09-11-2012
( Reply#: 8683 ) |
BobK |
The first car I drove was my uncle's Studebaker which I drove only in our driveway which ran from the street to the alley. The first on on the street was my Dad's work car, a 55 Plymouth station wagon.
When I was 14 my Aunt gave me my first car because she couldn't drive it, a 49 DeSoto with fluid drive which I had two years to customize before getting my license in 58.
In 61 the DeSoto transmission gave out so I bought a 60 Dodge Seneca with the slant 6 and column stick.I think that cost me $1,100.
We (married) bought our first NEW car in 67, keeping the Dodge, a Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.
Bob
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09-11-2012
( Reply#: 8684 ) |
seejay2 |
My first junk was a '56 Plymouth. Gave $35 for that gem. It had a pushbutton x-mission in it and a floor you could see the street thru because of the rust.
My next big moveup was to a '49 Ford. 50 bucks for that one. That thing was built like a Sherman tank, though. It was in such good shape, I even put Blue Corral wax on it
I remember the kid down the block from me had a 48 or 49 DeSoto. It had some kind of screwball way of shifting thru the gears...Cj |
09-11-2012
( Reply#: 8685 ) |
Tom J |
It was a '56 Mercury Dad bought for me in 1968. I didn't have a car until I got out of high school and started going to Purdue Calumet.
I totaled that car on Calumet Avenue when a guy made a left turn across my path and I knocked his car into The Pine Tap. That was during Christmas break from Purdue in 1968. It looks like the place is called "The Pines Lounge" now.
It was the other guy's fault but I was also going too fast. The cops said if the guy had been hurt they would have measured my skid marks and estimated my speed. The guy was drunk.
Tomster |
09-12-2012
( Reply#: 8686 ) |
duane |
62 Pontiac Tempest with a 4 popper and 3 on the floor. My mom taught me how to drive it. First brand new car was a 77 Pontiac Sunbird with V6 and 5 on the floor. |
09-12-2012
( Reply#: 8687 ) |
Roger D |
My first new car was a 1971 Ford Torino, 2 door hard top, WISH I HAD IT NOW!! |
09-12-2012
( Reply#: 8688 ) |
BobK |
seejay, it was Fluid Drive. You could shift normally like a stick or you could let up on the gas pedal and it would shift automatically.
Bob
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09-12-2012
( Reply#: 8689 ) |
seejay2 |
In a sense, you could shift my Ford like that too, from 2nd to 3rd. Reason being, I had gotten hold of a heavy lucite ball with glitter in it. It may have come off of a beer tap handle, I don't remember.
Anyway, it was threaded and fit pretty good onto the shift stick after I twisted the ball off of it. When I came out of first and ran it up into 2nd position, it held there until I let off the gas and then the shifter would drop down into 3rd from the weight of the lucite ball. I would still have to clutch it though.
I didn't think anybody would live without hearing that story so that's why I told it...Cj |
09-26-2012
( Reply#: 8706 ) |
Jay |
The very first car I ever drove was a 1956 Chevy Bel Air sedan. I was an unlicensed child sitting in the front seat of that 56 Chevy one day when my dad left it idling as he unloaded groceries. I somehow moved the gear selector from neutral into drive, and the car started cruising down the block. Luckily my dad caught up with it and stopped it before it caused any damage.
The first cars that I drove legally all belonged to my parents. They included a 1969 Ford Custom 500 sedan, a 1969 Checker sedan, a 1972 Chevy Nova sedan and a 1972 Studebaker sedan. It was not until shortly after I was discharged from the military did I purchase my own car, a 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais that I ordered custom made from the manufacturer. I paid $7,000 for it. |
07-31-2013
( Reply#: 8918 ) |
Paddy |
In 1956, my brother-in-law taught me how to drive his Nash Rambler in the back parking lot of the Woodmar Shopping Center. As I remember, I quickly learned how to shift gears. My brother-in-law (bless his departed soul) may have disagreed with this memory, but you are stuck with my story.
How and where did you learn to drive? |
08-01-2013
( Reply#: 8919 ) |
seejay2 |
Somewhere around 1958-59 or so, I used to drive my grandfather's '56 Dodge Royal (with him in it) from Hessville to Shelby, where I would spend the weekends. I was 9 or 10 at the time. Kennedy, to 30, to 55. This meant going right thru places like Highland, Schererville and Crown Point. Why were we never pulled over??? Charmed life, I guess...Cj |
08-01-2013
( Reply#: 8920 ) |
Roger D |
I first drove out at Wolf Lake. In the open area between the road and the lake. I was 10 or 11. Drove my dad's '55 Ford.
