Graduated in 76, our prom ride was a bit of a departure. A mid 50's Buick Roadmaster. Owned by my prom date's grandmother, in excellent shape, black, with a white roof and trim. Large and comfortable, it was like going in a limo, before limos were cool. We went with another couple, with a friend of ours driving. The starter was unique, it was built into the gas pedal. Tap lightly on the gas, and BROOM! Started right up. We personally thought it was the coolest car there, and to do it again, I wouldn't change a thing. During the prom, we used it for breaks between dances, for a little smoking and drinking, the legal age was 18 back then, and none of us were driving. Try that, in a Pinto! A good time was had by all, and the Roadmaster was a central part of that.
Back in 1978, dad came home from work. He said "There is a Cadillac with a For Sale sign down at the foot of the bridge". Dad was born in 1942, and always wanted a Cadillac. I was born in 1966 and aways wanted a Porsche 928; We were very different people~ He was an electrical engineer for Detroit Edison, so we could afford one. Anyway, he corralled me after dinner and we went and looked at it. "Dad, it's pink...." I said to him. The official color of the car was "Bimini Beige", which means that it was beige on cloudy days and pink when it was in the sun. And while it was a '77, we were in the '78 model year and this was a "company executive" car, which had only 13k on the clock. He got it for $8300, versus the window sticker which said $13,700.... The car rode so smooth you almost couldn't tell you were moving. And several interior panels were misaligned and the panel gaps were atrocious. And it was PINK. I very quickly got used to hiding behind the C-pillar in that car so that my friends or school acquaintances or....Pretty much anyone! Could not see me riding in this thing.... Parents really do not understand that oftentimes their actions can have very negative connotations for their children's lives. It was only about two weeks before it got around the school that my parents had a pink Cadillac. I caught no end of crap for that.... We moved a year later, and it started in the new neighborhood pretty soon. Eventually I drove the pink Cadillac to school and found a parking spot in the front row; My chemistry teacher, this immensely fat woman actually mentioned it in class: "Someone brought a pink Cadillac to school!" She drove a Ford Squaremont. I hid my head... And dad? He wasn't done yet. He pulled the standard disc wheel covers off of the car and installed GENUINE K-Mart wire wheels instead of going out and buying a used set of the factory wire wheels. So not only did I look like a pimp driving this 180 horsepower 7.0 liter/425 cubic inch TURD, but I got the full K-Mart effect which made me look like a cheap pimp! Dad also installed K-Mart tires on his TURD, and the result is that I installed the spare tire four times; Three times while I was driving it and once while my mom took me to the grocery store! And the K-Mart wheel covers were famous for flying off when I took a corner. On two occasions I had friends behind me who followed me home and told me that they knew where the wheel cover was located. We lost one all together, but dad just bought more~! It got SO BAD that I simply refused to drive the car. I'm serious, if my dad was away and kids called me up to come over, I just made up an excuse why I couldn't come there. My dad bought an '80 Chevette automatic with all of 65 horsepower and a 65 mph top speed; That was the only car I drove until my first car, a '77 VW Rabbit with 80 hp and a four speed that was an utter revelation! Folks.....Please think about your kids before buying a car!
1973 Plymouth Duster, loaded with options to the prom. Took my girlfriend I met in the homeroom in 72. We got married and raised a family. We're still happily married too. I had a 67 Cutlass Supreme both great cars both.
I went to prom in '71 with my 1st car...a '61 Country Sedan.. bought for $200 bucks when I was a sophomore in high school. best money I ever spent cuz I learned how to do all the work on cars myself so I know how to do everything I became my own best mechanic and I still am at 71 years of age !
My prom was in 1984. My Dad passed away in 1981. I inherited his 73 Olds Cutlass Supreme two door coupe. While not a true street machine, it was fast enough and a perfect date car!
