What was the first vehicle you drove? Mine was my mom's 1995 Ford Aerostar.
Like, ever?
Tractor: My Cousin's '48 Farmall H...
Car: My Uncle's '86 Ford F-250... :cool:
A goat.
an '82 Rabbit. learned how to drive stick on it. well, how to get going in first, anyway. I was 11.
A few months prior to getting my learners permit in the summer of 2011, I drove my mom's '99 Oldsmobile Aurora on a few dirt roads in Maine.
The first car I drove was my Dad's Dodge Intrepid (sorry, I'm ashamed to admit that I don't know the year). But most of my teenage driving was done on my mom's 96 Cavalier.
The first car I owned was an 86 Camry that I had until this past November, I now have an 06 Corolla.
After I got my learner's permit on 1-31-1989 (first day I could get it), my mom took me to my high school's car park and let me do a little driving there–but not out on the street–in her 1988 Volvo 740 sedan. The next day my dad started teaching me how to drive a manual shift in his 1982 Honda Accord and within a week I was out on the Beltway in that car.
Both cars are now long gone (the Accord was later mine for four years until it succumbed to undercarriage rust....losing that car hurt, it aged like a fine Bordeaux).
The first car I owned was a 1977 Ford Granada (3-speed manual with overdrive on the floor) I purchased for $325 from a guy at my dad's office. Sold that to my brother for $400 two years later when our dad sold me the '82 Accord (he bought a '91 Accord a week earlier). I now have a 2004 Acura TL (6-speed manual) and a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible (5-speed manual). My wife has a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S; back before we got married she sold me the RX-7 for $1 when she got the RSX (in part because as a birthday present I gave her the money for the down payment on the RSX).
My dad's 1994 Ford Ranger. I was about 14. I later practiced manual shifting with it before I bought my current (1993) Prelude. The first car I owned (and still do, though it currently isn't running properly) is my 1991 Prelude.
When I was maybe 8 or so my father sat me in his lap in the driver's seat and let me steer the family's '87 Subaru Leone around an empty parking lot.
The first car I legitimately drove was my mother's 2004 Nissan Quest. That thing was a monster.
Although, I learned to drive mostly in my father's 2005 Nissan Sentra.
1985 S-10, manual. My grandpa who had 40 acres in southern Ohio would let me drive around his field with him in the car as soon as I could reach the pedals and coordinate a stick
First time on public roads was a pretty much brand new 2002 Jeep Liberty (heh, I drive a 2002 Jeep Liberty today) when I was 13 or 14- it was my Dad's company car at the time so I really wasn't allowed to drive it, but he thought that would be easier to handle than our family's Expedition or the manual Wrangler which would be my high school car (my Dad didn't know my Grandpa had already taught me to drive a stick... or drive period) so we went up the 8th street extension in Boise and he gave me the wheel.
1980 Ford Fairmont station wagon. White, 200 cid inline six, slip-o-matic. It was a Fox body so it handled pretty well.
1970's ('73?) Ford pick-up (F-150?) std trans. (named Henry)
1964 Ford Falcon automatic (The Red Baron)
I loved being "bilingual" as a new driver. :)
A 1974 dark brown Ford LTD with a white roof. My great uncle bought it new, then my father bought it from him. It was the car I learned to drive in. I ended up buying it from my father and kept it until 1988.
Mine was a 1960 Benelli 125cc street bike, several years before I had a permit or license...
I was 11 the first time I drove. By the time I was 14 and had a license, I was a veteran driver.
I learned to drive in a 1988 Toyota Camry five-speed.
Quote from: Stalin on February 16, 2013, 04:15:54 AM
I was 11 the first time I drove. By the time I was 14 and had a license, I was a veteran driver.
I know the age for a license is (or was) 14 in a few farm states, where were you at that age? I was in NJ, at that time the age for a license was 17...
Quote from: djsinco on February 16, 2013, 01:46:57 PM
Quote from: Stalin on February 16, 2013, 04:15:54 AM
I was 11 the first time I drove. By the time I was 14 and had a license, I was a veteran driver.
I know the age for a license is (or was) 14 in a few farm states, where were you at that age? I was in NJ, at that time the age for a license was 17...
Arkansas.
