Under the spellbinding effects of the "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" advertising, Dad became a Chrysler man, owning a '62 and a '63 Belvedere. The '62 was only seven months old when it was rear-ended and totaled. He liked the '62 so well that he bought a '63 with the same 318 and a Torqueflite trans. Jerry remained a Chevy man and bought a '60 Chevy with a 283 and Powerglide. Jerry's Chevy again failed him, this time being out run by Dad's Chrysler. Having learned his lesson, he decided to upgrade to the biggest and baddest. He went out and bought a '63 Impala SS with a 409 and 4-speed.
Around this time, marriage struck both men. (As if this story isn't weird enough, Jerry's wife is my Mom's aunt. No matter what kind of family reunion we go to, Jerry and his family are there.) Both guys sold their performance cars for something more reliable. Dad bought a '53 Olds Super 88 Business Coupe with a 325 V-8 and a Buick Dynaflow trans. Dad said that some '53 Olds had the Buick trans since the Hydramatic plant had burned the previous year. Jerry entered a dark period that he doesn't like to talk about anymore. Like many in the late 60's, he struggled to find himself and experimented with some truly weird things. Chiefly, he bought a light tan '66 VW Beetle. He came to his senses when he and his new wife were unable to go on a picnic because the basket would not fit anywhere but the front seat. He redeemed himself by picking up a turquoise '66 Chevelle with a 396, 4-speed, and 4.56 rearend. Talk about mood swings!
Dad jumped back into the horsepower game in '68 when he purchased an Olds 442. It had a 400 with an automatic trans. He followed the '68 with another 442 in '70. In my opinion, this was one of the finest muscle cars of all time. It had the 455 that made in excess of 500 lb-ft of torque, it had sway bars that allowed it to corner decently, and it had station wagon brakes that stopped the thing like you dropped anchor. I am particularly fond of this particular model since I have vivid memories of being implanted firmly into the vinyl of the back seat. When Dad ordered it, he wanted something different and ordered silver paint with a light green interior.
In the early seventies, the muscle cars gave way to family sedans. Dad remained true to the Olds logo by owning a couple of Eighty-Eights (with 455 power of course). Jerry also went the way of the family sedan, but kept a little of the hot rod touch with his '68 El Camino that he kept until the early '80's.
I plan to add some pictures of these cars soon and also provide a complete list of all the cars these two have owned. Combined, they have owned over forty vehicles.
13 July 98: Update - Dad located his '70 442 in town last month. He could identify it because if the silver with green interior. Here are a couple of pictures. It's definitely a fixer upper and the 455 is gone. Dad would love to have it, but the people who own it want too much for what's left.
