It's my birthday, Oppo

"Chuckles" (chucklesw37) 01/06/2018 at 08:33 • Filed to: None

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I turn 32 today, which means I’ve been legal to drive for exactly half of my life. Please share pictures of the car that you used to pass your driver’s license exam.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 08:44

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Happy Birthday!

but in blue

Nibby > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 08:45

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happy birthday

ttyymmnn > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 08:57

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Happy Birthday!

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 08:57

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Happy birthday!

I passed my driving test in o ne of these two diesel manual Opel Corsas (My driving instructor tended to swap them around between him and his wife (who is also and instructor), so no clue which one I actually passed my exam in, but I’ve driven both)

Nothing > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:02

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Happy Birthday! Like this, but a 1985...in 1987. Wow, I’ve been driving nearly as long as you’ve been alive! Ha!

Tekamul > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:08

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Happy birthday from a car 2 years older than you!

Parallel parking was a bitch.

average user > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:22

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This but in white

$kaycog > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:23

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Happy Birthday! Have some cake!

ttyymmnn > Tekamul 01/06/2018 at 09:24

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Ours was blue. And we had a 77 before that one. Our street had no driveways, so I became a master parallel parker, even in that boat. I have since lost my parallel parking mojo.

Chuckles > Tekamul 01/06/2018 at 09:24

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I like that car, but I’m cringing at the thought of it bottoming out on my steep driveway. I can imagine that parallel parking wasn’t fun. That Plymouth Voyager that I drove was actually pretty easy to park. The rear end was pretty flat, so you had a good sense of where it was.

Chuckles > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 01/06/2018 at 09:25

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I’m sure that they both drove pretty similarly.

jimz > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:26

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Except in dark gray.

Chuckles > Nothing 01/06/2018 at 09:27

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That’s a nice looking ride. 16 year old me would have loved that car. 32 year old me would still drive it, if I had a bigger garage and a flat driveway so it wouldn’t bottom out.

Chuckles > pip bip - choose Corrour 01/06/2018 at 09:28

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Thanks!

Chuckles > Nibby 01/06/2018 at 09:29

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Thanks. That’s a nice green.

Chuckles > ttyymmnn 01/06/2018 at 09:29

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Thanks!

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:30

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They drove so similarly that I didn’t notice I had been driving two different cars. I was surprised when my instructor told me he had been swapping the cars constantly, haha.

Kiltedpadre > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:37

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Happy Birthday!

I took my drivers test in my dad’s truck because my brother wrecked the car we were supposed to share after we made the appointment.

So I got to do maneuverability in this:

Instead of one of these:

Chuckles > Kiltedpadre 01/06/2018 at 09:44

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I’ll bet that truck was fun to maneuver.

Tekamul > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:44

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Bottoming out is fine, there’s no plastic on it. Everything’s a skid plate!

Chuckles > $kaycog 01/06/2018 at 09:44

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Thanks!

Chuckles > jimz 01/06/2018 at 09:44

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Classy.

Chuckles > average user 01/06/2018 at 09:45

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Nice!

WilliamsSW > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:46

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This but with a blue half vinyl roof. Yes, that’s a 2 door. Iron duke under the hood. Exciting!

Happy birthday! !

Tekamul > ttyymmnn 01/06/2018 at 09:47

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Parallel parking is a different game now. Without cameras and sensors, you’re left with only your knowledge of how long your car is, and your spacial relations skills. Gone are the days of actually seeing the corners of your cars.

Jayhawk Jake > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:47

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I took a class which meant I didn’t have to do a test per se, but the class used a fleet of gold Corollas like this:

Once I got my license I drove my Mom’s 2003 Infiniti G35, also gold

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:47

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Basically that car, but in red. The driver’s ed place had four or five of them.

Chuckles > WilliamsSW 01/06/2018 at 09:48

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Thanks! I’m sure you have lots of fond memories of that Iron Duke.

Chuckles > Jayhawk Jake 01/06/2018 at 09:52

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I’m sure that starting with a Corolla has helped you appreciate the finer things in life.

WilliamsSW > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:55

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Lol! That was my mom’s car. I bought my own Cutlass - with a 330 4 barrel in it. Much more fun than that Ciera, although I did truly bury the speedometer needle on I57 in it once.