First car I drove by myself after I got my licenese was a classic: my parents' 1980 Ford Country Squire station wagon, complete with the fake wood-grain paneling. I was the butt of so many jokes because of that big old boat. I also drove their 1985 Ford LTD and my dad's 1990 Ford Ranger when I had my learner's permit. The Ranger was a stick, and I was being taught how to drive it before I even had my license, so when my dad and I went fishing, I could take my turn pulling the boat.
First car I pretended to drive (sitting in the driver's seat, without keys in the ignition) was my parents' old '87 Mercury Sable. First car I drove was a '00 Ford Focus, which I learned to drive in and subsequently took my test in. Couldn't ask for much better of a car to be required to parallel park in. :-P
The first vehicle I ever drove was my grandpa's old International pickup truck (I have no idea of what year, but it was definitively before they made seat belts mandatory) on my uncle's old farm in far SW Minnesota. At least I tried to drive it, as it was a stick and really not something I was interested in really doing, but they thought it'd be a good idea. The first actual car I got to drive regularly, and the one I got my license with, was my parent's old 1989 Caprice Classic station wagon, complete with the wood side paneling. The first car that was actually mine was a used 1994 Cavalier, which I ended up flipping over and almost got killed in.
Funny story, my brother backed up a '95 ford windstar a few feet when he was three, in a parking lot! Then my mom noticed and she took the spare keys away from him :sombrero:
I don't know what would have happened if he had gone any further, he couldn't see over the steering wheel :wow:
I am an old fart compared to most of you. Other than riding lawnmowers, mini bike, and a short distance on a farm tractor my first car to drive was a 1962, 4 dr, Chevrolet Bel Air, with 3 on the tree and a a 235, 6 cyl. It was in the spring of 1964 and I was 15. First one to pretty much drive when I wanted was a 2dr, Chevrolet Biscayne same engine and complete with dents and rust. That was in 1965.
Quote from: "˜Car and Driver' by Bill Morrissey
I got a 1962 Biscayne.
It won't start if it looks like rain.
The first manual I drove was a 1969 (I think it was a '69) Volkswagen Beetle. I learned how to drive a manual in a 1973 VW Type 3 Fastback. I tried to drive my dad's '69 Chevy pickup with a granny gear 4 speed but it wasn't successful.
Quote from: Stalin on February 17, 2013, 05:16:16 PM
I tried to drive my dad's '69 Chevy pickup with a granny gear 4 speed but it wasn't successful.
I grew up on Toyota stick shift cars. One day, I was at a track meet in my home town, and I needed to run home to pick something up. I went over to the long jump pit to ask a guy if I could borrow his car.
He said –
Sure, no problem. You know how to drive stick, right?–
Oh, yeah, I know how to drive stick!It was a 1971 Dodge Ram four-speed–totally unlike anything I'd ever driven. The closest thing I'd driven was a Ford Ranger. It took me probably five minutes to back out of the parking space. First gear being such a granny gear was also a bit of a surprise. But I made it home and back, and had fun doing it.
Quote from: kphoger on February 18, 2013, 10:14:56 AM
Quote from: Stalin on February 17, 2013, 05:16:16 PM
I tried to drive my dad's '69 Chevy pickup with a granny gear 4 speed but it wasn't successful.
I grew up on Toyota stick shift cars. One day, I was at a track meet in my home town, and I needed to run home to pick something up. I went over to the long jump pit to ask a guy if I could borrow his car.
He said – Sure, no problem. You know how to drive stick, right?
– Oh, yeah, I know how to drive stick!
It was a 1971 Dodge Ram four-speed–totally unlike anything I'd ever driven. The closest thing I'd driven was a Ford Ranger. It took me probably five minutes to back out of the parking space. First gear being such a granny gear was also a bit of a surprise. But I made it home and back, and had fun doing it.
First automobile I drove was probably a 1966 Plymouth Valiant with a 225 cid slant six under the hood.
First vehicle I drove with a standard transmission was a 1974 Chevrolet Vega (as part of driver education).
No, the engine block did not melt-down while we were driving it.
It was pretty fun, because those of us that wanted to learn manual got the Vega (most kids, even then, were not interested in learning to drive a car with a clutch), so we got more behind-the-wheel training than the students fearful of that third pedal.
My dad's 2001 VW Jetta, when I got my learner's permit. Then my mom's Dodge Neon, then a few various cars; all but one of them manual, including the Jetta.
Result: To this date, I still hate driving automatic.
