1971 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

Here she is! The latest addition to my ever-changing fleet; a 1971 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Found nearly on accident three weeks ago in the front row of a service station in New Hampshire in the middle of a very eclectic bunch of vehicles (Flanked by a 1977 Ford Thunderbird and a 1950 Allis Chalmers farm tractor on the left and a homemade Harley-Davidson tricycle complete with coach lights from an old horse-drawn hearse and a 1946 Chevrolet 1-ton cab & chassis on the right), I was soon rendered powerless against the appeal of having another old land barge to fill the gaping hole in my fleet left from the sale of my 1979 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Sure, I also own a 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme sedan, but it doesn't have quite the same presence that a luxury car of the same era does. The gentleman that owned it previous was in the midst of a bitter divorce, and consequently he was asking a price that I could not have refused and felt good about later. Now it sits out in front of my house awaiting a little brake and engine work to make it roadworthy again. She'll most likely be driven for the rest of the summer as-is, and work will begin this fall or winter, unless something else comes along to either replace or sideline it. I swear that every car I buy will be the last, but that all goes out the window every couple of months when I come across something else that tickles my fancy, and then something has to either be let go from the fleet or stored in a different location. Unfortunately, although my love for old cars is boundless, my space for them certainly isn't. We'll see what happens, but for now the big white Cadillac is all mine!

Free Bike!

So today I'm driving..... erm, walking home from running a few errands and decided to go down a side street near my house to see if anything interesting had shown up in an old neighbor's driveway since the last time I'd driven by; past vehicles included an all original 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, among other things. The Cadillac has long since been replaced by a 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV, and nothing else new was there. But, on the opposite side of the street was a sign reading "FREE," hastily written in black marker on the back of a pizza box. God only knows what had been taken before, but this early 70's Tyler 16-inch single-speed bicycle with a coaster brake and the business half of an older Sears lawnmower were all that was left by the time I showed up. Without batting an eye, I plucked the little blue bike from the sidewalk and heaved it into the trunk of the Riviera..... erm, I mean, I walked it home with me. It shows just the smallest amounts of surface rust in a few spots, meaning it was pretty well-taken care of and most likely lived in a basement or garage until the decision to throw it out was made; there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, other than it needs a good cleaning and oiling. A new set of pneumatic tires wouldn't hurt, either; I think I chipped my tailbone riding on the original solid rubber set as I took it for a few trial runs up and down the street. The handlebars and white sparkle banana seat will be raised to the maximum height to better accomodate me, and it will be left in the trunks of my old cars for the rest of eternity to be ridden at shows, swap meets and the beach. I dare you to come up with a better use for a Polish-made Stingray knockoff!

Still Alive

Many e-mails have been received lately containing inquiries regarding my whereabouts. I still can't believe anybody even noticed I was gone because I still can't believe anybody reads this happy horseshit. So for all of you that asked, I am still very much here, very much alive, and have not yet been put in jail for illegally driving on a suspended license, although I have done it a few times. Eight rebellious miles were put on the Riviera yesterday morning as I took care of a few errands around the city. I'm a wild man, I know. The best excuse I have for not posting is simply because I've been very very busy. The work situation is fucked and as a result, my days off get eaten up and I clocked fifty-six hours this week in the blink of an eye. Any free moments I've had lately have been primarily devoted to helping my friend Silvester prepare his '68 Camaro to be sold (and apparently picked up, if you look at the auction link), and for the homecoming of his new jalopy: a 1964 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday, as well as for an upcoming addition to my fleet as well. That's right, I bought a third car just before the halfway point of my sixty-day license suspension. This is what passes for logic around here at Mac's.