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I was 14, deer hunting with my dad in a 70's Ford pickup. My dad let me drive it around on the dirt roads at slow speed and when we got to the highway he said "go for it". I did good until we got to a turn off; my dad said "Turn Right"... I panicked, my dad said "you're gonna miss the turn!" so I turned... at about 50 MPH. The truck went into a spin and ended up on the side of the road... I'm still not sure how it didn't tip over. My dad didn't let me drive again until I got my learners permit.
Started off just steering at maybe 5-6, I used to steer while my dad drove the suburban (bench seats). The thing had so much power steering it wasn't a problem. I drove around parking lots when I was 13-14, used to back up the truck to hitch the trailer and pull it out of storage. Basically, I already knew how to drive and I did a similar thing with my mom when I was 15. It was night, raining, couldn't see the road signs in an unfamiliar place. "Turn right." "TURN RIGHT YOU'RE GOING TO MISS IT TURN RIGHT"... I freak out cut the crap out of the corner and run over the curb. Inexperienced driver + back seat driver freaking out = driver freaks out and does something stupid. In contrast to my mom's reaction, my dad would have just calmly said "You missed your turn. Pay attention."
I don't remember. I sat on my dad's lap and guided the car a lot. When my older brother had his license, he drove to the lake with friends and I went along. I was 13. During the afternoon I noticed he left the keys in the ignition, so I took the car and drove around. He chased me, but, I kept driving, but, finally backed into a bad mud puddle and the car was stuck. Eventually, our dad came out to see about us and the car was removed from the mud. After that, I learned how to shift out of second gear, but, didn't drive for awhile.
I was also up north, but with my grandpa. We had to go in to town and he said "do you want to drive?" being 12... I said...YES!!!! We drove around his property for like 2 minutes before he felt comfortable enough to let go on the dirt roads. I was driving for about 10 minutes and was already doing 60 down the dirt roads.
It was actually an old WD 45 Allis Chalmers tractor that I first drove at 3 years old. They have a hand clutch so I guess my dad already had it in gear so all I had to do was pull the clutch back and steer it straight across the field.
I started driving tractors on my uncle's farms in Napa when I was 9. At 11 I was driving his 55 Ford with a converted flatbed to the produce distributors about 10 miles down the road. My cousin would move the shifter since I had to use both hands on the steering wheel to hold myself when I pressed the clutch all the way to the floor. More than once in about 3 summers I was escorted back by the CHP who yelled at my uncle to quit sending these kids down the road!
I drove my moms 75 Buick Century around the cul-de-sac when i was 15. later on at 16 i drove a 77 or 78 Bonneville during driver ed. then a 77 or 78 Ventura. later that spring we did slalom maneuvers with Novas--very fun and challenging.
If you mean driving by myself then it was when I was 15 for drivers ed. If I recall correctly, they were Pontiac Grand Am's that the school bought a bunch of. And yes, there was a brake pedal on the passenger side.
My dad and my uncle and I drove to their hometown, 400 miles away (12 hours, then) in my uncle's new '54 Chev with Hydramatic, I think it was in '54, which would make me 15. They let me drive on US-151 in Iowa, which as I recall was then a suicidal road for even professional drivers, and the only road in Iowa with any curves in it. I think I drove about five miles, but it seemed like a million.
In those days, Iowa highways were concrete slab with a beveled curb and unpaved shoulder, and semis would have to pass each other with their wheels on the curb and mirrors nearly touching.
I never drove a stick shift until '57, when my dad bought an old Studebaker fishing car, so my mom wouldn't have to drive a car that smelled like catfish bait.
I was 6, it was an 86 ford ltd 2 wagon. My mom let me drive it on her lap.
I started driving 1950 and 1952 allis chalmers tractors around the field about that time.
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