Fall Cruzin' in "My new ride"

[Snake Farm]

Let me just say this is a long winded post.........but, there's lots of pics

This story starts out with my wife's parents. My father in-law has to be the trading'st guy I've ever met, I mean everything from pocket knives to heavy equipment. In the 35 years I've known him he has probably owned well over 500 cars/trucks/bikes/boats/etc. He doesn't own anything that's not 'for sale or trade' except for my wife's Mother.....although he often jokes that he'd let her go for the right money LOL. The only thing he has ever held onto is this '57 Bel-Air Moredoor ...

My Mother in-law fell in love with it because her parents had one like it so he said it was her's and they have had it for several years. A few years back he had it painted and had the interior done and a couple years ago he put a built, although somewhat stifled, 327 in front of the original Powerglide (it cold use a better carb/intake and some bigger exhaust) They usually go to a few shows every summer and for a Sunday drive every now and then but didn't take it out much last summer and only once this summer.
Then out of the blue on this past Labor Day my Father in law says to me "when are you coming to get your car?" What car I said and they proceeded to tell me they were giving me the '57, said they were done with it and I was going to get it sooner or later and they wanted to see me enjoy it so I was getting it now. Needless to say I was somewhat overwhelmed and have actually been just letting it ride for the last month to see if they changed their mind.....I think what bothered me the most was the fact that "they were done with it" when they have enjoyed it so much over the last several years. The mood changed a little for me a week or so ago when they bought this......

......maybe they're "not done yet", so Saturday night we picked up the Chevy

and brought it home

Sunday morning dawned a beautiful fall day and we got up early and headed to my sister's. We posed it for a couple pics in front of "Midnight Auto Body"..

Pretended to top off the fluids and load up some spare gas for the trip...

packed a picnic lunch, they hopped in my sister's Camaro and we headed out to see if we could find some nice fall foliage ....

Hang on for more...

 

[skull]

gertrude

hey, l got one of those[cl


that is a nice looking car!

mine was grampa's, been mine since 1968.

her name is gertude and she is a 150 4-door. we are in the process of suiciding the rear doors on mine.

pic of a 55 done like l want my doors.

Later

 

[Snake Farm]

...Thirty miles up the road my friend Steve and his nephew hooked up with us and on we went...

First stop was "The Custard Stand" http://custardstand.com/about-us

a little Mom & Pop place that has become somewhat famous for their hot dog chili which is now available at Wal-Mart, Sams Club, Kroger etc. throughout the East...had to pick up a few dogs for later

On we pressed across mountains and streams....

through little Appalachian towns...

...until we hit the Highland Scenic Highway into the Monongahela National Forest

There we stopped and hiked down a mountain side to these waterfalls....

Looking down....

...hang on, out of space again

 

[skull]

mine

just gonna make me havta go work on mine by showin' me all these[ddev

Later

 

[Snake Farm]

Where was I...oh yeah the waterfalls


Going down....

Looking up.....

Oh crap, now we have to GO back up

.....at the top of those steps begins the one mile hike back to the parking lot where the "Red, White and Blue" are waiting.

.....the Red being Steve's '41 Chevy PU.

Steve and I were born three weeks and two hollers (hollows) apart back in 1958 and grew up together until we were 15 and my family moved a county over. Steve's Dad bought the '41 in 1955 and drove it every day until he retired in the late eighties. He passed away a few years later as Steve was restoring the truck. Although Steve has several nice rides he drives the truck quite often and it makes me smile every time I see it....brings back lots of great childhood memories.

On we go, next stop Cranberry Mountain Nature Center.

Although I have driven past it over the years I had not been inside since my 4-H Club days and we took a field trip there in about 1970.

Inside the current main attraction was more suited to my Willys than the '57

Dang, out of space again! Told ya this was a long post

 

[Snake Farm]

Even got to watch a snake have lunch...

...yumm, baby mice We'd already had our picnic lunch so we hit the road again

this time I brought up the rear so I could snap a few pics of Steve's truck
as we climbed higher...

Up the road a ways we pulled in to take in the scenery...

...yeah, there's a few posts to keep you from going too far LOL

Got some guy to snap our picture...L to R Steve & Ryan, my sister, brother in-law, Mrs. "Snake Farm" and me

As we were about to get back onto the highway my brother in-law suddenly pulled over and jumped out...

..seems that the spot where we stood for the group pic was also a popular spot for dog owners to walk their dogs And no, I didn't laugh

Hang on for more....

 

[Snake Farm]

Heading off the mountain we met this sweet "Shoe Box" pulling the 9% grade with the pipes singing that undeniable "Flattie Song"

Top of the next mountain we stop to soak up the scenery again...

..and the Camaro catches the eye of this "little gearhead" who asked my brother in-law if he could take a picture of it and asked if he'd show him under the hood which Larry was more than happy to do......ya never wanna miss a chance to "spread the fever"

...we even caught "ALPHADOG", some old guy in one of those sweet 392 Hemi Challengers taking a pic of our rides....

