“Rocketing” Away

It's funny sometimes, how the events on one day, can trigger memories of decades past.  Yesterday was a little strange in the blog world, (not that it's ever NOT a little strange), but I think you could feel the "Friday the 13th" in it!

Today promises to be a lot better.  First of all, I'm not going to watch nor listen to ANY news.  That's always a big plus.

Secondly, as soon as I post this blog, I'm shutting down THIS "aggravator" for the day and some of the lunatics that go WITH it.

Sometime after breakfast this morning, I'm heading for Boise (which I usually despise).......but only as far as the Fairgrounds for the gunshow.

Then, after an afternoon nap with the phone UNPLUGGED, I'll be heading for our church to play in another "Western Gospel Night".

A complete break from insanity for awhile.   I've been HUGELY looking forward to this particular Saturday.

I'll most likely be driving my old Ford this morning, because it "suits" me.....but as I look forward to this morning's "recess"........I thought back to my final days in California back in '69 & '70..........where "getting away" for awhile, meant a cruise along  Pacific Highway 1, in a car I sure wish I still had today................it was the best riding car I've ever owned, even up through this day................

My 1959 Oldsmobile "88" 4-door hardtop.  It was  the 5th car I'd ever owned, and looking back today, I can't remember a better one!    I've owned 63 vehicles in my lifetime (to THIS point), and if I could go back and get just ONE------this would be it.

Imagine yourself sitting on a sofa.  Now imagine yourself with a steering wheel in your hands................that's what it was like at 70 mph!  That grand old "heavy-car-SMOOTH"........its ride would rival ANY of those old Buick Roadmasters of the day.  Except Oldsmobiles were  FASTER.

Under the hood was a big-block 371 cu in Oldsmobile "Rocket" V-8, and it was well-named.  Within the ranks of General Motors, performance had ALWAYS been an Olds tradition.  In 1949, they'd introduced their first "Rocket", the "303" which burned holes through the early days of NASCAR.

Though the years, Olds became well-known for beautiful styling, a bit of luxury, and lots of "get-up-and-go."

Growing up on Potrero Hill, my dad had a 55 Olds (red & white just like this diecast model, and as a 12-year old kid, I thought it was the greatest car ever!

By 1955, the "303" had grown to "324", but it was still a "rocket"

Decades later in my "2nd childhood", I bought my '56, but I didn't get it for the same price my dad got HIS back in 1960!

The old "324 Rocket" had 10 more horsepower than it did in '55, and the dashboard was still as pretty as I'd remembered it as a kid.

Then................Donna got the itch to add an Olds to her Mustangs & Cougar................

"Well.............if you're gonna drive an Oldsmobile...........DRIVE AN OLDSMOBILE!", says she!

They were always great cars, and why GM stopped building them after 2002, is still a mystery to me.

But back to the '59, I've taken pictures of every car I've owned, but not really GOOD ones until recent years.  I DO build MODEL cars for a hobby though, and found a resin-cast kit of my old car and I detailed it right down to my original California license plate, "CTD 073"

I usually take these kits a lot further than their instructions, using felt for carpeting, and different colors of sewing thread to make sparkplug wires, battery cables and such.

(It's actually been a couple of years since I've HAD or TAKEN the time to build one).

And I suppose I AM running "just a bit behind".  I'm also running  out of display space for them as well.              

Doggone it.............I'm drifting away from the subject again.............

That old 59 Olds "Rocket 88".  What a car!  Nice & roomy, powerful & smooth------EXCELLENT "road manners".  Had a unique speedometer too........it was like a tape that changed colors as it went from left to right.  0-15 was green.  From 15 to about 40 it was yellow.   40 to 65 it turned an amber color.  From 65 to 110 it was red, and beyond THAT it was sort of an "ash gray" (which might have been their way of saying "you're gonna die if you don't slow this thing down!)

.......and of course, it only had an AM radio but that was ok............you could STILL get  "WOLFMAN JACK" on Saturday nights!

Ah.........."WOULD haves, COULD haves and SHOULD haves"..........

I sure "should have" kept THIS one!.........if I'd HAD kept it, I could be "rocketing" away to Boise this morning, instead of just cruising!