DRIVING TEST, anyone?

[Guest Skyking]

I thought I'd start something different here.

What was the year & make of car you took your driving test on.......?

Mine was March of 1962, I took my driving test on my older brother's brand new 1961 bubble top Impala....

[Shop Rat]

I don't remember since it was a driver's ed car from the school. But it had to be a '68 or '69 something. Most likely a Ford or Chevy. My mom and dad sadly had already traded our red with a black vinyl top '65 Dodge Dart GT by the time I got my license. They got a metallic green with white top Ford station wagon since we had taken up camping by then.

[Bob Kinker]

I took my test in a 1967 red VW Bug. Very nice car! Wish it was still around! It was totaled a few years at one of those infamous teenage parties!

[Steve29]

I took my test in January of '57 a few days after my birthday. I used my mothers '54 Ford Y Block V8. When I took Drivers Ed the car was provided by the local Ford dealer to promote his dealership. It was a '56 Fairlane with a 3 speed manual on the column. I have never purchased a car with an automatic because I think it takes the fun out of driving, although I have driven thousands of miles in rental cars with automatics and my parents cars including a '56 Lincoln Premier that was an amazing car.

[Guffin]

I took my driving test in 1954 on a Ford model A 1930. that was the only car i had been driving. I bought the car some months earlier and was driving around two months when I thought I should have a driving permit. I did not dare to take the test on a more modern car as I was used to the Ford mechanical brakes. When I tried hydraulic brakes I always used too much force.

During the test the inspector (?) only complained about the condition of my car and at the end of the test he gave me a list of things i had to improve on it. He did not say a word about my driving so I had to ask him if I passed. He looked confused for a moment and then answered "Yes,... driving.... it was OK".

Jan

[The Old Guy]

I took my test in August 1947 as they were changing the driving age to 16 on September 1. I turned 14 on August 10, and used my mother's 1941 Buick .

[Bhigdog]

1954 Studebaker Starlite Coupe. Automatic. Failed the first time around because I applied the brakes with my left foot. I was devastated...Bob

[Guest BruceW]

I took my driver test in in my sister's 1973 Mercury Couger. It was the first time that I had driven it.. and despite the tiny back window, high back bucket seats, and enourmous truck that blocked your vision out the rear window, I somehow made a perfect parallel parking at the end of the driving test through the town of Bel Air, Maryland.

[Dave@Moon]

I took mine in 1975 in my dad's '69 Ambassador. Eventually it became my first car (my grandfather bought it off of my dad, 2 years later I bought it off of him while still in college). I had it 4 months and had to give it up because I couldn't afford it <span style="font-style: italic">and</span> school.

[John N. Packard]

I took my test two weeks after I turned 14 in 1949. Drove my father's 1946 Packard. I had tried to take the test two weeks earlier just before I turned 14; but they refused to give me the test, so I had to wait two more weeks.

jnp

[Guest greg72monte]

January 1974 I took my driving test in a 1967 Chevy Nova wagon, 283/PG, manual steering and brakes which I purchased from a neighbor who was moving to Germany. I paid $120.00 for it. It was the same day as my grandmother's funeral. A family friend went with me. With the popularity of 60's wagons now, I wish I still had it.

[Guest Skyking]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I took my test two weeks after I turned 14 in 1949. Drove my father's 1946 Packard. I had tried to take the test two weeks earlier just before I turned 14; but they refused to give me the test, so I had to wait two more weeks.

jnp </div></div>

John, where were you living at that time? I always thought 16 was the age for every state.

[Glassesguy]

My parents' 1966 Buick Wildcat 4 door sedan. Great car. Really started my love for Buicks.

[Tom M]

1981 in a 1976 Gran Prix

[wldavis]

Great question!

I was 16 and a half when I took my drivers road test.

I took it in our '54 Ford, two door, 239 OHV V-8, three speed

on the column. It was June, 1962. This Ford was a "second"

car that my Mom and I "shared". We also had a '58 Ford

Fairlane 500.

One funny story. Our Driver's Education car was a blue, '62 Chevrolet

Bel Air, 4 door, V-8, automatic, pwr steering and pwr brakes.

Our class was divided up so that there were usually four

students with the driving instructor every time we went out

for a drive. And, I think we got to drive about once a week.

One day, we were out driving. There were three guys and a girl

in the car with the instructor. The girl was driving. It seemed to

us guys that she had not done a lot of driving before our class

started that semester. For some reason (I can't remember what it

was now), the instructor shouted for her to STOP. (We were just

going down a city street, at about 25 MPH or so.) Well, she slammed

on the brakes, and the instructor's head went toward the windshield.

And, I think he hit it, though not very hard. But, on the way to the

windshield, his bald head scraped the set screw on the sunvisor.

Cut a nasty gash in his head. He was some kind of mad!! The three of

us guys had a good laugh about this whole thing. (I think that maybe

we laughed after we got back to school and out of the car.)

-Bill

[Wowabunga]

Wow... 1980 I think... we had new Chevy 1980's IROC's as drivers ed cars donated from the dealer...! We'd be on that big practice parking lot... he warned us no radios or ac's when in the cars. We'd get to the back half of the parking practice lot and crank the ac and stereo, then shut them down as we neared the instructor... over and over and over... LOL

First day driving he directed me to the interstate ramp... instructer says to me if they're doing 80mph YOU DO 80mph and go with the flow, always, when entering highways... "it's the safe thing to do". I was white knuckled let me tell ya.

