Author Topic: What was the most unusual car you or your father owned (Read 10615 times)

streak · « **Reply #60 on:** August 30, 2011, 07:40:03 AM »

Quote from: 45-70.gov on August 30, 2011, 06:03:23 AM

i live on an island with lots of sandy beaches and nice bikini fillers

Ever see any of those"45`s" in those bikini tops??

ironglow · « **Reply #61 on:** August 30, 2011, 07:55:48 AM »

Wow..memories..
Since I am old enough to be a Dad to many here, I'll give you a brief snapshot of some I have had.
My first car was 1939 Oldsmobile business coupe, followed by a 1941 Dodge 4 dr with a '48 truck engine..then a 1950 Studebaker starlight coupe (light blue..but someone before I, painted the top dark blue.
A red & white '57 Chevy coupe (V8 with stick)
GI in Germany, a 1950 Opel (looked like 2/3 size '36 Chevy), then a 1950 VW split rear window, with "idiot sticks" and blumenvasen..(ex Polezi car). I almost bought a BMW Isetta 4-pass in germany, but passed it up..
Yes I had a Corvair spyder(turbo)..ran like a rabbit, as long as the belt stayed in place.
The 57 Chev was the only V8 I ever owned, but the stick was not alone... during my 59 years of driving I have only had one automatic shift vehicle (which I didn't keep very long).
Ones I wish I still had The VW split-window and the Stude.. Would have to include the 57 Chevy and the Isetta..for their $$$$ value alone.

Still miss the original (1932-1974) beetle..

jdinil · « **Reply #62 on:** September 06, 2011, 06:13:12 PM »

Very interesting thread! I remember many of the cars mentioned here. But, a couple of them, I've never heard of! We never had any unusual cars when I was a kid. But, my uncle bought a new Kaiser (sp?)!

Rex in OTZ · « **Reply #63 on:** September 07, 2011, 12:35:49 PM »

we had junk stuff to

1959 Chevy Impala coup
1952 Willys jeep it sat in cattle shed and chickens roosted in rafters overhead naturally it had no floorboards
Ford Model A coup
5 window Chevy truck (pictured)...all them old junker chevy's had the same 2 tone paint job...black on top and blue on the sides.
1962 Chevy Biscane pasture car (special features: Verticle exhaust with rain cap, grill guard and spare tire mounted on front, removable rear seat to haul calves, trunk space to haul 4 5 gallong feed buckets under the fenders and room in center of trunk for 2ea 1 Bushel baskets of silage with the trunk closed)
1964 Pontiac Catalina Coup
1972 Pontiac Catalina Sedan

My grandparents traded off the Willys pickup, the feed store in town had a Ford Econoline E100 pickup truck that we never saw running
Had a Great Uncle that had a Crosley station wagon http://crosleyautoclub.com/Crosley_Firsts.html

My Grandparents had a 1962 Cockshutt 570 Super Diesel (Canadian Tractor Company)

Bigeasy · « **Reply #64 on:** September 07, 2011, 12:56:16 PM »

Dad's old car. He used to wear a mask to work, never sure what he did though.....

Rex in OTZ · « **Reply #65 on:** September 07, 2011, 01:33:59 PM »

My father had a H Farmall with a dealership mounted Tokheim Cab, I was able to find a M Farmall with a slightly diffrent cab, (ours didnt have the Knee windows)

Had a fella we used to rent pasture from that'd had his drivers license revoked due to much driving while intoxicated, he used to drive 8 miles into town on a H.

Hooker · « **Reply #66 on:** September 17, 2011, 05:25:46 PM »

Quote from: vajohn on June 10, 2011, 03:48:46 PM

My first car a 1959 Borgward Isabella coupe.

About 5 years ago I rebuilt the complete drive train on one of those for a customer.
Interesting machine hard to get parts for though.

Pat

coopershooter · « **Reply #67 on:** September 17, 2011, 05:48:22 PM »

my uncle had a king midget. it was an odd little car. it sat in his barn, he drove it around the farm now and then. never seen another one.
i once had an international four door three quarter ton short bed, imagins a travelall with a six foot bed. very cool, not many of those around either.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #68 on:** September 18, 2011, 02:48:18 AM »

now ive got wood!!!

Quote from: chefman on August 10, 2011, 05:28:51 AM

I came home on leave in 1971 from USAF Tech. school to find a 63 Impala SS, 409 ci, dual Carter AFB's, 3:56 posi-traction, Borg-Warner 4 speed, Hurst shifter, American Mags, sitting in the driveway. Yeah Boy!!!!

Markus · « **Reply #69 on:** November 27, 2011, 04:05:29 AM »

My Dad had only odd cars! Crossly pickup, BMW iseta, 2 different fiat 128 4 doors, Yugo, and a Suzuki samurai.

Sourdough · « **Reply #70 on:** December 22, 2011, 06:22:33 PM »

In 1965 I had a Berkley B-65. Beautiful little car. Here is a link to one in the museium. http://microcarmuseum.com/tour/berkeley-b65.html
The Berkley looked like a Mini Cobra. First front wheel drive car I had experience with.

