Whats the oddest thing youve ever driven ?

[Guest Dans 77 Limited]

On another post Dave Corbin was talikng about some of the more interesting vehicles hes driven. Ive driven a few interesting things myself in my time. I thought it might make a goos topic for discussion. Ill go first. Now this is not what have you ridden in , but what have you actually drove.

A Streetsweeper

Line Painting truck

TVR- Ford powered british sportscar

1953 Corvette

1929 Model a Tudor sedan

1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst

Cadillac stretch limo

1949 Packard

Jensen Interceptor- Chrysler powered british sportscar

PCC Trolley Car

Road Grader

Messerschmidt car - Air cooled 2 cylinder I believe, 2 seater passenger sits behind the driver. Getting into it reminded you of climbing into the cockpit of an ME-109.

Some of these were only around the block so to speak, and some like the line painter & the 300 Hurst I drove everyday.

So what have you driven ?

Dan

[Aaron65]

My '65 Corvair! Maybe my uncle's John Deere 730 with a hand clutch...

[Dave@Moon]

1967 Pontiac hearse with an original equipment 428 Police Pursuit engine (with less than 30K milies!). 130 mph was <span style="font-style: italic">no problem</span>!

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Dan:

That was only the cars. I didn't think to mention some of the vehicles I drove while working at the International Harvester truck plant in Fort Wayne, IN. from 1962-1970.

Anything RHD you can think of, Army 2 1/2 ton 6X6's, a unit that had a cab on both ends, Scout chassis for Shay model A's, a specialty truck for desert work that was 13 feet high, a turbine powered truck come to mind. However, a cabover CO 4000 with triple rear axles, a 500 HP Detroit Diesel V12 over at our proving grounds with 10 trailers on it over 400 feet long and weighing close to 300,000 lbs all up does stand out at least somewhat. The F230D with electric heaters in everything so it could be used at Prudhoe Bay at -70F and a salt spreader for NYC that had a 150 place lube system operated from the speedometer (shot of lube every 25 miles) also stuck in the old memory bank.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Dan:

One more car to the list. In 1992, I was buiding a factory for a client in Puebla, Mexico. My truck had an AACA member sticker on it which was noticed by a local car club member, so I got invited to their meetings.

About the second time there, a member announced that he had bought an American antique car that had been delivered to him and he had no idea how to start or drive it. Naturally, as the only American there, I had to volunteer to at least help. I showed up at his house on Sunday morning about 9AM. By 10 AM, we had gotten it started, and went to a gas station for some fuel. We drove around for two hours, switching about every 15 minutes and then back to his house.

That quiet Sunday morning drive in Puebla caused a considerable stir, because you don't generally expect to see a 1903 curved dash Olds go by !!!! Especially driven by a foreigner on an international drivers license !!

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Dan:

One more oddity. I also worked at IH East Moline 1971-1978. Is a 4-way model 715 Hillside combine an oddity?

Consider that it can maintain "body in level" position over a 35 degree right slope to a 35 degree left slope, and at the same time a 30 degree front up slope or a 30 degree down slope range. It can do any position within that entire range simultaneously and varying it automatically as it moves across or around a hill. All while combining wheat!

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Guest wildcat62]

Not that rare or unique, but I suppose odd for someone my age...a 39 Cadillac.

Pretty tough for a shorty like me!

[Bill Stoneberg]

We had a Sears 2 speed Moped that was the stangest mechanical thing I ever drove. Animal powered, I have driven a team of mules and a 8 horse hitch.

[Guest Dans 77 Limited]

Wow Dave... you sure got me beat hands down. Dave @ Moon reminded me about the hearse. I used to deliver for a pizza shop in a 72 Pontiac Catalina hearse. It too had the 455, it had a baupunkt stereo and amp and a set of Pontiac rally wheels and raised white letter tires. What made it really odd was the fact that it had "Al Capones Pizza " written in 2 foot letters down the side.

Dan

[Guest imported_Thriller]

Not much for me...a variety of smaller tractors and a Bobcat 7743 if I remember correctly...a variety of grain / dump trucks...probably the most interesting is the 1918 Model T bus that our local club restored way back.

Dave - my father had the first IH 914 combine in our part of the world back in the day...it was pretty impressive such that it made a few more sales, at least for the guys who didn't go self-propelled.

