We get letters. I intend, when we put the book together out of these wandering stories, to intersperse the chapters with the accounts of other Great American Car people. Above is one of my passions- it is the very First Nash Healy that just went at auction for a half million dollars. My pals have had their own stories to tell, and here they are:
Apropos British cars, I have had several rebuild projects over the years – a 67 Triumph Spitfire and a 72 MG. Repaired their rusty body parts, replaced their rag tops and replaced various drive train parts to withstand my aggressive driving style. Parted with the Spitfire in Key West, when I got orders to Monterey’s Naval Postgraduate School. I still miss that car. It was a blast to cruise the Keys with the top down and one or both of my daughters in the car.
18 months later I bought an MG Midget in Hawaii. It was a project car with body alignment and electrical problems. Fixed the body alignment issues first, since the driver’s side door would fly open when cornering hard and I was not a seatbelt wearer in those times. Its Lucas electrics stumped me periodically during the 3 years I owned it. Every now and then, I would be driving down H2 from Mililani town for an 0-dark-30 midwatch, and the lights would turn off and/or the wipers would shut off. I don’t miss that car.
If Vic recalls, one of our mutual friends, Grey, owned a mustard yellow XKE 2+2 coupe 12 cylinder with 6 Stromberg carbs. The Brits made this high powered machine, since their 3.8 and 4.2 liter engines had been emasculated by the growing attempts by governments to reduce car exhaust pollution. As you’ll recall, these roadsters’ carbs required frequent tuning and rebalancing (all Brit sports cars shook badly). We would tune and rebalance the carbs by ear and feel. It was a beast – we had it over 170MPH on H1 westbound after one tune up, after rocketing down H2 at well over 120. It was the fastest journey to the beach at NAS Barbers Point I ever made. Sadly we had to slow down as the front end got a bit loose, wandering to and fro at the high speed.
One short story about this Jag: Grey’s then wife and true blond, June, used to commute in it to her job in Honolulu. The XKE’s accelerator pedal got stuck one morning as she cruised eastward on H1. She eluded crashing into other commuters by weaving through traffic as its 12 cylinders were starting to roar. Unable to slow it down, she panicked when the car went faster and faster. Not knowing that all she had to do was turn the ignition off, she stomped on the brakes as the car rocketed past 100 MPH. She lit up all four disks to bright orange and smoked all four new tires past their safe use and eventually ground it to a halt. The ensuing damage took a long time to report due to the long wait for parts out in the middle of the Pacific.
Man, I loved that car.
BTW, my father, the Ensign, had a 72 green Cougar V8 that he kept for 13 years. Was that car fast! He sold it in 1985 for more than he paid for it in 1972.
Marlow
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Vic:
Considering the topic of the day (Concours d’LeMons) I wanted to pass on this photo of my own lemon from my early driving experience. This was my 1972 Pinto which Dad purchased for me from a friend of his. It was a rather nasty green color that was slightly metallic and matched nothing in nature that I know of. This was during the time that the gas tank issue was unknown (at least to the general public) so I drove it as hard and fast as I could without much thought to how safe it was (or wasn’t). Anyway, it was not a peppy car so I added the side striping and aluminum wheels which, of course, added, at least, a psychological 30 HP. As it turns out, this was one of the lemons of its day but, admittedly, it was lemonade to me. It is pictured here parked in front of the Admiral’s house in Arlington. The Olds Cutlass in the driveway was sister Donna’s ride.
Mike
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Vic, you got me thinking. How is this for phases in life?
As a kid growing up:
– 1947 Pontiac 2-door two tone grey.
– 1951 Ford (whiskey runner style) 4-door metallic brown (thinking it was metallic). Father was t-boned in it. It was so demolished that he put me in through a back window to retrieve some small items.
– 1952 Ford 2-door pea green. The only thing they could find at the beginning of the model room to replace the 1951. Basically ugly.
– 1956 Chevy 4-door bought used (high school driver ed car) in 1957. Two tone yellow and olive green. First car I drove. Stick shift as all of the others.
As a high schooler and college kid:
– 1962 Rambler American 4-door metallic blue base and white top. 327 automatic with push buttons.
– 1963 VW Bug. Red. Jacoby’s go to two cars with this guy in high school. Sales price of about $1800. Staple of transportation at college moving toward being my car on campus.
– 1966 Plymouth Valiant convertible. Silver with black top and interior. Not sure what got into my father with a convertible. Used it some. Automatic and a dog, but good-looking and practical. Sisters now driving.
– 1967 Plymouth Belvedere (I think) 2-door silver with silver interior. Nice looking car with a big V8 engine. Not sure what got into my father. Family needed multiple wheels with three kids driving.
As law school student and Ensign:
– 1965 Plymouth Barracuda 2-door with hot house glass rear window. White with 3-speed Hurst shifter, but a six. Great car and distinctive. Sold to a used car guy in San Diego the day before leaving on cruise for a little bit of cash in 1970.
