Every Coronet but mine - 1966.
 My own story about one I nearly owned. My first car was a 1962 Chrysler Newport. A 4-door family car that, with some minor work was nearly untouchable on top end among my peers. Well, 13 months after taking ownership I inserted an oak tree in the back seat at 110mph, three feet in the air, sideways. As you can imagine it did the car in. Well, my search for a replacement ended when I located a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 Hardtop. This thing was a maroon color and clean as a whistle. Still a minor (not quite 17), I needed my Dad to actually take ownership. I brought the car home for my Dad to look over. He smiled and said "Well - lets take it for a spin!". We headed south on Highway 51 toward Brookhaven, MS. He was behind this little old lady doing about 45 or so and when the coast was clear Dad floored it to pass. Well, the rear tires broke loose with a loud bark and Dad nearly ran over to poor lady before he could get out from behind her. He finished the passing maneuver, calmly pulled over, turned around, and headed back home. The not a word was said for about 10 minutes (seemed like an hour). Just as we turned into the driveway I finally got the nerve to ask "Well Dad, what do you think?". My father calmly said "I will drive this back to the owner. If I ever find you behind the wheel of this car again I will have your drivers license pulled and you can get it back when you are 18 and can sign for it yourself." We never spoke of the car again. |
Thanks. Love these back-in-the-day motorhead threads. God bless our troops!
"Red Barchetta"
My uncle has a country place
That no one knows about
He says it used to be a farm
Before the Motor Law
And on Sundays I elude the eyes
And hop the Turbine Freight
To far outside the Wire
Where my white-haired uncle waits
Jump to the ground
As the Turbo slows to cross the borderline
Run like the wind
As excitement shivers up and down my spine
Down in his barn
My uncle preserved for me an old machine
For fifty odd years
To keep it as new has been his dearest dream
I strip away the old debris
That hides a shining car
A brilliant red Barchetta
From a better vanished time
I fire up the willing engine
Responding with a roar
Tires spitting gravel
I commit my weekly crime
Wind
In my hair
Shifting and drifting
Mechanical music
Adrenaline surge...
Well-weathered leather
Hot metal and oil
The scented country air
Sunlight on chrome
The blur of the landscape
Every nerve aware
Suddenly ahead of me
Across the mountainside
A gleaming alloy air car
Shoots towards me, two lanes wide
I spin around with shrieking tires
To run the deadly race
Go screaming through the valley
As another joins the chase
Drive like the wind
Straining the limits of machine and man
Laughing out loud with fear and hope
I've got a desperate plan
At the one-lane bridge
I leave the giants stranded at the riverside
Race back to the farm
To dream with my uncle at the fireside
There is good reason for them to be rare; many of them are pitiful examples of a muscle car. As an example, the 1971 GTO was but a mere shadow of the 1964 and 1965 GTO it had replaced. I can well imagine the 1971 was rare, the GTO era had passed.
How the mighty have fallen! A majority of those cars are Mopar, yet the Mopar name was sold to Dr. Z because they stopped making cars worth buying, especially with decent trannys.
That 67 Vette...love those rail pipes.
Cars were so great "back then" that bands made love songs about 'em.
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