Finally Happened

For half a decade I worked part-time at the Chevron near my house.  I was amazed at the number of people that would come speeding into the parking lot just to come to a screeching halt in the parking spots in front of the building.  I was even more amazed that no one ever jumped the curb and hit the windows.

Until this Wednesday.  I stopped by after school to fill up my tank and the manager was still sweeping up the glass;  I “missed it by that much”.

Of course the kid said that it was an accident, his foot slipped off the clutch.  That’s just about what TMC said in ‘87 when he drove his parent’s Country Squire into the Seven-11 ice machine. 

Truth was he was screwing around, trying to make a grand entrance and misjudged the car’s stopping ability.  Considering the damage done here, I suspect this kid was doing the same.  

That bent frame looks like more damage than a stopped car with a slipped clutch would do, but I could be wrong.

And a couple pictures Danny sent me.

Here are a few more picturs of my LTDs 3.

http://www.srossi.net/prevamp/2008/07/3LTDs/pages/07%2003%2008_0003_jpg.htm

Car 54, where are you?

As soon as you saw that title, did you think "Good Lord, he bought another car!"? If you did, count yourself in for 7 new blog kharma points.

I first saw this car about 3 years ago in the Shopko parking lot. I fell in love with it then, but it wasn't for sale. so what could I do. Nothing, except admire it from afar. Six months ago little bro' sees it in the K-Mart parking lot and gets to talking with the owner. Tells him about my LTD addiction and gives him my cell number in case he ever wants to sell it. Well, the guy held onto the phone number for the six months, because 3 days ago he calls me and tells me that some guy gave him my number and said I like old LTDs. We talk, I go look at it, we settle on a price and I get the money. $2,000. It's a 1972 Ford LTD Country Squire with a 429 CID Police Interceptor engine in it. The guy babied it, oil changes every 2,500 miles, ran only premium in it, and it looks and runs like he was telling the truth, plus according to the title he's owned the car since October of 1979. Dual exaust, the interior is excellent, not a single tear in the cloth apolstery and the carpet is even clean, like that could be it's original color clean. The original AM/FM radio still works, although I don't have any 8-Track tapes to see if the player works. Looks like I'm going to have to take a trip to the D.I. It's beginning to show some rust in a few places, but just surface. He already told me that I'm going to need to replace the ball joints, which are relatively easy on these older cars. The only other problem I can see is getting the back door to work properly, the one that swings out and folds down too. Well, it used to swing out, but the window didn't go down, so Danny and I tear into it, get the window to go down and then try to fold it down tailgate-wise. Big mistake, it kinds got stuck between swing out and fold down. It's closed, so I can drive the car, but the tailgate won't open either way. Overall, though, another good deal....