What did you learn to drive in?

[Mike C.]

5 minutes ago, deuces wild said:

Yeah, I remember getting my first and last ($25.00) no seat belt ticket in '87 or '88 in my '70 Nova ss at the time... The Nova didn't have any.. So I went to the scrap yard and yanked those off a '71 and installed them...

Thats funny. When I started to spruce up The interior of my first car ('68Fairlane fastback) I can remember unbolting the seatbelts and throwing them right in the trash (genius move). I bet they would have a problem with that at the next inspection but I never put it on the road. Instead I sold it for twice as much as I paid for it ($200 was some good coin back then) 302 2bbl, with a 3 on the tree.

[Mark]

Mom's '70 Torino, which my father bought new, but was on its last legs by 1977.  My older brother ended up with it, he wanted the 302 for a Falcon sedan delivery he'd bought.

I learned to drive stick in his '64 Chevy II, which had Fred Flintstone floors by early 1979.  I ordered a new car with a manual transmission not knowing how to drive one, and learned about two weeks before it came in.  The day I picked it up, I drove it about 200 miles.  It was missing a part for one of the gauges.  One of my brothers was off work that week so he took it to the dealer about a week later, it already had 900 miles on it.  The car I bought in 2017 is an automatic, but that first car, and the two trucks I bought after that were both manuals.

I practiced parallel parking with a '66 Impala with manual steering.

Edited February 8, 2022 by Mark
Added info

[Mike C.]

2 minutes ago, Mark said:

Mom's '70 Torino

My mom drove that same one. Must have been a 500 because I can remember it being a real base model. Silver with black vinyl top and (really hot in the summer interior) My dad bought it new also until one day he took it and came back with this '77 Grand Prix. My mom said she never forgave him for that. Give me a minute, pic is on my phone...........

 

[Mike C.]

[Mike C.]

As far as what I took my actual drivers test in, I really can't remember. I took my CDL in the Ford F-600 from my work.

[Daddyfink]

My uncles 1968 Ex Police Interceptor Galaxy 500! But it was an Ex San Diego, CA P.D. car. I was 12 years old! 

Took it to the dump to throw some stuff away and he handed me the keys when we unloaded and told me to drive us back to the gates! Oh yeah, with a 390 under the hood, I had to learn throttle control real quick! 

Wish that car was still around. 

 

Edited February 8, 2022 by Daddyfink

[sfhess]

Driver Training class at my high school had a fleet of 70 Plymouth Sport Fury 4-doors.  My parents had a 65 Mercury Colony Park and 68 Montego 2-door J-code.

Edited February 12, 2022 by sfhess

[iamsuperdan]

Learned to drive in my mum's 1978 Plymouth Fury Sport Suburban. That wagon was what I learned to parallel park in, which explains why I can park anything, anywhere!

I learned to drive a manual after I got my first job in the auto industry as a lot attendant. 1986 VW Scirocco. 

[4mula1fan]

Mom's 69 Buick Electra deuce and a quarter. The first car I drove was Dad's 56 Pontiac Cheiftan (The Black Demon). I was 2... Got in, locked the door, backed it down the driveway, around a tree, and out in the street, with Dad laughing hysterically running along side. 

Edited February 8, 2022 by 4mula1fan

[GRiN]

Learned to drive and took my test with my dad's 1971 Chrysler Newport. Huge car then and  monsterous now. It was a 4-door with a 383. That cars could move. Had it up to about 120. never got a ticket with it. dumb luck I guess.Gary

[Spottedlaurel]

Started taking lessons at 17 in my driving instructor's Peugeot 205 diesel. I failed my first test in that one.

Because I was driving my mum's car so much for practice the instructor suggested we use that instead, so the rest of my lessons and my second time test pass were in this very 1981 Datsun Cherry:

310 in North Amercia I think. It became my car the day I passed my test as mum had just got herself a new car and I bought the Datsun off her.

[moparfarmer]

1963 Chev Biscayne 4 dr sedan..Silver with red interior and three on tree with standard steering..Manitoba Motor League driver training car..

 

[DPNM]

Great topic Carl.

My Dad was into Cadillac's. He had two 1964s and two 1968s. I did most of my practice in one of the '64s and that is what I took my test in.

My first car was a '67 Cougar. Yes, I do so much wish I still had it.

Took my motorcycle test on my brothers Kawasaki 500 Mach III. We had gotten a minibike when I was in 5th grade and I got a dirt bike in 9th. It was dual purpose but it did have a license plate and was Pa inspected so I did what any 14 year old would do. I rode it on the roads in my town.

That was a different time back then. Early '70s. We had to take our tests at the State Police barracks (closed course) in the county we lived in. I failed my first drivers test because I followed my mothers advice. I passed the second time doing it my way.

When I took my MC test the trooper told me how how he wanted me to do the course. Since the Kaw didn't have turn signals I made sure that I did all the hand signals correctly, When I approached the end I saw that the trooper wasn't even watching me. He had his head stuck in the drivers side window of the young girl taking her driving test in the car that was behind me. I guess he figured if I could ride it there to take the  test I knew how to ride.

