WHAT ABOUT A GOOD STORY ?

[oldefar]

What about telling a good story on this serious discussion forum ? Like Coronet65's '61 Plymouth/rabbit story. (see NO RESPONCE and some more, now)True or untrue. Or something like mine: Travelling half around the world to pick up a car sitting on a field for several years and driving it thousand(s) of mile(s) in a day or two. I am sure just about any antique car collector have a good story to tell! Let's have a good laugh here. Or even a serious story will do too.

[65Coronet7165]

Well, I think I may have some more "car stories". What's more, they are all TRUE, for better of for worse! I'll start with a story about my dad trying to teach my mom how to drive. At the time I was either a baby (and not with them) or had not yet been born!

My father had a 38 Ford of some kind, floor boards rusted thru, floor shift transmission, key stuck in ignition switch....I don't personally remember the car.

Anyway, they tell a story about how my mother was learning to dirve in that car. She was doing fine, my father had her driving on a sparsly used road in NYC (good luck to find such a road these days). As you probably know, NYC is basically made up of Manhattan Island, Staten Island, two counties on Long Island (Brooklyn and Queens) and the Bronx (a peninsula). So there a lot of roads that lead to water or a beach of some kind.

They were on a road leading to a beach in Brooklyn, sand dunes on all sides (back then, built up now) and my dad says turn here. Well, my mom TURNS, she doesn't wait for the next intersection to arrive! Then cars goes down into a ditch and rolls over. No one was hurt, but my dad was thru with giving driving lessons. My mom finally got her license many years later...she had to go to driving school!!

[oldefar]

Well, I see 65Coronet is at it again. That's good. Then I will follow up with a story too. And perhaps I will follow up with one new story every time someone else is posting one.

This story is from when I lived in San Pedro California in the 1960s. In 1966 to be more exact, and I was 19 years old. During daytime I worked for Donahue Offshore Diving, driving the tug-boat, but in the evenings and weekends I worked at a local Gas Station to make some extra mony. The reason I got the job, was that I went inside the office to inquire about a 1957 DeSoto Golden Adventurer 2 door har-top that had been sitting outside on the gas station's parkinglot for some time. I asked the owner of the gas station who would be the owner of that beautyful DeSoto. He told me it was an old lady workin in a bar across the street, and that she owed him some mony for service and some minor repair on the car. I asked how much, and he told me 86 dollars and 70 cent. I guess I was kind of frech, but asked him if he would ask the old bar-lady if she would hand ower the car to me if I paid her bill. Then I would be happy getting the car and the gas station owner would be happy getting his mony. About the old bar-lady I don't know. But I hope she didn't feel to bad getting read of a 2 ton car with a 345 cid HEMI and 2X4 barrel carbs. Even tho' back then, gas was only 27 cents a gallon for super 98 octan. And would you belive it or not, the LADY said yes!!! And the pink-slip was all clear and signed. Man, was I happy. I allready owned a 1957 Dodge Coronet convertible (customized in Hollywood) with new top and new paint. But DeSoto have ALLWAYS been my favorite car. This one was the most fantastic car I have ever owned in my whole life. This car was only 9 years old (then, in 1966), it had 72000 miles on it, and looked untouched. And this car had absolutely E V E R Y T H I N G ! From air condition to power windows and seats and I don't think it was anything more to order on the option list. Gold with gold anodized wheelcovers and white roof and sidetrim. All shiny crom and stainless steel and perfect interior. I cry my eyes out to day every time I think abut this car. Unfortunately I couldn't bring it with me when I left for Norway in a hurry that same year, to avoid being sendt to ViEtNam. I gave the car to a good friend of mine, another gas staton owner that had been very helpful to me trying to build a dragrace car from a 1953 Plymouth he had. Well, I just have to round off with the same words so many others have spoken: I sure wish I had that car today. I also gave away my 57 Dodge convertible to another friend of mine. and this story is true. THE END!

[55PackardGuy]

Hey oldefar, did that DeSoto look something like this?

Now I know what you're excited about!

For about a dozen more '57 DeSoto pics, go to:

http://www.carnut.com/photo/list/flist.html

[65Coronet7165]

Hey, that is some story! Well, it sounds like that old saying; "Easy come, easy go!" You got that car cheap and then let it go cheap. I know you had a blast driving it though!

I wonder about that bar-lady....she had a nice car...she couldn't afford to keep it up! Too bad!

