Oldster58

As a side note, and a bit off-topic, but I figured out how to melt and cast gray cast iron about a year ago, and my hobby is to cast model steam engines in iron. I occurred to me that this could be something useful for auto buffs who need a broken cast iron part replaced. I work full time, so I can't do any castings for anyone, but I know someone who does iron castings, if someone has a need, for parts up to perhaps 20-30 lbs. I also learned how to use Solidworks, and can create patterns in 3D and print them on a 3D printer. One of my videos is here, for those interested in the process. It took me 6 years to figure out how to do castings in iron.

I am going to hike in this weekend and do a bone search, but if they (the buzzards) are still in there it may be a bit tricky. I don't want to end up being lunch. It may be another 50 years before somebody finds me, or what is left of me. If you don't hear back from me next week, send in the search and rescue. Look for an old Mercury. .

A few more photos from the family album. Our new Chevy station wagon, photo taken in 1961. And my auto dashboard toy. That thing was super cool, and had functioning things like wipers. They don't make toys like that anymore.

Here is my Dad's new 65 VW. You can see the Chevy station wagon in there too.

A few more photos of rural Arkansas, from a historical site. My dad's family owned a lumber mill for many years, and they had one of those glass-topped fuel dispensers. I remember pumping gasoline up into the top of it, and then filling up his car. Sadly that pump got tossed before I was old enough to save it.

Those car styles from the late 50's and early 60's were totally cool in my opinion. I guess it is a matter of where your tastes are, but I love the flattened out lines, the fins, etc. I remember well my mother had a Buick from the 50's, and the style was distinctly different, with sort of the bubble look. It had no radio, no AC, no power brakes or power steering, no seatbelts, and what seemed like a gigantic steering wheel. I remember my mother complaining about turning the steeling wheel when trying to park in a tight spot. And for the young people who have never driven a car without power brakes, I remember I used two feet. My mother would drive us to the grocery store in it, and leave us kids (five of us) outside in the car while she went inside to shop. This was standard procedure back in the day. And I recall the old DC generators on cars (pre-alternator days), and the lights would go dim when you stopped at night at a traffic light. Cars have changed a LOT since when I started driving. I can recall standing in the engine compartment next to a straight six and changing spark plugs. Now days, when I open the hood, I have to ask "where is the engine?, it must be under all that stuff somewhere". I remember having to check the dwell every so often, and changing pitted points My buddy's car had a magneto and a straight shift, and if his battery went dead, he just pushed the car down a hill and popped the clutch. He could run it without a battery in the car. Here is a photo I found on an AR historical site. I don't remember the link, and this is not my photo, but the cars are pretty interesting. Rural Arkansas. .

This car is in rural Arkansas. The Corps built a series of dams, and so things/topography/towns changed/moved/got flooded when the lakes were created. The soil is poor in the Ozark Mountain foothills, and so people don't grow much of anything. There are mainly cattle here and there, and a whole lot of poverty. We go there for the quiet and solitude, and to get away from the rat race. It is in the proverbial "boonies". No traffic lights, not much of anything, and in this day and age, it is refreshing to get away from the hustle and bustle/crime/politics/fill in your favorite item. There are some old barb wire fences on the property, and a few signs that someone once lived there, such as a pile of old glass bottles. Evidently there was a trash heap, and everything rotted away except the glass. And what looks like the foundation for perhaps an outhouse or something, with a concrete slab about 12'x6' with a vent stack, but no sign of any other structures on the property. I bought the property as an investment, and it is heavily wooded, and so wooded that you cannot drive into it anywhere at this point. There are no signs that anyone has been on the property for perhaps 40-50 years, maybe longer. I was quite surprised to run across the car, and more surprised to run across two baby buzzards. If I had time, I would hand-raise them, and have pet vultures. Now how cool would that be? The things you could do with pet vultures on Halloween and such. LOL....come a little closer sonny and pet the vulture........he's hungry.........

Vulture county, of course (just kidding). Central/Southern. Lots of vultures and road kill in these parts. I don't have a photo of the front of the car. I don't have a way to get the car out at this point. There are no roads. Only a few deer trails, which is how I got in there in the first place. I will have to look at it more closely when I get a change to get back in there. I will check on the pets, and see if they have grown large enough to fly the coop. I was quite surprised to see the birds in there, and was not positive what they were until I saw big mama out on the road flying around. Those things have a really large wingspan. They do a good job of cleaning up roadkill, which in this rural area is significant. The biggest challenge of driving around here is the numerous deer that jump out into the road. I have totaled one minivan already when a deer trotted out in front of me while I was doing 78 mph on the expressway. Left a perfect imprint of a deer in the hood. Did you know it is difficult to drive a minivan at night when the hood is up in front of the windshield and the headlights are blown out? I sort of coasted over to the side and said some choice words. I called the wife and said "Don't be alarmed, I am fine, but we are going to need a new car, like tomorrow". I can't find my photos from the deer strike, but I found this photo of a car that was out front of Home Depot about 2 years ago. My brother drove a hardtop version of this when he first started driving, back in the early 70's I guess. .

The trunk has two baby vultures in it. This car is in the woods, and there are no roads or even trails to it. I don't think anyone has set foot on this land for probably 40 + years.

Thanks a bunch. I was told it was definitely a 60's vintage car, but I was thinking late 50's. I looked all over the net today, but could not find anything that matched it. It does indeed look to be a 57 Mercury. Bingo. Thanks much, I appreciate it.

I bought a piece of land, and it has this car on it. Any idea what make it is? Should I trash it or keep it? Thanks