Kiltedpadre > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 09:59

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Thankfully it was a short bed. If my dad had worked overtime I would’ve had to use my grandpa’s which was the same truck as a long bed.

Chuckles > WilliamsSW 01/06/2018 at 10:02

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Oldsmobile really did slap the Cutlass badge in such a wide variety of cars. And my younger, dumber teenage self spent too much time burying the needle in my parent’s cars. The speedo on my Voyager only went to 85, but it went there. GM speed limiters were my enemy. My dad had a Bonneville. It could have done more were it not for the pesky governor.

Chuckles > Kiltedpadre 01/06/2018 at 10:03

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Good point. A short bed, regular cab truck is a lot more agile than the crew cab monstrosities out today.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 10:10

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Mom’s 2008 Vue is what I took my test in and mostly learned to drive it. Pretty good car to learn in actually.

Happy birthday!

WilliamsSW > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 10:14

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I think they didn’t bother with a limiter on the Ciera, figuring the Duke would be limiting enough.

That had an 85 mph speedo too, but I think it took 100-105 for the needle to completely disappear back into the dash. Yeah, I was young and dumb...

And yeah, for a while GM was slapping “Cutlass” on practically every Olds. Silly. Mine was almost 20 years older though, from when there was only 1 Cutlass.

Chuckles > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/06/2018 at 10:19

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Thanks! I’ve owned two Saturns, and I miss them. They were a little older than yours though.

Chuckles > WilliamsSW 01/06/2018 at 10:23

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My dad had a Cutlass in the seventies, and it was a bad-ass car. My grandma drove a “Cutlass” in the nineties, and it was overwhelmingly not bad-ass.

My 96 Saturn SL2 was similar with its lack of a governor, but it’s amazing what you can accomplish when you live near an interstate that goes over a mountain.

LOREM IPSUM > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 10:30

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100% on the written

100% on the driving

Passed in one of these:

(Happy Birthday!)

Monkey B > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 10:36

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technically drivers ed was a 1990 Sentra

but being in auto body at a tech school I started driving various cars around the shop at 14. Then I wasn’t allowed to go get my license without learning to drive stick, so I learned on Pop’s 86 Escort. Then I had to prove to mom I could drive stick after getting my license so I drove her 89 Daytona home from DMV.

First time I drove on public roads was at night. I was 15 in my friends 86 T-Bird because he was drunk...that was responsible right?

Chuckles > LOREM IPSUM 01/06/2018 at 10:38

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Thanks! I love the matching white wheels.

WilliamsSW > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 10:38

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Mine was a 65. Other than being beige with blackwall tires, it was pretty badass.

That reminds me of golfing on a very hilly course some years ago, my buddy threw the cart in neutral to disable the governor on every downhill and we were getting wheels off the ground on corners. Scary as hell but hilarious.

jimz > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 10:38

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y’know, I was completely wrong. that was my mom’s car, which is what I did most of my on-road “learning” in. The car I actually passed the exam in (my high school still offered driver’s ed) was one of these:

I spent such a short amount of time in it (and it was the definition of a “meh” car back then) I totally spaced and forgot about it.

Though before taking the final test, I also spent part of my learning time driving this:

that was a seriously quick car for the early 1990s. As a plus I could drive stick before I had my license.

Chuckles > Monkey B 01/06/2018 at 10:39

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If you drove the T-Birdresponsibly, yes.

Chuckles > jimz 01/06/2018 at 10:44

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Those might be the greatest wheels I’ve ever seen.

A friend of mine had the two door Plymouth Duster version of that K-Car. It was a lot of fun with the stick shift.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 10:47

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Mine had a black roof, but same body color. My dad ended up having to wire the back windows shut, because every day after school it would be unzipped. No one bothered it then.

jimz > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 10:48

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140 hp in the P-body was pretty swift. that Spirit had 224. As long as you fed it timing belts every 25,000 miles and head gaskets every 40,000, that is.

Chuckles > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver 01/06/2018 at 10:54

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If I could find a clean one of these today, I’d drive it.

Brickman > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 10:54

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Same one im driving now :P

for Michigan > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 10:55

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I took mine in an Oldsmobile Alero sedan (don’t know what year) that looked just like the one pictured here. It wasn’t mine or my parents’, I borrowed it because my in-house options were a 96 Econoline or a 96 F-150, neither of which were great for maneuverability.