So with the day growing long like this story Steve picks the return route and leads us homeward...

...over the river and through the woods

..at "break neck" speeds

Got back to Steve's house at dusk and snapped these pics of his "Chia Cheif"

Although it obviously has no floor, this old Poncho looks amazingly solid when you drive by it sitting in the yard. However upon closer inspection you find that it is rusted so thin and has so many little dents and kinks that it would be a monumental task to bring back.........but Steve's brought'em back before. He says he just hasn't got up enough momentum to tackle this one yet, LOL.

Hang on and we'll look inside to see what they have been working on....

 

[Snake Farm]

A day like this makes ya wanna go home and work on something and that's just what Ryan did as soon as we got back....

Steve is helping him with this Pontiac Ventura...

It needs lots of work but that's just what a kid needs

Steve is currently working on this '49 Pontiac Sedan Delivery

Bone stock, flat head six, three speed, 21,000 miles! Used to be a tool/flower hauler for a funereal home.......of course I'm trying to get him to paint "Uncle Fester's Grave Digging Service" on the side of it [ddd

He has skirts and a visor for it too and of course it came with the coolest hood ornament in the world!

Then we venture into the "Man Room" where there's all kinds of cool stuff like this old pump...

hundreds of model cars...

Dang, out of space again.......are ya getting tired of this yet?

 

[Snake Farm]

...The "Man Room" stereo....wonder where he got the idea for this

..kinda looks familiar

And what "Man Room" would be complete without a '59 Harley Hummer

So there ya have it! Hope I didn't bore you all but it was a totally awesome beautiful day! Good times with friends and family, combined with great fall weather and beautiful scenery [cl

Oh, and did I mention I got a new ride ??

Logged 215 trouble free miles today and averaged 13.8 MPG

Later,

Ray

 

[hotrod preacher]

appreciate the pics, glad i went along for the ride...


and it looks like ya wound up with a nice new ride too![cl[cl[cl

 

[pistolpete]

Wow, a day in the life... reading this and seeing how many cars were on the road yesterday really made me wish I had mind on the road... although I did get behind the wheel of the wifes cousins '06 Roush Mustang for a quick rip down some sideroads... made me wish I was driving the A even more.

Congrats on the new wheels, I am sure it feels almost surreal getting a gift as such.

 

[Old Iron]

THX SF, enjoyed the ride thru the mountains and all the scenery [cl
I knew I liked Steve didn't know why til I seen the Ponchos [dr

Jim

 

[maverickmk]

Very nice, I'm jealous. Thanks for the pictures

 

[Snake Farm]

hey, l got one of those[cl


that is a nice looking car!

mine was grampa's, been mine since 1968.

her name is gertude and she is a 150 4-door. we are in the process of suiciding the rear doors on mine.

Later

Rear suicides would be pretty cool! Might have to keep that in mind

..... looks like ya wound up with a nice new ride too![cl[cl[cl

Very nice, I'm jealous.

Thanks guys.

Congrats on the new wheels, I am sure it feels almost surreal getting a gift as such.

It certainly does feel surreal ........it wasn't till on the way home Sunday that it really started to sink in, "hey this is MY car"

Glad you guys enjoyed riding along, oftentimes days like these are even better than a car show. [cl

 

[Snake Farm]

THX SF, enjoyed the ride thru the mountains and all the scenery [cl
I knew I liked Steve didn't know why til I seen the Ponchos [dr

Jim

Yeah Steve is a bit of a "Pontiac Man" He's sold a couple in the last year or two including a nice '65 GTO and a dropped, cruiser skirted Tri-Powered '58 "Bonney" He still has this one although it has been stashed for a couple seasons......

If you had seen this El Camino before he started on it you would have no doubt that he could save the "Chia Pet" Star Cheif

...this thing was gone almost up to the door handles, including all the floors from the firewall to the tailgate The sides you see here were built from a four door wagon and it has a steel plate floor that will stand up to hauling about anything......which he often does!

 

[Sniper]

Excellent thread, thanks for the day out.

 

[Gastrick]

Wow...what a day. Thanks for documenting it and sharing. Nice cars and scenery. Can't beat that at all. PS-I really dig that Poncho sedan delivery.

 

[donsrods]

Let me get this straight. Your Father in Law gave you that car ? Does your wife have a sister, I want in that family..........BAD !!!!!!!! The only thing my ex F I L gave me was grief !


Beautiful scenery, what State is that in. I saw you said Monogahela, and that is the area I grew up in back in Pa, but I never heard of those parks.

Don

 

[gassersgarage]

Some people have all the luck. I have a friend like that. His Uncle died so his Aunt gave him the Uncle's restored '61 Vette. When the other family members complained, she told them, he was the only one that could appreciate the Vette. Funny, he rarely drives the Vette, he always drives his '49 Merc.........

 

[RAT IHC]

Snake,
Great pictures and thanks for sharing. That is why I'm doing my build...for days like that! [cl[cl[cl

-Troy