Can you remember the first car you learned to drive?
- Thread starter Alan
- Start date
'59 Ford "ranch wagon" ( stationwagon).. my Dad's 1st new car that I rescued from the weeds in the back yard when I was about to get my driver's license..1968 ? '69 ?
It was the most stripped down vehicle anyone could imagine. I think the only option ( may have been std. equipment) was an AM radio. Had a 6 cylinder, 3 speed manual trans.." three on the tree", with rubber floor mats. Had to put pieces of sponge beneath the tailgate window to keep it from rattling., when I started driving it. As a 6 y/o kid , I was excited we had a new car when Dad brought it home.
I had to put new tires on it ( may have been re-caps, remember those ? ) and pay my own insurance, when I started to drive.
It was the most stripped down vehicle anyone could imagine. I think the only option ( may have been std. equipment) was an AM radio. Had a 6 cylinder, 3 speed manual trans.." three on the tree", with rubber floor mats. Had to put pieces of sponge beneath the tailgate window to keep it from rattling., when I started driving it. As a 6 y/o kid , I was excited we had a new car when Dad brought it home.
I had to put new tires on it ( may have been re-caps, remember those ? ) and pay my own insurance, when I started to drive.
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2025
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1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88
Bought it for a dollar when I was about 12, and ran it around our farm. Made a dune buggy out of it, put 57 J2 tri-power heads and intake on it too! Got my first tickets with it before I had my license, all before 1970! The good old days.
Bought it for a dollar when I was about 12, and ran it around our farm. Made a dune buggy out of it, put 57 J2 tri-power heads and intake on it too! Got my first tickets with it before I had my license, all before 1970! The good old days.
I was awarded 3 tickets ( in one incident) before I got my driver's license..on my Cushman scooter.
NO DL, no license plate, & running a stop sign... just took my scooter around the block in my neighborhood, in '66 0r '67. Certainly jacked up my insurance rate when I did get my license.
NO DL, no license plate, & running a stop sign... just took my scooter around the block in my neighborhood, in '66 0r '67. Certainly jacked up my insurance rate when I did get my license.
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- Sep 14, 2025
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- 15
That's the way it was, you couldn't drive anything anywhere, now there are all these "atv's" running all over the place! Oh yeah, you can buy pot at the corner store too!
Benelli Slim
New member
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- Oct 20, 2025
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Late 70’s perhaps a 79’ Ford Fairlane 3 speed 4 Cylinder I believe
"now there are all these "atv's" running all over the place!"
in my neighborhood, it's golf carts, quads, electric bike ( for small children), full on dirt bikes w/loud pipes, lawn tractors-pulling carts/wagons with small kids inside, seems like anything goes. Rarely see a Sheriff driving around our neighborhood. Admittedly, we are in a very low-crime area, in other respects.
in my neighborhood, it's golf carts, quads, electric bike ( for small children), full on dirt bikes w/loud pipes, lawn tractors-pulling carts/wagons with small kids inside, seems like anything goes. Rarely see a Sheriff driving around our neighborhood. Admittedly, we are in a very low-crime area, in other respects.
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- Aug 1, 2025
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- 129
Other than Alan, I must be the youngen in this group. Started driving in the mid 70s and I just can't for the life of me remember what my Mother drove. I think a Lincoln or Marquis. Definitely don't remember drivers training. I do remember my first car was a 72 Road Runner (Most importantly, my second car was a 71 Dodge Hemi Challenger). Wish I still had it. I vividly remember both my kids drivers training as it was only maybe 15 years ago. Got a pretty good long term memory and just can't picture mine.
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- Feb 21, 2025
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Glad, I'm not the only one here!
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- Aug 4, 2025
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- 20
Driver training car was a 1960 Ford Fairlane. Me and 3 friends got in the car, the instructor, who was also the shop teacher, got in and just sat there. After a couple of minutes of silence he said, "You guys have all been driving for years, so start the damn car and let's go to the drive-in." Which, of course, was true. Our 'official' training route was the two-tracks through the woods on the Army National Guard tank range. Made for some exciting afternoons.
But the real 'first car' was a Farmall tractor, followed by a 1960 Pontiac Tempest, 4 cylinder, 3 speed stick on the floor, no power anything - Mom's car. 'Borrowed' it to go to that same drive-in, a family-owned place named the "Toot-N-Tell". Got 8 people in it once. Talladega Nights, baby!!!
But the real 'first car' was a Farmall tractor, followed by a 1960 Pontiac Tempest, 4 cylinder, 3 speed stick on the floor, no power anything - Mom's car. 'Borrowed' it to go to that same drive-in, a family-owned place named the "Toot-N-Tell". Got 8 people in it once. Talladega Nights, baby!!!
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Thinking back, I remembered in my youth ( before driver's license was obtained @ 16 y/o ) my Father had taken a part time job, cleaning the Boy's Club bldg which was a block from our home. The building was an old union hall, donated to the Club, & it sat on a deserted field.
As there was dirt & grass everywhere, it got tracked into the club, so cleaning it was a lot of work. Much more work than my Dad was getting paid. Anyway, I got "elected" to help Dad clean the building, either 3-4 X a week. Dad would let me drive his car home from the club..about a block & 1/2 drive, as a reward for helping him. There was no traffic @ the time , & it was a treat for me. I later started sneaking the car out @ night & cruising the side streets around our neighborhood after my parents were asleep. I was such a "delinquent" back then.
I was driving Dad's '59 Chevy Biscayne (?) Impala (?), 4 door, with a 6 cyl. motor & 2 speed power glide auto trans. This was a step up from the '59 Ford Ranch wagon, that later became my 1st car.
As there was dirt & grass everywhere, it got tracked into the club, so cleaning it was a lot of work. Much more work than my Dad was getting paid. Anyway, I got "elected" to help Dad clean the building, either 3-4 X a week. Dad would let me drive his car home from the club..about a block & 1/2 drive, as a reward for helping him. There was no traffic @ the time , & it was a treat for me. I later started sneaking the car out @ night & cruising the side streets around our neighborhood after my parents were asleep. I was such a "delinquent" back then.
I was driving Dad's '59 Chevy Biscayne (?) Impala (?), 4 door, with a 6 cyl. motor & 2 speed power glide auto trans. This was a step up from the '59 Ford Ranch wagon, that later became my 1st car.
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