Tested in mom's 1976 Volarie Wagon.... eeeeek.

[Guest my3buicks]

The car I took my test in was a "Drivers Ed" car - it was a 1976 Pontiac Ventura 4 door sedan in brown. I took my test in late November or early December of 1976 and we had just had some major snowfalls - the streets of Ford City PA were nothing more than rutts - when it came time to do the parking part, the Pontiac would not back up out of the ruts - the officer said we would just skip that part. I had that part down to a science as I had been practicing on my Mom & Dads 72 Bonneville, the little Ventura would have been a breeze.

[Guest Randy Berger]

I took my test in March/April of 1955 in parent's 1952 Packard Mayfair. California had you drive right on city streets to demonstrate you could handle traffic. I remember having to turn the car around on a two-lane street without touching either curb and do it in two swings - I passed.

[John N. Packard]

I was living in Ashland, Virginia just north of Richmond on U.S. Route 1. Driving tests were given twice a month. At sixteen I was driving a school bus for Ashland High School! Quite an experience. When the kids were rowdy on the way home I just pulled over and told them when they quieted down I would continue. That didn't work in the morning.

jnp

[Guest JTFORD]

Took the test in l953 with a l949 GMC, 5 window pickup. Deluxe model with chrome all over the front end. Dont see many anymore.

[Guest sixpack2639]

Took my driving test in 1981 in a 1976 Chevy Chevette (my 1st car).

[Guest JDHolmes]

Took mine in 1973 at 15. First time I took it in a 70 VW beetle. Failed because I didn't stop behind the stop sign. Second time I took it in the same VW beetle...failed because I broke the speed limit by driving 36 in a 35. Third time I passed in my 64 Impala. The saddest car story of my life...the 64 impala...tire went flat, couldn't get the lug nut off, hacked at it for days with a chisel and finally sold it to a neighbor for $50. Stupid teen!! I'd kill to have that car back now.

[Bill Stoneberg]

I took it at 16 in a 1959 TR 3. The was in 1967 and it was winter time.No, the side curtains we not the best thing for keeping the Illinois winter out.

The funniest part of the test was trying to see the tester try to get in and out of the car. Of course, that same could be said for me now, but at the time I was a skinny 16 year old.

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Fun question !

I took my driving test at Maryland's DMV headquarters in Glen Burnie, MD, on their little course.

I think it was probably late summer, early autumn of 1983... I had taken driver's ed course from Summit Driving school over the summer (I missed the opportunity during the school year), and had my certificate.

I took the test in my mother's 1974 VW campmobile, which I had driven a number of times on my learner's permit, with Mom or Dad riding shot-gun.

The fun part came when I had to parallel-park that bus...our driver's ed cars were Chrysler K-cars, and our instructors had given us a pretty fool-proof method for parallel-parking those...I had never tried it with the campmobile!

I got through it okay, but I think the state trooper made some comment that "I needed to use the mirrors more when backing-up"...

I think my Dad took his driving test "on the road" in 1947, in the family's well-worn hand-me-down 1930 Chevrolet standard coupe, known as "the Bug"...

[Guest imported_jmarsicano]

Took my test in 1995 with a 1976 chevy 3/4 ton suburban. I think the officer felt bad for me. o well, I passed.

[ex98thdrill]

Motorcycle: - October 1984 - Canandaigua, NY - 1981 Yamaha 650 Special - it still sits over at my dad's house. During the driver's test, the evaluator said to my father "boy for 16 years old, he sure handles that big motorcycle very well." My dad said "he's been outrunning cops with a dirt bike since he was 12."

Car: - December 1984 - Canandaigua, NY - 1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia. parked out in the garage as this is written.

CDL: - April 1986 - Fort Drum, NY - 1967 Kaiser 5-ton military dump truck, whereabouts unknown.

[Oxnard Montalvo]

Fall 1970, driving school owned sporty 1970 AMC Gremlin.

[Guest 1964 225 Roadster]

Took mine on the roads of small town Ohio in 1970, in my mom's almost new '69 Impala, no problems. (4 door hardtop, 350 Powerglide)

BUT - my best friend, Ed - he had a problem. He had bought a '64 Chevy II a couple of months earlier, so he would have wheels when he got his license. We spent those months getting the car roadworthy, and sanding it down so he could get an Earl Sheib paint job ("Paint any car, $29.95!").

He went to take his test in it. As he approached a trafic light, it went to yellow (amber), and he slammed on the brakes. The Inspector told him "Ya gotta take the Amber, son." and flunked him. He was devastated, had to wait two weeks to try again, at which time he passed.

BEST PART - now, 35 years later, whenever I pass through a traffic light, shall we say, a 'little late in its cycle,' and the wife gives me a hard look, I say - "Ya gotta take the Amber!"

[Twitch]

1959 Ford Fairlane 500 4 dr HT back in '64. And yeah, I parallel parked the monster.

[26pack]

67 GTO. With the 400 HO engine and turbohydromatic. Passed with flying colors and boy was the DMV tester ever impressed!

[mastertech]

Took mine in the spring of 72 in my parents 1966 ford fairlane station wagon