The most memorable thing about it was that, being less than 10 years old, the interior was falling apart. Missing switches, sagging panels, cracked plastics. So many rattles.

Chuckles > jimz 01/06/2018 at 11:00

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Car maintenance in the 90s really was a lot more involved, wasn’t it? These newfangled cars spoil us with their durable components.

Teenage me would have gotten into trouble with that Spirit.

Chuckles > Brickman 01/06/2018 at 11:01

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Minivans are awesome. I need another one.

Chuckles > for Michigan 01/06/2018 at 11:03

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That sounds like pretty much every story I’ve heard involving an Alero.

for Michigan > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 11:17

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At that time my experience with cars was pretty much limited to 15+ year old American stuff (the aforementioned Fords, an 80s Ranger and an 80s Jimmy, 80s Panthers, 80s Chevy vans). I think the newest, nicest vehicle I’d ever driven was the Mk1 Focus sedan used in drivers ed. Even with that as my standard, the Alero’s interior build quality was awful enough to leave an impression that’s lasted a decade.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 11:29

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*Pukes*

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 11:30

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1977 Dasher wagon, identical to this (minus the wheel covers on those massive 155/80R13 tires). 4-speed that cemented my love for the manual transmission, something that continues to this day with my Mazda5. Couldn’t roll down the windows, at least not quickly, due to the small knobs in place of window cranks because mom loved her tunes and had some pretty big speakers installed; at least the A/C worked well. In retrospect I should have kept it instead of trading it in on the Rabbit GTI; don’t get me wrong - the GTI was a blast to drive - but it was the most unreliable, poorly built piece of crap I’ve ever owned (but I still want another...)

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 11:33

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Something like this (not mine, random internet search results):

jimz > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 11:38

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yeah, head gaskets were a weak point back then on bi-metal engines. Multi-layer-steel (MLS) gaskets were revolutionary and are why they rarely fail anymore.

the timing belt issue was a different matter. the head for the Turbo III had a very low-friction valvetrain, and would cause “tow-roping” of the belt between the two camshafts; the belt tension would vary greatly causing it to flap and inter-camshaft timing to be unstable. the 2.2/2.5 block didn’t have provision for a 2nd idler pulley/sprocket, so the belt tension was increased to compensate. the Turbo III is the only engine I could remember where timing belt failure mode was always snapping cleanly. Most of the time on other cars, when the timing belt failed it was at start up; the crankshaft belt sprocket would just rip off all of the belt cogs engaged with it and it would sit there spinning uselessly.

fintail > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 11:44

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And it was almost a new car (borrowed, as it was the smallest car I could get my hands on):

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 11:44

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Here’s my extra dirty Legacy from yesterday. She’s been through a lot. Took a deer to the right fender, almost smashed my brand new windshield.

I failed my driver’s test twice - once because the instructor was an ass and failed me for not merging properly despite all of my merges being buttery smooth, and the second time because I forgot to shift out of reverse because I thought I had already put it into drive. I almost got failed the third time because I waited too long at a roundabout, but the instructor seemed to understand that I was playing it safe - right when I thought I had a window to merge two or three cars would come through.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 11:50

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Like this, but with the dark brown cloth and the wire wheel covers:

Urambo Tauro > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 11:54

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I don’t have any pics of it, but I found a substitute through Google. Passed my driving test in one of these:

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 11:56

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I got my first car about 3 months before I got my license. So I used my own car. A 92 Camry. 4 banger, auto, but st least it had cool wheels

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > LOREM IPSUM 01/06/2018 at 12:01

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My bother had a black one, with a red stripe. We both thought it was cool. It was certainly cooler than the 86 Chevy Celebirty, and 91 Olds Ciera that came before the it. But after that car he got his first turbo Volvo and it blew our minds

Chuckles > fintail 01/06/2018 at 12:28

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I do love those wheels.

Chuckles > Urambo Tauro 01/06/2018 at 12:30

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Two tone with a red stripe? /swoon

Chuckles > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 01/06/2018 at 12:32

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Those are nice wheels. And as much as we talk about awesome cars around here, there will always be a place in my heart for automatic 4-cylinders from the 90s.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 13:20

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Happy birthday! I also turned 32 in November. I drove this except it was Honda Grey and had like 7 coats of paint on it because the spray gun we were using had issues

mazda616 > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 13:36

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‘92 Beretta. Total base model. Only options were a/c (which sapped what little power it had), center console, automatic transmission (three speed), and cassette. Only had 71,000 miles on it when my grandpa bought it for me in July 2005. Took my driver’s test in it in May 2006. Passed everything except parallel parking. Oops.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 14:02

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It really wasn’t a bad car at all. It was plenary fast for a stupid adrenaline junky teenager like me, because i still got in plenty of trouble with it.

