Collector Car Corner – From Ford Model-T to Plymouth Fury, reader recalls four of his memorable cars 

Q: Greg I really enjoy your articles on collectable cars and auto nostalgia each week in The Wayne County Times here in upstate New York. I am attaching four photos of my older cars for you to view.  

The first is of a 1963 Plymouth Fury I once owned with a 361-V8 with 265 horses. I dragged it in the D/Stock class but never did win. It had a manual three on the column.

However, my 1965 Sports Fury had a 383 V8 under the hood. I really loved that car but once we had our first child, it wasn’t practical and we traded it in on a new 68 Plymouth Satellite. I sure wish I could have hung onto that one. It had the four-barrel carburetor, four on the floor with Hurst shifter, dual exhaust and posi-traction rear end.

Last but not least is my 27 Model T coupe. With a 20-HP four-cylinder engine and the top speed was 35 mph! It was fun to drive but hard to get used to going that slow. I spent 10 years restoring that ‘27 Model T coupe and drove it for another 10 years. My wife wouldn’t ride in it because she didn’t trust the mechanical brakes, so I ended up selling that also. It was nearly 100-percent stock and although I would have loved to turn it into a hot rod, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. My dream car is a 1932 Ford Coupe hot rod but I will never be able to afford one unless I win the lottery!

Unfortunately the only photo I have of the ‘68 Satellite has snow on it, but I guess this is appropriate considering what happened. I had a friend weld headers on it and did that sound nice when I uncapped them. Never did drag race it, but it sure was neat for the day. It had a 318 V8 with automatic and was easier for the wife to drive and had no bucket seats. The only other photo I have of that car is with a smashed front end, and it had to do with snow.

We were living in Milford Connecticut at the time and on the way home for Christmas it had snowed the night before. On the Merritt Parkway, a car was coming down the ramp on our right, so I moved into the left lane. He slid on some ice, turned completely around and we ran into each other head on! Luckily no one was hurt and the Satellite was still drivable. We continued on to upstate New York and a buddy I grew up with owned his own body shop and fixed the car the week we were there. 

In 1972 we traded that car in on a new ’72 Plymouth Fury III. I was a Ford man until I married my wife and it was her father that talked me into Plymouths. But when the quality went downhill we switched to Chevrolets.

It’s funny how we save and collect things when we were younger and never thought about what you would do with all the stuff in your old age. I bow-hunted for about 35 years and collected broadheads (arrowheads) about that long also. Now we want to downsize to a smaller home and I am trying to sell my collection of over 2,000 broadheads and do not want to break it up and sell it piecemeal on eBay (which would be quite an undertaking). It is valued at $30,000 and I would gladly trade it for a hot rod!  

My den is packed full of memorabilia and all these things have sentimental value to me but probably no one else, and I’m sure you know what I mean.

Thanks for your fun columns on old cars and nostalgia. I really appreciate your efforts. Ed S., Williamson, N.Y.

A: Ed, thanks so much for your enjoyable letter and photos. I still am amazed how many of my readers have such wonderful (and sometimes not so wonderful) memories of their cars and the times of their life. All of your four cars really look great, and the recollections as we grow older are priceless.

I let the information you sent on your arrowhead collection in the column as maybe there’s someone out there that would love to take a peek at it and make you an offer. Maybe your dream hot rod could become a reality. If one of my readers would like to contact Ed, I would be happy to get you in touch.

I’ll end up this week by admitting I have a similar “problem” with not only collectibles, but also loads of new and used car and racing parts that I’ve purchased over the years. From a complete 1969 Dodge Magnum 383 engine to countless models and die cast vehicles, I’m pretty much in the same boat as you, Ed.

But you are correct. We know we have to get rid of our collections, but each and every one of them has some type of sentimental value.

Thanks again Ed for your letter.

(Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist. He welcomes reader input at 303 Roosevelt St., Sayre, Pa. 18840 or email at greg@gregzyla.com).