What did you learn to drive in?

[slusher]

I was thinking back to when I was learning to drive in my dads 77 Chevy truck and my 76 Pinto. Took my test in my 80 Dodge pickup..   So what did you learn to drive in?

[Smoke Wagon]

Nice conversation idea Carl.

Started learning in a 80-somethin’ 5 speed Honda Civic, then a ‘98 5 speed Ranger, drove my mom’s ‘99 F-150 when I got my permit, but after I got my license I drove my ‘80 F-150 throughout high school.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Learned to drive in a '63 Olds and a '65 Mustang. Took the test in the Mustang. Learned to drive a stick in a VW bus.

Boy, was that a long time ago. Seems like a different planet too.

[Rob Hall]

Learned in Dad's '79 Dodge Power Wagon 4x4 pickup, his '84 Ford Escort 2.0 diesel w/ 5 spd manual, and his '85 Lincoln Town Car.  Took the driving test in the Escort since it was the smallest and easiest to parallel park.   Drove the Escort some in high school once I got my license until I got my '87 Mustang GT. 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Rob Hall

[JJ Deuce]

first actual car I drove myself was a diesel VW rabbit.  I was 12 or 13, visiting a friend's ranch.   His dad let us drive it because it "doesn't go fast enough to get you hurt."  ?

actual learning, once I got my permit, I usually drove mom's '84 Cutlass or Dad's company car Ford Taurus.  

[magicmustang]

A four door '64 Chevy Biscayne, 6 cylinder, three speed on the column. I remember how the hood would shake when you started off and let the clutch out wrong. 

Edited February 8, 2022 by magicmustang

[NOBLNG]

I probably drove first in a ‘61 or ‘63 Chevy cause I remember my Dad driving them. I took my test in his ‘68 Biscayne with a six and three in the tree. The driving tester came out to our town once a month and I was so disappointed on my first opportunity because the car had a burnt out tail light and the instructor wouldn’t take me.

[mrmike]

I learned to drive in my mother's '65 Buick Wildcat 4-dr and my father's '71 Mercury Cougar.  Both were automatics and my first car was a manual.

Edited February 8, 2022 by mrmike

[Mike C.]

1968 (may have been newer)  Volkswagen square back (station wagon). My sister ended up putting it in a ditch but my dad straightened the unibody withe one of our bulldozers (we had a family excavating business) so I learned to drive a truck in an old B 61 Mack single axel. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of that truck but somehow I ended up with some of the Brockway I spent a lot of time in. This is while we were painting it and outside the shop afterwards. The rest were all Mack's except for one International. 

[dptydawg]

I learned to drive a tractor when I was about 8 (big enough to reach the clutch. Later drove my uncles 50 Ford 1 ton with straight cut 4 speed around the farm. Started driving gravel roads at 14 in our 58 Plymouth  Plaza flat head 6 three on the tree. I got my license in this car and then started to drive on paved roads.

[deuces wild]

1967 Biscayne with an inline 6 and a 3 on the tree....

[Miatatom]

1957 Buick Special 4 Dr. Geez, what a boat. At barely more than 5' feet tall, I must have looked funny.

[Scott8950]

75/76 monte carlo

[Mike C.]

As far as motorcycles, I had a few mini bikes before grew enough to start riding my dad's Yamaha. 

[gotnitro?]

Learned to drive in a 78 Olds cutlass supreme,  took my road test driving moms 86 Buick Skylark cause I couldn't parallel park that enormous car lol

[deuces wild]

31 minutes ago, Mike C. said:

As far as motorcycles, I had a few mini bikes before grew enough to start riding my dad's Yamaha. 

Look Ma.... No helmet!....??

[Mike C.]

It was the free ride era. We never wore seatbelts back then either. ?

That changed. In the 80s I had to have all the latest gear. They had me on the consumer treadmill.

Edited February 8, 2022 by Mike C.

[cobraman]

My dads 62 Ford. 292 auto. Took my test in it and ended up being my first car. First motorcycle was a new 74 Honda CB 450.

[maxwell48098]

I learned to drive a car in our family's '63 Ford Custom 300, with a 240 CID and a 3 0n the tree.  I learned to drive a big truck in a company '60 B7000 10 wheel 8 yard dump truck with a Detroit 8-71 and Spicer 10 speed.

 

A.J.

Edited February 8, 2022 by maxwell48098

[Jon Haigwood]

Learned how to drive in my Uncles 48 Ford Sedan , in 1964, I was 14 

[stavanzer]

My Dad's 1961 Chevy Pickup.

6cyl, Three on the Tree.

Took my test in a '69 Plymouth wagon, 383 Auto.

[Snake45]

Summer of '70. My Driver Ed class had one '70 Tempest/Lemans, one Chevy Truck, and a bunch (8 or 10) '70 Impalas. I drove the Pontiac once, the truck once, and one or another of the Impalas the rest of the time. Practiced on Mom's '70 Impala and took my driver test in it. 

[deuces wild]

1 hour ago, Mike C. said:

It was the free ride era. We never wore seatbelts back then either. ?

That changed. In the 80s I had to have all the latest gear. They had me on the consumer treadmill.

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...

[Pete J.]

I think I have a rare "learning car".  I learned to drive in a Jeep CJ2a.  Jeeps civilianize version.  The "a" stood for agriculture and it was intended to serve as a very small tractor.  Two speed transfer case(actually 3 because there was a neutral)  and a manual throttle.  Dad had added an aftermarket PTO to run stuff on the farm.  At 7 my dad would let us drive the 1/4 mile to the mailbox to pickup the mail.  At 10 I was a heavy equipment driver.  Spent the day on a John Deere 830 diesel for most of the summer taking care of the fields.  Also drove a lot of other farm equipment like trucks and combines before I got my drivers license.  That was not at all unusual for a farm kid raised on any rural farm or ranch.    

Interestingly, Nebraska still has a "school" permit which allows kids who live on a farm, to drive to and from school and school functions unsupervised at 14 years old.  The written and driving test were the same as for a regular drivers license.  When it came time to get a drivers license at 16, if you had no violations on your record, you could go to the DMV and turn in the permit and get your unrestricted license without any further testing. 

 

 

[TonyK]

'68 Chevy Impala and '68 Chevy Nova. Took the test in the Nova because that was my Mom's car and my Dad was at work in the Impala. The DMV was in a town with some one way streets so that could be tricky if you weren't paying attention.