What did you learn in?

[RICHARD]

I was watching a car program on the tube where three guys took non-four wheel drive cars and crossed Botswana-mostly desert and dirt roads.

One of the cars was a 1963 Opel Kadet.

I learned to drive in a manual transmissioned 72 Opel. A friggin great car! Simple, small and easy to manuver.

I learned to ride motorcycles on a Honda 360 Twin. That was a great bike!

What did you learn in?

[Karen]

My mother's Ford Pinto station wagon, and various other family cars. Learning to drive standard transmission one day, I stalled out Dad's Ford pick-up at the lights in the center of town (okay, the only set in town), and after my second attempt, the guy in the corvette behind us started beeping his horn angrily and incessantly. Dad - a not-small-guy - jumped out to tell him to go around, and I think nearly gave the kid a heart attack, as Dad could look pretty intimidating if you didn't know him!

[Taz_Zoee]

The very first time I got behind the wheel was in our 82 Cadillac. I was 14, I think. And it was on country roads. I pulled out to get on the road but instead ended up across both lanes. Then a car was coming the other direction and I began to panic. Crying and yelling at my dad. Now I think it was funny, but at the time I was MAD !!

I've also tried in MANY different cars to drive a manual trani. But never picked it up. I did drive my friends VW Cabriolet from point A to point B without stalling and pissed her off a bit. She stalled constantly when she first got it. LOL

[DJFyrewolf36]

I learned how to drive in my dads Jeep...offroad lol. The first time I ever drove was out on the indian reservation on this dirt road with a lot of small hills. Dad kept telling me to go faster lol. I caught a little bit of air that day! When I fianally got my licence, before dad got me a jeep of my own, I was taking my mom out to dinner and backed OVER a cart return. Luckily my dads Jeep is tough and the store had been closed and scheduled to be demolished so no one really cared. I was rather embarassed though.

My first stick shift was my little Pill (still happy I have her too ) My dad bought it for me because of its insanely good gas milage (I couldn't afford the jeep anymore and the pill was selling for a whopping $800 lol). He told me though if I wanted it I would have to drive it home from work myself! I had never driven a stick shift other than in a parking lot, so I had somewhat of a clue what to do but not really lol. I did manage to get the thing home though, and I DID teach myself how to drive it running around my neighborhood. Ive been driving it so long though now automatic transmission cars drive me nuts. I keep looking for a clutch and hitting the brakes .

[Cinder & Smoke]

I learned to drive a BOAT!

Drivers Ed was a high school course - taught by real Teachers using cars loaned to the HS
by local car dealerships ... the Fleet had a Chevy, a Dodge, something else,
and The Car - a HU-Mungus 1960 Caddy --- bigger than a school bus!

Since I drew the "senior instructor" - guess which Ride I was assigned to?
First Day of class, Teach wanted to go uptown on an errand ... we all headed out to the Caddy.

"Who's got a littl behind-the-wheel time already?"
I looked at The BOAT and thunk this is NOT the time to admit I had a couple hours of
experience thanks to Mom & Dad and a Stage Crew senior who'd let me pilot his souped-up
stick-shift Chevy a few times after shows in the auditorium. I played DUMM!

"HEY, Phred - you've got some wheel time - I've seen you in that hot chevy!
Let's do our walk-around!"
*NUTZ!*

I shudda packed a lunch ... out of breath before we got half way around the thing!
I checked the oil - the stick was longer than I was tall!
"Hop in"

It took two hands to get the barn door closed again. The other two kids looked *lost*
in the back seat - all four of us could have fit back there without any crowding!
We did a shake-down lap around the parking lot - I didn't bounce off any curbs so I
I got a feild promotion to Road Qualified and we headed off to the Big City of uptown.

1960's Pittsburgh, and all it's suburbs, did "mass transit" with either buses or "Street Cars" -
huge railroad car-sized steel monsters that ran on RAILS that were flush to the
concrete or brick pavement - and ran down the center lanes of all major roadways!
"Trolley Tracks" would catch a tire and toss your car a foot to the left or right before you knew
what had happened! Usually right beside one of the raised platform "safety islands" built
between the center & curb lanes for Trolley passengers to board a Trolley from.

