|
RAY SCHULER, FROM ELKHART INDIANA, BOUGHT THIS 1931 FORD MODEL A ROADSTER IN 1950 FOR $15.00. HE WAS ONLY 15 YEARS OLD, SO HE HAD NO DRIVERS LICENSE YET. HIS FRIEND, PETE FULLMER, (HE IS THE PASSENGER IN THIS PHOTO) HAD TO DRIVE HIM AROUND IN THE CAR.
IT DIDN’T RUN WHEN RAY PURCHASED IT, SO HE HAD TO TAKE AUTO MECHANICS IN HIGH SCHOOL. HE GOT IT RUNNING, BUT THE NO 3 CYLINDER HAD DEEP GROVES IN IT FROM A WRIST PIN THAT LOST ITS KEEPERS. IT BURNED ABOUT 1 QUART OF OIL EVERY 10 MILES OR SO!
RAY WORKED AT A GAS STATION, SO HE JUST PUT OLD USED OIL IN IT. HIS PAY BACK THEN WAS ONLY ABOUT 50 CENTS AN HOUR, SO HE COULDN’T AFFORD TO RE-SLEEVE THAT CYLINDER. THE CAR SMOKED SO BAD, FOLKS WOULD HONK THEIR HORNS AND YELL “GET THAT WRECK OFF THE STREETS!” THE KING-PINS WERE SHOT, SO WHEN THE CAR HIT A POT HOLE, IT STARTED TO SHIMMY AND SHAKE LIKE CRAZY, AND RAY REMEMBERS THAT THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD STOP IT WAS TO HIT THE BRAKES AND SLOW DOWN. AH, THE GOOD OLD DAYS, HUH?
PETE AND RAY ARE NOW IN THEIR SEVENTIES, AND ARE STILL OLD CAR NUTS. THEY STILL HANG OUT TOGETHER, GOING TO CAR SHOWS AND CRUISE-INS, ETC. TOGETHER. RAY IS INTO OLD FLATHEAD V8 FORDS AND STREET RODS, AND PETE HAS MUSTANGS. THEY ARE IN RAY’S 1932 ROADSTER AT THE BOTTOM , A CAR HE HAS OWNED SINCE 1992.
|
