#CarCollector'sCorner

We ran into Darryl de Souza and his 1962 Mercury Monterey at many car events this past summer. The two constant companions every time were his donkey hood ornament and his prehistoric man skull replica. On more than one occasion, there also was Darryl’s most important companion: His wife.

If you want to see a 1910 Franklin up-close and personal, you would usually have to look in a museum. Dave Cruickshank doesn’t believe that 102-year-old cars belong in museums. They belong on the street because as Dave says, “If you own them you should drive them.”

Spotting old cars is like an addiction for car guys. That’s why this giant sized 1960 Chevy limousine had a group of guys around it even though a wedding reception was underway next door. The good news is that everybody found their correct seats before the respective festivities began. There were anecdotes about guys being dragged away by their ears.

This Studebaker is a good example of patience in a search for a rare car. Howard is a huge fan of the 53-64 Studebaker. and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow was this 1961 model.

As he said, “I’ve wanted one since I was 12 years old”.

Gary Osbal’s grandfather purchased this brand new 1964 Valiant at a local Chrysler dealership. It was his last car. This is a barebones, radio delete, three on the tree 6 cylinder “stripper” car.

Grandpa was a practical man and this was a practical car, so he drove it until he was 80 years old.

Jason Cole acquired this classic Olds muscle car the old fashioned way. He horse-traded for it. In this case, the “horse” was a well-optioned 30-foot travel trailer, but the net result was simple.

Les is no rarity in the car world. He is a typical “get your hands dirty” kind of a guy. The rare part is the car he chose.

This may very well be the nicest 1973 Datsun 510 in existence. The Datsun 510 was a mechanically bulletproof car. You could argue that it lead the charge in the Japanese invasion of the North American market. Despite their reliability, Datsuns were disposable cars.

That’s why this museum caliber 18,000 documented miles 510 is so rare.

Most car guys are well aware of the extraordinary sales pitch required to sell a spouse on a car project.

The term “eternal enemies” has been used many times to define the battle between wives with no sense of humor on one side and guys with old cars on the other side.

This incredibly rare 1939 Rolls Royce Wraith was one of those sporadic cases where the bride actually ordered her husband to build a car.

Chuck Grote is a true old school hot rodder. He comes from a world where a group of guys could take a stock Anglia with a sewing machine motor on Friday night and have a hot rod with a big block Buick ready to drive to work on Monday morning.

Maybe it would have a throttle cable snaked through a hole in the firewall, but you had to be able to drive that monster to work. If you couldn’t do that then technically you failed the test.

No excuses.

1966 Dodge Coronets never were the most aerodynamic vehicles ever built. The nickname “shoebox” stuck to them like a drunk sticks to an open bar.

These Dodge Coronets were sensible vehicles that Dad drove because they were functional, practical and affordable. Every adjective that kids hated when it came to cars.

Then Chrysler stuck a NASCAR 426 Hemi in the shoebox and the magic began on the streets. The “Street Hemis” turned the shoeboxes into blunt trauma missiles.

Most car guys look back over many years with fondness at their favorite misspent youth car. Roger Ward just looks in his garage. Unfortunately, a favorite car is usually found in an out of focus, badly faded photograph-at best.

But Roger Ward clung to his family-owned 1948 Hudson like grim death, and he still owns it well over 40 years later.

Like most car guys, Wayne Cooper always had one particular “must have” car on his wish list. Most guys have familiar names like Corvettes, Challengers, or Mustangs on their lists.

Not Wayne. His all time chart topping car was a 1979 Lincoln Mark V (Collector Series).

Everybody has a favorite car in his or her dreams, but Jim Adams has a favorite big block engine to add to his dreams.

Darcy Snider inherited a fair amount of money from his grandmother, but he doubts very much that she would appreciate how he spent her hard-earned cash.

Darcy is a hardcore car guy. His natural instinct kicked in and he invested in this rare 1984 W-40 Hurst Olds.