Hey Fred, I'll go first.
The first car I drove was a milk truck way back when we still had door to
door delivery. One armed Milkman Roy had just traded his horse and wagon for
the truck and I had jumped in behind the wheel. Us kids had done this often
with the horse and "drove" to the next stop. Of course "driving" a "route
horse" didn't require much accumen or skill. Anyway, Roy asked if I could
drive and of course I lied yes, so he says "take her to the next house." I
did manage the shifter and somehow the clutch but almost put a case of milk
through each of us when I "hit" the brake pedal a little too abruptly.
After that I moved on to my Father's Oldsmobiles (Rocket 88- 1951, 1954)
Buick Invicta ( 1959 with a 401 4V). If those tail-fins had been a little
larger I'm sure it would have flown.
My introduction to LBC's came when we blew the motor on the Buick and it was
laid up for repairs. Dad bought a Envoy Special Estate (Vauxhaul sold by
Pontiac dealers. Think of a 1/2 size 55 chevy and you'll be close) as a
temporary runaround.
I thoroughly enjoyed that car and kinda inherited it once the Buick was
repaired. After the third body crunch it was retired and I bought another
Envoy Special Saloon with a rear end whine and a bad third gear. We swapped
the gearbox and rear-end from the wagon and I drove that one through
University.
I must of had the bug by then as my next car was an Austin 1100 Saloon (4
door mini) That was a fun little car. It took two young fellows down to
"frisco" and back. My fave memory of that little box was when the exhaust
pipe broke in front of the muffler and me and a buddy took it down to the
local A&W where the "greasers" hung out with their 327 malibus, 427,
biscayne 2 doors, etc. We pulled in, pulled out the choke and started
rapping the exhaust. Everyone had to turn round and check out what hot
camed, open piped newcomer was here to challenge in the street drags! Big
laughs on all sides. Next was some german inspired detroit iron, a 65
Corvair Corsa (140 HP, 4 carbs, sodium cooled exhaust valves etc. etc.) That
too was fun but got a little light in the front end above 100 mph. (Nothing
a spoiler wouldn't have fixed in retrospect) It was sold when I did the
compulsory "post university Europe trip"
Upon returning I drove a friends TR250 ( :> ) and three months later
acquired a TR4A IRS. I still have parts of that car (sound familiar anyone?)
and besides other more "practical" cars ( hey, I live in "The Great White
North") have owned at least one Triumph ever since. (TR 4A-IRS x 4,
TR4A-SA, GT6 MKIII, TR6 and because it's DPO owed me some $$$, an MGB- but
only for as long as it took to sell it!) I currently have the 72 TR6, a 65
TR4A-SA, a 65 Jaguar 'S' Type and a 84 Peugeot 505 STI .
As some wise person once said: "Life is short, why drive boring cars?"
Cheers
Don
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