When cars had class

Meanderer said:
1956 Chevy Nomad
04-1956-chevy-nomad-ladrew-.jpg
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Wow. I don't remember ever seeing a 2-door station wagon.
 
When I graduated from college, my first engineering job was with GM in Cleveland on the west side. There was an R&D site out on Snow Road. There, we played around with designing different things that came down the pike from management above. I had the opportunity to travel to Detroit and Flint to tour some of the GM sites out there. I saw many fine automobiles, but I had already been a GM man. If I hadn't been a GM man before I went to Detroit, I would have been one when I left. However, I only stayed with GM just a few months, seven to be exact and then I left and went to DuPont and stayed there only two years. Engineering just wasn't for me. I had to do something adventuresome, so I became a pilot.

I saw some very beautiful cars in Detroit, Flint and Livonia. I also toured the transmission plant in Saginaw. The Buick was a huge mass of metal. It took forever to get it rolling, but once it got underway, it was the best ride that I ever had in a car. My Dad was a Plymouth man. I remember his '54. What a crate. Even brand new, the thing rattled, but my Dad became deaf fighting in WWII and got sent home, so he never heard it and told me that I was hearing things. Boy, was he mad to him tell the story. He was a Corporal and was ready to be promoted, but he was so pissed that he went out and got drunk the night before he was to leave for the airport to fly home, missed the plane and then was demoted back to Private.
 
We’ve had several Buick’s over the years. A 60 Blue station wagon to haul the kids around. Only problem was, it vapor locked every time I shut it off. The nicest was a 65 225 Electra 4 door sedan White with light blue interior. A boat and rode like being on a cloud.
 
I will take the modern cars and fuel injection over those high maintenance older vehicles especially in winter. And 12 volt batteries instead of 6 volt batteries.

I can remember oil bath air cleaners and carburetors. Trying to start a car in below zero weather. Aaarrghh!. Nothing but trouble.
 
Camper6 said:
I will take the modern cars and fuel injection over those high maintenance older vehicles especially in winter. And 12 volt batteries instead of 6 volt batteries.

I can remember oil bath air cleaners and carburetors. Trying to start a car in below zero weather. Aaarrghh!. Nothing but trouble.
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My first car, 37 Buick with a long 6 volt battery, would not ever start on cold mornings. I lived on a steep hill and that’s the only way I could get it started.
 

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