Villain
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Nine Elms, 1970, looking for the loot...
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Post by Villain on May 8, 2020 13:28:56 GMT
I took my test in the same car I had my lesson's in, my driving instructor's pale blue Y reg'd Fiesta, the same colour as the little Fiesta van used in a couple of episodes of 'The Professionals'. I found the lessons to be a doddle, not in a big headed arrogant way but because my instructor was such a nice easy going bloke with bags of patience. He was a good friend of my dad's and was the spitting image of Woody Allen. At the time of of my lessons I was doing a bit of part time work as a valeter in the local Ford dealership so managed to get some practice in driving round the yard in various Granadas, Escorts, Sierras and Fiestas which helped no end, in fact the very first motor I ever moved under its own steam was a customer's Mk1 Granada which felt huge at the time. About half way through those lessons I bought my first car from one of the salesmen there, it was a trade in job, a rusty but rather cute 1977 Mini 1000 in baked bean orange with a tatty black vinyl roof, I drove it around the yard at every opportunity and almost reversed it into the guvnor's new Granada Scorpio one morning! Come the day of the driving test it was agreed that I'd used the little blue Fiesta, I was a real bag of nerves and don't actually remember much of the route we took, my abiding memory being the forboding and very odd instructor himself - I say 'himself' advisedly, as 'he' was in fact a not very attractive transvestite of decidedly pensionable age and appearance, so to add to my existing nervous state I was now concentrating very hard on not saying the wrong thing and upsetting him / her! The test seemed to go on forever but somehow I got through it, I asked if I'd passed or failed and he / she sighed, went quiet for a moment and said (in a very non feminine voice) ''I'm going to pass you but you really do need to keep a lid on those nerves....''. I was in a daze when Dave the instructor took me home but elated enough that after dropping me off I ripped the L plates off my Mini and went straight round to my girlfriend's place to pick her up and go for a spin round the country lanes. We spent about two hours driving round the leafy lanes of Warwickshire, my confidence was now restored but I made a slight error of judgement in one of the villages by clipping a brand new Jag XJS whilst trying to avoid a phone box. I'm ashamed to say that after having a quick shuftie to check for damage, which I couldn't see much of, I drove home like Paddy Hopkirk and never even looked back, my girlfriend didn't say a word but I felt quite guilty for a while.... Villain
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on May 8, 2020 13:39:52 GMT
Driving school had a yellow N regd Mark 1 Escort, but took my test in my dads J regd Austin 1100. First time August 77 and failed, second time November 77 and passed.
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DI Alex Drake
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Post by DI Alex Drake on May 8, 2020 14:10:20 GMT
I took my test in the same car I had my lesson's in, my driving instructor's pale blue Y reg'd Fiesta, the same colour as the little Fiesta van used in a couple of episodes of 'The Professionals'. I found the lessons to be a doddle, not in a big headed arrogant way but because my instructor was such a nice easy going bloke with bags of patience. He was a good friend of my dad's and was the spitting image of Woody Allen. At the time of of my lessons I was doing a bit of part time work as a valeter in the local Ford dealership so managed to get some practice in driving round the yard in various Granadas, Escorts, Sierras and Fiestas which helped no end, in fact the very first motor I ever moved under its own steam was a customer's Mk1 Granada which felt huge at the time. About half way through those lessons I bought my first car from one of the salesmen there, it was a trade in job, a rusty but rather cute 1977 Mini 1000 in baked bean orange with a tatty black vinyl roof, I drove it around the yard at every opportunity and almost reversed it into the guvnor's new Granada Scorpio one morning! Come the day of the driving test it was agreed that I'd used the little blue Fiesta, I was a real bag of nerves and don't actually remember much of the route we took, my abiding memory being the forboding and very odd instructor himself - I say 'himself' advisedly, as 'he' was in fact a not very attractive transvestite of decidedly pensionable age and appearance, so to add to my existing nervous state I was now concentrating very hard on not saying the wrong thing and upsetting him / her! The test seemed to go on forever but somehow I got through it, I asked if I'd passed or failed and he / she sighed, went quiet for a moment and said (in a very non feminine voice) ''I'm going to pass you but you really do need to keep a lid on those nerves....''. I was in a daze when Dave the instructor took me home but elated enough that after dropping me off I ripped the L plates off my Mini and went straight round to my girlfriend's place to pick her up and go for a spin round the country lanes. We spent about two hours driving round the leafy lanes of Warwickshire, my confidence was now restored but I made a slight error of judgement in one of the villages by clipping a brand new Jag XJS whilst trying to avoid a phone box. I'm ashamed to say that after having a quick shuftie to check for damage, which I couldn't see much of, I drove home like Paddy Hopkirk and never even looked back, my girlfriend didn't say a word but I felt quite guilty for a while.... Villain A brave thing to admit on a forum full of coppers . But I think we forgive you. Quite a novel test, by the sounds of it, but you got through it! And where you were working sounds like fun from the point of view of moving all those cars about, although if you had hit the Scorpio you may not have enjoyed it so much any more .
