Historic Houston Automobiles

[Michelle C]

The Buick Grand Nationals was another car to take serious as well.

 

I don't guess you could call this 69 F-100 a boulevard cruiser but it sure was a nice pick up back in its day. I ordered it with all available options for that year.

 

[samagon]

 

Those Mopar sixes were practically indestructible. My first car was a '76 Duster with a six and a four-speed which someone had previously upgraded with a Hurst shifter. I bought it intending to eventually swap out the six for a 340 (or something bigger), but came to appreciate the stone reliability, smoothness, and economy of the six while I had it. Unfortunately, the frame developed a big crack after about a year, and that was the end of the Duster. 

It was probably the engines torque that tore the chassis. One of my buddies had a duster with the straight 6 and we replaced more motor mounts in that thing.

My fun car lineage isn't over, but the cars I've owned till now were a 78 Datsun 510 station wagon, 74 bug, 85 s10 blazer, 97 integra gsr, 04 subaru wrx wagon, and my current car is an 08 subaru sti. I've already ordered a new 15 subaru wrx.

No reason to not keep enjoying the drive!

The bug is probably the one I wish I still had, I had lucked into a 2.0 type 4 from a Porsche 914. Of course, time makes you forget all the problems you once had. I remember once the clutch cable broke about 50 miles from home. 50 miles with 3 years of driving experience and no clutch was a challenge, to say the least...

[Michelle C]

I had just about forgot about this thread. I thought I would add another one of my cruisers of the past. I had the 56 F-100 for nineteen years before I got weak and sold it. I had bought it in 93 when I was living in Colorado from a farmer. It had a front frame from a 76 LTD II rear end from a Lincoln giving it four wheel disk brakes, the engine was a 71 Boss 351 Cleveland backed by a Ford C-6 transmission. It was fast and lots of fun.

 

 

[plumber2]

My second vehicle came later, around 1975. It was a 71 Chevy pickup. It was an old plumbers service truck that had about 4,000 miles on it. It was sitting under a shed, unused behind the old Crestwood Cleaners (now Wabash Antiques) on Washington Ave. The owner had died and the truck had been sitting for 4 years. The widow was a family friend and asked my dad if he wanted to buy it. She was selling the building and all of the old tools that had accumulated in the shop behind the cleaners.

The truck was totally spartan, stick shift, no a/c, no radio, just a heater. It ran forever. It was my college vehicle and I was of course very popular as everyone's moving buddy.

[Michelle C]

. It was my college vehicle and I was of course very popular as everyone's moving buddy.

 

One of the problems of owning a pick up. Everyone is your friend when they need to move. At least it is not as bad now days as it was when I was younger.

 

[Michelle C]

From as early as I can remember I have always had this fascination with 18 wheelers. I guess I should have been a truck driver as much as I loved the big trucks. In the 1950's my dad loved fast cars and built hot rods. I guess that is where I developed my love of cars and trucks. So over the years I have had a few older cars that I have restored as a hobby. About seven years ago I got to thinking that I could restore a 18 wheeler just as I had cars. I bought one and stated restoring it. It was a 1967 NT-950-D Ford diesel highway tractor A few years later I decided to do another one. This one was a 1986 LTL-9000 Ford Highway tractor. I am leaving Sunday for a truck show in Springfield MO. and them to Colorado for another truck show in Greeley CO. I will be driving my 86 model and hauling my golf cart, 1965 Ranger pick up, and my daily driver crew cab F-250 on the trailer. I will be gone three weeks all total.

 

My 86 LTL 9000 

[mollusk]

Now we know who to call when we want to avoid having all the building materials for a project delivered by the vendor. 

[mkultra25]

Nice tractor! I'll bet you have more than a passing familiarity with the Hank's Truck Pictures website. 

 

My dad spent the majority of his career working for ETMF, until deregulation upended the freight industry in the 80s and he lost his job in the wake of ETMF's acquisition by ABF.

[Purpledevil]

I've been lucky enough to hold on to my grandmother's 1968 Plymouth Fury III all of these years. The color is stated as "Ivory Gold", but it's as yellow as the day is long. Green interior to boot. Still has the factory AM radio in the dash and 118,000 original miles on the 383. If the car could talk, it would have some hellatious stories to tell. It was bought at a dealership not mentioned, but also in the history books, Northline Dodge.

