Pate Swap Meet, April 2008
Big car-top carrier for a small car-top. I wonder how that thing stays on the road in a strong sidewind.
They're not picky.
This is unusual: an old English Ford. But there was a time when some US Ford dealers sold them.
Nice, original-looking '23 Buick.
Durant formed General Motors in 1908, and Buick was the first component. For a time it kept a
somewhat separate identity: "Buick Motor Company, Flint, Michigan" as well as that of a division
of the holding company. The slogan, "When Better Automobiles are Built, Buick will Build Them"
was used for many decades.
The '55 (and '56) Mercury was a sharp-looking car inside and out, well worth the small extra cost over a Ford.
Cadillac declined all through the 80's, but this convertible has some of the old aura.
Wish I'd bought one of these $35,000 '57 Bel-Air hardtops back when they were cheap. Trading in
my four-door hardtop in '65 sure wasn't the smartest thing I ever did.
Nice examples of this style Corvette can be bought for ten grand or so. A good long-term
investment if you have a place to store one.
Hudson did sell trucks, but they didn't look quite like this one.
Well, that's comforting. But the paint is a little faded.
Does your Winnebago strain on long mountain grades? Slap a trailer on a Kenworth and
show the road who's boss!
A good project. Of course, restoration will cost several times the purchase price.
There's a boy for every girl, so I suppose there must be someone who
lusts for a '50 Dodge sedan (hey, they had "chair-height seats"!)
The owner of this Z was asking a couple grand. In many ways an appealing car, but lots of
work remains to make it something one would want to drive.
This orange '75 Pinto had a perverse appeal to me. Inside and out, it's a tribute to
all that was horrible about the mid-70's.
This T-Bird with a turbo 2.3 four was offered at $1,750. That's still too
much; nicer examples with a V6 or V8 are selling for just a little more.
And you get to test-drive those before handing over the money.
A real nice '54 Chevy. Asking price was more than we paid for our first house.
Here's a truck with a sense of authority. Looks like it's been made into a camper rig.
Before they were called GMC, they were just a
"General Motors Truck." (Hey, isn't a Chevrolet
pickup also a General Motors truck?)
Nice petroliana. I like Texaco stuff. Maybe it's the star--the Big, Bold Texaco Star as the song said.
They're cheaper by the third-dozen.
Ford owned the rights to their trademark
script, so the copycats used ....
Great car, just needs a little work. And tires.
Another Buick -- a '54 in the popular two (three? four?) tone paint.
Back in those days, there was more room under the dash to add an air conditioner.
"No hassle price" on this '58 Caddie. And it seems to be all there. Except for most of the paint.
$300 more to get the carbs? Are they on the engine? Oh, in the trunk.
Only $4,500 for a Camaro with electric windows! But no engine, transmission, interior trim....
The best way to appreciate a hot '67 Charger is to see it from the rear. As most folks had to.
Ride the AutoTwirler! (Fasten seat belts, please.)
I'd have more confidence in this Jeep's reliability if it didn't have a built-in tow bar.
Was anyone hurt in this rear-ender? Seriously, both the Buick and the Packard are appealing cars.
With gas at record high prices, Crosley is bound to make a comeback.
Seventy mph in a Crosley? You try it first.
"A fine car"? Was that really an official
slogan?
Don't you just hate it when parts don't stay inside?
It was a hot, dusty day; just right for a cold beer.
An ambulance converted to a camper. Stacked inside, several cases of life-saving
hydrating agent.
Beetles are coming back, at least in the collector-car sense.
Clifton takes a break during a momentary lull in the frantic sales activity. Stretched out in the shade,
with a steady breeze. It doesn't get any better than this.
