I took my road test in a 1971 Volvo 145 station wagon... a four speed.
The parallel parking reminded me that I had a dickens of a time doing it. I couldn't do until the very morning of my test when it suddenly became the easiest thing to do. Then I didn't even have to do one during my test! Sheesh.
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"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter
got my bike license when i turned 16 on a 70 kawasaki 500 two-stroke. I then didn't get a car licence till years later, driving a late 70's chev 1/2 ton with the tailgate taken out for parallel parking in a blizzard. couldn't even see the lines told me i didn't use the turning lane. couldn't see it. still passed.
Took my test in my Dad's 74 Catilina Safari wagon. Passed first time. Fluked off the most perfect parallel park ever. Still don't know how I managed that with such a Land Yacht.
JC
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'68 Parisienne 2+2 Convertible Matador Red (Resale Red but not for sale).
Brand new 1974 LeMans 4dr Sedan. Rumble Pontiac Buick supplied the cars to Leaside High School for our driver training program. The entire class went the same day. That was good car for me because Dad had a '73 LeMans Sport Coupe that was the car I learned on. I drove about four blocks and the examiner said back to the test centre on Warden Avenue in old Scarborough, asked me to back in the spot then told me I passed.
Pete I know that area very well as I was raised in the Beaches! Bingham Ave! Almost same scenario, my mom wanted me to take driving lessons through Beach Driving School, but my dad said I was good enough to take my test, as I also had been driving on country roads in the Pickering area, as soon as my legs were long enough to work clutch, brake and gas which was about age 14! He was right!!!!
Wasn't too far away from you, lived on Williamson Rd. We just sold that house around a yr. ago after Mum passed away at 95yrs. right on her B/day!!!!
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Some times I wake up GRUMPY, but today I let her sleep in !!!!!!!!BLACKSTOCK Ont.
'58 Isetta 3 wheel bubble car for the motorcycle combination test (that's how it was classed) in early 1964 aged 16, under the mistaken impression I was therefore also covered for bikes. Actually devastated that I was forbidden from buying a GS Vespa like most of my friends. Of course all my parents succeeded in doing was to force me to ride most of my friends bikes any chance I got.
In early 1965, now just past the minimum 17, took the full car test in a '62 Anglia van - which made reversing around a corner dead simple because you got to do it round a right hand corner with your head looking back out the driver window at the right rear wheel and the kerb. Examiner asked me the mandatory 3 Highway Code questions, told me I'd passed and then said he'd see me in the afternoon. I asked why and he said "Well you have got a bike test this afternoon haven't you?" with a distinctly impatient edge. I said yes. "Well I'll see you this afternoon then!" (Extremely raised voice). Having now blown any rapport we may have had I couldn't see how I could possibly pass a third test first time but pass I did (on a Friends Lambretta GT200) and he didn't bother asking any more Code questions.
Pete. Bet you got a few bucks more than your parents paid for it! My parents sold their place back in the mid 70's and did well! Did you go to Malvern or Danforth Tech? I went to Malvern 1952 to 1956, but thats when they thru me out! .
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1965 Thunderbird Special Landau 10th Anniversary Limited Edition only 4500 built 34,800 miles
81 Impala 4 door, on the second try. First time failed because I made a wide right turn to miss a snowbank. Evaluator said I should damage the car to make the turn correctly, was not impressed!Last I heard the car was parted out for the frame and powertrain and a early 50's chevy car was being grafted on it.
Some crappy Kawasaki 350? "crotch rocket" for my "M" endorsement on the first try
1978 Jeep CJ -7 . It was a rainy cold day and as any Jeep owner will tell you, the inside windows were constantly fogging up. More like dripping condensation. Just pulled over wiped them all down and went on with the test. Haven't thought about that old Jeep for years !!
My dad taught me how to drive when I was about 11 in our 70 454 Parisienne (it had a touchy gas pedal, and touchy disk brakes). Had to wait until I was 14 to get my learners license, but drove solo to the store for my dad on occasion prior to that.
There were benefits to taking driver training, so I did that just prior to turning 16, and used one of the driving academy cars for my drivers license 2 days after I turned 16. I don't remember what the car was, but some compact car. It was -20C and I remember the tester told me not to bother opening the window to do the hand signals when parallel parking. That was good, as I really couldn't remember the right signals anyway. Passed the test first try.
Got my motorcycle license in Ontario a number of years later. I didn't realize it included the learners written portion, but passed it, and passed the road test in my 82 Honda CB450T Hawk bike.
I took my M test on a 70 BSA with 6" extended forks.You could not use the clutch on the test in the parking lot. There were a number of guys that were not able to take the road test after that. Got grandfathered in on A and latter Z
I was in a 71 Scamp, belonged to the driving instructor. It was a wicked winter storm, schools were closed, but I passed first time and actually got a chauffeur's license. I could legally have drove a big rig.
In May of 1969 I passed my chauffers license 30 days after getting my beginners permit. I drove my boss's 1966 Dodge Polara 4 door sedan. It was a 383 4 barrel automatic single track car. If I remember correctly I think it was mandatory to wait a minimum of 30 days to take the actual driving test after passing the written beginners test. The base license was called an Operators license and you could only drive personal vehicles and not commercial vehicles to make a living . The craziest thing was you could put a car on the road without insurance by paying $25.00 for something called Unsatisfied Judgement and no such thing as a safety check.
I too took driver's education and took that car, a '75 Malibu 4-door big boat for my test. Passed it on the first go but not by much. My sister bragged she got 99%; how the heck she figured that is beyond me to this day; but a week later, she smacked up Dad's '74 Ventura. I've never been in an accident caused by me, but have had 2 serious ones thanks to others! Nowadays you really have to wonder IF some of these people even do a driving test given by the way they drive. My driver ed teacher's name was Mrs. Deworicz. And she looked like one too! LOL!
Drivers Ed through Young Drivers of Canada. Used their car for my test - brand new '71 Plymouth Duster with the leaning tower of power. Courses were run with the in-class session at our regular high school classrooms. Earl Haig Secondary School in Willowdale. Soon after getting my licence my dad sold the '67 Riv' and got a '68 Cutlass 350.
1964 Ford Falcon. 3 on the tree. He made me parallel park on a hill (facing downhill) - using hand signals the whole time - no power steering! Passed first time.
'68 Rambler for me w/ the 199 six and aircooled automatic!. Living down the road from Mosport and unofficially of course this same car held the midnight practice lap record at Mosport through the mid 70's also the record there for total laps run in the dark which was easily waaay more than any cars racing in the 24 hour races of later years!.
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I like real cars best...especially the REAL real ones! ----------------------------------------------------------------