@@nessie42786 No. I sold it for money to purchase a 69 AMX. Beautiful car! Big Bad Green Go package car. 390cid factory four speed manual with Hurst quick shift. 500 Special emblems on the hood. Tore down the engine and did a little more than mild build on it. Was my everyday car. Unfortunately I wiped it out one night being stupid. Three days later got a letter from the California AMX Club that I had one of three cars in existence in California. Still haven't forgiven myself for that
Mom had an 85 Delta 88 Royal. Awesome car. I was a radio DJ in Waco Texas. My twin had lent me his old UGLY 73 Southwestern Bell van. Hey I was a poor DJ. I ended up rolling that thing over next morning after leaving a party. That damn thing had so much play in it that I lost control. Any who, my mom drove up from Corpus to Waco to check up on me and ended up giving me her 85 Delta 88. She bought herself a Cadillac.
Michael, I took my first car, an '88 Monte Carlo there when I graduated in 1999. So while I wasn't alive in the '70s, you're preaching to the choir with this theme! I appreciate it! Although I prefer the top two on the list. Thank you.
That's the way you do it! We had a few that drove a Good Times van to prom. I wonder what the girl's dads thought. lol......Then again we all had the back seat if we really wanted to.
Eldorado for a prom night? Upper class!!! 1970's personal luxury cars (monte carlo, cutlass and grand prix, cordoba) were spot on!! Mustangs were and still are everywhere!! Rounding out with firebirds and camaro's were spot on!! Great work and content!!!! Graduated in 82 and took a Buick Regal!!!
Yall must have went to rich kid schools. We drove 15-20 year old plus cars. Kids where I come from didnt drive 70s cars till into the 80s when they went on used car market. My first car was 15 years old 1970 Dodge Dart, no i didnt take it to the prom. Me and my friends skipped the prom went to the lake and camped out and got HIGH AF.
I was in high school in the late 80’s, graduated in 1990. Got my licenses and drove a work truck of Daddy’s, a 1980 Dodge single wheel ton, manual transmission with the bulldog gear , it been an old minty green forest service truck, that he’s still got. I wanted it for the 360 and four barrel that made a deep bellowing sound pulling a heavy load of lumber up the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky and when I was just driving it, I’d drop my speed to about 45 mph then kick the hell out of it, 4 barrel would kick in with that deep roaring sound, Daddy showed me this, not knowing I’d do it every time I drove it, what a rush, give you chills, oh how I miss that sound!! It’d get you in the chest , pure excitement. I’m a Daddy’s girl, a tomboy and loved Dodge trucks and all Daddy would ever have and me too. By my senior yr he needed the work truck every dayso he brought home a 1984, black, hard top Jeep CJ7, Renegade and asked me if I’d trade with him. I did! 😆 and the Jeep brought a whole new kind of fun, it still had the lock out hubs on it, loved to take it in the mud and up the creeks. Drove it from high school, through college, then my job, till I bought my first brand new vehicle, a 1995 Dodge 3/4 ton with the V-10. The salesman asked if we were going to use it on the farm, nope it was going to take me to my teaching job. I miss the the sound of the 4 barrel carburetor and the fun and freedom of those days. You and my husband liked the same kind fun, he graduated high school in 1987, him and a bunch a buddies went to the lake, camped out, fished, stayed drunk and high the whole time with all his rowdy friends, who’ve all settled down… 😂 used to cruise in that old green truck listening to Hank Jr, Waylon and Lynyrd Skynyrd on cassettes!!
It was a great car that 66 I had a 67 Cutlass Supreme they all had 330 cubic inch either two barrel or four barrel great cars I hope you enjoyed it I know I miss mine terrible in the rain though. Expensive as all get out now.
Even though I personally had some very cool cars of my own, one of which was the "70" RS Camaro. But when came to special nights with special young ladies, I regrouped... For my senior prom in the year 1977. The car I employed was my parent's "76" Seville. Again in 1978, I borrowed the Seville to escort another young lady to her prom. That car served me well.
My Senior Prom was in 1971! I took my Prom Date and a friend and his Date to Dinner and then the Prom in a Four Door 1967 Ford Galaxie 500! Burgundy in Color with a Black Landau Roof and a Cream color upholstered interior! That car was fast, but I took it nice & easy and practiced a safe driving procedure that night.!!! My date was the runner-up, second place, in the Prom Queen Vote that night …a very nice girl.!!! 😘
In 1985, my bother had a used 1971 Torino. We were living at an apartment complex and it needed work. I remember us taking the engine apart and trying to fix it. Problem was, we forgot how to put it together! My bro ended up buying a 1982 Z-28. The Torino was later sold for $500.
