SPA Modeler

BlackSheep214 wrote:Good to hear your old car is still around. Did you ever wished you want her back? I know some folks do wish they had their first car back. I know I did. I had a ‘64 Dodge Dart with push button automatic, 227 cu slant 2 in dark blue. I got it from my grandmother for me to use for college. Sadly, I didn’t have it a summer until one day I felt/heard something fall off on the highway. Come to find out a piece of rusted frame fell off and car was deemed not safe to drive. Had to take it off the road and find another car to use for college.

Just fell right off.... Those cars were not made terribly well were they?

My first car was a 71 Duster with a slant. Cutting through my city is a little highway called Route 18. It goes north/south and allows you to get to one side or the other a little quicker. After band practice me and my Bass player were going North to south on the way home. A truck enters from 195 and as it comes onto 18 it jumps the last few inches of divider. It pops off the front drivers hubcap, and as we pass it flies under my car. 200 yards later my car goes TickTickTickTick BOOM!.

The cap had gone into the engine bay and sheared off the oil filter. It looked like it was cut by a surgeon it was so precise. THAT is how you kill a Slant 6. I know because I tried every other way and it kept going. I brought two guitars to practice that day so we slogged on for only about 1/4 mile when we got offered a ride.

The thing about it all is Pinard's Junkyard came and got the car. They said they put a filter on it and filled it with oil and it ran! When I went to get my stereo out of it the old man wasn't around. I wanted to see it run. They may have been BS'ing me.

Dragline wrote:
Just fell right off.... Those cars were not made terribly well were they?

Keep in mind, Northeast winters weren't very forgiving to cars back then when roads were heavily salted. Of course any weather elements for that matter. So, cars back then probably didn't have rust proofing on their frames. Painted is my guess but paint do wear off and rust starts forming.

Indeed the winters here are not. I'm from Mass so I know firsthand. My Duster was 15 or 16 years old and it was also falling apart. My 2000 Cavalier was bought when I lived in Baltimore. Not a rust spot on it when I moved back here in 2015. Now it has rusted frame rails, the filler door is a mess and the truck lid is starting to rust as well. It's rough up here on cars brother.

BlackSheep214 wrote:

Dragline wrote:
Just fell right off.... Those cars were not made terribly well were they?

Keep in mind, Northeast winters weren't very forgiving to cars back then when roads were heavily salted. Of course any weather elements for that matter. So, cars back then probably didn't have rust proofing on their frames. Painted is my guess but paint do wear off and rust starts forming.

This is the last pic of my truck before I sold it and left New England. Rockers, lower door, and wheel well lips all destroyed from winter
If this truck had lived its life here in FL I'd still be driving it

More evidence that NE is indeed the enemy. Good looking Dodge taken out way too soon.

Short of driving a Cat D8H bulldozer aint nothing safe from this climate/.

Dragline wrote:More evidence that NE is indeed the enemy. Good looking Dodge taken out way too soon.

Short of driving a Cat D8H bulldozer aint nothing safe from this climate/.

Now THAT'S funny.

Perhaps if it was not so true.... LOL

Those are some awesome looking dragsters!

Pretty much the tale around here in Minnesota, any classic car ad that says " Never driven in winter, Arizona car" ........ Yeah right.....

BlackSheep214 wrote:Good to hear your old car is still around. Did you ever wished you want her back? I know some folks do wish they had their first car back. I know I did. I had a ‘64 Dodge Dart with push button automatic, 227 cu slant 2 in dark blue. I got it from my grandmother for me to use for college. Sadly, I didn’t have it a summer until one day I felt/heard something fall off on the highway. Come to find out a piece of rusted frame fell off and car was deemed not safe to drive. Had to take it off the road and find another car to use for college.

Birds of a feather...My first car was a '63 Dart GT. It had that 225 slant-six too, and the push-button Torque-Flyte. Mine was tan with a red interior. Not much for performance, or gas mileage either I'm afaid. I put spring shackles on mine though...had to go faster after that!