The first car I bought was a 1958 Chevrolet Delray. I paid $275 in 1965. It was I sad shape but I was thrilled to get it. The previous owner was a young driver. This was apparent because the hood was bulldozed (chevy emblems removed). It had been repainted a maroon color.
The three speed shifter was removed from the steering column and relocated to the floor, which was cool but it was installed backwards. First gear was on the top left where reverse would normally be and there was a 4-speed knob on the gear handle. It was important to know the weird setup so you didn’t follow the pattern on the knob and shift from 1st to reverse. Can you say janky?
It didn’t run great but my Dad had a buddy that jumped in to help get it in good running order. Thanks Mr. Berkel. I learned to drive on my Dads 1959 Oldsmobile 98, eight cylinder with an automatic transmission. It was pretty fast. The drive selections were P, D, S, N, R. I ask my Dad what S meant. He proudly said. “That stands for super.” I guess that was like Tesla’s insane mode, nah, more likely it meant 2nd gear.
My ‘58 was the first stick shift I drove but that’s what I wanted. I took me quite awhile to master it but with all the hills around St. Louis I had no other choice but to learn. I still have a shift car today, a 6-speed, Mini Cooper. It shifts much smoother than the ‘58 Chevy.
Those were fun times, just owning a car was a privilege then. Nothing high tech on the cars back in the 60’s which is quite different from today. This week we bought a 2019 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid. It’s the base model but it’s got more bells and whistles than I ever imagined a car would have. We’ve only had it for two days but so far the gas mileage is 85 mph. I like the car and all the gadgets so it’s all good. Back in the 60’s no one even checked gas mileage. “Just Saying . . . ?
The three speed shifter was removed from the steering column and relocated to the floor, which was cool but it was installed backwards. First gear was on the top left where reverse would normally be and there was a 4-speed knob on the gear handle. It was important to know the weird setup so you didn’t follow the pattern on the knob and shift from 1st to reverse. Can you say janky?
It didn’t run great but my Dad had a buddy that jumped in to help get it in good running order. Thanks Mr. Berkel. I learned to drive on my Dads 1959 Oldsmobile 98, eight cylinder with an automatic transmission. It was pretty fast. The drive selections were P, D, S, N, R. I ask my Dad what S meant. He proudly said. “That stands for super.” I guess that was like Tesla’s insane mode, nah, more likely it meant 2nd gear.
My ‘58 was the first stick shift I drove but that’s what I wanted. I took me quite awhile to master it but with all the hills around St. Louis I had no other choice but to learn. I still have a shift car today, a 6-speed, Mini Cooper. It shifts much smoother than the ‘58 Chevy.
Those were fun times, just owning a car was a privilege then. Nothing high tech on the cars back in the 60’s which is quite different from today. This week we bought a 2019 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid. It’s the base model but it’s got more bells and whistles than I ever imagined a car would have. We’ve only had it for two days but so far the gas mileage is 85 mph. I like the car and all the gadgets so it’s all good. Back in the 60’s no one even checked gas mileage. “Just Saying . . . ?
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