John_Maine

Hard to believe it's been a month since Hershey....only 11 to go to Hershey '13!

I bought a '58 Canadian Dodge sales brochure at Hershey this year. I've always been fascinated by the Canadian variations of US cars. I thought it was a catalog, but it's a folder that opens to show all of the Dodges sold in Canada in 1958. The US Custom Royal was sold in Canada as the top line model - completely Dodge with Dodge engines. The lower line Dodges were the ones with the Dodge front clip on the Plymouth body with a Dodge dash and Plymouth like interior with Plymouth engines. I don't recall the Viscount name as one of the "series" names used. Maybe Chrysler didn't sell the US Dodge in Canada in 1959 so they brought out the Viscount based on the Fury as the premium Canadian Dodge. Prior to '57, I believe Canadian Dodges were Plymouths with a Dodge grille, similar to what GM did with Pontiac, a Pontiac grille and dash adapted to the Chevrolet body and chassis. I remember thinking how odd it was to see a Pontiac with Chevrolet taillights and silver streaks down the back.

Ironically, as much as I liked cars, when I was 3-4 years old, I remember riding in my uncle's '37 Plymouth coupe. I absolutely hated that car for some reason. I remember screaming my head off everytime I had to ride in it. My uncle bought the car when he got out of the service after WWII. In 1948, he won a brand new '48 Pontiac Streamliner in an American Legion raffle. He gave the Plymouth to his brother and that is who I remember riding in the car with. That would have been '53 or '54. When my parents bought a '54 Crestline Victoria in '55, my uncle bought their '51 Crestline Victoria and gave the Plymouth to my cousin who was in college at the time. He had it for a few months before wrapping it around a tree. Amazingly, it survived 18 years. I recently found a picture of it sitting in front of my grandparent's house.

I got the '71 Lesabre out yesterday and used it to do errands, then took it out this morning to go to the dump (probably should say recycling center) and more errands. Filled it with gas and some Stabil for the first time since October last year - only put 105 miles on it. Looking back at my records, that was the only time in 2011 I put gas in it so haven't used it much the last couple of years. It's pretty noisy due to te failing manifold gaskets - another story addressed in another thread here - and some other issues that make me leary of taking it any distance. Anyway, covered it up for the winter. Next weekend, it's the LTD's turn.

Jerry, -14° in Nebraska already? Holy cow! I haven't had my '71 Lesabre out of the garage in a couple of months, actually maybe a little longer than that. So if it is half way decent tomorrow, I am going to get it out and give it a run.

Back when I got my license, you could get one in Maine at 15 if you took driver's ed. I took it the summer I was 16, so I was a junior in high school before I got my license. Unless someone stayed back a year or two, there's no way they could have driven to junior high. I do remember my mother telling me she started driving at 14, but that was in 1932 and she didn't have to have a license. My mother drove until she was 91, so 77 years of driving. She was an excellent driver even if she tended to go a little fast. However, she said she never had a ticket and she only had one accident.

This has been bandied about for awhile, but personal preference, I would sell the '58 just because I like '57s better. Also, your Dad owned the '57. I have my uncle's '71 Lesabre which my wife absolutely hates but I am not going to sell it even if it just sits in the garage - which is what it's done for most of this year. It needs some work done on it and getting that done sio I can enjoy it more is going to result in a heated disapproval from the wife. I've known the car since it was new as my uncle bought it from some friends of his who knew me from a baby. I also have very little luck pointing out that other people have more than 2 antique vehicles.

I stopped watching when the new season of Chasing Classic Cars started.

I bought a Brooklands book at Hershey this year, a compilation of road tests of Pontiacs from 1946-1963. I'm up to 1961 so almost near the end. Lots of tests of '49-'54 models and they were all very complimentary to these Pontiacs. They were solid, durable cars. I have to laugh at how all of the tests remarked about the location of the ash tray and lighter. They were also criticized for the large round speaker grille in the middle of the dash because it could present a hazard to the middle seat passenger in the event of a panic stop. I remember my paternal grandfather's '49 2 door sedan, black with grey interior, straight 8, 3 speed. My maternal grandfather had a '46 sedan, '49 2 door sedan, '53 4 door and '58 4 door - which was his last car when he stopped driving in 1970. And one of my uncles had a '54 sedan, so I remember many rides in Pontiacs of this vintage.I will be very intereted in seeing your progress.

