Folks Of Interest Cruise Night Mutterings

So I was driving my very patina 59 Ford Panel truck to work and at a stop like a guy leans over and asks,,'Is that a Helms bread truck?" every panel truck is a Helms bread truck it seams..
But the best I was told was by a friend that had his Merc at a show and a very nice looking older woman was staring at it, as we walk up to it, he said hi to be nice. She looked some more then told him,, I lost my virginity in a car just like this,,,,
Enough said

 

I haven't gone to a cruise night for a long time, but the last time I went with my 32 coupe a fella asked me if I would open my hood so he could see my flathead. sure I said and he really bent over to have a see, now he was holding a large Dunkin coffee that proceeded to empty out on a Eddie Myer head , as this was happening his 7 year old Dennis the Menace was in the car pushing and pulling every switch and shifting my 3 speed . As I was cleaning up this disaster I noticed a couple coming down the aisle pushing a baby carriage with a large German Shepard tilled to the carriage on a long lease, thats when I made my escape. Now I'm not down on cruise nights but I just needed a sabbatical.

 

He blew it... should have invited her into the back seat to see if she could find it again.

 

One of my favorites, not a cruise night deal but still one of my favorites.

"You can't use that transmission with that motor, cause that transmission is geared into that thang."

To this day I am not absolutely sure what that statement even means.

 

Is that a German engine?

Referring to my flathead with Offy heads


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Not all from cruise nights, but here are a few I've heard.

At the Pavillions cruise night in my '48 Ford Fordor, dual carbed flathead with Fenton headers and twice pipes. A father looking under the open hood turns to his young sun and says "Mmm...hemi."

At a very cool private open house in my '55 T Bird, dark green with a white racing stripe. Two guys are looking at the car, one turns to the other and says "You know, the ones with a stripe like that were prepared by Shelby".

Sat at a stop light here in Phoenix in my '32 Ford Tudor. A goofy guy crossing the street stops in front of my car and says" This is just like a PT Cruiser, huh?"
I say "It's a '32 Ford, it's nothing like a PT Cruiser."
Hey says "But it's just like a PT Cruiser, huh?"
I say "No, it's a '32 Ford, nothing like a PT Cruiser."
He says "But it's just like a PT Cruiser, huh?"
At this time, the light changes, I say "Yes, it's just like a PT Cruiser, now get across the road before you get hit by a car."

At the Pavillions again, this time in my '63 Impala two door hard top, white with American five spokes and blackwalls up front, white steelies and cheater slicks at the back, Pontiac (Ford) superstock hood scoop, very tired 327 and powerglide, all lettered up like an old drag car. The car looked the part, but at that time had never been raced. A couple of guys are looking at the car, one says to the other "I remember seeing this car run at Beeline back in the day."

Pulled into a convenience store driving my '29 Model A Woody. As I walked in the store, the clerk asked me "Is that a real car?" I replied "I sure hope so, 'cause I just drove here in it."

 

I hope THIS is not a stupid question --> What is an "MP" car?

 

..............Modified Production maybe?

 

It probably was a brand new car when it happened

 

Now that would have been the appropriate response! Ha ha ha

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I really LOVE your wagon!!!!!Bruce.

 

I've had people ask if my two tone white over black '57 Ranch Wagon was a hearse. At least they knew the right word.

 

Standing next to my old Karmann Ghia when a guy asked if it was a Stude. I just said, "Yes !" and had quite a few folks gather around while I talked about it.

 

The exact opposite happened to me; I had my Hemi-powered dirt modified on the track after the racing was done for an impromptu car show. I heard father telling his kid (about 10 years old) : "See son! That's a flathead; you can tell because the plugs are in the middle of the head".

 

I've owned a lot of Falcons over the years so I've heard all kinds of comments.
"They never came stock with a V8" while looking my 63 Sprint convertible 4 speed.
"What year?" 1960, First year. "My uncle had one older, it was a 58 or 59"
"Mine had a 4cyl in it"

The one that kinda gets under my skin is when people look at my 63 Fairlane Squire and say it looks like a hearse. Doesn't look anymore like a hearse than any other station wagon. Do all wagons look like a hearse to you?

 

Driving along in my AVATAR a couple of young guys pulled up next to me and said "Deuce?" I was impressed and then thought there was hope for the younger generation after all. It all ended shortly when they said "Coupe?"

Charlie Stephens

 

Not to me. A women at a car show once said my 62 Impala wagon looked like a hearse.

Gary

 

After all the comments about my 59 Elcaminos less than perfect paint, impala and lowrider status, and how poorly I have cared for it, I just smile and keep quiet, because I own it, and the upshot is I also get info on parts and cars from folks who want to help.

 

< I often get, "It looks like Bonnie & Clyde's car."

Oh really, I thought it was a tan '34 4-door.

 

I remember back in the late 60's early 70's I would always get asked if my chopped and channeled five window was a Dune Buggy!

 

I was at the gas station one day and this guy jumps out of his old beater, comes running over and asked if it was a "kit car". I quickly responded and said, "No, it's just a dune buggy."

He looked at me and looked back at the car and shrugged his shoulders, and walked away shaking his head.

 

Makes me think of one when I had my 59 Elky. I drove it out to Cali for the Los Banos show, stopped at one of those self serve car washes to wash the bugs off the morning of the show. Young guy pulls in with a 60 Elky, lowered with 13" Daytons. Anyway, nice kid, stopped to look at mine. We chatted a bit as I was wiping it down, he said he couldn't believe I drove it there from Albuquerque. After a bit he commented Albuquerque must be different then northern California because "not many white guys drive lowriders around here". I guess even though mine had a serious nose down, tail high rake with baby moons on black steelies he thought any 59 Chevy = lowrider.

 

That was my '54 ranch wagon's nickname......

 

If I had to guess, which I don't, I would think its a reference to old Mopar semi automatics, some of them even shared engine oil, some of the old Airflow cars had really complex drive running gear, but I have no doubt theres someone on here that fully understands it.

 

Now that had to hurt ! LOL

 

OUCH ! There are lots of meanies on here today. LOL

 

I can actually see how someone completely unfamiliar with this era of cars could come to this conclusion.

 

At a cruise night I had to explain what a friend's A roadster looked like to a non-car person, the best I could get was "just like Donald Duck's car, minus all the ducks" They got it.

 

..........................So true, so true.

 

.................All in good fun, Gary.