Favorite Cages

I was always a motorhead. My higher education consisted of Automotive Technical School and the "School of Hard Knocks". Just always had to have a few car projects in the works. Always played with them for a few years then passed them on to someone else. Never made more than a few bucks profit. This 1940 Ford Sedan Deluxe was purchased for $500.00. Had a 53 Merc. Flathead and Naugahyde(?) interior. It was someone elses project back in the 50's. It was my weekend cruiser, beer drinkin mobile when I was a kid. Sold it for $1200.00 in the mid 70's. Wonder what it's worth now?

I always wanted a Vette and passed up a 59 for $1000.00 at one point. Decided to buy a "poor mans vette" instead. The Opel GT's always caught my attention so I restored this one in the early 80's. Parts were hard to find so I bought every junk one I could find. Ended up with 7 or 8 of them dismantled in my basement. Ran a mail order parts supply in the winter when I was laid off. My wife didn't like my basement salvage yard very much. I wonder why? We loved the little car a drove it all over the country. It never once failed us. Electrical glitches were the norm but I always weeded through them.

This 1967 Camaro SS 350 was my 2nd car. Bought it in 1971 for $13oo.oo and a 1964 Volvo PV544 as trade in. It was the first car that GM ever used the 350 motor. Was a basic Super Sport with only the SS option. No power anything and a single leaf rear suspension. I commenced to remove the nice stock "wood" steering wheel and add the "cool" 10" foam/steel wheel. Great steering it with no power steering. I threw away the original steering wheel. I recently saw someone offering $500.00 for the same wheel in Hemmings. Who'd a thunk it! I can't believe I never killed myself in that car. A lot of horsepower for a punk kid. Paid it off a few dollars at a time working in the local grain elevator when I was 16. Sold it for $900.00. Makes me a little nauseous when I see them go for over six figures on the Barrett-Jackson Auction.

This little 1969 Spitfire was my wife's topless commuter for a few years. Not a good winter car but fun to drive. She spent a winter hand-sanding it in the garage and the body was pristine. I sold it out from under her while it was still in primer so she never got to see the results that a new paint job would have offered. She wasn't very happy with me. Her arm still hurts from all that sanding.