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What car did you take your drivers test in?


Vila

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This topic has probably been discussed in the forum before, but I just did a forum search and could not find another posting on this topic for the past 3 or 4 years.

 

I was reading the November / December 2015 issue of the Antique Automobile magazine and had flash backs of my high school days when I saw the 1966 Pontiac LeMans Sprint 6.  Just prior to turning 16 my dad bought a new 1966 LeMans Sprint 6 similar to the one in this issue of the magazine.  Dads LeMans was also metallic blue, except his was a convertible with a white top and white interior.  His car also had several other options I didn't see on the car in the magazine to include a center console and walnut veneer on the drivers side dashboard section.  Same OHC 4 barrel carb 6 cylinder, 3 speed floor shift, rally wheels, paint color, and white racing stripes.

 

I was very lucky in that I got to learn to drive on this car.  Where we were living back in 66 you could get your learners permit 1 month before you turned 16 and I passed my drivers test 12 days before my 16th birthday in the 66 Sprint 6.

 

As I recall, my dads first car was a 1937 Chevrolet convertible and he still had this car when I was born.  In fact every car he owned up to the 66 LeMans was a convertible, but he never bought another convertible after the 66 LeMans.  

 

Great car.

 

 

 

 

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1961 Ford fordoor hardtop, I remember looking through the sales brochures at the dining room table before Dad bought it. Passed my drivers test in it early in 1967. Saw it years later with another car on top it off it on its way to the the crusher. That had to be in the early 1970's since it was the car we drove to Hershey back in 1969. Never had any interest in new stuff, late in 1961 Dad got his Model A, that is in my garage today. Bob 

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Guest Lakewood90712

67 VW beetle. Then a 73 BMW 600 for the motorcycle test.  My older brother was very trusting, letting me take his prized BMW for the M/C test.

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I took my drivers test on my Grandmother's birthday, December 5, 1967, with her 1962 Ford Falcon with a 3 on the tree.

The consensus among us kids was the test man would go easier on you if you drove a car with a standard transmission.

Whether or not that was correct, I can't know, but I drove home with my license.......  :D

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A 1952 Ford 2dr Police Crusier Yes a town cruiser.  Ah things your father could do in a small town.  Here if a standard shift you could drive anything.  An automatic was just for automatics and my so called "pink slip" was 5 bucks good for 6 mo. I think. And just a small town

thing my father bent elbows with the registry inspector.  You do know what bending elbows means.

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Guest AlCapone

I went for my test in a 1957 Dodge Custom Royal on my 16 birthday. Tester was a friend I'd my dads and he asked how long I had been driving. Dad said since I was 12 around his service station. Examiner told me yo obey the speed limit, stop at all stop signs and tun my lights on a half hour before it got dark. Wayne

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A very unexciting 1985 Chevy celebrity.  The only good part was I figured I couldn't screw up too bad.  The kid that went ahead of me, parallel parked his car on the side walk behind me and passed.  Yup two wheels up on the curb which was atleast a few inches off the black top.  I figured after that I had it aced.   I had to park behind a jeep with a trailer and no cars behind it.  It helps to take it in a small town. 

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1968 Plymouth fury. It was the high school driver training car. A massive beast! MC test was a 1972 Honda xl250, in February, in PA. I did not want to buy a second learners permit so I took the exam in Feb. darn cold day as I remember!

Terry

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Don't remember what I drove but I sure do remember the PA State policeman who administered my driving test. Officer Bosavage was a tall, very intimidating man who struck absolute terror into the hearts of any teenager in our area unlucky enough to draw his name for the exam. He wore his complete uniform complete with high black leather boots and apparently was incapable of smiling or showing any human emotion.  Just the name Bosavage caused many a 16 year old to break out in a sweat. He failed me my first go round for driving too slowly thru the course.

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Took my drivers test in Dad's 1964 Oldsmobile 4 door hardtop Dynamic 88 with positraction rear end. 

Had my beginners early (15) and took the Drivers Education Training through my High School to take advantage of the 15% discount offered on insurance rates upon successful completion.

 

Since we had cottages in another town I had the option of taking it there (population about 18,000 versus 175,000). Being familiar with the roads since a small kid I felt confident in my abilities this fine June of 1971. (Kids huh? No Fears!)

The tester called my name and said let's go to your vehicle. A rather stern looking man with little to say and went through the expected mirror check / adjustments before putting the key into the ignition and putting on the lap seat belt, The whole time his pen was marking his clip board... My confidence was immediately turned down a notch or two! Remember mentioning the car has positraction?

After starting up the car, pulling out of the gravel parking lot onto the main road towards Uptown as instructed, don't the tires break a bit loose and we are off! Nothing like a tire screeching thing at all, but now I'm really nervous and not hearing a word but noticing the pen out of the corner of my eye figure, "I'm done!" 

With short instructions, turn here, turn there and ending back in the Drivers Test Parking lot rather quickly, we sit for what seemed like an hour and the pen is still at work!

Finally the pen stops, tearing off the top sheet hands it to me and says "Well, you passed. Congratulations. However, I would suggest you slow down some or you might become familiar with the local Police Force OK?"

Yes Sir! Thank you Sir! 

Great day for the start of my driving career. :D

 

p.s.

I did become familiar with that Police Force three months later and in that same car...... :o

That was the best thing that could ever have happened to me since he talked to me like my dad would and.... let me go on my way with only a warning! 

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Dad's 1953 Ford Mainline 4-door sedan, V-8 stick. This was in California in 1958, and I was 15-1/2 (looked 12) and had completed driver training. Passed at 100% (no gigs).

This early license program required a written and behind-the-wheel re-test at one's 18th birthday. So I showed up for that one (looking 15) driving my 1936 Ford 4-door sedan (48k garage kept miles). The examiner was at first reluctant to enter the car, and when he did so required me to complete the parallel-park portion first (usually the last), probably hoping I'd flunk so he wouldn't have to go on the road in this relic (by then was 24 years old). I did the parallel park easily, and the examiner asked, "Aren't you going to pull forward to center the car in the space?" I said, "Sir, I believe I am centered." He uttered a muffled "Bullsh*t!" and jumped out of the car to see. Sure enough, I was precisely centered. He got back in the car and suffered through the road test giving me another perfect score.

Now I'm looking forward to whenever the DMV requires me to have the Geezer behind-the-wheel test, which I hope to do in one of my 1920s cars....

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