What car did you pass your test in?
Discussion
My Dead Granddad's Maroon Talbot Alpine with the strong smell of sick due to spilt milk......the Laideezze had to form an orderly queue as I chucked those L plates in the bin 
I loved that car.......until the engine fell off its mounts bounced through the bonnet on a particularity harsh gear change and descended to the ground, this may have been due to my 17 year old "brisk" driving style.
Couldn't open the boot as it had so much rust it would have fallen off (there was a constant swimming pool sloshing in the boot, which didn't help with the smell) and the radio didn't have FM, the internal fan stopped working so I had to drive it with the window down (which did help with the smell), sometimes with my head out the window and it would only start 1 time out of 3, so always was parked on a hill for a bump start.
No rear seatbelts, I used to try at least once a week to get my rear passengers (mostly my sister) to hit their head off the roof as I went over a hump backed bridge.
All of these things happened after I passed my test in it mind you.
Ahhh, those were the days.
I loved that car.......until the engine fell off its mounts bounced through the bonnet on a particularity harsh gear change and descended to the ground, this may have been due to my 17 year old "brisk" driving style.
Couldn't open the boot as it had so much rust it would have fallen off (there was a constant swimming pool sloshing in the boot, which didn't help with the smell) and the radio didn't have FM, the internal fan stopped working so I had to drive it with the window down (which did help with the smell), sometimes with my head out the window and it would only start 1 time out of 3, so always was parked on a hill for a bump start.
No rear seatbelts, I used to try at least once a week to get my rear passengers (mostly my sister) to hit their head off the roof as I went over a hump backed bridge.
All of these things happened after I passed my test in it mind you.
Ahhh, those were the days.
I worked in garages from a young age and learnt to drive this way and got to drive many many cars, my instructors car which I passed my test in was a 56 plate 1.2 3 pot punto.
One of the garages I worked in was owned by a chap who an acre or 2 of land, and plonked his garage right in the middle of it. Gates at at one end and garage at the other. All private land, customers would leave cars at the portakabin next to the gates and we would drive them down to the garage.
One of the garages I worked in was owned by a chap who an acre or 2 of land, and plonked his garage right in the middle of it. Gates at at one end and garage at the other. All private land, customers would leave cars at the portakabin next to the gates and we would drive them down to the garage.
1969 mk1 Escort ex panda car with a sticking clutch pedal.
I'd only had one driving lesson with the local police sergeant who moonlighted as a driving instructor on the side, and that was only because he had a Golf GLI (GTI convertible) as his learner car and I fancied using that rather than my Dad's Austin 1800 Landcrab with knackered synchromesh which I had been practicing in.
I got my one lesson in the Golf but the morning of the test, he phoned me to say that 'it was in for a service and they'd snapped the handbrake cable, could I find something else to take the test in?' I frantically called round all my friends and relatives looking for a car without any luck until the instructor phoned me back to say he'd found me a car. I was picked up a little later by a young police constable who drove me to the test centre where we met the sergeant and the ex panda car. I bumbled my way through the test and in spite of what I felt were a lot of mistakes, passed. I like to think that passing wasn't anything to do with my two'friends' sitting waiting for me with overcoats over their uniforms but I guess I'll never know.
It was Friday the thirteenth too so maybe that had some bearing as well.
Like this but without the blue nipple on top:-
I'd only had one driving lesson with the local police sergeant who moonlighted as a driving instructor on the side, and that was only because he had a Golf GLI (GTI convertible) as his learner car and I fancied using that rather than my Dad's Austin 1800 Landcrab with knackered synchromesh which I had been practicing in.
I got my one lesson in the Golf but the morning of the test, he phoned me to say that 'it was in for a service and they'd snapped the handbrake cable, could I find something else to take the test in?' I frantically called round all my friends and relatives looking for a car without any luck until the instructor phoned me back to say he'd found me a car. I was picked up a little later by a young police constable who drove me to the test centre where we met the sergeant and the ex panda car. I bumbled my way through the test and in spite of what I felt were a lot of mistakes, passed. I like to think that passing wasn't anything to do with my two'friends' sitting waiting for me with overcoats over their uniforms but I guess I'll never know.
