My father took me to a large parking lot at our local high school when I had my learner's permit. The car was a 1958 Ford Custom 300 with a 292 c.i. engine and a fordomatic transmission. The year was 1961 and our high school had Driver's Education class. The instructors always said "You educate people, you train monkeys".
In which car did you learn to drive?
- Thread starter PatriotX
- Start date
Best friend's 1958 Triumph TR-3. He got it brand new, because his momma loved her only child. At a time when many families did not even own a car, we didn't realize back then how lucky he was. We just scrounged up gas money and roamed the winding country roads, double-clutching, downshifting, toe-and-heeling, drifting around those curves day and night.
And we're both still here to tell about the stupid things we did.
Happy memories!
And we're both still here to tell about the stupid things we did.
Happy memories!
Wdbutcher97
Member
I learned to drive a 63 GMC with a linkage jamming 3 on the tree. Having an impatient Father on the passenger side did not make it an enjoyable experience. I think I was 14. Dad was a contractor and I was cheap labor. He had no time to waste, there was work to be done.
Sistema1927
US Veteran
And in the US it was the Ford Tempo. Not much of a car.
Benchrest1
Member
1953 Ford with 3 on the tree.
LVSteve
Member
hard to declare just one...
the first time I placed my hands on the steering wheel and pushed on the gas all by myself it was in my aunt's 62 Buick with a wildcat V8... I was 9 or 10 spending a week at the farm and my aunt drove me out to the oat stubble field and parked it next to the hay stack behind the barn... she got out and said when I was ready put it in the garage and walked back to the house... I was Mario Andretti for at least half an hour... probably never went over 30 mph... managed to get the front bumper in the garage door and panic set in... turned it off and surrendered the keys in defeat... the next summer I learned how to drive a stick... 1965 GMC straight six 3 on the tree, radio delete and manual choke... once you can drive that... you can drive anything... neither car was glamorous, but wouldn't change a single moment... years later at 16 I took my driving test in my mothers 1972 Buick Skylark Custom Convertible with a 350 and a posi... got to drive that my junior year in high school... my older sister has it now... my senior year I saved up enough to by my own car... 1967 Pontiac Firebird Convertible with a big block... best man from our wedding has that one... both have been restomodded into street beasts... thanks for sharing your memories
the first time I placed my hands on the steering wheel and pushed on the gas all by myself it was in my aunt's 62 Buick with a wildcat V8... I was 9 or 10 spending a week at the farm and my aunt drove me out to the oat stubble field and parked it next to the hay stack behind the barn... she got out and said when I was ready put it in the garage and walked back to the house... I was Mario Andretti for at least half an hour... probably never went over 30 mph... managed to get the front bumper in the garage door and panic set in... turned it off and surrendered the keys in defeat... the next summer I learned how to drive a stick... 1965 GMC straight six 3 on the tree, radio delete and manual choke... once you can drive that... you can drive anything... neither car was glamorous, but wouldn't change a single moment... years later at 16 I took my driving test in my mothers 1972 Buick Skylark Custom Convertible with a 350 and a posi... got to drive that my junior year in high school... my older sister has it now... my senior year I saved up enough to by my own car... 1967 Pontiac Firebird Convertible with a big block... best man from our wedding has that one... both have been restomodded into street beasts... thanks for sharing your memories
memtb
Member
A 1963 Ford Falcon Ranchero! A "screaming" 144 ci @ 85 hp! 
memtb
memtbDuh, a tractor!
Yup, a tractor at age 15! A three cylinder, gas/diesel. Started on gas and switched to diesel! It had a huge flywheel that had to be turned to get the starter to catch up and start it! The rear tires were filled with water to add weight and traction too!
Smiles,
Yup, a tractor at age 15! A three cylinder, gas/diesel. Started on gas and switched to diesel! It had a huge flywheel that had to be turned to get the starter to catch up and start it! The rear tires were filled with water to add weight and traction too!
Smiles,
27 Man
Member
In the area of tractors, I started out on a gasoline powered LA Case pulling a 4X14" rope pull plow. Dad had two other LAs, but they had been converted to butane and had more power than the old gasser I drove. Think I was around 10 or 11.
My mom's 83 Chevy Chevette. It had a 4 on the floor stick so I was always grateful that I learned to drive a manual transmission. So many people today can't. My first two cars were also stick shifts. Hard to find these days, even on so called "sports cars."
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My parents got one of those Tempos after I'd left home. I did drive it some and drove it on a trip. It had some little Japanese diesel engine in it. It was the most gutless thing I've ever driven. However, it got just stupid good gas mileage. I don't remember what the mileage was but at the time I considered it unbelievably good.
How about a 1959 Studebaker?
Justin T
Member
You need good charts, red and green lights, and a commodore hat to sail one of those things.
1942 Army Surplus Dodge Weapons Carrier. Here is a pic of it sitting broken down in the snow while I try to locate my '67 Olds Toronado. This was the winter I decided I no longer wanted to live in Upstate NY.
Regards,
Bruce
Regards,
Bruce
1957 Ford's that the Drivers Ed program had both auto and stick. At home we had a 56 Chevy, but my first car was a 47 Dodge Coupe. Had a huge trunk, you could get 4 people in it to sneak into the drive in.
I was disappointed when my children were old enough to drive that the drivers ed program only taught on a auto trans. My son eventually learned to drive a stick, and has owned a stick shift now for 25 years. I don't think my daughter has ever learned to drive a stick, and the grandkids didn't know cars ever came with manual crank windows,
I was disappointed when my children were old enough to drive that the drivers ed program only taught on a auto trans. My son eventually learned to drive a stick, and has owned a stick shift now for 25 years. I don't think my daughter has ever learned to drive a stick, and the grandkids didn't know cars ever came with manual crank windows,
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It was my mom's 1972 Ford Pinto station wagon. That car was also the car on which I learned to do an engine tune-up, as part of an auto maintenance night class at the local junior college I took WITH MY MOM! She was quite a trooper, joining me in a class like that. She has slowed down some in her old age, at 89 years old in an assisted living facility. I have a lot of love and respect for her, despite having picked out a pathetic Ford Pinto wagon as her ride in the 70's.
