My first car
It was early 1962 when Dad set up two 55-gallon drums down by the barn so I could practice my parallel parking. I tried to master this challenge in a straight-drive, 1961 two-door hardtop Ford. Dad had to replace the clutch, but when March came, I was ready to get my first driver's license.
When your dad does body work for a living, you don't have a choice of colors, but I was happy with this dark blue beauty he had purchased from salvage. He would buy a car, repair it, and drive it for a while before selling it. And this one was mine.
I had fun changing the look of the car. Sometimes I would remove the fender skirts and hubcaps. Other times, I would add one or the other back on. There were times when I would drive around with the seatbelt buckle to my mouth — it was a lap buckle — hoping people would think I had a CB radio on board. My favorite thing was the T Model horn Dad installed for me.
-
Share this story:
