Longer Ago, but not so Far Away,...

[MoparNorm]

It must have been 1953, so this would be a fifty year old story. Dad had just bought his first work truck and called mom on the party line. (that's the original phone system, for you youngsters with surgically implanted cell phones) It took big news in those days in order to merit use of a telephone, not the mindless, I've got nothing else to do pap of most of todays phone calls.

Dad was coming home with his new truck!!! The truck was actually used, but it was still huge news in the days when buying anything new was an unheard of luxury. We waited eagerly as Dad drove down the road and into our driveway.

It was nearly dark as I ran up to the front of that massive Dodge Red, 5 window cab, Pilot House. I'm not even sure what year it was, from looking at the old faded pictures it was a '48 to '50, but I loved that old truck, it was the first truck I had ever seen up close, the noise and smells, the hard metal dash, the bouncy ride, all oozed power and strength.

Dad kept that truck for several years, until he was issued a company truck by his company. Once he had a company truck, a truck for personal use must have been calling to him from the Great Dodge beyond and in 1964 he drove home with a W200, another Dodge Red beauty. I know much, much more about that 39 year old truck, it sits in my shop today and is affectionately known now as the 'Parts Pile' due to the 3 year long restoration it is undergoing, "in my spare time". As I type this I realize that I'd better get it in gear if I want the truck to be on the road for it's 40th Birthday!

The '64 is awesome with many, many more memories than the Pilot House, and I have owed, many, many Dodges in the intervening years, but the one Dodge that still is vividly etched in my memory, is the first Dodge Red truck that I ever saw, that night many years ago, when Dad drove it pridefully home.

http://photos.imageevent.com/moparnorm/pilothouseera/websize/First%20Dodge.jpg
MoparNorm

[Gordon Maney]

The party line we were first on when I was a kid had eight phones on it. Consider that. It was pretty difficult at times to make a call.

I understand the unlikely possibility of buying something new. All of the cars my parents had when I was young were purchased used. There were, in this order, 1941, 1948, and 1956 Plymouth two door sedans with six cylinder engines and three speed transmissions. Then there was a 1960 Dodge Dart, a slant six and three speed. It was a four door, and none of us could really see the need for those extra doors. All of them great cars.

You wrote a really wonderful account of your history. Thank you. I can picture it from the eyes and mind of a little kid seeing that grand truck roll in the driveway.

[MoparNorm]

Gordon,
I never saw much use in those extra rear doors either,... until CA required the little ones to be placed in car seats in the late 70's. What an abominable exercise to place babies into the rear seat of a two door! ha!ha!

MN

[MoparNorm]

Added a photo today, but it didn't bump it to the top, so I am posting to bump the post up because I was such a cute kid! ha!ha!
MN

[Kevin Mienke]

Norm, Another well told story. I enjoy, and can relate to your accounts of childhood, people and Dodges. Keep them coming. When I was a kid my Granddad drove a 1948 Dodge Sedan and employed a 1950 something Power Wagon on the farm. Dad followed in his footsteps, owning a string of Dodges and Plymouths. I don't remember there being any Mopar or Dodge conversation between them, but neither of them ever owned anything but.

My first car was an affordable, used 1974 Chevy Vega. When I pulled in the driveway with my new used car, I was met by my dad, and his disapproval. After cursing the car awhile, he informed me that my Dodge ancestry was not coincidental. He allowed me to keep the car and helped me keep it in running condition for the next couple of years but cursed everytime we opened the hood.

