Kenneth Barber, VAE Photographer Laureate

Ken BarberKen Barber’s title, “VAE Photographer Laureate”, has been decided upon by a committee of One… and that is me.

I believe 100% if you were part of that committee you would agree with me. Photography has been a huge part of Ken’s life and it just so happens old cars and VAE car shows, all the way back to Spruce Peak, has been some of his main subjects.

I had heard about this “photographer gent” from Barton, Vermont but had never met him. Then, I received two photos in the mail one day and a nice note from him giving me permission to use them in Wheel Tracks. Those photos take us back in time to 1917 during a special period in the automobile history (they are on page 2 of the last two issues).

Whenever I visit the NEK (Northeast Kingdom) it is always a treat to me and when I met Ken at the Parson’s Corner Restaurant in Barton a few weeks ago it became a special treat. I know more than got my head in the door when Carmon Brown called me by name and directed me to his table. Carmon is a waitress there and if only I had her ability to remember names and be ‘that happy’; I would have it made. I doubt if it was two minutes after meeting Ken that I knew he had a very special talent and I also knew that he was going to be one of those long time friends I would always learn from.

Ken spent most of his career as a machine operator in an area machine shop. Other than an adventure as a young man when he worked for Douglas Aircraft in California for a short time, he has spent most of his life in the NEK. The camera that you can see at his right elbow was his first real dive into photography, it is a Mamiya twin lens reflex and the “dream camera” in it’s day. The camera led him to a very good fortune one day when he rented a space for a darkroom at a local business. The landlord asked Ken if he would take some boxes off his hands that were in his attic. The boxes had been left behind by a photographer many years before. It turned out to be hundreds of glass negatives from the early 1900s.

Producing photos from those negatives and from the thousands that he has taken with his Mamiya has been Ken’s passion over many years. The bridge pictured to the left is one of his Mamiya photos from the 1960s. Ken said he waited for hours to get that shot. Photographers have a very special way of watching life’s everyday happenings and picking out scenes that you and I would never pick as important… but are very important. That is why Ken Barber is so interesting to talk to and learn from.
Ken has also been struck by the same fever that many VAEers are afflicted with. He says now that he is 86 years old, he seems to be bothered by it less these days. If you have ‘the fever’, you are required to seek out and drag home any object that even looks like a gas powered vehicle… even diesel powered will do. I remember asking Ken when we first met if he had brought any old cars home, in his days. I got the impression there had not been many. As the conversation went on and a second visit to his home plus a few phone conversations, I have determined there have been many “barn-finds” in his life…

I have seen pictures of piles of steel “basket-cases” on his trailer, only his explanation allowed me to see that it was, in fact, a car of some sort. There was a picture of a collapsed barn with a vehicle hiding in it’s shadows. Ken dug that car out and if I have correct notes, he drove that car for a number of years. Another hint that revealed his true identity was the folks he has kept company with over the years. Gael Boardman, Dave Maunsell, Gary Olney, A.K. Miller and Pevy Peake… I needed to hear no more.

Ken is flying to Arizona to visit his brother soon and speaks about his friend wanting to go on a balloon ride while out there. I challenged him (sort of) to doing the ride also, I will ask when he returns to the NEK. What photographer worth his salt would turn down a new adventure…

Cars, Trains, Boats, And…

“The mission of the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum is to preserve, interpret, exhibit, and educate regarding transportation history and artifacts in the Champlain Valley.”

The CVTM Diecast Room


Hmmm, very familiar kind of logic. Part of our VAE mission statement reads “dedicated to the preservation, protection, promotion and appreciation of automobiles history and technology.”

