My dad was a Chrysler man. I can remember the two tone Dodge he had when I was quite young. That was replaced by a very cool DeSoto, with green and white fins. His last car (he passed away in 1967) was a Chrysler 300. Leather seats, very upscale for our family. The rule at our house was if you didn't have the cash, you didn't buy it. I think that was pretty common in the days before credit cards.
I'm not sure what got me interested in cars. Of coarse I had my first car as a senior in high school. I worked co-op, so needed a car to get me from my morning job back to the high school. It was $600, and I got a loan from the credit union, something my dad wasn't happy about. That first car was a beauty. A 1962 Ford Galaxie. Wow, it was in mint condition. Unfortunately on March 17, 1967 I wrapped that beauty around a tree on old M-27. A friend and I were headed to Shakey's Pizza Parlor in Lansing. Pine Lake juts out very close to the road at one point and the wind had carried a mist over the road and it was icy. I was traveling the speed limit, but it was too fast for that particular spot. We slid sideways into a tree. Nancy was on the side that hit the tree, but since we didn't wear seat belts back then she was thrown towards me, that probably saved her. Her injuries were much worse then mine, but after a few days in the hospital she had a complete recovery. I had a lot of cuts from flying glass and a broken rib. We were very lucky.
My fondest memories of traveling with my parents was to identify the year and make of automobiles passing by. I don't think there was any car I couldn't tell you about. Of coarse that was before all the foreign car makers arrived on the scene. As I've gotten older, I've so enjoyed going to classic car shows. It just takes me back to a simpler time in my life. So, after all that, I'm going to share with you some pictures that I took at the National Street Rod Association Car Show in Kalamazoo last weekend. I've focused on cars that were made the year I was born, 1948.
This first car is what I call my 'car-in-law'. This 1965 Ford Fairlane belongs to my son-in-law, and believe me the pictures don't do it justice. It's in absolutely pristine condition.
This glossy shine is amazing. It takes a lot of work to keep a finish like this so beautiful.
This 1948 Ford was for sale. Pretty fancy paint job!
This 1948 Ford truck was sharp!
Another 1948 Ford
A gorgeous yellow 1948 Chevrolet truck!
This next picture was taken, only to capture the beautiful color. It was a deep purple, and absolutely delicious!
My daughter took this next picture. I thought it was cool the way the owner painted '48 underneath the hood. It's a 1948 Ford Roadster. I'm a 1948 Chick, with my original paint job!
The Fords were plentiful, I had trouble finding this 1948 Pontiac.
This was unique, a truck with a convertible top! I believe this is a Ford, but not sure it's a 1948.
Isn't this a beauty! I would love to have this 1948 Chevrolet. Of coarse, I'd really like them all!
Here's another 1948 Ford, but this one has a pretty fancy paint job.
I shouldn't have hurried to take this picture, but the owners were just leaving and I yelled STOP! I just had to get a picture of this one, it was the only 1948 Dodge that I'd seen. It reminded me of the car my dad had when I was young.
This 1948 Monarch was a mystery to me. From what I've found out online, it's a Mercury, so manufactured by Ford. If I'm wrong about this, please let me know! My son-in-law tells me it's a Canadian Ford.
What an enjoyable Saturday afternoon. The weather was absolutely beautiful, we couldn't have asked for a nicer day. I didn't have the chance to see all of the cars, I understand there were 3,000. My old legs get tired after a couple hours of walking. I do hope you've enjoyed the pictures. OK, here's one more. This one belongs to friends of my daughter. Not sure of the year but it's a Chevrolet, I'm sure of that. They drove this up from Columbus, OH with their 2 puppy dogs.
Thanks for stopping by!
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