This is one of those "found Dad's old car" stories. Here's my Dad's 1951 Styleline Coupe as seen in Jun '56 That's him at 17 years old trying to jump into the backseat to lower the rear end a bit before the picture was taken. My grandmother took the picture before he was in position. He was mad at her. He had the car for two years in High School and then one year in college, western Kansas. Modifications were what a high-school kid on a farm could afford: home-made split exhaust, red-painted rims and newer model wheel covers. Then he sold the car to a local. Who sold it to someone else who moved it to Denver. Then, years later, it somehow it ended up back in the same Kansas town my Dad's from. My grandpa spotted it in the mid 80's and moved it to my Dad's uncle's farm. Here it is around '85. My grandpa saying "those where pretty good cars for the day"
My Dad was living in Alaska at this time, so the car sat in Kansas for 25 more years. Here it is in the mid 90s: Western Kansas is pretty dry, but unfortunately at this time some of the windows where busted out and mother nature was taking over. This September, my Dad and I drove from Oregon to Kansas pulling a trailer and loaded it up My Dad is really excited at this point. He's got his old car back. Here's some shot's on the way back home thru Utah:
Great story. It sounds like that Chevy was never meant to be very far away from your dad! Good luck with the rebuild...she deserves it.
It's home now in Oregon, safe and dry and protected. He got the original 216 sort of running the other day. The motor block number matches the registration from '56. The interior is completely shot. Bullet holes here and there. Here's some stories my Dad told me about the car on the long trip home: Story #1: He and his friend Archie Sinclair raced down the main drag in front of the high school. Archie was driving his dad's 52 tan fleetline, so pretty even match. They reach terminal velocity of 81 or 82 mph, and that's as fast as they could go. Neck and neck. But the town is small and the main drag road tees, a detail they both forgot. They ended up driving right off the end of the road and across the ditch and into the field. Somehow they survived. Story #2: My Dad is a physics buff, even in high school. He talked his friend Norman Angel into an experiment to see how much vacuum was created on the back of the car at speed. Dad drove and Angel laid on the trunk, with his feet on the rear bumper and his hands holding what he could of the rear fenders. Dad drove for a while at 60 mph. After sufficient time for a sample measurement of vacuum, he slowed and stopped. "Did you feel a vacuum?", my Dad asked Angel. All Angel would say was "I thought I was going to die!".
One other comment, while in Kansas, we had a chance to meet a HAMBer, adamshuma. Turns out we're related, distantly. We had a great time visiting with him and his family. Thanks Adam for spending time with us on the road.
Great story, and hope the car get back in shape soon. I learned how to drive in a car just like that, light green bottom and dark green top, brings back memories for me also, thanks.....Jim
I love reading these stories of being 'reunited' with the one that got away. Glad she came back and good luck putting her back on the road. Spending time in the garage with the old man and the old car is what this hobby is all about! Cheers.
I have 51 KANSAS plates in the shape of this rectangle state (lol). That is if your Pop's still lives here. PM me if you wanna trade.
The Jalopy Journal
