To All the Grandparents

[cyclone03]

When we grow up we all have experiences that become enbeded into our memories.Obviosly everything that happens at home shapes our lives but so does the feeling we get riding in cars,or the thrill of a motorcycle or even a go cart.I think you can see where I'm going.
When we rode with our parents or Grandparents we could feel how the car moved under us,I think these movements,exceleration,braking ,turning would become what we felt was correct or normal.Maybe even feeling good.Now when we got older or rode with others we would compare what we where riding in with what we thought of as normal.Anything more than what we where used too would become fast anything less would be slow.


When we started noticing speed,everything was fast in the car.The fastest we knew was maybe our bikes then we noticed that all cars were faster than our bikes.

Now this is where what our parents and grandparents drove started shaping what would become normal.

The first car I remember riding in as a child was my dads Corvair Monza, I remember burning the backs of my legs on the trim around the folded down back seat after being at the beach.I also remember the ride over those canyon roads of southern California to and from the beach ,this I can't put in words but it was a piece of normal to me.

Next came Dads 69 VW. This was slow.
Then came the 1900cc engine much better,this became fast.
Then the 2180cc holy smokes!Now this is FAST!

Where does Grandpa come in here?Well Grandpa had a BIG Chrysler Station wagon.That thing was HUGE.But it had the biggest engine I'd ever seen.Grandpa let dad borrow it for a trip from CA. to Arkasas one year.I remember Dad complaining about milage the whole trip.
Later I learned,after the wagon was gone,it had a 440 in it!Riding in the "way back" it never felt fast but it also didn't feel slow.

A few years later I started driving.My first car was a 67 Mustang,289 auto.It was faster than dads BUILT VW.(How many of you have street raced your dad?)Then as luck would have it I stumbled on a 428cj while looking for a rebuildable 390 for my uncles truck.I'm sure you know the CJ found it's way into the Mustang.Dad and Grandpa proclaimed the kids Mustang as FAST!

So those of you with grandkids that you ride around in your Marauder our shaping the feelings that will become normal to them.It also is shaping the way they look at "older" drivers.If your driving a moded MM they will also feel that.There exspectations of normal will be a little higher too.Maybe we can save them from slow boring "tool" cars.

Now why did I head this as "To All Grandparents" and not to all parents?

I DON'T KNOW maybe it had something to do about a post I read here today about a drive from NH to Florida to have a little mod work done. :burnout: By a 59 year old.I never thought of my grandpa hot rodding his car.Mileenh you are the man!:bows:

Now I'm doing my best to teach my girls whats correct and proper and normal for a car to perform,and sound and ride.I'm trying to teach them the FUN of driving.Not that it's just a tool.
I hope they get it.

[Macon Marauder]

Great post cyclone03...

My Dad was an engineer, former drag racer, and all-around car nut. I grew up riding in the back seat of big Fords: LTDs, Galaxies, XLs, etc. with 390s and 429s. I thought it was normal to get pressed back into the seat during acceleration! I thought that when you got to an intersection, every Dad asked every Mom, "How's it look your way?" And if it was clear, Mom replied "Dig out!" And then the rubber would burn...

No grandkids yet. But I am trying to reach a balance between the car fun factor and responsible driving with my kids. It can be tough.

[SergntMac]

Excellent post Cyclone, thanks.

[LincMercLover]

Deep... Nice... My mother never tried to instill such things in me, but my Dad did. Probably one of many reasons they divorced... ANYWAY, to my Mom, a car is nothing more than "something to get form point A to point B in." I NEVER see it that way. It's a reflection of you, it is you! You and it (or he/she). Well, luckily I didn't heath her words of "wisdom" on that subject, I think you all can tell that about me. ;) :D

[cyclone03]

I was worried nobody would get what I was trying to say...........

[SergntMac]

I know that feeling...

People come to two basic flavors, scientist and artist. One thinks, the other feels. One is precise, the other not. One sees a half of glass of water, and the other wonders if it's half full or half empty. Add to that, the natural shortcommings of a one-dimensional medium such as this, and the trap door of misunderstanding just waits for the right weight to step on it.

You spoke well, Cyclone03, and more importantly, once you had a message you wanted to share, you did. Thanks again.

