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Cars |
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My first car was a 1949 Chevrolet four door Styleline Deluxe. My brother had purchased it as his first car as the second owner and I bought it from him when I was 15. I kept it in the garage and worked on it until I turned 16 and got my license. I drove that car through high school and eventually put over a quarter of a million miles on it. Needless to say by then the babbitt bearings were shot and I replaced the engine after graduation. Instead of the 216 I installed a 1955 235 so it would have the benefit of hydraulic lifters, oil pressure, and main bearings. What I didn't realize is the water pump had been relocated lower and the fan wouldn't fit behind the radiator. I had to custom make a water pump to fit. I drove that car through college but sold it back to my brother when I graduated and moved to Oregon to work for Tektronix. In 1996 he sold it back to me and I still have it. It now has over 400,000 miles on it.
At Tektronix I had responsibility for Grass Valley manufacturing and spent quite a bit of time there. One day I saw a near identical car for sale with only 55,000 miles on it. I purchased it and now have two 1949 Chevrolets. The differences between the two are minor - an inside hood release, an optional oil filter and windshield washer, and of course several hundred thousand miles.
My Grass Valley 1949 Chevrolet