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Post by Brown Granada on May 8, 2020 16:07:10 GMT
I learned to drive in a Mini clubman with my Dad but had lessons in a yellow Metro which is what I took my test in. Passed second time after failing the first test on hesitation. It was on a Friday and he had probably had his quoter. He was also known as "fail'em Thorpe". My second test was first thing on a Tuesday morning after the May day bank holiday. 34 years and 2 days ago. I had a Mk1 Escort by then and it was straight home and out in that.
BG.
Just to clarify I didn't own the Metro it was the driving schools. 😅😅
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B16YUG
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Post by B16YUG on May 8, 2020 16:13:57 GMT
I took my test in 1989 in my driving instructors Austin Metro Was a great test as it was 22nd of December, and busy snowy Christmas roads meant I hardly drove any distance as the traffic In Whitchurch was shocking. I then inherited my mums old 1200 Mitsubishi Colt like one of these - it was a great little car, I thrashed it commuting to work in Chester from the Wirral - before part exchanging it for new Citroen AX (a mistake)
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on May 8, 2020 16:24:31 GMT
Just to clarify I didn't own the Metro it was the driving schools. 😅😅 ..............which saves you from expulsion from the forum.
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on May 8, 2020 16:39:36 GMT
The thing is even the most naff of old cars that make you cringe to admit having owned looks better than anything being produced now. Anything with a bloody straight line in it gets my vote . But not too many straight lines: Far too many angles, just looks a mess. Sam. Er, I've got one of those, or the previous generation to be exact.
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Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on May 8, 2020 16:44:21 GMT
I passed (not first time) in November 1990 in a white H reg Peugeot 205 diesel, yes I had nerves on the previous test, but managed to stay calm well, the day I passed. I had taken my earlier lessons on an F reg Metro City X 5 door but I packed in that instructor as he a pensioner and getting a bit forgetful and told me it was OK to pull out on one lesson before changing his mind and slamming the dual controls on. I went with a new driving school later with an instructor my workmate recommended to me, a Scotsman who was very good.
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DI Alex Drake
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Post by DI Alex Drake on May 8, 2020 17:28:48 GMT
But not too many straight lines: Far too many angles, just looks a mess. Sam. Er, I've got one of those, or the previous generation to be exact. Oh, there had to be one!
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DI Alex Drake
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Post by DI Alex Drake on May 8, 2020 17:32:42 GMT
I passed (not first time) in November 1990 in a white H reg Peugeot 205 diesel, yes I had nerves on the previous test, but managed to stay calm well, the day I passed. I had taken my earlier lessons on an F reg Metro City X 5 door but I packed in that instructor as he a pensioner and getting a bit forgetful and told me it was OK to pull out on one lesson before changing his mind and slamming the dual controls on. I went with a new driving school later with an instructor my workmate recommended to me, a Scotsman who was very good. You've just reminded me. I learned in a diesel and the instructor was forever telling me "you wouldn't have got away with that in a petrol car!" (ie about just about not stalling). I've only ever had petrol cars and there is something about it I do miss - it seemed to have more torque. Since it's no longer looking like a good option for the future, though, perhaps I'm better off without one. I sometimes think I'd have passed faster with a different instructor. There were so many things that, on the lead up to the test, he was insistent that we had done and I can say wholeheartedly we had not covered them!! But never mind. Amounted to the same in the end, I guess!
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