Tedd Thompson

I grew up on a farm and tractor work was a part of everyday life so my first introduction to a moving apparatus was a 1928 model 30 Caterpillar tractor, I don't think I would call that driving, more like pointing it down the field. I was eight years old! What would people think today if you had your kids disking a field at that age? My first real experience learning to drive in a regular car was a 1937 chevy pickup that was my dads daily ranch type truck. He put me behind the wheel in a plowed field and let me start and shift gears till I gave him whiplash,I did about a years worth of damage to the clutch that day. I was probably about nine at that time, after that most everything else seemed pretty simple. What were your first experances....Tedd

coppercutlass

I leanrned to drive with the good old toyota forklift at my dads work. I learned when i was about 5 i pretty much grew up in the shop he works at. Then i got my first shot a driving when i was 12 with the shop truck ,moving it from the back of the lot to the front of the shop to wash it. Then when i ws 16 i got my 95 lt1 caprice which got all the hotrod treatment wheels, exhaust , intake and all the stickers of the parts on the rear window lol. The best one though was when my uncle tought me how to drive the big gmc topkick 5500 it took a few times to get it right and release the clutch and not it kill the big 6 speed diesel truck. Any chance i would get to go get fuel i would take it and fuel it up didnt have a cdl but that didnt stop me .

MDchanic

When I was a little kid, I watched everything my parents did while driving like a hawk, and I took the owner's manual out of the glove compartment and read it cover to cover. Around 7 and 8 years old, I would "play" in the car, but I was really practicing - gas, brake, clutch, shift up, shift down, etc.

When I was about 9, I started to volunteer to "go out and warm up the car" when we had to go somewhere. While my Mom was safely inside, I'd start up the '67 Fairlane wagon (289, 3 on the column) and move it forward and backward in its parking space. after a few months, I was flawless on the clutch.

When I was 13, up at the lake, my grandfather said I was old enough to drive and threw me the keys to his '63 T-Bird. I sat down in the driver's seat and looked at him and he said, "Well, start 'er up." I fired up the 390 and he said, "What are you waiting for? Drive!" and I put it the needle on the green dot (Cruise-O-Matic) and took off down the dirt roads. He gave me a bit of advice here and there, but since he'd been telling me how to drive (and how to do damn near everything else including breathe) since I was about 2, he really didn't have too much to add.
He let me drive every time we went up there.

When I was about 14, my stepfather said I was old enough to drive on the roads - heck, he had at my age. My mother disagreed, as it was illegal. So, whenever he needed to go out for a pack of cigs, I'd go out with him, we'd drive a block, switch places, and I'd drive the '78 Impala.
Later, up at the lake, he started to let me drive the '61 Mercedes 190 with 4 on the column on the 1½-lane winding back roads - fun .

Finally, at 16, I took driver's ed (in NY, you could drive at 18 without driver's ed, but at 17 if you took it). I already knew how to drive, and I knew that it was impossible for me to get a ticket driving during driver's ed ("I'm sorry, officer, the car just got away from me."), so I pretty much just had a good time. The teacher was a coworker of my father's (looked a lot like Abe Vigoda from Barney Miller), and when asked how I was doing, could only say [in flat deadpan voice], "Kid drives too fast."

I got up early on my 17th birthday, gathered up my birth certificate and other documents, took the train to the motor vehicle office, was home by noon with a full license and a set of plates, and was in front of my school as everyone got out at the end of the day, in my bright yellow '71 Celica, which I'd been working on for months.

And that's how I learned to drive .

- Eric

jag1886

1948 B John Deere and a 67 Ford 1 Ton Grain truck about 12 years old.

Bayou Olds

Started driving with my Dad around 12. License and first car at 15.....A 1970 Buick GS 455.

jensenracing77

the first thing i drove that was motorized was a 1974 Honda ATC 70. i was 5. before that i had an electric 3 wheeler at 3 years old. as for a car, it was a 77 Cutlass and a 81 Pontiac Catalina that i learned to drive in. not sure what one was first. if you count it... my first time steering was on my dads lap in the above mentioned 77 cutlass. i was 5 and would steer home from Kindergarten almost every day on his lap. then a couple years later my sister and i would take turns steering on my dads lap from Indiana to Washington DC. i sure wouldn't do that today with the kids.

jaunty75

Age 16. 1971 Ford Pinto.

starman63

At 16 I got my learners permit. My mother took me out in my brothers 57 F100 ford panel truck with (three on the tree). She said if u can drive this u can drive anything, she was right. Turns out she drove trucks for her fathers bakery in Pawtucket RI, Dysons Bakery, well known locally.

