Jody
Since Jody mentioned the Ford Falcon. The summer vacation in Penticton that Dad spent most of the time working to get that car in working order so I could drive it home to Calgary. At 70 miles an hour it was really hard to hold on to the vibrating steering wheel. It was the best $50 I ever spent.
Lori
Gillan crashing my car his first time out ...
Jody
A little clarification on Jody's car and the "accident". It was a '69 green Cutlass Supreme 2 door with bucket seats and an 8 track player with decent speakers and why he let me borrow it I am still wondering. It was one of those rare interchanges when you know you were getting something more than you deserve (in a good way). I recall Jody having to talk Mom into agreeing.
The accident wasn't my first time out however. It was my second or third time out. My first time driving his car was actually the first time I had ever driven solo. I don't know that Jody so much trusted me not to wreck his car as he was willing to put his relationship with me ahead of material things. It was to the Saturday night dance that I made my very first independent sojourn. I say it that way not just to be dramatic but because it still ranks as one of the most paradigm altering events of my life. I drove away from the curb at 222 in a spotless, gorgeous almost muscle car worthy of a second glance and I was alone- it was really me driving. I was so out of my skin that i nearly needed to pinch myself. I may not have been hot stuff but I felt like it that night. I am sure I wore bell bottoms, an unusual tie and Pierre Cardin cologne. I picked up Mario Nickl and Tim Collete on the way. I played "The Best of Guess Who" as loud as it would go on the 8 track player driving there and coming back- all night long and we went to Peter's drive-in after.
Later that next week was the accident. I was driving by myself on 16th Avenue in front of Sears going east (used to be called Simpson Sears- faded green letters) and a VW van stopped suddenly in front of me. I was following too close and feeling too smug. They had a 10 speed bike on the back. I crunched and totaled the bike and dented their bumper. No noticeable damage to the Cutlass. I was monologuing all the way home what Dad was going to say and how mad he was going to be. When I finally told him he simply said "I'll bet you feel like I did when I had my first accident.". I always remembered that statement word for word. Thanks Jody and thanks Dad.
Gillan
That Cutlass was the "coolest" car I've ever owned. Dad helped me get it just before I went on my mission. It was hard to let it go. I'm glad it brought some good feeling to those who drove it. Dad was awesome in helping us get wheels. There's nothing like being out on your own and being able to drive where you want to go. I remember Dad helping me buy a 57 chev from Ron Nielsen long before I was ready to drive. It was a real "hot" car. Thanks Dad ... I do things like that for MacLean knowing how important it was for me.
Jody
That Cutlass really was a cool car. And Jody was very generous with it. One weekend in January (cold and snowy) I had to work on the Saturday and wasn't sable to go up to Red Deer with my friends to the hugh school basketball playoffs that Crescent was in. When I got home from work Jody said I could use his Cutlass to drive up to the games. Wow. I was in heaven. No way I would have lent such a nice car to me in winter conditions or even in the summer. I brought it back in one piece and loved driving it. Thanks Jody.
Lori
I remember the 57 Chev that Jody referenced. I remember when mom and dad were gone Lanny and Jody and friends tried to start the Chev by pushing it down the alley. I don’t believe they got it going or they did and didn’t get far.
Gillan
When I read about Mac’s accident with Jode’s car – (I did remember he hit a car that had a 10 speed on the back – not sure why that stuck with me), It brought back my memory of my first (and only) accident when I backed the light blue station wagon into a pole at the 7-11 down the street. It dented the back door so that the window going up and down was never the same. I too was worried about what dad would say. I found Monte and got him to come outside and look at it and hoped he had some advice for me. Not sure if he did – but said I just better go ahead and tell dad. I remember his response so clearly – “ guess you’ve now joined the club” Not a cross word. Thanks dad!
Marji
Yes, the Cutlass (I remember it being Gold or brown) was the coolest car followed by Lanny's Ambassador (Black) it had
great chrome to polish nice and shiney.
Monte
Lanny lent me his Ambassador and I drove it with Mario and Tim to Banff and back in record time. Glad to be alive. I think there were matching black pillows for the back seat.
The white/cream colored Comet that Lanny drove til his mission and sold to me for $50. I drove it til I left. Mario and I drove it out to someone's farm a few days before I left and it never ran again. We used to call it the Vomet. When we had more than one passenger in the back seat the bumper would bottom out if we hit a bump. Mario and I drove it to Tony Foote's mission farewell in Southern Alberta and in the rainstorm on the way down we tied a rope to each windshield wiper and pulled back and forth to be able to keep going. After the farewell at the Foote's home Mario and Leatha disappeared upstairs to make out, very classy. They had just met. Hey, I kissed her first (when I was 7). On the way back we ran out of gas and I pawned my watch to the gas station attendant to get enough gas to get back.
Staying over at the Footes in that low cost housing on Edmonton Trail and about 30th Avenue. It was on a hill and we would slide down the grass on cardboard. Anyone recall Brother Foote as counselor to the bishop sleeping during sacrament meeting on the stand- every week.
Gillan
Who was the young male convert with the car obsession? John something? And the guy who drove the El Camino?
Gillan
It was John Robson with the cars, Lanny's friend and original partner at Pizzas & Cream.
The El Camino was the son of the Lockings, can't remember his first name.
Monte
When Lanny was driving for Northern Messenger in the dead of winter I volunteered to start his van one morning and instead I drained the battery. Felt really bad about that.
Not only did I take over Lanny's car- the Vomet but I also took his job at Calgary Advertising Distributors when he went on his mission. Driving a red van delivering telephone books to homes in Calgary.
Gillan
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