Bob Hendricks, at age 16 in 1988, shows off his first car, a 1979 Pontiac Sunbird. The Hendricks family lived on Arminda Avenue at the time. He believes the redhead looking in the open window is Lindsay Ryan, who went to daycare at the home of George and Kathy Arduser.
After a couple of years of owning his ’79 Sunbird, Hendricks sold it for $700.
This is Hendricks’ original bicycle registration before he bought his first car. (Photos submitted)
This is the first feature in a series about local residents reminiscing about their very first car. If you’d like to share your story about your first car, reach out to Express Editor Kim Brooks at kbrooks@monticelloexpress.com.
Bob Hendricks of Scotch Grove was 16 years old in late 1988 when he bought his first car, a 1979 Pontiac Sunbird.
“I worked at Fareway and rode my bike to work,” he recalled.
Henricks said he saved his money to buy the Sunbird, which cost him $900 at the time.
“Plus I had to pay for insurance, registration, gas, and tires,” he added.
After he had his car, Hendricks stopped riding his bike.
“I had a feeling of independence. I was one of the first of my friends to have a car. Everyone piled in and we cruised ‘the loop’ for hours on end, listening to music. Back then, you could park and talk to people or just hang out. This was back before cell phones.”
Hendricks said you had to go to someone’s house to see if they were home.
While “cruising the loop,” teens would park and hang out in the parking lot that now houses the car wash. They would also pull into the lot that is now McDonough Real Estate and hang out.
Having his own car, he would pick up his friends before school and drop them off at the end of the day.
“Sometimes we didn’t go straight to school,” he said, not wanting to reveal too much about the fun he and his friends had.
Wanting a bigger and better radio in his car, Hendricks rigged an after-market radio and speakers “to enhance the cruising experience.”
“I installed an AM/FM radio because my car didn’t have a cassette deck,” he said.
Hendricks said he never had any accidents driving the Sunbird, though he did get into a fender bender shortly after getting his license with his parents’ car.
“I was already on thin ice,” he joked.
After a couple of years, Hendricks sold his first car for $700 and bought “a much nicer” 1985 Cutlass Supreme.
He said it’d be neat if he still had his Sunbird today, “but it was kind of a clunker.” If he had to guess, his Sunbird would cost about $3,000 today if it were in pristine condition.
Reminiscing about all of his vehicles over the years, Hendricks shared that he’s owned over 20 of more vehicles.
“They all have their own stories,” he said. “A moment in time…where I was in life, financially, who my friends were, my family size, the distances I traveled for work, the uses of those vehicles.”
He said some vehicles lasted six months or so, some were sold for mini vans once children entered the picture.
“When I was younger, some of those vehicles weren’t that nice,” he said. “As I got older, I bought nicer vehicles, something showier. Life dictates what you drive.”
Hendricks said he does not consider himself a “Ford” or “Chevy” guy, but more of a “Pontiac” fan. His dad, Ron, owned a 1967 Pontiac GTO before he started a family, and ended up selling it for more of a family car.
“That’s the most desired vehicle,” he said of the ’67 GTO.
Hendricks, who operates the “Memories of growing up in Monticello, Iowa” Facebook page and sits on the Monticello Heritage and Cultural Center board of directors, enjoys history. It’s no surprise he still had the “for sale” sign he displayed on his Sunbird.
He also still had the City of Monticello Bicycle License the police department handed out to youngsters. His 20-inch Huffy Single Speed Boys Coaster had a registration number of 83.