When They Were Real Steel……Part III

# 21

Outside the barracks at San Vito Air Base, Italy.....is the '65 Dodge Dart I bought from an "out-going" G.I. when I first arrived there in January of 1975.  It had one of the best 6-cylinder engines ever designed....that famous little "225" Slant-Six.

If you look carefully, you can see the "Elephant Cage" I wrote about on my Italian blog.

# 22

Needing a little more room for band equipment & such, I traded the Dart for this big '68 Buick Wildcat, with a '"gas guzzling 430 V-8".   It was a great car to cruise up & down the Mediterranean coast in, though.  The base was just north of Brindisi and right there on the seacoast, as you can see on the other side of the car.

(This Buick also completed my "GM" ownership, having now owned at least ONE car from each division).

# 23

Mountain Home again, in the fall of '76.  You only THINK you're looking at a 1960 Ford F-100.  What you're actually looking at, is what we called a "FODGE"............the guy I bought it from had transplanted a "361 Dodge wedge V-8" and accompanying 727, and EVEN rigged-up a steel bracket under the dash with a MOPAR push-button quadrant assembly in it!........it HAD to be the only one on base!

# 24

This little '65 Ford Falcon was probably the best little $200.00 car I've ever owned.  Just a "plain-Jane" looking little 4-door sedan, it had a "289" V-8 with "4-on-the-floor.   Being very light in weight, it really scooted down the road!

This '58 Ford Fairlane 500 started out as a restoration project in 1977, finished in 78, and I traded it for a '55 Crown Victoria in 1979 just before I began a 3-year tour at RAF Lakenheath, England.  It was a good running old Ford with an early "FE" Block "332 Interceptor, with a "Ford-O-Matic traansmission.

# 26

I've never had a "thing" for Mustangs....to ME they are merely overpriced re-skinned Falcons, (although we just restored one for Donna)....but when THIS clean little '70 came up for sale at $1,200.00 in the fall of 1978 by a guy going PCS who HAD to unload it, I figured it was a pretty good investment.  Had a little "200" 6-cylinder with a 3-speed standard tranny.  Ran good and was great on gas.

# 27

Early in 1979, my Dad had bought a NEWER Mercury and finally decided to get rid of his old '67 Monterey.  It was practically new, way back when HE'D bought it, and I was able to get it for $500.00, although it needed a lot of things.......but after I'd spent a few thousand, replacing things, I owned and drove that car for the next 27 years!  Had the old tried & true Big Block "390" with the C-6 Tranny.

# 28

I traded the '58 Fairlane for this '55 Ford Crown Victoria just before leaving for England and stored it, (along with the Mercury) at Mom & Dad's while I was gone.  The "Crown Vicky" had a "312" "Y-Block" V-8 (not the correct engine), with a Ford-O-Matic behind it.  And I'm here to tell ya, they just don't make 'em this good anymore!

# 29

Although I was allowed to ship a car to England (I shipped the Mustang), it was still better to BUY a right-hand drive British car for daily use, so shortly after getting there, I bought this little '71 Vauxhall.  It had a little 2000cc in-line 4 cylinder, with a 4-on the floor.  It was good for about 30-35 mpg, and made a good commute car.

# 30

I bought this 2nd Vauxhall, a '67,  pretty cheap, so I always had a back-up car over there.  Also a 4-speed, its smaller 1599cc motor was capable of 35-40 mpg, if you drove it right.  The right-hand drive, and driving on the LEFT side of the road, DID take a bit of getting used to, though!  Lakenheath was clearly the worst assignment I ever had and was sure glad to get home in 1982.