And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Unfortunately, I was 5 years old and my old man didn't have the foresight to buy and garage. Of course, neither did my cousin. He traded in a '68 GTO on a Pontiac Firebird in 1974 when the oil embargo hit, as I remember it.
Our 1973 Charger was sold so we could buy an International 20' box truck. The Charger was fun but the truck made money. We still had a 1966 Mustang V-8 for fun.
In 69 I was 8 years old and dad had a 68 RS Camaro. He traded that car for a 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger 340. A few weeks after he got it he had the engine out where he replaced a lot of parts with go fast parts and worked on the heads then added new wider rear tires. He had turned the 14 second 1/4 mile car into a 12 second 1/4 mile car. He wrecked that car and replaced it with a 72 Dodge Demon that he did the same go fast mods to the 340 in it.
In 1969 I was thirteen, cars and girls in miniskirts were my main interest until the evening news came on to see if my brothers AO made the news. When he came back he bought a '69 Chevelle 396 L34, very nice.
The Challenger in heartbeat! A girl I dated in HS had one that was a metallic root beer color with a white vinyl top and a white interior. Under the hood was a 340 High Output and man did that thing go!!! No defroster though, driving in the rain was an adventure.
My Dad's first new car ever was a '56 Ford wagon. Being a family man, he saved money by not getting the optional AM radio or heater, which wasn't too much of a sacrifice, as we lived in Fresno at the time.
That first winter it snowed. In Fresno. The luck of the Irish.
My first year in Fresno was 1998: it snowed that winter and I was told that that was the first snow in 32 years. Hasn't snowed since & been here since.
1970. Wanted a Mustang but they too high priced. Got a 340 Duster instead. Only had a 3 on the floor but the insurance was cheaper than with a 4 on the floor. Blew up a couple of modified motors and ended up with a tired 318 in it. Still, won a lot of street races before the 318 or more to the point, a lot of races on the highway south of town.
I was working in New Jersey at the time. I went to the Dodge dealer to look at the Challenger. I picked up a brochure, went home and specced out my new Challenger. The next day, I went back to order. A salesman said that the guy I had talked to would be with me shortly. Well, that guy was sitting on his desk, talking on the phone, eating a sandwich. I waited a reasonable amount of time and left. A few days later i bought the Alfa GTV I'd wanted for a long time. Looking back, I wish I'd bought the Challenger. It would have certainly changed my car owning "arc" as Christopher Moltesante would say.
Totaled my mom's car on an ice covered road. Dad took my '62 Alfa Giulietta Spider and '57 Chevy 210 to pay for it. Ended up putting the breathed on Big Block that was intended for the 210 into a '57 Chevy ragtop. Not as fun as I expected, sigh... Would yank the front wheels off the ground shifting 2nd, but no one would run me on the street, even the weekend street-racing in South Philly. Just idling it scared them away. (Mom borrowed it a few times. She could drive anything!) In retrospect, I would have been better off with the Alfa. Oddly enough, both those cars are worth about the same these days.
My lottery number was #306. My highschool buddies were #5 and #6. They went into the Navy, and I left the state.
This looks like the world-famous Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago, "Mr. Norm's". We used to drag race right on Grand Avenue at night, the neighborhood was full of 426 Street-Hemis.
Unfortunately, I was 5 years old and my old man didn't have the foresight to buy and garage. Of course, neither did my cousin. He traded in a '68 GTO on a Pontiac Firebird in 1974 when the oil embargo hit, as I remember it.
ReplyDeleteOur 1973 Charger was sold so we could buy an International 20' box truck. The Charger was fun but the truck made money. We still had a 1966 Mustang V-8 for fun.
ReplyDeleteIn 69 I was 8 years old and dad had a 68 RS Camaro. He traded that car for a 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger 340. A few weeks after he got it he had the engine out where he replaced a lot of parts with go fast parts and worked on the heads then added new wider rear tires. He had turned the 14 second 1/4 mile car into a 12 second 1/4 mile car. He wrecked that car and replaced it with a 72 Dodge Demon that he did the same go fast mods to the 340 in it.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Life in 1969 was pretty damn good for the most part.
ReplyDeleteChevy Nova 8 did my tricks !!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, getting drafted to go fight in Vietnam was just ducky.
ReplyDeleteI was going to say, life in '69 was pretty darn good... if you had a high lottery number. Mine was 11. My brother's was 55.
DeleteIn 1969 I was thirteen, cars and girls in miniskirts were my main interest until the evening news came on to see if my brothers AO made the news. When he came back he bought a '69 Chevelle 396 L34, very nice.
DeleteLate summer '69
ReplyDeleteI remember it well -- headed off to the Army in 15 or 20 days -- then to Vietnam
Not a good memory
The Challenger in heartbeat! A girl I dated in HS had one that was a metallic root beer color with a white vinyl top and a white interior. Under the hood was a 340 High Output and man did that thing go!!! No defroster though, driving in the rain was an adventure.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad's first new car ever was a '56 Ford wagon. Being a family man, he saved money by not getting the optional AM radio or heater, which wasn't too much of a sacrifice, as we lived in Fresno at the time.
DeleteThat first winter it snowed. In Fresno. The luck of the Irish.
My first year in Fresno was 1998: it snowed that winter and I was told that that was the first snow in 32 years. Hasn't snowed since & been here since.
Delete1970. Wanted a Mustang but they too high priced. Got a 340 Duster instead. Only had a 3 on the floor but the insurance was cheaper than with a 4 on the floor. Blew up a couple of modified motors and ended up with a tired 318 in it. Still, won a lot of street races before the 318 or more to the point, a lot of races on the highway south of town.
ReplyDeleteI heard that as "trhee at the knee".
DeleteI was working in New Jersey at the time. I went to the Dodge dealer to look at the Challenger. I picked up a brochure, went home and specced out my new Challenger. The next day, I went back to order. A salesman said that the guy I had talked to would be with me shortly. Well, that guy was sitting on his desk, talking on the phone, eating a sandwich. I waited a reasonable amount of time and left. A few days later i bought the Alfa GTV I'd wanted for a long time. Looking back, I wish I'd bought the Challenger. It would have certainly changed my car owning "arc" as Christopher Moltesante would say.
ReplyDeleteTotaled my mom's car on an ice covered road. Dad took my '62 Alfa Giulietta Spider and '57 Chevy 210 to pay for it. Ended up putting the breathed on Big Block that was intended for the 210 into a '57 Chevy ragtop. Not as fun as I expected, sigh... Would yank the front wheels off the ground shifting 2nd, but no one would run me on the street, even the weekend street-racing in South Philly. Just idling it scared them away. (Mom borrowed it a few times. She could drive anything!) In retrospect, I would have been better off with the Alfa. Oddly enough, both those cars are worth about the same these days.
DeleteMy lottery number was #306. My highschool buddies were #5 and #6. They went into the Navy, and I left the state.
I'm a poor kid in college, trying to keep my draft deferment, not buying a car.
ReplyDeleteI was 10 years old. My mother traded her 428 4 speed Talladega for a brand new 1970 RS/SS Camaro with an 350 and automatic. Mommy liked going fast.
ReplyDeletemeanwhile around the corner Watts is burning. how soon we forget
ReplyDeleteAnd you could buy a Thompson M1A1 for 50$ + the 200$ transfer fee.
ReplyDeleteBackwoods Okie
This looks like the world-famous Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago, "Mr. Norm's".
ReplyDeleteWe used to drag race right on Grand Avenue at night, the neighborhood was full of 426 Street-Hemis.