[oldefar]

OK Guys, first of all the '57 Adventurer may be have gone cheap monywise, but sure not by affections! And back then the price of that car was not really unusual. I paid 300 bucks for the mentioned '57 Dodge convertible from a car lot in 1965, and that included a beautyful gold poly paintjob and a brand new convertible top of best qualety. My first car ever, a 1956 STUDEBAKER Golden Hawk 2 door hard-top coupe (also designed by Virgil Exner), with the big 352 cid V8 Packard engine, I paid only 50 dollars for in 1963 in Long Beach, Calif. And I remember '60-'61 Ford Sunliners was $ 295,00 at several car lots in 1964-1965. Also remembering Chevrolet dealers in September 1966 selling out ALL 1965 models Impala, and Bel Air all models 2-4 door sedan-hardtops and convertibles for one price even, $ 1999,00 each, to make room for the new 1966 models. So you car-freaks, that was the times.

And yes, 55PackardGuy, it looks something like it. But if you really want to see "an xerox copy" of my 1957 DeSoto Adventurer, go to www.desotoland.com and 1:click user profile; 2: click Edward_Petrus; 3: at the bottom of his profile click My 1957 DeSoto S25 Firedome Sedan. Then you will see his beautyful DeSoto cars, including a "twin" of my '57 Adventurer. Same colour, same interior, same engine with 2X4s and all. I have a real hard time looking at his site to see that exact lookalike car as mine. Unfortunately, exept for the '56 Stude' I do not have any pictures of my California cars. But as soon as I get my scanner working, I will see if I can show some of the cars I have owned, and do own today. Including my 1960 DeSto Adventurers. Oops, it's gettin late again. 3:30 in the morning here now. And still more snow falling down. Have to showel snow for a couple of days again now. HATE IT!!! Night, Guys. Oh, by the way 55PackardGuy, my mother was born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1917 by Norwegian immigrants, She is turning 89 next month, and still going stong.

[55PackardGuy]

I couldn't find the link to click on for Profile, but I believe I found "your" car in one pic on the "Perpetual Desoto Show"

I'll just post an attachment, so you don't have to look at it every time you come to this thread.

Your grandparents might have come to Duluth about the same time my grandmother did. She eventually homesteaded by herself in northern Minnesota and married my grandfather, a logger and miner. Her maiden name was Grindereng, which was also the name of her family's farm in Norway.

Not exactly a car story, but a story nonetheless. Actually, I can work in a car angle with grandma and Charles Lindbergh Sr.'s car at some point. A tale of the two Mariah's.

[oldefar]

Yep, that's the car I meant 55PackardGuy. And it belongs to Ed Petrus, right? Exactely like the one I had. Yes, it was kind of hard for me too, to figure out how to find the way to click into the profile of Edward_Petrus, but keep on trying, because his cars is really worth seeing.

When it comes to my grandmother she came single to the U.S. too. She immigrated totally alone as a 15 year old girl in 1903 (by steamship from Norway across the Atlantic)and ended up in Duluth where she met my grandfather who was 10 years older. Then they all moved back to Norway when my mother was only 3 years old. Then I immigrated to the U.S. in 1965, but left after just a few years because the U.S. Government drafted me, and wanted to send me to ViEtNam. I went back to continue as a sailor in the merchant marine on Norwegian and Swedish ships. Anyway, it's nice to know there are others out here with Norwegian (Viking) blood in their vains. Have you ever visited Norway and your familys place? If not you should. And you would be most welcome to visit me and our annual "POWER MEET" in late July/early August which draws some 800 to 1000 American cars of all brands and ages. Keep in touch. Thank You. Einar.

[oldefar]

Now here is the right web page address to Ed Petrus where you can see PLENTY!!! beatyful DeSotos including the "xerox copy" of the one I used to own:

www.angelfire.com/de/petrus/index.html TAKE A GOOD LOOK at one of the most beautyful and powerful (the 300's "little brother") American cars ever made. Even tho' I am not sure which one to chose, my ex. gold and white '57 Adventurer or my ex. black '60 Adventurer. What do you think guys? Einar.

P.S. LOADS OF INFO. TOO!!!

[55PackardGuy]

oldefar,

Thanks for the link, and for your kind invitation. I've never been to Norway. Knowing that there are some dedicated gearheads out that way is a good motorvator.

Copying and pasting your link worked just fine.

