I grew up on a small farm in South central Virginia, two houses my grandparents lived next door. Granddad was a doctor and loved Packards. At one time we had three, a 49, 52 and 53. Grandmother didn't drive so the 52 was jointly owned so Mom could take her to stores, etc. One day I was helping Dad change oil on his '49, he had it jacked up with an old mechanical floor jack near the house which was on a slight hill. Mom called us in for lunch but when we went back out the car was gone! Now back in the 50's we never locked anything so we couldn't imagine anyone stealing it especially back on a farm. The jack was still there but in lowered position. Then we saw it...a great big hole in back of the barn! Apparently the jack came down and it rolled downhill through that part of the barn that was like a pole shed to park cars and equipment. Dad used our Farmall tractor to pull it back since it had rolled quite a distance while I steered it. Back in place we finished the oil change and fixed the barn. Amazingly there wasn't a scratch or dent anywhere on the car. Imagine if that were to happen to a modern car...it would be totaled. Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk
you were good detectives to figure out what happened to it. when in High School, we lived on a hill in a regular neighborhood. the street curved a few houses down from us, and there was a V ditch there that separated our street from the main road. one day my Sister came home in her '60 Ford, pulled in driveway then went in house. she had not put car fully in park and did not apply emergency brake. car then rolled out of driveway backwards going down the street. I was across the street and tried running next to it but, quickly knew that I could not get in to stop it. it went straight into the ditch and stood almost straight up on the rear bumper. then came back down forward landing right side up. only real damage was to rear floor area.
Nobody hurt...just one of those memories that you can sorta chuckle at. Mine was OT daily...parked on road alongside the liquor store in my small town of residence...went in for my spirit of choice. When I came out Car is gone...I started to panic a little thinking someone stole my car...so I'm pondering and looking back and forth and didn't I see it a 1000ft or more down the road on the other side partially bumped up on the curbed gr***y shoulder. Booze in bag under arm I saunter over to the car embarr***ed as heck unlock it get in start it and drive away no damage whatsoever. Standard, parked, neutral, wheels not turned correct, no E brake...I f'd up but yeah that I will never forget... So when you don't see it disappear it makes for wild thoughts thats for sure. Ole 58 Buick Bruce has a story of a runaway car too...I think a pole stopped his.
Must have happened to all of us. My lesson taught me never to park an overdrive car without pulling the cable. Jalopy's story reminds me ... when I first started wrenching in '68, no automatic Ford or Merc could be trusted to stay in Park when in the shop - block the wheels. After 10 years, Ford started a "campaign" to fix some of them.
Neighbors called to say my winter beater was in their front yard 4 doors down the hill, backed into their spruce tree. Musta forgot to put it in park. Oops.
Amen, Brother. I once pulled into the DPS office to do some driver's license business and when I came out an hour later to leave, I found my car had rolled half way out of the sightly inclined parking spot into the lane. I had (have) a bad habit of using one of my lower gears in lieu of the parking brake. The parking lot was right off a highway and I must have parked it in an overdriven, high gear. Very embarr***ing, especially considering the location.
Oh, and 25 years earlier, on the other side of the US, got a call my 62 ford shortbox was in a neighbor's trailer. I had started it up to charge the battery and forgot to put it in gear when I was finished. It rolled down the drive, across a busy highway, over a bank, across a yard and into the side of a double wide trailer....no damage to my pickup but it was buried into the trailer up to it's windshield! I drove it out and the neighbor said he wasn't worried about the trailer damage because he had good insurance but was very upset I might run over one of his in-ground-sprinkler heads on my way off his yard.
I just took these pictures, thinking about runaways that happened to me a few months ago. My granddad had this little Economy tractor he bought new in 1973 and made the trailer in the early 50's. Behind it is a JD3038E I bought last fall. A few months ago they were facing the other way round, the Economy was idling, trailer filled with logs. I opened the gate, turned around and tractor was rolling downhill towards the lake and picking up speed! I managed to run it down, couldn't hop up in seat but grabbed steering wheel and worked brakes with my shoulder. Wife and I don't drink, but I do keep a few bottles of whiskey around for occasions like that! I realized later how dangerous it was, I never leave it idling out of gear and always chock the wheels! Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk
The Jalopy Journal