Then in 1967, I got hold of a 1958 Fiat 500. A little bug eyed model, two cylinder engine. Would do 45mph downhill with a tail wind. Liked those suicide doors. Here is a link to what it looked like as well. http://bringatrailer.com/2009/09/14/original-us-spec-1959-fiat-500/

While I was in basic training, one of my brothers got on a kick to be a stunt driver like Joey Chitwood. He would run one side of the little Fiat up on a ramp, causing the car to stand up on two wheels. Then drive across the back yard like that. By the time I got out of Tech School and went home the little car was totalled. Not worth fixing.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #71 on:** December 24, 2011, 02:11:04 AM »

my while in the service story goes like this. I was 17 and had just wrecked my second car, the first one i wrecked was a 68 gtx. This one A 67 camero. My dads neighbor had a car covered in his garage. It was his sons and his son had been killed in Nam. The father was having problems letting go of it. He saw the wrecker towing my bashed camero in the yard and came over to watch. My dad and him and i got talking and he asked me if i was intersted in an impala. I told him not so much. He said you may want to take a look at it as its only got 20000 miles on it and its mint. We walked over and pulled the tarp off it and it was a red 65 ss 327 impala convertable with a 4 speed. White top and white interior and looked like the day it rolled off the line. I knew i couldnt afford it but was drewling. My dad asked how much and when he said for me 1500 bucks i about flew down to the bank to get the money out of my savings.

Well i drove it till i went to boot camp and parked it out in dads barn up on blocks. Figured after boot and a school id come home for it. Well the sister that was just under me in age just graduated and was starting college. She was a bit of a partier and i was a bit aprehesive when she asked if she could use it till i came to pick it up but we were close and i caved. She drove it exactly two weeks and got tanked and drove it into a grove of trees and totaled it. At the time i wasnt to upset because my dad did put insurance on it before she drove and I used that money as a down payment on my first new car a 72 340 4 speed duster. Boy though would i love to have either of those cars back now! Really any one of those first 4 cars would look great in my driveway today.

52bagman · « **Reply #72 on:** April 16, 2012, 03:15:04 AM »

The oddest that I can remember Dad had was a red 4 door Corvair, 62? I remember the louvers on the engine lid and Dad always complaining about no power. He ended up trading for a 63 Galaxie 500 4 door with a 390 4bl, the power problem was solved.
So after all these years ,who ends up liking Corvairs? I have a 66 Monza and a 68 500 and love em.

Savage_99 · « **Reply #73 on:** April 16, 2012, 05:36:56 AM »

What an interesting topic. Thanks to all for the stories and pictures. Tell more if you can.

I remember all of the cars mentioned. We (my dad and I) had many cars including a 37 Buick, Model A, Hudson Jet, 56 Corvette, 429 Ford etc, Porsche etc.

Let me tell one story that involves hunting. My dad owned a tool and die shop and he bought a new Buick every year in the early 50's. How he had time to hunt I will never know. Those guys work every day.

I shot my first buck in VT in 1953 and we were staying in a home in VT where all the room and board guests were hunters. It was a big deal, me getting a buck, to my dad. He showed it off by hanging it at their house.

When it came time to go home he had to tie it on the front fender so everyone could see it. That would have been cool on the 37 with its high hood but the hood and fenders on the 52 Buick Super's blended in. Never the less he tied it there!

Those were good days!

Wish I had a picture but nobody had cameras then.

52bagman · « **Reply #74 on:** April 16, 2012, 06:15:24 AM »

Back in the late 70's I had a 66 Corvair and deer hunted out of it a lot. After filling my tag I would put the deer in the trunk (front of course) and tie the hood down with the head sticking out like a big hood ornament. Got some wild looks going down the road like that. Had a couple that made really good ornaments.

charles p · « **Reply #75 on:** April 16, 2012, 03:06:26 PM »

My first car was a five year old 57 Triumph TR3. Kept it a year and my folks sold it and I walked. Lots of maintenance. Absolute worst car for maintenance was a 1970 International Scout II. A new oil leak every day.

jumbeaux · « **Reply #76 on:** April 17, 2012, 03:25:20 PM »

My dad bought a Dodge sedan with a Red Ram Hemi V8 in around 1953 or 1954. It was ordered by a Dealer with the hopes of selling to the Dallas PD. It had (I think) the first year hemi engine with a 3 speed and overdrive....I can't remember alot of details cause I was born in '54 but I do have some pictures of it.

rick

kingj · « **Reply #77 on:** April 24, 2012, 04:24:17 AM »

1964 Barracuda first one sold in Orlando,we got some strange looks when we drove it hame from the dealer.
My most unusual was a 73 Pronco,Pinto on a Bronco frame.

lakota · « **Reply #78 on:** April 24, 2012, 06:28:44 AM »

My dad had one of those tiny Datsun pickups. What made it unusual was the gas tank setup. The original tank had rusted out. My dad and my uncle found an old beer keg.they mounted it on it's side and cut a hole in it and installed a filler neck and gas cap. They mounted it in the bed against the cab between the roll bar uprights. Dad had to use a dowel rod to check the fuel level but it worked.

