<VV> First Car --- (not Corvair)

[Taruffi57 at aol.com]

In '58 - age 18,  I spotted a faded out '49 Buick Roadmaster 2  
dr.Sedanette ( 4 holer fastback) sitting on the back row of the downtown Mobile,  Ala. 
Nash dealership.  Fell in love.....  Actually, I think the  attraction was 
the back seat.  $145.  The car was in undamaged cond.  except for the 
charcoal grey (ex-black) paint and the full set of  dry-rotted tires.  I used to 
nail it from stoplights, then throw the  column automatic shifter into neutral 
and slam it back down in Low  with  gas pedal on the floor - repeatedly, to 
see how many times I could make the  tires chirp.  Never hurt the 
transmission.  Blowouts were common with  the tires and then I would buy another $5 
tire --- which  was....dry-rotted.  (all I could afford)
 
2 "encounters" are still in my memory banks:
Coming into town at night on Hwy. 90, I got a red light.  Problem was,  I 
was running about 90 mph.  Stomped the brakes....which lasted about .7  
seconds.  NO STOPPEE!!!!!!  At this point in my driving, I had never  heard the 
term "brake fade".  I was likely still doing 50 -60 when I sailed  through 
the intersection BETWEEN crossing traffic.  Another lesson learned  and 
another one of my 9 lives used up.
 
Took 2 neighborhood miscreant/thugs with me to the beach one day and since  
we knew tires were about to blow out (as usual), one suggested we stop and 
they  would quickly steal a tire off a car sitting on the side of the 2 lane 
 hwy.  Somebody drove by and yelled at us and we hauled arse.  I was  
running 100 -110 out in the country for 15 - 20 miles and finally figured we  
were home free so I slowed a bit.  Saw a car coming up way back.   County 
Mounty.  I remember he said "you must've been running pretty good  since I chased 
you all the way from Gulf Shores".    UHhhhhhh.......   Hauled us back for 
4 hrs. in local jail.  Mom  & step-father - who was a nasty Mobile 
detective, was MORE than annoyed  and paid my $64 fine.  Made me sell the car too. 
Side Story:  my  youngest brother told him he was gonna piss on his 
grave.....and he  did......      Wish I had that car back.
I would equate that Buick to one of those torpedos you see coming out of a  
sub in old WWII movies.  It was a real tank & would haul the bacon, but  
did not like to deviate from straight ahead.  The steel in it was probably  3 
times as thick as current cars.
 
Joe Dunlap
Cen. Fla.
2 Corvairs  (well...one in pieces & the other one won't  crank)