Plattsburg Air Force Base was decommissioned (closed) on September 25, 1995. It covered 3447 acres and was a cold war Strategic Air Command Base. It’s 11,750 foot runway (compared to Burlington’s 8320 foot runway) was built to accommodate the B-52 Stratofortress and a backup landing choice for our space shuttle program. The base was also the center of a 50 mile circle of twelve missile silos for the Atlas F missile built in the 1960s. The base was established in 1814 as a 200 acre military reservation and has a very interesting history through those 181 years. After the base was decommissioned, the Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corporation (PARC) was created to manage the facility with tenants ranging from the Pratt & Whitney Industrial Turbine Services and Bombardier and to GSM Vehicles (vintage trailer restoration) and the Westinghouse Air Brake Company.

The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum is one of those tenants and is housed partially in the base’s old motor pool. Plattsburg hosts five museums, the other four are the Plattsburgh State Art Museum, The War of 1812 Museum, the Kent-Delord House Museum and the Battle of Plattsburgh Interpretive Center. The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum (CVTM) was founded in 2000 by a group of car and history enthusiasts from the Plattsburgh area. What began as an automobile museum has grown to cover many more forms of transportation.

The foundation of CVTM is the Lozier Motor Company, a Plattsburg automobile manufacturing business during the early 1900s that built some of the most exquisite and expensive vehicles during that time period (more on the Lozier can be found on page 10). The museum is trying something new this year by staying open during the winter months even though most of the buildings are not heated, they have been very happy with their choice. In fact there was one of those days where 42 people passed through the gates.

There are a couple of vehicles in the museum from “this side of the lake”. Bryce Howells has his “27 Packard there and a 1911 Kissell that belongs to Steve Dana is also on display. Dick Soper is in the hopes they can make room for a couple more VAE cars in the near future. A plan Dick would like to institute is a more in-depth maintenance program for the many vehicles at the museum. A check-off list that covers everything from tire pressure and oil levels to cleaning and display that would be used regularly to watch over the many wonderful old vehicles. He suggested maybe the VAE would be interested in helping him build a proper maintenance program.

Even though the museum has been around for a number of years they are continually upgrading and adding new displays. The Kid’s Station is a recent addition to the museum where an interactive and hands-on environment has been created. A recent addition is an old fashioned Doctor’s Office complete with the doctor’s buggy. Children…and adults have fun climbing into the Vulcan Locomotive built in South Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania. The diner restaurant display will take you back to the 50s.

Visit the CVTM Museum at 12 Museum Way in Plattsburgh, NY and soak up some wonderful history

VAE Returning to Shelburne Museum

Bill Fagan and Ernie ClerihewThe VAE is returning to the Shelburne Museum!
That’s correct… after eleven wonderful events from 1996 to 2006 and eight years of being away, the VAE is returning to the famed museum in Shelburne, Vermont.

The two gents pictured to the right have agreed to co-chair the event that will take place the first weekend of June. Bill Fagan (left) and Ernie Clerihew have already started the planning stages, we could not ask for a better pair to lead the VAE into this new venture. It should also be added that they are very early in their planning stages and the wonderful poster on the front page is just a trial balloon… but a really nice balloon!

Bill is a long time VAE member with an “old car habit” that goes back to when he was 5 years old. He purchased his first car at 16 years old. The ‘29 Ford fordor* was driven for 25 years through his high school days, summer jobs, college at UVM and for work at Pizzagalli after he was married. He has a wood shop and small machine shop where he can do much of the work on his old cars at home that range from a 1910 Stoddard to a ‘67 Austin Healey…his favorite. He says he has had the Healey for 33 years and in the thousands of miles driven, it has never let him down.
Bill helped out when the VAE had the Essex Car Show and as he said “ I feel it is time again to devote some of my energy to the club”. He says this seems to be a perfect opportunity, as he has always enjoyed the Shelburne Museum and he said the potentials here are enormous. He is hopeful that we can offer an event that will involve the entire family; he feels it is very important if we expect to continue to attract young folks to our VAE club.

