Re: long...

[farna@xxxxxxx]

On May 19, 2005 Mahoney, John wrote:

> >>
> My first car was a '63 Rambler Classic Wagon.....and it happens to be parked
> in the garage (eyes tear up).  Life is good!
> <<

The first car I bought was a 61 American wagon. I've loved smallish wagons ever since! Didn't fall in love with the 72 or 73 Catalina my father gave me to drive before that, but it was wheels. Drank enough gas that I wanted something better! Gas was cheap, but to big a part of my limited budget from bagging groceries on weekends!! So a friend mentioned this ugly little Rambler grandpa had that had been sitting for about three years. Grandpa owned a furniture company. The car had been my friend's dad's wheels for 2-3 years and when he decided to trade for something classier/bigger/more powerful (almost any other US made car was!) the furniture company bought it for a TV service vehicle. In 65 most TVs in small towns were portables, 19" being considered large. That's when the serviceman came to you, and they racked up MANY miles on the car. Gramps told me they needed to do something with the car -- I could have it for $100 if I could get it running. If you've ever resurrected !
 an old Rambler you know it wasn't to hard at all! Tranny was jammed in third gear and front seat worn down to the springs, rubber floor mats gone to pieces, and some holes in the corners of the rear foot wells. But it was mine! Gramps even gave me some carpet remnants for the car...  The odometer read 9x,xxx.x when I got it. Gramps ran across a service log book a few weeks later and thought I'd like to have it. Thumbing through it, I realized odo would read 19x,xxx.x if it could! No wonder the front end was "just a bit loose". After a few months practice I was the only one who could drive it left handed with right arm over seat back/around girl. A friend of mine volunteered for driving duty coming back from a couple hour Sunday at an amusement park and had to concentrate on driving with both hands with GFs help! He was amazed at my skill after that!! 

> 
> >>
> The reason AMC went back to shafts in mid 73 was due to a patent
> dispute with GM over the bridged rocker design. I don't know how the
> settlement was reached, but when it was AMC went back to a bridged
> design for the 1975 model year.
> <<
> 
> True: GM was king of engine patents for years and years.  
> 
> (If you know what Jeffery did, you'll find it even more interesting...)
> 
> Huh?  Oh, no!  More reading?
> 
> http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/vintage_classic_cars/115638
> 

Thanks for confirming. I suppose you're mentioning the Selden (sp?) auto patents. Can't open the link due to restrictions at work. 




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