[MoparNorm]

Ha!Ha! It was an unspoken law, did he also look at you like"...I raised you better than that!" ha!ha!
My Grandpa had a '29 Dodge, so it wore off on my Dad. I never heard any rah, rah talk about Dodges, just a simple "Dodges have the best engines and drivetrain"..in conversations with his friends, and they'd nod their heads in agreement, it was just always implied that if you were smart, you drove Mopars and if you weren't so smart, or had money to burn you drove the "others". Except for company work trucks that my Dad had, there was never anything but Jeeps and Dodge trucks in our household, and one very beautiful 1956 Chrysler Windsor that we bought used in 1958 or so, it was the newest thing we had ever bought until we bought our first new truck, an FC170 in 1959.
http://photos.imageevent.com/moparnorm/adventuresthebeginning/websize/image007.jpg
MN

[JimmieD]

Yes, a great memory there, Norm, and like Gordon said, thanks for letting us share it. I still like those old Pilot House era trucks, but for practical purposes the 'Parts Pile' is the real deal! My father had a '56 Chrysler Windsor too, with the 354 Hemi. Pretty much a luxo barge til about 4,000 rpm, then that monster within would awaken! I think they're still looking for me, or at least talking about it...being as a buddy worked for Keith Black Performance and did a little 'wrench twisting' here and there, with no complaints from my pop!

Kevin reminded me that the first vehicle of my dad's that I clearly remember was a 46-48 Dodge 4 door sedan that we kids named 'The Grey Ghost'. Enough steel for 3 cars. Somewhere in there he bought a Hudson Hornet with the hot 6, '3/4 cam' as he called it, dual carbs and dual exhaust. More like a 7/8 cam as it devoured anything with wheels anywhere around and ate rear ends almost monthly!

Thanks for the memories.....

[Gordon Maney]

My parents brush painted several cars, and they were really good at it. They painted a 1948 Plymouth, and my mother painted a car all by herself once. The kids I had as automotive students could not believe it was done with a brush.

Good memories.

[JimmieD]

Interesting you mention that, Gordon. There are a couple of VERY long threads on other forums describing painting cars with a brush and Rustoleum Tremclad paint. Tremclad is a Canadian name but I have links to the stuff. They describe good prep, then brushing it on and after it's dry simply sand between coats, similar to the old 'hand rubbed lacquer' paintjobs. I saw a couple of car pics posted there and it looked very nice indeed, just a lot of labor is all.

JimmieD

[JimmieD]

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2348049&an=0&page=0#2348049

Link to the forum threads about brush painting. There were 2 different threads on different websites and one had some profanities so I hope nobody is offended if this is the one [but I don't think it is].

[MoparNorm]

OK, now I've got to tell a story on myself! My first vehicle was a CJ5. Dad was a stickler for good grades and mine weren't, so no grades, no drivers license. I could buy the Jeep but I couldn't drive it, it was self inflicted torture, as I owned the Jeep for nearly a year before I could drive it, so it was a complete tear down with new trans, V-8, cut down Lincoln axles, chevy steering, etc. etc. The body was beat and I restored it to mint, over 600 hours of bodywork, sanding, primer, etc. I could not find a painter to paint it the color that I wanted, George Barris, Candy Apple Green, so I bought about 20 cans from the local speed shop and rattle can'd it! Lay down a coat and color sand, lay down another coat, until it was perfect and no one could tell that it wasn't a $200 paint job! (keep in mind that this was 1966 and $200 went a long way in those days! Earl Schieb was $19.95 ha!ha!) I sold the Jeep when I went into the Army (big mistake!) I saw it one day years later, the guy had painted it in yellow house paint with a brush, I didn't have a gun, so he lived........= )
The only color photo that I could find on short notice, something over the
lens!
http://photos.imageevent.com/moparnorm/jeeps/websize/Goose%20Rock%20Easter%201968.jpg
MN

[Kevin Mienke]

Norm, Although I can still see the look on his face, I can't describe it. He had a habit of just shaking his head and saying nothing when I had done something dumb, but this time he was very vocal. "What kind of dope smokin', pill poppin', hippie freak kinda car is that?" were his exact words.

