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Were Old Cars more Fun Than Modern Ones?

198 messages,  Last post on Jan 30, 2012 at 2:43 PM

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What is this discussion about? Classic Cars, Coupe, Convertible, Truck, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 17 of 20

#159 of 198 Re: Jaguar [isellhondas] by fintail

Jan 24, 2012 (6:47 pm)

Replying to: isellhondas (Jan 24, 2012 2:26 pm)
Thanks. It comes out mostly on Sundays when the weather is nice.
 
The hubcaps are on there pretty tight, and there are actually sellers who carry replacements - for a price. Almost half my life with the old beast now and nothing has fallen off yet.

#160 of 198 Re: Jaguar [fintail] by andre1969

Jan 24, 2012 (7:04 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Jan 24, 2012 6:45 pm)
Didn't your grandparents usually have more modern cars? I remember you mentioning their old Fords and Chevys. Or is that from the other side of the family? That car does look kind of aged in the pic.
 
Yeah, they did. This house is from my Mom's side of the family. My grandmother's Uncle Luther built it, with the original part of it dating back to 1916. It used to be a general store with just two rooms and a front porch. Then, a kitchen was added on, and an apartment upstairs. The earliest my grandmother can remember the house is 1934, when she was 10 years old, and used to come down from Harrisburg PA to visit, and would sleep in the front room upstairs. She was 10 years old then.
 
Uncle Luther died in 1960, and Aunt Carrie signed the place over to my grandparents, with life rights to it. But, she didn't like staying there alone. She'd rattle around the house all day, but then go across the street to sleep at my grandparents' place at night. In 1961, they moved her in with them, and started using it as a rental property.
 
My uncle remembers one of my great-aunts (Granddad's baby sister Maye, who always reminded me of Betty White's Ellen character on Mama's Family) as having a white '53 or so Chevy. But I don't know why she'd have it parked in that spot.
 
Anyway, by the 60's, my grandparents were doing the the station wagon thing. They bought a new '60 or '61 (nobody who's still alive remembers the exact year) Nomad wagon, and then a '64 or '65 (again, nobody remembers the exact year) full-sized Chevy wagon. And, after that, came the '68 Impala 4-door hardtop that my Mom ultimately got, that I vaguely remember as a kid.
 
I'm guessing that '53 Chevy belonged to a tenant. One of the tenants actually died in this house, at some point in the 60's. I remember, when I first heard that, it freaked me out. Until I found out that TWO people died in my grandmother's house across the street! Aunt Carrie, and then, in 1969, Grandmom's mother. Back in those days, in rural areas at least, I think it was common for people t just pass away in their own home, rather than go to the hospital.

#161 of 198 Re: Jaguar [fintail] by nvbanker

Jan 24, 2012 (7:47 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Jan 22, 2012 11:03 pm)
To be fair, those things weren't the pinnacle of quality of refinement,
 
Oh, you are so right!!! IMO, they sucked when they were new, but from an historical perspective, and given the condition of this one, it's very cool. Not sure there's enough oil in Kuwait to keep it full, though....

#162 of 198 Re: Jaguar [nvbanker] by fintail

Jan 24, 2012 (9:18 pm)

Replying to: nvbanker (Jan 24, 2012 7:47 pm)
Is she a dripper already?
 
I guess if it is an immaculate survivor and it was cheap, why not...will always have some parts value.

#163 of 198 Re: Jaguar [andre1969] by fintail

Jan 24, 2012 (9:21 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jan 24, 2012 7:04 pm)
I think that happened a lot more in the olden days in general - more people died at home. If you think about it, most old houses probably have witnessed a death. It's cool that old house has stayed in the family so much, and that it isn't some insane estate, just an ordinary old house - it being less special actually makes it more unusual I think, kind of like survival rates of sedans vs convertibles.
 
My grandmother has had her house for about 50 years now, and there are some pics out there with old cars in front of it I think.

#164 of 198 Re: Jaguar [fintail] by tjc78

Jan 25, 2012 (5:47 am)

Replying to: fintail (Jan 24, 2012 9:21 pm)
It's cool that old house has stayed in the family
 
Its funny you mention that we were just talking about that. My Grandfather sold his house last Sept and moved in with my parents. We really wanted to keep it in the family, but it needed alot of work and we all are very settled in our own houses.
 
The house was just a typical 50s rancher, but there were tons of great memories there.
 
I really would love to have some of my Grandfather's cars back. Boattail Rivieras, Coupe DeVilles, etc. Who back then knew that today's cars while better in most respects have no soul.

#165 of 198 Re: Jaguar [tjc78] by fintail

Jan 25, 2012 (8:00 am)

Replying to: tjc78 (Jan 25, 2012 5:47 am)
I could possibly end up with my grandmother's house as it is a workable commute for me (although about 100x more than my current commute), but I don't have enough attachment to want to buy it - and as it will go to my mother, I'd have to buy it. It's as pristine a 50s style rambler as one can find, but I don't know if I want to be shackled to it. I can't recall all the cars my grandfather had, but I have seen pics of a cool blue and white 57 Ford 4 door HT, and his red 65 Chrysler seemed like a solid car. I know somewhere out there, there's a pic of his fuselage Chrysler sitting in the driveway, but that car was troublesome from the stories I've heard.
 
My great-grandmothers house had been hers since the 40s, she finally moved out in 1999, but it needed a lot of updating and I was in school then, so a no-go for me. In an area that flew up during the housing bubble and has now popped.

#166 of 198 Re: Jaguar [fintail] by lemko

Jan 25, 2012 (8:17 am)

Replying to: fintail (Jan 24, 2012 9:21 pm)
Heck, my Grandmom has had her place for over 65 years! Grandpop and her moved in in 1946. Their house used to be a small hospital with a basement tunnel connecting to two other buildings: the doctor's house and a pharmacy. The tunnel was sealed years ago before I was born. I wish I could've seen it.

#167 of 198 Re: Jaguar [lemko] by texases

Jan 25, 2012 (8:21 am)

Replying to: lemko (Jan 25, 2012 8:17 am)
Old places like that are great. My brothers and I would have been down there with picks and shovels!

#168 of 198 Re: Jaguar [tjc78] by lemko

Jan 25, 2012 (8:23 am)

Replying to: tjc78 (Jan 25, 2012 5:47 am)
I can recall almost all my Grandpop's cars, but he never had anything as awesome as a Riviera or Coupe DeVille. He was very conservative with his money much to the benefit of my Grandmom. He easily could've afforded a Cadillac, but he thought buying a fancy luxury car was frivolous. His cars were:
 
1941 Chevrolet.
1947 Hudson.
1953 Plymouth Cambridge.
1961 Plymouth Valiant.
1964 Chevrolet Biscayne.
1967 Chevrolet Bel Air.
1974 Chevrolet Impala.
1980 Chevolet Impala.
1989 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Brougham.

Messages Page 17 of 20

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