60FlatTop

So when did you first think a man and his dog could influence climate change?

Was the '64 at the J. C. Whitney SEMA booth?

Someone ignorant of the specific parts and deviations from originality is going to buy that car, finish it, and run the wheels off with a great big grin. And all the experts will sit with a furrowed brow wondering why that guy is so happy. But it won't be the first time. I have heard that story a few times. Bernie

On really rusty cars I have found that box store penetrating sprays can get the hood and door hinges working freely enough to satisfy a potential buyer. I do a lot of driving and sometimes I see a car in a field that catches my eye. I pull over at the first chance, close my eyes, and click my heels together saying "My next car is not sitting outside somewhere. My next car is not sitting outside somewhere." That REALLY helps with rusted bolts. Oh, I should admit that a $125 package from Kroil is almost like Christmas. That gets a wide range of products and lasts a few years around here. Sometimes the value is in the ritual. Bernie

When I was growing up the gas pumps had a sign that itemized the cost of fuel and each added tax. It is illegal to post a sign like that now and the station owner can be arrested. But when you come right down to it, isn't tax a political undertone, maybe overtone? Ignorance is so much more, um,.... blissful? Bernie

My first '39 Buick. I was 15 at the time. My '41 Olds 70 Series Club coupe 6 Stick in the background. I would say 1963. That was the beginning of two cars in the yard for eternity. The Olds is parked about 10 feet from my current garage location. Bernie

I can take credit for making the Degas exhibit a success (and resolving an issue with the mummy display at the same time). But the corny joke came from a record my Great Grandfather left us when he died in 1956.

Here's one from Buffalo.

We went to a Degas exhibit a few years ago and waited, patiently, by a sign "Refrain from Smoking". We thought some music would be nice with the dancer pictures. Bernie

Have you replaced the spark plug wires?

I have more liters in my garage than the local Coke distribution center. And I forgot to mention the tractor. Guess what the bucket is for scoopin'. Previous owner at the wheel.

A "dusting" in these parts three days ago: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/06/us/buffalo-students-snowed-in-at-school/ Yep. That's a dusting. Snowing is like that Crocodile Dundee knife thing. It can give you the Willys.

Here I sit with five cars listed in my signature and you have six. Now I'm crushed. . . . Would you, maybe, like to make it seven? Bernie

Counterculture stuff works that way. If the In group is ticky tacking their driveway with Velsheda's made from BMW coupes the "nonconformist" will do the in-your-face opposite thing and spend the same money. It's a Bespoke Buick. Putting it on Ebay where you have been selling your old shoes, golf clubs, and unwanted Christmas gifts is the lame thing to do, gauche! Bernie

So a couple of French guys were sitting around and one says "You know how popular Rap is in America." The same thing happened in the movies. Foreign directors were told, in English, that the climax was at the end of the movie. Now every action movie you watch has the bad guy "climb" a building, stairs. whatever right at the end. Foreign stuff in America. Bernie

My cars are usually seen in public places like a restaurant or diner parking lot, a street in one of the local small towns, not so much hobby events. The guy who asks always looks the same. I could draw a picture today and pull it out of my pocket next time I am asked. I have know these types for decades. Asking how much it is worth or how much you would sell it for implies they they can buy it, especially on a whim standing in the street. And they feel good because they believe it. How much is your car worth? More than a sane person would pay. How many cars do you have, anyway? More than a sane person would have. Bernie

I was having coffee with a friend who is working on a 1956 Plymouth station wagon. He was talking about the poor quality of the original build. In particular the unpainted inner surfaces of the dashboard where rust was creeping out around the edge of the gauges , his work on that particular day. I observed "So, you might consider most Chrysler products are over restored.". "Definitely!" he replied. Interesting coincidence. Bernie

Here are the wrong sized whitewalls on a 1960 car. They are the second set and exactly the same as the first set I put on. When I bought the car in '02 it needed five new tires. My friend had a one year old set of 8.20X15 wide whites on his high point standing 1958 Silver Cloud. His tires had just been replaced to maintain his level of appearance. We were just hanging out and he said he had four take offs he would sell on conditions. He said I could have them for $185 if, and only if, I promised to wear them out. I faithfully did. It took nine years at about 1200 miles per year. That brought me up to 2011 when I called Coker and bought the same thing all over again. Then I ran into the guy who had the correct 8.00X15's, with just a little narrower WW. At least we can tell them apart.

There is a corporate consciousness in quality control. I live close to Rochester, New York, home of GM's Rochester Products and DELCO divisions. One of the better stories is door lock QC. There were three grades, driver door, passenger door, and junk. The ones that worked smoothly went in the driver's door. Seams in headliners should have the fold facing the rear. Some re-upholsterers don't notice that. I liked the Corboba's when they first came out. All Cordoba's have a misaligned left front fender and door gap. All '55-'57 Thunderbirds have a huge gap between the cowl and the right windshield frame. All 2950's Jaguar large sedans have a kink in the boot lid just below the support strut. Once one gets away from the conceptual appreciation of car models and becomes an owner they see the details. First generation Riviera had a color change? Check the color of the 1/4" strip along the edge of the rear quarter window. Bernie

They need to make some kind of game out of that Impala parts magnifier!

Is it licensed and insured now? Yes is the correct answer. Will it start right up and can we go for a test drive? Yes is the answer again. How long have you owned the car? About three years is a minimum. Have you done any major work on the car? Answering No means it might be left to you. If you planned to keep this car, what would you like to spend some money on? Pay real close attention to the answer. I had a friend in the tree business who said he could drive into a nice, well groomed neighborhood and point out one small overgrown branch. They always wanted it trimmed and their neighbors would have him there working for a few days. He said if he drove by my house he wouldn't even slow down. People are the same with cars. If the answer to the last question is some minor thing you are in a good place. Bernie

This car turned up on Craigslist last year It was about about 80 miles from me in Fulton, New York. I think it is the first car I ever licensed. The history was a little cloudy but seems to fit. Those could be the four new recap Johnny Antonelli Firestone 7.60 X 15 narrow whites I put on it. I worked at the tire shop at the time and remember paying $12 apiece for them. At the time the Harry H. Truman white walls were not in style. They had the green preservative on them and I didn't wash them for a while. They wouldn't look new without the green. Bernie

I end up with $3.67 after mailing and fees. But they end up in the hands of people who see value in them. It is not worth the time but a person's perception is their reality. My experience with charity mills and non-profit organizations has been disappointing. Things get thrown away, stacked up for the annual 50 cent sale, or generally "aren't good enough" for the recipient. This includes giving cars to needy people. "Handle every stressful situation like a dog, If you cant eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away!":D If a dog pees on your dark suit it doesn't get noticed either.

So Sgt. Schultz is a shipper with a trailer now. I wondered what he would do after the war. Not meaning to minimize the loss, but where did the term "shipper" come from? It sounds like a service for pay business. Bernie