I have had trouble with the double-url thing, too. The easiest way to make a link here is to just type (or copy and paste) the address on a separate line in your post. As long as it's a recognizable web address (http:// etc.) this website will automatically make it a "clickable" link. When you "preview" your post, you'll see it in color if it's good to go.

You could experiment by editing your last post. Hope this helps!

[oldefar]

Hey, thanks Guy! I modified my post and it worked. But I also did the same thing the first time, and then it didn't work. Now it seems to work tho' (for the time being anyway), so anyone interested can just click on and see all these beautyful DeSotos.

Yes, there is a lot of car nuts and many, many very nice American cars here in Norway and Sweden especially, but also some in Finland and Denmark. Some of the other European countries like Germany, Switzerland, Holland and France is coming too now. And even the old communist countries like Poland and Russia is coming along slowly with people getting interested in antique cars.

Well, you better think about coming to Norway some day. Last summer the southern parts of Norway had the highest temprature in the whole of Europe. Even warmer than Spain. But then again, the south eastern part where I live, have more snow than we had in 40 years this winter!!! I have done nothing but showeling snow for a whole week. And tomorrow or tuesday I have to get the snow off of my car storage building. Poooh! Looonging for the summer. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

[55PackardGuy]

OK here's a car story. I will call it the "Tale of the Two Mariahs"

As mentioned, my grandmother came over from Norway around the turn of the century, and moved from Duluth to the Minnesota northwoods to homestead her own 160 acres of said woods.

Apparently, Charles Lindbergh, Sr. (the famous aviator's father) "stumped" around northern Minnesota when he was a U.S. Congressman between about 1910 and 1917. My father would have been at most just a toddler so he had no recollections of the visits, but had heard from his mother over the years that she had met Lindbergh Sr., and I believe Jr. as well when he was along.

My father was a big reader, and in later years read many biographies and memoirs of the Lindberghs. In one of them, he found out that the car Lindbergh Sr. drove on his tours of his district was nicknamed "Mariah." I believe it was a Ford, but most important is that it was a balky, stubborn car.

Well, my grandmother had a reputation for being, one might say, "strong-willed" to put it mildly. Her name was Mariah, and my father began to wonder if Lindbergh's car might have been named after her. He had a chance to possibly solve the mystery when he attended Lindbergh Jr.'s visit to his boyhood home in Little Falls in the '70s. My father did not take the opportunity to talk with Lindbergh. He said he thought the "old man" looked a bit too tired to greet more guests.

So, we'll never know, but it's fun to speculate whether that stubborn car was named after a stubborn pioneer woman. By the way, Grandma Mariah's middle name was "Antoinette." I'm not kidding!

[oldefar]

Well, I promised to write one new story for everyone else's story, so here we go again. TELL ME IF YOU GET BORED!

I'll stick to my time in California for a while yet. This was in 1965 when living in Long Beach and working at Packard Bell Electronics in Culver City. (this is actually 3 stories in one) A friend of mine, another Norwegian that immigrated with me and shared apartment with me, also needed a car. Crazy about the winged MOPARs as I was, I managed to convince him to by a MOPAR too. We went to several carlots, and finally found a car he liked (but I liked more). This was a one owner copper and white PLYMOUTH Sport Fury 2 door hard-top with the new 361 cid V8 wedge "Golden Commando 395" engine with 305 h.p. at 4600 RPM and 395 ft/lbs torque at 3000 RPM. This Gentlemen, was the quickest car I have ever driven in my whole life. And since my friend wasn't a very good driver, I mostly drove the car. To work, to the driveins at night and so on. The Sport Fury had the "Rear Sport Deck" trunk lid (also called the toilet seat lid) and a name plate on the dashboard spelling: ESPECIALLY MADE FOR and then the name of the first owner that ordered the car. This car had only 54.000 miles on it, and actually costing a little more than my friend's budget. 395,00 dollars. But I joined in with 50 bucks, so that was it. The deal was made. THE CAR: Superfantastic quick, shifted down from 3rd to 2nd on kickdown (Torqueflite pushbutton) on the freeway at 85 miles an hour, spinning its weels!!! I couldnt belive the response to the pedal on this car. One time this (seemed to be rich) daddy's boy stoped beside me at a red light and asked me if I wanted to race down to the next traffic light. I just gave him tumbs up, and away we went. Or to be more exact, I did. He was just lost way behind in his brand new black Pontiac GTO. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> At the next light he asked me what the H... was under the hood of my car. And I told him the truth: Just the original little 361. He got angry, and told me to pull over into a gas station so he could look under the hood. And under the hood it was all original. Even the 6 year old dust and dirt. He didn't speak one word. Just got into his car and drove off. Another time I was showing off for a couple of girls come walking down the sidewalk as I left my works parkinglot. I put the pedal to the floor and the car took controle, and spun around 180 degrees facing the exit of the parkinglot again <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