Allan R

14. 67 Cutlass Sedan

My son just started driving today. 17. 2011 Nissan Versa, 2007 Hyundai Sonata.

toro68

15. 1973 Olds Toronado and a 1980 AMC eagle 2-dr sedan. Got my lincese on Wedensday, Dec 23, 1985, at the age of 15.

marxjunk

12 or 13...58 Impala 2 door hardtop 348 tripower 3 on the column..White w/red guts really a nice car..belonged to an older cousin...me and his little brother..
my cousin....we where the same age used to steal it and drive around the park...

toro68

My Dad's first car was a white 1959 Impala ragtop, 348 tri-power with a four speed combo. White car with red guts and white top. In 1961 or 62 he traded the '59 on a gold 62 Impala SS "Golden Annivary" (283 two barrel, 2-speed Powerglide).
I heard through some of my father's peers that this '59 Chevy was a screamer!

bigoldscruiser

I, too, started on the farm. Although I didn't live on the farm, it was across the road and at about age 12, I drove a 1 1/2 ton 41 Chevy truck in the field while an older friend loaded it with bales of hay. We also used a Ford 8N type tractor to pull wagons to load hay. This was soon followed by driving a 37 Chevy sedan and a 41 Chevy panel truck to go after the cows in the back meadows. As it so happened, at that time our family transportation was a 36 Olds 4 door. I remember it had the clock on the rearview mirror with the string to pull to wind it. Boy, was that a loooong time ago!!

gglow

age 16. 1955 pontiac.

citcapp

We lived in the country so I started on my dads lap, about 6-7 I would guess helping to steer, then moved up to the ford tractor, then to the 39 ford hay truck. Think I was about 10 or so on the truck. Driving in the ruts in granny while the adults thru the hay on the truck. Throttle pulled out to a crawl. I could not reach the pedals.

sammy

Me too-started on the farm.A1961 MF 35 and a Ferguson tractor-before massey and ferguson joined- I sat in my mom"s lap and steered a 1970 Ford Maverick down a country road-age 8.
Watched my Dad drive, and when he was not around,I took his 1968 GMC and started grinding the tree down the road-age 11 Remembert like it was yesterday!-still have the 68!

Ted

rcorrigan5

I recall at a very early age (probably 3 years old) that my dad would set me on his lap while the car was rolling down the road, and I got to "drive" (no infant seats or seat belts in those days). I remember having trouble keeping the car from drifting into oncoming traffic. Always got a little help from dad in keeping the car in the right lane!

Dad taught me to drive when I was 15. It was in my mom's 1962 Corvair convertible 4-speed. When I got my license, my dad moved up from a 1961 F85 station wagon to a '66 F85 deluxe holiday coupe (330 engine with the 4-bbl carb) and that was a fun car to drive. Then mom got rid of the Corvair and bought a '67 Camaro RS convertible. Then dad got the '68 4-4-2 convertible that I have today. Because of the neat cars my parents owned, I never owned my first car until I was 21 - and my first car was a '69 4-4-2 holiday coupe!

Randy C.

sicky olds

Oh man.... age 23 ><. and i learned on a 2000 taurus and took my test in an 03 diesel bug lol. First car was a 2001 mustang v-6 fully loaded, wrecked that in 3 months :O

Pacecar

Grew up in the country. Learned to shift a manual transmission on a 1958 farm truck in the fields. Also drove the Ford tractor. Took my learner's test at 16 on a 1965 Dodge Coronet. First car of my own was a 68 Chevelle SS 396 which was a used 5 year old car at the time

lshlsh2

About 14 on a ford 2000 tractor and international farmerall-cub. First car was at 16 in a ford fiesta. Then on the nursery trucks chevy half-ton with 3 on the tree and a gmc ton and half stake body with manuel brakes and steering. With that training I figure I can drive just about anything.

Larry

Chappy5oh

My first time to ever drive, was when I was 13. Drove the Farm truck (a mid 70's chevy p/u) back from dove hunting in the back hundred acres of the ranch. Nearly knocked a couple people out of the bed when I hit a big rut in the road. First time on the road was in my first car at 14. It was a 1985 camaro 305 W/F-41 package. Loved that car...........memories....

Jaybird

Jaunty75... When I was 16 I drove my father's 1971 Ford Pinto to get my license. Two years and 85,000 miles later, my dad traded it.

I put on 50,000 miles of that 85,000.


The first vehicle that I remember driving was my great uncle Everet's Ford 8N tractor. I was only 5 or 6 years old at the time. I remember my great uncle showing me what gear to put it into. I thought, I already know how to do that, just let me drive, and I don't really want to start off in 3rd gear. 2nd gear at about half throttle would have been fine for me.

Well... He was standing to the side of the tractor and told me to put my foot on the clutch... Then he revved up the engine to full throttle and then put it into 3rd gear and said, "Take your foot off the clutch".

Well... I guess I took my foot off the clutch too fast for my great uncle, because he sure jumped back pretty fast, after I took my foot off the clutch and let 'er rip!

I still remember the look on his face when I popped the clutch. He was like, Thank Me Lord... That little bugger didn't mow me down! He was so close to the rear wheel, I don't know how I missed him!

marxjunk

heres a twist..do you know what you came home from the hospital in when you where born..i do..

