July 25: Creemore old car show - nostalgia

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be or something like that. But old car nostalgia is what it used to be and that is a great way to pass the time bringing back old memories about a certain car or wishing you had old memories about that car. Either way, this blog about the Creemore old car show will feature those golden oldies from my youth, so bear with me and possibly bring back a bit of your past.........

As you know, I make scale models and have been doing it since 1960, when this Pontiac was new.......

What was unique about this car was that is customized almost exactly like the old plastic scale models were. Nothing too extreme, just add a rear tire mount, custom tail lights, side pipes, fender skirts and spot lights. With those few kit accessories, one ended up with what was in their mind, a full on custom. And being white, it emulated, how many of us built our models, just white plastic and a painted interior. Seems like yesterday, assuming yesterday was 1960.

Every old car show needs its Bug, but this one had an unusual add on. Any guesses?

Yes, you in the back row..........a vintage air conditioning unit? Absolutely. Well done. No doubt you were not born yesterday or the day before.

Back to those pastel shades of days gone by........

Can you picture rolling up to your favorite restaurant in a new BMW done up in any of these shades? Not unless it was custom paint or a wrap. How did we get so boring with black, grey, silver and white in many variations? Like a new Mercedes with five black variations, two silvers, two greys and a white. Wow!

Wouldn't this colour work?

No? Then this one for sure, on one of the great oldies from the '50's, looking like nothing else on the road........

Handling? Nothing like today, but this old tank of a Hudson was the scourge of the NASCAR tracks in its day. Would I kid you?

Then there were the oddities, at least in restrospect, starting with that great screw up, the Edsel with its horse collar front end.......

......and then moving along to another famous snout, on this old Studebaker.......

Those stylists loved their airplanes, as all this one needs is a propeller. And then, moving along to the rear end, like on this reverse slant rear windowed Mercury........

Called a "breeze way", since it rolled down and cleared out the interior of that insidious cigarette smoke, that the passengers were sure to be exhaling back in the day.

Some popular Ford products, at least to me. First off, that huge sportster(?), created for the family man who thought he was something else, the 1969 Mercury Marauder X-100. Even with a 429 (look it up), this beast struggled to be quick.....

Then a couple of '63 Galaxies..........

The second one carries the slant roof created for those high speed NASCAR tracks, where the squared off version had a distinct disadvantage. Back then, they weren't exactly sure about vehicular aerodynamics, but they had a pretty good idea of what worked and what didn't.

Remember a time from days gone by when not all the cars looked alike? From 1965, I present the knife edged, straight as a Baptist preacher, Ford Galaxie........

.........and the flowing Coke bottle shaped Chev Impala........

No one would ever mix these two up, even in a parking lot at night. Different times.

And to finish off, my favorite.........

Why? First off, I love the four door hardtop (no centre pillar) design and this '55 Olds featured the first year for this feature. GM started it and it became all the rage for the next twenty years. Most of the old four doors were junked, as collectors sought out the sportier two doors, so these are quite rare. Also making it unusual, was that it has every option except air conditioning. Power antenna, seats, windows and Magic Eye made this top of the line 98 one exceptional car. Magic Eye? It automatically dimmed the headlights, when it preceived an oncoming car. Cool, eh? Top it off with that paint scheme and back to the 1950's here I come.

I wouldn't be at this show without an invite from our ex-Toronto friends. Look closely and you'll see them along with my wife. No prizes, so don't strain yourself to find them.

Until next time........