Ernie Clerihew, if you remember, is the gent who celebrated his 1914 Model T’s 100th birthday this last summer by driving, with his family, to its birthplace in Detroit. Asked what his favorite car is and he replied, his 1914 T would be it, although he said its like being asked which child one likes the best. About his Detroit trip, the 35 MPH he liked very much and above all, he said every person they met was their friend. Again, Ernie said he has the ability to do most of his old-car-work at home except for the few things he would rather send out to have a better job done then he could do. Ernie said his dream car would be a Baker Electric… maybe someday!
Asked why he decided to co-chair the Shelburne Show, his answer was that he likes the opportunity to mingle with old-car minded folks. He said he attended one of the Shelburne car shows years ago and realized then what a great venue it is…so he said “lets do it again”!

According to past Wheel Tracks publications the first co-chairs in 1996, for the Shelburne Show was Bill Erskine and Tom McHugh. In 2001 Tom McHugh remained and Dick Currier took Bill’s place. Then in 2002 Bill Erskine was back with Avery Hall and research was difficult until 2004 when Ellen Emerson and Nancy Willett became the co-chairs. Wheel Tracks was unable to determine the co-chairs in 2005 but the final year, 2006, it is published that Ellen Emerson and Jim Willett took the helm. Throughout this bit of research its amazing the many volunteers who showed up to do the work. Like the VAE show in Stowe, it seems like magic as folks start appearing to lend a hand but we know it is not magic, it is dedication and huge hearts that make successful shows.

As for the Shelburne Museum and why the VAE has been able to make it’s way back after all these years… There are two “shakers and movers” we need very much to say Thank You to.

Tom Denenberg was willing to listen to our requests for a car show at the museum and sees the many great possibilities. He is the museum’s Director.

Jeffrey Bundy is the museum’s Director of Development and he will be the museum’s main-guy to make the show this June a success.

*What is a “Fordor”?… research says it is known officially as the Ford C11ADF, Station Wagon/Heavy Utility, 4×2, was a militarized station wagon used in World War II in North Africa. They often had roof hatches and sometimes had the roof completely removed.

Wheel Tracks was unable to find an earlier flyer but this 1998 example tells it all. Maybe a member could tell us who might own the beauty of a car and what make and year it is. At press time we had word from Bill Fagan that they had recently had a planning meeting and this is what he wrote:We had a meeting on Monday (Dec. 1st.) and actually decided on a few items. It is going to be called ““The Shelburne Museum Vintage Auto Festival”. It is open to All Vehicles regardless of type or age; cars, trucks, street rods, customs, motorcycles, tractors and late models. There will be no judging, but there will be some awards yet to be determined. There will be a brochure put together and mailed out. Pre-registration will be $25, at the door is $35, both entitles 4 people to the show and museum for the 2 days.

After the first Shelburne Museum event in 1996 with it’s great weather Bill Erskine reported that… “it was a very successful show”. He quoted the Best of Show winner saying that he had been in 20 years of car shows all over the East coast and this was the best car show he had ever been to. One of the main reasons was the “spectacular setting” that the Museum offers for displaying the cars.

The ‘96 Wheel Tracks editor, Christine Skinner, said this at the time… What a way to start a season with the Shelburne Museum Show! Great place, great weather, great people and lots to do for the whole family. I should know! I think my kids rode the carousel for hours. There may be a few things to change but the idea of having a show there was a good one. As for me, I hope the trolley will run next year; there was a lot of walking for little legs! ( I’m not talking about mine, don’t worry) I loved watching the European cars by the train station; it was picture perfect.

1967 Harley Electra Glide

Mark McDermiottMark McDermiott is pictured right at the 2014 VAE Car Show in Stowe on his 1967 Harley Electra Glide. He has had his Harley for 20 years and in that time has rebuilt and restored about every part on it.

This Harley’s engine has a “Shovelhead” top and “Pan” bottom. The “Shovelhead” term comes from the engine’s rocker box covers looking like an inverted shovel and was introduced in 1965. The rocker boxes before ‘65, starting in 1948, looked like pans… hence the term “Panhead”. In 1967 Harley had kept the lower engine design of the older Panhead engine which used a generator until 1970. They then changed to the alternator bottom.

