Peter Behrens's Blog, page 495

1980 Scout II, Diesel & Winter Makers' Market Tonight

I'm having a very metrosexual week, working on my novel at Crema, a coffeeshop in urbane Portland, Maine. I feel somewhat hip. The coffee is okay and they've let me sit here for hours, reading through a 534pp first draft, making around a zillion notes. I'll call it a first draft, because it's the first print-out of the entire ms., but, line by line, it's more like the sixtieth. I was starting to feel dispirited, alone in the basement office in Freeport, wrestling with the ending of the book. Much more cheerful here. Writing is a lonely trade which is why you see so many of us in coffeeshops.  The bonus is coming across cool street machines like this 1980 Scout II, which I met here on Commercial Street yesterday. I like the original late-70s interior decor.  Jud Macintosh at Motorland Vintage in Biddeford Maine has her for sale: t 603. 817.1538. 
Speaking of Portland, The Winter Makers' Market happens tonight, Friday evening, at the Milk Farm Road Studio in Portland, with amazing artists and craftspeople---one of the stars being the astonishing jeweler (and Portland native) BB..

Mercury Rising (The Mercury Truck)

From our man on the high plains of south Saskatchewan--
"Morning Peter. Mercury rising. Beat up as this truck looks, it is all there and reasonably undinged, if that's a word. It is just on the edge of town, waiting for Jay Leno to drive by and take pity on it."--ALEX EMOND

Autoliterate found a wonderful Canadian Mercury M-3 truck in Nova Scotia a couple years back. That truck had come out of Saskatchewan which, with its high, dry climate--and citizens who are farmer-mechanics and tinkerers--seems to be a retirement home for old metal.

Rough and Ready: Firefighter's F-250. Portland Maine

Texas Toyota Truck

from David Branch, in Marfa:
"I'm super partial to these old Toyotas. In fact, I own a 1980 myself. This fellow was driving thru Marfa during an ice storm. I followed him to the Stripes, where he bought cheese nabs and a water. Left the truck idling (amazingly well) in the lot, windsurfer in the back. Shorts, polo, anorak. New Mexico tags  Cool fellow, short on words. Had the truck since 1982."--DB

Still Hauling. Flying Point, Maine. c. 1975 White Freightliner

                            It is getting late in the season for hauling out. The boat looked handsome and so did the truck, though neither were speed machines, and both could probably use a little work.  Have a look at this 1960s White truck at Bill Grant's Boatyard in Sedgwick, Maine. I'm thinking 6 months today, Scout goes in the water.

Johnny Cash "One Piece at a Time" & the 1967 Mercury Monterey

from photographer Scott Dorrance:
"This car is located in Mt Vernon, Maine at an old mill . The owner came out and spoke to me while I was taking pictures. He and his brother made the car up after Johnny Cash's song "One Piece at a Time." Based on a late 60's Mercury Monterey."

1948 Ford

For Sale at Moto Car in Ellsworth Maine. 207 667 4592

Saskatchewan Roughriders, Dodge Adventurers, and F-100 Explorers

From our man in south Saskatchewan, Alex Emond:
" Whaddabout those Roughriders !?!! Grey Cup in the bag. I managed to spend a chunk of the past week in Ponteix and old trucks just keep turning up anytime I drive around. This old Ford with the load of fence posts was just off the road between Val Marie and Mankota. Mankota is where I saw the Dodges...the one truck has so many borrowed parts I'm not sure what I'm looking at. " Adventurer ", for sure. Funny, the Ford is an " Explorer " . Same idea .    
I like the name Mankota. Sounds Sioux. Cheers"--AE

1949 Chevrolet truck. New Mexico snow.

this from David Branch:
"I was up in New Mexico for Thanksgiving and this was hauled out of the garage for my benefit. Runs like a top. The owner has been painting the interior with red rustoleum and trying his damnedest to get the windlace run correctly in its channel. He said it was "an ugly, dusty green" before he wiped her down with 30wt. Wants to buff it out and "fix the dents". I might have preferred the barn-fresh patina but I admire his old-man-with-an-oilcan approach."
        More of these Advanced-Design era trucks here and here.

1939 LaSalle

 On a cold Maine morning, saw the Lasalle for sale at Moto Car in Ellsworth t 207 667 4592.