I wish I still had my 1978 Lil' Red Express Truck. I loved those damn smoke stacks and the wooden slatted bed. One of the biggest regrets in my life is selling that truck. It needed a full restoration when I sold it in 1994, but to think what that truck is worth now, and I sold it for $1,000. Still makes me sick to think about it.

[Michelle C]

Nice tractor! I'll bet you have more than a passing familiarity with the Hank's Truck Pictures website. 

 

My dad spent the majority of his career working for ETMF, until deregulation upended the freight industry in the 80s and he lost his job in the wake of ETMF's acquisition by ABF.

 

Yes, I have visited Hanks Truck Pictures more than a few times. I am also a member of the American Truck Historical Society (ATHS)

[GEM]

1999 Ranger......170,000+ miles.  

[Michelle C]

1999 Ranger......170,000+ miles.  

 

In 1965 the Ranger was a full sized pick up. It was also the first year that Ford used the Ranger designation on a pick up. For 1965 and 1966 the Ranger designation indicated the truck had the bucket seats which was very rare for those two years. Only about a thousand for 65 and fifteen hundred for 66 as best as we can figure based on the current information, regardless of the exact number built they are very rare. They have a special trim code that indicates they have bucket seats so they would be hard to clone. Here are a few pictures of my 65 for your viewing.

[mollusk]

Not just bucket seats, but extra padding on the doors, a console, and plenty of chrome not seen on the more work a day examples.  I notice yours is also a Custom Cab - I wonder if that was a separate option on top of being a Ranger (IIRC, you could get that on non Rangers, too), and if so, whether they even made any that weren't - kinda like the stripper muscle cars of the era.

 

That is one beautiful truck.

[Michelle C]

Not just bucket seats, but extra padding on the doors, a console, and plenty of chrome not seen on the more work a day examples.  I notice yours is also a Custom Cab - I wonder if that was a separate option on top of being a Ranger (IIRC, you could get that on non Rangers, too), and if so, whether they even made any that weren't - kinda like the stripper muscle cars of the era.

 

That is one beautiful truck.

 

The Ranger package could only be bought with the Custom Cab option. The console was yet another option.

[Purpledevil]

Wow, Michelle! That is one beautiful piece of machinery. The ignition switch immediately caught my eye, as I don't recall one that far left on the dash. Absolutely beautiful. Do the vent windows have a crank handke of their own, or do you have to push them out by hand? I can't tell in the picture and I know cars were built both ways in those days. The Fury has seperate cranks to open the vent windows specifically, while the Charger I used to have required you to unlock and push the vent windows to open. Never knew when they quit giving cars the seperate crank handle, or if that was Mopar specific.

[Michelle C]

Wow, Michelle! That is one beautiful piece of machinery. The ignition switch immediately caught my eye, as I don't recall one that far left on the dash. Absolutely beautiful. Do the vent windows have a crank handke of their own, or do you have to push them out by hand? I can't tell in the picture and I know cars were built both ways in those days. The Fury has seperate cranks to open the vent windows specifically, while the Charger I used to have required you to unlock and push the vent windows to open. Never knew when they quit giving cars the seperate crank handle, or if that was Mopar specific.

 

Thank you for the kind words about my truck. The vent windows are push open. Here is another picture of everything loaded up for the truck show in Springfield MO.

[Fringe]

That is an awesome truck. Looks like it came right off the showroom floor. I'm thinking it came with a bench seat originally and you installed the bucket seats?  

[Michelle C]

That is an awesome truck. Looks like it came right off the showroom floor. I'm thinking it came with a bench seat originally and you installed the bucket seats?  

 

No it came from the factory with the bucket seats and console. As stated above the truck is a Ranger and in 1965 the Ranger package was introduced and consisted of the bucket seats, floor carpeting and a carpet type curtain behind the seats to conceal the fuel tank. The console was another option. The early Rangers were full sized trucks. The Ranger models are serial numbered as such. If you find one of these trucks with bucket seats you only need to check the VIN plate to find our if it is a clone or the real thing. The real ones are very far and few between. I have enclosed a couple of brochures from 1965 and 1966.

