When
did this love affair really began I thought!
Am I
guilty of cheating !!
Guaranteed
it wasn’t
my first vehicle, but this is where it first started
Actually
my Dad was a Buick lover and for my first stab at a good used car was
non- other than a 1950’s
something Buick, after all he knew the manager at the Bay Ridge Dealship
in Brooklyn. So that early spring Saturday afternoon I sat down with
my Dad, and he said let’s
see if we can’t get you a
deal on a used car today So off we went to visit the Buick
dealership. As we pulled into the parking lot there was this slightly
built gentleman stood by the front door with an ear to ear smile on
his face and greeted my Dad and Introduced himself to me, Hi I’m
Dominic your Dad’s
personal Buick salesmen, nice to meet you Robert. Let me shake your
hand and see what we can do for your son today. He smiled at my Dad
as we all walked over to the Buick used car lot.
A
half hour later and $700.00 carefully spent, we were on our way back
home with my Dad leading the way in his shiny Robinegg Blue car. And
I was following in that recently acquired used 2-door Buick Special
and nervously tagging behind him.
I
think it was love at first sight
One
big giant step some years later my friends and I decided to take a
walk along one of the main avenues in our neighborhood in BayRidge.
That summer evening was bathed in salt air coming off Coney Island
beaches. There we were checking out the girls, stopping for a Good
Humor
ice pop along the way on that Saturday night in July back in
the sixty’s.
To
make this weekend venture complete as always was to mozy over to one
of the car dealerships and gaze at the many dazzling new chrome
killers lined up in a row behind those giant picture glass windows.
Those sleek cars in the show room windows wow! These women catchers
that we couldn’t
naturally afford. Tonight it was the Chrysler Showroom’s
front window. There was this black brute. resting on a rotating
pedestal, with ceiling spot lights bouncing off her stream like
design with those high finned body ready to capture the road.
WOW!
I know it was love at first sight but I also knew she was
unattainable then.
You
have to place yourself back in 1960 when you could buy a new car for
about $1,900.00. This
piece of dynamic steel had a sticker MSLP of $5,700.00.
That
could have been your down payment on a house back then, but looking
and hoping doesn’t cost
you a red dime. Maybe just maybe someday you’ll
be mine, I thought to myself.
I
guess you got to crawl before you take that giant step…
In
today’s world we all own
family cars, but the fun is top draw when you’re
sitting first seat and piloting that one car that grips you with
those memories of that bygone era of chrome, powerful designs.
Married with horse power in the renaissance of the automobile history
and that’s
my 300G…
Over
the years I began to collect auto magazines that would feature the 61
300G.
Each
with a history, combined with colorful powerful stories such as
NASCAR or having it become the official Chace car for the New Jersey
State Police and that was the fuel to ignite the embers and fired me
up to really get the show on the road.
To
add to my now growing interest was collecting magazines that
specialized in letter cars such as The Classic Car, Automobile
Magazine, and one of my all-time favorites was Photo Stat. Which
devoted the entire issue to these letter cars, especially the
300G.and all of its interesting history.
As
my library grew that featured the 1961 Chrysler 300G, so was the
crowded shelf where they all lived. To add to that group was Hemming
Motor News issues.
As
a subscriber I was able to purchase original Chrysler Auto dealership
catalogs used to promote one of last of the fin cars the 300G
A
good friend and neighbor of mine Peter and a member of that great
vintage car club
The
Rusty Restores here in New Jersey mentioned to me that there is a
club magazine devoted to the letter cars
it was The Chrysler
International 300 Club, I became a regular subscriber, even though I
did not have a letter car at the time.
As
each issue arrived I would carefully go through the For Sale of car
ads.
Then
back in the early 90’S my
eyes narrowed in one particular Ad.
Which
had all the makings of what I always dreamed of, “1961
Black 2-Door HT 300G”.
This
car was located in Mass. I contacted the owner and after several
phone calls, of which he supplied me with a series of pictures, I
knew he who hesitates is lost, so I made him an offer he couldn’t
refuse. He sent me directions to where we would meet and I used Lenox
Towing flatbed to bring her on board to tow her back to New Jersey.