1957 Belair 4 dr hardtop 283 2x4 3 speed w overdrive..black with silver interior....the uncle of the cousin with the 58 brought me home from the hospital...

i remeber the car from when i was 5 or 6...i have a scar from it, i ran around the car, cut the corner too close and wap..fender spear in the chest...i still have the scar..no chest hair grows there.....hit so hard it knocked me out and had to go back to the hospital emergency room in it..lol..

that uncle had 57s til i was in my 30s, he just loved those cars..his coffin had a mural on the door on the inside of a 57 rag top...

Rickman48

Marxjunk - my dog wants to meet your dog!!

MDchanic

Silver 1958 Porsche Speedster.

I am told that I loved that car. Fell asleep immediately as soon as it started rolling.

My playpen wouldn't fit in the back, though, so it was traded for a brand new 1963 Chevy-II wagon with a 150-six.

No wonder I'm not... well... NORMAL.

- Eric

bigD

at 6 or 7 i was driving a farmall H pulling a ground driven manure spreader. about the same time dad would have me drive his '77 ford pickup while he broke square bales in the back and he kicked them off for the cattle in the wintertime...

Ancient Iron

First car I ever moved under it's own power was a 1940 Packard 120 With factory wheel mounts when I was 11. Practiced driving on a '66 Mustang conv. Took my roadtest in a 1964 Chevy Corvair coupe with a 3spd. stick. Oldest car I ever drove was a 1931 Olds F - 31 Business coupe(3 speed Muncie)

O's_Car

I learned to drive at age 17 in my '70 Cutlass (it was Dad's then)...at least part of the time. I learned in the summer and the A/C didn't work in Dad's car, so I also drove Mom's '79 Cutlass Supreme. Funny, Dad's was the Green Machine, Mom's was the Cream Supreme!
I came home in Mom's '64 F-85, the same car Mom & Dad left the church in on their wedding day (Dad had a Corvair at the time). She drove that into the early '80s until it finally gave up the ghost and she traded for the Supreme.

Man, did I come from an Olds family or what?!

rcorrigan5

I came home in a red '49 or '50 Ford convertible. I think the top was up - it was in the middle of March in the Pacific NW and it's always pretty wet that time of year! That's my dad standing by his prized possession.

Randy C.

Aceshigh

1993 - Age 19
1972 Cutlass S, my first car.

Never learned how to drive until I bought that.
Hence.....the desire I had to get another one ....which I did.

YukonOlds

It was 1968, I was 14 years old and I learned how to drive in my Dad's 1960 Fairlane, no power steering.
I got my licence a year later at 15, I just answered a few questions and then went for a ride around the block with the cop, and he said that was pretty good, and then gave me my drivers licence.

John.

Seff

1960 International Harvester B2275 backhoe at age 12 or so, and a VW Polo 1.6 TDI at age 18 in 2008.

sparky44268

Age 16 1984, parents 1972 cutlass S 350 2bbl ,brake stand,one wheel peel for miles.

crzyjef

I have in my garage.. safely stored my father in law's 1958 Impala Rag top. It sadly has sat since 1982 it was outside until 2008 when it was moved to my garage to protect it from further visits from the midnight auto shopping of others. they got the rear seat the night before.

crzyjef

in 1985 at the age of 14 I started driving my dad's 1981 buick Skylark I drove it from the driveway around the corner to the front lawn to wash it.. I also drove the 1971 Chev 1/2 Ton truck also to wash it.. the cars were always clean my brother also started when he was the same age for the same reason.

Aron Nance

First drive with my Dad in a '48 C***y coupe, his first new car. Age 14. Got my license shortly thereafter, still at 14, and bought a '49 H/D 125 CC Hummer. First car was a '40 F**d 2 door sedan. Wish I still had that one!

1970cs

Hospital 1968 Cutlass F-85 coupe
Tractor John Deere 20 series 2wd
Illegal first drive 1974 Cutlass Supreme (backed out of freinds drive)
Legally 1985 Calais Coupe (FWD) drivers ed.

We were close enough to Lansing to get factory cars for driver ed programs.
Any wonder how I got the Olds bug

J-(Chicago)

My driver's ed car was a red 79 CV Wagon. It looked just like this one, except with a big yellow STUDENT sign bolted to the top.

bulldog

1968, I was 14 Years old- 1951 Willeys jeep.
When born I was brought home in a Hupmobile. not sure what year it was.

64Todd

I was 12...in a 1979 Ford Bronco XLT on the logging roads in the Olympic National Forest. Then I practiced with a manual transmission on the quarter mile drive way we had....in a 1980 Mazda Rx-7.

I was brought home in my parents new 1967 Camaro.

My father had a string of great cars...
1958 Impala
1964 Impala
1967 Camaro
1969 Olds 442
.....then the fall....a 1975 Ford Granada. LOL