What Did You Learn To Drive In?

[Bret4207]

I was plowing snow with a Doodle Bug made from an old Federal truck and then a Hough model HM straight body loader by 12. Of course there were riding lawn mowers and a Honda 55cc motorcycle in there. On the road I started with Dads "3 on the tree" F100, late 60's/very early 70's model, or Moms Mercury Colony Park (LTD) wagon, I think it was a 72-74. First car of my own was a 64 Corvair my Dad bought for maybe $100.00. He overpaid.

 

[dale2242]

1940 Dodge Coupe.
3 on the tree.

 

[glassparman]

My Dad's '72 F250 4x4. The truck was two years old, I was 14 and we were at El Mirage dry lake.

I still have the truck and my oldest boy is putting a new engine in

 

[4060MAY]

1941 Crosley in 1952-53 11yo

 

[KeithB]

1964 Ford Galaxy with a V8 and an automatic transmission. My mom’s car. I worked for a moving company a block away from our house. The owner had a 1964 Chevy station wagon with a straight 6 and three on the tree. It had 250k+ on it but had been well maintained so I bought it for $300. Drove it for four years. Since then I’ve had vans and pickups but only one other car.

 

[Winelover]

1964 Ford Galaxy with a V8 and an automatic transmission. My mom’s car. I worked for a moving company a block away from our house. The owner had a 1964 Chevy station wagon with a straight 6 and three on the tree. It had 250k+ on it but had been well maintained so I bought it for $300. Drove it for four years. Since then I’ve had vans and pickups but only one other car.

I've only owned one car, that I still have, purchased new................1972 Chevelle SS.

In 1977, ordered a new full size van and did my own conversion. Been purchasing full size Chevy vans, ever since. Currently, have two Express vans.

Cindy has a Colorado pickup.

 

[popper]

Mostly drove parents autos in HS but had a summer job at a light fixture co so used they're 52 Plymouth wagon for deliveries. Y shift 6 cyl, with at least 300K mi on it. I probably put 50k on it in 3 summers. Got a 54 Austin Healy 100 in the service, rebuilt the motor. Fun car, needed tires an a battery to get from SF to KC and no $. Dang insurance was $100/mo.

 

[hporter]

Terrible photos - but a 1962 Ford F100 uni-body short wide.

It was a 3 speed that used to be on the tree, but had been "shifted" to a floorboard mounted Hurst shifter. 292 V8.

It costs me all of the $300 I had to spend the month before I turned 16. And had genuine shag carpet, one of those Indian blanket seat covers and dual purpose channel locks on the door handles. Dual purpose because you had to unclamp them from the door and attach them to the windows to raise and lower the windows.

I had the truck all the way through my University years. Wish I still had it. Back then, $50 in your pocket at the wrecker yard could replace any part on that truck - save the engine.

I would love to have another 1960's Ford truck, but they seem to want crazy amounts of money for them now. I had no idea what a bargain I got for $300 at the time.

 

[blackthorn]

Started with a Ford tractor at age 11. Drove that all over the farm (working). First car at age 12 was a 1946 Pontiac just on the farm and a couple of miles to visit my friend. Got my license at 16. Drove the 1948 Chev pickup into town (high school day) and at noon drove it down to the local garage where the owner also did the license approvals. Went in and told him what I was there for and he said "you're Doug's boy"? Me "yes". Him "how did you get here"? Me "drove that truck out there". Him "OK you can drive". He then signed off on my license.

 

[shuz]

1956 Ford station wagon that belonged to a neighbor who owned a grocery store. That was his delivery vehicle. I was 16 then and relished the tips I often received from the customers on my routes.

 

[JonB]

a 1962 Ford F100 uni-body short wide.

I would love to have another 1960's Ford truck, but they seem to want crazy amounts of money for them now. I had no idea what a bargain I got for $300 at the time.

