01 December 2015

Since We're Talking About Auto Repair

then let's talk about what it was that we worked on. This is, as best I recall, a complete record of each type of auto that I've driven/owned. These vehicles are NOT the ones I had; most of these are in better shape!

1961 Chevy Bel Air - had the "old school" third row seating with the back seat facing the rear window. Dad let me borrow the keys when I turned 16.

1965 Dodge Custom 880, a slightly up-scale version of the Polara. As nearly as I could tell at the time, the only difference was the small fixed windows behind the back seat windows. It had a de-tuned 383 engine, and I thought I was king of the hill ... or something.
A '70 Ford Galaxie 500 was the first car I ever bought, on Adak. Mine looked ... well, ragged. It had apparently been a taxi, and there was bright yellow paint peeking out from under the robin's egg blue that the thing had been painted, poorly.
I mentioned this '67 Bronco, which I bought for my second winter on Adak. I'd gotten tired of having to jack up the Galaxie to put chains on, every time it snowed. And it snowed a lot.

1968 Dodge Super Bee. This one's much like the one I owned, but mine had a white vinyl roof (remember when that was a thing?) and white bumble bee stripes around the tail. 4:10 posi-trak rear end, 383 Magnum generating 400 hp ... sigh. Drove it for a couple of years, and sold it only because I couldn't keep my foot out of the 4-barrel. I still miss it.
Next was a '69 Bronco, which I thought was like the one I brought back from Alaska. Only not so much. It had a 302 V8, where the older model was a 289. It wasn't that the engine didn't run; it's just that it had originally been equipped with a V6, and someone shoehorned the larger block into the space. Had a rev limiter, and just wasn't the truck that the first one had been. I didn't keep it very long.
This gets me up to about 1979. Blogger won't let me add any more photos to this post, so I'll wait to see if anyone likes this before I scrounge up more car pics. For all I know, I've put all y'all to sleep.

If you made it this far, thanks for stopping by. :)




15 comments:

Ed Bonderenka said...

Thanks, I was just going to bed.
Now I'll sleep better.
:)

Rev. Paul said...

Sigh ... I knew it. Glad I could help.

Anonymous said...

Super Bee...(sigh)...how did we ever get from those to "crossovers".

Always thought an IH Scout would be fun. Slow, but fun.

Rev. Paul said...

I hear you, loud and clear. A crossover is just a down-sized Jeep Wagoneer, i.e., a four-wheel-drive station wagon. Jeep invented it decades ago, and today's manufacturers act like it's something new and different. Want different? Give me my flying car!

Ed Bonderenka said...

Here's your flying car.
http://apps.bonderenka.com/Blog/?e=42244&d=01/03/2010&s=Dude%21%20Where%27s%20My%20Flying%20Car%3F

Sandy Livesay said...

Rev. Paul,

Great vehicle collection over time. I wish I could find the old ford truck my dad had when I was a kid. Loved that truck.

angrymike said...

The bee is awesome, I had a few Roadrunner's in my day, one is still around, a 70 with the air-grabber, still in the primer I painted it in like 87. Hell one day get it done, I hope...... ;)

Rev. Paul said...

Thanks, Ed.

Sandy, the more recent acquisitions were (and are) better vehicles, but only one had a personality, as the older ones did.

mike, there was a Roadrunner with an identical drivetrain in the town when I bought the Bee - and it couldn't catch me. The owner & I used to compare notes, and we never could figure out why the Bee was quicker with the same setup. Wasn't anything that I did, I promise you.

angrymike said...

Actually when I was 4, my father took me to pick up his brand new 1969 Road Runner, black, black vinyl top, blue int. When my sister started driving she got stuck with me, and we raced plenty, I remember an orange 69 RR, that we looked for for weeks, when we found it, she beat it, by almost a car length. My father's bird seemed faster than many back then, I guess you could get a good one or a bad one, you know like one built on a Friday........ ;)

Rev. Paul said...

You're probably right, mike. Apparently I had a good one. :)

Old NFO said...

We always start cheap, and hopefully get better... Now that Bronco could have been fun with a real 302 shoved in it! :-)

diesel smoke said...

Still have my first truck. 1962 f-100. my dad bought it in 67. I got it as a birthday present in 72. I drove the wheels of that thing after i got my licence.

DS

Rev. Paul said...

NFO, the '67 Bronco had a 289 & got better mileage than the 302 in the later model. Same block, just bored out a little. But it was fun. A LOT of fun. I had the '67 airborne a couple of times. Shh - don't tell my mom.

DS, it might be fun to have that '62 restored. Old pickups are bringing lots of $$ these days. And besides, it'd still be fun to drive. :)

diesel smoke said...

Working on the parts list for a restomod of the 62. Update some things ac, ps, pb, put a 302 and c4 in it 25 years ago. this is in the line with the other projects. finish the airplane panel install first
DS

Rev. Paul said...

I stand corrected, DS. Sounds like you've got it under control. :)