[Guest ewing]

I'll say it is a 50's vintage mercedes panel truck. In Engineering, we bought a truck to carry our beer to our various 'events'. We painted the truck red,white and blue and the letters CANADIAN, in alternating blue and red letters on a white background. Most guys in canada will recognize that as the label on a golden drink we consume in these parts.

A cool truck for sure.

[Brian_Heil]

I've always thought we should take the last two digits of the model year (pre 2000) and divide it into the miles driven to an event.

1300 miles round trip Flint to Rochester, MN and back for the 2006 National Meet divided by 23 = 56.52 for me

Do the same thing in let's say an '08 Model F and get 162.5

A '65 GS Riv = 20

Joe Taubitz going 100,000 in his '40 Super = 2500 !

Now, I'll leave it up to all you more creative (than me)types to think up a fun name for this new unit of measure.

[Guest cfBuick]

2 Oldies for me...

'56 vette and a '51 ford pickup. of course, I couldn't reach the pedals at the time so I could only steer.

[Guest Reatta1]

The oldest 'thing' I've driven would be my 1930 Mullins metal hulled inboard runabout. Come to think about it, I've driven a pretty old team of horses pulling a buck rake when I was a kid on the farm back in the 40's.

[my65riv]

A Chinese rickshaw,my parents still have it in the attic.

[Guest brh]

Wasn't really that odd except it had not been finished. A 1934 Oldsmobile without fenders, hood, trunk and a gallon gas can in passenger side. Good thing I knew hand signals back then, cause the cop in back of me could have had a field day.

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Derek:

I was there at East Moline when the 914 pull-type combines were being built. Virtually all of them came up into your part of the world. Those big 300 HP 4WD tractors that you folks use to plow worked well with them and were way less expensive than a self-propelled 915. The Hillsides mostly went to Idaho and Washington state.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Dandy Dave]

I've Driven and operated all sorts of stuff.

Top of the list would be a one of a kind Tucker Snow Cat called the I.C. ( Short for independent carrier.)

It was power by a 3208 Cat Diesel, had an Allison Automatic Transmission, and had 4 tracks to climb a ski slope with. It had a feature that would allow it to crab up the slope so the tracks would be in different paths. Lets just say it was a bit of a lemon because we could not keep ring and pinion gears in it. Installed 7 sets in one season.

Next would be cable operated swing shovels, drag lines.

1928 Hanson Shovel Front.

1952 Hanson model 41 Drag Hoe.

Bantam T35 Drag Line.

Bay City model 65 Drag Line.

Bay city model 45 Drag Hoe.

Bucyrus Erie Model B-15 Swing Shovel

Of course my very own "Dandy Daves Li'l Digger." Shovel front.

Then crawler tractors....

1930 Cat 10

1930's Allis Chalmers K, K-35 Crawlers with Baker Bulldozers.

1950 D2 Caterpillar Dozer.

1972 D5 Caterpillar Dozer with a ripper.

1940's D7- 2T Cable with a cable blade.

1969 D7E Caterpillar Dozer with a ripper.

1959 D8 Caterpillar Dozer.

1980's D8 K Caterpillar Dozer with a ripper.

1940 Cat Model 12 Grader.

1955 Cat Model 212 Grader.

1980's 140G Cat Grader.

Autos and Trucks......

1911 Marion Roadster.

1915 Buick C-36.

1930 Rolls Royce.

1957 Dodge Sweptside Pick up.

Antique Farm Tractors.

1924 John Deere Spoker "D"

1920's Cross motor Case 12-20

1924 International 15-30

1924 International 10-20

1937 John Deere "BO" Orchard on Steel

1939 John Deere "A"

Early Engines...Operated..The high lights,

110 HP Ingersol-Rand single cylinder diesel.

2 1/2 HP Thermoil Diesel-First generation Cummings!

1908 6 HP Kenwood Built by Stickney and sold by Sears before the Economy Line.

I would say these are the highlights. Too many more to even think of..... Dave!

[JohnD1956]

Wow, between all you guys there's a wealth of real experience out here. As for me the oddest thing I ever drove was my Dads old shopsmith table saw, in the drill press position. See, I didn't know about changing the belt to the other pulleys to slow the chuck down when drilling and what a mistake that was. Good thing the basement walls were solid stone and no one else was down there with me that day.