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #79 on:** April 25, 2012, 06:06:36 PM »

My father always stuck with common vehicles. Most of my childhood he had a '55 Chevy Stepside pickup. I remember him adding two 10 gallon gas tanks, one on each side of the bed during the gas crunch.

The most unusual car I had wasn't that unusual. It was an '81 AMC Eagle SX4 with a 258 straight six and 4 speed. It was full time 4 wheel drive, I used to drive it through the sand pits all the time. It looked just like this one:

smokehouserex · « **Reply #80 on:** April 25, 2012, 07:15:21 PM »

My first car;
38 Ply. Coupe with a 54 Dodge Hemi. and after that the following: I feel they were all somewhat unusual.
59 GMC PU, 348 engine with 409 heads, cam and solid lifters with fenderwell headers.I Blew that engine and put a 396 in it. Drove it home from California.
1951 Chevy Woody, won it on a raffle, bought 2 tickets for 1 dollar each, blew it up getting it back to the China Lake Naval Station which was only about 4 miles. LOL, I gave it to a CHP named Pryor just to get rid of it. Man, What I didn't know then!
1975 Hiway Patrol Grand Fury with a 440 and a 6Pac.
!975 Chevy PU with a balanced 454, crane cam, alum. intake and headers.
I still have a 37 Ford Coupe that needs restoring and have a 460 T-Bird engine for it but I'll probably never fix it up, done got too OLD and TIRED to fool with it.
I hope I didn't bore ya'll too much.
HM

Savage_99 · « **Reply #81 on:** April 27, 2012, 10:11:40 AM »

Doublebass,

Why do you have that quote by Romney posted?

Romney is the Republican candidate for president.

I urge all to support him.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #82 on:** April 27, 2012, 11:56:03 PM »

wow savage. Something we agree on for a change.

Quote from: Savage_99 on April 27, 2012, 10:11:40 AM

Doublebass,

Why do you have that quote by Romney posted?

Romney is the Republican candidate for president.

I urge all to support him.

ppine · « **Reply #83 on:** May 22, 2012, 09:42:59 AM »

A yellow 1972 Pantera DeTemasso that would do 185 mph.
A silver 1956 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing.

Also a 1930 Cord with a factory supercharger.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #84 on:** May 22, 2012, 05:49:28 PM »

Last week i bought the most unusual car I have ever owned. A 1996 Honda Del Sol in very good condition. It is a two seat hard top convertible. The aluminum top stores in the trunk and the rear window rolls down. Also know as a Targa top. It is powered by a 1.6 liter, 127 HP 16 valve in line 4 cylinder engine. It weighs in at 2300 pound and is 49 inches high. The 5 speed manual transmission works perfectly and my Wife is very good at running it hard through all the gears. I love this car.

Cheese

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #85 on:** June 19, 2012, 01:50:53 AM »

Quote from: Savage_99 on April 27, 2012, 10:11:40 AM

Doublebass,

Why do you have that quote by Romney posted?

Romney is the Republican candidate for president.

I urge all to support him.

I did it to show just how close he actually is to Obama, but we already have a thread for that in the political section.

us920669 · « **Reply #86 on:** June 19, 2012, 08:44:19 AM »

The Del Sol reminds me of something I owned in the 70's, a Fiat X 1/9, the flimsiest, cheesiest car ever and by far the most fun to drive. It was a mid-engine (is the Del Sol too?), I think under 2000 lbs. It steered like a slot car - absolutely stuck like glue. I had two of the first types - the last year or two was "upgraded" (totally ruined) with plusher seats so only a jockey could fit in it. Some guy in Italy was selling performance parts and I used to think about tricking mine all out but it rusted away before I got around to it. Word was they didn't prepare them properly for the sea cruise and they all rusted out. If someone made something like that today I think they would have a winner.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #87 on:** June 19, 2012, 09:32:05 AM »

The Del Sol is front engine and front wheel drive. Its ability to corner at high speeds is amazing. The car is very durable and reliable as most Honda's are. The worst gas mileage I have experienced is 33 mpg.

Cheese

Dixie Dude · « **Reply #88 on:** June 19, 2012, 09:45:50 AM »

Dad said his first car was a Model T Ford, but the first one I remember was a 1957 Pontiac. He bought a used MGB in the 1970's to try to get better gas mileage. Parts were high though. Sold it and got a Pinto, his last car.

T.R. · « **Reply #89 on:** June 19, 2012, 10:04:19 AM »

When I was a lad, my Dad drove to work everyday in a '59 Ford Ranchero. It had goofy fins but the straight six ran great with plenty of pep. Dad said the fins helped at high speed but I doubt he ever drove it faster than 85 mph. This Ford had a 3 speed shift on the column and two tone paint job. It was red and white. When it rusted out in late 1960's, Dad bought a robin's eggs blue '67 Galaxie 500 with V-8. Next was a blue '71 Mercury Cougar and so on.

Dad always drove Fords and Mercurys and so have I, too.

TR