The rocker boxes to Harley enthusiast identifies the engine. Before the “Panhead” was the “Knucklehead” started in 1936 and yes the rocker covers resembled the knuckles of a person’s fist. The “Flathead” preceded the “Knucklehead”.

Mark lives in Enosburg, Vermont and is part of the McDermott family of “McDermott’s Trucking”. He and his brother Pete are the third generation operators of the company. How many of us for years have seen the McDermott’s milk tankers hauling the product from farms and to the areas largest milk market in the Boston area? Mark is in charge of the company’s three garages that keep their 80 trucks and 100 trailers on the road.

Even though Mark is a mechanic by trade he decided to farm out some of the work in restoring his Electra Glide. John Johnson of Enosburg did the paint job at his shop. The engine and transmission was rebuilt by Drew Fairbanks of Johnson. G&G Buffing of Montreal did all the chrome.

This Harley has a 45-degree, air-cooled, V-twin engine with a 1208 cc displacement. There is no direct connection by Harley Davidson but about the time they presented the “Electra Glide” model to the public in 1965 was also the time they first introduced the electric starter. Is there a connection?

Along with all the “special” Harley terms that non-Harley folks often can’t quite keep up with is the term “Softail”. We have all heard the name and love the sight and the sound of the Harley Davidson but what the heck is a Softail? It seems in the ‘older days’ and during the chopper ‘60s and ‘70s the Harley had a fairly hard suspension… some called them ‘Hardtails’. By hiding the rear suspension under the transmission in the Heritage style and adopting the “Springer” front suspension, Harley was able to offer a softer ride…thus the Softail.

1964 Studebaker Avanti R2

StanRay and Julies’s ‘64 Studebaker Avanti R2 has been sold to someone in the state of Washington.

The Greenias have had the Avanti for 20 years. This car has been such a big part of our club gatherings over the years, the blue beauty will be missed.

Ray said he has had a hard time finding folks qualified to work on it and he is getting to the point he would rather not be climbing around the car any longer doing maintenance himself… so he decided to sell.

Ray found it in a Hemmings ad in 1994 located in Queens, NY and brought it home to Burlington.

Ray said the Avanti ran fine when he got it but the front end was misaligned and the tires were in bad shape. He replaced the front and rear springs and shocks, the dual exhaust system along with new tires and alignment. Since then he and Julie have had 18,000 miles of trouble free touring. He did repaint it himself a year after the purchase.

Downsizing

StanWhat do we do when we decide it is time to downsize our collection? How do we even get started? We might decide we want to move where the snow doesn’t fly or that we simply want less to deal with. What ever the reason, the collection that seemed to have accumulated very easily and some might say ‘over-night’ can be a very daunting task when you are looking to scale down.

AND then there are those ‘items’ you would NEVER part with….it can get complicated!

Stanley Lasell (pictured) of Williamstowm, Vermont wants to down-size. He started by asking some VAE members for help in deciding what parts of his collection should simply go to the crusher and some advice of value of what is left. Asking VAE members what should go to the crusher, it turns out, is a very simple answer….”Nothing”. We are just not built that way.

Stan did get a visit by three of us with price books in hand and we hope we have helped him a little.

This month’s WT will feature Stans collection and maybe force us to think about our collection in a different way.

Wheel Tracks might just open other discussions with help on the subject.

The blue car on the front page is a 1946 Nash Super 600. Stan said he sold it years ago but then it came back… The car is complete and the VAE team came up with a price of $1500.00 that Stan said he would accept. Some one out there, most likely, has been looking for this car for years and now you know who to call. BTW, Stan’s phone number is 802-433-5874.

