I grew up with boats and cars. I lived right next to my grandfather's marina Billings Marine ( Shrewsbury, MA). In1956 he (Ted Billings) started restoring cars, his first project was a 1935 Auburn Speedster. The car at that time was only 21 years old so it was a very easy restoration compared to some of the 50 plus year old rusty classics that get restored today. That Auburn sure turned heads, nothing ever like it before or after. By1960 he was restoring cars for customers, it just happened. I doubt he ever planned it. I started working with him when I was 12 years old in 1963 helping out where ever I could. The first picture is a slide I recently found of my grandmother ( Bess Billings) and Andy Anderson ( he worked part time for my grandfather) next to my grandfather's Auburn Speedster at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg meet in September of 1957. The annual ACD meet at that time was held right in downtown Auburn Indiana. The cars in the background are brand new. The second picture is of my grandmother being interviewed by Worcester, MA radio station WTAG probably around 1956. In the background is the marina, the place where the addiction to collector cars all started for me. The third picture is of a new load of boats just arriving yet to be unloaded into the show room. I learned to drive on that1955 GMC truck. It had a rocket V8 Olds engine and three on the floor with low gearing- what fun to scream around the yard in that. My father ( Wray Sr.) at that time worked for my grandfather and he would go get the boats out at the factories in the midwest and drive them back home to Shrewsbury. The fourth picture is of the "boat" showroom in 1966, the boats now being crowded out by Duesenbergs. A Stutz boattail in the back corner. Edit: For some reason I am having trouble uploading the pictures on here but they are on my facebook if you'd like to see them here is the link! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006679607997&fref=nf
About time you got on here, Wray.....post a few teaser pics of the old junk (!!!) you have worked on, and maybe even a few pics of all your homemade equipment on that thread as well....
Welcome to the HAMB. I couldn't see but the one picture on facebook, I'm not a member and maybe there's some restriction to what I can see. I hope you can get the pictures to post, I'd like to see them.
The Jalopy Journal
