I loved cruisin’ back in the day

Have you ever wished you had that one, two or 25 vehicles back that you really enjoyed and had a lot of fun driving? Now that I’m 19 -- OK, maybe a few years older -- I have recently been thinking about some of my past toys for big boys: My ‘66 Tempest convertible. My Karmen Ghias and VWs, etc.

What a great day it was. The sun was out. Blue skies! The top down on the Tempest. And two gas stations were having a price war. Gas was 11 cents. Yep. I filled up and hit the highway. Top down. I put in an 8-track tape, wind blowing through my hair (yes, I had hair way back when). Kicked back and cruisin’. “Riders on the Storm” -  ‘Click’ -  “Into this world we’re born” -  ‘click’. I drove and drove and as the gas tank got lower I headed back and filled up -- $2.20 for 20 gallons. And people wonder why us oldies miss them good ole days!

Then there was one of my Karmen Ghias. It was orange, trashed, but I got it for $50. I went to the hardware store and bought five cans of spray paint and did a camo paint job on it. Where one fender was bent in, I cut it out and placed an Army gas can and strapped it down to the military holder. I added a CB radio.

When you drove down the street and turned a corner, the doors would fly open, so I had to install latches on the inside to keep them closed. One hard rainy day, there was so much water pouring into the car from the floorboards I had to stop and open the door to drain the water out.

One day, while driving down the highway I came upon an Army convoy, so I passed them. The look on their faces! I wish I had a camera as they tried to figure out just what was passing them and should they be worried, but I did notice they had straightened up in their seats.

Then there was the yellow Cuda. I was living in Wisconsin in a farmhouse with four girls; we were just friends, cough. One of the girls says, “Let’s go cruisin’ in town.” We piled into the cars and drove the 10 miles to the nearest town and hit the bars and had fun.

As we headed back, this gal from the bar says, “You want to ride with me?” You bet. She was driving a canary yellow aka Top Banana Hemi, and off we went. As we were cruising, one of the other girls pulls up alongside, and the race was on. She was driving Plum Crazy Cuda, but when she looked over at us, she lost control trying to pass us.

She hit the side of the Cuda I was in and then ran off the road. We quickly stopped and checked. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Plum Crazy was trashed. We looked at the Hemi. The quarter panel bent in, and the girl goes, “My husband is going to kill me!” Say what??? OMG! How am I still alive?

Cruisin’ now-a-days? They drive around town playing loud, one-beat sound. I’m sorry, but that’s not cruisin’!