When we were young and stupid and full of fun

HOO BOY ....here we go ....
1937 dodge pick up in the Marines to take my bikes to the race track.....love it so much that when I graduated college , I bought a newer one ,....a 1940 for my bike shop AUUUUUGAH !
A '57 dodge (tank) in college
'62 falcoon station wagon for work
'63 $ 100 heavy chevy station wagon for work
'60 el camion 3 on the tree for work
when I stopped getting dirty and needed a classy car to impress clients I couldn't afford a BMW , or other status cars necessary to impress anyone in Fla , I started buying restored antique cars or restored them my self .....I would tell the clients that anyone could buy a 70 k Porche and see himself coming down the street ( when it wasn't in the shop)
So in the 37 years I was in Florida I owned the following
A '68 caddy convertible powder blue w/ white top and interior
'65 Buick ALL WHITE Skylark convertible ( Snow White)
'72 Buick electra convertible ALL black
two '69 442 Olds mo bomb convertibles (last year of the curves)
'67 Triumph TR6 w/Joe Lucas don't go out after dark Lucas electrics
'72 Ford Ranchero ( total crap)
And then the mustangs ....when I got out of the crotch in '66 , I didn't have $ 2300+ for a new Mustang so ALL my "rustangs" were 66 ers
I had 7 ....when the IRS caught me I had 5 ....the registrations all said "2 door fords When they asked me why I said " well , when one won't start , I get a part off another and get to work "
at the time , I had 2 convertibles, 2 coups, and a "re-bodied 350 GT Shelby I made from a genuine crash and burn Shelby and swapped all the Shelby parts to a good fastback body ....that was in the parking lot when the IRS asked me " didn't I own anything worth polishing " ...to them they were just old worthless cars ....of them all , My favorite was "Cindy the 6 pack " 250 k miles with one tranny re-build , 2 starters , one carb, two radiators , 3 sets of breaks and 5 sets of tires and 6 batteries .....23 mpg at 80 mph on regular gas .... NEVER broke down ....love "stone age engineering"
only new car I owned was a Pontiac Ferro ....piece of crap from the start but cool looking
Now to bikes ....had a thing for British bikes so here's that list ...Thumpers first
' 58 BSA 500cc goldstar (first bike )
'55 Matchless
"68 441 BSA
R 27 BMW ( gutless)
And Pedro is helping me buy a NEW Royal Endfield 500cc in Mexico city
TWINS
'68 MK 1V spitfire special BSA
'64 Honda Super Hawk
'71 Norton ( HOO BOY)
'68 R69 BMW .....real lady
59 Royal Endfield 750 ( would launch you over the handle bars if you didn't have the spark and choke right)
2 Harley D's .....a 45ci war machine ALL olive drab except the tires w/ rifle scabard, saddle bag "boxes ?" and the "black out headlight cover "
and a '55-56 ? knuckle head " POS that I offed within the month
And a Honda 750 ...fast and decent
Jesus , just looking at the list it's a wonder none of my relationships lasted that long .....I remember after the divorce that all the new gals would bitch " What about my hair , it's too hot , etc ad nausium " with the top down
the oldies were great .... if you knew where to kick them , they always got you home
There was a movie company that used to call me to see what I had ....they didn't care if they ran , they would park them on the street for street scenes and I even got a couple of cheap paint jobs out of it
Thank you for a trip down memory lane .....I now drive a Ford Windstar ....and love it ....no problems and I cruised through DUI check points .....get no respect but with the seats in , it's a bus , seats out , it's a lockable truck ....perfect for Mexico and an old fart
I had 7 cars to sell when I came down but the economy had bombed and no one had money for toys so I basically gave them away .....except "Shelly" the Shelby That I sold with a framed ticket from the FHP for doing 120 ....another story for another time

WOW!

Hey, keep your eyes out for a KLR650, 2008 or newer. I miss my BMW R1200RT, last bike I had before we moved here. But I'm too old and the Beemers are just too heavy (for me) for these roads. Would sure love to ride again, lot of great two lane roads in this country.

Mainecoons wrote:WOW!

Hey, keep your eyes out for a KLR650, 2008 or newer. I miss my BMW R1200RT, last bike I had before we moved here. But I'm too old and the Beemers are just too heavy (for me) for these roads. Would sure love to ride again, lot of great two lane roads in this country.

I fight the same feelings. I got the strength but not the leg length to keep up most larger bikes. Fighting the urge to pick up one of those
150cc wal mart scooters. You know you don't have to lift your leg over the bike on a scooter.

Z

Austin-Healey "Bugeye" Sprite - can't remember the year but when purchased the entire wiring harness was fried and had to be totally rewired before I could even drive it.

1972 Volvo P1800S - great car but I kept plenty of food on the table of "Herman the German" who only worked on Volvos.

1965 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 - purchased from a friend totally refurbished for $6K in 1976 and sold to a Ferrari dealer for $12.5K in 1978.

