DODGE CARGOVAN, 1989 V6, 3.0 litre, 3 speed auto. Acquired in '93 with 84,000 miles on it. April 2006 it's up to 170,000 miles.  I carry three mounted spares. It still gets 21 mpg.

ALLPAR A Layman's List of Practical Auto Resorces.

VEHICLES FORMERLY OWNED

List from most recently sold to my first car.

1978 Honda Civic, 3 speed, upgraded w 13 inch wheels, 'tweaked' engine. owned 1988- 2005.

'66 Mustang GT, bench seat, 289, C4 auto in May '75 in front of our Anaheim house, just about when we bought it. Owned '75-'91.

Porsche 356b, Super, coupe, 1963, nicknamed Ol'Never Paint on it's way to Port of Long Beach to be crated for shipment to Holland, March 1991. Click to enlarge.  Owned '70-'91
 

Sunbeam Alpine, 1964 with rare twin Zenith carbs, modified 1725 cc 1966 engine. Click here for some photos very similar to my Alpine 66 Mark V and Mark IV 1592cc. And the site The Sunbeam Alpine in Competition . Mine had wire wheels, a black viny top and of course not whitewalls. Owned '76 to '81.

Hillmans, 1961 Convertible, 1961 Sedan, (both with Easidrive Transmissions), For information on the '58-'67 years of Minx's go to this informative site What's a Hillman?  Sedan owned '71-'80, convertible '75-'80.
 

67 Dodge extended van, 318, auto in our driveway in Anaheim in about '75, spiffed up for sale. Click to enlarge. owned '67-'75
 

VW, 1964, ''64-'70

Ford Custom, 2 door, 1956, '63-'66

Hillman Minx Convertible, 1954, owned '63-'66

Morris Minor, 2 door, 1958, owned '60-'63

'56 Hillman Husky, (3 dr wagon), owned  '58-'63

'51 Hillman Minx Convertible , '56-'59    

Ford 4 door sedan, 1938, owned 1953 

Oldsmobile 4 door sedan, 1935, owned ''51-'53

1937 Chevrolet 4 door Master Deluxe sedan owned'49-'52. Pic is not of mine, which never had white walls nor was as pristine at this example in a car show.

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FURTHER DETAILS ON SOME OF THE ABOVE

Ford Custom, 2 door, 1956New in California in late fall 1963 I bought in Downey California a blue and white '56 Ford Custom 2.  The seller advised me to have the front end looked at and some tires replaced so I took it to a highly rated  alignment shop near Telegraph Rd I think in Whittier California. I had the guy put 'pinchers' on the front coils then got some new Goodyears in Anaheim with a slightly smaller size on the front.  It took an exchange of the rear tires to get the right 'body pitch' since back then 'ride height' was 'too adanced thinking' for tire salesmen.

At home I fitted dual exhausts exiting before the rear wheels. It had a column stick shift with a super 'high'  ratio geared rear end. I shocked many vettes from lights. The oil feed to the top end failed, a common occurrence on that engine, a 'Y" block V8. I had a 'dirt floor' mechanic rebuild it. One of those guys who would delay another week if you nagged him 'is it done yet?'. Two of my boys and some neighbor kids liked to go for an ice cream' since we could drag run rather freely back then in orange grove lined east Anaheim. They also liked the sound from the 'pipes', particularly before I fixed the hole in the muffler.  A famous run with the car was keeping ahead of a guy on a motorcyle on the twisty hills out to Irvine Park, with my two sons securely belted in the back seat. It was excellent for 'diving into' the apex of a curve and 'putting down the pedal coming out'.  We drove it with full family on board plus my mother and aunt to Ensenada, Baja California. The master cylinder got squishy there so I took it to the local Ford place. The mechanics all wanted to buy it. Later I sold it to a guy who was almost drooling to get it.
 

Hillman

My mother in my '51 Hillman Minx, Alexander Ave Belmont, MA Spring '56

'61 Minx Convertible with Smiths Easidrive, owned from '75 to '80.

A long detailed association with this make because they were bargains for me. They were fairly numerous in eastern Massachusetts and S. California due to adventuresome importers. My first was a convertible, of classic dimensions for a four seater.

Rootes Groups market for them was exporting heavily, Africa, India and such as taxis. They had the usual few weaknesses of low priced English cars where an annual 'decoking' and monthly use of a 'spanner' and close owner attention was expected (and required). Once this 'ownership threshold was passed they 'ran forever'. The earlier bodies rusted, particularly convertibles. The funniest engine conversion I ever witnessed was in the late '60's, a Stude V8 'shoe horned' in by some kids in their home garage on Sunkist Street, Anaheim. I believe they ran it a few blocks and gave up. I'm sure it had faint familiarity with stopping or turning.

An Anaheim garage owner, Frank Moennig was 'Mr. Hillman'. He made a pickup of an early '60's sedan, added a balanced Chevy four banger and Sunbeam Tiger front end pieces. One of the greatest sleepers ever. That Chevy four became almost impossible to find in boneyards after it became a racer's favorite.
 
 

'Family Owned'

My sons had a '67 Mustang Fastback 289, C4 and a '69 Mustang coupe with a Windsor V8
My wife (now ex) a '79 Civic almost identical to our '78 owned since new.
One son bought a '82 Civic hatchback, champagne color
My daughter bought an '83 Accord Hatchback.
Another son bought an identical, charcoal grey '84 Accord Hatchback which he drove 121k miles and we sold it in 'pristine' condition.
Next he bought an '88 RX-7.
The '82 Civic was sold in '85 to my ex by our son.
Whose next 'wheels' were a Honda Elite scooter.
He 'graduated' to an '88 Integra 2 dr.
Many 'family' cars since although in 2006 one son acquired a Porsche Cayenne and his daughters found these on Christmas morning.

http://users.mo-net.com/nixit, copyright, 1996-2006 Joe Nix where applicable

These web pages are compiled, edited and maintained by Joe Nix nixit@mo-net.com

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