60 Degrees of Separation in the Car Hobby

[Mark Gregory]

Has anything like this happened to other hobbyists . When I was young 40 years ago I went to a car show and a elderly man let me a young fellow sit in his 1931 Reo Royale Sedan . As time passed I bought a Reo Royale Victoria a few years ago . In July I went to a Reo car meet and was asked to bring back to Canada a part for the same car I sat in 40 years ago . The grandson of the elderly man who owned the Royale and was so kind to me 40 years ago came to pick up the part . Small world !

[keiser31]

The old car world is very small when it comes to certain lessor produced cars. I do a lot of research on 1931 Dodge Brothers cars since I own two of them. I have thousands of photos of every 1931 Dodge I have ever come across. Once in a while, someone will call me or email me for information on a 1931 DB. I usually have photos or information about the very cars they are talking about.

[8E45E]

25 minutes ago, keiser31 said:

The old car world is very small when it comes to certain lessor produced cars. I do a lot of research on 1931 Dodge Brothers cars since I own two of them. I have thousands of photos of every 1931 Dodge I have ever come across. Once in a while, someone will call me or email me for information on a 1931 DB. I usually have photos or information about the very cars they are talking about.

My Small World Dodge story is of a local member here who was I believe President of the national Dodge Brothers Club circa 2001/2002.  He is also an ATHS member as I am.  In 2002, I attended the Studebaker Drivers Club International Meet held in South Bend that year, and the Dodge Brothers annual meet was held somewhere in Indiana or Michigan that same week.  Afterward, I went Auburn, to visit the ACD Museum and NATMus.  Someone had a 1920's Dodge on a trailer in the parking lot, and I introduced myself and told him I know Harry R. and his wife, Debbie very well, and turns out he also knew him very well even though we both live some 2000 miles away from where this individual with the Dodge on a trailer lived. 

 

Craig

[keiser31]

When I was 17 years old back in 1969, I bought a very complete and solid 1929 Franklin 135 six wire wheel sedan from a farmer for $100.00. I moved to California from Detroit in 1972 and my Dad eventually sold the Franklin and a couple of other cars that I had collected. The Franklin went to Texas. Along came 1975 or so when I attended the "Big Three Swap Meet" at San Diego Jack Murphy stadium. I was setting up my space when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a big old car on a trailer coming into the meet. It was a 1929 Franklin. I went over to check it out and lo and behold....it was MY Franklin!! I mentioned to the owner that I used to own the car and he said, "How do you know it was YOUR car?". I asked if the car was from Michigan. He said, "Yes". I asked if he was from Texas and he said, "No, but the guy I got it from was from Texas and he bought it from a man in Michigan". I looked the car over and spotted a few details that proved to me that it was my car. Yep....it's a very small world when it comes to certain old cars.  

Edited August 11, 2016 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

8 hours ago, keiser31 said:

When I was 17 years old back in 1969, I bought a very complete and solid 1929 Franklin 135 six wire wheel sedan from a farmer for $100.00. I moved to California from Detroit in 1972 and my Dad eventually sold the Franklin and a couple of other cars that I had collected. The Franklin went to Texas. Along came 1975 or so when I attended the "Big Three Swap Meet" at San Diego Jack Murphy stadium. I was setting up my space when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a big old car on a trailer coming into the meet. It was a 1929 Franklin. I went over to check it out and lo and behold....it was MY Franklin!! I mentioned to the owner that I used to own the car and he said, "How do you know it was YOUR car?". I asked if the car was from Michigan. He said, "Yes". I asked if he was from Texas and he said, "No, but the guy I got it from was from Texas and he bought it from a man in Michigan". I looked the car over and spotted a few details that proved to me that it was my car. Yep....it's a very small world when it comes to certain old cars.  

 

Did you rebuy the car?

[keiser31]

7 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said:

 

Did you rebuy the car?

Nope....I was broke as usual.

[Larry Schramm]

10 minutes ago, keiser31 said:

Nope....I was broke as usual.

 

Been there done that.

[zeke01]

I was wandering the fields of Hershey many years ago and was at a vendor booth with titles and other paper. The fellow in front of me asked the vendor if he had a title for a '38 Chevy or something like that. The vendor went back into his trailer and appeared with a title. The customer stood there in shock saying " This is the title for my car!" Sure enough it was for the car he owned. Zeke 

[Marty Roth]

When I, as 3rd owner, passed my 1934 Buick to her current caretaker last summer while on tour in Ignacio (Durango), Colorado so he could take her home to the Reno/Gardnerville, Nevada Area, we were delighted to learn that another of the tour attendees was the 2nd owner - the gentleman from whom I had bought the Buick back in 1995. We assume that the original owner no longer survives, and that he would likely be in excess of 100 years of age.

 

Anyhow, it was special to have the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th owners together in a photo with the Buick

[ScarredKnightfan]

Yep!

 

A few years ago (more like 10 now), I got to know a guy on another message board.  During my October 2006 road trip, I met him (an older gentleman) & a few others from other message boards for dinner in Oklahoma City OK.  A chance discussion between the father of 1 of the other people there & this older gentleman led to me finding out he had been taught by my grandfather in rural OK.

 

I wrote this article about him & my Mom's family connections:

http://www.oldcarsstronghearts.com/2016/05/12/daily-dose-theory-thu-63/

 

 

Cort > www.oldcarsstronghearts.com
pigValve.paceMaker.cowValve | 1979 Caprice Classic (needs new owner)
"My heart is like an open highway" __ Bon Jovi __ 'It's My Life'

[keiser31]

Two odd events that happened to me having to do with my old cars were sort of similar. Once, when I was 17, I went to Hershey to look for parts for my '31 Dodge and my 1929 Franklin. I found a guy who had a booth and he had two n.o.s. radiator shells. One was for a 1931 Dodge (which I still have) and the other....you guessed it....a 1929 Franklin!

One time while in the hills of Death Valley, we were jeepin' around and came to an old ghost town called Panamint City. The place looked like it was deserted right in the middle of dinner time. There was still stuff (food, dishes, etc.) on the tables....very odd. There were DEFINITELY no inhabitants other than mice and rats. We were walking around and i found a few car parts. Two of the things that I brought home from there....a 1926 Chrysler radiator shell for my Model 58 and a 1931 Dodge radiator shell.  The really odd part about it is neither car was there!! Just the radiator shells....

Edited August 15, 2016 by keiser31 (see edit history)