MY FORMER COLLEAGUE AND VERY VALUED FRIEND, CHARLIE EVERMAN, ALERTED ME THAT ONE OF MY ROSSMOOR FOLKS WAS HERE TO SEE ME WITH A VERY DECENT YELLOW 1975 SEDAN DEVILLE. I TRADED FOR IT. OUR COMPANY WAS NOT INTERESTED IN IT. IT WAS JUST TOO OLD.
I BOUGHT IT, RE-DYED THE TOP TO THE ORIGINAL COLOR WHITE. PUTTING IT ON A LIFT IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT NIGHT, BECAUSE REMEMBER I HAD A KEY TO THE BUILDING, I STARTED DETAILING EVERY INCH. OUR SECURITY FOLKS WERE THRILLED WITH ME BECAUSE THEY COULD HEAR THE LOUD MUSIC PLAYING AS I WORKED ON MY CAR.
THIS WAS THE PERFECT CAR FOR MY BROTHER RANDY LIVING IN ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA NEAR ANGEL STADIUM. A COOL GUY WHO WOULD TAKE ME TO ALL THE FAMOUS PLACES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ONCE A MONTH.
AS A VERY SUCCESSFUL PRESTIGE PRODUCTS ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, WE HELD OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS IN A BIG WAREHOUSE BUILDING ON FIGARO IN L.A. YOU FOLKS REMEMBER THE FAMOUS FELIX CHEVROLET WITH THE CAT? JUST DOWN THE STREET. I WAS IN HEAVEN.
RANDY WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED PILOT. HE TOOK ME TO FLO’S, CABLE FIELD, PLANES OF FAME, AND HOW ABOUT NORM’S 24-HOUR RESTAURANT. WHEN RANDY ARRIVED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN 1971, HE GOT A JOB AS A CAB DRIVER AND KNEW HIS WAY AROUND.
HE FLEW HIS LUSCOMB SUVAIR (LIKE A PIPER CUB) FROM LORING MAINE, LORING AFB AFTER DISCHARGE CLEAR ACROSS THE UNITED STATES STOPPING IN RICHMOND INDIANA TO GIVE ME A RIDE WHEN I WAS THE USED CAR MANAGER AT WAGNER CADILLAC. RANDY CONTINUED ON TO CALIFORNIA WITH NO RADIO, NO NAVIGATIONAL AIDS. HIS PLANE WAS NOT CAPABLE OF FLYING OVER THE MOUNTAINS, SO HE HAD TO FLY AROUND THEM. ALL THE GREATS KNEW RANDY. HE WAS ALSO CO-PILOT ON THE LAST F-3-F THAT CAUGHT FIRE AT OSHKOSH. THEY SUCCESSFULLY BAILED OUT, BUT THE PLANE WAS LOST.
RANDY TOOK ME TO THE VERY FIRST, AND ONLY AT THE TIME, IN AND OUT BURGER PLACE. THE COOLEST RIDES IMAGINABLE THAT WERE ON THE COVER OF MANY MAGAZINES WERE CRUISING IN AND OUT OF THIS PLACE. RANDY WAS THRILLED WITH THIS OUTSTANDING CADILLAC DEVILLE GIFT FROM HIS BROTHER. HE DROVE IT MANY YEARS. THE CADILLAC LOST A FENDER SKIRT ON THE 405, LOST A WHEEL COVER IN ANAHEIM, AND EVENTUALLY IT SUCCUMBED TO AGE AND WAS DISPOSED OF. RANDY WAS GRATEFUL. IT MADE ME FEEL GOOD TO HELP BROTHER RANDY.