Fifty Plus (50+) - You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

Yesterday (Saturday), the weather forecast called for a cold front, scattered showers, and a north wind. Ol' Fuj and I still wanted to ride, but we reasoned that we should do an urban ride so that we could duck in somewhere if we got into a cool rain, and we figured that the outbound leg should be to the north. Slick and I are still getting accustomed to our respective idiosyncrasies, and he hasn't seen rain yet. Therefore, Fuj and I would do the ride.

We started out to the north with no particular destination in mind. There was a north wind that would make an America's Cup skipper proud. We struggled northward and decided to make a stop at the bike shop where we got Slick. We informed the proprietor/wrench that the 28t chain ring was working well and that there were no issues with it, perchance one of his customers might want to go that route at some point in time.

Given that downtown Rogers, AR was close by, we headed in that direction and happened upon a car show spread up and down the brick streets.

There were vehicles of many vintages from old to very recent. I shot the one's that might take some of back to our respective childhoods. To wit:

A nice '55 Chevy
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0347.jpg
We had one of these when I was a kid.

What appears to be a '65 Mustang
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0345.jpg

A '68 Chevelle SS/396
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0349.jpg
A friend of mine had one of these with a 4-speed manual when we were in college. He had fiddled with the engine, and it had explosive power. We were on the way back to college in his car after a weekend at home and were moving along at a right handsome clip, when we encountered an acquaintance of my friend ahead of us. My buddy, dropped down a gear, hit the gas, my head snapped back, and we made quick work of the acquaintance.

A nice '57 T-bird.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0354.jpg
For whatever reason, this one did not have the porthole windows. Seems like the car Suzanne Sommers was driving had the porthole windows.

And I think this was what DnvrFox drove when he was a kid.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0346.jpg
A 1911 T-Model

After loitering in the area for while, we remembered that the Daisy Museum was but a couple of blocks away. When I was coming up, just about every boy I knew had one form or another of a Daisy BB gun, and I was no different.

Here is a shot of the museum.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0351.jpg
For a connoisseur of BB guns, this place is a candy store. They have specimens of just about everything they ever made, and they still produce the (in)famous Red Rider Carbine of movie fame.

After wandering around, we decided to head out and ride a little more before we turned around the milk the tailwind home. Then, something caught my eye. I grabbed a nearby genuine Red Rider Carbine, planted myself in a pose, and asked a total stranger to shoot me. She was somewhat taken aback and summoned her husband to execute the photographic duties. The shot came out a little dark, but my older brother, who knows about such things, somehow brightened up the photo.

So, here we are. You'll shoot your eye out.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0352-1.jpg

I didn't notice "the lamp" until I was about ready to leave and thought I must have a shot.

Fuj and I logged 41 miles and lots of smiles. For once, the wind did not die or change directions. We had a great tailwind for the return leg and were able to cruise in the low to mid 20s, generally unheard of for us.

and i think this was what dnvrfox drove when he was a kid.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0346.jpg
a 1911 t-model



yes!!

I bought a new '68 Chevelle, it was a sexy looking car but was the worst pile of junk I've ever owned. Also had a Red Ryder BB gun back in the '50's. I still remember that rawhide lace that was tied to a small metal ring on the gun...never could figure out what function it had but it looked cool.

Somehow I didn't shoot anyone's eye out; guess my mom was wrong.:rolleyes:

As usual, nice ride report.

Yes, a photo to treasure. I had a Daisy carbine when I was a kid but I don't think it was a Red Rider. The diner I often eat breakfast at in the neighborhood has the leg lamp on a shelf with a certified Red Rider mounted on the wall next to it.

Oh my, guns and gas guzzlers! Not very PC.

terrific ride report. how creative. that last picture was the best. I got hooked by the 'shoot your eye out' tag line and glad I checked it out.

When I met my wife, she was driving a '69 Chevelle the same dark blue as your pic. Her car had a white vinal roof and a 307ci, auto on the column. She had wrecked it sometime before we met and I suspect all the replacement parts and fiberglass body filler was the main reason it didn't dis-integrate as fast as most late 60's cars did up here in the "Salt Belt", but eventually it did and we sent it on it's way to some eager teen.

No one got injured and I got a lot of use out of my "Red Rider", sigh.

Sounds like you had a great ride. Thanks for the report and the pics.

