A few weeks ago, I performed my annual pilgrimage to the International de Granby, a large quasi-local antique car show.
In years past, I’ve shared the trek to the small town in the Eastern Townships with my uncle, proprietor of a gorgeous 1967 Cadillac DeVille Convertible and, my favourite of them all, his 1969 Ford F-100 pickup.
This year, my father decided to join in on the party. As the saying goes; the apple never falls too far from the tree. Although my love affair -- or is that obsession (?) -- is closer to my uncle’s, my old man’s still a car-guy who’s owned a pair of MGBs (including a GT!), a Beetle, a Dart Swinger, an AMC Hornet, and a Mazda MX-6 GT to name a few.
The car-guy in him, buried under golfing and the Florida sun, surfaced that Saturday at the car show.
I’ve long since been bugging him to purchase a toy -- another MGB or something a little more recent such as a 1st gen Miata. He’s been on the fence about it for a while, but then at the show he took a fancy to a 1966 Chrysler Windsor two-door hardtop. The bug had bit.
We continued walking around and considered a red ’90 Miata and a ’73 MGB (a little pricey). I tried to convince him to look at a Chevy pickup and a few others, but there was nothing I could do to dissuade his heart from the Windsor.
Unfortunately, the Windsor was in rougher shape than we initially thought. A few friends of my uncle, collectors and buyers themselves, gave it a once-over and it did not pass their test.
Although the Windsor is now in the past, Dad’s all over Kijiji and eBay shopping for something to fill the second spot in his garage (which is currently taken by my WRX…).
The car bug is a serious affliction; my wife can attest to that. Although both my WRX and Jetta rarely see the light of day, these cars are part of who I am, they in fact define my very person. As there is no cure for this disease, the only way to nurture a person stricken by the bug is to allow them to work through the fever and give them support, love and, above all, understanding.
If my mother is reading this, please know that if you allow dad to buy a car, you’ll be making both he and I feel much, much better…
In years past, I’ve shared the trek to the small town in the Eastern Townships with my uncle, proprietor of a gorgeous 1967 Cadillac DeVille Convertible and, my favourite of them all, his 1969 Ford F-100 pickup.
This year, my father decided to join in on the party. As the saying goes; the apple never falls too far from the tree. Although my love affair -- or is that obsession (?) -- is closer to my uncle’s, my old man’s still a car-guy who’s owned a pair of MGBs (including a GT!), a Beetle, a Dart Swinger, an AMC Hornet, and a Mazda MX-6 GT to name a few.
The car-guy in him, buried under golfing and the Florida sun, surfaced that Saturday at the car show.
I’ve long since been bugging him to purchase a toy -- another MGB or something a little more recent such as a 1st gen Miata. He’s been on the fence about it for a while, but then at the show he took a fancy to a 1966 Chrysler Windsor two-door hardtop. The bug had bit.
We continued walking around and considered a red ’90 Miata and a ’73 MGB (a little pricey). I tried to convince him to look at a Chevy pickup and a few others, but there was nothing I could do to dissuade his heart from the Windsor.
Unfortunately, the Windsor was in rougher shape than we initially thought. A few friends of my uncle, collectors and buyers themselves, gave it a once-over and it did not pass their test.
Although the Windsor is now in the past, Dad’s all over Kijiji and eBay shopping for something to fill the second spot in his garage (which is currently taken by my WRX…).
The car bug is a serious affliction; my wife can attest to that. Although both my WRX and Jetta rarely see the light of day, these cars are part of who I am, they in fact define my very person. As there is no cure for this disease, the only way to nurture a person stricken by the bug is to allow them to work through the fever and give them support, love and, above all, understanding.
If my mother is reading this, please know that if you allow dad to buy a car, you’ll be making both he and I feel much, much better…
| |
| Photo: Michael Gil / Flickr |
