--- Five States, Three Days & one Classic Buick

[Sixty8panther]

Well, here it is. The story of my little Crusaide down to New Jersey & Peensylvania as of last Friday. To prevent my photobucket account from maxing out in one day I've edited the pics down to a small size plus I had to pick and choose only the most relevant and interesting ones. Enjoy:


















Once again I'm runnig late. 4:00am Friday and I'm still only on Route 3 in Massachusetts. I'm supposed to be dropping off the package 5 min. outside of Philadelphia at 8:30am but I've got a 6 hour ride ahead of me. Three digit speeds for long stretches help to put me back on schedule.





I manage to avoid arrest & police impound. Finally I met up with Courier # 2 at 9:00am. Coffee at this point is a MUST. Upset stomach be damned. (I'm alergic to the stuff) Note To Self: Philahelphia Skyline is Gorgeous.





10:45am I meet up with GM1 at his Uncle's shop. He shows me around the place and introduces me to his dad. Both of them are awsome guys. They are down to earth & treat me like an old friend. At this point just meeting up with GM1 and his Dad would have made the trip worthwhile.





We talk and exchange car stories for a couple hours and they show me a pair of Gorgeous '57 Chevys out back in the garage. I'm honored to just check out these two beauties. The blue one started life as a two door 210 sedan and the Red beast is a Nomad.





The two Tri-5 Chevys in the garage are not the only classic Chevys GM1 showed me. The 2dr Malibu was awsome as well but this poor guy is badly in need of some TLC. The "custom" officce chair acting as the driver's seat was esp. cool. :P





GM1 gets the award for the cleanest 3800 powered 98 Regency I've ever seen! I'm not kidding, I told him if he was ever selling it to give me a ring. This car is a creampuff. At about 1:00 I said my Goodbyes to GM1 and his cool dad and I hit the road again.

[Sixty8panther]

At 4:00pm (still Friday) I meet up with Balthazar at a secret rendezvous point somewhere in New Jersey. I’m honored to finally meet someone as well informed and with such impeccable taste in Classic Cars. This guy is such a role model to me. We hop in his truck and go look at this ’59 LeSabre Flat top that’s on eBay. Since the seller has blown off my emails we have to just wing it and try to find it from Balthazar’s memory since he’s looked at the car before when it was down the street form its current location.






As luck would have it we succeed very quickly in finding the car. From 20 feet away I’m ready to refinance my soul to buy it!





After closer inspection this car was in a flood just as Balthazar has told me and the floor boards are GONE. Stupid me, still operating on an emotional level I’m all ready to trade straight up for the Camaro, except not with my engine but a cheap junkyard 350. Even this is a really bad idea with all the work this Buick needs. Sad to say the car is of more use as a parts car. *sniff* Just as Balthazar says: “You can’t save them all”




Now it’s off to Balthazar’s house. His Grand Prix, Catalina & ’59 Invicta are all awesome. Especially the Invicta. I’m so damn jealous, but yet happy for him at the same time. Though not complete yet, a lot of work has gone into the ’59 and it is very obvious no corners are being cut.

His garage is really just a treasure chest of classic car parts, antique randomness and Detroit Iron. Man, this guy’s got all kinds on neat toys. He gave me a Pre-WWII Jack that I was admiring. I’ll always think of my Friend in NJ whenever I see this cool antique toy in my garage. Check out just one wall of his huge garage.




When you have a late 1950s GM 2dr hardtop classic in your garage you’re automatically cool in my book. If it happens to be a Bubbletop ‘59 Buick you deserve a metal. But if you have two 60s Pontiacs, a ’59 Invicta & a pre-war Rat Rod in you know your place in Automotive heaven is secure.

What kind of rat rod you ask? How about a Ford “cab over engine“ beast with some seriously sinister looking surface rust and big old school frame.





Remember the Chevy COE in the first Jeepers Creepers movie? This thing looks scarier and from what I know of Balthazar the Flathead V8 will sound just as spooky. Now this truck’s got character!






After hours of chitchat in the garage we hang out in the house for a while. Not wanting to impose on his wife and kids any more than I already have I hit the road again after midnight, but not before I get a photo of us together.

[Sixty8panther]

BTW: the guy with the '59 LeSabre also had a few otehr neat classics like this sweet Packard. I'd love to call this car my own. Check out that Cormorant.






I spent the night in NJ at a Best Western. The next morning I hit the road again. Aong the way I met up wiht a really nice Gentleman at a Lotus Dealership.






They also had a few awsome classics at the dealer like this mid 1960s Porsche 911. Originally sold new in New Hampshire.






Other than the Porsche, they also had some really nice rare stuff at this Lotus dealer.... Maseratis, Jaguars, Aston Martins, Lancias...





The guy at the Lotus dealer told me about this Corvair Spyder that I'd pass along my way. It's been stuffed into a Barn as long as I've lived in the USA. Since 1987. The seller is asking $1200 which is way too much for a non running Corvair of this year/condition.






I bought a bunch of neat things at an Antique Flee Market just east of where Washington crossed the Delaware. These advertisements for late 20s Fox Air Cooled cars caught my attention but were too expensive.

[Sixty8panther]

In the afternoon I finally made it out to west of Philadelphia and met up with Camino, Black & Blue and his beautiful (might I add NOT a bimbo) girlfriend. We had dinner at at great Italian restaurant even though we did wait for over an hour to be seated.






Camino’s puppies Zora & Arkus are no longer pocket sized. These guys are big dogs, and yet they still have a lot of growing to do.





Camino has a damned impressive car collection. A 1985 Maserati BiTurbo coupe. (so weird and yet so cool), 1979 Jaguar (somewhat in pieces) a brand new GTO with “FWD” for the first three letters in its plates and to top it all off a black 2002 Firebird Firehawk that defies description.

How’s this for a Resume?

- Last 1LE car ever made

- Last Firehawk ever made

- Last F-body built by SLP

- Dozens of pieces of documentation proving the car’s authenticity

- Strut tower signed by all the members of SLP

[Cory Wolfe]

No pics of the Firehawk? :P

[Sixty8panther]

Saturday night I crashed on Camino LS6's comfortable couch and then hit the road again on Sunday morning. But not before tons more car talk and Breakfast at a local Diner. I even tried a local delicacy, "Scrapple". I guess it's like a mix of Filet Mignon & Veal. Or as Ocnblu later said: It's made from the lips and a$$holes of the animal, plus anything left on the floor of the butcher shop after they're done making hot dogs. :P

Camino has had a real amazing collection of vehicles over the years, a few of them being really cool ElCaminos. His collection of Chevy Trucks, past and present is also aswome and our taste seems to be very similar. Camino is a true GM guy. Don't let the Jaguar & Maserati fool you, this guy is a soldier for the General. He's owned a Ford/Honda beater or two but has single handedly restored a few GM pickups.

I can not stress how much of a true car guy & a gentleman Camino is and how much I appreciated his hospitality. He gave me a ride in the GTO & I recipricated and gave him a ride in my Tight Whip even though I don't have the DUBs on my Datsun yet... actaully Recipricated was Ocnblu's choice word.





Speaking of Ocnblu we finally meet up at like 4:00pm. Blame all those Amish Buggies that slowed me down along the way for being late. poor Ocnblu rearranged his schedule like four times to be able to meet up with me. What a cool guy. I'm glad I insisted on meeting up with him. After our contact point at Barnes & Noble in the middle of Pennsylvania we had diner at a realy cool Buffet and chatted for a while. Once again I was the extroverted loudmouth that I can't help being. We had a good laugh and of course I had to take a photo with Ocnblu since I subjected everyone else to the same torture. Once again, just meeting up wiht Ocnblu for a while was worth the trip out there.





Since we were haning out at B&N already I finally found the GQ with the article about "Mr. Buick" that has a prominent photo of a '59 front wiht a few Opel Buicks inn the background at a dealership in '58/'59. Yes, it was worht buying the whole magazine for.





As Ocnblue Promised, Rt. 30 had a sweet 1973 Sedan DeVille hardtop in silver on some farmer's front Lawn. Just east of Lancaszter. If I had $4000 to buy this gorgeous gem and enough to install a trailer hitch & rent a car dolly at U-Haul I would have bought it and dragged it home. Seeing this car resulted in me buying three two dollar scratch tickets at the next gas station.

I can always dream.

[Sixty8panther]

Almost forgot the quintessential Amish Bugggy. This one had a strange kind of "control panel". A dashboard if you will. It almost looked, I know it sounds crazy like it was a steel cab of of a 1930s Crane or Earthmover that someone had recycled into a buggy.

BV:

Pictures of the 'Hawk did not come out worht a damn. My Digital POS Nikon had a dead battery about 2 hrs. inot my trip so I just kept buying cheap-a$$ed throwaways.

[Sixty8panther]

For those who have not seen Caminos awsome Firehawk, here it is. His dad's 1998 Prototype is the red car below. It was sold "as is, tortured for 3 life cycels and not fit to be driven on or off the road" for liability reasons even thought the car is mint. I'm so damn Jelaous. :wub:

[staceface]

what a great adventure!! glad you had such a good time and chose to share it with us - but also glad to have you back!

[AAS]

68: That sounds like an awesome trip... thanks for the pictures and stories. I felt like I almost took the trip with all you guys!

[Sixty8panther]

Thanks Guys. The trip was awsome and I had a blast.. a few more photos coming soon. :)

[razoredge]

ah, thats just great ! the good stuff !

