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Who is our oldest active member ?

I crawled up out of the valley of death in November of 1957, after killing everyone in it to start that quote about
"Yea, tho I walk through....."
 
A friend’s father-in-law is 98 and still getting around using a cane. He bought a ’58 Edsel new and still has it and drives it. Though his driving time is real limited (he might be done now as the story is of late). He has taken it to local car shows. Not that many years ago (being around 90 then) he drove it cross country and had done it a few times before. Quite the guy to chat with about what things were like in his younger days!
I remember when that car came out. Don't know why but I went ape on them....maybe because they were so different? Anyways, the local dealer was giving away promo friction motor model cars just for coming in to look. The models looked to be 1/24 scale and I pestered my dad to take me down there. Yep, had to pester him because he didn't like Ford products. And I see the promos are not all that expensive just like the real cars lol.
 
Oldest active member ? Actually, it's this guy:
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I remember when that car came out. Don't know why but I went ape on them....maybe because they were so different? Anyways, the local dealer was giving away promo friction motor model cars just for coming in to look. The models looked to be 1/24 scale and I pestered my dad to take me down there. Yep, had to pester him because he didn't like Ford products. And I see the promos are not all that expensive just like the real cars lol.
One of the things I recall about the Edsel was its 1st year (57) as my folk bought their 1st new car, a 57 Merc. Only year Ford had the PB auto and how weird it was to have the buttons on the steering column on the Edsel! What a concept for disaster. And if you broke down in the middle of nowhere and needed to take a dump, ya just pulled off the toilet seat grille…lol
 
One of the things I recall about the Edsel was its 1st year (57) as my folk bought their 1st new car, a 57 Merc. Only year Ford had the PB auto and how weird it was to have the buttons on the steering column on the Edsel! What a concept for disaster. And if you broke down in the middle of nowhere and needed to take a dump, ya just pulled off the toilet seat grille…lol
The Edsel was introduced as a 1958 model in two series. The lower priced Pacer was a gussied.up Ford, sharing many panels, structure and powertrain. Similarly, the pricier Citation series was based on the Mercury. These cars were no better or worse, mechanically, than the Fords or Mercurys they were based on. Ford had flooded the country with a promotional programme that had hinted that the new Edsel was going to be a real exceptional, different kind of car. It wasn't, and buyers were disappointed. At the same time, there was a mini depression that affected all cars in this price range. Buick, Oldsmobile, and DeSoto suffered in sales as well. It was just bad timing to introduce this car in this market. Plus, the styling was an acquired taste. The Edsel struggled through 1959 as the Ford-based Pacer series, and the Pontiac-faced 1960's were cancelled by Christmas, 1959.
 
The Edsel was introduced as a 1958 model in two series. The lower priced Pacer was a gussied.up Ford, sharing many panels, structure and powertrain. Similarly, the pricier Citation series was based on the Mercury. These cars were no better or worse, mechanically, than the Fords or Mercurys they were based on. Ford had flooded the country with a promotional programme that had hinted that the new Edsel was going to be a real exceptional, different kind of car. It wasn't, and buyers were disappointed. At the same time, there was a mini depression that affected all cars in this price range. Buick, Oldsmobile, and DeSoto suffered in sales as well. It was just bad timing to introduce this car in this market. Plus, the styling was an acquired taste. The Edsel struggled through 1959 as the Ford-based Pacer series, and the Pontiac-faced 1960's were cancelled by Christmas, 1959.
As we’re discussing the ’57/era cars, it was quite the year for most brands to intro awesome styling – IMO…longer, lower, wider, more power. MO never a year like it. Many from the big 3 I liked; but I was knee high then. But, these were the cars I was just old enough to remember with my folks and relatives having them yet and would play driver in them, lol. My uncles had a DeSoto, Dodge, my dad being a Ford guy then had the Merc before they got into T-Birds and some Pontiacs. Odd how I drooled over the mopars more than the others…only to watch how Chrysler kept coming out with kick-*** cars for the next decade +. Got an early thrill of the ’64 Dodge/Plymouths my uncle and cousin had getting rides in those. Reason I have my Plymouth today. Then the rapid transit system era broke in ‘69/70 just around the time I was getting my license. Wow, seeing those cars driving around brand new gleaming under the streetlights. Fond memories! But, I have digressed...
 
My dads almost new 1959 88 Olds 2dr needed a oil change and he wanted me to change it about 1961.

This is the first time I changed any oil........ so i slithered under the car and pulled the drain plug and drained the oil.

I put the plug back then started pouring the oil in the engines valve cover opening.

i got about 4 quarts in and if i remember it right........ the oil started backing out of the valve opening.

I told dad that i could not get all the motor oil in.

he said he would check it later..... well... things got bad... without checking the oil he jumped into the car backed out of the driveway and as he went forward the car would not go forward.

apparently I drained the transmissions oil instead of the engine.

1959 Olds engine oil drain plugs were apposing 3-4 inches apart and i drained the transmission and not the engine.

needless to say things really got ugly.

finally he realized that he never showed me what to do...:mad: that took off the heat!
 
I traced my physical abuse issues back to a guy with a mask and a lab coat that spanked my naked ***. He is dead now or I would sue him for sexual abuse.
 
My dads almost new 1959 88 Olds 2dr needed a oil change and he wanted me to change it about 1961.

This is the first time I changed any oil........ so i slithered under the car and pulled the drain plug and drained the oil.

I put the plug back then started pouring the oil in the engines valve cover opening.

i got about 4 quarts in and if i remember it right........ the oil started backing out of the valve opening.

I told dad that i could not get all the motor oil in.

he said he would check it later..... well... things got bad... without checking the oil he jumped into the car backed out of the driveway and as he went forward the car would not go forward.

apparently I drained the transmissions oil instead of the engine.

1959 Olds engine oil drain plugs were apposing 3-4 inches apart and i drained the transmission and not the engine.

needless to say things really got ugly.

finally he realized that he never showed me what to do...:mad: that took off the heat!
I never made that mistake, but I LOVE that story! If I remember right, that was the old Hydramatic. Back out of the driveway, throw it in drive & wait for the hydraulic coupling to start going?
 
I never made that mistake, but I LOVE that story! If I remember right, that was the old Hydramatic. Back out of the driveway, throw it in drive & wait for the hydraulic coupling to start going?

I had a 62 Starfire in the 1990s and it had whats called a slim Jim transmission... I think it was a relative to the Hydramatic.

A very weak transmission for the 394.... and it was small narrow transmission and I could lift it in place myself under the car because it wasn't that heavy.
My Documents 006 (3).jpg
 
I had a 62 Starfire in the 1990s and it had whats called a slim Jim transmission... I think it was a relative to the Hydramatic.

A very weak transmission for the 394.... and it was small narrow transmission and I could lift it in place myself under the car because it wasn't that heavy.
View attachment 1276861
Tell me about those Slim Jims and the 3 I broke. 64 Olds Starfire vert yellow black top, nice car.
 
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