At
that time my company was still actively based at Teterboro Airport in
New Jersey. I
contacted Bill the owner of Lenox Towing. We used this company
because if any Jet happened
to skid off the runway. He had the smarts to gently handle these
million dollar aircraft and so I knew he would be the guy to
carefully bring my treasure safely home to New Jersey.
As
we approached the Tappan Zee Bridge, he slowly exited 95 South and
drove into a parking area. Got out of the cab and said,”
before this flight ends I’ve
got to record this Black Beauty, with those fins he said that could
reach the moon. He pulled out of his canvas bag a 35mm Minolta and
began to photograph my 300G from every angle. This six foot giant
danced around his flatbed truck like a crime photographer, what a
sight I’ll never forget.
Smiling… Bill said to me when its road ready, pick me up and
we will go for a ride, maybe a real long ride Hager !
HOME…
HOME AT LAST
ROUGH
AROUND THE EDGES….. The restoration begins, only time will
tell
Before
finalizing the purchase that day. I really took the time to kick the
tires. Body wise the car was really in good shape even all of the
chrome was outstanding.
Naturally
I knew that from under the hood forward to aft was to be something of
a step by step process and the length of time would have no
boundaries.
I
really never knew what the final pages of this once in a life time
adventure were to finally spell out, time to really flip the pages
for finding NOS parts, to searching for items that may no longer be
available. Someone once jokingly said it’s
like treasure hunting and at the end of the tunnel who says you’re
going to find what you’re
searching for, and so the next chapter is about to be written.
For
this sixty year old charmer its going about meeting so many new
people along the way, plus communicating with some of the members
within the 300 Club, that are always there to help you.
From
day one it has been a great trip that had so many avenues to drive
through. There
were new friendships cultivated searching for NOS parts. Great
advice from club members like Don Verity, to help locate parts and
pieces for hard to find parts. And always with satisfying success
when another piece of the puzzle was solved, not to mention Bob
Merritt’s advice, as well
as Andy asking to write this story
about the journey I’ve
been through owning my automobile.
When
the time was right I left the smell of jet fuel at Teterboro Airport
and started by
Own
business, American Restorations Unlimited, ta, which evolved into a
manufactures Rep for classic vehicles which boosted my capability to achieve my
restoration of my 300G “S
rebirth.
For
those like myself who had experienced so many restoration ups and
downs lucky there were more ups than downs.
When
we were trying to find a pinion gasket for the Deferential, I located
an NOS one with a leather gasket, small but a great find. This NOS
oil pump still in the manufacturer’s
original Box, now living in my car, what a home run that was.
Again
to the rescue my buddy Pete introduced me to a company located nearby
and Steve
the owner had a 1960 DeSoto; loved MOPARS helped me to complete the
restoration from every corner of my car.The bottom line was all of
the mechanical rough edges which were once major challenges were now
replaced with all correct parts. He
is a great find and someone I will continue to rely on to keep my 61
on the road.
From
Rags to Riches
I was
very fortunate to find a company that would do the restoration;
Coachworks, located In Garfield, New Jersey. Seeing them start with a
total train wreck and slowly and lovingly restore the interior to a
wow! From the polished chrome to the magnificent leather seats and
totally rebuilding it from an ugly duckling to this brand new
finished product that one could imagine its 1961 all over again. And
believe it or not they even sprayed it with the new car aroma. This
the final completion for my Sunday driver.
First
Prize… The End of the Rainbow
The
annual show was finally here again at the Bergen Community College
parking area. As the long lines of classic cars and trucks began to
file into one of North Jersey’s
most attended auto shows, hosting hundreds of these classic beauties
in a day long pride of Americana. As the crowds swelled with
families, plus would be new owners looking and possibly wishing they
could own one of these. Many of the participants were explaining the
virtues of their cars and trucks to the many great people enjoying
our heritage. As the morning went into the late afternoon judges of
the Rusty Restores start to make the rounds to single out the
categories of a car or trucks who shall receive awards.
To end
that day was without a doubt the zenith my scenario. I was totally
unaware that my Black 1961G was awarded first prize as the rarest and
original vehicle attending the show. The award was sponsored the
Upper Saddle River fire department. “EDWARD
G. ANTONELLI Memorial award”,
sits proudly on my shelf balancing my library of the letter cars. The
part of this story I was not expecting and was totally blown away,
especially when I was asked to lead the parade of winners.
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