I saw an ancient Chrysler New Yorker today with a vinyl “landau” (rear quarter only) roof and it evoked memories of my parents’ 1967 (68?) Chevy Caprice, which was white with a black vinyl roof. It looked pretty much like the car pictured below:
It came with a huge V8 and with its black and white color scheme, looked kinda like a cop car. So on hot summer nights, I would sneak my father’s old Navy cap out of the house (he’d have killed me if he’d caught me – those who hadn’t served, I’d been sternly instructed, were never to wear even a part of a military uniform) and go cruising I-95 with my friend Chip Mathewson and a red – flashing light.
If we spotted a car full of (fellow) hippies, Chip would duck under the dashboard while holding the flashing light in the windshield and a spotlight out the passenger window while I in my borrowed cap would tailgate the kids and flash my high-beams. Oh the jollity occasioned by the sight of reefers, pills and smoking paraphernalia being tossed out the windows as they slowed to a stop in the breakdown lane! I’d pull up behind them, let them sweat for a few minutes and then take off, to Chip’s and my great amusement.
Such was the life for a couple of bored teenagers back in the summer of 1970. But it was a helluva car.
The very blackest of humor, bizarre and nasty, a scene Quentin Tarantino wishes he’d thought up first.
Black humor R us!
My second company car was a black ’78 LTD 4-door with a black full vinyl top, tan vinyl upholstery and tan pin stripes. The last of the behemoths. And underpowered with a 302 V-8. 26 gallon fuel tank.
And come to think of it, I had a ’68 Impala 4-door hardtop just like the photo. 307 V-8. A horrible blue-green (aqua? turquoise?). I bought it used for $1300 (~$6800 in 2010 dollars) in 1972 in Norfolk. No vinyl except for the upholstery which was black. Used it on weekends for the 800-mile round trip to Stamford from the D&S piers.
We had those odd-even gas days during the Ford administration and had to pay attention. Running out of gas wasn’t a good enough excuse not to be UA.
……as long as you wouldn’t get out and ‘flash’ them a pic of your lil’ ….., that’s fine:)))
That was you, you SOB?
Sorry, Cobra.