CARS

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child:  but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (I Corinthians 13:11)

After over five months, on Saturday I attended my first classic car show/”cruise night” of the 2007 season.  It was at Riley’s Roast Beef at Edgell Road and Water Streets in the Nobscot section of Framingham's northside.  (During the “summer months” those shows are held every Saturday evening at Riley’s “weather permitting”.)

A number of months ago, I wrote about selling classic collectible Massachusetts auto inspection stickers so I won’t retell all of that.  These windshield stickers from the ‘50s ‘60s ‘70s and early ‘80s are very colorful and distinctive.  Some include drawings, photos, catchy slogans, or all of the above.  (In comparison today’s inspection stickers are boring and functional.)  Many “classic car nuts” love to buy these stickers.  During the summer months, it’s a very nice little moneymaker for me.  I was happy to sell some stickers on Saturday!

My classic car experiences on Saturday actually started BEFORE the Riley’s show.  In traffic on Bishop Street Framingham, I noticed a 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 sedan.  At a traffic light, I actually got out and spoke to the driver about buying a sticker.  He followed me to our church parking lot and purchased one.  In fact, a friend of his also showed up and bought a 1961 sticker for his classic Buick Special.  To some it must have looked like a drug deal going down, but it was a perfect legal transaction involving collectible auto memorabilia!  

On Saturdays in the late afternoon there USED to be classic car shows at the Gold’s Gym parking lot in Millis.  I went down there on Saturday and hung around for around an hour.  There was no show.  Well, a guy came by in a 1958 Ford, swung through the parking lot, and gave up and left.  I wondered if he stayed if it might spark some interest and others might show up, but he didn’t wait.  He reminded people who get discouraged when they visit a small church such as the one I pastor...instead of giving the church a chance,  they’re GONE!

After the fruitless trip to Millis I was glad to go to the Riley’s show.  I’m not very mechanically inclined at all but I know enough car stuff that I can talk about 429 Ford engines and 350 Chevy engines and actually  know something about what I’m talking about.  The thing I like about the cars of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and very early 1980s is that they are so distinct looking and so easy to identify.  I knew the car on Saturday afternoon was a 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 just by taking one quick look at it.  (Incidentally, those ‘63 full-sized Fords were HUGE.  They were much bigger than a modern Ford Crown Victoria.)  Speaking of Fords, perhaps the prettiest car I saw was a two-tone black and white 1955 Ford Fairlane sedan.  Just eight years older than the ‘63 Galaxie 500 it’s a much smaller and simpler car, but it’s just a very smartly designed, attractive vehicle.  There was a very good looking 1958 Pontiac at the Riley’s show.  There was a two-tone yellow and white 1955 Chevy Bel-Air...the car wasn’t completely “stock” but it WAS in very good condition.  I sold a sticker to a guy with a white ‘66 Lincoln- another HUGE car.  

When I was a very little kid, my father knew an Edsel dealer and he used to bring home toy Edsels for me to play with.  They were all two-tone turquoise and white.  Like most little boys I would crash them into walls, etc.  Those toy Edsels (in good condition) would probably be highly valued on the “Antiques Roadshow”.  I guess I began to fall in love with the look of cars of that period DURING THAT PERIOD and that love has never left me.  If I were “loaded” I might own a classic car instead of selling inspection stickers to guys who do own them!