First car I attempted to drive (or by accident): my mother's 1964 Ford Country Squire wagon, I was about 4 or 5 at the time (1969-1970). It was parked in the driveway (which had a short, downward slope (but not too steep) into the back yard). Opened the driver's side door (it was unlocked), sat in the driver's seat and started pushing w/some of the buttons & controls. At one point, I grabbed the steering-column-mounted gearshift and it moved downward towards the neutral position (cars back then didn't have locked transmission shifts) and the car started rolling down the driveway about 5 to 6 feet until it reached the bottom. I think the front fender might've brushed against the wooden fence alongside.
The first vehicle I actually was old enough to and intended to drive was my brother's 1971 Chrysler Newport 4-door hardtop in a deserted parking lot around 1981.
The car I took my driver's test (& passed) on was my mother's 1977 Ford LTD II 4-door in May of 1982.
The first car I owned was a 1969 Ford LTD Brougham 4-door sedan I paid $300 for in 1982.
The first manual transmissioned car I drove was my father's 1972 Ford Pinto station wagon he had in 1982.
The first car I drove was a Peugeot 205 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_205) my driving instructor had in 1994.
My first was my parents' '81 Dodge Aires with a manual transmission. They bought it new and kept it for 14 years. The first car I owned was a '02 Chrysler PT Cruiser, automatic, also bought new.
the first vehicle I drove regularly was my mom's '96 Civic. automatic transmission.
my first car which I owned was a '90 Mitsubishi Galant, which I bought in 2003 for $600. got me from Boston to LA and back without a hitch, and then promptly fell apart. but around then, I graduated, got a well-paying job, and bought a 2002 Ford Mustang for $10300. that's still the most I've ever paid for a car; nowadays I tend to buy a 10-15 year old car for about $2000, and run it into the ground.
I've owned precisely one manual transmission car - an '89 Escort which I took from 203000 miles to 245000 miles on the odometer, in the span of about 8 months.
1984 Honda Accord hatchback.
When I was 6.
1956 Ford 2-door post. The driveline fell out as I drove. Thank heavens my friends and I were right here in town and going downhill...LOL!
Driving came instinctively to me. I was 14 when I began to drive even if I had no permit or license. It was FUN! Wish I could say the same today.
Rick
1953 Ford F100 pickup, my uncle's farm truck. I was about 10 or 11, so that would be 1962 or thereabouts. It was a real beater, but I had a blast learning to drive with it.
Mom's 1998 Chevy Silverado.
The first vehicle I drove was my grandfather's 1981 Dodge Ram 150 pickup. I was with my grandparents the day they bought it in 1981, and I was with my mom last August when it was sold after my grandfather's death the previous April.
Grandpa's Farmall tractor (can't recall the model); Toyota Corolla (stick); Cessna 152.
My friend let me drive his 1976 Olds Cutlass in his backyard. My first 3 attempts to move forward I spun the wheels because I pressed the gas pedal a lil too hard a lil too quick.
I took my drivers license test, went to prom, & drove my 1st year in my mom's 1987 Olds Custom Cruiser station wagon.
My 1st car I owned was a 1980 Chevy Citation. I paid $400 for it at a church garage sale, put 57,000 miles on it in 2 years, then got $950 from insurance after I was rear-ended by a high-school kid who was driving a 1981 Volvo.
I knew someone who was unfortunate enough to own a Citation in the early 1980's. Really, what a poor name for a car. A citation in auto lingo is a ticket. Also, he had to loosen or remove the radiator to change the spark plugs or something else equally ridiculous. It has been a few decades, so my memory isn't totally clear, but that was not as bad as my parents Chevy Monza; in which the car needed to be put on a lift as the engine mounts had to be loosened to pry the engine to one side to change the spark plugs. Mr. Goodwrench was really pushing his luck in those days, which opened the door to the popularity of imports (among other reasons.) :confused:
Quote from: djsinco on February 23, 2013, 04:56:44 PM
I knew someone who was unfortunate enough to own a Citation in the early 1980's. Really, what a poor name for a car. A citation in auto lingo is a ticket. Also, he had to loosen or remove the radiator to change the spark plugs or something else equally ridiculous.
21 and my first car was a used 1981 Citation. Had lots of problems.
I never had any problems with my Citation. My friend & I did change the 4-cylinder for a 6-cylinder, but that was just to get a little more power going down the road.