Stan’s first call was to the Wheel Tracks editor, Gary Fiske. He was trying to figure out how to down-size. I told him I have a lot of short comings when it comes to pricing old cars but I know two folks who could be of help. So, Gary Olney and Wendell Noble were invited to make the trip to Williamstown and Stan’s home. I had my note pad and camera…and I am sure we impressed the socks off Stan when we arrived. He is one of those “not-very-old Vermonters” who comes with down to earth common sense and the speech to go with it. “Bye and bye” was a favorite of his, I haven’t heard that said to me face to face since being with my grandfather in the 50s. Another regular comment was that Stan was going to “live forever….as long as he lives”. When he was describing the distance to his third car-yard….it was “ a loud holler from the barn”. Many of his treasures were “not for sale….but maybe”. We were up in Stan’s 2nd car-yard when Wendell asked him “What’s that over there”. Stan’s reply was “I was wondering that myself”.

Most of Stan’s treasures were in high grass and among tress but as we get into the Fall his collection will be much easier to see.

Here are a few of his vehicles he would like to sell. If we do not have room for all the pictures there will be a complete list for you to work with.

If it were not for Bob and Duane…

Bob Chase and Duane Leach spends the year planning “The Antique and Classic Car Meet” in Stowe….then in 8 days the magic happens.

Many others are involved but Bob and Duane are the sparks that ignite the largest car meet in Vermont and some say in New England. If you go to our website (vtauto.org) to the member only page and read the monthly minutes from their planning meetings , you will see the work involved to make the transition that you see at Nichols field for the three day car meet in August. You will also meet a few of the many people who work with these two gentlemen.

Bob is a long time resident of Stowe owning a service station at the corner of RT 100 and the Mountain Road for many years. He and Wendy are presently key in making Mac’s Market a success on Rt. 100.

Duane and Marnita move their RV onto Nichols field a week before the show, living there the entire time. Duane takes 2 weeks vacation from his job as a supervisor at Offset House, a printing company in Essex. Some of us think of our vacations differently but Bob and Duane have other ideas.

The front page shows in a nut shell the dynamics of the two weeks at Nichols field. If you need to talk to Bob or Duane you will most likely have to wait your turn. This time it is Bob’s turn to wait…… he understands.

1922 Durant Touring Car

1922 DurantYou are looking at the lonely life of Pierre Pepin’s beautiful Blue 1922 Durant touring car. Pierre purchased the car a few years ago at the Stowe Car Show in the car corral. He traded a model A, or was that two, plus a little too-boot. He is a little sad that he has never had it on the road even though it appears to be ready to roll down the highway any time you ask. Pierre’s Durant made it’s way from New Jersey in 1997 to East Chelmsford, Massachusetts. From there to Stowe and then it’s present very quiet life in Colchester.

The Durant was a make of automobile assembled by Durant Motors Corporation of New York City, from 1921 to 1926 and again from 1928 to 1932. Durant Motors was founded by William “Billy” Durant after he was terminated as the head of General Motors. Billy Durant’s intent was to build an automotive empire that could one day challenge General Motors. The Durant automobile is considered to be an example of an “assembled” automobile because so many of its components were obtained from outside suppliers. Pierre’s 1922 vehicle is powered by a four cylinder Continental engine. It is an overhead-valve type, fully encased. Bore: 3-7/8″, stroke: 4¼”; S.A.E. rating 24 horsepower; brake horsepower at 1800 r.p.m. 35.

Durant vehicle production was suspended for the 1926 and 1927 model years. When the Durant was reintroduced, the car was redesigned and powered by a six cylinder Continental engine; some of the early vehicles were marketed as the “Durant-Star”. Bodies for the vehicle were supplied by Budd Company. In 1930, some Durants were built with all steel bodies, also supplied by Budd. Durant Motors was found insolvent and automobile production ended early in 1932.

Wheel Tracks can not find a Durant that has been for sale in Hemmings Motor News in the past 6 months and when going on the internet none can be found for sale there either. The “Durant Motors Automobile Club” website offers a lot of information but again, Wheel Tracks found none for sale. Does that mean Durant Cars are hard to find if you would like to own one?

1932 Plymouth PB

1932 Plymouth PB Project PartsKen Squier’s Plymouth came to him in parts and had spent many years in the garage of former owner Stewart Raydell of Williamstown, VT. Ken is very fast to say that he has had very little to do with working on the project. His step son-in-law, Sandy Thompson, has taken on all the wood related work between his obligations at his business building staircases and handrails at his company in Stowe. Most of the wood is ash and it appears Sandy has done a better job than the 1932 factory workers. The mechanical work is being done by Gary Scott of East Barre. 1932 Plymouth PBGary has his own garage business and has a long history of working on Ken’s projects. Mr. Raydell’s neighbor, Steve Stephenson, remembers the car and told Wheel Tracks that he was the person who rebuilt the engine some 15 years age. At one time not too long ago there was a plan to have the car completed for the 2014 Stowe Car Meet this August but they all agree it might now be the 2015 meet instead. They have a ways to go yet.

Ken SquierKen Squier has a ‘bit’ of a history of being around cars and got started when he was 12 announcing sport events on his dad’s Waterbury radio station, WDEV. He was well known for his skill announcing live play-by-play dirt track races in Vermont during his younger years. His early Vermont announcing booth was an old logging truck. In fact he became so involved that he was able to convince NASCAR and CBS to get together and then basically created an announcing job for himself with CBS for many years.

He announced every Daytona 500 race from 1979 to 1997 using his ’special style’. He often described NASCAR drivers in his era as “common men doing uncommon things” and describing wrecks as “side over side, end over end” for flips and for calling wrecked racecars with the phrase “all torn up”. A battle for position involving a large pack of cars would periodically be referred to as “an Oklahoma land rush.” Ken is still very active in the sport today.

1969 Karmann Ghia Convertible

1969 Karmann GhiaKarmann Ghia is 60 years old…..When Wheel Tracks learned that 2013 was the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia’s 60th anniversary we thought it was a good idea to feature the car for our May issue. We asked club members for input and maybe even some stories about their Karmann Ghia’s they presently own or have owned in the past. The results was a surprise. There are only two listed in our VAE Roster and that appears to be it. WT has heard of a number of VW Beetle stories but we assume no other members own or have owned a Karmann Ghia. Our front page Ghia is owned by Ken Taplin of Blue Hill, Maine. The second Ghia, pictured to the right, is owned by your editor in Enosburg, Vermont, a 1968 Coupe.

Ken has owned his convertible for only a few years since he purchased it at the annual “Owl’s Head Transportation” auction in Maine. He had an older Ghia when he moved to Maine in 1967 and that spurred him to bid on one of the three that were in the auction. He has 25 antique and classic cars and drives most of them. If you check the roster you will see he is partial to air-cooled cars, his latest is a 356A Porsche coupe. He drove the Ghia to our 2011 Stowe Show where the front page photo originated, that is Ken pictured with the car.

From Ken…” I saw Wheel Tracks mentioned the ’46 Beetle I had in college. One of the many cars I should have kept, with it’s mechanical brakes and semaphore turn signals but you can’t keep them all. Another one I let go was a ’27 Minerva limo. I did keep the first two cars I owned, a’31 American Austin coupe and a ’29 Franklin 4dr”.

Here is some history from Ronan Glon…. Volkswagen is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Karmann Ghia. Nicknamed the Beetle in a sport coat, the car was previewed by a close-to-production concept that debuted at the 1953 edition of the Paris Motor Show. The Ghia came to life when coachbuilder Karmann asked Ghia designer Luigi Segre to draw a new body for the Beetle. Operating with-out input from Volkswagen, Karmann believed there was a market for a sleek and sporty convertible based on the cheap and readily available Beetle chassis.

For reasons that remain unknown, the convertible body style was scrapped and the first prototype took the form of a coupe. Segre presented the car to Karmann execs in a small Parisian garage in October of 1953 and although it was not the ragtop the men had imagined, they were thrilled with the result and proudly presented it at the show. The Ghia was generally well-received by the press and by visitors.

Volkswagen chief Heinz Nordhoff examined the car inside and out shortly after the show. He was impressed with what the Beetle had spawned, but he feared the coupe would be too expensive to mass-produce. Karmann proposed to build the coupe alongside the Beetle convertible in its own factory and the Ghia was quickly given the green light for production. The Karmann Ghia was launched across Europe in early 1955 after undergoing only minor changes in its transition from a show car to a production vehicle. It was powered by a rear-mounted 1.2-liter air-cooled flat-four lifted straight from the Beetle parts bin. The convertible that Karmann had initially en-visioned was finally added to the Volkswagen lineup in 1957. Positioned above the iconic Beetle, the Ghia enabled Volkswagen to reach a trendier target audience while boosting its image across Europe and on the ever-important United States market.

The Karmann Ghia was phased out in 1974 after 362,601 coupes and 80,881 convertibles were built. The prototype that debuted in Paris is part of a private collection but it is occasionally displayed at Volkswagen events throughout Europe.

I was heading South on the Jersey Turnpike in the early 60s when it happened.

It was maybe 2AM Monday morning and I am driving my 57 Pontiac Star Chief a little faster than the speed limit…. Mine is practically the only car on the road, I am heading back to my ship at the naval base in Norfolk, VA. As usual I am using 110% of a three day weekend at home in Vermont. The Star Chief could cruise forever at ninety mph, at least empty…. Going home on Friday I had a 500 pound load of potatoes in the back seat area so I had to go slower. My Navy pay was only $76 a month back then, so I bought fresh picked potatoes in Virginia and sold them in Vermont where the new crop would not be ready for another month. The profit from the potatoes paid for my gas and tolls and I had $50 left for the weekend.

Back to that night on the turnpike. There had been no lights in my rearview mirror for some time when I noticed lights slowly gaining on me from a long way back. I slowed down a bit but knowing the cops didn’t bother you much that late at night I didn’t slow a lot. It was not long when the vehicle behind me pulled into the fast lane and slowly passed me on the left. It was not a cop or an ambulance; it was a VW Karmann Ghia. I was able to talk to the gent in the Ghia a ways down the pike at a truck stop and found the little car had only it’s original 40 hp engine! I vowed that someday I would have a Karmann Ghia.

Jumping ahead a few years, it is now 1971. I am out of the navy and back in Vermont working electronics for a local cable TV company, I am married and have two lovely young daughters. I am minding my business one day while driving by Smiley’s used car lot in Georgia,VT when I spot a robins egg blue Karmann Ghia. It was a 68 coupe fresh from a 4X4 trade with an Air Force gent being transferred to St. Albans, he had bought it new in Mississippi and needed something the he could drive in our winters. You can guess the rest, Smiley and I made the $700 deal and I drove it home a few days later.

You had to sit slightly sideways with your feet to the right and the tiny foot pedals made for some tricky foot-work but it was fun to drive. The only problem was when I got on the interstate I could only get maybe 70MPH out of her and there was no more. That is when I determined I needed to get rid of the automatic transmission and the AC. With only 44 HP to start with there was not much left for the rear wheels to use. A transplanted standard shift and nixing the AC did the job…95 to 100Mph was now reachable alt-hough I was, by then, a responsible married guy and I didn’t do high speeds any longer….. well, not as often.

Again, jumping ahead to 2014… (life sure has a lot of ‘jumps’). My Karmann Ghia is parked out in the barn patiently waiting for me to get over my obsession with cars from the 1920s so it can get back on the road again. It was my main driver for 12 years and a lot of nice adventures happened during that time.

How many of you are thinking about my possible mistake of getting rid of the automatic transmission and the AC? The part you are missing is the 12 years that I drove it with all of those 44 horses. That is the part that makes my decision all-right!