Great story. Sorry about Mario. I'm keepin' the tires. The Cragars have gone to the scrap yard. Joe Fulton Salinas, CA --- Brien Tourville <hh7x@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > The tires are Goodyear GT radials dating from the > late > seventies or early 1980s. > > They came to me on some old > Cragar wheels off of a 69 AMX I bought and have > since > sold. > > I had put them on the car even though I > realized they were old. > > They look is so period correct > for the car mounted on AMC ralley wheels. > > The tread > depth is like a new tire and I wasn't worried about > the condition of the rubber because of the light > weight of the Gremlin and the fact that I live alone > and wouldn't have anyone else to worry about in the > car. > > But in order to have a comfortable (and admittedly > safer ride) it looks like I'll be investing in > tires. > > Joe Fulton > Salinas, CA > > > > ===.=== > > > > > Cragers and Good~Years.....Oh My... > > Didn't I tell this story once before ?..I did..... > well..... > it's almost Labor Day....and Dad always linked Labor > Day > with Automotive Highway Carnage..... > > > so let us begin again: > > > > I had a big Italian > > chum, Mario Mazarello - funny guy..... dealers > dealer, > threw some great parties. > > > Mario came over one afternoon with Guitar chum Neil > - sometime in the late '70s, > I was clearing out the garage of accumulated > junk - which if I could eBay > that stuff today - would cover > a decent Paint job...... but not to digress: > > > > Had this wretched Cragar SS mag with an old snow > tire on it > that needed to go. > > Blistering chrome flaking - SS Insignia gone - > it was for a GM and I was HUDSON / MOPAR, so out it > went. > > > Always the scrounge, Mario asked if I wanted the SS > mag: > > > "the tire is shot Mario - ....." he wanted the SS > mag: > > > "Himmler...give me 'The SS'......chicken > farmer....." > > > > "if I give you the mag - you'll fu!in kill yourself > > with the tire Mario........ - I don't need that on > my conscience > ." > > yah-da-yahh-dah ....... whine - > > " look, you can't run this - > if I give you the mag - you take this tire off - do > not > run this thing for any reason"....... promise" > > yah da - > "no - the thing is shot"........ whine > > so later "ok - but - get rid of the tire" > <Grin> 'n promises.. > > > Mario ran a '70 Camaro > 'Orca'..... body by > 'Wanker'. > > half the car was Bondo and sheet scrap metal - used > old > license plates patch quarters held in by bondo...... > > shot with red primer... car would rock gently at > idle > streaming blue haze out the duals........... > > 'Orca' packed a 'vette 350 - with goodies....... > > Can't tell you > what the nearly unfastened front bucket seats were > from..... maybe > a TR or a Sprite..... who knows. > > Last time I'd seen Mario in one piece - it was about > 11PM - > the NY STATE POLICE > had him pulled over in front of the VFW Post Bldg.on > Rte. 9W South: > > drivers door was open - dash glowing green: > > Mario's at the rear of 'Orca' > which was cheerfully > lope_ing trails of Blue Smoke onto the scene...... > > the 7ft. tall Trooper had a flashlight in Mario's > face - while Mario > - both arms extended outward - doing the 'touch your > nose' sobriety > test Dance in the glaring lights of a MoPar Pursuit > Vehicle...... > grinned as he wowed the 'chump'..... > > I crept past the spectacle, fighting a 'feeling' > that I shouldn't > stop to chat. > > . > > I had sold my Ovation PA Sound system from my > touring Group to Mario as he > loved Johnny Winter - had bought a '68 Gibson > Firebird Guitar - had a 'Kill ah MARSHALL' amp - > and had begged nicely for a payment schedule. > > > I'd hauled a '63 Porsche's' home for him one > Blizzarding Winters Day - > beat him at 'Battleship' - gave him a ride back > home when his BSA-sh!t put > a rod thru the engine case and main frame down tube > one evening > while we were > biking up Storm King Mountain on the road to West > Point . > > > As Mario, he fell behind on payments - I called Neil > to get > some leverage: > > " B..... Mario's dead"........ huH? > > "He hit a tree a thousand yards out from his Mom's > house coming > home from the gig at 'Ace in the Hole' ....." > > > I lived down the street from 'Beansy's Towing' - he > had the Thruway > concession and he was the Coroner - great lot of > cars - is where > I found my '66 GTO convertible sans motor & trans > one sunny afternoon. > > His Son Eddie had an L-88 motor & trans meant for > the car - Beansy liked > my Dad - he was the Principal of the local High > School and involved > in Town Politico - so the GTO got flat bedded home & > Eddie got stiff'd: > > $75.00 and a bottle of Scotch... ;) Dad knew the > ropes. > > > It was a week after Mario's wreck that I heard he'd > gone in, > - Funeral was long > === message truncated === _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list