This old photo from the Summer of 1969 was among the ones that I scanned.
My sister and my baby brother on the Yamaha 50 that our Dad brought home for us so we could drive faster to the back fields versus our bicycles. My sister was 3 and my baby brother was 15 in the photo. Note Far Guy's 1959 Desoto in the background.
That was a fun little motorcycle to drive.
Far Side
Far Guy's first Desoto was a nine passenger station wagon. At the Drive In Movie Theater you could back it in...get out and fold up the seat and get in the back to watch the movie.
I was along when the Highway Cop gave Far Guy a ticket for 92 mph...we were talking and driving along minding our own business...the local judge thought the car might have been doing 72.
I was also along the day her oil light came on and Far Guy was pretty bugged about that light being on...so I spit out my gum rolled it into a ball and stuck it in the round warning light...it did not make him feel much better but at least he laughed. I was just trying to be helpful!
Now for the Explorer part.
A question from a friend;
So this winter will you drive it or store it?
Far Guy's reply;
As I remember Desotos hate winter. If they start they may just drive off on their own .... do you remember that?
A friend does have a good recall;
Yep was winter time colder then shit. I was driving my brother's red dodge cornet.. Heading down hwy 34 and saw the sea foam aircraft carrier parked in front of the citizen national bank with the motor running. One could do that back in the old days.
I thought i would just pull in behind and wait for you to come out. As I started to pull in The Desoto slowly drove off. Thought shit I missed him then noted no one was in the car. I parked got out and ran after it thinking i would hop in and hit the brakes.
That thing went down to the alley way, made a left turn across the oncoming traffic lane and perfectly into the alley, went a few feet and stopped.
The part I don't remember is if I hopped in and hit the break or if it was locked and it stopped on it's own due to the deep snow and me hanging on to the door handle swearing.
Anyway ran back to the bank and you and your dad where sitting at a desk and I told you our car drove away. You mumbled something about it sometimes slips out of park or something and went out to get it. I would have been more freaked out but you seemed awful casual about it.
If that happened to me it would have run over a group of small school children or something on that order.
Far Guys reply was:
You have a good memory. One of the problems is there never was a "park" same with this one. Emergency brake was suppose to be the park brake and that only worked if it was adjusted right. Cold as hell which I think made the fluid thicker and so despite it being in neutral it had enough to move the car.
Fun for me to hear this story as it was one I had not heard before...it truly was an Explorer! .
Far Side
Yesterday was a long day. We ventured up North to pick up Far Guy's New Old Car! What an adventure. With the help of Andy, Jen , Noah and Adam it was a memorable day!
Sold
Far Guy, Adam and Noah going to the gas station.
It is road worthy.
Adam driving with a huge smile on his face you cannot see because of his mask.
Noah driving.
Jen driving.
They loaded it up on a car trailer.
Andy trailered it home for us with his pickup.
It was an uneventful trip home...one strap came loose near Bagley Minnesota...we called them and told them and Andy pulled over and fixed it.
Jen, Andy and Far Guy. The new old car safely parked in our yard .
It is a 1959 Desoto Firesweep 4 door Sedan, built at the Dodge plant. It was first sold on September 27, 1959 by Nokken & Ryan Motors of Fargo North Dakota. The original New Car Guaranty was included in the paperwork. The color is either Rose Beige or Morocoo Beige...when we get the Title in the mail we should know the color for sure.
The entire car seems to be original...It will keep Far Guy busy for a long time.
It may not be the Willow Green 1959 Desoto Station Wagon he drove in high school but it is close enough.
Far Side
The old cars are the best cars. Remember when the new models came out and you could tell the Fords from the Buicks from Chevrolet?
Then there were the oddball cars… Edsel, Packard, Nash Ramblers, Studebacker, Hudson…and of course Desoto.
The pastel colored car…this one was Mint Green…although Far Guy called it Willow Green.
Last winter we found a drawing that someone did and it made us both chuckle. Oh the “stuff” we keep!
1959 Desoto Stationwagon with pushbutton drive and an add on air conditioner that sat on the floor in the middle of the front seat. No sitting next to a beau unless you wanted to put your feet up on that air conditioner unit.
Far Guy shared this story with the carving group last week
“It was winter, we were bored. Barry and someone else got on the roof of the old Desoto, I headed out to the old fairgrounds and sped around the track, sliding around the corners. Cruised Main and then out to Crocus…got out and no one was on top of the car. I wondered what the heck, where did they fall off at? They could have been way back at the fairgrounds. I turned around to go and find them and here they came walking down the road apparently a low branch knocked them off. There were other people on top of that car but the only one I can recall is Barry. I was not all alone in the car either, someone was with me…but who?”
I asked him who drew the picture. He says “Mark.” Could be it is not signed …
It is someone’s birthday..born on a cold snowy February day..he just missed being a valentine’s baby.
He is a special guy. His friends must think so too.
A few weeks ago I was sworn to secrecy. The birthday package arrived and was opened.
Some days “she” is at the Coca-Cola Diner.
Some days “she” is at the Drive –In Theater.
One day I was upstairs just looking around the train set..and turned some of the cars around that were facing backwards..Far Guy noticed right away that something was amuck. Station Wagons always face backwards at the Drive-In movie theater..at least that is the rule we follow upstairs.
I think Floyd and Frank have outdone themselves in the gift giving department. They must have many good memories of that old 1959 Desoto Explorer Station Wagon. Just so you know there were only 704 of them made. If you got to ride in one..or drive one you were pretty lucky.
This car was full of rice the day we got married. I think we vacuumed up rice for two years. She was Willow Green. She had push button drive and a roof rack. She could hold nine passengers comfortably. She had one seat that faced the rear. She had a 1948 Desoto hood ornament courtesy of Far Guys Dad..we still have that hood ornament upstairs.
I was with the day that the cop said she was doing 92 mph..we were talking and not paying much attention to the speed limit..the Judge took one look at the car and said “Do you suppose it was doing 70?”
I was there the day she needed a new transmission and it took a whole months paycheck to get her fixed.
I was there the day her oil light went on..and Far Guy was so bugged..I fixed it for him. I wadded up a piece of my bubble gum and covered up the light so he wouldn’t feel so bad.
I don’t remember the day she was sold..but I am sure Far Guy remembers it well.
Lots of good memories are tied to that car.
The die cast model is a wonderful gift and addition to the train layout upstairs! Far Guy has good friends!
Happy Birthday Far Guy:)