I actually learn to drive going from Hessville to East Chicago down Kennedy Ave. My dad bowled on Blaw Knox's friday night midnight league. So I was driving Kenedy Ave about 11:30 friday night to the bowling alley and then back home at 2:30 or 3 in the am. |
08-02-2013
( Reply#: 8921 ) |
seejay2 |
My defense to driving at such an early age was (Judge Judy would love this one) gramps would drive the car to Highland where he would then pull over and stop at some liquor joint near the Town theater. I moved over to the drivers seat, he comes out with a 6 pack and rides shotgun. Gramps then proceeds to slam down the cold ones while I chauffeured. Designated driver??...Cj |
08-03-2013
( Reply#: 8922 ) |
S C Jones |
Back in the day (1956) that meant stick shift.
While my dad and his pals played cards at our kitchen table, I got in his car ('54 custom 2 door) and learned to clutch and shift into first and into reverse, doing much like BobK described--though I had no alley--just drove to the garage and back to the street.
That same year, a friend's older cousin let me drive on Kentucky Avenue, which, back then, dead-ended at both ends--171st and 172nd--as the map today shows, Kentucky now goes up to 173rd--actually, my last trip up there,
in the 80s I think the extension is an alley, where the ditch used to between our houses and the Nickelplate RR . And, now all the state named streets of Grand Park origin extend north to Lost Park--which, many of you guys knew--and I didn't know existed until I read about your shenanigans here on Sheptalk.
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08-04-2013
( Reply#: 8923 ) |
seejay2 |
Automatics had already made their entrance before '56. My first car, a '56 Plymouth had a push button automatic in it. Gave $35 for that work of art...Cj |
08-04-2013
( Reply#: 8924 ) |
S C Jones |
Yes, CJ--I was not thinking when I typed that about stick shifts. Actually, the extra cost was not something my Dad would have paid. I guess I caught that state of mind from him.
I didn't get an automatic until 1982 and finally gave in and got air conditioned
car in 2003---and am I glad I did. By that time (and maybe well before) the price was part of the basic car.
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08-04-2013
( Reply#: 8925 ) |
Paddy |
My brother-in-law's Nash Rambler was a stick shift, and a very forgiving one at that. Later in life, I drove fire trucks that you had to double-clutch, and pray that you got it right. If not, you suffered the embarrassment of traffic slowing behind you as you tried to get into gear - all the while with red lights flashing and siren blaring. I can hear the grinding as I write this. When I became a fire chief, I was one of the first to spec automatic transmissions so my firefighters did not experience the same pain. |
08-05-2013
( Reply#: 8926 ) |
seejay2 |
quote:
Originally posted by S C Jones
Yes, CJ--I was not thinking when I typed that about stick shifts. Actually, the extra cost was not something my Dad would have paid. I guess I caught that state of mind from him.
Geez, maybe I could have gotten my Ply for $25 had it been stick!!
I didn't get an automatic until 1982 and finally gave in and got air conditioned
car in 2003---and am I glad I did. By that time (and maybe well before) the price was part of the basic car.
|
08-05-2013
( Reply#: 8927 ) |
seejay2 |
quote:
Originally posted by Paddy
My brother-in-law's Nash Rambler was a stick shift, and a very forgiving one at that. Later in life, I drove fire trucks that you had to double-clutch, and pray that you got it right. If not, you suffered the embarrassment of traffic slowing behind you as you tried to get into gear - all the while with red lights flashing and siren blaring. I can hear the grinding as I write this. When I became a fire chief, I was one of the first to spec automatic transmissions so my firefighters did not experience the same pain.
I had a cousin, Frank Horvath, on the HFD. Did you know him? |
08-05-2013
( Reply#: 8928 ) |
S C Jones |
quote:
Originally posted by seejay2
quote:
Originally posted by S C Jones
Yes, CJ--I was not thinking when I typed that about stick shifts. Actually, the extra cost was not something my Dad would have paid. I guess I caught that state of mind from him.
Geez, maybe I could have gotten my Ply for $25 had it been stick!!
I didn't get an automatic until 1982 and finally gave in and got air conditioned
car in 2003---and am I glad I did. By that time (and maybe well before) the price was part of the basic car.
Yeah, and $10.00 saved back in the day, was interest not paid on that $10.00 AND interest accrued from the savings if it was in the bank--not so true on the accruing of interest anymore.
|
08-05-2013
( Reply#: 8929 ) |
Paddy |
quote:
I had a cousin, Frank Horvath, on the HFD. Did you know him?
. No, I was in the fire service in Minnesota. Two of my relatives did serve on the HFD, my great uncle and brother-in-law. I met a lot of Hammond firefighters, but don't recall your cousin. |
08-05-2013
( Reply#: 8930 ) |
seejay2 |
quote:
Originally posted by Paddy
quote:
I had a cousin, Frank Horvath, on the HFD. Did you know him?
. No, I was in the fire service in Minnesota. Two of my relatives did serve on the HFD, my great uncle and brother-in-law. I met a lot of Hammond firefighters, but don't recall your cousin.
Whoops! I guess there is a few miles between Hammond & Mn...Cj |
