If memory serves this photo was taken in Charlottetown in the summer of 1970, Caroline was just six years old and the car is a 1961 Chrysler Windsor. I bought the car the previous year as I needed transportation to take me and my few belongings to Prince Edward Island. Much has changed since then, In particular the costs of rent and gas. I could not afford to drive the big V8 Chrysler today at around 15 miles per gallon. Back then gas cost about 70 cents a gal and the small apartment I shared with a co-worker cost us $32.50 each per month, or a total of $65 per month. Mind you we were still always broke and often I could only afford $2 worth of gas which I had to eke out until the next payday !!! I was the assistant manager in the KMart Auto Centre and earned about $250 per month. I bought the Chrysler in Dartmouth for $100, it needed quite a bit of work, the driver window was broken, a serious problem in November. I discovered a serious wobble when negotiating the MicMac Rotary one evening. It turned out to be the steering box, which I replaced in the auto centre. It needed new tires, $13 ea also installed in the auto centre. Caroline spent the summer of 1970 with me in Charlottetown but had to return to Dartmouth in late August for school. Shortly after that I sold my trusty Chrysler for $300, not a bad turn over eh!!! I decided to return to the smaller more familiar British cars such as Austin. I remember owning very rusty Vauxhall station wagon that I never did manage to put on the road. Fortunately my need of transportation was soon to be answered. I was only weeks away from meeting Linda, she owned a 1963 Rambler. Linda would become my wife, and 40 years later we are still very much in love, However the Rambler and Vauxhall are all long gone. Replaced now with newer smaller more fuel efficient vehicles that cost much more than I could ever have afforded in 1970. Those were the days when we were young and carefree!!!!!
That’s my reminiscence for the start of another week and another hot day.
God Bless and keep reading.
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Ah Memories, I owned a 1963 Rambler S/W while stationed in Germany. We went to Fraserburgh Scotland for Hogmonay. New years morning the rambler would not start. Jumping it failed and My Uncle took of the distributer cap to see what was what. He dropped the cap taking a chunk out of it about 2 inches by 1 inch. What to do now. I called the local Garage and they said they would order the part from London. It would take about 2 days. No Rambler dealers in Scotland in the 60s. Two days later the part shows up and it does not fit. If memory serves me correctly. The Cap for a UK Right hand drive was different from a US Left hand drive. What to do now?
My uncle said he had something that may work. “ARALDITE” today known as super glue. He put the broken cap together taped it and let it dry for a few hours. The Araldite was two substances which you mixed together . They gave off heat then you stuck the broken bits together.
After reinstalling the patched up cap. fingers crossed it started. I drove that car for a further 3 years travelling around Europe and UK and the repaired cap held.
Amazing things in the older days my friend.
Robby (Never a mechanic)
Hi Robby had to do a very similar repair at the British car show in Cymbria a couple of years ago. A 1961 Daimler V8 SP 250 blew the top off its distributor cap. Nothing was available locally or even as far as Ontario. Using Super Glue we stuck the broken piece back into the cap. The car ran and the owner returned home to the US without further problems.