Chapter 4
Yes ... sometimes there is a Free Ride !
From 1965 thru 1969 Uncle Pat kept me driving neat old cars – for free!
I drove a fantastic array of used cars .. all classics now .. .. some you couldn’t give away back then, but worth tons 'o bux now as 'vintage' or 'classic's. Through the years 1965 – 69, – on weekend leave from the Marines at Camp Pendleton – I would ride the Greyhound bus to Santa Anna, in Orange County California, the walk to his car lot nearby.
So on Friday nights when I would show up, he'd toss me some keys on … and say drive that for the weekend ... or next few weeks ! It was a fungible floating free car loaner thang!
Often, when I'd bring a car back .. he'd toss me some other keys and say .. 'here ya go !'... with a big grin ! .. He always made sure I was covered for transportation … and would always toss in a full tank of gas, and a few cash bux too .. He really stepped up to the plate to a young me needing wheels !
Here are some notable loaners that came to be “trademarks” for me at various stages of my driving career.
1949 Chevy Bel-air – factory green, with windshield visor.
In 1965, this 1949 Chevy was antiquated and almost couldn’t be given it away.
Mine - used but running - had an un-fixable water pump leak. Drive-able, but only with a jug of water in the trunk, it overheated on all SoCal roads on a warm day. I would often have to pull over on the highways, to top off the radiator water when the temperature gauge would go up too fast !
In 1965 it sold as a used car for $350. Today this restoration sells in the $49,000 range!
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Notable other cars from Uncle Pat ..
1951 Ford when I was a kid in Pennsylvania
Note: He promised me his black and red Ford - when I turned 16 … but, it was in a bad wreck just before my birthday, and went to the scrap heap! .. it sure was bitchin' ! When I was picked up after school, all my friends envied it - everyone wanted a ride home!!
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He always liked and drove Thunderbird’s He drove all of the different models over the years He died driving his favorite T-Bird in a bad freeway accident. We were all Shocked and Saddened. As always it was totally unexpected. The only consolation , he was having the time of his life - business was booming - he loved every minute of his time with family and cars - and he was cruising in his favorite T-Bird.
It strikes that there is an odd symmetry to his passing in a car accident; cars were his life - and death. Cars revolved around him and his life revolved around cars! He lived like he wanted to - Fast, Fun, Free, and 'his way' !
He was one of a kind. What a great Uncle!
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We already wrote about “Napoleon” The stalwart 1950 Plymouth Suburban that Pat sold us.
see post: More Interesting Cars I've known by Anno Nymus
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All photos: free, public domain, or by permission
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