What vehicle did you learn to drive on?
- Thread starter michaelc80
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At the age of 15 in the late 60's I was driving Cushman golf carts at the local course, where I worked, and a Honda 90cc motorcycle.
But I was allowed to "practice drive" that summer with my grandmother's 1948 Desoto sedan, on sand roads, in northern Wisconsin.
That car was a 3 speed on the column, a flat head 6 cylinder, with rear doors that opened up backwards. The rear seat was huge, almost enough room to set up a card table & have a game!
But I was allowed to "practice drive" that summer with my grandmother's 1948 Desoto sedan, on sand roads, in northern Wisconsin.
That car was a 3 speed on the column, a flat head 6 cylinder, with rear doors that opened up backwards. The rear seat was huge, almost enough room to set up a card table & have a game!
Homemade 5HP minibike at age 14.
Had my own money via my neighborhood lawnmower repair business, but dad would not let me buy one. He said "If you want one so bad, build it yourself", so I did. Had a StingRay bicycle front end, and truly evil handling
1964 Pontiac Catalina 400CI V8 at age 16.
1965 Ford Mustang 200CI straight 6 at age 18
Had my own money via my neighborhood lawnmower repair business, but dad would not let me buy one. He said "If you want one so bad, build it yourself", so I did. Had a StingRay bicycle front end, and truly evil handling
1964 Pontiac Catalina 400CI V8 at age 16.
1965 Ford Mustang 200CI straight 6 at age 18
Lets see, vehicles driven before getting license at 16;
John Deere Model A tractor,
Chevy pickup automatic on dairy farm,
'55 MG TF 1500
Honda Civic
'71 or 72 Capri,
Dual Axle IH or Ford dump truck,
Yamaha RD 350
and the drivers ed car at HS
oh and Ford Torino.
John Deere Model A tractor,
Chevy pickup automatic on dairy farm,
'55 MG TF 1500
Honda Civic
'71 or 72 Capri,
Dual Axle IH or Ford dump truck,
Yamaha RD 350
and the drivers ed car at HS
oh and Ford Torino.
It was an old ford something or another, 50 something model, if I were guessing. Had no cab, hood, fenders or anything. I take that back. It did have some corrugated sheet metal used strategically around the engine (old metal take off a barn). It had a couple of make do seats,a plank flat bed on the back and reminants of a metal floor. It was a real sight. I probably don't remember how bad it really was.
I actually had a choice back in the early 70's between a 1954 Ford with 3 on the tree or a 1949 Chevy pick-up with the starter on the floor. I wish I had that pick-up today! It was a blast to drive.
Learned a few years ago on a 1995 Camaro Z28 Convertible and the car is still my daily driver to this day.
gads some of you are either awfully young or learned to drive awfully late in life.....
oops, i guess at my age, most people actually ARE younger...
learned in a 1963 Buick Special wagon. The truncated Wildcat engine with the 2 speed auto. That engine was so noisey you couldn't sneak up on a freight train...nor could you sneak home late.... When I got good at it, they let me drive the newer 65 Buick wagon (see a theme here?) That would have been in about 1970?.
Drivers' Ed car was a 70ish AMC/Rambler something or other, but I distinctly remember the 401 under the hood. moderately large car, but man would it get up and go....we loved practicing entering the freeway....
First car to own? the wife's dowry: a 73? Gremlin (seriously). Still have the wife....hopefully the Gremlin was turned into something more useful, like razor blades.
First brand new car? 1978 Cutlass Supreme, 260ci v8 sorriest excuse for a v8 i've ever seen. the Gremlin could beat it...if it could keep running long enough.
First "foreign"? 1980 or 81 Mazda GLC, i'm old, i forget. loved it. 1st stick. last stick, too (so far)
Last domestic? 1993 Chrysler minivan
oops, i guess at my age, most people actually ARE younger...
learned in a 1963 Buick Special wagon. The truncated Wildcat engine with the 2 speed auto. That engine was so noisey you couldn't sneak up on a freight train...nor could you sneak home late.... When I got good at it, they let me drive the newer 65 Buick wagon (see a theme here?) That would have been in about 1970?.
Drivers' Ed car was a 70ish AMC/Rambler something or other, but I distinctly remember the 401 under the hood. moderately large car, but man would it get up and go....we loved practicing entering the freeway....