 

 

[blue92]

I once upon a time played golf but decided it was time to quit because when I finished play a few holes all my golf balls smiled back at me, also I'm sure all the folks that lived around the golf course appreciated who ever was yelling the obscene language wasn't around any longer.  

[mollusk]

Pretty prophetic - guys in business suits salivating over a truck.

 

I'd forgotten how Spartan the standard cab was in the pre-'67 Fords.

[Purpledevil]

So true, mollusk. Heck, if I owned it, I'd perform a little purple magic on it, and have it on the 1/4 mile poste haste. Oops! Now I've done it, salivating just went full blown drool, lol...

My Lord, Michelle's collection of old car and dealership pictures is more than enough to get the blood pumping. She's dropped my jaw on a couple if occasions with her contributions to the HAIF. Well done, Michelle! You have certainly become of my favorite posters on the forum. Your knowledge of all things Ford Motor Company is quite impressive.

[Michelle C]

I haven't visited this tread in a long time. Another one of my cruisers from the past was a 1973 Mercury Cougar convertible.

[nm5k]

Dang Michelle, you have had some nice Fords.. I once had a 1960 Falcon coupe kind of like your red one.

But mine was green. Had the mighty 144 cid six in it. Almost a bulletproof car. I never managed to kill it,

and it still ran fine when I finally sold it off. Wish I would have kept it now, as it would be pretty collectable.

I still have a 1968 F-250, and I also have a 1974 F-100, but it's in the garage and I haven't driven it in a

while, although it still runs fine. Still drive the 68 quite a bit.. The buckets were a semi rare option on the 68's..

Not really connected to the Ranger in that year.. IE: a 68 Ranger didn't have buckets, unless you special

ordered them, and you could order buckets with any of the trim levels in 68, if I remember right.

Didn't have to be a Ranger. But like I say, they were pretty rare, and you hardly see them on most 68's.

Regular ole Bench seat in mine.

 

My first car was a 1965 Chevy Impala Sports Sedan. That the version with no pillar between the

front and rear side windows, and the rear window came to a sharp crease at the top back, rather than

the more curved version of the regular Impala Sedan.. Had a 396, and was faster than a scalded house cat.

My dad bought it new off the showroom floor, and I inherited it as my first car when I started driving.

My everyday car now, besides the trucks? A fairly boring Toyota Corolla.. I bought it when gas was sky high,

and I wanted a gas sipper.. I do have to say, it's been flawless and I haven't had a single problem with it so

far since I bought it in 2007.  So it has been a good car, if kinda boring..  :/ And does sip the gas, which helps

on the semi long trips I often take.

I remember in the 60's, I always liked T-birds because of the pseudo airplane interiors, gauges, etc they

had back then.

 

 

 

 

 

[Michelle C]

You are right, the buckets were very rare in the 67, 68, and 69 pick ups and you are also right that it did not have to be a Ranger to have the buckets. I had a 69 Ranger and I had a bench seat. Another one of my street cruisers was a 71 Mustang 429 car

 

 

[C2Ag93]

Hello all -  I know this isn't about Houston architecture, but I have posted other times on this board seeking help about historic Houston and people seem extremely knowledgeable here and helpful.  I am still exploring my parent's history in Houston in the 1960s, and am wondering if you can help me figure out what kind of car they drove, down to the model year.  I have a note from a cousin as to what my mom drove in high school, and suspect what she told me is what I see I the photo.  But I don't want to venture the guess so as not to taint you in your guess.  But I can say my mom graduated high school in 1963 and the photo below was taken in 1968, and I have reason to believe the car in the photo is not a new car (so, it's likely an early 60s model).  Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

 

 

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

what does the note say it is?  

[mkultra25]

Something about that silhouette says "early 60s Mopar" to me, but I haven't found anything close enough to be a match after a quick image search for Plymouth/Dodge models between 1962-1966. 

[JLWM8609]

Could it be a mid 60s AMC?

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

looks like a 65 Coronet to me, but that's my Mopar or no car bias talking

[C2Ag93]

Hmmm... My cousin's note said she thought it was a Valiant.  When I look at detail pictures of Valiant's I don't see the second line just above the wheel well.  Guessing it would have been a 1962 or 1963 model.