Peter Behrens's Blog, page 181

Dodge Power Wagon, Maine & Philip Booth

When old cars get retired, they go to Maine.Thick as crows in backlots off the blacktop,East of Bucksport, down the washboardfrom Penobscot to Castine,they graze behind frame barns: a Fordturned tractor, Hudsons chopped to half-tontrucks, and Chevy panels, jacked up,tireless, geared to saw a cord of wood...
---from "Maine" by Philip Booth
Thanks to Matt Dallett for the Philip Booth lines. We caught the Power Wagon--probably ex-military or ex- Maine Forestry Service-- on a day the pond was frozen and good for skating. We've posted plenty of Power Wagons, like this beauty in Claremont NH. And a '73 Power Wagon is maybe our favorite truck in Cambridge MA.

1989 Mistubishi Montero

Mistook this at first for an Isuzu Trooper, which were plentiful in California in the late 80s; maybe the first real SUV? Mitsubishi was maybe a step up in quality from the Trooper, though  Japanese auto steel was ever a good bet. This truck, however, looked to be amazingly clean and solid for a 31-year-old 4WD. Maybe it spent its formative years somewhere sunnier than Maine, like those 4WDs we used to see being paraded up and down Coast Village Road in Santa Barbara by mamas wishing to project an outdoorsish gestalt in the world's mildest climate,In the real-deal department, check out our friend Toby Clark's beloved Mitsubishi Jeep, which for all we know shares some bones with the handsome Montero.  

"..was capable of about 180 mph." Henry County, Virginia

 

from The Good Ol' Boys' Sport by Dave Kindred

in the Washington Post (March 10, 1981)"What's going on here is that a garageful of good ol' boys from around the moonshine capital of the U.S.A. are building a race car for Buddy Arrington, the last of the convicted 'shine runners still racing alongside Richard Petty and the slick kids such as Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt...

"We're in Martinsville, Va., 3 1/2 hours southwest of Richmond. This is the county seat of Henry County, which along with neighboring Patrick County and Franklin County is what the American Temperance Union used to call "the wettest place in the United States." The beautiful little race track just outside Martinsville is owned by Clay Earles, who won't say he ever ran 'shine but will point proudly to a picture on his office wall..."

Chip Lord and the exalted 1962 Thunderbird

From Chip Lord: Loved those 61/62/63 T-birds featured in your post recently.
Here is mine from 1989, photographed in Santa Cruz by Jeanne C.
Wish I still had it! We put one up on a pole too, in Houston , 1987
I have a show up now at Rena Bransten, SF - by appointment. There’s a virtual walk thru available on their site. Cheers, I’m always waiting for your next book.
Visit renabranstengallery.com to learn more about
CHIP LORD:
Folding Back Time, Form and Format
Dec. 5 - Jan 30


 

1973 Ford F-250 Camper Special

Yes to this one. On the block at BaT


 

1964 Mercury Colony Park & Cars of the Upper East Side

 

From Stephen Hendrickson: "I recently found this collection of old photos.They are all on one block of Upper East Side NYC in 1969, THE monied neighborhood. You’ll see everything from a VW Beetle to a VW Fastback. How about a Citroen DS, a '59 Cadillac Eldorado, and a Rolls Royce--with assorted little sports buggies tucked in?"

1964 Thunderbird, 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air, Harvard Square.

 

The 'Bird and the 1956 Chevy were picture cars on a shoot for a TV series about Julia Child  filmed in Harvard Square this fall. Don't know why everyone has to paint their mid-50s Chevys--trucks and cars-- turquoise. 

GMC 9420 Saskatchewan. Patina.

 

From Alex Emond: This old truck was in front of a farm on a range road south east of Swift close to Hodgeville .  Mucha pàtina."

Chevrolet 3100. Saskatchewan. Patina.

 

From Alex Emond: This old truck was in front of a farm on a range road south east of Swift close to Hodgeville .  Mucha pàtina."

American Motors Ramblers of the 1960s/Deer Isle Maine

 

from Jonathan Welsh: "American Motors Ramblers always seemed underdogs, failing to express angular mid-1960s styling as effectively as cars from General Motors and Ford. They never caught up. This pewter-hued 1966 Rambler Classic sedan is dowdy compared with a Chevy Malibu of the same year. The red '62 Classic Custom was a popular "compact" model, largely because of its low price. Both rare birds today. It has been a long time since I have seen these particular examples on the road."