Friday, March 5, 2010

Muscle Cars


The snow is rapidly receding and the promise of warmer and longer days is truly welcome after our recent simulated Arctic blast. While we will probably experience a Maine-like "Mud-Season" due to the melt, Spring is surely in the on-deck circle.
When the hint of Spring hits the Main Line, I immediately yearn to open my garage and get my 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Convertible( pictured above) out from under cover and fired up. This requires a battery charge, an oil change, some fuel stabilzer and lead additive.
The 69 442 is in my opinion one of the finest examples of American Muscle cars ever produced. I purchased this beast from a mechanic in Norristown in 1998. It was about 70% restored and I did the rest on evenings and weekends. While it is not a show-quality antique...it runs great and is what collectors would call a daily driver. I certainly have neither the time nor the inclination to go to car shows and sit in a lawn chair in a field and discuss original trunk mats and stock red-wall non radial tires. However, I dearly love the macadam tearing 375 horse power rip that this vehicle provides. I take the kids out for drives and the wife and I love driving to parties or events in this head-turner.I also drive in 1 or 2 Parades each year...usually Wayne's Memorial Day Parade and Gladwyne 4th of July. When you nail the accelerator in this car...you are literally hammered back in the seat and it is a gas....and being a rag top completes the package. Some guys favor exotica such as old Speedsters or MG's or Austin Healy's or even a Turner or Jaguar. For this Sportsman, I say those little buckets, while cute and perhaps fun, are for candy-ass dandies...and I will take Old School American Muscle every time!
P.S. The 6 car garage pictured above was on our property when we purchased the place...it has it's own story. We elected 4 years ago to tear it down and re-build a 3 car garage with an In-Law suite above.

4 comments:

Brian said...

Awsome car!!!

M.Lane said...

That is a great car! I'm glad you really get out and drive it.

ML
mlanesepic.blogspot.com

Julie DeBrandt Hunter said...

That is a very cool car. I remember that old garage and Teri telling me the story but I forget it now. I remember there was an old gas pump.
Well, our snow is melting too. Hurray for spring.

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