I bet this will bring back some memories...
http://cruzintheavenue.com/CarsWeDrove.htm (http://cruzintheavenue.com/CarsWeDrove.htm)
I admired the other guys hot rods. Me, I had to make do with a '61 Simca. My C34 goes faster.
Mark Mueller
When you are 17 or 18 wheels are wheels, nothing wrong with a Simca. Mine was cherry red, only car I have seen with a 4 speed shift on the column.
How about a 67 Rambler with "3 on the tree"!
Oh you had a new Rambler, I think ours was a 64. Dad also had a little Metro, cute car, but took a football field to turn around.
'65 Mustang, 289, 4 spd, green metal flake body and white vinal top... wicked pissa!
1955 Chevy wood slab sided station wagon, three on the stick. Man, gin' from 1st to second was wicked, must have been doing all of 12 mph at the time, too!
Green 1950 merc like the one in the picture, stock. Burned more oil than gas!
Jack
Thanks for the memories, Bob. Was born a car guy in '33 and have owned way more than 100 (lost count) including many sportscars, particularly converts/roadsters. First interesting 'short' in the '50s was a '41 Ford Cal Custom ragtop, shaved, lowered, chromed mill, dual steelpacks and painted t***y pink. Currently enjoying a BMW Z4 roadster (in garage with top down awaiting better weather).
Cheers!
Bill
My folks had a Nash Rambler station wagon-late 50s vintage and a early 60s Plymouth Valiant with 'push button" drive. Neither of these cars nor their driver were "chic magnets" lots of memories, however
Ken
Weren't those Ramblers noted for their front seat that would recline back to make a bed?
Yup, that's why there were so many little Ramblers...
Turned around & chased after a 63 Vette just to get a look at it. At first I didn't know what it was until I got up along side.......Still one sitting in the garage today !
Wow! Ya'll must be old!!!! :rolling I was in High School in the mid-70's. The "Car" I learned to drive was a Sears riding mower. It was a three speed center shift and had a clutch too. My real car was my dads '70 GMC Pickup (Their version of a Silverado). MY first car was a High School graduation present (1977) from my dad -- '69 Firebird with a Straight 6 Cylinder w/Overhead Cam. That girl would fly! I really miss it and wish I still had it.
Quote from: pogmusic on February 09, 2010, 02:47:58 AM
Wow! Ya'll must be old!!!! :rolling
Wow! Ya'll must be young!!!! :rolling
Yes, they used to have those shift sticks you had on the floor way back up on the steering column. Amazing, those old geezers! How'd they ever get around??? :D
OK, my very first car (when I was in the 9th grade) was a 1930 Model A 2 door sedan...... and no I didn't buy it new. The gas tank and the dash were one in the same. A float gauge was visible through a viewing glass in the center. I started it many times with the hand crank.
Ah, the good old days.
sps
Susan : My first was a Champion 1948 convertable. Beside the starter under the clutch, don't forget two other neat features :
1. Hill holder - stop on a hill and as you put in the clutch you tapped on the brake and the car stayed in place (without your foot on the brake). As you let out the clutch to go (right foot on the accelerator), it released automatically released the brake!!
2. Overdrive (4th gear) - the best part of the overdrive was that shifting from 1st to 2nd all you needed to do was let off of the accelerator and shift without using the clutch. Same with 2nd into 3rd.
Ron---almost as driver friendly as the new "high tech" Toyotas' that make independent decisions regarding acceleration and braking.
Ken
Ron.....My first car was a 1955 Studebaker Champion, flathead 6, it also had the hill holder, a great feature. Another thing that my Studebaker had and was leading edge back in the day was electric windshield wipers....2 speed no less. Do you all remember the vacuum wipers...LOL.
I still miss this car......Lots of Chrome, the entire front end.
Ken, nice to hear that somebody else owned a Simca, or even heard of them. Mine was black. You are right about 4 on the column. Never saw it anywhere else. The defroster and heater were so bad that I had to drive to school in the winter with the window down so I could see where I was going. My face thawed out by the end of the school day. It also had two horns, a city horn and a country horn. Some kind of French thing I guess. Anyway, she topped out at 50 mph (sounded like she would blow up but never did) and was almost as good as a 4wd SUV in snow.
Mark Mueller
Be thankful you didn't start driving in '79 when I had the choice of an anemic Mustang II (the weakest point in the breed) or a VW Rabbit. Thankfully, I was able to maneuver into a early 80's RX-7 after a few years - I still miss that basketball-sized rotary. So where can I find a 40+ year old pony car?
Mine was a 1956 MGA and a 1973 Chevy Vega wagon to haul parts for the MG to try and keep it running on the weekends. If you have owned a British sports car, you will know that they are never your only vehicle. Wish I had never sold the MG.
Cheers,
Rick
Owned several MGs and Jags, Rick, so am familiar with the associated maintenance gremlins. Eventually graduated to a Miata, the modern MG w/o the reliability problems.
My first car at age 16 was a 39 Chevy willed to me by my grandfather for milking his cows and doing other chores around the farm during his terminal illness. He also willed me one of his cows, a nice little Jersey.
Think spring!
Bill