I forgot when I owned a few Yellow Cabs in Seattle back in the '70's I had 3 Checkers as cabs and one as a private vehicle. Basically just a Checker body on a Chevy 1/2 ton frame. Lots of room to work on those 250 in-line six's. Stopped production around '82. The outlasted everything else

I have had a few 1950's Chev or GMC pick-ups. A shitload of old Land Rovers. A 1967 Lincoln (bought because you have to have at least one car with suicide doors, before you die.) A 1963 New Yorker, push button automatic with 413. A couple TR-6's.
My first thought driving in the mountains, on #15, north of Guad, was how much I missed the Triumph!
I picked up a '65 T-Bird a month ago, as a daily runner. Unfortunately, my 1985 Iltus is still in Schreiber, ON, where It rolled, on my last attempt to drive to Mexico, last October. The T-Bird is a pretty good cruiser, but doesn't have cruise. That does not go well with a lead foot and a 390!

Austin-Healey "Bugeye" Sprite - can't remember the year but when purchased the entire wiring harness was fried and had to be totally rewired before I could even drive it.

Electrics by LUCAS, PRINCE OF DARKNESS.

The worst for electric was 1967 Sunbeam Minx. If you cut a wet fart beside it-plan on walking home!

Please tell me you're not really using a '65 bird as a daily driver!

Mainecoons wrote:

Austin-Healey "Bugeye" Sprite - can't remember the year but when purchased the entire wiring harness was fried and had to be totally rewired before I could even drive it.

Electrics by LUCAS, PRINCE OF DARKNESS.

Three Position Lucas light switch: Dim Flicker and Short
Why do the English Drink Warm Beer: Lucas Fridge
Royal Title: Prince of Darkness

Z

real Brit cars with right hand steering on TR3, Austin Healy, Bug eyed sprites, Morris Minors ....the gang at Lime Rock would occasionally let us pre teens and teens drive them but ONLY after sitting in the right seat of a VW bug proving that we could go through the gears properly ..... Checker cabs were '55 ? Chevies which gave you a dependable body parts supply etc ......... brought ALL my best hand tools down but left my British Standard Whitworth to a buddy with a Velocette .... Wonder if the Royal Endfield is metric ? ..... how many folks remember that the magnetos had a reverse thread on the rotor ? much less the left hand foot peg on most '50-'60's Brit bikes vibration was incredible ! ( warmed the gal up on the ride home ....you could tell you hit the right RPM when you were squeezed to death by her legs) .... used to get about 30-50 miles to the tail light bulb
Kept a spare , a couple of fuses and a spare chain link in that glorious huge headlamp shell ... great view over the beautiful Smith tach and speedo to all that chrome .....@ 5000 RPM , the piston was up and down 83.333 times a second ! yet you could pull away in 2 nd even 3 rd on a thumper ...... the newer bikes have no soul ....no kick starter ...A RADIATOR ? ....can't bump them down a hill because you NEED some battery to activate the coils .....turn signals ..... too smart for their own good

[img][/img] Coons- What would you have me driving? A Yugo?

I needed a car for a few months and figured I could at least break even, if I decided against a body job etc. In the meantime, I have a good old cruiser to beat around in.

The guy that had it before had just started reno, and decided on a divorce instead. It has a factory re-built 390, the tranny fluid looks like it was just poured in, and it goes like stink. Unfortunately, no cruise control.

I was coming down the highway, the other day, and met a Smart car. How far do you think he would have come on my fender, both doing about 70 MPH?

couldn't get image to load.[img][/img]

Coons- What would you have me driving? A Yugo?

Come on, I don't HATE you!

Probably easy to find a good running 'bird than a Yugo that is running at all. LOL

CanuckBob wrote:You must remember the good old Sand Castle contests in White Rock. Some great times at those.......

Oh hell to the yes! I was on a winning team one year way way back. My job was carrying the buckets of water to the finishers and making sure we had cold beer a'plenty. White Rock brought back the sandcastle competition recently but on a way smaller scale with fewer beer gardens.

And of course we must not forget the "Surrey Girls"

That's what made the Sand Castle contests so much fun Pete........

first car in the states (in 1971)
65 mustang convertible
in the UK:
I learned on a Ford Anglia 105E (http://motoburg.com/655-ford-anglia-105e.html) Bloody horrible car!
Mini Cooper S
Triumph TR6
MGB GT
Austin Healy Frogeye(you call them bug eye!) Sprite
2.0L S Ford Capri (if you don't know of it): http://world-viewer.com/ford-capri.html
here PT cruiser convertible (yeh, I know!!)

chelseagirls wrote:first car in the states (in 1971)
65 mustang convertible
in the UK:
I learned on a Ford Anglia 105E (http://motoburg.com/655-ford-anglia-105e.html) Bloody horrible car!
Mini Cooper S
Triumph TR6
MGB GT
Austin Healy Frogeye(you call them bug eye!) Sprite
2.0L S Ford Capri (if you don't know of it): http://world-viewer.com/ford-capri.html
here PT cruiser convertible (yeh, I know!!)

