Wednesday, March 21, 2012

What's at Willie's

I hadn't been by Willie's in a while. I knew there was cool stuff there, but each time I was in the neighborhood, I was either on a mission or I had somewhere to be. Finally, I just made the time and drove over. I wasn't disappointed.


 A 1939 Buick Century. complete with dual side-mounted spare tires and covers. I believe that this car was here for a pre-buy inspection, always a good idea when purchasing a used car, especially one that is 73 years old. I'm looking to buy a used Toyota Camry, I'll probably have Willie take a look at it before I sign  Ya just never know.


I'm not sure, but I think Wayne Carini would probably call this car a survivor, one that has managed to live a long time without being restored. It appears to have the original paint and running gear, although the interior seems to have been replaced. It's straight and unique and I like the lines of it.


It drives, I kind of expected Vito Corleone to hop out of it as it pulled up.


I liked the badges and thought they enhanced the black and chrome that dominated the car.


The trim had a very art-deco feel.


As did the profile.


As someone who used to cut people out of mangled cars for a living, I couldn't help but notice the lack of padding on the steering wheel and dash. I don't remember seeing seat belts either. I'm guessing intrusion wasn't as much of an issue as inertia vs. immovable objects.

I found this to be a nice pre-war car, one that would be fun to own and drive. I don't know whether it would be best to spend a bunch of cash to restore it, whether it would be better to leave it as is and store it or just drive it. Regardless, it will likely provide the new owner (assuming it changes hands) a great deal of pleasure. Just what it was designed to do.

As I've said before, there's always something cool at Willie's.


On this day, there were several cool things at Willie's. The Buick, an old Plymouth, a Kaiser and a '60s vintage Mustang. That's a sight that you don't see in many garages. You don't see too many floors that clean either.

Thanks to Willie for letting me hang out with my camera, thanks to you for reading,

Schmoe
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2 comments:

  1. Mad JackMarch 21, 2012 at 7:25 PM

    Oh HELL YES! Cars like that make me wish I was living in the 1940s or earlier. Ever notice how much room they had inside? And how the bench seats really would sit three in front and three in back? And how every make and model was notably different, especially compared to the soulless plastic skunk wagons we drive today that all look so much alike I have to memorize where I parked on I won't find my very own slice of heaven among all the other beige plastic boxes?

    And the trunk was really the trunk. Anyway, thanks for the photos.

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  2. Capt. SchmoeMarch 23, 2012 at 10:39 AM

    Mad Jack - Had the Buick not been there I would have shot the Kaiser visible in the last photo. As it was, I thought the Buick had far more character. The rear seat had 2-3 FEET of legroom, more than some standard limos of today.

    Thanks for the comment.

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