Horseless Carriages and Iron Ponies.

[Texas Lawdog]

Leo, I ain't changing mine! Deal with it!

[Four-Eyed Buck]

I had a new Duster( 70) with the slant 6 and later on( quite a bit) a '71 Dart Swinger, also with the slant 6. The Swinger was my work car and once I got a few things fixed, it was a good one. Liked to cry the day I wrecked it in an ice storm. Slid into a parked car, nothing I could do but go along for the ride and watch the hood crumple up. Drove it home, but while I was in the house calling my insurance, the frame broke where the torsion bar went through it.

[Texas Lawdog]

I drove a lot of Plymouths, Dodges, and even one Chrysler(79 Newport) as police cars. I only owned one Mopar, a 1974 New Yorker coupe with a 440 in it. I wore that car out between DFW and Houston every weekend for over a year to visit my my Dad in the hospital before he died. It was a runner, not very good gas milege though.

[Delmonico]

but while I was in the house calling my insurance, the frame broke where the torsion bar went through it.

They sometimes did that when they were not wrecked, had one do that down by the farm, had to trailer it to Lincoln, ended up changing the stub frame cause it was cheaper than a different car and had more time an muscle back then than money.

[Leo Tanner]

I owned two different Dodge Tradesman vans whilst layin carpet.  The old style bodies on both.  One was 318 an the other was the 340.  I killed em both but it were my fault.  First one was a 71 an I didn't change out the radiator hoses after it had sat fer years.  The second one is embarrasing.   The fuel filter clogged so I replaced it in the parking lot of an auto parts store.  The fuel filter on the 73 was located UNDER the frame so when I changed it out the carb lost it's prime.  There weren't no gas station around an I didn't have anymore cash on hand ta buy strating fluid.  I had a can of Ronsonol in the van so I opened the doghouse an squirted that stuff in there.  I now know that naptha is very bad fer engines.  It washed the rings dry an that thing smoked an spit oil from that day forth.  But, ta Dodges benifit the thing got me from Missouri ta Hollister even after that.  That's a long way.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

LOL, Del. Sounds like that VW would keep up with my car back then. I bought this one when I got out fof the Army in 1968 because I wanted to move a little. I hopped it up quite a bit and it really got along. Great fun, those 4 cyls were. I wasn't much bigger than you were, then.

[Delmonico]

LOL, Del. Sounds like that VW would keep up with my car back then. I bought this one when I got out fof the Army in 1968 because I wanted to move a little. I hopped it up quite a bit and it really got along. Great fun, those 4 cyls were. I wasn't much bigger than you were, then.

Yep, I had the heavy sway bars, the good shocks and tires, the solid steel motor mounts and the nasty clutch, most likey what screwed up my left hip.

I remember one time I was last in the drive, Dad grabbed it to run to the store, had the dame distributor as the Spyder Porshe had in it, about 35 defrees advance and all in by 1500 rpm, made an interestin' power curve. Our street was gravel, heard the engine rev and Dad let off the clutch to hit the pavement, heard it bog and he fed it the gas, heard the tire scream.

Mom looked at me and tried not to laugh and said I should park it on the street or he'd get a ticket if I didn't.

[Wireman]

Prolly the fastest car I ever had other than the BMW was ah 80 Buick Skylark.

We was doin' over 80 on the way back from "the Hunt" on Saddy night. Had ah rear tier go out and didn't even feel it till I slowed down to get off on the Ramp. The dang thing was actually flying.

[Arcey]

Hit a gradual dip inna ’63 Falcon. She got airborne. Clutch ‘n brake pedals turnt inta rudder pedals. Hood, deck lid ‘n doors were control surfaces. I actually flew it home. ORF tower was really pissed.

[Delmonico]

This was my magic flying car:



Lucky I never rolled it end to end, came dang close once.  Big dip on a gravel road north of me I'd never been on, saw it coming, tried to slow and went airborne nose down, hit them front tires it almost went over.

Was fine as long as you landed on it's ass with the tires spinning a it.  Used to be 6" 2", lost a half inch, lower four vertebrae are fused, and never had them worked on.  Dr. Hanke and I thinl it's the beasts fault.   More stupid stuff from younger days.  Should have had better seats, but they were better than VW, 64 ford Galixie Buckets some one gave me.

