Tonight after running into town I stopped on a rarely used farm road about a mile from our house and said “your turn” to my 14 year old son Ian. It took quite a bit to get him behind the wheel of the70 GT / 429 4spd Torino but in the end he agreed. We drove back and fourth on the mile stretch four times and started off in first a dozen times, down shifted, 3 point turns and the like. Kinda makes up for a major mistake I made when he was born… When my wife said “It is time!” I had to choose… Do I take the Camry or the GTE? I was thinking practical, STUPID! How many people get to say they were brought home from the hospital in a GTE?
Scary…best way to describe it. I was around Ian’s age, and it was in an old 50’s, maybe early 60’s Chevy Apache flatbed farm truck. I was “working” the summer with one of my uncles, and he sent me and my younger cousin to the feed store in the flatbed. Don’t think I ever got out of second! That truck is STILL being used!
15 years old, big old biscayne with 3 on the tree. My dad said manual was real easy! push the gas while releasing the clutch. I figured the faster i did this, nobody would notice any “timing” mistakes, sooo, i promptly backed up in the ditch accross the street at almost 25 mph…
Second time went way better, after he explained how the clutch worked.
My old mans 68 Buick Wildcat - I was close to 12 I think. We were waiting for my mom while she was picking some stuff up at Goldblats ( old now defunct department store that was local to the Chicago area). We stayed in the car and he let me drive it around the back of the parking lot and around the back of the store. We used to have a go-kart so he taught us early what all the signs mean and would have us obey them as if we were driveing a car. It was great practice for the real thing but nothing compared to my 1st burn out in that Wildcat with the 455 and the rear wheels spinning and smokein - the best was old man grinning like it was christmas - yeah I was hooked.
From the driver’s seat, the hood of my mom’s '76 Caddy Coupe Deville looked twice as big as it did from the passenger seat… and the road looked half as wide. I was surprised how much you have to constantly play with the wheel to keep the car straight to make up for variations in the pavement and not that the car needed a steering upgrade… In fact, the car was practically new then. This was 1981and I was 15.
Unlike most of the above… it was mom who turned me loose for that first drive and NOT dad. He didn’t learn about it until several months later.
Next story will be my 1st time on the road in a vehicle with three pedals. LOL!
First time I was on the road was 3rd grade in Hood River OR in my Grandfather’s 1978 Honda Accord. What a glorious day to have your grade school buddies see you driving past and me acting cool like it was no big deal… We did this often and it was to be “our little secret”. Somehow the news leaked out and boy was my Mother heated!
My first time I was 13 in my dads 74 vette. 454 4 on the floor. T-tops off on a cool summer night. I was scared to death behind the wheel of that thing didnt get past 2nd gear but we putted around and it was fun. After my dad showed me how to really drive that car he had me holding on for dear life. Chirpin through all the gears and floored it on the freeway. when we got off the free way the side mirrors were tilted in from the wind. haha.
Was 14, we changed the oil in the 71 bug, 4 speed. Going to take it for a ride and dad says, you drive.
Got on the road doing ok then turned to my dad asked, when should I shift, he says, WATCH OUT!!!
Just about took down the neighbors mail box. After that it was smooth sailing.
Was 15 or 16 or however old you are when you get a learner’s permit. My mom took me to an industrial park about a half mile from home and I got to drive first in parking lots then on roads, after business hours when nobody was around, in her 1984 Dodge Caravan.
Yeah I don’t know if anyone can get lamer than that.
Man I would love to drive that corvette now. Now that I actually know how to drive and beat on a stick shift. But getting him to get out there and work on it is the hard part. I almost want to get it running for him haha.
My first on the road drive was an old Farmall tractor I had to drive from one field to the other on the blacktop. Hand throttle.
I was, like, 12 or so, maybe?
Oh if you count non-cars, then my first time was actually driving an old (probably 1960’s or older) Caterpillar bulldozer on my grandpa’s best friend’s farm. I dunno how much it counts as driving, probably 10 years old or so and sitting in his lap working two control sticks one for each tread. Man, now that I think about it, I would probably find it a lot more awesome today than I did then.
The road was not paved, of course. 
My first experience in a “Real Car” was a couple days after I got my permit at age 15. My best friends dad unexpectedly pulled over and said “You drive”. This was 1983 and the car was a 1976 Trans Am 455 / 4spd. Will never forget the site of that shaker moving around in the opening of the hood responding to every clutch release, or sudden acceleration. I can still picture the reflective dash and large black shift knob sitting up high. Isn’t amazing how some things will forever be burned into your mind? Later when my friend got his license that was the first (and only) car I have ever been in at 150 MPH, can’t say that was a good memory… STUPID!
You lived to tell about it, so it is a good memory, kind of.
I could only get my 78 TA up to about 130, it only had the 400.
First time I was 14. Dad shocked me and let me drive Mom’s 1-year-old '67 XR-7 home from the store. I don’t know if I was more excited, nervous or proud, but it was sure a thrill!