Dave6T4
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I read in today's local obituaries that my Mopar mentor has passed. Lyle ran the rural repair garage in the area where I grew up, and would work on anything from a lawn mower to a grain combine. He was a great mechanic, and could fix anything. His was the kind of shop where people could come in and just hang around to see what was going on that day. If you had any mechanical skills and could help him with your repair, he welcomed it. He was a man of Faith and a great father. He had a great amount of patience, and an unequalled sense of humour. Lyle lived to be 100, in relatively good health, and I knew him for over 70 of those years. Five years ago, I attended Lyle and Anne's 75th wedding anniversary, where he was still driving his car. His wife, Anne, passed a couple of years ago.
Lyle always drove Dodge or Chrysler cars. The first car I associate with Lyle was a 1954 Dodge Royal, with the little Red Ram Hemi. He later had a 1960 Dodge Polara 4-door hardtop, an uncommon car up here in Ontario. Later, he had a 1964 Chrysler New Yorker that he received as payment for a delinquent bill from an area farmer. Lyle thought that the motor in this car sounded a little sketchy, so he bought another 413 Chrysler engine, and rebuilt it in his spare time. He covered this engine up, and shoved it under his work bench in preparation for when the car's engine failed. It never did fail, so this spare engine remained under the work bench for years. One day, I was hanging around the garage, when a local farmer came in to see if Lyle could come with him to advise him on a new Chrysler purchase. He closed the Garage for the rest of the day, and invited me to come along as well. We went to nearby London, Ontario, where the farmer bought a new 1965 Chrysler 300 4-door hardtop in bright red. When I took my '62 Dart that I had transplanted a 383, 4-speed into, to him with an intermittent oil pressure problem, it was Lyle that showed me how you could pull the restrictor valve out of the external oil pump, and clean the varnish off it and the bore. Problem solved.
When I bought my new 1969 SuperBee, Lyle was one of the first people I showed my new car off to. I took him for a ride in it, and I think he was almost as excited as me about my new purchase. My Dad was not as thrilled; in fact, he was pi$$ed! He was at Lyle's garage shortly after my buy, complaining about his fool son's new car. Lyle went on to say that I had given him a ride in it, and Lyle put his official Mopar Seal of Approval on it. This seemed to settle my Dad down somewhat.
Skip ahead to 1980, and I bought my 1964 Polara 4-door hardtop, with a tired 313 Poly in it. I immediately recalled the rebuilt 413 under Lyle's workbench. I went to visit him to see if he still had, and would he sell it. As it happened, the 413 was still sitting under the bench, 10 or so years later, and Lyle agreed to sell it for the lofty price of $150.00. This was the first engine that I transplanted into our '64 hardtop, and we drove it many miles and years. It was starting to get tired, and I had an opportunity to buy a rebuilt 440, with a 727 and very low miles. Out came the trusty 413, and in went the 440. At the same time, I traded out the original 2.76-geared '64 rearend for a 3.23 Suregrip 1969 Charger piece. Quite a performance upgrade! I was not done with the 413 yet, and punched it to 426 in a new rebuild. I topped this engine off with a '62 Chrysler 300 2X4 intake and carbs, complete with "foot ball" air cleaners. This motor was placed in a 1964 Polara 500 convertible I was restoring. After this car was completed and on the road, I drove it over to Lyle's garage to show him the motor he had sold to me, so many years ago. By this time, he had retired, and one of the sons was running the business, but Lyle and Anne were still living in their house on the property. The son told me my timing was bad, because his parents were not home, having gone on a bus trip to Niagara Falls Casino. They were in their late 80's by this time! The next time I saw Lyle was at his 75th. wedding anniversary. I was pleased that both he and his wife, Anne, recognised me after all those years. They were still relatively healthy, and we all had a good conversation. I was glad I went!
I know this has been quite a wordy post, but it is an ode to the wonderful man who helped to shape my future path, with his patience, faith, good humour, and old-fashioned common sense. Godspeed Lyle! You and your loved Anne are back together again.
Lyle always drove Dodge or Chrysler cars. The first car I associate with Lyle was a 1954 Dodge Royal, with the little Red Ram Hemi. He later had a 1960 Dodge Polara 4-door hardtop, an uncommon car up here in Ontario. Later, he had a 1964 Chrysler New Yorker that he received as payment for a delinquent bill from an area farmer. Lyle thought that the motor in this car sounded a little sketchy, so he bought another 413 Chrysler engine, and rebuilt it in his spare time. He covered this engine up, and shoved it under his work bench in preparation for when the car's engine failed. It never did fail, so this spare engine remained under the work bench for years. One day, I was hanging around the garage, when a local farmer came in to see if Lyle could come with him to advise him on a new Chrysler purchase. He closed the Garage for the rest of the day, and invited me to come along as well. We went to nearby London, Ontario, where the farmer bought a new 1965 Chrysler 300 4-door hardtop in bright red. When I took my '62 Dart that I had transplanted a 383, 4-speed into, to him with an intermittent oil pressure problem, it was Lyle that showed me how you could pull the restrictor valve out of the external oil pump, and clean the varnish off it and the bore. Problem solved.
When I bought my new 1969 SuperBee, Lyle was one of the first people I showed my new car off to. I took him for a ride in it, and I think he was almost as excited as me about my new purchase. My Dad was not as thrilled; in fact, he was pi$$ed! He was at Lyle's garage shortly after my buy, complaining about his fool son's new car. Lyle went on to say that I had given him a ride in it, and Lyle put his official Mopar Seal of Approval on it. This seemed to settle my Dad down somewhat.
Skip ahead to 1980, and I bought my 1964 Polara 4-door hardtop, with a tired 313 Poly in it. I immediately recalled the rebuilt 413 under Lyle's workbench. I went to visit him to see if he still had, and would he sell it. As it happened, the 413 was still sitting under the bench, 10 or so years later, and Lyle agreed to sell it for the lofty price of $150.00. This was the first engine that I transplanted into our '64 hardtop, and we drove it many miles and years. It was starting to get tired, and I had an opportunity to buy a rebuilt 440, with a 727 and very low miles. Out came the trusty 413, and in went the 440. At the same time, I traded out the original 2.76-geared '64 rearend for a 3.23 Suregrip 1969 Charger piece. Quite a performance upgrade! I was not done with the 413 yet, and punched it to 426 in a new rebuild. I topped this engine off with a '62 Chrysler 300 2X4 intake and carbs, complete with "foot ball" air cleaners. This motor was placed in a 1964 Polara 500 convertible I was restoring. After this car was completed and on the road, I drove it over to Lyle's garage to show him the motor he had sold to me, so many years ago. By this time, he had retired, and one of the sons was running the business, but Lyle and Anne were still living in their house on the property. The son told me my timing was bad, because his parents were not home, having gone on a bus trip to Niagara Falls Casino. They were in their late 80's by this time! The next time I saw Lyle was at his 75th. wedding anniversary. I was pleased that both he and his wife, Anne, recognised me after all those years. They were still relatively healthy, and we all had a good conversation. I was glad I went!
I know this has been quite a wordy post, but it is an ode to the wonderful man who helped to shape my future path, with his patience, faith, good humour, and old-fashioned common sense. Godspeed Lyle! You and your loved Anne are back together again.
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