Just how dumb was I?

[Grumpy Rick]

Well, let me tell you. When I was 16, I got a 5 or 6 year old '53 Ford convertible for $350. It was a V-8 with Fordomatic, and wasn't as fast as my buddies 53 tudor with a stick. I still raced anyone I could find, but was mad that it wouldn't burn rubber. Don't remember winning any races either.

One rainy day, I started from a stop sign where there was a big puddle, and when I punched it the wheels actually started to spin, so I kept it floored and enjoyed the rap from the twice pipes. Until, that is, there was a big clunk and the motor quit.

I had broken the crank in half and the cam into three pieces. It was gonna cost a bundle to fix it, so I bought a 52 Lincoln with the big Y block motor for about $100, and my buddy and I installed the motor and trans into the '53.

We had to butcher the frame to do it, since the pan was not the same configuration. Then we rebuilt the motor but never could get it running right.

After months of trying we gave up and sold it for the cost of motor parts, and it ended up in the junkyard.

Looking back years later, I have always wondered if we had the distributor 180 degrees off. Guess I will never know.

What I do know is that years later it dawned on me that it was the 50th anniversary edition, and I remembered the horn button that announced it. Years after that I found out the Ford convertible was also the Indy Pace Car for the '53 race.

Not that mine was special, but being a 50th anniversary car was kinda neat.

No wonder I'm grumpy.