Alternative subject: Don't judge a book...
I am the owner of two cars, orange 618 and white 2755 (which is for
sale). Needing an air filter for 618, off I went to Grand Auto with the
part number from the cross reference guide. While I was looking at the
vast dis-array of Fram filters stretching across the entire side wall, a
non-descript 65 year old Asian man (of which there are thousands here in
San Francisco) asked me if I needed help. I think these guys are
trained to next ask "what kind of car do you have?" I found out quickly
that it is easier to just ask for the part number than to go through the
whole story, but this time I figured, why not. So I said, "the car I
have won't be in the book, it's a Bricklin." "Hmmm", the man said in
his heavy Asian accent, "I know Bricklin, in fact I had two, an orange
one and a white one!"
For one of the first times that I can remember, I was kind of
dumbstruck. He went on to tell a tale of making the decision between
buying a Bricklin or a Dino Ferrari in 1974. He told me that he sort of
regretted the decision because of the problems he had with the doors.
But then related a funny story of being stopped by a highway patrol guy
in New Jersey for speeding and talking himself out of a ticket. He also
told me about breaking the traction bars (torque links?) on the cars.
The scene was incredible. Here is an old Asian guy with a heavy accent
(the last person who I would think would have stories about racing
around in the 70's) explaining the joy of owning this car. His first
was #22, his second was 159 (I may have this number wrong). He said one
of them is still for sale at a Lincoln-Mercury dealer somewhere on the
East coast. Now, there has to be more to this story, and I will get it
as I pick up more parts. Meanwhile, didn't I read in an old Brickline
about some car that has stayed for sale at a dealership for years? Let
me know and remember all the old idioms about books and covers.
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