2014 international straight truck.

Has more gears than I'd hoped to ever see, but I did get my CDL on the first try with no restrictions.

The year was 1968 and I was twelve years old and got my first summer job working on a farm about a mile away (yes I had to walk there uphill both ways!).
The farmer was starting to bale the hay into square bales that would be shot into a wagon that was towed behind the bailer. Occasionally a bale would not land in the wagon and the farmer had an old (Ford?) pick up with a three speed shifter on the column. He showed me how to use a clutch and keep it in first gear as I followed the wagon around the field. As the days went on I was allowed to shift into second and by the end of the summer was driving that old truck all around the farm.
Thank you Mr. Bates!

1978 VW microbus. It was a fun car.

54 GMC faded red, with three on the tree and the gas, brake, clutch pedals and starter peg to deal with.

A little challenging for a 12 year old, but damned determined!

Used to drive my Pappy all over the county while he peddled is farm produce.

The Fiat 128 sedan was the second car I ever drove with a manual. Got kind of proficient with that, then the same buddy who owed the 128 allowed me to get pretty good with a stick using his Fiat X1/9. I owe him a ton for that. Later on I got more experienced driving a neighbor's 240Z. So what did I get for my first car? An Olds Omega with a Turbo-Hydramatic 400 slushbox. Naturally...

The first car I ever drove with a manual was a Ford Granada with three on the tree. A weird eye-opening experience since my parents only had automatic transmission cars since before I was a terrible two, but the Ford experience was useful in getting me interested in 3-pedal driving.

A motorcycle of some kind before I was 16. It was some flavor of a small (125CC?) dirt bike. Once I got the concept down, I had no problem translating it to four-wheeled vehicles (and one three-wheeled Cushman delivery thingy too).

First for me was a motorcycle around 10yo and then various trucks working for my Dad.

3 speed on the column , in 1974, 6 cylinder.


Not this truck, but one just like it.

Dad bought it from The Iowa, Illinois Gas and Electric company with 78,000 miles on it for a song.

I learned in a mid-60s VW Beetle.

My first manual transmission car was a 76 Toyota Corolla SR-5 Liftback

WW 2 surplus Willis Jeep herding cattle on the farm. My 3 sisters also learned on it.

1931 Chevrolet truck. It formerly carried ice for the Kansas City Ice Company, my dad bought it for $25 when they shut down in the early 1960s. Both my brother learned to drive a stick in the same truck.

I learned to drive a stick in a Deuce and a half when I got assigned to a mobile unit at Homestead AFB in 1990.



Weird. I can open and see the image in a separate tab but I can't see it in this thread in my post.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Paten, July 03, 2024 05:41 AM

1962 Porsche 356 Roadster

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mr.Brooks, July 04, 2024 10:23 AM

Early to mid-90's Mazda. It was either a 323 or a 626, I can't remember much about it other than it was a dark color.

Late 70's diesel VW-Rabbit

VW bug. It was a pizza delivery car, I learned driving business cars gave me a free rein to push the limits which was a big help later as a tv news photog.

1997 Nissan Maxima. I still have it.

Nash Rambler three on the column.

1959 Austin Healey "Bugeye" Sprite like this one >

This message has been edited. Last edited by: aileron, July 03, 2024 02:17 AM

I learned how to drive a stick on an old Ford tractor and the first car was an early 60s beetle.