AUTOMOTIVE MEMORIES - A Personal Automotive History

Automotive Memories - A Personal Automotive History

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Cars We Have Known and Loved

As I said on the home page, the first car I remember is a 1949 Mercury our family owned. It was a black 4 door sedan as I recall, that had the controls on the dashboard that you might see in a 50's sci-fi movie. Mostly I remember the back seat, that's where kids sat. We must have traded it when I was only 5 or 6, but I still remember riding through the mountains of Pennsylvania in the summer time, my grandfather drinking long necks.

Most of the cars we've known are not considered collectible so I rarely see examples at the car shows I attend. I didn't really start taking a lot of automotive photographs until I started going to car shows in 2003, so the photos presented here are mostly gathered from the web but are representative of those wonderful rides from our past.

1950's and 60's Leave a Lasting Impression...

At around age 5 or 6 the family owned a 1957 Ford Fairlane that was really stylish in it's day. Ours may have been a 4 door but it was the same two tone black and white as the one pictured. It got totaled in a wreck one night so it was not around for long. It's still one of my favorites.

Once again, it was back to Mercurys This time my grandfather bought a 1953 Mercury sedan. Ours was brown and had the classic flat head engine that had so much power. My older brother Steve burned up some tires and clutches with this one. After the 2nd or 3rd clutch, the old man bought a my brother a car of his own.

1960 MERCURY PARK LANE CRUISER

Somewhere around this time, the family car became a 1960 Mercury Park Lane. It was all luxury, with power windows and power seats. Naturally, it had a stout motor that would haul my brother and his buddies around the mountains of PA at a rapid pace. That is.. until the car had a disagreement with a telephone pole. The Park Lane got parked for a number of years and my brother found another car that suited the needs of a 60's teenager.

This time it was an automatic. The 1964 Cutlass convertible was actually gold with a white top, powered by a 330 CID engine. It was a real "chick magnet" that he had to leave behind when Steve joined the Army. He and the car discovered the joys of South Padre Island, Texas while he was stationed in San Antonio. It was a glimpse of the future for both of us.

When I started high school, muscle cars were a real inspiration to a kid looking forward to the freedom of a drivers license. Of course the local hang out moved from the playground to the local Mobil gas station. Most times we worked for free, pumping gas and washing cars just to be involved. It turns out the serious hot rodders bought higher octane gas at the Sunoco station 2 blocks away.

On a few occasions, we went to the closest drag strip, which has long since disappeared. One guy from town raced a 1961 Chevy named "Agitation 409" that was pretty serious. This is where I saw my first Shelby Cobra. With only 3 local TV stations, there was no ESPN or Speed channel to learn about racing and classic cars.

Neighborhood Inspirations...

The first muscle car that caught my eye was a black 1965 Pontiac GTO that belonged to a guy in the neighborhood. It had the look, the sound and the speed that made us all want to go fast.

Neighborhood Inspirations...

In a small blue collar town a Corvette was like a beacon of the world outside. Most people drove bland but functional sedans that would wait 20 or 30 years to become popular with auto restoration guys. Just seeing the red '63 Vette convertible drive through the neighborhood was exciting at 13 years old.

Neighborhood Inspirations...

If you were up early enough, you might catch a ride to school with Dick Stair. He had a 1956 Bel Air that he was tuning up from a sleepy family car to one that would go fast. His was white over blue like the one in the photo and was powered by the 283 CID engine and a 4bbl carb.

Neighborhood Inspirations...

Dick worked hard and before long he traded the Bel Air in for a brand new blue 1967 GTO convertible just like the one pictured. Whether it was the car or his hard working, generous nature I don't know, but he married one of the prettiest girls in town.

Neighborhood Inspirations...

One of the more colorful guys in the neighborhood drove a white 1959 Impala convertible. It wasn't loud enough so he hammered a screwdriver through both mufflers to give it a more throaty sound. He said that at around 100mph the fins caused the back end to lift off the ground. Bill was once clocked on my skateboard at 35mph towed by Dick's GTO. Bill later moved to Australia for the surfing.