JD

[rocketraider]

Probably a 100 ton self propelled electric gantry crane. It runs on tracks from one end of the powerplant turbine deck to the other- 1/4 mile. A little unnerving being 60' up in the air, rolling along and hoping the brakes work.

We have a D9 Caterpillar bulldozer out there too, with a 20' blade. Drove it a couple times, pushing coal around on the pile.

Drove my uncle's Renault Dauphine once. Does that count as odd?

[Guest 63Stude]

I know I probably open myself to ridicule by posting this on a Buick site (!), but probably my current collector car is the oddest thing I've ever driven...a 1963 Studebaker Lark Daytona 2-door Hardtop with factory Avanti power, factory air, and factory white fabric Skytop Sunroof. I love it for its oddness!

After that, it would probably have to be a friend's '56 Packard Clipper Super Hardtop with no power steering (drove nicely anyway).

Bill P.

[Ron Green]

My friends 4 seater airplane, kept getting the yokes up / down thing reversed.

1928 Cadillac sedan

A hill climber motorcycle (and the preceding doctors visit)

A racing go-cart with 93 MPH top speed (and the preceding doctors visit)

An electric crane.

An Amphicar however after 5 years they seem normal.

[Guest sintid58]

Altman Taylor 30/60 tractor my grandfather owned that he custom threshed with.

[trimacar]

This is an easy question for me. The strangest car I have ever driven was the 1947 Davis three wheeler that I bought in my hometown, didn't even know such a car existed, they built 17 and one ended up in central Louisiana. I got it running for the owner and later bought it, then unfortunately sold it. With the middle front wheel, it rode on the ridge in the middle of the road, and was quite bumpy! Never have I gotten such astonished looks from people as I drove it. Wish I had it back. David Coco Winchester Virginia

[Guest martylum]

Since this is a Buick website I'm reminded of driving my 1930 Desoto roadster on a Glidden Tour in Stanton Virgina and coming up behind a very early Buick roadster-later found out to be a 1905. We usually took great pleasure on these tours in blowing off all the early cars-mostly Model T Fords from the teens and 20s so I really felt it would be a cinch to pass this 05 Buick-long story short-we followed it for 35 miles to our evenings destination with never an opportunity to pass as it was keeping up leading us very nicely at 40-45 mph. Pretty amazing considering it was probaably rated originally at 20-25 hp as compared to our 60 hp Desoto. When we reached our destination the owner explained it had been entered in a cross country Greatrace and had been pepped up condiderably in the engine area.

Martin Lum

56 Buick Century owner

[dkbuick75]

Don't know if it would be considered the "oddest" but the sweetest thing I have had the opportunity to drive and just this past summer was a couple year old Dallara Indy race car at the venue of all venues-- The Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sinden Racing out of Indianapolis had an offer this past spring in conjunction with the speedway to go out and drive an "actual" Indy 500 racecar around the track under the supervision of one of their instructors. Being as these are open wheeled single seat racecars- you drove your own car and followed the instructors car around the racing groove. Needless to say this is something I have always wanted to do and I jumped at the chance. The program was very simialr to the Mario Andretti and Richard Petty racing school offerings, but this was at "INDY", in a car that had previously raced in the 500. What an awesome experience and thrill it was driving an Indycar. While following the instructors line around the track- if he saw you were comfortable keeping proper pace and distance behind him, his speed would increase as you drove around the track. Talking with the race crew after I had made my "run", I found out the car I was lucky enough to drive, had actually been driven in an earlier Indy 500 race by Al Unser Jr. The only disappointment to the day, was how fast it was all over and done after waiting all spring and part of the summer for my drive day. That is a lasting memory I will always cherish and never forget! Oh yeah--- I would do it again in a HEARTBEAT!!!!!!

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Brian:

I like your suggestion abot miles driven to a meet divided by the last two digits of year built.

It seems to me that it should be called your "Taubitz score" in honor of our friend Joe. After all, he's been to EVERY BCA national meet, and he sure isn't afraid to drive that 40 everywhere.

