The Way We Were

[MrObsessive]

Okay, I know some of you will get a laugh out of this! I was over my Dad's house just a while ago and saw he had this pic on one of his tables that I thought was gone forever!

It's pic of my sister and I all dressed up which looks like it may have been for Easter or something. The pic was dated Easter 1968, which would have been correct as we're standing in front of my Mom's then new '68 Javelin which she had bought in October '67.

I would have been six years old (I was always a TALL kid) turning seven that October------My sister would have been four turning five that June.

Another reason I can remember the year is I didn't have eyeglasses as of yet-------------I remember getting glasses right around my seventh birthday. The yellow streak on the car door wasn't paint damage.....just the pic suffering the ravages of over 40 years!

All right-----here's the pic!

I remember another pic of us standing in front of my Dad's car, he had a 1960 Valiant at the time, but he can't find the pic at the moment. If he does, I gotta have that one as it's classic!

[roadhawg]

Cool pic, Bill. My sisters and I had to sort through my dads stuff earlier this year and found a box of old pics....we spent an entire evening just lookin' at 'em and reminiscing....way easy to get lost in those old pics! Good stuff!

[george 53]

Jeeze Bill, you were REALLY that small once??? Yer sis is a little cutie too! But I gotta say, I did like those years of Javelins. Heck I liked ALL the years of that marque. Them old pics really do bring back the memories,eh?

[Harry P.]

Well, it's a little better...

[Randy Kern]

;) Bill, that is priceless! Hey, you should be smiling like that for your avatar pic Snazzy dresser, too! That's another car you probably would want back, huh? Cool photo!

[cruz]

He looks like a little Denzel Washington in the movie American Gangster!!! Your little sister looks real cute too!!

[MrObsessive]

Yeah you never see Javelins on the road anymore George unless you go to a show and then they're not plentiful.

IIRC, that one had a six cylinder, and my Mom kept it until mid '69 when she got another Javelin. This one though had the SST package, potent 390 V8, auto, air, redline tires. I think she got rid of the first one because she said it kept stalling and the dealer gave her a real good trade on the '68.

She had that '69 for something like nine years or so when her then husband hated the car and traded in it for a '78 Grand Prix. What a piece of JUNK that one was!!

Thanks for touching that up Harry, that does look a bit better!

[MrObsessive]

;) Bill, that is priceless! Hey, you should be smiling like that for your avatar pic Snazzy dresser, too! That's another car you probably would want back, huh? Cool photo!

I want my very potent '69 AMX 390 back that I had to sell when I went in the Army!

[Eshaver]

Now Bill, lets re- visit the pictures of you an your sister while listening to Z Z Top singinging " Well dressed Man " ....................... very nice sir and thanks for sharing ! Ed Shaver

[Foxer]

So, you didn't get the 2 front teeth for Christmas? Well, some guy named Bill has a great thread going here on basic bodywork that might help with filling that hole.

Edited September 27, 2009 by Foxer

[BKIN10SECS]

"He looks like a little Denzel Washington in the movie American Gangster"

That has to be the most funniest thing I have ever read in this forum.....spot on Cruz. You know we just kidding Frank......I mean Bill

[FloridaBoy]

Wow, Bill, nice picture. Really takes us back.

Memory: I was 22 back in 69, and surfing my brains loose, and downturning my model car building then, as contests and clubs were on the wane down here, and the "short board" revolution in surfing had taken a strong position, and the sport was 100x more exciting. Down here, Wierd-Oh's and Funny Cars were what everyone built, and the most popular it seemed were the MPC Funny Cars with dealer promo bodies, and the same Logghe frame/chassis for every car. Real cheap.

My style of model cars were fast becoming dinosaurs, as no one customized model cars, and the street rods had so much garish features, I was beginning to be turned off. When the surf went down, I played tennis, and only worked on my cars a little anyway. I was going to junior college, chasing women, holding a full time job at a battery manufactuer to pay bills, and pay for my own tuition. I did it, and still don't know how. Gas was way under a dollar per gallon. Model cars were about 2 bucks, and it seemed every hobby shop, five and dime, and drug store had a bunch of kits and basic supplies.

Finally I caved in and started building some funnies, none of which I kept, as they were among the worst models I ever made.

That's is when I started traveling around the US in search of "the perfect wave" for me, as model car building gave me skills in fiberglass and techniques to drive myself around, surf a little, play tennis a little, and work at various jobs related to both.

Those were the days, my friend, we'd thought they'd never end, we'd sing and dance for every day and day........

Thanks for rekindling those golden memories.

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

[PatRedmond]

Great pic, Bill.

Here's me, the little guy in the striped shirt peering out through the seats of a Beetle in the mid 60's.

[BigGary]

Bill,

I see that maturity came along, in at least one sense, you grew face hair! Funny how you don't look that much different now, except now you have teeth!

Gary

[george 53]

Bill,

I see that maturity came along, in at least one sense, you grew face hair! Funny how you don't look that much different now, except now you have teeth!

Gary

Gary, yeah, that an the fact he's now about 6'4 an 225 lbs, an he can EASILY palm a basketball!!! My how WE ALL have changed!!!

[Jairus]

Well, it's a little better...

Harry, now put Bill's teeth back!

[Peter Lombardo]

Great picture Bill.

I wish I had shots taken around the cars we had when I was a kid. My older brother's first car was a 1949 Mercury Coupe....I would kill to have that car now....it was a nice stock car, flat head V8, column 3 speed and light green paint...he used to let me drive it up and down the driveway. He paid $150 for it, sold two years later for $150....not bad. What would that car be worth today assuming it was in good shape....certainly more than $150.

When the AMT 49 Merc (same kit you are doing your "slow" build on) came out, I built it as a copy of the car my brother had...I entered it into a local model contest at Richies Hobby Shop in Caldwell, NJ...it won 1st place for best paint. It was my pride and joy for the next few years...than in 1965 or so I discovered real cars, young ladies....and than beer....model building took a 10 year hiatus’. I am sure that is not different than what most of us guys lived through.

Anyway, great picture, nice to remember a simpler time...not as many cares and woa's.

I remember those Javelin's...they were some nice cars....just another manufacturer that fell by the wayside of the American Highway....there are far more dead auto marques out there than alive, and that number will continue to grow. We know what you're up to these days, what is your sister up to?

[MikeMc]

Harry, now put Bill's teeth back!

When did he get them????

or

Did Bill ever have them????

NO I will not post that picture of the Red and White striped seersucker jacket!!!!!

Edited September 28, 2009 by MikeMc

[MrObsessive]

I remember those Javelin's...they were some nice cars....just another manufacturer that fell by the wayside of the American Highway....there are far more dead auto marques out there than alive, and that number will continue to grow. We know what you're up to these days, what is your sister up to?

Peter my sister is now 46 and has three grandchildren!

She lives in N.C. and works out of her home. If you saw her, you'd definitely recognize her from the pic.

Yeah, it's a shame what happened to AMC........they were a little late with their "pony cars", and a little too ahead of time with the Pacer and Gremlin. I absolutely loved my '69 AMX when I owned it.........not too many cars could outrun it except for the occasional 427 'Vette or believe it or not, a Grand National GNX!

Bill,

I see that maturity came along, in at least one sense, you grew face hair! Funny how you don't look that much different now, except now you have teeth!

Gary

Gary, actually my two front teeth are gone again as I had to have them pulled (along with three others) last year. So if I don't have my partial in, things haven't changed much, 'cept I have to shave maybe once a day to keep the wiry beard away!