Spring 2010 Update - Natalie

After three months of nasty, cold, wet winter weather it warmed up enough today to where I was finally able to out and wake Natalie from her slumber. Bolted up the two 14 inch rims that I'd picked up a few months ago, they still need new rubber but I really like how they make the rear end look. My buddy from down in Georgia had sent me a pair of fourteen inch dog dishes that are an almost exact match for the ones I used to have on my '63 wagon... I put them on while I was at it. Mucho appreciateo Pete! *heh* Let's see, what else... installed the new replacement wiper arms (Natalie's were missing when she got here). I ended up getting two pairs after a spring in one arm broke from rust. The newer set is in much better shape so now I've got one spare arm just in case.

And finally, after sitting without being started for three months I fired her up today. The quick shot of starting fluid I used probably wasn't necessary since she fired right up without hesitation.

Still lots to do. Brakes. Floor pan. etc. Nice day for putzing around tho.

edit: 3/7/2010 - 3:53pm -- updated photos

The "Other Woman"

63 Plymouth Wagons

Some old photos snatched off the internets, the subject of my attention more than obvious here. Man, I'll never get tired of seeing these old 63's.

And check out the old Burger King!

Week 64

Got a bit more work accomplished today - find myself still removing bits, it never seems to end. Spend way too much time trying to get the front brake lines and couplings off intact... that turned out to be a total waste of time. Finally took a mini coping saw to the mess and cut the lines at the fittings (since it's all gotta be replaced with new anyway). Also got the power steering pump and hoses removed, without making too much of a mess. Cough. Cough.

Also spied some interior trim that I missed, around the windshield and dash, so got that all taken off as well.

Slow.Steady.Progress.

63 Wagons

For some stupid reason I never thought to take any good pictures of my 63 wagon when she was in her prime. Here are some I've found online. I still like these cars.

edit 7/12/09 - new photos

The Summer of '79

Fresh out of High School, me and Lynda headed to my old hometown - Cleveland, Ohio for the summer. For the first time in my life I was out on my own, and I still recall our first drive from Erie to Cleveland with great fondness. One hundred and ten miles of open interstate - I just opened her up and let her go. She almost seemed to drive herself that day, like she'd been waiting for the opportunity to get out and run!

I stayed with my grandparents for the summer and of course they insisted that I pay my own way while I was there. It didn't take long to land a decent factory job, one that payed well and left my weekends free. It was hot, dirty work but it left me feeling satisfied at the end of the day.

Grandma usually reserved Saturday mornings for yard work but I still had my afternoons free which meant getting up early, getting my work done then heading out to the flea market at the Brookpark Drive-In. It was a great place to hang out as anyone who was into cars could often be found there, selling and trading parts. At times that place looked more like a car show and swap meet than a flea market and that's where I found my first Sun tach, a nice 4 barrel carb and a set of 4 ET mag wheels for Lynda.

My grandparents were pretty strict and insisted that I be home before 9pm - even on Saturday nights. But I eventually learned that doing some extra chores could soften their attitudes and I was often allowed to stay out past midnight on Saturdays. And so Lynda and I could usually be found back at the Brookpark Drive-In, listening to WMMS until the movie began.

That's a rather compressed version of what I experienced but I think you get the idea.

It was simply a fantastic summer with tons of fond memories.

Backstory

My first car. A 1963 Belvedere wagon purchased during my senior year in high school, from her original owner for $75 in 1978. By the time I got done with her she was sporting a '64 hemi scoop, black paint, blacked out windows, ET mags and a custom interior. All done by me, on the tight budget of a teenager of course.

She was dubbed the Draggin' Wagon dragon wagon by my friends but I called her Lynda.

When her transmission failed two years later and I couldn't find anyone that could repair the twenty year old push button automatic, I traded her for a '73 Satellite.

A stupid move.

May 1978: Dave & "Lynda"

specs:
LA318
340 4bbl intake w/Carter Thermoquad
Push-button TorqueFlite automatic transmission
Dual exhaust w/Cherry Bombs

...