The last time I drove the car was when 3 of us friends were going up to San Fransico late at night. Or should I say early morning. We were going to drive on shifts.One drive, the others sleep in the back seat. Last shift me. "Cruising" about 110 to 120 miles an hour <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> (dont tell anybody) trying to hold out a little longer than the other guys. Falling asleep, hitting the dich at 110, waking up by the shaking and ratteling of the car, seeing this lightpole coming towards me pretty quick, getting the car back up on the road in one thousandth of a second, guys in the back waking up, not happy (but would have been worse if they had known the speed) told me to get in back and stay there for the rest of the trip <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />( I'll NEVER forget how close I was to (MOPAR) heaven at that certain time. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> And I will never forget that car ither. END OF STORY. Einar.

[oldefar]

OK guys, I got my daughter helping me to post a picture of the 1960 DeSoto Adventurer 2 door hard-top I used to own. Unfortunately I had to sell this one due to house investments. This car is seen on a show with a lot of American cars here in Norway. I still have 3 more DeSoto Adventurers so no problem. I'll see if I can post some more pictures later on. ENJOY! Einar.

[65Coronet7165]

Very NICE car indeed! It seems there are many Mopar enthusiasts in the Scandinavian countries (I don't know if I spelled that correctly, sorry if I didn't).

I had an uncle by marriage who was Norwegian. His name was Olaf Berentsen (still, my spelling my be WRONG) Anyway, he married my mother's sister late in both of their lives. He was a VERY nice man. After my aunt passed away, he moved to California and we still kept in touch. Havn't heard from him for a few years now so he is probably gone too (if he's still around he'd have to be 100 something!)

We were all living on Long Island (part of New York state) at the time. I think they lived in Mastic. There was a Norwegian community of some sort there. We visited a few times and "partied" with them. The used to always say something...Norge) The only part of the expression I can remember is the Norge part (that means Norway). I think it meant something like "long live Norway" or something. Do you know that expression Einar??

[oldefar]

Yes, 65CORONET, this was a really nice car. At this show I had my big 5 spoke chrome Rocket wheels on, but did have the original rims too. If you look closely, you can see the original wheelcovers laying on the floor by each wheel. One of our car magazines here in Norway made a nice colour article on it, parked by a U.S. Navy ship visiting the harbour here in my hometown. It is really nice to see the 1960 DeSoto, the U.S. Navy ship and the American flag all together on a colour picture. To bad I had to sell this car. But that's life. Mony, cars, women, they all come and go. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Yes, there sure is a lot of very entusiastic MOPAR owners here in Norway and Sweden, and some in Finland and Denmark too. (Scandinavian countries spelled right by you) Some of these Swedish guys have done some really, really beautyful restoration work on some of these cars. And I have done a couple my self. They also have a POWER MEET in Sweden, as they do here in my hometown. These Power Meets are actually sponsored by a Swedish car magazine by the name of POWER. The owner of the magazine is also crazy about MOPAR cars. Here in my hometown the meet gathers some 800 to 1000 cars, but the Big Meet in Sweden gathers some 8000 to 10.000 cars. It is supposed to be one of the largest meets in the whole world. All in one weekend in one little Swedish town. Some members, including the President of the Chrysler 300 Club International, visited the Big Meet in Sweden a couple of years ago, and they said they had never seen anything like it.

When it comes to our family "discussion" I feel we get a little off topics here. But if you are interested we could continue by our personal e-mail. You will find my e-mail address elsewhere on this forum. or on the WPC Club's webpage, or in the WPC NEWS. But here and now, I belive I have heard Berentsen as a Norwegian name, but it is more likely Berntsen.Which is a fairly common Norwegian name. Our former main branch Union leader was named Berntsen. And a lot of my grandmothers famely also lived on Long Islan NY. Anyway, I better cut for now. I'll get back with some more car stories if there is any interest for it out there. Just to bad so few others care to write a story. But I guess that just reflexes the interest in the input among the readers of this forum. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Einar. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />