MAY 26 STAR OF THE WEEK: A ’29 FORD HI-BOY IN DISTRESS…OR NOT
Last week’s Star of the Week was a ’55 Chevy on the side of the road because old rides in distress are a gut level issue with car guys.
Males are often accused of having no empathy and that might be true for Valentine’s Day and wedding anniversaries…but we crumble when an old ride is in distress.
Those of you who have been stuck by the side of the road with the hood up on a ’53 Nash know that other car guys will swerve across five lanes of traffic and cut off a police car to help.
It’s the automotive equivalent of a beautiful blonde hitchhiker in a short skirt.
This ’29 Ford hi-boy MSCC Star of the Week was sitting on a bike lane beside a busy road a few days ago and the only natural response was to make a U-turn and offer to help.
This Star of the Week had a happy ending because it was a simple case of bad gas and a flathead motor plus the guy driving it has forgotten more about cars than 99% of the general population knows in total.
To prove it, here’s a look back at the April 2012 MSCC story behind this ’29 Ford.
MAY 25 MSCC STAR OF THE DAY: A VETTE AND A WARM SPRING NIGHT-THE PERFECT COMBINATION
The classic 60s Corvette is one of the most recognizable cars on the planet. That’s why this picture from a few days ago defined a perfect night for a car guy.
The scenario was simple…late spring on a warm night with fairly light traffic and this Vette suddenly appeared from behind a big truck and an SUV.
That was a Star of the Day moment.
The only thing that would have made it better-be the guy behind the wheel.
MAY 24 STAR OF THE DAY: THE RAIN, THE PARKING AND LOT AND THE ’28 FORD
Anyone who has organized an outdoor car show knows one thing…never get the rain gods angry.
Unless you’re hosting a mud bog championship.
The key to any successful show is a warm, but not smoking hot sunny day with zero chance of rain. Cars run better and so do people when the weather gods deliver a perfect day for a show.
It’s like an automotive version of Camelot.
Yesterday wasn’t one of those perfect days in Camelot because it was cold, dark, windy and raining. Despite the adverse conditions, some cars guys are hardcore.This Star of the Day ’28 Ford is clear evidence that the owner lives by the window sticker on this classic rod.
“If you see this car on a trailer, call the police because it’s been stolen”.
MAY 23 STAR OF THE DAY: 1ST AND 2ND GEN CAMAROS DEFINE A CLASSIC
The Chevy Camaro got to the Pony Car wars a little late but it arrived in style in ’67.
The Camaro achieved instant status as an automotive icon in an era when “tuning in, turning on and dropping out” became a hippie battle cry.
These two 1st and 2nd Gen Camaros were at a show last week where they posed side by side to underscore the evolution of the Camaro from the flower power 60s to the me decade 70s.
That was an MSCC Star of the Day moment.
MAY 22 STAR OF THE DAY: MERCURY CYCLONE-THEY DON’T HAVE COOL NAMES LIKE THAT ANYMORE
The Mercury Cyclone was born in ’64 and the name stuck until the 70s. The name came from an automotive era when the label was the key to sales.
If you bought a Mercury Cyclone you knew what to expect…it wasn’t called the Mercury “Gentle Breeze”.
The Cyclone came from an era known for cool names Marauders, Furys, Chargers, Barracudas and Cobras-the streets were a bar room brawl and only the strong survived.
This Star of the Day Cyclone came from the tail end of the era but it was still a big presence at a show last week.
MAY 21 MSCC STAR OF THE DAY: WHAT’S BETTER THAN A ’70 CHARGER IN TRAFFIC? TWO ’70 CHARGERS…
Have you ever headed out in traffic and been inundated with the tidal wave of boring that passes for a modern car?
They all seem to be silver or white and there’s no way you can even decipher country of origin, let alone year, make or model.
The nameplates don’t even give you a clue because a tipped over “H” is a Hyundai and a vertical “H” is a Honda.
No wonder crime victims always give vague description of criminal’s vehicles.
Fortunately you get days like yesterday when these two ’70 Chargers brightened up a long line of traffic. One ’70 Charger would have been enough for Star of the Day but two were magic…
MAY 20 STAR OF THE DAY: ’52 MERC-GOLD AT THE END OF THE TREASURE HUNT
The old car hobby is based on a series of hot tips and blind leads that send guys on automotive treasure hunts.
Someone, somewhere has their 2nd cousin’s “old car” on their property and eventually this leads to the coconut telegraph that connects car guys all over the world.
If the source is a legitimate car guy then you’ll get accurate, useful and insightful information about the old iron in question.
If the car in question is a ’57 Packard and a car guy tells you about it, then you will see a ’57 Packard.
If the source isn’t a car guy then you’ll probably see a ’75 Impala.
The source for this Star of the Day ’52 Mercury was a car guy, so the car in question was a ’52 Mercury-gold at the end of a treasure hunt.
Jerry Sutherland
For past Stars of the Day please follow this link.