[hedotwo]

Took my drivers test on my 16th birthday 10/23/68 at 8am in Madison, Wis.   I took the test with mom and dad's year old '67 Impala 4dr.  After the test I was allowed to drive to school in my '65 Olds F-85 that I'd bought with caddy money, chore money, and general savings.  The Olds had a 4 speed so I decided to take the test with the parents 283/powerglide instead 😏.

[espo]

As for learning to drive, that was in my mother's '49 Ford. I was twelve at the time and where we lived there was a large vacant lot next door so she would let me cruise around there but not go out of the yard. Driver's training in high school was in a '61 Rambler that the local dealer supplied to the school district. I remember having the instructor having me drive while he explained the finer points of how a 3-speed shift pattern worked.  He even had a visual aid that he made in the woodshop. He had an H cut out of plywood and had the gears written on it. He was riding in the passenger front while he had me driving us on a country road. He was turned facing the three riders in the back seat and didn't notice how fast I was driving. I don't recall going much over 40 mph maybe, but he felt that was to fast so my driving time for the day was over. 

[1972coronet]

1 hour ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Started taking lessons at 17 in my driving instructor's Peugeot 205 diesel. I failed my first test in that one.

Does the U.K. , et al., still distinguish operator's licences with 'manual' on them? Ostensibly, they used to -- me friend's mum and dad are from England (transplants from Italy and Russia, respectively) and me friend told me that licences had a provision for whether or not one was qualified to operate a manual-trans-equipped vehicle.

[Keef]

I learned to drive in 2 different vehicles, first was my grandmother’s 1969 Pontiac Catalina 4dr and the other was my grandfather’s 1968 Chevrolet C10 with a 327 and 3spd on the column with manual brakes and steering 

[Spottedlaurel]

Just now, 1972coronet said:

Does the U.K. , et al., still distinguish operator's licences with 'manual' on them? Ostensibly, they used to -- me friend's mum and dad are from England (transplants from Italy and Russia, respectively) and me friend told me that licences had a provision for whether or not one was qualified to operate a manual-trans-equipped vehicle.

They do in the UK, on cars at least. Possibly not on trucks now though.

As electric cars become more commonplace I imagine more people will be content with automatic only, but at present it's still unusual.

[1972coronet]

I didn't get my licence until I was 19 -- I was too immature (in me mind) to possess a licence at 16. Partly, I was defeated due to me dad selling the family 1969 Dart 'Custom' two door hardtop (273/ auto; white with green interior, etc.) for $100.00 in Sept. 1985.

I was able to practise in me friend's beat-up 1973 Duster (318/auto); my parents' vehicles at that time (1986) were both manuals (1986 Plymouth Horizon and 1986 Ranger), and I just... couldn't... get... it. Seemed like too much effort to me -- just didn't make any sense in me head, all of those requisite movements. 

So, I learnt to drive in a... 1985 Citation 5 door! Haha! It was some driving school's instructor's personal car. What a chunk!

I bought a 1972 Swinger in August 1989. That's what I took --and passed-- my driving test in.

I haven't operated a manual trans vehicle in 30 years. The last of which was a friend's 1978 Porche 924 and his 1991 Toyota Hilux (man, that clutch pedal was stiff!). 

[Miatatom]

BTW, I learned a lot at the drive in too.

[oldscool]

I learned to drive and took the test in my dads 67 Belvedere II. 2 door with 318 auto.

[HomerS]

1978 Ford Fairmont (not the actual car)

I missed on question on the written part (never asked which one it was as I was frustrated that it was ONE question from a perfect score).  In driver's ed, I wasn't the smoothest doing the hand over hand feeding the wheel back.  On the drive with the instructor I was spot on.  I did EVERYTHING perfect.....except half way through the driver around the block I realized I didn't have the seat belt on.   EXPLETIVE!!!!  There is no looking cool trying to reach for it so I didn't say a thing.   I passed with no deductions.

 

[gbdolfans]

I learned to drive in my mom's '63 Plymouth Belvedere. 225 c.i. six with a dashboard push button trans. Very bare bones, no radio,  power steering, brakes,etc. My high school had Dodge Coronet 440's for Driver's Ed. Took my test in the Plymouth. Not long after I passed, I got my first car, a '57 Chevy 2 door, 265 with a 3 speed stick that had been moved from column to floor. It was a light blue with a white top. Wish I still had it. Drove it all over Miami and Miami Beach. This was in 1968.

[The Junkman]

First time behind the wheel: '68 Chevy Impala wagon.  I say first time because it was a high school driver's ed class and because my parents were divorced and living 40 miles apart I LITERALLY HAD NEVER DRIVEN A VEHICLE.  It was a short stint.  I got to drive his vehicles ('65 Ford Econoline van-170ci straight six/auto/manual choke) and an early '60s VW van) on the weekend visitation/holidays. And finally built up enough experience to pass a driver test after a year on a learner permit instead of the nominal 6 months.

[Daddyfink]

4 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Started taking lessons at 17 in my driving instructor's Peugeot 205 diesel. I failed my first test in that one.

Because I was driving my mum's car so much for practice the instructor suggested we use that instead, so the rest of my lessons and my second time test pass were in this very 1981 Datsun Cherry:

310 in North Amercia I think. It became my car the day I passed my test as mum had just got herself a new car and I bought the Datsun off her.

Yes indeed, the Datsun 310! I learned to drive manual in one that a girlfriend of mine had. It was a good little car and it was great on gas!