At 1979 BCA national in Bloomington, MN, there was a 1913 drivn from Texas, about 1300 miles one way. My memory says the owner was named Bill Silvers and he was over 80 years old then.

If you wanted a suggestion on a modfication to your formula, try "(Miles driven to meet/year of car)Xage of owner" or alternatively "(miles driven to meet/age of car)Xnumber of years car has been owned". Since I have a fairly good idea of Joe's age and a rough idea how long he's owned that 40, I think he would win with either of these formulas too.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[The Old Guy]

Dave

I am 74, and we have enough "old Guys" in the BCA! I would like to see a formula that would reward young people for getting involved with the BCA.

It would be great to see more young faces at the meets. I enjoy the nationals as they are like a reunion every year, but we need to encourage the youngsters to come also.

[DickTaylor]

It wasn't a car. It was one heavy, large GMC truck designed to haul thousands of gallons of water to a fire where there were no hydrants. This tanker not only had air brakes, it also had hydraulics. Wish I could remember it's gross weight. When you drove it, it felt like you were in a railroad locomotive looking for some track. This was back in the 60's so my memory of the trucks statistics is rather clouded as is what I just ate for breakfast. Ha!

Under the "oldest" class, my first car was a 1936 Black Chevy which I called the Black Mar-iia. Bought it for $200 in 1949. Oh, it wasn't too odd but I drove a 40's Dodge Ice cream truck up and down streets of Syracuse, NY. Wow, thats almost 60 years ago. The company was called Skippy Ice Cream. Remembered I could make 85 bucks a week in the summers. Back then that was a lot of money. Boy, I must be getting old as dirt.

[MattKemph]

I drove my Mom crazy!!!! Does that count?

[Ron Green]

Don, I'm jealous! Driving an Indy car has always been one of my fantasies along with jumping into a nitro fuel car and ripping a pass off at 4.44 @333 MPH. With my luck (see post above) this would probably mean another doctors visit.

[Guest imported_Thriller]

Drool...I'm jealous...that would be too cool.

[imported_75RivGS]

Leopard 2A6..(pedal to the metal) Even had the opportunity to fire a shot later(120mm) on a shooting range.

[The Old Guy]

I drove the Buick "Bug" down the drag strip at the 100th anniversary party for Buick in 2003

[OldsDoug]

'68 Olds Ninety-Eight Cotner-Bevington Ambulance

'47 (?) Reo Fire Truck

Back end (tiller) of a '68 Seagrave 100' Ladder Truck

'36 Ford Convertible Sedan (White Post restored)

'57 and '67 Corvettes

About to add a DeLorean ("You built a time machine... out of a DeLorean??!!")

[pphil]

does a helicopter count........drove(flew one once or twice)in the army

scott

[Guest GRANNYS 70 SKYLARK]

A 1963 Simca Aronde, 4 speed column shift, in 1966. Plus all the "jewels" I drive at the auction.

[GMPARTSMAN]

A bunch of 'em

1956 Ford 2 dr. sedan with a 383 Mopar set back 10 1/2" inches into the passenger compartment (10% setback for drag racing in the 60's). Now the part with the Novi P.D., well...

1980 GMC 7500 garbage truck fully loaded (stalling problem, dropped off at the dealership)

1979 Buick Lesabre Police Car, road testing for a trans problem with lights and siren on courtesy of the officer occupying the right side seat.

1928 John Deere tractor

Did a wheelie on a 1960 Harley FLH chopper back in the day (spooky feeling doing that) from a stop light.

Assorted fire trucks and ambulances while a volunteer

Oldest was a '27 Chevrolet coupe

[Dandy Dave]

I thought of one more, A 1922 Peerless "Green Dragon Racer" that I got running for a customer. It was a rolling chassies when he aquired it and he turned it into a "Green Dragon" Replica after I got it running and driving. Dave!

[Roadhog]

It was 1969, I just graduated from High school and landed a job at my local Chrysler Plymouth dealer. We had a contract with the city and serviced all the city equipment, Police cars, etc. I was also the "new car serviceman" and I got to service and test drive all the new cars which included a 1970 Plymouth Super Bird, It would literally fly! That car sat on the showroom floor for a year and then sat under cover in the shop for a year, they couldn't sell it! I don't remember what happened to it....Ed