David Long

Looking for a plumber?

James (Jim) Rookus

DAVE.... now that's my kind of guy ... he's got my kind of sense of humor ...  I'd hire him I'm a minute ... seems like he's got it all under control !!!

Linda Bristow (Elias)

I absolutely love and adore the Electrician/Plumber.  That artwork is about perfectly situated!

Linda

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

David Long

How Many Still Have One?  I do, but it sits on a shelf in a closet.....

David Long

It's Almost April Fool's Day - - - - - - -

David Long

Any Interest?

It’s been quite a while since our class has taken to the roads after getting our dirvers licenses.  I’m sure we have all had or driven a plethora of vehicles since then.  What was your 1st car? What have been some of your most or least favorites, have they had any unusual quarks, what did you like best or dislike the most about them?

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Dave, this made me think of an essay titled "Auto Biography" by Mason Williams. He was a writer for the Smothers Brothers TV show in the 60s who told the story of his life through all the cars he had owned. It was all very funny. I didn't own a car until I was 26 (8 years after graduating from BHS). While teaching at St. Xavier University in Chicago, I had to take two buses and transfer to two subways to get from my apartment to the campus. Once I had saved enough money, I bought a Chevy Hatchback, which cut about 20 hours per week off my commuting time. Since then, I've owned six different cars. Last summer, I decided I no longer needed a car and made arrangements that have left me car free. That has shaved about $3,500 or more a year off my budget. So far, so good.

Me and Marv in 1950 with out first "autos"...

James (Jim) Rookus

H A P P Y 

B I R T H D A Y 

Dennis Smith

H O P E  Y O U  H A V E 

A  G R E A T  D A Y ! ! !

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

Janet (Jan) Hitzner (Fries)

My first car was a 1955 chevy belaire.  We could never get the idle set right.  My Step Dad talked me into buying a corvair.  My parents bought it from me when I got married, years later Dave Kinsella, a friend of my husbands wanted a corvair and as luck would have it, yes we then owned the corvair yet again my husband wanted a truck so Denny and Dave swapped titles. I still don't miss that little car that vapor locked and threw fan belts all the time.

David Long

Mel,

You and Marv are just as 'cute' now as you were then

Sandy,

Great Story - thanks for sharing

Jan,

Ah, you had one of the cool cars.  '55, '56, & '57 were the classic years for the Chevy Bel Air

Alas, my 1st car wasn't one of the cool Bel Airs.  It was a '54 Bel Air 4-door sedan with an automatic transmission in that old faded green shade.  It did have on redeeming feature, though - the dome light didn't come on when the back doors were open so there was plenty of room to stretch out and 'nap', and plenty of trunk space for sneaking guys into the drive-in.

David Long

Today's Humor?

James (Jim) Rookus

H A P P Y 

B I R T H D A Y 

Nancy Whiteman Hoover

H O P E  Y O U  H A V E 

A  G R E A T  D A Y ! ! !

James (Jim) Rookus

DAVE ,,,,, After thinking about your car question I thought about it and looked over all the pictures of all my past cars!  One day a few years ago I went and googled each car by model and year that I ever owned and found all and screen shot pictures to put in an album.  Only two were not found in the correct collor.  To my amazement once finished I found there had been 34.  

My first was a 58 Buick Special four door sedan (tank) without power steering.  When I would go to downtown Bloomington to go to either the record shop or mens store, two favorites, I would work up a sweat parallel parking!

My all time favorite was my 79 Lincoln Town Car. The most comfortable dreamy ride I've ever experienced!  I walked around the dealer lot when closed on a Sunday afternoon and fell in love with that particular one, Monday called the salesman I dealt with and gave him the serial number from the window sticker and Tuesday picked it up. NEVER REGRETED IT!  Interesting that in 79 that car with every option avaiable on it stickered for only $15,500.  Today that comparable Model would be $70,000.  THATS ABOUT 4.5 times TODAY.   GAS then $.88 NOW $3.25 (Michigan)  Thats about 3.7 times TODAY.  A HOME I SOLD THEN WAS $60,000 AND TODAY $600,000 about 10 times TODAY !

             THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT !!

David Long

Jim,

Didn't you have a suicide knob installed - made parking much easier w/o power steering?

David Long

"Humor" for April 2nd

Marvin Theobald

Fun idea Dave. I'm enjoying these car stories. My car ownership has had its historically memorable moments. My first car was a ’68 VW bug. Before going in the army I had been saving for a car but when the army called the plan went on hold. Toward the end of my year in Vietnam the Post Exchange had a special offer for GI’s returning home to buy European cars through the PX at cost, same as an importer. I ordered a new VW and paid cash for it costing about $1,200. Shortly after my return home my Dad drove me to a port at the south end of Lake Michigan to pick it up fresh off the ship. I loved that old bug.

Another car was a beater ’65 Mustang Fastback that I bought in about 1975 for a second car to drive 20+ miles each way to work every day. Its muffler was shot and one evening on my way home from work some kids playing in a yard by the road all had their hands over their ears as I drove by. I decided it was time for a new muffler.

In 1979 I had an opportunity to buy a 1962 Pontiac Bonneville from its original owner for a few hundred dollars. The seller was an elderly man who had quit driving and it only had about 25,000 miles and was like new. During a brief time I spent living near Houston Texas I had to park it by the curb on the street. One morning a young girl on her way to school was putting on makeup while driving and crashed into the back of it totaling it. Due to its age her insurance company considered in worth almost nothing with total disregard for its low mileage and like new condition. Not a happy outcome.

James (Jim) Rookus

Dave.... had I know about a suicide knob back then I'm sure I would have investied in one !

Mel .... What a shame about a jem like that Bonneville beiing totaled !!  That would have broke my heart !!

I hope more will share their car stories !!!  

Nice cars has been my only "vice" in life..... of course my idea of nice cars may be different than most guys.  Wire or Crome wheels, lots of crome trim and style and comfort turn me on.... not so much whats under the hood, speed or performance !  Today its more difficult to get overly excited about the new cars since most look alike and a body style remains the same for many years !  In our day they changed almost yearly and had some pretty cool looking style features!
 

David Long

I had this car for 2 years - it is a 1976 Lancia Scorpion.  It was a mid / rear engine, depending on your point of view car.  5-speed, 2 seats, trunk in front, but it was so small that when I went out for a round of golf, the clubs took up the passenger seat.  Like a lot of Italian autos back then, it had some quirks.  The weirdest one was the headlights & turn signals. You can probably tell from the picture, but it had pop-up headlights.  The quirk was with the electrical system.  When I would activate the turn signal, the headlight on the opposite side would pop up and down with each pulse of the turn signal.  I told anyone that asked that it was a new feature to make sure other drivers would notice my intention to turn.  Traded it for a Pontiac Grand Prix and got more for the trade than I originally paid for the car.  A fun-to-drive car, but very impractical.

David Long

April 3, 2025

Humor?

James (Jim) Rookus

Dave..,,, yea that Firebird was a nice ride in those days !  The ranch coffee would certainly have been a "wake-me-up"

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Dave, it might have tasted better if you threw a little sugar and cream in there. I'll give it a try in the morning, but I'll be using Poppy Seed dressing, so I'm not sure what to expect. For Easter, I've been tasked with making my 'almost famous' deviled eggs. But with the price of rabbit eggs so high, I'll be using quail and osterich eggs instead. Oh, wait a minute, rabbits don't lay eggs. Ain't that weird?

And now for my contribution to today's humor...

Janet (Jan) Hitzner (Fries)

David Didn't go that far,but, maybe should have.  Wonder what it means that my husband has one on his riding mower.

Wendy Stephens (Cullen)

Think those suicide knobs are called Brody Knobs when they are being formal