At fifteen I purchased a Model A. for $25.00.
About the same for me. My first car was a 1936 Chevrolet Tudor sedan. Found it out in a farmers field with a broken LR axle and a lot of surface rust. The axle cost me another $25 at the junk yard. Replaced the axle and my brother towed me home with his '57 Chevy and a chain. At home I put a battery in it and the engine turned over. With my grandfathers help (advice) I changed the oil and filter, cleaned the points, spark plugs and carburetor. The gas tank was bone dry so I put 2 gallons of gas in that my dad had for the lawn mower (he wasn't to happy about that) until I promised to replace it. I got in pulled the choke knob out and it started after about three revolutions and my grandfather adjusted the carburetor, got it purring like a kitten.
Before I was allowed to drive it, my grandfather again helped with checking the brakes. I pulled off one wheel at a time and the brake shoes looked like new and found no leaks, the master brake cylinder was full of fluid. The radiator was full of water too. The passengers door was kinda loose & sagged when open. In his spare time my father took the door off and made a new wood strut for the door and got it fixed. It amazed me that cars of that vintage had a lot of wood for things like that.
My father was an excellent wood worker/part time carpenter and a Lt. on the police dept at the time and he said because I had only a learners permit with a motor cycle endorsement, if I got stopped on the way to the gas station, I should explain to the officer about just getting the car and to be very respectful to the officer.
I drove it to a Sunoco station that as about a mile from the house. I had $4.00 on me and I put 2 gallons of leaded regular in the gas can and filled the gas tank which cost me $3.19. I took the "long way" home and got stopped twice by 2 different officers. both gave me a verbal warning and one gave me advice about how to remove the body rust & painting it.
After about a week or so, I got my regular drivers license and my parents bought a license tag for it. I don't remember if it ever had insurance but I bet they did get it for me. I drove that car to Jr. high school for the rest of the semester and High school until a guy offered me $500 for it.
He wanted to chop & channel it to make a hot rod so I sold it to him, with my folks permission, so I could buy a 1953 Chevrolet fast back that I had my eye on. I don't remember what the '53 cost as my folks put in the difference in cost from my $500 which I paid them back because I was working at the Sunoco full service station by then pumping gas and cleaning windshields for customers.
Boy those sure were the days.
). I hid the ticket and sweated it out. One day Daddy came storming in from the steel plant and yelled "YOU GOT SOMETHING TO TELL ME BOY?!!". It seems the local yokel judge worked part time and was on Daddy's shift. Busted!!! 