[MAD-3R]

Very well said.

But there is another type. THe engiener. He wonders what happend to the water and best way to replace what is missing. And wether or not he can do it faster and more efficently.
:coolman:

[Bigdogjim]

cyclone03: Very good point. Many people do not think back to "happy" time in childhood enough. They all want to blame there mistakes on thier childhood. As for me I was very very lucky. My dad owned a L& M dealership. So I grew up with the cars. They were alway the first subject to be talked about at dinner time. Sometimes the only one. With 5 brothers and two sisters our place look like a use/new car lot. Thanks heavens we grew up in the sticks( so to speak). I remember one '66 Galaxie with the NASCAR engine and 4 speed on the floor. It was indeed a great time to grow up! Thanks again for the great post! :rock:

Big Dog :banana:

[Kelly]

Mercury Marauder "The Time Machine"

[Ken]

Bigdogjim, are you referring to the '66 Galaxie "7 Litre"?:rock:

[Mikeenh]

Cyclone,
You made me smile and brought back some great memories when you asked who street raced their father. ME! You aged me a little though. I'm 54 not 59. I came home with a 1962 Red Chevy wagon in 1966. It had a factory 327 300HP four speed. My father got in it & burned 4 gears of rubber down the road. A neighbor walked over just as he did this and said " Damn Kids". My Mother looked at him and told him who was doing that.As all modern people say "It's not my fault". It's heredity :D

[MAD-3R]

Well, I got my lead foot from my mother.

She drives a Pontiac Bonniville SSEi SuperCharged V6. She has a real thing for speen. :)

[SergntMac]

Another true childhood story, gotta laugh with me, it's one of many warm memories about my Father.

I didn't race Dad, but he gave me a lot of respect and support in my racing efforts of my early 20s. He often asked me to stop by his office and "give Mr. Shellhouse another ride." One day, he also stole my race car, and used it to run a few Saturday Morning errands while I was sleeping after another all-nighter in the garage. There wasn't anything street legal about this car at that time, '69 Camaro, L-88, tunnel ram, open pipes, gutted, caged, 13" racemasters, trailer car runs mid 9s, you get the picture...And he's using it to go to the grocery store and dry cleaners...

I'm dead asleep in bed, until I hear my car out front and it's like W T F I'm dreaming as the doorbell rings, and rings, and rings. I open the door and get snatched out to the curb in my skivies by one of the biggest cops I had ever seen at that time, feet never touched the ground as he drug me to the curb. Dad...got caught.

The Sgt. speaks..."Your car?"

Me...scared to death and really pissed too..."yessir."

"This your father?"

"Yessir?"

"He ah, was ah, d r a g racing a Mustang, east bound on Diversy, from Kildare...What do you have to say to that?"

"did he winsir?"

Excited Dad..."oh you bet, I ate him up, I..."

Sgt..."shut up" and Dad corks it, with a proud smirk.

Sgt. says to me..."If I ever see you on the street with this, this...wreck...You're gonna need a whole lot of money to get her back, got that?"

Me..."Yessir"


I grounded Dad, no US. 30 trips for...umm...one week.

But, it was a Ford/Chevy meet weekend too, and I know that hurt.

True story. Maybe the lessons travel in two directions?

PS. That big cop, the one who snatched me? Came to be my training officer two years later, and he's still the biggest cop I've e v e r seen.

[Strider74]

I just might be one of the youngest Marauder owners here (I'm 28) and I've got a long way to go before I have grandkids but I agree entirely. My Grandpa owned a Ford LTD and while I might not remember the car's model year or options, I remember everything about how that car felt, looked and sounded as I rode along with him.
And LincMercLover is right, any car no mater how inexpensive or old or worn, is never just about getting from point A to point B. Like it or not, your car is a part of your life and you should learn early to enjoy it.

[Bigdogjim]

Ken You got it it was the 7L. Had a line lock on the dash! What a car! It was dark green black top (conv) and black inside. Did not care about MPG back then.

Big Dog :rock:

[Moparzz]

:confused:

What ta heck are you guys talking about.........7L. That had to be a genuine 427 dual quad ground pounder. Don't ever call it a 7L. My uncle bought a 67 special order with that same package. He had some tall gears instead of the usual street/strip setup. He would still be in third at 120. Great car.