[ocnblu]

Glad you had fun Sly. It was good meeting you. You should have seen me standing in the back of my truck in the Barnes & Noble parking lot watching the highway offramp, waiting for a silver Datsun. People sure were looking at me funny. Judging from my picture above, I can see why. :rolleyes: :AH-HA_wink:

[razoredge]

Oh yea, Balthy, the truck, the truck, I love them things, Stubbys are so cool. My 65 is beat but still one handsome devil. Also Sylv - That Maserati behind the Porsche is my favorite Italian road car, far more photo worthy than another 911, not to put a 911 down but hey we've all seen plenty. That Maserati 3500 I believe it is is very Detriot/American looking with the chrome trim and bezels, pure sex in my eyes.

[razoredge]

Jeez, Balthazar. You always sound like a wise old man but you don't look a day over 30 in that pic.

[post="45163"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

All handsome devils, Im into girls though, wheres the photos of the girls ? No dont Sly, you got in trouble last time :lol:

Great pictures, everyone ! Thats what lifes about, good people good times.

[z28luvr01]

Sly really enjoyed reading about your adventures last weekend. Sounds like you had a blast. I've always wanted to do something like that...I think a cross-country road trip is somewhere in my future.

[Sixty8panther]

All handsome devils, Im into girls though, wheres the photos of the girls ? No dont Sly, you got in trouble last time  :lol:

[post="45169"][/post]

Well since you asked...












NOT WORK SAFE!!!










I warned you, this is your last disclaimer.

[knightfan26917]

Nice pics, Sixty8 :).

Sounds like a great trip ... filled with meeting people....

Heh...and ya'll wonder why I love to road trip and meet people so much ;).

Hmmm...and those of you in PA and NJ (especially in the Philadelphia area) that I missed in August...very sorry I missed ya...tho, it's not like I didn't give ya'll fair advanced notice ;). There is always next time, of course, if you want to meet up, that is....


Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker
MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/
Models.HO = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/trainroom.html
"The life I love is making music with my friends" ... Willie Nelson ... 'On The Road Again'

[balthazar]

Jeez, Balthazar. You always sound like a wise old man but you don't look a day over 30 in that pic.

I'll ignore the fact that that pic is quite small and take your post as a compliment. However, 30 is in my rearview at this point... and in fact there's a new road sign up ahead.

Just my luck; instead of reading 'Dangerous Curves' it just reads 'DANGER'.

[razoredge]

Ah gee, did ya have to go and do that ? Now I got a funny feeling going on inside, I dont understand it, its affecting my brain, cant concentrate, dont know what I wanna do. Damn you ! ;-)

[Sixty8panther]

Balthazar: Age is of no concern when you're young at heart. Someone who is building the world's fastest '59 Buick and has a garage full of Car Treasure, or as the women call it: car junk, is definately young at heart. When you finaly get that '59 done up and you have a Rat Rod (hope that term does not offend you) just a blast down the street at WOT will put a smile on your face and make you feel like you're 17 again! Razoor: You know me, always causing trouble. He-he! :) BTW: Love the Wacky Lancia. As a kid one of my first toy cars was a fire engine red Stratos with a tan interior. It was a nice quality model in 1:43 scale. Some uncle of mine got it for me (while I was living in Slovakia still of course) Being a dumn kid with an active imagination I made a little play-dough driver and wedged him inside the model (it had opening doors!) by the time I found the car on top of the window sill by the hot radiator the next day the plkay dopugh had melted into the cars interior never to be cleaned out again. *sigh* Wonder what happened to that thing.

[Sixty8panther]

Yet another random tangent:

After I pay for my '59 Electra diecast model 225 on eBay I'll get one of these. (less than $10 each) The Startos is such a kooky but cool car. THey tore up the Rally Circuit and are now ledgendary.

[razoredge]

I dont know if Camino checks in much but the dogs are lookin great ! This looks like that awkward 8-10 month stage where their just alittle out of proportion with long legs and still puppydog heads. Gangly! So much fun, teenagers, wild, pesky and full of the Dickens. Speakin of Dickens is your lawn full of craters ?

These things can turn your lawn into a moonscape in the amount of time it takes to eat dinner !

[Black and Blue Landscaper]

razor, they dont really dig, they chew everything...and anything they can somewhat get their mouths around. they are roughly 50lbs each and they are only about half their full size. they are quite a handful! but they are great too.

[Sixty8panther]

No it's not! <_< (this car based SUV craze has to stop)





Cool driveway in "Somewhere, Pennsylvania"





And the Maserati for Razor. :) Edited November 20, 2005 by Sixty8panther

[ocnblu]

"Superleggera"... what a cool name.

[Sixty8panther]

Yup. Sounds like a pasta dish at Olive Garden. Edited November 29, 2005 by Sixty8panther