Duane- thank you for the very detailed reply. So interesting to me. Love the history of these cars. And I can relate to the scars, while restoring my car.
You almost have to play detective with this type of thing and use deductive reasoning to figure things out. I had to use the same type of thing regarding the hardware on my Victorian house. I had some of the hardware but a lot was missing, so I took some of the original pieces, along with tracings of the screw holes in the doors/windows etc, to a guy that sells original antique hardware. He was able to tell me the manufacturer and pattern of the designed hardware for our house and sell me a few pieces. He was also helpful with finding an old catalogue from the 1880’s that showed all the hardware that company was selling. By matching up the screw holes “scars” I was able to figure out which pieces were used at each location. Then the hunt was on to find them. It took 30 years to get everything but now the house is finally going together and the main body of the house will have all it’s original hardware. Duane
Duane- trying not to get off track. But isn’t that part of the fun? Never would I have met Denny Manner, Spence Lion, Pete and Don Reynolds, You. And a whole bunch more great people.
Jim Bell told me they beat the frame in with a sludge hammer and rolled the lip with literally a baseball bat to fit the rather large slicks.. And it shows. Think I have shown pics of that here in the past.
Thank you, Duane, what I always enjoy about your posts, we all get a Buick history lesson. Here's my clone of a Baldwin Motion Vette back in my early twenties. VET
Thanks Guy for the appreciation on my old Corvette. Also thank you mentioning my military service. VET (Go Navy) FYI: My Dad was career Army, 32 years.
Wow, you have too be VERY good to reach the rank of Master Chief. I spent 7 years in the Navy and was able to reach Petty Officer First Class and the Lead in the machine shop. I was a Machinery Repairman. I've been on 4 Ships and my first one was the USS Essex, it too was an Aircraft carrier. A very old WWII type, but it road the oceans like a Cadillac.lol FYI: The Big-E was the fastest ship in the Navy, it's a Nuclear powered ship. The speed was classified, I heard it could do 50 knots. That is super fast.
Uncle Richard was a career man, retired with 20 years. He was a tobacco and Christmas tree farmer in North Carolina, and was a very handy, smart and capable fellow. Patrick
Some may know. My father was an army went through Ranger training. Wounded then captured in the Battle Of The Bulge by the Nazi’s when he and his buddies ran out of ammunition. His buddies didn’t make. He went in p.o.w. Weighing 189 lbs and liberated 3 months later weighing 87 lbs. God rest his sole.
My father is also from North Carolina, Durham. He used to tell me how his folks and uncles worked the tobacco farms. My father too was handy at a lot of different things. They didn't have the money to hire someone to service their needs, all their homes were built by the family folks. They dug their own wells and knew how to use dynamite to blast out the huge boulders. Wish I could have seen that. I'am not sure I would've like to do the hard labor they went through.lol VET
Guy, that's an amazing story of survival. Your Dad when through held and back. My father too was in WWII, but on the Japan side of the war. He's been in the Korean conflict, they call it. He even went to Vietnam in my senior year of high school in 1968. Right after I graduated school, I went into the Navy. He inserted I not go into the Army or Marines. He didn't want me to get killed, because if I did, Mom would kill him lol. She was a woman you didn't want to mess with. VET
Korean conflict. Government at its best . Didn’t mention. My father was highly decorated as well. Middle eastern medals, bronze star and such. Of course Purple Heart…just lots. Very patriotic. We had a flag pole in our yard growing up. He would be out at sunrise to fly it…along with a solute. And take it down just before sunset. With a solute. On the ground and ocean military gets my full respect. Oh, my dads dad navy in WWI, dads brother. Korean War…oops conflict. Submariner. Again, thank you for your service. It never goes unnoticed.
Guy, than you very much. My grandfather was in WWI also. His family are Germans, came to America after the Civil War, I think around 1898 and settled in Wilmington N.C. When WWI broke out, my grandfather was just the right age to inter the War. Always wondered if it bothered him to fight against his people, heritage and culture? He still spoke German until he died. Very nice man who owned the first Semi engine repair machine shop I town. VET
Vet- your family history is amazing. And that I love. Family history. My grandparents on mother’s side were Polish. Came over with there 13 of 14 children through the Statue of Liberty as immigrants. Right before WawII started and the Nazi’s invaded Poland. They knew what was coming. They had to leave one of their then 12 year old son…he was ill. He made it through the war somehow and was reunited in early 1950’s. Mom’s maiden name is Polka. How Polish is that!
Guy, you have an amazing family history too. If I had 13 or 14 kids, I would jump overboard from my ship . Think on my Moms German side. They came with 6 children to the U.S. They didn't come the New York way, they came to the coast of NC. I just remembered something. The County they live in is called New Hanover. There is a Hanover Germany and it's also on a coast line. In fact, I read a book about New Hanover, settled by Germans and in church they only spoke German. When WWII broke out, they decided they should do the sermon in English. Ya, I wonder why. Lol
