[GP_4_SPD]

What kind of vehicle did you learn to drive in and how old were you. My first memories of driving were waking up under a blanket in the back seat of an old cop car 1961 plymouth with a 395 golden commando and a 3 speed on the tree. My dad would put my brother or me on his lap and let us steer the car down Gratiot ave in E. Detroit at midnight after the drive-in movie at about 8-9 years old. We had that car so long, I took my drivers test in that thing, what a beast. Big old 4 dr. ugly plymouth but what a sled. Ex cop car cause my dad was a cop. He ordered all his own cars because he was a detective. He convinced his super that he could be more effective if he had a faster car and kept it unmarked. He ordered all the hi-po stuff available and nobody said anything so he just got more outrageous until he tried to convince them a hemi would be just the thing to have and it ended as fast as it began. The only real problem was he would drag race my buddies and if he won, he would just keep going, but if he lost, he would light em up and tell them how dangerous dragracing can be just to scare the crap out of them. He never wrote tickets, he did it just to mess with young kids in hot cars, we were not immune to his quirky sense of humor either. The guy could be downright dangerous but fun with a gun and a set of handcuffs. I remember the first time he locked me up....never mind, thats another thread. Enjoy.

[mike nixon]

First driving experience was on an Allis Chalmers tractor. I was 3 when I started. They have hand clutches so that was easier for a kid.

[67_Krewzer]

1964 Plymouth Belveder 318 auto on the flight line at Maxwell AFB with my Dad.

[fasteddy]

1962 Ford half ton pickup-HD 4 Speed-292 V-8

[The Boss]

My Mom's Pontiac Phoenix which I promptly totaled.

[PonchoV8]

We sat on the lap driving in a 69 or so 390cid Mercury wagon. I drove it off the road when we got to the corner. Good thing it was Florida and flat. I don't remember what I learned to drive in. I think a Syrian lady at church let us drive her Omni/Charger for stick shift. For auto I think it was a 1968 Delta 88 with 455.

[Ben M.]

1990 Plymouth Voyager minivan. Beat THAT for the coolness factor...

[A.J.]

First time I drove self was in a Fiat 124 when i was 10 or maybe 11. Not on the road though, just round or summerhouse. At 12 I had bought my first own car, a -62 Volvo Amazon that needed a clutch change. Me and my friend who was a year older changed it. When I finally got my license at 18 I had used up about 12 or 13 cars driving rally on the fields and small roads at our summerhouse.......

[GP_4_SPD]

actually, I'm not sure a 1990 voyager is beatable!!! Folks, I think we have a winner. Keep it up, I love these old memories.

[barrierblue66]

My Dad was an industrial arts teacher, brought home the class project, go-kart built on a shopping cart frame. I was probably around 6. Had mini bikes, then first real m/c with a clutch @ 12. My first car, and Pontiac - '70 Lemans @ 16.

[77 Canamman]

1970 Chevrolet Blazer, 350/4 speed. Still have it, needing complete restoration.

[street_rodder]

From 11-15 years of age.....I put hundreds of miles on one of these by driving up and down 18-20 neighbors yards in my attempt to raise enough money for my first car!!



It took me over those 4 years to raise the $1500 I needed to buy my first car, a 1973 Mach I, at $5 a yard......and those were 1/2 acre yards to boot!!! (Plowed snow with it too in the winter at $5 a driveway!!)

Dontcha wish you could get your kid to mow your yard for $5 these days??

It costs me $20 now days just to get my 18 year old daughter out of BED!!!!!!

This lawn mower was also the FIRST MOTORIZED 4 wheeled ride I pulled wheelies in!!!

These things would yank the front ends about 2 feet in the air if you "dumped" the clutch on them!!!

[Qball]

I was 14 and my older brother taught me how to drive his 1980 AMC Spirit 4 speed. This was in 1983. My grand father used to let me steer the car when we would go somewhere when I was real little, @7-8

[The Boss]

The first car I ever drove was an old 40's Ford something that was left in the sand pit at the far end of our neighborhood by one of my neighbors. He parked it up there when he bought a new one and left the keys in it for his son's to learn on. If you wanted to drive it, you had to bring gas because it sat right where it was left when the last guy ran out. I'm pretty sure I was 12.

My Dad used to wonder why he never had gas in the can for the lawnmower - until I told him about 10 years ago.

[Brian Baker]

1972 Chevy C-10 pickup truck, powered by a 350 smallblock with a Q-Jet and a 3-speed manual with the shifter on the column. I was 14 years old, and self taught, after watching my father for some time. I took it out on several joy rides without the old man knowing, until one day he rounded the corner in our neighborhood in his '72 Catalina and caught me in the act. If my mother hadn't been there, I think he would have knocked my teeth out. He was pissed.

[stevep]

1958 Olds 98 Holiday Hardtop.

[cruzn68]

My Driver's Ed car was a '70 LeMans 4 door, 350 auto, brand new from the dealer

[Philo]

I drove tractors first - my dad had a Farmall H and I drove it the first time at 10 years. Next, was his '53 Pontiac. The one car he owned that I wanted to drive and never got to, was his black '57 Pontiac Super Chief four door HT, with 3x2 and auto.

[Bet Winner]

I sat beside my Dad and was able to steer our family's 64 Catalina. It was gone by the time I turned 16, and I drove my Dad's 69 LeMans when I was 16 in 1975. It would go 111 mph with 4 people in it and burn our pretty well.........................................and I never got in trouble--no wrecks and no speeding tickets--all my friends were jealous!

[twooldgoats]

Fifteen years old in 1958---1954 Pontiac Star Chief flathead straight eight with automatic.

Jim