Cars, the Old Stuff

This little wagon was built in England, but it was spotted on Nantucket Island, off the coast of Massechusetts. It's a Morris 1000. Yes, real wood.
The Jeep is really a Jeepster, a sporty car based on a Jeep. They made these for a while in the early 50's and then reinvented it for another generation. You may remember the commercial that started out with "Holy Toledo! What a car!"
That yellow and black roadster is a replica. Those Volkswagen parking lights on the front fenders are a clue. I wouldn't be surprised if it had a Volkswagen engine in the back. But what is under that long, long hood?

If you scoll down to Sept. 3, 2006, there are some pictures of a 1957 Buick Century. A reader sent me the following information:

"I have a 57 Buick Century convertible model 66C. My dad had a
54 Century 4dr sedan. The 54-58 Centurys were Buick's muscle cars as
they shared the small body with the Specials but had the larger hp
motor. In 57, the Specials (Series 40) had a 364 cu in engine with a
2 barrel carb rated at 250 hp, designated by 3 portholes. The
Centurys (Series 60) shared the same engine as the big Buicks, the
Supers (Series 50) and the Roadmasters (Series 70 & 75), also 364 cu
in but with a 4 barrel carb and rated at 300 hp, which was designated
by 4 portholes. The Centurys came in 5 models: 4dr sedan, 4dr hdtp,
2dr hdtp, 2dr conv, & 4dr hdtp wagon. The Specials came in the same 5
models as the Centurys plus: 2dr sedan & 4dr sedan wagon. All
hardtops were designated "Rivieras."

My Uncle Bill had a Chrysler 300C, but I never got a chance to ride in it. He said he drove it 135 mph once, but that it would have gone faster. He also told some good fishing stories.

The Plymouth suburban was one of the first all-metal station wagons. I think this one is a 1951.

Impala, BelAir, and an early Corvette.

This is a bad picture of a beautiful car. Corvettes are assembled in Kentucky. Buy a Corvette and you have an instant classic. But they aren't cheap.

I've never owned a convertible, but maybe someday. . .

A rumble seat puts two passengers out in the weather, but think about it. There are some advantages.

Let's face it. Old cars are not as reliable as new ones. So if you have an antique car collection, you might need one of these.

About 75 years ago, cars had functional interiors.

In the 1930's, Ford cars had class and style.

I don't know what this is doing in here with all of these Fords. I think it's a Packard.

This 1932 Ford pickup was popular with farmers. A grocery store in Kentucky used one of these to deliver groceries in the late 1940's.

I learned to drive on one of these, but it was a sedan. You turn the hood ornament counter clockwise to open the hood.

Collectors call these a "Woody."

This 1932 Ford station waggon was probably used to actually go to the station. It is unrestored.

Back about 1930, some cars didn't have a trunk. They had a luggage carrier and the space usually occupied by a trunk was used for a rumble seat. If you can't tell if a coupe has the trunk or the rumble seat, look for the luggage rack. Another trick is to look for the handle just below the rear window, instead of just above the bumper. Only coupes have rumble seats.

Want to see the front? It's the next picture down.

This would be nice for trips to Wal-Mart, but don't buy anything too big to fit the luggage rack on the back.