Grandpa, tell me bout the good ole days............

[k0ua]

First automobile I had driven on the street was a brand new Pontiac Catalina (69 I think) drivers Ed car. I was the first student to drive it. I had driven farm trucks in the field and of course a tractor, but never a car and not out on the street. I had a drivers Ed. instructor and 3 other students in the back seat to think about too. I was 15 years old. There was a bar installed across the transmission hump that attached to the foot brake and an additional foot brake pedal on the passenger side for the instructor. That was it. Oh, and a sign on the back that said that it was a drivers Ed. car with an advertisement from the car dealer. It was that same green color as your Grand Prix above.

 

[MossRoad]

First car I attempted to by was a 60's Catalina with the 428. YEE HAA! Mom and dad said "NO!" :laughing:

 

[grsthegreat]

i wish they would require bright yellow and orange flags on all cars belonging to new people that move to north idaho, that must be displayed on car for first 2 winters, along with a sign STUDENT DRIVER, so we can all keep the heck away from them. so sick of seeing them come screaming past with icy roads....do a 180 and end up in ditch. i hardly stop anymore. i saw one idiot fly out of his driveway right in front of me, do a 360 in the street and then fly into ditch and up the other side. never let off of gas, just kept getting further buried in snow. he finally stopped and tried to back out...stuck good. there were 3 cars behind me. no one stopped. cant fix stupid.

 

[flyerdan]

Ours was a new 72 Impala (with the triangular roof sign warning of student driver and advertising the Chevy dealer), there was an instructor brake pedal but no bodged rod across the tunnel, it must have been plumbed in ahead of the firewall.
I was 14 at that time, took the course in the winter (based on birth date) so got to drive in the north Idaho snows. If I recall, drivers ed was only a quarter course so they had four different classes a year.

 

[Oldpath05]

Ever notice those old big boats when stopped quick would rock back and forth, almost same taking off if one could see through the tire smoke or that could be just from being 18 with big V8 or cheap $20.00 retread tires, but seems they did have more springy suspension. I did one time have that Gran Prix up 100 m/h, cop almost wanted to throw me in jail probably would if I was drinking I told him I just wanted to see how fast this car would go, sometimes teenages likes those kinds of experiments.....

 

[Dftodd]

Ever notice those old big boats when stopped quick would rock back and forth, almost same taking off if one could see through the tire smoke or that could be just from being 18 with big V8 or cheap $20.00 retread tires, but seems they did have more springy suspension. I did one time have that Gran Prix up 100 m/h, cop almost wanted to throw me in jail probably would if I was drinking I told him I just wanted to see how fast this car would go, sometimes teenages likes those kinds of experiments.....

My 65 Belair lived up to the term "Land Barge" It would sway and rock traveling down the road.

 

[ultrarunner]

Dealership took in a like new 1970 Pontiac Catalina Hardtop... always liked hardtops.

455 with 4 Barrel and power everything... AM FM in dash with factory floor mounted 8 track...

Have to admit I took it around the block to see what it would do...

$700 trade on a civic CVCC that was $4500... it was a hard sell as the gas lines made a 455 an anchor no one wanted... it was the same for olds 442, an older chevy wagon with 427... what a sleeper that was.

The bottom dropped out of the domestic auto market with only the Japanese picking up huge market share competing with pinto and vega.

 

[ovrszd]

My 65 Belair lived up to the term "Land Barge" It would sway and rock traveling down the road.

Not sure how any of us survived those old cars. Drove like crap. Looking for a place to crash. Cars are ten times more stable on their wheels today.

 

[kevin37b]

Merry Christmas , Richard . Kevin .

 

[ovrszd]

Merry Christmas , Richard . Kevin .

Merry Christmas to you Kevin.