgrun forever.  So technically, my first VEHICLE was the Vespa, but the 2002 was my first CAR!

 

P.S. Bless you old guys who; I can't even imagine what a transcendental experience THAT must have been in the 70s to climb out of a crappy VW bug and then drive a 2002 around for the first time!

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by AustrianVespaGuy

[jp5Touring]

Bought a  73 tii  in the late 90's had a 86 Golf GTI with a Callaway turbo and a Suburban . Suburban was stolen out of Detroit Metro  Airport. Only kept the tii one year then  sold it cause too many cars. Bought this 73 last May owning two e39 Tourings and a 05 Mazda 6

soon to be a Mazda CX-5,plus lose a Touring and get a Silverado for my winter vehicle. My oldest has a SIlverado and a 73 Camaro that will be a Pro Touring ride.   Plan is bigger place and pole barn next spring. 

[dlhoovler]

Had an '85 GTI in college, but regrettably sold it and bought a 4-cylinder Plymouth Acclaim so my wife would have a lower-mileage car to drive to work when we got married. Love leads one to make great sacrifices!

 

I then started driving her '91 Mercury Grand Marquis, half vinyl roof and all. Less than a year later, I was looking at other Mk2 VWs when my dad passed the 2002 along to me. Other daily drivers have come and gone, but the '02 isn't going anywhere. 

 

-Dave

[Teelinger]

1987 Porsche 944 Turbo