FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW, MY DAD TOWED A HOUSE TRAILER BEHIND HIS CAR FOR MONTH LONG VACATIONS FOR MANY YEARS. THE FIRST ONE WAS A 1949 CHRYSLER SCOTTISH HIGHLANDER RED CONVERTIBLE WITH BEAUTIFUL RED PLAID SEATS AND LEATHER. THEN IT WAS A NEW 1954 BUICK CENTURY FOLLOWED BY A NEW 1957 CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE. DAD WANTED ME TO ORDER HIM A NEW 1968 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN – AN EXCELLENT VEHICLE AND FAMILY CAR.
I ENCOURAGED HIM TO CONSIDER A NEW 1968 PONTIAC EXECUTIVE WAGON COMPLETE WITH FACTORY TOW PACKAGE, SAFETY TRACK DIFFERENTIAL, 428 WITH FACTORY AIR. I LEFT HIM STRICT INSTRUCTIONS IN THE CARE AND BEAUTY TREATMENTS OF THE CAR SO THAT I COULD SELL IT FOR HIM EVERY YEAR WITH REASONABLE MILEAGE AND WASH OUT WITH TRADES TO GET MOST OF HIS MONEY BACK.
I CAN STILL SMELL THE INTOXICATING AROMA OF CADILLAC BLUE CORAL BEING APPLIED IN FRANK’S GULF STATION IN ROSSFORD ON HIS 1957 CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE. HE KNEW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF A CAR. DEPRESSION ERA PEOPLE APPRECIATE HAVING MONEY AND GETTING VALUE FOR THEIR PURCHASE. WHAT HE DID NOT LIKE WAS THE STRICT MILEAGE LIMITATIONS AND THE SENSITIVE HOUSEKEEPING FOR RESALE. MY DAD SMOKED CIGARS SINCE HE WAS 26 AS A BOMBARDIER IN WWII. MOM LAURA SMOKED CIGARETTES, SO I HAD A REAL CHALLENGE PREPARING THEIR CAR FOR RESALE ESPECIALLY TO SELL TO A NON SMOKER. I LEARNED HOW TO DO THAT.
I HAD THE TOP PAINTED WHITE AT THE FACTORY SO THAT ELIMINATED 20% OF THE SUN’S HEAT. IT WAS WELL EQUIPPED. SO THE 1969 GORGEOUS PONTIAC EXECUTIVE WAGON YOU SEE BEFORE YOU WAS HIS LAST CAR FROM ME. MY DAD WAS EXCEPTIONALLY ANXIOUS FOR THE MONEY AT THE TIME. I WROTE HIM A CHECK FOR THE CAR. IT SOLD TO A NEIGHBOR AS I WAS WIPING OFF THE LAST COAT OF POLISH. EVERY CAR THAT I PERSONALLY TRADE FOR AND PURCHASE PART OF THE BELOFF TOUCH IS TO TAKE A CHEAP CAN OF FLAT BLACK SPRAY PAINT AND SPRAY PAINT THOROUGHLY ALL OF THE WHEEL WELLS FRONT AND BACK THAT HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY MASKED OFF SO THAT MY OVER SPRAY PICKED UP BY THE WIND DOES NOT GET ON THE CAR. I ALSO STAND BACK AND EXAMINE THE FRONT AND REAR VIEW OF THE VEHICLE AND ANY COMPONENTS HANGING DOWN THAT ARE VISIBLE ALSO GETS SPRAYED FLAT BLACK. THE FRONT WHEEL WELLS ARE IMPORTANT. YOU TURN THE WHEELS HARD LEFT AND SPRAY THE AREAS HARD TO REACH THEN HARD RIGHT AND THOROUGHLY SPRAY THE WHEEL WELLS. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN RESALE APPEARANCE IS THOROUGHLY CLEANED TIRES, WHEELS, WHEEL COVERS AND WHEEL WELLS.
WHEN YOU EXAMINE ALL OF MY 159 CARS, THEY SHOULD ALL MEET THIS STANDARD. YOU HAVE NO COMPETITION BECAUSE NO ONE WILL DO THIS. YOUR CARS WILL REALLY POP. PROFESSIONALLY DETAILING TODAY 2018 LIKE THE KWIK KAR FOLKS IN WATAUGA TEXAS DO A COMPLETE JOB OF WHEEL WELLS INCLUDING ALL SUSPENSION COMPONENTS OF PICK UPS THAT ARE OFF ROAD VEHICLES.
I SAW A 1955 TRI COLOR DODGE FEATURED ON THE COVER OF A NATIONAL MAGAZINE. THIS WAS A 100 POINT CAR THAT HAD YUCKY WHEEL WELLS THAT MADE IT LOOK LIKE A FIELD CAR. BOO! IF YOU HAVE BLACK CARPETS AND NEED A QUICK FRESHENING IN APPEARANCE, YOU CAN USE FLAT BLACK SPRAY PAINT ON THE CARPET SILL AND TUNNEL AREAS. I KNOW THAT IT WILL DRY STIFFLY, BUT APPEARANCE WISE THE POTENTIAL BUYER CERTAINLY OF A MARGINAL CAR WILL BE VERY IMPRESSED. YOU CAN DO THE BRAKE PEDAL, ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND EMERGENCY PEDAL WITH FLAT BLACK IF THEY ARE NOT TRIMMED WITH CHROME OR STAINLESS STEEL.
PONTIAC’S THEME IN THIS AREA WAS “A TIGER IN YOUR TANK” ENDORSED BY ESSO GASOLINE. YOU COULD GET WHAT RESEMBLED A TIGER’S TAIL WITH A RUBBER BAND AROUND IT TO PUT OVER YOUR GAS TANK FILLER NECK SO WHEN YOU CLOSED THE LICENSE PLATE HOLDER, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT YOU HAD A TIGER IN YOUR TANK. THE TIGER CONTRACTED BY PONTIAC AND GM PHOTOGRAPHIC BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE AND QUICKLY RUINED I THINK IT WAS THREE COMPLETE INTERIORS BEFORE THE HANDLERS FINALLY GOT THE GORGEOUS BENGAL TIGER TO SETTLE DOWN AND ENJOY HIS 1966 GTO INTERIOR.