On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 18:23:25 -0500, "Eisboch"
wrote:


"Lamont Cranston" wrote in message
.. .

Back in the day, my Father had a '57 Chevy with an Olds engine in it.
Can't remember what size it was, but I know it was an Olds.

My maternal Grandfather was the Shop Foreman for the Oldsmobile engine
plant where they used to pour and mill the blocks.

In those days, and even later, each GM division had their own engine
designs. As we moved into the late 60's and 70's all the GM parts became
generic, including the basic car frames. Who can forget that lame excuse
for a Caddy that was basically a soft spring version of a Chevy Nova? A
shame, as it ended the Golden Era of US cars. Interestingly, there seems to
be a current swing back to being more independent and to differentiate
between the car lines. This is good!

When I returned from my second tour, I was really itching to get my
hands on the Road Runner I had ordered - special everything!!! I
ordered it 60 days before I left and wanted it delivered in San
Francisco because I was going to drive it home - cross country.

Well, that plan went totally fubar when I took a cab to the dealer and
it was the wrong color, wrong engine, wrong everything. I was totally
****ed as I paid cash for the car and it was supposed to be ready.

I called my Dad (who was Business Editor of the Boston Herald (or was
it Herald American at that time?) and a syndicated columnist, he got
in touch with the appropriate executive and I got a free 1st class
plane ride home and a promise that my Road Runner would be delivered
within a week at my home address.

Well, the week went by and the Road Runner was delivered to the local
dealer - wrong color, wrong engine, but it did have LSD and the Hurst
shifter.

HOWEVER...

Sitting in the showroom was a gorgeous black Plymouth GTX with the 440
hemi and two, count'em two, 750 Holleys, 3:92 LSD rear end, Hurst
shifter, bucket seats and, as god as my witness, a tre' kewl,
state-of-the-art cassette player - a true muscle car and a half.

Sold the car two years ago for a ridiculous sum to a collector - it
only had 11,000 original miles on it.

And I have no idea why I told that story.

Must be old age.