Cars from 1948: a very good year?

A 1948 Chevy Fleetmaster. My family had one of these, but not the convertible.
A 1948 Oldsmobile -- beautiful red color!
a 1948 Buick. A nice, unusual color and interior
1948 Cadillac. Wouldn't you like to drive this on Route 66?
A 1948 Ford. My mother and father-in-law had one of these.

A Plymouth convertible, like in "Karate Kid 1." Wax on, and wax off.

Desoto. My aunt Rose had a 1948 DeSoto sedan.
The Classic Chrysler Town and Country
1948 "Pregnant Elephant" Packard

Hi folks -- June is birthday month for me, and so I thought I would post photos of convertible automobiles that were made the year I was born. Detroit was slow to convert from wartime to peacetime, and thus autos of that year normally were slightly modified designs going back to 1941, before the U.S. entered the war. Cars were hard to find in those years immediately after the war, as there was material shortages, and far more buyers than cars for sale. Waht did American troops fight for in WWII? In large part freedom, and freedom was best expressed in the cars that were driven after the war was won.

Eddie's New Ride: Anniversary Silver Audi A5

This is a nice car! it better be, at $43 k! Ed Garten came by today to show me his newest acquisition, taking the place of his Volvo C30 and Pontiac Solstice GXP. Fit and finish tops on this car, inside and out. Special anniversary silver paint. Turbocharged 4 cylinder and 6 speed.
Audi Ingolstadt makes great cars. Back in 2009 I visited the factory, and wish Ed could have experienced a lunch at the factory and museum restaurant followed by a personal pick up. I hope he gets to the birthplace of his car in the next few years.

The electronic controls on this car stagger someone like myself who continues to drive older cars. Germans love complexity, and this Audi A5 is a typical example. So many menus on the dash you need to be pretty smart driving one of these. No hope for a Bevis and Butthead to get behind the wheel, I guess!

Joy Ride: An Auto Theft (1976)

The Film Archive: Joy Ride: An Auto Theft (1976): "This cautionary tale was aimed towards young, thrill-seeking teens. " So the introduction to this film goes.

I need to spend a bit more time with this educational film, but here are some initial observations. First, those two boys need haircuts! Seriously, supposedly this film it was based on a real-life incident in which three teens were killed and one, the girl Vicki, was left paralyzed. The film's lack of realism might just have done the opposite of the writer, producer and director's intentions, however. Is it boredom and wanting girls that are the primary motives behind young people joyriding? is it opportunity? These kids were from the middle class. If the cars were not so readily availble would they still want to steal a car? Is it socioeconomic background? Do educational films work with young people? Sometimes I wonder.

The Vocabluary of a Car Thief, 1930

Hi folks -- there are a number of sources that describe the various words taht car thieves used in the past. What follows is taken from a 1930 paper on the subject, that I found sort of amusing.

Automobile Thieves Vocabulary

Bent -- stolen

Bent one -- a stolen car.

B.I. -- a Buick.

Breezer -- an open car; a touring car.

Caddy -- a Cadillac.

Clean one -- a motor car from which thieves have (or think they have) erased all identifying numbers.

Consent job -- an automobile stolen with the consent of the owner, who will collect insurance and not prosecute the thieves.

Coop -- a coupe'.

Dauber -- a motor-car painter who does hurried jobs for thieves.

Dog-house -- a small garage rented from a householder in a residence district, used for the safe storing of a stolen car for a few days till it can be disposed of.

Ducker -- a Dodge car.

Front room -- a sedan or limousine.

Golfer -- the same as a Caddy.

Gravy -- easy profit.

Hit one -- a car stolen within the previous twenty four hours, the loss of which has perhaps been reported to the police.

Hudson pup. -- an Essex car.

Kinky, adj. -- stolen. The same as bent.

Kinky, noun. -- a stolen car. The same as bent one.

Overnight job -- a car stolen from the previous evening and probably not yet reported to the police as lost.

Owners job-- the same as consent job.

Papa -- a Lincoln car.

Right Guy -- a dealer who buys stolen cars.

Send to school -- send to the state penitentiary.

Shed -- a closed car.

Slicker -- a stolen car newly painted.

Smacker -- a dollar.

Spider -- a Ford car.

Stranger -- a car stolen at some distant point.

Studie -- a Studebaker car.

A proverb -- Never steal anything you can't sell right away.[1]

---

[1] Atcheson L. Hench, "From the Vocabulary of Automobile Thieves," American Speech, 5(February, 1930), 236-7.

Are You Ambitious? Some Project Cars, for Sale at the Cars and parts Swap Meet in Springfield, OH

A 1950 Chevy Panel Truck. I hope you have a good set of tools!

And metric tools at that! The rear bumper was lying on the ground on this gem.
A 1956 Mercury. With motor.
This is a 1953 Buick/ Can't you tell?
I am not a truck person. As a project, it would take an entire retirement!
A 1948 Chevy in Need of Some TLC


Hi folks -- back in the groove, sort of. I went to the Semi-annual Cars and Parts Swap Meet and Show yesterday at the Springfield Fairgrounds. With all the rain we have had, there was plenty of opportunity to park in the mud. Many cars for sale, and the parts vendors were plentiful, although mostly Ford and GM parts for sale. Few foreign cars to say the least. Junk galore here. Above are some photos of car and truck projects that would surely destroy your pocketbook and soul. Do not even think about it!

Back in Dayton, Ohio. Friday Night Cruise-In, Beavercreek, May 27

Hi folks -- returned to Centerville last Monday, only to be greeted with a lawn that needed to be mowed, and lawn mower that needed servicing, rain every day, and a hailstorm on Wednesday night. I sure miss Lisa, Tony, SD and Coronado!

So I went to the Friday night Cruise-In, now at I-675 and US 35. It was a gray and chilly night, and not that many cars were there. Here are some of them, however, the ones I found most interesting.

Nissan GTR R35 With New Rims And Some New Parts

Here Are some pictures with the