Good Bye to the Mercurys...

After years of owning American cars, my grandfather chose a yellow VW Beetle for his next car. He never drove anywhere outside of town by then so it probably made sense to get a smaller car. It also got around in the snow better than a lot of cars so I was never late for work.

The First Family Station Wagon...

When he remarried and was given a dog, my grandfather upsized and got another Ford. This time it was a Pinto station wagon. His was dark brown and was reliable enough for his needs. The exploding Pinto stories were probably overblown by the media and he drove it until he died.

My First Driving Experience...

The first car I ever drove, before I even had a license,was a green 1966 Rambler station wagon. About the time Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, I was visiting my dad. One day he let me drive the family wagon up the winding road to his house. A few years later I owned the car and drove it to the Poconos on weekends. As I recall it had a 327 CID engine with automatic and power everything.

Missed Out On Driving This...

My dad's other car at that time was a dark green 1964 Cadillac Coupe de Ville like the one in the photo. I was impressed with the horsepower the 454 CID engine had, although today I'm more impressed with the classic lines this model had. Too bad I missed out on driving one of the most beautiful Coupe de Villes ever.

1970's.. Now It's My Turn at the Wheel...

Learning to Drive...

Driver's Ed in my day consisted of watching the "scary movie" about traffic accidents, a driving simulator and about 30 minutes behind the wheel. After passing the test I still couldn't drive a stick shift. Fortunately, my friend Moe had a green 1953 Chevy pickup for that. There were some anxious moments at stop signs going uphill but I soon learned to work the clutch. Later we drove that truck all the way to Texas with one of the front fenders in the bed.

First Road Trip...

On a whim, my friend Jeff, a.k.a. Frogwell Bumstead and I decided to drive to Wildwood, NJ for the weekend. His first generation brown Corvair got us there and back but between the low power and bad roads it was a long drive. Fortunately, it was easy on gas because we barely had enough money for the round trip. We ate a lot of free pizza provided by a friend working on the boardwalk.

A Rolling Party...

What would your teenage years be without "cruisin' the borough" for chicks with several of your friends? And what better way than in a VW bus? We took turns driving my friend David's gray VW around town and out in the countryside. There was always room for any girls we met and what happened in the bus stayed on the bus.

Sue's Family Does Road Trips

My wife Sue's family made their annual cross country vacation trips in a white 1960 Rambler station wagon similar to this one. Loaded with uncles and aunts, the kids were stuffed in the back which was pretty crowded. Sometimes they towed a pop up camper which must have worked the engine pretty hard.

I Do Some Auto Transport Work.. Sort Of...

Somewhere in here, my dad moved from Pittsburgh to Atlanta. He and I drove the two cars while everyone else flew. Driving his mid 60's white Mercedes Benz sedan was great. The trip took us through some great mountain scenery and the Benz had a lot of power.

Friday Night Cruising...

Most Friday nights in high school, George Kipp a.k.a. Geo and I went cruisin' in Frog's yellow 1968 Pontiac Firebird with a black vinyl top. Although it was only a 6 cylinder, the light weight and 3 speed floor shifter made it very fast. We spent a lot of nights going to parties and rockin' out in the "baby bird". We lost our good friend Geo in 2010.

My First Car...

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I don't know what one would cost now, if you could find one, but the red 1958 or 59(?) Fiat Roadster set me back $150. It looked just like the photo, only not quite as shiny. The 1200 cc engine and 4 speed made it pretty fast. Since I bought it in the fall, I never really had a chance to enjoy driving it with the top down. It would do some nice donuts in a snowy parking lot though. The big drawback was getting parts. Something as simple as a set of points or rotor took 3 weeks to get. When it broke down I sold it and soon bought another red car.

On the Road Again...