1997 buick century station wagon. all the chicks dug the mommymobile
Quote from: Steve on February 23, 2013, 08:28:58 PM
1997 buick century station wagon. all the chicks dug the mommymobile
At least all the mommies....
Quote from: Steve on February 23, 2013, 08:28:58 PM
1997 buick century station wagon. all the chicks dug the mommymobile
Think about it for a second. There's this large, flat area in the back with the rear seat folded down. :bigass:
There are things you can do with station wagons and minivans that can't be done with two-seat sports cars. ;-)
Quote from: Brandon on February 24, 2013, 07:49:51 AM
Quote from: Steve on February 23, 2013, 08:28:58 PM
1997 buick century station wagon. all the chicks dug the mommymobile
Think about it for a second. There's this large, flat area in the back with the rear seat folded down. :bigass:
There are things you can do with station wagons and minivans that can't be done with two-seat sports cars. ;-)
:bigass:
You bet and in comfort!
I did it in my 1973 Corvette. Of course I was young, in shape, and not fat. A friend did it in a TR4A.
Where there is a will there is a way. :biggrin:
Quote from: djsinco on February 23, 2013, 04:56:44 PM
I knew someone who was unfortunate enough to own a Citation in the early 1980's. Really, what a poor name for a car. A citation in auto lingo is a ticket.
Though the Cadillac Cimmaron (based on the Chevy Citation) was worse, only because it was a Citation with a Cadillac pricetag.
It took quite a few years for Caddy to recover from the damage that the Cimmaron did to its image.
Yes, the Cimarron was a definite mistake
The Cimarron was not based on the Citation. It was a J car, along with the Chevy Cavalier, Pontiac Sunbird, Oldsmobile Firenza, and Buick Skyhawk.
Why would they name a car "Citation"? A citation is what you get when you get pulled over. Doesn't sound like something I'd want to drive!
Quote from: Duke87 on February 24, 2013, 06:06:33 PM
Why would they name a car "Citation"? A citation is what you get when you get pulled over. Doesn't sound like something I'd want to drive!
It was a terrible car. Not as bad as the two GM subcompacts from the 1970's (the Vega (maybe the worst car ever built by GM) and then the Chevette), but pretty bad.
Quote from: Duke87 on February 24, 2013, 06:06:33 PM
Why would they name a car "Citation"? A citation is what you get when you get pulled over. Doesn't sound like something I'd want to drive!
Maybe because a a horse was named Citation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citation_%28horse%29). Winning a Triple Crown never hurt either.
GM was not the only car company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsel_Citation) to use the name (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Citation) either.
First one I drove was a Chevy Suburban to train myself. Then I started driving a 1978 Mercury Bobcat wagon before I went into driving my current ride, a 2002 Ford Escort 4-door sedan with a 2.4 liter motor.
Quote from: Billy F 1988 on February 24, 2013, 07:32:03 PM
First one I drove was a Chevy Suburban to train myself. Then I started driving a 1978 Mercury Bobcat wagon before I went into driving my current ride, a 2002 Ford Escort 4-door sedan with a 2.4 liter motor.
Ford never put a 2.4L in the escort, i learned to drive in a 1997 Escort sedan, the 1997-2002 sedan had a 2.0L SOHC motor in it,only way for a 2.4L to be in an american vehicle of that size during that time period is to have been a crappy cavalier with the 2.4 DOHC
My wife owned a Citation long before we met. She still refers to that car as the "Shitation". A friend from high school had the body double to the Citation, the Pontiac Phoenix. I agree it was a poor excuse for a car.
Quote from: NE2 on February 15, 2013, 10:31:05 PM
A goat.
He didn't ask who your first girlfriend was. (Is that too funny for you, moderation staff?)
Quote from: Stalin on February 25, 2013, 12:08:22 AM
Quote from: NE2 on February 15, 2013, 10:31:05 PM
A goat.
He didn't ask who your first girlfriend was. (Is that too funny for you, moderation staff?)
Perhaps he was referring to a Pontiac GTO (Goat!)
The funny thing about the GTO is that those letters also identify the Ferrari 250 and 288 GTO, which, I guess you can call them "goats", too.
Funny!
Quote from: Billy F 1988 on February 25, 2013, 02:44:45 AM
The funny thing about the GTO is that those letters also identify the Ferrari 250 and 288 GTO, which, I guess you can call them "goats", too.
The Mitsubishi 3000GT was also called the GTO overseas.
