deja vu again and again

In my last post, I mentioned the Ducktail Run in Gas City, Indiana this weekend. I also mentioned that the classic and customized cars had started showing up in town last Monday. This morning, I decided to take a "run" by the Gas City park to check it out. Actually, I had forgotten my caps and didn't bring a jacket for these cool mornings, and thought I might find something "cool" (so to speak). Be as it may, I paid the $5 to someone who lived close to the park so I wouldn't have to walk a half mile just to get there (although I'm sure I could use it.) This reminded me a lot of the Covered Bridge Festival in Rockville, Indiana which we will most likely miss this year for the first time in ages. The difference is that although there were the "italian charms" tents, and the like, many were related to auto restoration and customizing. As I rounded the first tent to enter the main site, I ran into a 54 Ford police car that had been restored including the large bubble light and siren on top. Although I'm sure the engine was much larger than the straight 6 that was in mine, it did bring back memories. I found the tent with the hats and Jackets and outfitted myself like it wasn't my first time there. (Of course I'm sure it was obvious to the veterans that I was a newby, 'cause I kept saying "Wow!.) I wandered up and down rows of cars that were in no particular order. Sorry, It was about here when I remembered that I forgot to bring the camera. If you want to see pics of these cars you can go to the ducktail run website I posted in my last post. Lots of 55 to 57 Chevys and 51 and 57 Fords with nearly everything represented. the few that caught my eye were the restored Studebaker Silver Hawk and the 50's Fordolet. This was a candy apple red vehichle whose rear parts were Ford and front end was Chevy. Speaking to the builder, seems it isn't all Ford and Chevrolet. The grill is a 55 DeSoto among other various "orphan" pieces. On the back was a sign with musical notes saying "one piece at a time" relating to the Johnny Cash song about the Cadillac he brought home from the factory in his lunch pail, "one piece at a time," resulting in a "hybrid" vehicle. The parts I recognized were from the 50's and there was no manufacture date on it, so I guess I have to call it a "50's vehicle. The last one that caught my eye was a simple 46 Plymouth that had be restored beautifully. The reason I was taken by it was that it reminded me of the car Uncle Charlie drove. We had a particularly interesting evening, parts of which I remember, when I was maybe 8 or 10. It was night and for some reason, we were riding with Uncle Charlie. In those days, the gravel road was the rule in northeastern Indiana. It seems we were in a hurry but all of a sudden, the oil pressure gauge (yes gauge) went to zero and we either stopped because of that or because the engine ceased. It seems that while traveling down that gravel road, a rock flew up and knocked out the oil plug, allowing the engine oil to drain out. Don't remember if Uncle Charlie saved a lot of money by stopping or had to pay a lot because he ruined the engine. Sorry, no punch line here, just someone who seems to be getting beyond some old memories. My advice to all: write it down in some form while you remember it. At some point some generation will be glad you did. Speaking of advice. If you have any interest in old or customized cars, make the Gas City Ducktail Run a priority. In my short jaunt around the park, I saw cars from Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, Tennesee, Florida, and Canada, in states from complete restoration to rustbuckets for sale in wait for someone to love them. Although I would never consider myself a gearhead, listening to low rumble of those V8 engines makes Vroom Vroom a joke. And people wonder why both of our Explorers have V8 engines. I guess part of me will never modernize. I still like that sound.