Chuckles > mazda616 01/06/2018 at 14:08

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I always loved the Beretta. In high school, my friend had a magenta one. He put spinning hubcaps on because why not. They were stolen within a week.

My brother had one in the same color as yours. The previous owner had installed air suspension and a towing hitch. That car got totalled by a drunk driver who lived across the street from us. They hit it, and you could follow the trail of debris and fluids from the accident up to their garage door. They refused to open the door for the cops, later claiming that someone stole their car, crashed into my brother, returned the car, and ran away.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 14:31

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It was challenging finding a picture of a stock one because apparently people only take pictures of the coupes, higher trim levels, and heavily modified ones (and there are a ton of really horribly modified ones out there, it’s crazy).

The one I drove was red, but I couldn’t find a good picture in a similar spec in red.

I drove this car because my family had three working cars out of four:

1989 Ford E250 Van - Running. Automatic. I was afraid of parallel parking in it.

1970 VW T2 Transporter - Running. Manual. I had been given a head’s up about the way they do testing near there. It was a separate course off public roads and the end was a steep hill and if you rolled backward even a bit or gunned the engine even a bit too much they would fail you. Considering there were no hills and no stops with steep hills like this anywhere near where I lived, combined with the fact that this vehicle was truly gutless, it wasn’t worth the risk.

1969 Ford Falcon - Not running. Manual. The seats had also suffered, so it would have been a big resurrection project just for this test.

1963 Chevy Nova - Running, but couldn’t be used due to my dad never letting me drive it and the fact it didn’t have seatbelts, which were required for testing vehicles.

So over my dad’s protests, my mom set up and rented a car for me (using my money). The problem was that there were only two licensed drivers in the house (dad & mom), and dad wasn’t supportive. As a result, I hadn’t driven in nearly 6 months and my permit was about to expire (I was precariously close to needing to do driver’s education again). So I caught a bus in to downtown and met up with mom there. She had rented the car and was waiting there that evening after the place closed. She had me drive it home because dad refused to... I had no license, hadn’t driven in a long time, it was the first time I had ever drove alone in a car, and my first time ever driving at night. I just carefully followed mom all the way home on surface streets.

The next morning mom gave me a crash refresher course and practice driving the car before my test that afternoon. I missed one thing - signaling when leaving the parallel parking spot - because I was really nervous. I passed with 100% on every written test I’ve taken, including the one for CA where they had no books for me to study from (or use as a reference, as was apparently allowed there).

The car itself was basically brand new, with about 3k miles on it. We stripped it of everything indicating it was a rental car before the test as well - key ring, stickers, pamphlets, etc. Just to make sure it was as anonymous as possible. The test person did notice the new car smell, though, and asked...

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Jayhawk Jake 01/06/2018 at 14:38

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That’s a painful amount of beige in your early driving experience.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > jimz 01/06/2018 at 14:43

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This looks very similar to the driver’s ed car that the little private school I went to had. I don’t know what model it was, but it was a Dodge or Chrysler (or Plymouth?) something. Some updated K variant. Was really slow until you laid into it, which I was too timid to do until the really nervous teacher yelled at me and I just started ragging on it everywhere. Only got ~3 of my state-mandated 6 hours of on the road training from the teacher as a result. He still passed me, reluctantly.

Chuckles > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 01/06/2018 at 14:44

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Here in PA, you’re allowed to use a rental car unless your rental agreement doesn’t allow it. I’m pretty sure there is someone out here who rents out smart cars and other subcompact cars just for road tests.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Tekamul 01/06/2018 at 15:20

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Seriously. If it wasn’t for my camera, my car would be as bad as backing a full size van.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 15:44

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I don’t think anyone where I was would have even considered renting cars to unlicensed drivers (could you imagine their insurance?!). When you live in a family that doesn’t keep many reliable cars and nothing really suitable for a test, it is challenging. Humorously, my sister got her license when she was 27 and she did it in an old red Cavalier from the same generation as the one we rented for me to take my test in, except my parents own that one (long story).