Despite my strong protests - I navigated a mile & a half of Trolley Tracks, and dodged
several safety islands, before we reached Teach's destination. THEN he told me to "wait"
in the curb lane, RIGHT Beside a safety island - a serious No-No in Pittsburgh -
while he ran into the store! ... I pictured the Cops towing us away.

"Our Caddy" managed to survive Drivers Ed with all it's fenders intact.
I learned to almost enjoy piloting it around town - figured I could handle a City Bus
if I ever needed to! And the "little" family Chevy handled like a sporty car!

[pitc9]

My first car was a 1979 Olds Omega, I was the 4th person in my family to get the car and I was the last, she went to the junk yard in 1992.

I learned to drive stick in a 1986 Chevy Cavalier, I was the 3rd one in the family to drive that one. I also taught my husband (before we were married) how to drive stick in that car!

Being the youngest of 4 kids, everything I got was a hand me down, down, down.

[Jessika]

I learned to drive in my parents' '00 Dodge Durango and a '92 Chevy Lumina. The Lumina was passed down to me as a "graduation" present and was my first car I LOVED that Lumina!

[binka_nugget]

I learned to drive in a Dodge Shadow. I forget how old it was.. but I think it was around 1991. I also took driving lessons as the same time, so I learned to drive in a 2005 Toyota Corolla as well.

I just recently got a standard 2001 Toyota Corolla so I'm learning how to drive stick in that. I tried learning how to drive stick in my mom's late 80-something VW Cabrio.. NO THANKS! I can drive my Toyota just fine without stalling -- I can't get anywhere without stalling in the Cabrio though

[kuhio98]

I learned in a 1969 VW Bug. It was so old and worn out by the time I was ready to learn how to drive that my folks figured I couldn't hurt it any more than it already was. Took me awhile to get the hang of shifting, but once I did (except on hills, of course) all went well.

[jennielynn1970]

Oh my.. my first car that I learned to drive (not very successfully) was a Subaru Brat, manual transmission. That didn't go over too well, because dad didn't know how to "teach" me to drive manual, rather just yelled "POP THE CLUTCH!" which I had no idea what that meant! It was sold again within 2 weeks of me having it, lol.

My first automatic was a 1984 Ford Bronco II. I loved that one! It hauled around me and my friends, and was such an awesome vehicle. I put it through so much, and it just kept going.

My actual first manual that I actually drove was a 1984 Mustang GT. I had to figure out how to drive manual because the guy I was dating who owned it was asleep and not in any shape to drive home. Thank god it was 2am and hardly anyone was on the roads. It prepared me for my Nissan Sentra, which I bought after my Bronco II, but after driving the Mustang and dealing with that motor and clutch, I practically put the clutch of the Sentra right through floor, lol.

I drove manual since 1989 up until last year when I traded my VW GTI for a Nissan Versa. I thought with all the cat transports I do it would be better to have an automatic so I'd have my one hand free to deal with the kitties. It's better for that, but gosh it's boring to drive!

[Catlady711]

My mom gave me several lessons of her own on a '85 ford mustang. My official training in drivers ed was in an olds 88

[lizbud]

My Dad gave me my first few lessons in stick shift driving in our old
Plymonth. I did pretty good once I got the foot work down pat.

[cassiesmom]

I had drivers' ed right at the time when the gear shift moved from the side of the steering wheel to the "floor" at the front of the console, and right before the right-side rear view mirror became standard equipment. I learned to drive a manual transmission on my dad's 1979 Dodge Omni, which was grey and had an AM radio. That was a terrific little car. I'd switch back to a manual transmission in a heartbeat except that it costs extra! Bummer! I miss driving stick.

My youngest niece is in drivers' ed now, and her behind the wheel car is a Honda Accord. It's got air bags for both front seats and on both sides, all the way into the back seat. And anti-lock brakes, I'm glad they have them driving cars with good safety features.

[Cincy'sMom]

The first car I ever drove was a 1978 Black Trans Am. Explains a lot, doesn't it? After one trip it that, I did most of the rest of my learning in "my" car.

My first car was a 1982 Olds Forenza. It didn't go quick, but it went from Point A to Point B...but forward only!

[moosmom]

I learned in my Dad's automatic. Then I had to learn a standard in his 1966 Mustang Fastback on Jordan Lane in Wethersfield. It is THE steepest hill in the town and teaches you REAL fast how to use your clutch.