With the moon missions in full swing, my friend Jimmy got the idea to go see an Apollo launch in Florida. With 2 feet of snow on the ground it seemed like a great Idea. His blue metalflake Plymouth Satellite had a bent frame so it ate front tires, but we made it to Cocoa Beach. The day before the launch his draft notice came and we had to leave without seeing a moon shot.

Another Cruising Style...

You never knew what Frog would do next. When he got married and had a son, it was time to give up the baby bird to his brother. This time he bought a sleek silver mid 60's Olds Toranado with a black interior. It was still pretty quick but didn't attract the attention of local cops. Work and family life cut down on cruising but we still managed to get out and about sometimes.

My Next Car Was Also A Little Different...

I agree with Jay Leno, the 66 Corvair was a great little car and has been called the poor man's Porsche. My red Corsa looked just like this photo with the exception of mine having dual exhaust that exited out behind the rear wheels. It was a 110 model that had four 1bbl carbs with progressive linkage, so it ran on two carbs until you put your foot down. I put Baby Moon hub caps on it and drove it like I stole it. Fast on dry streets and good in the snow made it a practical choice. I was sorry to see it go.

Three At Once...

My memories of the early 70's are a little fuzzy today, but at one point I owned 3 cars. The green 66 Rambler mentioned earlier, a white Oldsmobile station wagon, like the pictured and a VW convertible. The Olds wagon was a nice car that I would love to have in restored condition today. It fell pray to one of those black ice conditions that winter brings to Pennsylvania.

Foreign Cars Go Fast...

On one occasion I was visiting my friend Frogwell while he owned an green Alfa Romeo like the one pictured. Naturally, we went cruisin' in the countryside. That night by the light of the moon, I wound that car up to over 100mph on a twisting valley road that probably had a 45mph speed limit. The Alfa was easy to handle at that speed.

Another Rear Engine Car Followed...

It's hard to remember exactly what year my red Volkswagen convertible was, but I remember all the fun I had with it. The heater wasn't anything to brag about, but it really went through the snow well. It had an "automatic stick shift" that you could use either way. In the summer you could put the top down, put it low gear, sit on the head rest and steer with your feet.

More Cars At the House...

While I was gathering cars all at once, my brother Steve was starting a family. Together we were restoring the house we lived in and he went through 3 cars of his own in short order. First was a dark green 1966 Ford Fairlane 2 door with "3 on the tree". The small V8 had plenty of power but it wasn't the best in snow.

My Brother's Land Yacht...

With a wife, son and dog to cart around, a bigger car was in order for Steve. This time it was really big.. a bright red 1970 Oldsmobile four door. Our driveway was so narrow, there were only a few inches clearance for the Olds to get through. Coincidentally, my girlfriend's parents owned a similar blue one at that time.

My Brother Changes Directions...

For some reason, Steve did a 180 and then traded for a dark green mid 1970's Mazda RX4 coupe. This thing was a rocket! The 4 cylinder rotary engine and 5 speed would accelerate dramatically at any speed. Detroit would have been wise to adopt the Wankel rotary engine for many of it's cars in the 80's. This was the next family car to go to South Padre Island, Texas when he moved to Brownsville for the fishing.

A Roadtrip Home...

In the mid 1970's I lived in Cincinnati, OH for a short time. As it happened, I made friends with Jeff Thomas who had relatives back home in Pennsylvania. Together we made a roadtrip in his cream colored 65 Pontiac Grand Prix to visit them in Johnstown. It was a great highway cruiser and the trip went well. It rained hard one day while we there and the week after we left they had a flood rivaling the Great Flood of 1889 that killed over 2,200 people.

Foreign Cars Were Cheap, repairs not so much...

My only experience with front wheel drive was when I owned a silver 1971 Audi LS 100 just like the one pictured. It had a nice interior and a sunroof, which I liked as much as a convertible top. It drove great and plowed through snow. I once scared the snot out of Geo on a snowy country road with it. But again, repairs were expensive, replacing a CV joint was like $300 and when the engine gave out I decided it was too expensive.

