memories of vehicles we've owned

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   awhile back we had a post on here mentioning driving 'three on the tree'
That got me to thinking of rides in my past

age 13, dad gave me a 51 Willis Overlander, two wheeled drive with blown motor.
With a fistful of dads tools, and a block and tackle hanging from a tripod I fashioned from polls I cut in the woods and dragged into the yard. I pulled the six-cylinder Hercules F head, dismantled it, took the crank to local NAPA machine shop. With crank restored, installed in block and with borrowed ring compressor installed pistons with new rings. Put back together and reinstalled in the Willis. Since I was not old enough to drive it on the road, my brother and I beat that poor machine to death running it through the woods.

Before I had driver's license, I owned the Willis, '55 Chevy, '54 Pontiac (straight 8, auto), '55 Chevy wagon, and a '56 Buick special. The buford came before I had a License, but I still had it when I became legal to drive on the road. It got rolled over one fateful Halloween. 

Then came the '60 Chevy. six cylinder three on the floor. Yep, I modified a salvaged floor shifter and converted it. It worked, but the shifting pattern was wrong, reverse and first was backwards. I drove it for a while, until my dad discovered it and ha a fit. wouldn't let me drive it until I made it right. It met its end one summer evening after we had a bad storm, trees down everywhere. I left it setting idling with just the parking brake on while started to clear some downed tree limbs. I heard a 'click' an turned to see my car coming at me! Going too fast for me to catch it. watched it run through the downed trees, and it hit square on into a concrete culvert. 

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LouSWPA Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Clinton, Pa Points: 25224	Post Options Post Reply Quote LouSWPA Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: memories of vehicles we've owned Posted: 6 hours 24 minutes ago at 9:37pm
	awhile back we had a post on here mentioning driving 'three on the tree' That got me to thinking of rides in my past age 13, dad gave me a 51 Willis Overlander, two wheeled drive with blown motor. With a fistful of dads tools, and a block and tackle hanging from a tripod I fashioned from polls I cut in the woods and dragged into the yard. I pulled the six-cylinder Hercules F head, dismantled it, took the crank to local NAPA machine shop. With crank restored, installed in block and with borrowed ring compressor installed pistons with new rings. Put back together and reinstalled in the Willis. Since I was not old enough to drive it on the road, my brother and I beat that poor machine to death running it through the woods. Before I had driver's license, I owned the Willis, '55 Chevy, '54 Pontiac (straight 8, auto), '55 Chevy wagon, and a '56 Buick special. The buford came before I had a License, but I still had it when I became legal to drive on the road. It got rolled over one fateful Halloween. Then came the '60 Chevy. six cylinder three on the floor. Yep, I modified a salvaged floor shifter and converted it. It worked, but the shifting pattern was wrong, reverse and first was backwards. I drove it for a while, until my dad discovered it and ha a fit. wouldn't let me drive it until I made it right. It met its end one summer evening after we had a bad storm, trees down everywhere. I left it setting idling with just the parking brake on while started to clear some downed tree limbs. I heard a 'click' an turned to see my car coming at me! Going too fast for me to catch it. watched it run through the downed trees, and it hit square on into a concrete culvert.
	I am still confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Ps 27

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Coke-in-MN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 12 Sep 2009 Location: Afton MN Points: 42005	Post Options Post Reply Quote Coke-in-MN Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 5 hours 41 minutes ago at 10:20pm
	Long about the time I turned 16 a friend said he was moving so I rounded up $25 and bought his 49 Olds 4 door (called it OXIDATION) as more rust than car . Then found a 50 Olds 4 door solid body no engine in a scrap yard No title but had the 49 title - good enough Seems the need for speed ended up with me walking for 6 months Sold the 50 Olds for $200 to friends cousin $100 down and payments , he totaled it so took work tow truck to his place and repossessed it saved engine and hauled rest in for scrap - sold engine for $125 Found a 51 Olds 2 door with stick that was in accident , Another $25 and I owned it . then found a 49 Olds 76 (6 cyl with automatic) Rebuilt the 51 engine to .125 overbore , solid lifters and JC WHITNEY hot cam and put stick trany behind engine - and replaced 6 cylinder into the 76 body . Then found a 37 Cad La Sal 3 speed floor shift to replace the funky shift linkage of the other stick trany. Take 3 years later when I got out of Navy that 49 Olds seem to have rusted sitting so found a 56 Olds 2 door with 3 on the tree . About 6 months later head gasket was leaking and on a trip to see a girl in WI transmission fell apart . Had guy I was working for PT for , come with his tow truck for the 50 mile ride home Next day swapped engine out of 49 into the 56 along with the floor shift 37 Cad tranny , drove that for a year until bought my NEW 65 Olds Cutlass Supreme Convertible , 442 - 4 speed , 400 cu in 3:55 posi rear - STILL HAVE THAT CAR 70,000 miles on it Bought the wife a NEW 73 Olds Cutlass Supreme 442 which she drove for next 13 years I counted up the other 49 to 51 olds I bought and parted or sold and it comes to be 14 others which passed through or under the maple tree in folks home place where they were fixed or junked for parts .
	Life lesson: If you’re being chased by a lion, you’re on a horse, to the left of you is a giraffe and on the right is a unicorn, what do you do? You stop drinking and get off the carousel.

Coke-in-MN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 12 Sep 2009 Location: Afton MN Points: 42005	Post Options Post Reply Quote Coke-in-MN Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 5 hours 22 minutes ago at 10:39pm
	Then the motorcycles - Next got to have When out in San Diego in Navy got a 305 Honda Dream - sold it there Came back to MN and found a Matchless single cyl - 600cc Typhoon rode it that summer but lower end went bad that fall -rebuilt it over winter Figured it was a hard starting beast so traded it back to dealer I had bought the Matchless from . $500 more and had a 65 Norton 750cc Scrambler Sold the 65 Norton with 60,000 miles on it in 68 and bought another Norton 750 scrambler .Made a 6,000 mile trip to west coast and Canada on that bike in a 3 week vacation In 76 bought a New 75 Norton 850 Commando E start and shift on left foot. Then in 85 some deals I could not pass up 71 Moto Guzzi Ambassador , 67 Triumph 650 , 73 Triumph Bonneville , 71 Norton 750 Commando , 65 Royal Enfield Next year ended up with 8 bikes from Auction , And in last few years 2 Norton P11 desert racers . 3 Norton 850 Commandos , 2 Matchless 500cc singles , SP3 Moto Guzzi , 2000 Moto Guzzi Jackal , Norton 650 SS , 2 Norton Atlas Featherbed (narrow line)
	Life lesson: If you’re being chased by a lion, you’re on a horse, to the left of you is a giraffe and on the right is a unicorn, what do you do? You stop drinking and get off the carousel.