Happy Birthday!

Chuckles > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 01/06/2018 at 16:12

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Thanks!

The license test around here didn’t involve much driving. Basically just parallel park, drive around the block, and park in a space. It wasn’t really an official rental service, but the kind of thing advertised on Craigslist. He’d meet you there with the car.

Brickman > Chuckles 01/06/2018 at 18:12

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Im selling it within the next few months for a Colorado or Mazda CX9 :)

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Chuckles 01/07/2018 at 02:17

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1995 M-B E300 (file photo).

My birthday is 01-06, but I’m a year younger.

Chuckles > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 01/07/2018 at 10:38

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Happy Belated Birthday!

KrabbyPaddy > Chuckles 01/07/2018 at 17:41

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Barfy Brakeday, Chuckles!!! Wishing you a wonderful year:)

I learned to drive on my father’s 1970 something Chevy Monza. It was a 2 door stickshift with terrible visibility. The biggest test was driving the hill out of our town, which is below sea level. Both traffic lights had a MAD steep hill to wait on. “Clutch, gas, clutch, gas, gently...” I passed the first time :)

Chuckles > KrabbyPaddy 01/07/2018 at 18:35

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Thanks, KrabbyPaddy!

I didn’t get to drive a manual until I was 17, but it was stressful for sure. I can remember stalling on a major road during rush hour, and having lots of people honk at me. Now, I don’t even think about it.

functionoverfashion > Chuckles 01/07/2018 at 20:25

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I took my driving test in a car exactly like the one you posted, even the fact that it was NOT the extended one - I remember being jealous of those at the time.

Also, ours was a 5-speed manual! If I can dig up a picture I’ll share it.

Chuckles > functionoverfashion 01/07/2018 at 20:39

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Ours was a 93 Plymouth Voyager. Automatic V6. I called it Big Blue. After getting my license, it was great to drive around with all of my friends.

functionoverfashion > Chuckles 01/08/2018 at 09:52

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Also ‘93 Voyager, but it was a 4-cyl. Dat Manual Tho!

Chuckles > functionoverfashion 01/08/2018 at 10:17

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Ours eventually got handed down to my brother, slayer of automobiles. He gutted the exhaust and put side pipes on it, no muffler. It didn’t sound good, but it sounded mean.

functionoverfashion > Chuckles 01/08/2018 at 10:33

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Haha, ours I believe was sold to a local contractor, maybe an electrician? I used to see it from time to time.

Chuckles > functionoverfashion 01/08/2018 at 11:31

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You should have seen what my brother did to our 97 Caravan (V6 Auto). Gutted it down to the sheet metal excel for the front seats. Side pipes, an obnoxious Auto-meter racing tach, and a nitrous kit from Nitrous Express. This is why 18 year olds shouldn’t have credit cards.

facw > Chuckles 01/11/2018 at 22:34

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Happy (belated) birthday. I’ll play your game:

Yes, that’s the best photo I can find on short notice. The car was a terrible ‘95 Taurus. The car had all sorts of problems, but I used it for the road test because it was a bit nicer than the Previa I normally drove. I passed, though was criticized for being heavy on the gas and brake, but the tester was willing to overlook it since I was driving a car I didn’t normally drive.

I’m sure the car went to the crusher long ago, but if you see it, the door code is 7-5-7-1-9. 

Chuckles > facw 01/12/2018 at 00:14

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Thanks, facw! I always thought that those door key codes were cool, although I never understood having 2 numbers on each key.

facw > Chuckles 01/12/2018 at 00:40

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The two number thing always seemed a bit weird to me as well. I think all the codes Ford gave out were odd numbers. I think the even numbers were there because you could program your own codes, and Ford wanted to give customers the option of using the full range of digits.

Rooo sez BISH PLZ > Chuckles 04/20/2018 at 00:00

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That ... was my father’s car. Happy belated.

Chuckles > Rooo sez BISH PLZ 04/20/2018 at 00:33

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Thanks. Your father had great taste in minivans.

Seriously though, I loved that thing. I was the first of my friends to get a license, so we’d pile 7 people in that van and drive everywhere. My parents foolishly gave me their gas card. That lasted until the first bill showed up.

Car culture can occasionally be exclusionary and insular, but to me it’s all about loving what you drive, whatever that may be. I loved that van.