Wait a minute... my Chevelle was a '69 not a '68. Brain Fart.:rolleyes:

Wait a minute... my Chevelle was a '69 not a '68. Brain Fart.:rolleyes:

I had a 56 Thunderchicken - although I am barely old enough to have bought it new I stumpled across it in my teenage years - no drive train, just a body and interior. Shoe horned a Ford 390 and a BW T-10 tranny in her - man that thing would scoot. Sold it to pay for a year of college. Somehow I got the better deal out of that as I don't give a FF about cars these days.

I had a 56 Thunderchicken - although I am barely old enough to have bought it new I stumpled across it in my teenage years - no drive train, just a body and interior. Shoe horned a Ford 390 and a BW T-10 tranny in her - man that thing would scoot. Sold it to pay for a year of college. Somehow I got the better deal out of that as I don't give a FF about cars these days.
I never was much into cars but the woman I was married to at the time loved the Chevelle so we bought it. Got divorced in '70 and traded that POS in for a new VW Beetle. :rolleyes:

I keep a Daisy on the back porch for use as a training tool for stray cats.

Usually, I just lurk, but this report is so great I had to say something!

Don't you just hate it when you go to an antique car show and they're cars your family had when you were a kid!!!

Went to high school 60-64. I had friends with cars, but I didn't get one until junior year of college.

A friend had a corvette. I remember if he floored it, you could see the needle in the gas gauge move!

When I came home for the summer in 65, an on again off again girlfriend had a mustang, dark green, but otherwise like the one in the photo. She let me drive it. It had a 289 and it was very light. It was a challenge to give it little enough gas not to spin out when starting on a dirt road (I lived in Arizona).

Later, after I got married, we bought a 69 chevy malibu similar to the 68 chevelle in the photo. It had 350 cu in and a four barrel carburetor. I bought the shop manuals for it as well. I would read the manuals and compare they with my engine and they didn't agree. Eventually I figured out that my engine must have been one of the last ones built before new pollution regulations took effect. The only pollution control system on it was the PVC valve. It could get up and go. I did all my own work on it including a valve job at about 100,000 miles. (Took the heads off and took them to a shop for valve grinding and seating). Eventually gave up the ghost at about 170,000 miles. The engine was still going great, but the floor had rusted through and water would come in around the windshield, the seats were shedding stuffing and the headliner was flaking off!

I really did like that car!

- Ed

Edit: PS I forgot: one of my childhood friends did shoot his eye out with a BB gun!

I keep a Daisy on the back porch for use as a training tool for stray cats.

Not funny.

Usually, I just lurk, but this report is so great I had to say something!

Don't you just hate it when you go to an antique car show and they're cars your family had when you were a kid!!!

Went to high school 60-64. I had friends with cars, but I didn't get one until junior year of college.

A friend had a corvette. I remember if he floored it, you could see the needle in the gas gauge move!

When I came home for the summer in 65, an on again off again girlfriend had a mustang, dark green, but otherwise like the one in the photo. She let me drive it. It had a 289 and it was very light. It was a challenge to give it little enough gas not to spin out when starting on a dirt road (I lived in Arizona).

Later, after I got married, we bought a 69 chevy malibu similar to the 68 chevelle in the photo. It had 350 cu in and a four barrel carburetor. I bought the shop manuals for it as well. I would read the manuals and compare they with my engine and they didn't agree. Eventually I figured out that my engine must have been one of the last ones built before new pollution regulations took effect. The only pollution control system on it was the PVC valve. It could get up and go. I did all my own work on it including a valve job at about 100,000 miles. (Took the heads off and took them to a shop for valve grinding and seating). Eventually gave up the ghost at about 170,000 miles. The engine was still going great, but the floor had rusted through and water would come in around the windshield, the seats were shedding stuffing and the headliner was flaking off!

I really did like that car!

- Ed

Edit: PS I forgot: one of my childhood friends did shoot his eye out with a BB gun!

Sorry Groth.........when I see these cars, they remind me of cars that I had when I was an adult......:eek:

I especially miss my 69.5 Dodge Charger Daytona (mostly because of what an original would sell for at the auto auctions) There was absolutely no PC in that car......just mean. Est gas milage under 6mpg in town, verified (radar gun) top speed just over 158mph in showroom stock trim. Former user.....Rockingham International Raceway, as a pace car. It was a lot of fun.