[MoparNorm]

Ha!Ha! Priceless!
MN

[Warren Watt]

Ok....my 2 cents. One good memory for me is riding in the back of my uncles 48 Chrysler 4 door. Black in color, cool vent windows on all four doors, lots of kids inside too. Cloth upholstery, big grab rope behind the front seat...just fun for me in the early 60's.
AND THEN........in the late 70's, my horror when my Dad tells me that they buried the car at the edge of the pasture near the far end of the farm. Yep, I said buried. I have a mental picture of the poor backhoe operator that came along when the subdivision was being built and hits 48 Mopar with the bucket..or is it still under the dirt in someone's yard??

[JimmieD]

"It was a dark and dreary night with a fierce wind howling as storms mercilessly beat out their fury on the earth below. None could remember a night quite like this as they cowered in their homes. Suddenly a gigantic bolt of lightning pierced the jet black sky and struck the earth, where once there was nothing but idylic fields where cattle roamed.

The ground smoldered form the violent charge and somewhere deep within a mournful groan was heard. Unknown to those around the ground slowly rose and swelled as nearby trees quaked in fear and the earth trembled from within. Higher and higher the land was lifted until suddenly, from far below, with a screaming and torturous growl, the cold steel ghost of days gone by reared it glistening hood. With headlights blazing and motor rumblin back to life it burst from its confines that all would see: The Dodge from Watt was alive, ALIVE!!!"

[Warren Watt]

HAHAHAHAHA, and the suburbanites ran screaming, cell phones, starbucks lattes, blackberries, gameboys tossed aside in ensuing panic.

All of this could have been avoided if Uncle Larry would have simply given the car to me!!!

[Dana Singsaas]

My dad has a photo of me in a walker in front of his black '56 New Yorker. (I'm almost up to the front bumper!) I think this was the tank that later in life, while climbing over the seat as a toddler into the back seat (seatbelts? Wha...?...) someone pulled in front of dad, he hit the brakes, and I clocked the big old chrome door handle in the back. Split my head open, brains and blood everywhere (explains a lot, huh?). Mom says we were half-a-block from the hospital so dad just swung into the Emergency Room. She said my parka's hood was full of blood by the time we got there!

So... yeah... ahhh... some "fond" memories of those early all steel land-yachts.

[Sickcall]

Jimmie, there are not enough O's in the word smooooth for you!

[JimmieD]

I was going to knock off a bank one time, but by the time the teller got done reading the note it was past closing time and the vault was locked for the night.... :~ )

[Ugg013]

Brother Jimmie:

You should be a writer. That was GREAT! It's ALIVE! HA! I can also relate to the bank teller thang. Went to the supermarket the other day. One of the vices I have is Coke, not the sniffin kind sillies. So, when they have sales, we stock up. Sale, 4 12 pks for $10.00. Buy 4, get 1 free. Okay, simple. They also had Bratts on sale for $1.00 with coupon.

So I get my 5 12 pks & Brat's, and I go up to the register, the guy rings it up, $15.89. I say wait a minute, this ain't right. What? It should be $12.00 & change (for tax @ 6.5%). Simple math, he can't do it in his head. He calls the manager (another kid). He can't do it in his head either, needs to find a calulator. GEEZ LOUISE!

Then, I got one of Maynard's friends with us in the Beast. He chimes that those little Scion box things are totally awesome cars. WHAT!!!! That ain't a car, it's an overglorified go-kart. Before I can really tear into the kid, his cell goes off. Even my little 6 year old is now hooked on Gameboy.

I don't like driving to much any more, due to all those morons with the cells glued to their ears, watching their DVD's as they're supposed to be driving. I almost came to blows with a guy in the supermarket parking lot as he was gonna leave his cart in the handicapped spot, with the corral maybe 15' away. Women are even mouthier, with real bad attitudes.

They seem to be proud to have the B name labeled to them, sayin "Well if I was a man you'd look up to me." No honey, if you were a man actin like that I'd deck ya. Maybe that saying about nukin em back into the stone age ain't so bad a thought, naw, better the 50's.