It was Friday the thirteenth too so maybe that had some bearing as well.
Like this but without the blue nipple on top:-
Edited by brrapp on Thursday 2nd March 10:21
I was pretty lucky with the car I learned to drive and passed my test in, at the time my Dad was a production manager for volvo truck and bus and was handed a brand new company car every 3 months and at that time they didn't have any restrictions for other drivers as long as they were family or a company employee.
In his infinite wisdom he took delivery of a brand new Volvo 850-R estate about 2 weeks before my 17th Birthday. I both learned to drive and passed my test in it within 10 weeks.
3 days after passing my test I pranged it reversing into a 2ft tall bollard at a car wash, I honestly didn't see as it was so low down (I was going to fast as well and clearly an inexperienced driver). The end result was the car was written off.
After that he bought me a 1984 Datsun Cherry 1.3 at a local auction for £75, I wasn't allowed to drive the company cars again for quite a long time.
In his infinite wisdom he took delivery of a brand new Volvo 850-R estate about 2 weeks before my 17th Birthday. I both learned to drive and passed my test in it within 10 weeks.
3 days after passing my test I pranged it reversing into a 2ft tall bollard at a car wash, I honestly didn't see as it was so low down (I was going to fast as well and clearly an inexperienced driver). The end result was the car was written off.
After that he bought me a 1984 Datsun Cherry 1.3 at a local auction for £75, I wasn't allowed to drive the company cars again for quite a long time.
1979 Mini Clubman, my first car. Just did a speculative, nostalgia-driven Google search of the rather memorable number plate and I've actually found a picture of it. Loved that car so much...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128691640@N04/170681...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128691640@N04/170681...
Something like this...
A 1986 ('C' plate) Nissan Sunny 4-door saloon. It was my instructors car, and she was a contracted civilian instructor at 56 MT Trg Sqn Royal Engineers at Church Crookham.
Failed my first test - "unduly hesitant".
Failed my second - "instructor used dual controls to intervene to prevent a collision". (I was so determined not to get another "unduly hesitant" that I pulled out at a roundabout, failing to give way to traffic already on it)
Passed my third despite having been threatened with 'Return To Unit' because we were only supposed to be allowed two weeks maximum instruction. With two 'strikes' I was deemed to be 'not up to the standard required' but I needed a licence to qualify for trade training. Babs, my instructor, was livid that I'd failed. I was assessed by the senior instructor too, and a case made for a third chance. I was then tested by the senior examiner in the area and he passed me with very few minor observations.
Although I did pass my very first road driving test in Osnabrück, Germany, in one of these...
...and had also passed a subsequent driving test on the roads around Bovington Camp in one of these...
...which wouldn't happen now, as I believe you need to attain the car licence before progressing on to armoured vehicles. Back in the 80s the army pretty much didn't waste a cat 'B' driving course on soldiers it only required to drive armour on an 'H' licence.
A 1986 ('C' plate) Nissan Sunny 4-door saloon. It was my instructors car, and she was a contracted civilian instructor at 56 MT Trg Sqn Royal Engineers at Church Crookham.
Failed my first test - "unduly hesitant".
Failed my second - "instructor used dual controls to intervene to prevent a collision". (I was so determined not to get another "unduly hesitant" that I pulled out at a roundabout, failing to give way to traffic already on it)
Passed my third despite having been threatened with 'Return To Unit' because we were only supposed to be allowed two weeks maximum instruction. With two 'strikes' I was deemed to be 'not up to the standard required' but I needed a licence to qualify for trade training. Babs, my instructor, was livid that I'd failed. I was assessed by the senior instructor too, and a case made for a third chance. I was then tested by the senior examiner in the area and he passed me with very few minor observations.
Although I did pass my very first road driving test in Osnabrück, Germany, in one of these...
...and had also passed a subsequent driving test on the roads around Bovington Camp in one of these...
...which wouldn't happen now, as I believe you need to attain the car licence before progressing on to armoured vehicles. Back in the 80s the army pretty much didn't waste a cat 'B' driving course on soldiers it only required to drive armour on an 'H' licence.
Edited by yellowjack on Thursday 2nd March 10:18
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