This was one of our “cool” cars. It was immaculate inside and out when we bought it and the same when sold ten years later.

I was never a fan of green, and like most of my cars, the Bronco was two-tone green and white. I don’t remember off-hand the mileage when we bought him, but I have it buried somewhere in papers.

This photo is going on the My Cars Page, too.

The premise was to create a predecessor to the Dodge Magnum starting life as a 1956 Chrysler. You’ll notice the main difference from a modern Magnum is the number of doors. This lovely is outfitted with only two, which is something I think Dodge should have offered on the new Magnum.

The vision for this is something I applaud and marvel at the ingenuity it took to get this project done. I don’t think I would ever look at a ‘56 Chrysler and think … “gee, I wonder what a Magnum would look like if they built one in 1956. Hmmm … why don’t I just turn this big ‘ole Chrysler into what one would have looked like back then.” But I’m glad someone did.

I had difficulty finding anything about the car after seeing it on television. Many searches (and hours) later, I found a link to a Barrett auction where the car sold for $187,000. Not bad for a Magnum “clone.” I wish my Dodge was worth somewhere in that range. Later I found the picture in the gallery at SpeedTV linked to earlier in this article.

I can’t find the builders name or anything else about him. If you know this information, please add it to the comments section so I can update this with his credit.

Have you Noticed?

Before buying my 1990 Dodge Spirit, I had never noticed one on the road. The same with my 1995 Chrysler Concorde and, to an extent, my 2007 Dodge Magnum.

After buying each of them, though, I saw others everywhere. What is it about the brain that causes this phenomenon? I’m not sure, but others I have spoken with assure me … it’s not just me.

Car Photographs

The other thing I’ve noticed is the lack of pictures of my early cars. Between cameras, film, and developing cost, pictures were a luxury. I know in our big picture box, there is a picture of my 1965 Comet Caliente with my pregnant wife standing beside it.

I’m not aware of many pictures of the other cars I’ve owned, but one of these days, I want to dig into the box and see. If they exist, I need to scan them for posterity. At least, my posterity.

What about you? Do you see your vehicle everywhere you turn? What about pictures of your early cars, do they exist? Feel free to share in the comments.

Mustangs, Challengers and Camaros

In my many miles of travel, I see a lot of Mustangs, and lately, a lot of Challengers. I am anxious to see the Camaro out in the wild, untamed and looking for trouble. Yeah, that’s the way I roll. I know racing side by side on the strip is safer, but there is nothing that gets the heart pounding and the knees shaking like street racing. The cars hit the red light at the same time … the opposing light turns yellow … the engines rev and in an instant the smoke appears and the black lines lead into the distance.

The winner is always the one with the most guts, or least intelligence, whichever comes first, but the thrill is always there.

Back Road Racing

One warm, summer night in 1970, I was out with a few close friends cruising in one’s 1967 Chevelle SS 396 that was NOT stock. It had that certain something that moved the ground for some distance when it idled. Dynamometers weren’t prevalent back then, so no one knew what that 396ci delivered to the real wheels, but let’s just say, it delivered.

Another friend from school had a 1953 Chevy Bel Air coupe with nary a stock part on it, especially under the hood. It was covered in black primer (no paint) and all we knew was it had a four-speed transmission and a full out small-block Chevy engine that wound fast and high. I also suspect he had an extra juice bottle in the trunk.

I don’t think the ‘53 Chevy had ever been beat, but that night on a back road far from the lights of town, the ‘67 Chevelle pulled away half-way through 3rd gear and never looked back. Talk about an adrenaline rush. We were high on the victory for hours, talking about it for weeks, and remembering it now for decades.

I believe if the Chevelle was a “stock” 396, it would have been trounced by the old small block ‘53. I’ll never know for sure, but that extra horsepower was all used that night.

Wild & Crazy Guys

It was wilder and crazier back then. Cool cars, big engines, four-speeds, and no seat belts …

Do you have a night that you’ve remembered for decades? Relive it in the comments so we can all enjoy.

Photos:
Georgnerd
3i’s
quadrant6ix

All my vehicles have been useful, but some hold a special place in my heart. I will share some of the stories about these different cars and how they came into my possession in the future.

Enjoy the cast and make sure to add your 2 cents worth in the comment section.

Larry

It wasn’t unusual for fourteen and fifteen year old boys to know how to drive because we were taught at an early age. Until 1968, the legal age for attaining a Texas drivers license was fourteen: younger with hardship. Can you imagine turning your fourteen year old teenager loose on the world with a 4000 pound hunk of rolling metal? That scares me to death, but at fifteen, I was primed and ready to go.

The driving part of Drivers Education class lasted two weeks and my friends and I were in the very first group of the summer. We would get our licenses two weeks before most of our classmates, making the drag by ourselves while they stood around the A&W Drive Inn.

The summer of 1967 was the biggest and best of my life, and the memories are still vivid to this day. Finishing the last DE class on Friday morning, Walter and I headed to Amarillo to take our driving test with the intention of hitting the drag in Canyon that evening. The jealously raged as the hormones of teenage boys watched us cruise.

Later, I’ll tell you about my first car.