Upsizing Just In Time...

By the mid 1970's I was moving around the country and my 1966 Chevy Bel Air station wagon made that possible. It was spartan in willow green paint, standard hubcaps and devoid of side trim. It took me to Alabama, Texas, back to Pennsylvania and finally to Ohio. About the time I got married, someone stole the 4bbl carb out it and replacing it was challenging in a new town.

Sue Discovers Black Ice

Sue's mother delivered newspapers in rural Ohio with a blue 1966 Bel Air like the one pictured. One winter's day, Sue slid off the road in it and put mom in a tizzy, since it was the only car they owned and lived out in the country. The wrecker pulled it out without major damage along with other cars that fell prey to the icy curve.

Sue's First Car...

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My wife Sue worked hard and bought a purple AMC Gremlin for her first car. I'm sure she was quite a site zipping around in the snows of Ohio. She actually owned two purple Gremlins, one with white stripes and the one pictured with gold stripes.

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Later, while she was living in Hawaii, she drove this VW bus. Unfortunately, she was hit head on in the bus and the VW wasn't much protection. Her knee was hurt badly but the kids were OK.

Two Sizes in the Family...

When I married Sue, she owned a little Chevy Chevette hatchback. It got around surprisingly well in the snow of northern Ohio. On the way to my wedding rehearsal, the brakes failed and I tapped the back of another car. There was no damage and I made the rehearsal on time.

1980's.. The Wide Open Roads of Texas...

TEXAS

TEXAS, My First Mopar...

In 1981 we moved to Brownsville,Texas to escape the snow and bought a gold Plymouth Duster to get to work on South Padre Island. The 6 cylinder 3 speed ran alright but we discovered it had a bent frame so we only kept it a few months.

The One I Let Slip Away...

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After moving to the Texas Hill Country, we bought this blue 1971 Chevrolet Caprice Classic with a white vinyl top. It had a 400 CID engine and automatic that ran great and went over 100,000 miles while we owned it. I regret trading it in when we bought a new car, especially now as I look at the restored Chevys at auction.

Our First New Car Wasn't Actually a Car...

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Our white 1986 Ford Aerostar XLT really did seem like the Space Shuttle to us. It had seating for 7 and all the options. It was the car we went camping in, took the dreaded long distance family vacation in and hauled a lot of stuff. Whenever family came to visit we always had plenty of room to take everyone out to dinner.

1990's.. Pick Ups and My Pony...

Our First Pickup Truck...

With the kids grown, we traded the van for a beige 1992 Ford Ranger pickup, similar to the one in the photo. Sue wanted it for the fuel economy of a 6 cylinder and low bed height for loading all the stuff we were filling the house with. It was still running good when Sue upgraded to an extended cab version a few years later.

Two Car Family...

Sue and I worked at the same company for many years and only needed one car. When that ended I needed a cheap runabout and a few hundred dollars bought a red mid 1980's Toyota Corolla with a 4 cylinder and 4 speed. After teaching my daughter to drive in it, she took it over and drove it for a couple years. She once drove it until the brake pads fused to the rotors and wouldn't go forward. That was an expensive lesson ( expensive for me ).

A Car For My Passion...

1992 FORD MUSTANG 5.0L XL COUPE
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1992 MUSTANG 5.0L ENGINE
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FORD MUSTANG 5.0 BADGE We soon added a second car to the garage. This one was for me and I still drive it today. My white 1992 Ford Mustang LX Coupe has the 5.0L HiPo engine and an AOD transmission. As a daily driver for over 18 years it has over 130,000 miles on it but still looks good. It's starting to show some wear but with proper maintenance and a few repairs it has held up well as an all original car.

