Readers Recall Car Memories With Dad

On Father’s Day, we honor Dad.

All dads, really. But in our OnAllCylinders world, we spend a lot of time thinking about Car Dads.

Fathers who spent years introducing their sons and daughters to wrenching on that classic parked in the garage, or teaching them the finer points of weekend racing at the local track.

We threw the question out there: “What’s your best car memory with Dad?”

It was a treat to read through the stories. Here were some of our favorites:

The Walking Dad

By Jeremy G.

“Being 5 years old and dad had just finished his ’55 first series Chevy pickup. On the pickup’s first trip we drove about 2 miles from our house, turned around to come home and he does this huge, smokey burn out that grenaded the rear axle!

“The truck coasted to the shoulder of the road then he turned to me and says, ‘I guess we’re walking back kid’!”

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A Trip to Big Sky Country

By Jerry K.

“Took a road trip to Montana with my dad to see his cousin he had not seen for many years. His cousin passed away a couple months later. Memory will last forever.”

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A Toast to His First Third-Gear Tire Roast

By Steven G.

“Doing my first three gear burn out in this monster.”

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The Only Car Ride

By Robert F.

“The best memory or the only memory? My dad never had a license or owned a car. One day he borrowed a friend’s car to pick me up so I could get to my summer job. I was 14.

“He blew through every stop sign and red light like they weren’t even there. How we made it to where we were going without hitting anything is beyond me. I begged a friend for money to take the bus home. This was 39 years ago in New York City.”

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The Apprentice

By Bob G.

“My Dad was into ’41 Ford pickups. I helped him work on a couple. I was small enough to climb up under the dashboard to hold the wrench, bolting the fenders on.”

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In Memoriam

By Joe H.

“Clovis Speedway, CA 1976. Sure miss my pops.”

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The Revenge Shifter

By Abner K.

“Banging gears in pop’s ’66 GTO. Now, I return those times with him in my ’14 Mustang GT.”

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The Accidental Auto Body Mechanic

By Ricky W.

“Driving his first new 1970 Maverick through the carport wall. He looked at me and said, ‘Well, looks like you’re going to learn how to do bodywork and carpentry.’”

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A Loud and Lasting Impression

By Billie H.

“When I was 6, and dad put a loud dual exhaust on the ’72 Chevy Longhorn.”

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The Resourceful Repairman

By Jay J.

“Going to the junkyard looking for parts.”

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The Three-Pedal Prepper

By William B., Jr.

“Pop taught me how to drive on an old pickup with 4 on the floor. I kept reminding him that mom had an automatic, but he just smiled and said if you can drive this truck you can drive anything.”

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The Tri-Five Dad

By Tony B.

“Helping build this.”

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License to Drive (to Dairy Queen)

By Pat M.

“Sitting on his lap when I was little, steering the ’68 Caddy convertible to Dairy Queen. I knew then I would always love cars!”

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The Graduation Present

By Silas A., Jr.

“Working on the Camaro he had. And on my high school graduation day, him handing me the keys to his ’74 Camaro and saying: ‘It’s yours now.’”