My dad had a black ‘53 Buick Special coupe with a red interior and chrome that went on forever. It had four ventiports on each flank as it was equipped with the stright-eight. As an eight-year-old boy, I cried when he sold it in 1963.

In and around NYC the prime candidate car to recieve this treatment believe it or not is an MB CLS, and BTW I have also seen a CLS or two with a landau “ragtop”

Now I know what that stupid looking thin rectanglar 4 box strip was on the fenders of 1970s & 80s Buicks. My friends “Duce and a Quarter” Electra had these things on it. We would have never guessed that they were supposed to represent exhaust ports.

We’ll know that the Accord has well and truly woven itself into the midwest culture when someone spots one with an aftermarket fabric roof. Paul, keep your eye out for that.

Apropos of nothing much, I saw a Mercury Montego with a fabric roof and a gold badge on the C-pillar yesterday. Driven by a woman of a certain age. I too wait for the day when Landau-ism blights an Accord.

Speaking of bullet holes, I had a real one in the door of my ‘77 Corolla after there was a police chase through my old neighborhood in DC many years ago. I loved having it, but after several years the safety inspection people decided to flex their bureaucratic muscles and made me get it fixed. My body shop guy felt my pain.

Now, That’s a road!! I am keeping a folder of great driving roads for a future cross country trip. Thanks for the added road!

Great article, as always Paul.

There are many of these stick on vent holes on old beater cars around here. The morons who do this have no idea that it’s a Buick styling cue.

Rollerskate cars are what I call the cars with the widened axles and widened tires that stick out from the fenders as much as six inches. Often accompanied by a high-pitched high RPM engine whine, the low profile and out-of-balance tires sticking out look like trick rollerskates (before inline skates), hence the name…

Paul, another STRONGLY recommended fun drive in the region is (paved!) Forest Service Road 25, which twists and turns north from the Columbia River between Mt Adams and Mt. St. Helens. It is only open in Summer… likely closed until mid-June. Be prepared to have a blast tugging the wheel back and forth endlessly as the road climbs and falls, while also going left and right. This is an awesome driver’s road. It has some frost heaves that lie in the altitude zone where the freezing level rises and falls all winter (1000′ to 2500′) so be prepared to lose some metal off the lowest portion of your car (see my latest post on my website for pics of my shaved off parts from my last trip in this road!) Don’t forget the side trip up to the viewpoint on Windy Ridge to see the blast zone from the 1980 eruption. Don’t drive this road without a stick shift, or you will be missing all the fun.

I could (should!) write a book about the great roads of the Pacific Northwest.

–chuck
http://chuck.goolsbee.org

In the rush of packing, the camera was left behind. The image above is from a real Lucerne. BTW, the Accord had the six portholes of a V6 Lucerne, not the eight as above.