I can't really relate, as I was in my prom years in the late 80's. But what I can tell you is what the cool kids drove to school at the time. Early 70's Mustangs and Camaros were common, as well as Skylarks, Novas, and LeMans (all 2 door coupes, of course). This was in the Rust Belt though, and so all of those cars were rotted-out deathtraps by the late 80's. But they all had cherry bombs, jacked up in the back, and Cragar SS wheels lol
1966 Marina blue 4dr ht( sports sedan) Impala. My mom's car. We had a long trip up by the Lambert Airport in st.louis, from Afftons, but the Impala performed just fine, we got home safely after the big party at the Marriott! Class of 73
My prom in 1977 I drove a 1976 Cutlass S Over the years I've owned 3 Cutlass's a 1976 Cutlass Supreme, a 1973 Cutlass Supreme and the 1976 Cutlass S best cars ever built.
A more fun survey would have been "what car did you wreck on prom night". In the pre-MADD 70's with 18 year old drinking ages, DUI was no more than a slap on the wrist in the absence of death or serious injury. The 80s kids took limos once the rules changed.
Yeah...It was all over by the mid to late 80's. Back in the late 1970's and early 80's, the cops would pull us over, tell us to empty all of the beers in front of them and to go home. Home we went. I was a mobile DJ for over 25 years. During Christmas we were always busy providing DJ service for Lowes, Builders Square, hospitals, and other big companies until one day in Texas, someone after a company Christmas party decided to drive drunk and ended up killing a family. That was then end of company parties for us! Cars are much safer these days but they sure are BORING!!
It's interesting to note that out of all of the cars mentioned here, only two remain in existence...the Chevy Malibu and the Ford Mustang. And from what I understand, this is the last year for the Malibu. So, long live the Mustang!!!
By the way, I forgot to mention this was a great idea for an article. After reading most of the comments, I can say we all did. Just thinking about what to write brought back great memories of graduation from high school. Here in Southern California we have what is known as Grad Night. The tradition was for all the school districts to close down Disneyland except for the graduating classes. We had Disneyland all to ourselves until early in the morning. What a great way to celebrate graduating. The other thing I want to say that in 1972 Alice Cooper released his song "Schools Out." My oldest brother dedicated the song to me since that was the year I graduated. There were just over 1,500 kids in my graduating class. It took for ever to call everyone's name and walk up to get our diplomas. 45 years ago.
Born in East Los Angeles - Parents moved us back to Texas in 1971 (thank God for that). :) We would frequent Disney, Knox and Universal monthly (Thanks dad RIP). All of my cousins in Los Angeles and Whittier went thru Grad Night at Disn. I had taken my kids to Disneyland and it was May or June and I wanna say the park closed early for a Grad Night or they were setting up for it. Either way the production takes me back to my Grad night in 1982. The excitement and nervousness, washing the car getting the tux ready and just life in general back in the 70's and 80's for me. SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER! Been working since! Retirement in two years!
In my ex wifes graduation,we wemt to prom in 93,in a 91 izuzu trooper special. It was cool at the time,then she got a 87 camero! All was good. Before that I gave her, her first car..a 79 Plymouth Valerie! It was mint atleast and no rust or torn seats It really was mint,just out of style and slow as hell! It allowed jer to get Camero in 94!
Mine was in 80. I drove my dad's 77 LeSabre. I really wanted mom's 75 Country Squire. I had a Chevette at the time. It would have been fine since it was all about getting to the after parties.
I worked part time at a Ford dealership in Wilmington NC in the 1970's. I got to drive a Lincoln Mark 5. My daily car was a Pinto and it was a fantastic car ! Ford only sold 2 million of these !