Quote from: djsinco on February 25, 2013, 02:33:13 AM
Quote from: Stalin on February 25, 2013, 12:08:22 AM
Quote from: NE2 on February 15, 2013, 10:31:05 PM
A goat.
He didn't ask who your first girlfriend was. (Is that too funny for you, moderation staff?)
Perhaps he was referring to a Pontiac GTO (Goat!)
Nice! Missed that one :sombrero:
I learned to drive on a 1971 Pontiac Catalina station wagon - with the 400 "big-block" V8 engine. My sister, who owned a VW Fastback at the time, likened the Pontiac to "driving our parent's hall closet", but I always thought it was a fun car to drive once I got used to the size.
Back when I was much younger and a bit more naive, I thought the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon was the sh*t...
Quote from: Steve on February 23, 2013, 08:28:58 PM
1997 buick century station wagon. all the chicks dug the mommymobile
Not to nitpick, but GM's final model year for car-based stations wagons (both mid & full-sizes) was 199
6.
For 1997, the 15-year old FWD A-body platform was finally retired and the Buick Century (& Regal) sedans were revamped and shared the same platform (W-body).
Quote from: Stalin on February 24, 2013, 05:45:59 PM
The Cimarron was not based on the Citation. It was a J car, along with the Chevy Cavalier, Pontiac Sunbird, Oldsmobile Firenza, and Buick Skyhawk.
Correct, the Citation was on GM's FWD X-body platform along with the Buick Skylark ('80-'85), Olds Omega ('80-'84) and Pontiac Phoenix ('80-'84).
That whole fiasco is a perfect example of why rushing a new car into production is not necessarily a good idea. The rush was in response to skyrocketing gas prices and long gas lines that started occuring in early 1979. The platform was originally planned to be launched in the fall of 1978 as a '79 model but was pushed back a year (fall of '79 as an '80 model); however, it's launch ultimately wound up getting bumped up roughly 6 months to April '79 and the rest is history.
Quote from: Brandon on February 24, 2013, 07:17:22 PMGM was not the only car company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsel_Citation) to use the name (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Citation) either.
IMHO, using a car name that was last used on an Edsel may have been one of Chevy's dumbest name decisions ever. They should've just kept the old Nova name.
Quote from: Stalin on February 25, 2013, 12:08:22 AM
Quote from: NE2 on February 15, 2013, 10:31:05 PM
A goat.
He didn't ask who your first girlfriend was. (Is that too funny for you, moderation staff?)
Is this the right time to mention my first drive was in an Escort (wagon, 1985 model)?
Quote from: formulanone on February 25, 2013, 06:10:47 PM
Quote from: Stalin on February 25, 2013, 12:08:22 AM
Quote from: NE2 on February 15, 2013, 10:31:05 PM
A goat.
He didn't ask who your first girlfriend was. (Is that too funny for you, moderation staff?)
Is this the right time to mention my first drive was in an Escort (wagon, 1985 model)?
You could word it: I took my first ride in an escort back in 1985.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2013, 06:47:53 PM
You could word it: I took my first ride in an escort back in 1985.
She smoked, she was dirty, she smelled, she made noises, bumped into curbs, leaked from its undercarriage (a bad rear main seal), was very cranky on start-up, and generally unromantic. Sounds like an Escort, alright.
Actually, it was in 1988.
Quote from: formulanone on February 25, 2013, 08:27:15 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2013, 06:47:53 PM
You could word it: I took my first ride in an escort back in 1985.
She smoked, she was dirty, she smelled, she made noises, bumped into curbs, leaked from its undercarriage (a bad rear main seal), was very cranky on start-up, and generally unromantic. Sounds like an Escort, alright.
Actually, it was in 1988.
Sounds like a bad rental agency to me!
Quote from: formulanone on February 25, 2013, 08:27:15 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2013, 06:47:53 PM
You could word it: I took my first ride in an escort back in 1985.
She smoked, she was dirty, she smelled, she made noises, bumped into curbs, leaked from its undercarriage (a bad rear main seal), was very cranky on start-up, and generally unromantic. Sounds like an Escort, alright.
A little song once sung by Red Green:
"I know a guy who named his car Sue
He was the butt of many jokes
He named his car after his wife
'Cause it's hard to start and it smokes!"
My first car was when I lived on Kauai in the first half of the '80s. It was a 1963 Plymouth Valiant.