Last night, after I was through working on some other projects, I went to my shed to put a couple of tools away and got side tracked into poking around the Maverick. I opened the trunk, and it squeaked, which drove me crazy, so I searched out the problem and lubricated it (the spring rod). Looking inside I noticed some of the electrical parts for the tail lights looked like new, which is pretty cool when you factor in that this car is almost 30 years old. Anyway, I decided to sit in the driver’s seat and just “look” around. This may sound silly, but when I opened the door, the “sound” of the door mechanism triggered a lost memory. I closed the door, and that “sound” hit me as well, making me feel warm and comfortable. Once inside, I just poked around the interior, looking at things, noting what needs attention, and thinking about the future when I’ll have this car in a restored condition that I’ll be proud of. I noticed the ashtray is in rough shape, the previous owner smoked and it was used heavily. In my car, the ashtray was so clean that I used to store packaged gum in there, lol. Then I turned on the lights, seeing the dash illuminated was a treat, but I did notice it seemed a bit dark (I should have turned off the shed lights to get a real feel for it) so I’ll be looking to replace those bulbs with brighter ones. Then I turned on the four way flashers, the sight of those dual triangle green lights coming on and off in the dash pod, along with the “sound” of the flashers flooded me with emotions. I could “remember” that unique sound! Who would think that tucked away in my brain would be something as simple as the sound of four way flashers, but it was there, and very strong I might add! It triggered something in me that is hard to explain, but I started to feel a new connection to my past. I started to wonder what “other” sights and sounds from this car will trigger memories that I never knew existed. It makes me feel like I have, sitting in my shed, a collection of metal and rubber parts that will provide me with a scavenger hunt of old memories, ones that have long been forgotten, but will surface from time to time as I continue explore this treasure. Even though this car isn’t a “Stallion” yet and it needs a lot of work, it has a powerful grip on my emotions, making me feel so lucky that in 1978 I tripped onto a used black & sliver car that has forever affected my life. Just some thoughts I wanted to share.... Art
I have associated cars with eras in my life. Certain cars will trigger great and not so great memories. I love old cars for that reason. The smells, sounds and looks bring me back to happier times and childhood times. I understand what you feel and hope that many have fond thoughts because of the cars they own.
It was the same way for me when I first got my Mav. Seemed like everything I did to the car reminded me of something on my dad's Comet. Especially the way the trunk, hood and doors sound when you open and close them. Driving it daily, you get used to it. But even after driving it daily for the past 6 months, if I don't drive it for a few days for whatever reason, the sound the door makes when I open it still jolts my memory of opening the doors on the Comet. Sure does sound diffrent when I turn the key though! After doing the Duraspark ignition swap, it even has the same exaust smell when I first start it even though it's a completely diffrent engine strangely enough.
your not alone Your not alone, I do this once in a while with my 55 Olds. I got the car when I was 18, three months after graduation high school. I used to cruise it all over, but eventually parked it and let the daily routine of life step in. I still have the car, and I refuse to sell it, but once in a while I will hop behind the wheel and just daydream for a while. The sound of the door closing and the smell of the interior, are all the same as the day I first sat behind the wheel.
Man, what a cool car. No way I would just let it sit around though. You ought to get that thing back on the road.
I agree, the body looks solid. I've seen some of them at shows, the olds had a cool "globe" logo on the front of the hood back then! Art
not to hijack this thread... I still have every part that goes on the car, I started taking them off to rechrome them, but realized that it would be better to get it running first. No reason to have an even prettier car just sitting in the garage. But even now I have to keep my priorites straight, I had to pay off a large amount of debt before I could even think about starting it (or I would end up living in it he he he) this winter I will be completely debt free, so it will be possible to get it going by next summer. And yes that is my 71 Maverick sitting behind it... this is what it looked like when I got it: Glen (hands the thread back over to Art)
Wow, that bright red paint is awesome! One thing that your car reminds me of, so many of the "fifties" cars seem to be represented by Chevy Belairs, Ford Thunderbirds & Crown Vic's, and the famous '59 Cadillac's to name a few. However, the more car shows I attend, every so often I see a Pontiac, Olds, Plymouth, Dodge, etc., and I say to myself, some of those are so cool looking, I wonder why they don't seem to get the same "press time" that the others do. I love staring at the chrome details and decorations and accents that went into those cars, a lost art in my opinion. Anyway, I think it's very cool that you actually still own your first car. That was my mistake, selling my Stallion. Even living in Michigan where the salt eats the sheet metal, back when I sold it, I could have easily purchased all new metal panels (they were still stamping them out, lol) "just in case I needed them" for the future. If only, lol.....
Yes you dont see many Olds like mine on the road anymore. The lack of them on the road might be that they dont have as many aftermarket parts as Chevy or Ford. Plus the mainstream "Americana" of the fifties is the 57 Chevy, 40 Ford, 32 Ford & you can squeeze in there a 41 Willys. It sickens me to go to a sock hop or a cruise in like Hot August Nights in Reno, NV, and the main theme and advertisement is always 1957 Chevrolet. But dont get me wrong the cars are awesome and I would jump on one in a heartbeat Glen if you want to see other pictures of my car you can see them here at a very old website I created back in 1999: http://www.williamsondesign.com/rocketrider/home/home.html
I know what you mean. If any of us owned a 55-57 Chevy, or any year Mustang, not a problem getting aftermarket parts, lots of options. However, as with your Olds, our Mavericks are not "sought after" (even though they out sold the famous Mustangs in their introduction year) so parts are far and few between. I guess that adds a challenge to us, and when we see a Maverick that looks perfect, we can really appreciate it all the more! Art
Man, that car is just way to cool. If I ever get my hands one a 40's or 50's car of any kind, my life would be complete. I know where there is a '47 Ford sitting with a damn nice body and flathead V8 in it, but can't figgure out who owns the damn thing. The house it is sitting in front of appears to be abandoned. My uncle has a '46 Ford that was a southern car and is rust free, missing the drivetrain and interior. It's been in storage since 1965, everytime he tells us he will sell it, we go up to Indiana to look at it and he changes his mind by time we get there. Can't say I blame him.
Art; is that your Dad in the bomber jacket on the wall? I have one of my Dad in a jacket like that when he was in the army. Never let it go!!!!
I thought it was James Dean!!. Very cool car!!! Glad you kept it. I dont think any car guy, especially us older ones that been around many years, can sit in a car and not jump back in time to some meaningful event that happened to us. Guess thats one of the rewards we get for lasting this long. Be glad you can remember.