This car is a true survivor. A month after I bought it a hail storm tried to destroy it. Leaving work just as the storm hit, I was able to get under a highway overpass. Golf ball size hail was bouncing off a guardrail 10 feet away and hitting the driver side window. During one of the legendary Texas flooding events my Mustang was parked in water up to the rocker panels. Careless drivers have bumped into it and banged the doors countless times.

There have been some good looking models since but I still prefer the LX Coupe's retro roof line that has disappeared on all the Mustangs since. This car will still turn the tires over.

Our Pickup Trucks Start Getting Bigger...

In 1995, Sue traded in her truck for a new Ford Ranger Extended Cab in dark green. It was another 6 cylinder with 4 speed manual transmission. The jump seats came in handy with the addition of grandkids.

2000.. The New Millennium and Antiques...

Our Pickups Keep Getting Bigger...

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The 95 Ranger got creamed by a limo that ran a red light. After it was repaired Sue traded it for a white 2002 Dodge Dakota XLT Quad Cab. It had the most leg room in back of all the compact pickups that year. I've used it extensively to take The Memories Mall to car shows. Sue can haul just about anything she finds at the garage sales she goes to every Saturday. Even with a 6 cylinder automatic it carries people and cargo with ease.

Sue is now crusing in style...

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CADILLAC NORTHSTAR 3200 ENGINE

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An opportunity came along in the fall of 2011 to buy a white 97 Cadillac Eldorado at a very good price. This is a real hot rod with a 300hp Northstar engine and beautiful interior.

The previous owners had kept the car in very good condition and provided detailed records of all the service done to the car with all the receipts. That's not to say it didn't need a few "minor" repairs. Starting with a pressuring washing of the engine, I decided to replace the idler and tensioning pulleys that were squealing. No easy task on a sideways motor.

Next, the fuel gauge was jumping all over the place. Since the fuel sending unit is part of the fuel pump, the gas tank had to come out and that's when things got interesting. There's a brief story about the challenges associated with this project that you can read here. All in all it's a great car to drive and has more bells and whistles than you can imagine. I'm still trying to figure out what all the buttons do.

Street Rods Forever...

JIM GREENE'S 38 CHEVY
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1968 CHEVELLE
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Home for a lot of my automotive activity these days is Street Rods Forever in Austin, owned by my friend Jim Greene. In addition to the all steel 1938 Chevy coupe, he owns a gold 1968 Chevelle SS with a big block dressed out nicely. Of course we have the daily jabs about Fords versus Chevys, but in the end it's all about performance.

Jim's new shop is the kind of man cave we all dream about with a well lit work area large enough for 10 or 12 cars. It's equipped with 4 overhead doors, plenty of electric outlets and compressed air connections throughout.

The 2nd floor office is also first class with plenty of space, a custom bathroom, complete with shower and a bar for those occasions when hot rodders gather.

The Street Rod Trailer Business...

THE ROADSTER TRAILER
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A few years ago I started selling fiberglass cargo trailers designed for street rods. Starting in 2011 I'll be offering a lightweight compact model called The Roadster. It has a unique custom style that looks good with streetrods, classic cars and even some sports cars.

The lower profile provides better visibility in your mirror, yet there is still plenty of room for your luggage, cooler and chairs. Dressed out to match your car, it will not only look good, it will make those weekend outing more comfortable and protect your investment.

It comes as unfinished rolling stock, ready for paint and trim to match your car. For more details visit StreetRodTrailers.com.

After the meltdown of the economy in 2009, America's car makers seem to be trending away from building the kinds of performance cars so many of us love. Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers still have a strong following, but the days when Detroit offered us a wide variety of high performance models may be gone. Fortunately, the collector car market is making a comeback as the economy improves. Auction prices for collector cars are rising again and people are buying.

Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs and Mercurys have recently gone the way of such great brands as Auburn, Hudson and Packard. But there are still guys out discovering vintage cars in barns and garages, restoring them and keeping the love affair with automotive history alive.

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