Drivers Ed 1960's

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

The Mopar thread and push-button transmissions got me to remembering drivers ed back in high school.

 

My high school had several rows of simulators for drivers ed. These were a full size seat, steering wheel, pedals, push-button tranny, dash and rear view mirrors. They weren't connected to anything -- we just looked at a film on the wall and mimicked the motions of driving. (Scroll to the 3-minute mark on the video.) Note the hand signals! Mostly what we miscreants did was wind up the spring-loaded steering wheel to the stops and let go. The spring was to simulate road feel. Since the speedometer responded to the pedal, we just floored it until the needle pegged at 120 mph. Pretty quaint stuff.

 

This was my first experience in any kind of full size simulator. My last was in the B-2 simulator at Whiteman AFB. My how times have changed!

 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

I graduated from HS in 1969. We never have those 'trainers'.

Funny thing-I already had my DL. The Driver Ed. class was a new state requirement to graduate from HS. 

OLG

[Blackwater 53393]

I had my provisional driver's license at age 14 1/2!  If you had a job or a hardship waiver you could get your license at that age. I took driver's education as an elective because it resulted in a discount on liability insurance, which my parents insisted that I pay myself.  We only had one trip to the simulators during the classroom semester. We did all of our other hands on training in real cars on real roads.

[Clay Mosby]

I had drivers ed at Palmdale High. I remember our instructor. while explaining how to back out of a blind space in a parking lot, telling us to back out slowly, and if no one hit us, to continue backing out.:)

 

And the blood and guts films!!  Can you imagine the screams if they tried to show those in school today?

[Charlie Whiskers]

  I graduated HS in 64. We didn't have Drivers Ed. I got my Drivers Ed driving Ford or Case tractors and pickups at my Grandparent's and my Aunt's farms. I was pulling a combine when I was 10 but wasn't tall enough to drive the grain truck. I got my learners permit at 15 and was 16 when I got my DL.

[largo casey #19191]

Graduated 69.Took DE at 14.Didnt have simulators.Did alot of road driving.Drove from Farmington NM  up to Silverton Colo.

Farmington To Chama NM.I think the teacher just wanted to see the country.

                                                                                                                                                                       Largo

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

4 hours ago, Clay Mosby said:

And the blood and guts films!!  Can you imagine the screams if they tried to show those in school today?

Ah yes, "Mechanized Death" was my school's film of choice. Where's the barf emoticon when you need one?

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

My simulator was a 1938 Nash that belonged to my Uncle Frank.  I got a license at 15 and took the DE class later to get a reduction in insurance rates.

[Trailrider #896]

Graduated in 1960.  Took driver's ed at age 16. No simulators, and all the training cars had dual controls, but were automatic trannies only.  Didn't learn to drive a stick until I got in the Air Force, and as a maintenance field supervisor had to drive the stick pickups.  NCO's in my section taught me how to drive the floor-mounted stick Dodge pickups.

My first car, other than my folks' hand-me-down Pontiac (which had an automatic on the steering column) was a Rambler station wagon with the push-button shifter to the left of the steering wheel.  Never particularly liked the button-style.  Next car, on graduation from college was a '65 Ford wagon, with the auto trannie shift lever on the column.

[Charlie Whiskers]

1 hour ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

My simulator was a 1938 Nash that belonged to my Uncle Frank.  I got a license at 15 and took the DE class later to get a reduction in insurance rates.

 

Did you have to double clutch it? My folks had a 36 Ford 2 door sedan. We had to double clutch that...I don't know when synchronized tranny's came about. I do know our 54 Hudson Jet had a 3 on the tree (with OD mind you) and it didn't need to double clutch that.

[Noz]

6 hours ago, Clay Mosby said:

I had drivers ed at Palmdale High. I remember our instructor. while explaining how to back out of a blind space in a parking lot, telling us to back out slowly, and if no one hit us, to continue backing out.:)

 

And the blood and guts films!!  Can you imagine the screams if they tried to show those in school today?

 

Those were titled "The Suicide Club" and they were nasty!

[Pat Riot]

I didn’t take Driver’s Ed. My old man was too much of a jerk to let me get my license. Even though his insurance went up due to a 16 year old living in the household - it was PA. No fault insurance laws and regs meant he paid more insurance. That made him mad so to spite the system he took it out on me. Well, I learned to drive despite him in Auto Body class.  I could drive at 15 and he didn’t even know it. When I graduated high school at 17 I left home. Never went back.

 

When my daughter was 16 I taught her to drive. I also sent her to private Driver Training and I paid for her driver’s ed in school. California. Nuff said..,I made sure  she has everything she needed including the used car of her choice. She chose a 73 3/4 ton Chevy pickup truck...I was so proud of her, still am.

 

I have driven everything from cars to Semi’s. From tractors to large front loaders and a variety of railroad equipment. My favorite thing to drive? Motorcycles. My Dad hated those things. Yes, I have issues.

[BLACKFOOT SASS #11947]

I got a Commercial License in 1949 at age 14.  No driver ed at the time, just had to get parental consent and take the test.  Written test first and if you passed you could take the driving test. 

 

Blackfoot

[Rye Miles #13621]

Graduated in '65, my driver's ed was my dad! I learned on a 57 Chevy Two Ten, 4 door 6cyl. automatic. He also taught me to drive "3 on the tree" with my neighbor's 63 Nash Rambler.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

I took drivers ed in HS in 1957. We had 3 cars loaned to us from 3 local dealers. All 1957 models: a Ford station wagon w/auto trans, a Chevy sedan w/stick shift & a Plymouth sedan auto trans. When we took our final driving exam, I got the station wagon and had tp parallel park it! We had no simulators, just lots of driving in our parking lot and city streets.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

9 hours ago, Charlie Whiskers said:

 

Did you have to double clutch it? My folks had a 36 Ford 2 door sedan. We had to double clutch that...I don't know when synchronized tranny's came about. I do know our 54 Hudson Jet had a 3 on the tree (with OD mind you) and it didn't need to double clutch that.

Three speed on the floor.  No double clutching except going from second to first gear.  No automatic transmissions in my life until I got a ;54 Dodge Royal 2 dr ht in 1960.

 

Last new stick shift I owned was a 1970 Datsun 240Z, also my last car bought just for racing.  Bought a '68 Datsun Fairlady roaster in  94 just to fool around with.

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

16 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

Ah yes, "Mechanized Death" was my school's film of choice. Where's the barf emoticon when you need one?

 

A classic . . . right along with Night of the Living Dead

 

I miss those simpler times--when the steering column was one piece and impaled you like a spear but it did keep your head from going through the windshield and being cut off.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

14 hours ago, Noz said:

 

Those were titled "The Suicide Club" and they were nasty!

 

I do remember being shown the original 'Red Asphalt' in DE.

Saw it repeated for real, too many times as an LEO.

OLG