Post cruise/Vietnam:
– 1973 Toyota Celica 2-door 4-speed. Gold with mag wheels. Great little car. Peppy. Essentially a two-seater. Only one with a name, “Little Guy.” Lots of memories. The first car I actually bought. Sold to Bill Armbruster in 1979 for his oldest son.
Married and practical:
– 1977 Toyota Corolla 2-door hatchback 4-speed. Green. Very practical and not a bad drive for me and Celia. Paired up with the Celica. Eventually sold to one of my sailors in about 1983. Someone totaled it for him.
Graduating to disposable income:
– 1967 Austin Healey 3000 bought in 1979 from a LCDR at C2F just before I transferred to D.C. and Detailer Shop. Metallic brown upon purchase. Originally black. Restored color and other portions. Wonderful. Sold to a Brit just before transfer to Hawaii in 1990.
– 1980 Mustang 2-door. Small engine. Metallic auburn with matching interior. Dog. Traded at a loss. The only car I ever owned that I didn’t like and didn’t keep for an extended period.
– 1983 BMW 325 2-door 4/5-speed (can’t remember). Tan with chocolate interior. Wonderful car. Traded for another BMW in 1989. Thought I was something being able to afford a BMW.
– 1982 Mazda RX-7 5/speed. Silver with red interior. Bought in 1983 from Holly Vaughn before her transfer to Naples. One of my favorites. Kept it until 2000. Went to Hawaii and came back with us. Couldn’t part with it.
– 1989 BMW 525 4-door 5 speed. Black with grey interior. My absolutely favorite car in terms of handling and smooth ride. Went to Hawaii and came back with us. Had it until retirement in 2005. Like the RX-7, it went to Salvation Army as a donation.
– 1998 Porsche Boxster convertible 5-speed. Silver with blue interior and top. Kept it until 2013 and traded up. You know it.
– 2000 Subaru Outback 4-door. Metallic black with black interior. You remember it. Great car. Sold to Larry R. at time of purchase of present 2011 version.
– 2004 SSR Trick Truck. 2011 with 19,000 miles. Purple. Four speed automatic. Totally impractical. Truly an example of excess disposable income.
– 2011 Subaru Outback 4-door. Metallic black with tan interior. You know it. Fine basic transportation and tailgater.
– 2013 Porsche Boxster S convertible 6-speed. White with black interior. You know it also.
Vic, lots of memories. I keep them and take special care of them. Each is a memory of its own, like each tour is. I can remember dates on tours a bit better than the model years of cars, but they meld together so well. Thanks for the series that brings this all back. Jake.
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Vic: My Dad turned the Sunbeam Alpine over to me in 1969. Robin’s Egg Blue with black hardtop. I take care of cars. Before marriage only bought two -1975 280z and the 1990 Miata. But the Alpine was too much. Chrysler took over responsibility and they couldn’t maintain it.
If it weren’t for the electronics-by-Lucas shit, I might still have the Alpine! I had to carry a screwdriver to jump the solenoid. Loved that car. Small, but great fun…
Funny, my current BMW has no frame on the windows and the windows close an inch or two when you hit the button to open it. They call it “comfort access.” Have not figured it out yet!!
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Sid’s Charger: BTW, my Charger was the standard 318 Cubic Inch V8 – but it was quite adequate. Nancy and I drove it to Germany and back from Finland while I was the NA there, prob 1975, I was the senior U.S. Naval Officer in Finland. We took it easy mostly, but on the way home to Helsinki, we got into a tussle on the autobahn with the usual Porsche, Mercedes, and BMW cohort, and held our own, Nancy mostly with her eyes covered.
Thanks for the link- I watched the whole 20+ minute Jay Leno piece on the 707hp Challenger. Probably told you previously but my Dad was a partner in the Macon, GA Chrysler/Plymouth dealership when I was in High School and College. I used to work there during the summers (in the Parts Department doing menial labor) and as one who picked up and delivered Chryslers to their owners after servicing (Macon was a small town).
After much begging and pleading, I drove the first Chrysler 300 delivered to Macon in 1955, as soon as it was off loaded from the carrier and cleaned up/serviced for placement on the showroom floor – with my Dad’s assistant (Dad was the service Manager) as “chaperone” to make sure I didn’t total it.
“Boonie” Bush and I went to a semi-quiet part of “downtown” Macon and he gave me the wheel. I was 20. As soon as I got in the driver’s seat, I floored it and we went flying down the street.
I had read all the pre publication information on what a barn burner this car was to be. It was WAY more than I had anticipated and within seconds Bonnie was screaming at me to let off. Scared me to death. I gladly relinquished the con and let him drive us sedately back to the shop.
I’ll never forget those few seconds.
Best – Sid
Copyright 2014 Vic Socotra (and Pals)
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303