saturday afternoon car stuff...

here's a new post by mr.t...concerning cars.

Above is the new car we got in 1960 - except it may have been the Chevey Belair model, not the "Impala" higher model.


But what about the 2nd hand Cars we used to own? :

That blue 59 Chevy Impala Coupe with the fins...very close to what we had until the fall of 63. But I think we might have had the Belaire version, not sure. They look exactly alike but I think there was an engine difference. I remember Dan having to sit in a car seat in front. "Oh, that was safer!" It a was three on the tree as was our next car.
Other used cars we had were the '70 Ford Maverick (Childs used to call it the "Maverwreck" -- hahaha) and the rusty '57 Ford Dad had as our first "2nd hand" car (to go from point A to point B and back). Reason was he needed to get to work and mom went the other way, yet we walked to school. We actually moved across town with that ugly old thing, all dusty inside too. I remember listening to tunes on the radio that were new at the time as dad and I went across town in advance of our big move - the songs I remembering hearing in that car were "What's New Pussycat?" Tom Jones and "You Were on My Mind." The secind song has always stuck in my mind as the theme song of moving to a new life that year - don't know why. For mom and dad it should have been "We Gotta Get Out of This Place, (If it's the last thing we ever do)" by the Animals -hahaha. I think that is where they were coming from on that moving business. Wish I could talk to them now and get their take on that and the cars.

Then that fall ('65) got the dark blue '61 Ford Falcon. That was never a great car either. The brown/tan '63 Chevy Impala or Belair (version of our 64 Red Chevy Belaire, both three on the tree) -that was Ben Hoover's Car he sold to us just before moving to Germany for a year- was pretty good for a while, even after mom hit the train (actually the signal was not working and the train hit her. But mom, how could you not see the train for Christ's sake? It's ten times bigger than the car! Hahaha). But by '71 it got old and we sold it for $25 to some kid down the street, thanks to Child's putting on sign on it. (Buyer must have known how to repair them, eh? Just in time for the demolition derby, that is).

Then we bought the Maverwreck. I remember how that one would stall and I couldn't get it started again, often in the middle of a traffic light at an intersection -must have had a bad gasket or carburetor. One time I had 3 guys climb out and push it through the busy intersection at the high school right after school during the traffic rush, on an icy winter day, while I pumped the gas pedal and turned the key. By God (and only by God) it started and we got home. One of my friends, Tim Childs, actually crossed himself as he got out at his house and said, "Timlin, this must be a Catholic car-my prayers were answered after I said 5 Hail Mary's to make it home alive." I busted out laughing as did the others. Of course, Tim owned a '64 Corvair so he was used to praying and driving at the same time. That's now called multi-tasking. Only with cell phones and driving. While I see that in front of me, I am the one praying and driving at the same time now.

When we got the Green Dodge Dart in '75 that was a three on the tree and a big mistake. It was actually a new one, to be used as a second car. After less than a year Dad had to get the transmission fixed or something. Of course, I drove it a lot, that could explain the problem.....but electronically it had constant problems, it wouldn't always start, had a bad starter, bad battery, etc. Bad wiring or connections. We actually took that thing to Florida and back...but it was never right, other stuff broke down on it. The worst car we ever had, running wise. It even got in accident once in a bank parking lot. Big lady couldn't turn her body around to see who she was backing into. Me. Big dent in front of corner of car. Driveable. Big Lady has since been replaced by deer for me. Not much IQ difference though. Those deer never look behind when backing up either........i think we got rid of the dodge in '78 after three years. Igot my own first car, an orange VW Super Beetle. Oh, that really impressed all the ladies. For real. They kept asking me for a ride home from marching band practice, knowing there was no way any room whatsoever for sex in that sucker. When they found condoms in the glove compartment after the door fell open going over railroad tracks, they would burst out laughing: "You're joking, right?" I was never sure if they meant the "in the car" idea, or with me in general. Or both.......

by "mr t."