Awsome cars . I was born in the 70s ( 1976 ) graduated in 1994 . I drove my high school car a 1991 VW Jetta … my brother was born in 1970 and graduated in 1988 he had a Little Datsun truck . But drove our mothers new Audi 5000 to the prom 😂😂
Okay...My "Junior-Senior Prom" (Lawrence Central High in Indianapolis) was held in the month of April, 1970 at the "Indiana Roof" (Indiana Theater, downtown on Washington Street) and I was the driver of my parents "2nd family car" of that year: AMC's Rambler "Classic" four door 1966 year 232 c.i.d. in-line 6 cylinder version...no A/C, power steering or power brakes. At a 145 h.p. it was not a fast car, obviously. (My folks prime family car was a 1970 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with a 350 c.i. V-8 with plenty of power) I was happy to have a car to borrow for the night, though. My date was a Margie Farmer, who actually asked me to take her to the prom. She was attractive, intelligent (on the Honor Role Society) and in my Homeroom class all the four years at L.C. thus...how could I go wrong, right? And...her father was a somewhat high ranking U.S. Army officer at the nearby Army base - Fort Harrison. The day of the date is still somewhat clear in my mind: the getting the tuxedo at Gingiss Formalwear, I think...getting the corsage at a community area flower shop...having my dad taking photos of me getting ready (Gosh! I looked spiffy in that light blue outfit!) ... going to Margie's home and meeting her parents for the first time...pinning nervously on Margie's beautiful formal dress...then us heading over close to our school area to pick up our double-date couple. Then head downtown to the prom location in that '66 Rambler, which was...okay but not the choice family #1 car I wanted. The evening did, let's say, fair, but the next day was one of tradition to most junior and seniors in our school: a picnic somewhere in a central Indiana park. That's where, after the picnic lunch with two other couples, we all decided to take a walk....hand-in-hand seperate directions to "get to know your companion better". But...Margie didn't want to get serious, for some reason so...as we were walking along, "hand-in-hand" she stopped on a walk trail...looked at me and broke the "hand-in-hand" stuff and small talk and said (are you ready?): "My parents think I'm a fickled girl...so...I think we should not be dating anymore." What?! What I say or do?! Nothing outside a little kiss on the cheek last night when I took her home! That's all. Oh well...many years later I saw in our local newspaper section on "up coming prominent people" of Indianapolis that, she had followed her daddy's footsteps: Enlisted in the Army and...became a General...of all things! So...I can say of all the gals I dated...I dated a General, in the U.S. Army. How about that?
Other than the top 3, these are all "dad's cars". In the previous decade, I drove a "64 Cadillac Coupe D'Ville, belonging to my date's best friend's dad. That came about when my friend, later to marry my date's best friend, totalled my '58 Chevy on his way to pick up my date's best friend (one mile away - it was not his fault. A "little old lady" ran a red light. Nobody was injured.) The Caddy was a nice touch, however!
73’ Grand Prix triple black with red pinstripes. Rally wheels full vinyl top, duel exhaust, no catalytic converter used premium gas and twice the power of a 76-77. 74-75 was lower too but not as bad as 76-77 all cars were lowered. The fastest most powerful were the 69-70.
In the 1996, I brought a 1992 Mitsubishi Mighty Max pu truck. My first vehicle I bought in cash for $4,100 from working a lot of weekend hours at Hardee's. He was originally asking 5,800, but my dad negotiated it down. I spent all the 4100 I had at the time to my name. It had 87,518 miles and made it to 228,000 with original engine and transmission, and my youngest sibling/brother got ahold of it, and hit a pole that nearly split the truck in half, then left the scene of the accident. Police come to my door asking if I was alright and said my truck was badly wrecked, and I said I didn't know anything about it. I got it towed with my money, then found out later he lost his license due to DUI. He had a lot of DUIs through the years and never learned for decades. Never trust anyone with your vehicle, and especially someone like my brother who my parents never stopped calling baby, who in his 40s has never payed a penny for a vehicle that has totalled many. I have never totalled one, if you don't count letting my brother drive 2 of them that he totalled.
I miss the big boats. sweet rides. I'm trying to find whitewalls for my 93 caddy, I'm in Canada, I heard that someone has a patent on white walls in Canada, so they are hard to find.
I'm sorry but the original Eleanor in Gone in 60 Seconds was a 1973 Mustang Mach 1 by the way the 351 bosses were bad to the bone and what they gave us after 73 those Mustang twos what a joke
