Driving

Naturally, when I reached 15, I took driver's Ed and got my learner’s permit. Back then, 1962 or 63, the high school offered driver’s Ed as a course. I loved it from the first time I got behind the wheel. After driver’s ed, I would pester my mom to go places just so I could drive her. She was good about it, and I was soon ready to take my road test for my full license. At the time, I think my mom had a 61 or 62 Plymouth Fury.

It did not have a transmission shift lever on the column like most cars, it had buttons on the left side of the dash board. The buttons were R,N,D,L. There was an up and down lever to the left of the buttons for Park. It was a great car and I absolutely loved driving it. I don’t think my dad ever let me drive with him. My dad was a lot like me. If he was in a car, he was driving. So, my mom was the one who gave me my on-road experience.

At or before 16, I took the road test and got my full license. LOOK OUT WORLD, HERE I COME.  I worked after school at the H.E.B. in town and saved up my money to buy me a car. I’m sure my folks helped out, but I mostly did it on my own. I bought a 1957 Ford Fairlane two door. 

It had a standard 3 speed transmission and an on-the-column shifter. It had a 392 cubic inch v-8. That was the same engine that came in The T-bird at the time. The T-Bird was Ford's answer to Chevy's Corvette. You have to understand that cars, and engines, and transmissions were just as important to guys as girls were. I could get rubber in both first and 2^nd gear. That was important to me.