Where are my auto enthusiasts?

[*bfine32*]

(05-23-2022, 09:27 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Station Wagons:  The SUVs of the 70s and some of the 80s.

My first ride was a 1973 Chevelle Malibu Wagon with a 350 4 BBl.  Had a hilarious tendency to backfire if I got on it for over 3-4 seconds when I let off the gas.  I was Uncle Buck before being Uncle Buck was cool.  

Actually loved that old wagon.  It was my Grandfathers.  I put a cloth seat on the front row bench because with no AC, you could slide around on that vinyl and find yourself in the passenger seat.  Yes, I wore a seat belt but it was only a lap belt.   I called it "The Blue Flame".  

I got teased by the kids that drove camaros and mustangs, but who did everyone call when it was time to go to the drive in on Friday Night?  We would bungee-cord a bunch of lawn chairs to the roof and I had room for 9.  

Doing doughnuts in the snow with 9 people on board was also hilarious.  

Perhaps the best story about the flame was when my mom switched me cars, so I could have AC as we had a meet pretty far out of town and with no AC it was crazy hot.  While parked at my mom's CPA firm, friends of hers started teasing her when they saw the back seat was folded flat and I put a piece of carpet (cut it to fit perfectly) and had my cooler and a bunch of pillows.  I would take my GF to the drive in and we would pull in facing the flame the other way and lay in the back with the tailgate open and just watch the movie from a horizontal position.  

Her work colleagues called it "Judy's pleasure palace".  My mom came home and scolded me (I guess she never looked back there) and my dad couldn't stop laughing.  Man, good times in the flame.   

I flew home (KY) after a year in Korea. I had sold my car before I left. I was now going to be stationed in FT Bliss, TX. We started looking for plane tickets and was actually able to purchase a late 70's model Malibu Wagon for less than a ticket.

2 things: 

The drive from KY to El Paso TX is stupid long. When I got to Dallas I wasn't even halfway there

One place you don't want to be without AC is El Paso, TX and the rear windows only rolled halfway down