So tell us how you liked repairing those unreliable British cars all the time. LOL. Are you still in Arroyo Alto?

johninajijic wrote:

chelseagirls wrote:first car in the states (in 1971)
65 mustang convertible
in the UK:
I learned on a Ford Anglia 105E (http://motoburg.com/655-ford-anglia-105e.html) Bloody horrible car!
Mini Cooper S
Triumph TR6
MGB GT
Austin Healy Frogeye(you call them bug eye!) Sprite
2.0L S Ford Capri (if you don't know of it): http://world-viewer.com/ford-capri.html
here PT cruiser convertible (yeh, I know!!)

So tell us how you liked repairing those unreliable British cars all the time. LOL. Are you still in Arroyo Alto?

Cheeky! Actually I had far more trouble with the Mustang than any of the others. Yes, still in the (other) premier development lakeside!!!!!!!

chelseagirls wrote:first car in the states (in 1971)
65 mustang convertible
in the UK:
I learned on a Ford Anglia 105E (http://motoburg.com/655-ford-anglia-105e.html) Bloody horrible car!
Mini Cooper S
Triumph TR6
MGB GT
Austin Healy Frogeye(you call them bug eye!) Sprite
2.0L S Ford Capri (if you don't know of it): http://world-viewer.com/ford-capri.html
here PT cruiser convertible (yeh, I know!!)

66 Ford Galaxy 500 .. 2dr... but only a 289
I've had 3... 71-72 Ford Capris ( W Germany ) fun little cars. The 4cyl were better than the 6cyl

Always loved sports cars.
First car was an old Fiat 124 Sport Spyder... short for Fix It Again, Turkey so I learned a lot about cars, part by part.
Then several Datsun Z's.
Bunch o' MGB's. Evil Lucas.
Porsche 944. Perfectly balanced and dependable.
Worked up to a Lotus Esprit. Everyone always said wow, nice Ferrari! When it ran, of course (more Lucas).
Finally needed an SUV to haul around my daughter and her pals so got a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Daughter took the Porsche 944 + track driving lessons.
She got a new-generation Toyota MR2 for graduation so I took the 944 back and made it into a track car.
Got a Mercedes SLK that I won't bring here.
I'm still driving the Jeep!

Merry

[img][/img]

As a former owner of one of these, I am amazed by this story:
"N.Y. man nears 3 millionth mile in beloved '66 Volvo"

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/09/12642907-ny-man-nears-3-millionth-mile-in-beloved-66-volvo?lite

And only two engine rebuilds!

merry wrote:Always loved sports cars.
First car was an old Fiat 124 Sport Spyder... short for Fix It Again, Turkey so I learned a lot about cars, part by part.
Then several Datsun Z's.
Bunch o' MGB's. Evil Lucas.
Porsche 944. Perfectly balanced and dependable.
Worked up to a Lotus Esprit. Everyone always said wow, nice Ferrari! When it ran, of course (more Lucas).
Finally needed an SUV to haul around my daughter and her pals so got a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Daughter took the Porsche 944 + track driving lessons.
She got a new-generation Toyota MR2 for graduation so I took the 944 back and made it into a track car.
Got a Mercedes SLK that I won't bring here.
I'm still driving the Jeep!

Merry

Fiat 124! My long experience with Fiat allowed me to be an expert with the Yugo. Bought an '87 Yugo (used, they were so cheap then) to see what the fuss was all about and after sorting out the fit and finish issues I realized it was really a Fiat through and through. My buddy even had the old special Fiat head wrench you needed to properly torque the head. Luckily I didn't need it. The first thing I did was swap out the Yugoslavian timing belt for a quality Gates belt.

Got 125,000 reliable miles out of it before I sold it.

I'd like the opportunity to beat the hell out of one of the new Fiat 500s. :)

CheenaGringo wrote:[img][/img]

As a former owner of one of these, I am amazed by this story:
"N.Y. man nears 3 millionth mile in beloved '66 Volvo"

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/09/12642907-ny-man-nears-3-millionth-mile-in-beloved-66-volvo?lite

And only two engine rebuilds!

...and if you believe that there is a bridge purchase in your future! :)

NoCanDo wrote:...and if you believe that there is a bridge purchase in your future! :)

"The Bay Shore, N.Y., retiree ... has held a solid lock on the Guinness Book of World Records since 2002 when an entry for High Mileage Vehicle was created for him after passing the 1.6 million mile mark."

I believe it has to be pretty thoroughly documented to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. Jus' sayin.'

Merry