Last Kiss, and the '59 Anglia

[Hal Copple]

Overwhelming. Just overwhelming. I have just trecked back from the Charlotte Autofair, and for me, it was like going to Le Mans. Almost. Spent thurs, fri, sat and today at the Olthoff SPF exhibit, right by the NASCAR garages. Thousands and thousands of cars, and all sorts of vendors; i finally bought a Baldor polishing motor with those big buffing wheels, left it in the Olthoff's trailor, i'll get it soon. Drove up in the early morning mists, cold enough to sludge up my bone marrow friday, forgot to wear anthing other than a T shirt. Had a Tryst with a Turbo Eclipse one morning.

Since cholesterol and fats don't count at car shows, ate Kielbasa, brats, and big sizzling things in buns, even ate a Greek Gryos from a guy who actually spoke Greek, or at least i think so, maybe he was from NJ; us Southern Folk have a hard time with any accent not from south of the Mason Dixon line. Dripped the white sauce down my shirt, but actually it matched the BBQ from brunch, sort of like my Red/White striped car, so i felt better.

Myself and about a dozen other owners were there, helping out, sneaking the Olthoff's soda pop when they weren't looking, and generally just talking with thousands of people wandering about. I had lots of kids hop in and out of the Great Stroker.

Chris went Sat with me, in his Boxster. We stopped for sausage biscuits on the way out of town, he was miffed that i insisted we get right back on the road, as he NEVER eats in his Porsche. Porsche guys are really fussy. Me, on the other hand, i had so many biscuit crumbs in my car in a few minutes, that if the ants ever find a way to get into my car, i will have to call that Orkin guy to de-vermin my SPF. The space down beside the driver's seat is handy for cans, wrappers, and empty Cheeto bags. Chris wipes any sweat off his doorhandles every time he gets into his Porsche!!!

Trying to catch up with Chris in one of the empty parking lots, i was gunning my car at about 50 mph, and failed to see this enormous drainage grate, down about a foot, and when itI hit it, there was an awful crash going up, and an even worse crash when i came down on the other side; i fully expected to have a holed sump, or worse, but a later check showed no trace of any contact with the asphalt. Chris said he watched me in his mirror, and said i had all four wheels off the ground!

Found a pretty white '59 English Anglia, exactly the car i learned to drive in, was my school car from about '60 thru HS. Once, i rolled it onto its roof in my HS parking lot, in front of the flagpole. We pushed it back onto its wheels, and i drove home, to learn about how dads handle this sort of thing. Several months later, when i was allowed to drive again, i devoped a kinship with all the swing-axle VW's who also had a row of dents in the roof. I walked around the Anglia, and took some pictures, and finally realized why i had such a hard time ever getting a date in HS. When the other guys were in early Goats, or 442',s or Healeys, Hal was in the Anglia, which is not a chick magnet. I feel better about my youthful rejection now. It was the car, not me after all.

Sat night, Chris having left earlier in his Boxster, arranged for Wife in her new Jag, and Chris in his Boxster to come up from SC, and we would meet at a trendy resturant. I got there first, pulled up to the Valet, asked where i could put my car, he said "right there", motioning to the opposite curb, so seeing the crowd waiting for seating, and yet no one in the road, i stabbed the throttle, flipped the rear around, rolled back a few feet, and shut it down.

This is the amazing part!!! Moments before, i had exited the interstate, and at the end of the ramp, about to turn right, i could not believe it, but there was this new Turbo Porsche, this time a red one, exactly like the last month's adventure, he slowing for the redlight at the bottom of the hill, me with again a green arrow in the right lane, so with thunderous downshifts, i announced my decent to all the folks sitting by the another restaurant, and of course to the Porsche at the light. As i got to his flank, remembering "The Problem" this caused me on CC last month, i let up by his window, and his passenger gave me thumbs up, which i returned, and chirped my right turn to the eatary area. You can't say Hal doesn't learn his lessons!!!

There was this booth playing oldie CD's right by the SPF exhibit, all '60s's stuff, nice at first, but about the 40th time he played J. Frank Wilson's "LAST KISS", it did get a bit repetitious.

I'll talk more later, i have so much more to say, in another post.

[Woodz428]

Are you sure? I heard that you had to beat the women off with a stick if you drove one in England.

[KobraKarl]

Thats just english women, thats the way they like it....

KK

[Rick Yeager]

I had a 53 Ford with a home garage paint job done by Dad and one of his well meaning crazy friends with an egg shell white top and some left over John Deer Tractor green body. Poor Dad and Leroy were so proud of it. I never did have the heart to tell them how dorky it really looked. But I was glad when the old flat head Mercury V8 block cracked so badly we had to sell it. I always blamed my failure with gals on that ugly old Ford, but somehow the bad luck seemed to stick long after the car was gone. I dunno' do you think it could have been the after shave??

Rick

[Woodz428]

Not if it was Hai Karate.

[G.R.]

or Canoe or English Leather
probably was the car though--
when I was in HS even the rich nerds driving their daddy provided "hot" new/newer Chevys, Fords, Dodges and all seemed to get the good lookin' girls--for awhile

[Rick Yeager]

One year for Christmas, I was given both Hai Karate and something called "007." I cannot remember which but one of them really stank. I was surprised than any one remembered Hai Karate. That came to mind when I typed the earlier post.

Rick

[terry lee]

Glad to see you back

Your stories always get my interest.

WELCOME HOME

TL