[Black Terror]

Actually, the 7 Litre vehicles were 428CJ engines, not 427 High Rise. You could get a 427 High Rise package but it wasn't called 7 Litre.

[Ken]

I vaguely remember Dad's '66 7Litre, I would have only been 8 years old, when he bought that car new, I remember it being white with a convertible top, with I believe a lighter blue interior. That replaced his 64 1/2 red Mustang, the first one in our area. Later, he wished that he had held on to those two cars. When it was time for me to drive, I wasn't allowed to drive the new/good car. So Dad bought a '67 Olds 442, red with black vinyl top, that was mine to drive, when he didn't drive it to work. Boy, tires never seemed to last very long back then.:burnout: :banana:

[schuvwj]

Great Thread Guys!

[Bigdogjim]

Over time it got miss labled. Happens when you dig up old memorys. :o :flamer: Guys around my way just refer to as that. Thanks for the imput :D

Big Dog :rock: To ALL>> :beer:

[Geo]

I remember my Dad's 1970 Meteor Rideau (Canadian make) 4dr similar to the Mercury Montcalm. He also owned a 1973 Plymouth Fury III 4dr. These cars set the standards for what I look for in a car.

My Grade 7 teacher had a 1969 or 1970 Shelby Mustang Cobra GT500 convertible in blue. I remember the basket handle roll bar very vividly. I also remember not understanding why this Ford product had not a one Ford badge on it and wondering what this Shelby thing meant that was plastered all over the rear tail light area (I thought it was quite the anomoly; I was in Kindergarten all the way to Grade 6 and that car was always parked on the corner of the lot. When all the kids were playing at the school yard at lunch time, I would go to the parking lot in front and admire the cool 70's cars parked on the lot. I also enjoyed watching the older kids flooring it up the street with their respective girl in the passenger seats of these wild muscle cars during the lunch hour. I think they knew I was jealous of their age and wanted to be behind the wheel of a seriious ride and so they would crack their dual exhaust monsters as they flew past me while I watched them eating mu lunch.

I also remember saying to one kid in my grade that I was born in 1970 and the kid said: "yea, that's cool but I was born in N a n t y S i x e t y N A I N E !!!" all while being on that same corner as that Shelby Mustang as it would have been right behind him when he said this. I hope it was a 1970 (with the hood stripes and chin spoiler added; these were carry over 1969 that were not sold and re-VINed). Needless to say, I want to find that car today and when I have money to buy such a ride I will investigate.

GEO

[vaderv]

I remeber my dads 69 deuce and a 1\4 ragtop. Had the speaker in the back seat. That was a car! On the expressway in the summer top down headed to the lake. Only real way to improve the MM would be a rag version imo. ; )

[prchrman]

Dad had a 57 ford custom with the hot 312, had to trade because mom could not take off with out getting sideways. He bout cries when he talks about it today and he is 72. His favorite was a 40 merc. He raced on mountain roads and always drove a merc or ford. I asked him why and he said the front end on a chevy would bounce out of the road. He said the chevy was faster but would not stick.

[Paul T. Casey]

My Dad, a former stock car driver, and now Grandpa, always had big fast Fords. He taught me the way a car was supposed to feel like. Biggest deal was to do 100mph in each new one (after proper break in of course). Now, he can't wait for his chance to try the MM. May even buy one for himself. I'm putting off his "road test till after the chip. He'll dig that. Watch out in SE CT for a 73 yr old, half blind, but young feeling grandpa "seeing what she'll do!!!"

[jgc61sr2002]

My Dad's last car was a 1973 Oldsmobile Toronado. There are many fond memories from this car. In fact I now have this car and it has only 27,000 original miles. I use it only to go to car shows. John :)

[O's Fan Rich]

I still rembers Dad's Mercury Cyclone (CJ power I'm told). But Gram in her La Sabre would put the fear of God into all those little gas sippers, I'll tell you what.

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by Willie Anglin
He said the chevy was faster but would not stick.

That's interesting. I don't know of any (40) Chevs that could be said to be faster than a '40 Merc.

He's right about those "hot" '57 ford 312s

[martyo]

John:

Love the Tornado. Had one in high school. Big Bad and Very Cool!!!