First car to own? the wife's dowry: a 73? Gremlin (seriously). Still have the wife....hopefully the Gremlin was turned into something more useful, like razor blades.
First brand new car? 1978 Cutlass Supreme, 260ci v8 sorriest excuse for a v8 i've ever seen. the Gremlin could beat it...if it could keep running long enough.
First "foreign"? 1980 or 81 Mazda GLC, i'm old, i forget. loved it. 1st stick. last stick, too (so far)
Last domestic? 1993 Chrysler minivan
A 1961 Corvair 700 sedan with Powerglide, where the shifter poked out of the dash like a mustard spoon. Rear engine, swing axles and just enough power to make things spicy. Ah, youth and ignorance...
Before getting the license - any road machinery in the area (pretending as a kid), Lawn Boy pusher-type riding mower, 55 Ford Pickup, 5 HP Rupp mini-bike, and a friend's dune buggy (which I slid backwards down a hill into a tree).
Took the test in the parents' 56 Chevy sedan, which my Dad let me drive in parking lots and up and down the driveway.
First car of my own was a 63 Falcon sprint, 260 and 4 speed which I wrecked a few hours after buying. Next car was a 64 Nova, 283/Powerglide. I took two friends to get their tests in that car, both times by sneaking out of last period Spanish class.
Took the test in the parents' 56 Chevy sedan, which my Dad let me drive in parking lots and up and down the driveway.
First car of my own was a 63 Falcon sprint, 260 and 4 speed which I wrecked a few hours after buying. Next car was a 64 Nova, 283/Powerglide. I took two friends to get their tests in that car, both times by sneaking out of last period Spanish class.
1971 Ford Country Suire wagon. 400-2V V8. Would power-slide it around the neighborhood after I washed it.
Learned to coountersteer in the beast also!
Learned to coountersteer in the beast also!
1938 International tractor, the kind with metal tracks instead of rubber tires. It had no electrical system so Grandpa would have to hand crank it.
My best friend had access to his dads 1940-something English Ford that we would push accross the street to a vacant lot and drive around.
The first car street driven was a 1963 Rambler station wagon.
HS drivers-ed was in a 1968 VW.
My best friend had access to his dads 1940-something English Ford that we would push accross the street to a vacant lot and drive around.
The first car street driven was a 1963 Rambler station wagon.
HS drivers-ed was in a 1968 VW.
1985 Nissan 4wd pick-up (stickshift),
1988Toyota Liteace van (stickshift)
(that was in Sri Lanka/Ceylon)
1988Toyota Liteace van (stickshift)
(that was in Sri Lanka/Ceylon)
I learned to drive with a 1949 Chev 1/2 ton pickup, 4-speed, in NE South Dakota back in '74. That ol' truck was a lot of fun, albeit cantankerous when it came to starting it. I seem to recall reverse gear having a sour detent and shifting to such was to the driver and down... Glad there wasn't anyone behind me!
My daughter learned to drive in my 77 Chevy Luv. She also rode home in it when she was born. Beat that.
A 65 beetle buggy, and a Jeep flatty hunting lease vehicles. Both were terribley difficult to drive with no Power steering, manual force clutches and not running in top form. Oh, and not much but two track uh.."roads"
'69 VW Beetle. Ideal car to learn in - you could hardly stall the engine due to the heavy flywheel and soft clutch.
I learned on a '74 Porsche 914 in the Jersey Pine Barrens and got pulled over by a State Troopper all at the age of 9. He told my Dad I was driving ok, but could not see anyone behind the wheel. Dad took it from there. I was tweaking his Euro cars for him by the tender age of 12. I'm a freak.
71 Ford Pinto. Named her "Fireball" and hoping I didn't end up that way myself
. It was a stick and I'd never even practiced on one before. Went to the local Burger King drive thru one night with my co-pilot and mentor. Leaving the drive thru I stalled it a couple of times because of a slight hump in the concrete. Friend told me to give it more gas and be gentle on the clutch. Well I about red-lined it and did a perfect clutch side-step. I squealed the heII out of the left side bias-ply and left one good-looking single-track for about 6 feet. My buddy told me I would be just fine with a manual tranny
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