Where I am in south central Maine, we did okay. Our power didn't even flicker which is amazing since it usually goes out at the drop of a hat. We had about 7 hours of high wind, from about 5:00PM Monday night to just after mid-night. I don't know how much rain we had because I brought in my rain gauge, but it rained pretty hard for several hours and we've had showers all day today. Our school district did not close but some to the south and west of us did due to downed trees blocking roads. All in all, we lucked out.

I'm really sorry I missed it, but I had a terrible time with my feet this year and just did not have the energy or will to make my way over.

Nice sunny morning, around 60° by 10:00 - slightly above normal for this time of year. Started up the '72 LTD for the first time in a month and loaded it up for a dump run. Did that and rode around town a bit. I was going to go for another ride this afternoon, but ended up raking leaves (again). I usually keep my cars somewhat active until early November, so another week or two and I'll prep them for winter. I really need to take the Buick out but it is hemmed in the garage by our new kitchen cabinets which were delivered last week. The kitchen is supposed to be done by November 1 which should still give me time to get the Buick out one more time and get it ready for winter. Haven't used either car much this year, about 300 miles on the LTD and less than 100 on the Buick.

Susan, I only asked to be facetious - I have a cell phone that I use to make and receive phone calls and that's about it. I've had it 4 years and just recently figured out how to put it on vibrate. My 4 year old grandson can find his way around an I-Pad and I can't figure out how to cut and paste. Sometimes I fear that the human race will end up like they do in the movie Wal-E - sitting in chairs in a space ship way out there with computers doing everything. I kind of feel like my parents did when VCRs came out - and I still prefer VCRs.

What's a smart phone?

Route 66, the Alaska Highway and Blue Ridge Parkway are all on my bucket list.

So, the countdown begins anew..........

I really wanted to come but I had so much trouble with my feet this year, I just didn't have the will to walk after about 3:00PM. Maybe next year!

I've only attended Hershey since 2004; one year, the White field was across Hershey Park Drive and another year, the car corral was over there. Those were the only times I walked on the grass. I think walking on pavement is far easier. Unfortunately, my feet hurt terribly this year. I've never had any trouble before but by early afternoon, I could barely stand it. I've worn the same kind of gel sole sneakers every year. When I got back to my hotel in late afternoon and took off my sneakers, I could not put any weight on my heals at all, yet by morning, they were fine - at least for a couple of hours. I have a doctor's appointment on the 25th and am definitely going to ask him about it.

I mentioned to my friends that I attend with that the flea market didn't seem as crowded to me as some in the past but they disagreed. I guess Steve's numbers bear that out.

By Thursday afternoon, I was thinking I hadn't heard as many announcements as in past years, so guess I was not alone. I park on the black top at Chocolate World and if I get there before 8:00, stay in the car until the anthem comes on. From that vantage point, everyone I saw stopped what they were doing and paid attention during the anthem. However, I was in the show field on Saturday when they played the anthem at 10:00 and I saw several people continuing to talk and mill around. Again, they could have been foreigners, but even if I were a foreigner, I would at least take my hat off and stand still while it was playing.

Nice original car, I've always liked the '62.

This is what I was trying to say the other day. I'm pretty good with cars from the late 40's up until the 80's. Beyond that, I can tell a range, ie: '75-'78 Ford LTD, '81-'85 Impala/Caprice, '86-91' Caprice, etc.

The friends I travel with are leaving at 4:00AM. I'm hoping to be on the road at 4:30. I do go faster than they do, so I should catch up to them where we stop for breakfast. We should get to hotel in Harrisburg about 4:30PM. I'm going to bed at 10:00, hope to get a few hours of sleep. I don't usually sleep very well the night before. Safe travel everyone!

Thanks, guys. I seem to be okay today. Went to bed not feeling well, woke up feeling fine except for a little lower intestinal discomfort. I'm thinking I had a little flare up of diverticulitis.

I'm 62 and I've owned 30 cars since I got my license 46 years ago but only 2 have been Buicks - the '66 Lesabre Custom sedan I bought in 1999 and sold in 2005 and my uncle's '71 Lesabre Custom sedan that is out in the garage with my '72 LTD. Sorry to say, after trying out a new '12 LaCrosse and '13 Verano, I bought a '13 Taurus SEL. I liked the looks better and it fit me better than the LaCrosse. I liked the Verano, but am not ready to do that small yet.