Nammy:

Bein city folk, we had cars, not trucks. Like your folks, mine got the NEW used cars until 1965, when my Dad got a brandy new Caddy. I still remember the 48 Plymouth though, and all the fun we had in it, drivin out to the country. My Dad was know for drivin with the pedal to the metal all the time. I wish I still had those old photos, but the all got burnt.

Now about painting with a brush. Until 1967, Ferrari used to brush their cars with a smooth flowing paint. After it dried, some little guy with a razor (not the phone) would cut all the streamers off the bottom. I had a 69 Chevy panel truck that I painted with Rustoleum outa the can with brush & roller. By the time I got rid of it, it was 1/2" thicker than original. HA!

Later
Ugg

[JimmieD]

Okay, gotta pull ya up on this one, Ugg old boy:

"Now about painting with a brush. Until 1967, Ferrari used to brush their cars with a smooth flowing paint. After it dried, some little guy with a razor (not the phone) would cut all the streamers off the bottom. I had a 69 Chevy panel truck that I painted with Rustoleum outa the can with brush & roller. By the time I got rid of it, it was 1/2" thicker than original. HA!"

Somebody is pulling your leg on that. Ferrari didn't do much coachwork, instead contracting Pininfarina, Touring, Allegmano, Bertone, Giugiaro etc. Their painting on their cars was some of the best in the world and it wasn't brush applied. Undercoat, yes, sound deadener [VERY little], yes, paint with a brush? NO! Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa were a part of my life for a few years after Lotus and I never heard this from anyone at any level. Got a reference/link on that? :~ )

[Ugg013]

Yo Jimmie:

No, I don't have a ref or link, I got this info when I went to Body & Fender school back in the mid 70's. We had books with actual pictures showing this. No, I no longer have these books. 8>( Yeah, Ferrari didn't actually paint their own cars. I should have been more specfic I guess and said when they were painted, and not that they painted.

Paint and paint technology has come a long way. I remember the 1st time I used clearcoat. It took less than 1/2 gal on a 72 Cutlass convert. With lacquer, it'a been way over 5 gals. Aycrilic enamel was a trip. The old coachworks used brush for many years (they didn't have spray guns in the 1700's). The old high priced auto's went the same route as it was these same coachworks that built the body's.

Mass production is where & when spray was developed. Ferrari's and the like were hand built, one at a time. Artisans, not tradesmen built these vehicles. Yes, I agree that these were some of the best paint jobs around. Times and technology have changed things forever. It is now cost prohibitive to do things like that now, and also the types & quality of paint & application have changed, for the better I think. Still, hand done pin stripping is still the best looking IMHO.

Later
Ugg

[JimmieD]

I'm still not convinced......

Were these pictures of actual street cars being painted with topcoat and destined for dealers, or damaged race cars? The Ferrari bodies were often hand built, especially by Touring, pounded out of flat aluminum sheet over mules. The undercoat around fender areas might be brushed on, or in trunk areas, but trunks were usually body color or other. Most often the chassis was shipped complete to the coachbuilder who took over from there. It might come back to Ferrari for final fitment of parts or tuning but other than that the body and paint was the coachbuilder's job. Most coachbuilders were justifiably proud of their show quality painting, destined for the premiere automobile in all the world. Many were painted in lacquer in several coats. Some body seam fillers might be brushed on where welds were made and then sanded down to level. Maybe this was what was shown in those pictures? It would be a dark grey, almost black.

[Ugg013]

Jimmie:

Nope, bright Flamin Red. Again, maybe I should have been more specific, saying that the text read something to the fact that as LATE as 1967, this was done by them. On their more exotic auto's ONLY (as in most expensive). It was a dying art back then, now completely dead. The 1968 models were all sprayed.

Think bro, all them royal type folk in Europe, riding around in those real flashy coaches, as in horse drawn. Those were all brush painted and not sprayed. Not to mention gold leaf, ect. No brush strokes visible in them. The same folk that built those coaches went on to do autos. Nope, my chain wasn't yanked on that. ;>)

Later
Ugg