My first car was a '53 Dodge Coronet with Fluid Drive - somewhat a semi-automatic transmission with a clutch. Great car for learning how to drive a stick - couldn't stall it! Referred to by my friends as "The Upside-Down Bathtub". Bought it for $50 bucks from a neighbor.......and then proceeded to get plowed into the first time I took it out for a drive. Bummer. Still had my temps/learners permit! A lot of hammer-and-dolly work by my dad and me, some (read: 'a whole bunch of') bondo, and an all-over paint job "ala brush" compliments of my dad as well and I was back in business again! The 'quality' of the bodywork made the side of the car look like a waffle - it certainly wasn't the best job in the world! But my dad and I enjoyed working on it together - it was a learning experience for me.
Kept the Dodge for a few years, got another car or two in the meantime, then sold it to a high school buddy as I got busy with the other cars. My dad's interest in cars and working on them got into my blood big-time......and still hasn't left these many years later!
Bill
