Automotive Milestones Part 2

The other thread about a cool 200,000 mile Tundra made me think, what are the automotive milestones?  Help me put together a list, there are no wrong answers, Here's 20 to get started, fill in the blanks

1. Little Tykes Cozy Coupe 
2. Hotwheels/Matchbox 
3. Building Lego cars
4. Helping parent/relative/friend fix a car
5. Riding in friend's cars
6. Driving a car-like thing (go cart, golf cart, etc) 
7. Learner's permit 
8. Driver's license 
9. First crappy car 
10. Breaking down somewhere 
11. Crazy misadventure with friends
12. Fixing something yourself
13. First new car 
14. First fun car/Miata
15. First grown-up car (suv/minivan/Lexus)
16. Mid-life crisis car
17. First Buick/Camry/non V Cadillac
18. First warning for going 38 in the left lane
19. Giving up driving 
20. Hey, this hearse is actually really nice in the back. 

Steering grandpa's Farmall tractor while sitting on dad's lap

Murray Camaro pedal car

Matchbox cars (I collected them. At one point I had over 800)

Model kits

Schwinn Sting Ray

Mini bike

$300 Fiat 124 Spider

dozens of POS's

Racing in Spec E30

motorcycles

building my first 'hot rod', a 1966 Ford Falcon

First time buying from a dealer (maybe good, maybe bad)

First competitive laps/passes driven

Retiring a car at the end of its useful life

Convincing someone older to let you drive their car when you're underage with no DL.

No mention of sex in a car?

Paying off your first car loan and getting the title in the mail?

Running out of gas?  (Did it once as a young man, not nearly since then.)

First flat tire

first burnout

Pedal cars and Power wheels

First, last, and only motorcycle.

ddavidv said:

Steering grandpa's Farmall tractor while sitting on dad's lap

And/Or driving something well before you should have a license.

Smoothly shifting three on the tree

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

Smoothly shifting three on the tree

In high school my buddy and I worked for a builder who had a janky column shifter '67 GMC truck and my 16 year old buddy tried to act cool and shift the crappy linkage like it was a performance shifter.

Pushing your own car, hopping in, and popping the clutch because she told you "her parents were not home" and your battery was dead.

Running out of gas on the way to work, coasting off the highway to within 6 feet of the pump.

Safely handling a blowout at speed.

First engine R&R.

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

Smoothly shifting three on the tree

Probably not applicable to most people under the age of 60, but it can be included under the general milestone of learning how to drive a car with a manual transmission.  (I learned in a VW Bug; probably also not applicable to most younger people, but I think they were a perfect car to learn in.)

Datsun240ZGuy said:

No mention of sex in a car?

There are several levels here...are we talking back seat, front seat, bucket seats with a console?  

Steve_Jones said:

Pushing your own car, hopping in, and popping the clutch because she told you "her parents were not home" and your battery was dead.

From the makers of My Sharona…

Geoffrey said:

Running out of gas on the way to work, coasting off the highway to within 6 feet of the pump.

Safely handling a blowout at speed.

First engine R&R.

I was returning home early on a Saturday morning from Road Atlanta. I came down 85 to 285 and headed west. I was driving my 75 Vette with very suspect gas gauge. I was in the very far left lane of 6 when the engine sputtered and I knew exactly what it was. I checked my right shoulder and headed for the next exit across six lanes. I shut the car off but kept the key in the on position so I could steer. I coasted, legit, about a half mile to the exit, crested the rise, down the exit, onto the service road, to the next intersection, made the right turn (I knew where I was and where the closest gas station was), and got to the next intersection where the light turned red and I had to stop. Dammit. Almost made it to the station across the other side. Grabbed my gas can and walked over. My girlfriend and her friends had gotten me a 1 gallon gas can for my birthday. It was definitely one of the best gifts I got that year. Still have it after 25 years. They all signed it.

First wheel to wheel win. Turner 950s Bridgehampton counterclockwise 1980. 

stuart in mn said:

Datsun240ZGuy said:

No mention of sex in a car?

There are several levels here...are we talking back seat, front seat, bucket seats with a console?  

Or 2 seater? 

bmw88rider said:

stuart in mn said:

Datsun240ZGuy said:

No mention of sex in a car?

There are several levels here...are we talking back seat, front seat, bucket seats with a console?  

Or 2 seater? 

This is a family channel - I'm trying to keep it clean. 

bmw88rider said:

stuart in mn said:

Datsun240ZGuy said:

No mention of sex in a car?

There are several levels here...are we talking back seat, front seat, bucket seats with a console?  

Or 2 seater? 

This is a family channel - I'm trying to keep it clean. 

This occured to me the other day then I got squirreled by something else:

Your first out of town road trip with just your friends. Back before cell phones and stuff for extra excitement.

For me that was a buddy and I heading to an air show about 2 hours away from home, across state lines. 16 years old with all the confidence and lack of knowledge that comes with it.