[Wireman]

We ustah due dat on nah dip at ah RRXing. Tossed ah feller in the back seat to the roof one time in the Montego . Tawlk about ah Rag.

If ya cut on the left turn signal and put yer foot on the brake pedal..... The Radio would play....with out the Keys, from the factory.

Anunnder cool car was ah Barracuda.... Man, was that back glass cool. The Push button shift was MADE ta do burnouts wid.


Sweet mud buggy!

Ya'll remember the VW Thing? The WWII kooble car?

[Arcey]

I paid for it. The flyin’ car Wizards materialized in my bed room. I was atomized ‘n taken to Planet 13. There, I was thrown inta bed with Momma Whiz. Knowin’ my only way back home wuz ta wear ‘er out, I did. Last I saw they were werkin’ CPR on the wretched ole gal.

I passed out ‘n woke up in my bed back home. The Falcon in the drive, never ta fly again..

Del, the answer is I had ta take ‘nother pill ‘n can’t sleep. Might as well play with the….

[Delmonico]

Good luck, I'm off to bed.

[Texas Lawdog]

I think everyone did stupid stuff in their cars when they were young, I know that I did. Before he was elected Sheriff, my Dad knew all the LEO's in the county. I had to behave myself around town or he would be the first to hear about it.

[Leo Tanner]

I done some things on them iron ponies that was plain dumb.  musta had an angel on ma shoulder.  Had to.

[Ozark Tracker]

seems like that being young  brings on that devil may care  attitude with cars. Done too many things back then to hardly remember,  was awful lucky with them close calls.

[Delmonico]

The red one would move, you could peg the 90 mph speedometer and it would keep goin' faster for a bit.  Then it wouldn't go no faster and the speedometer would wobble.  Durn bugs would have a slight frontend lift at what was 'spossed to be right at 100 and lose enough areo-dynamics it slowed.  Least that's what the experts said.  Fast enough.

We worked on it one night in the shop after work, headed out on I-80 west, CB said I had a clear shot and lost a rear tire at about 85.   Took my foot off the gas and rode it out.  Tire was shot, so was the rim, kept the shiny side up though.

Had the suspension set up so it would corner like a real sports car, fun little car, don't want one like that no more, might get in trouble.

[Leo Tanner]

seems like that being young  brings on that devil may care  attitude with cars. Done too many things back then to hardly remember,  was awful lucky with them close calls.

In motorsicklin they got a thing called a poker run.  Ya follow a route an stop at certain places ta draw a card.  At the end they have prizes fer the highest an lowest hand.  I pulled outta the second ta last stop which was on a windy mountain road an was stuck bahind at least a hunnert other bikes.  Pulled her over crost the double yella an nailed it.  Leanin that thing in ways it weren't made ta be leaned an throwin sparks the whole way.  Wore off one of the exhaust brackets and the primary case fluid plug.  I passed em all but man that was STUPID.  That's one of the reasons I've retired from 2 wheeled activities.  Somethin gets inta ya.  (but it was fun)

[Texas Lawdog]

Hopefully we get smarter as we get older and not take any dangerous chances.

[Leo Tanner]

Oh, I'm Johnny Cautious these days.  I just look back an wonder how in the world I'm still here.  My main mission these days is ta make it ta bed at night an wake up in the mornin with Lil next ta me.  Seem ta be doin ok with that so far...

[Delmonico]

Played in the snow with that beast:



as much as mud.  Had a set of chains slightly to small to go in the tires, could not get then hooked.  Simple, pull the cores out, and toss a sissiors jack or floor jack uner it and lift up the back, put them on and re-air them to about 10 lbs.  Never came loose.

We'd hit the back roads and they ones that wern't plowed sometimes had drifts 3 feet deep or so, just don't slow down, hit it and tabbogon over them on the floor pan, could be 100 feet long and you'd still make it fine.

Was fun to do with someone whoed never done it before, freaked em out when they could feel the floor move up under their feet.

[Delmonico]

Leo, didn't find the exact add I wanted, but this one will do:



and now you know why nice girls don't date guys with Nash's.

1949 Nash Ambasador ad, the full size one.  Note it had coil springs all the way around as well as it having unii-body construction.

[Texas Lawdog]

I remember seeing the old black and white Nash squad cars on Superman.

[Leo Tanner]

That's the equivalent of "don't date boys with vans" taday.

[Wireman]

Da Buick was ah Hatchback.