Years ago, I came across a homemade pickup box trailer, made from a 61 Ford (axle was for 8 bolt wheels, so probably 3/4 ton?) where the box and cab were not separated (uni-body?). Someone just torched the cab off, leaving the door latch area with the Box. BTW, that thing had some thick sheet metal. One time I had it with, while cutting down a tree. The tree wasn't huge, about 12" dia, and the trunk fell across the box trailer. This would have squished any modern truck box, but not this 61 box, LOL. The tree just left two 1" deep dents in the top edge of the box, one on right side and one on left side.

 

[hporter]

BTW, that thing had some thick sheet metal.

Yes - when I was in high school I backed into one of those little imported pickups one night. It completely demolished the front end of that little truck and it didn't even chip the paint on my truck (I had no rear bumper - so it impacted the body itself). Back then everyone joked that the import trucks were made of recycled beer cans sent to the Far East - and it certainly seemed so with how easily that truck crumpled.

 

[Charles Graff]

1950 Chevy four door sedan. three speed manual and straight 6 engine.

 

[Tomme boy]

Farmall H when I was about 7 or 8. And a Honda 50 mini bike. Then a 68 Chevy half ton with a straight six and 3 on the tree.

 

[CZ93X62]

My first driving happened during quail season at age 11 along Cone Camp Road near East Highlands in Nov. 1966--the car was our family's 1954 Chev Bel-Air sedan. Marie was an Orange Grove Kid like me, and learned at about the same age in orange groves where she lived and on her grandparents' ranch in Nuevo.

I learned to drive in the family car (on paved roads) at 15 in a 1967 Ford LTD with 390 V8 and auto trans. A few months later Dad and I found a 1953 Ford pickup with 239 flathead V8 and 3 on the tree. I had learned to drive a stick in Driver's Ed in a 70 VW Bug. 2 football players in that little thing looked like bears on scooters in the Moscow Circus, per our girlfriends at the time. Saucy attitudes, those ladies.

That '53 F-100 is still owned by the guy I sold it to in 1975, who restored it to showroom trim. I bought it for $300, sold it for $475, and who knows what it would go for now.

 

[obssd1958]

I don't remember what I drove in Driver's training, but my first transportation was a Suzuki 50cc that my dad bought for my mom. She wouldn't ride it, so I got to ride it to school - in the snow. That was interesting, but at 14, I wasn't too smart. Then my dad brought home a '56 Ford pickup for me. Said I owed him $200. The tires were shot, so I had to replace all 4 before I could drive it. 292ci, 4 on the floor with a granny first. Painted camouflage with spray cans, by the previous owner, it was distinctive - and a real turd.
I also drove my mom's '63 Impala and then her '65 Rambler Marlin. The Marlin was supposed to replace the Impala, but I ran it out of gas one evening. When we had dumped a couple gallons of gas in the tank and were priming the carburetor, it got hit from behind by a drunk driver. Amazingly, everyone walked away. But the Marlin looked like a banana from the passenger side.
Mom was bummed...

 

[Glaciers]

First was a 63 Chevy 3/4 ton truck for camping. First vehicle I owned was a 1959 Austin Healy “Bug Eyed” Sprite.

 

[Missionary]

1st motorized 4 wheel vehicle was a Ford Cub tractor on McNeely's farm when I was 12.
Then when I was 14 we made a "dune buggy" out of a 52 Ford. Cost $25. Removed the rusted out body, cut the frame so the rear seat was under the wheel. 6 cylinders and three on the column. Siphoned gas from junk cars at the local junk car lot.
My 1st 2 wheel with a motor was a Mo-ped when I was 13. Cost $16.

 

[Michael]

My grand dad's old Farm All, (wish I had it, just cuz) followed by 67 Ford pickup. Ooo, almost forgot with I-beam front suspension.

 

[Mitty38]

Oh....I forgot about drivers Ed. Mainly because my dad taught me to drive before we did in class. 1984 Plymouth Reliant K. Baby poop brown.