Broomhandle Mauser

[tracker]

You are welcome. I am glad it worked well for you.

[Richard S]

Was that a Sunbeam Alpine or a TR4 you owned in school?

It was a 1954 TR2 in College:

and a 1964 Alpine GT in Germany (all I could afford on an Army Captain's pay):

I had ordered a TR4, but it was dropped from the truck on delivery in Stuttgart. The dealer had the Alpine on the floor, so I took it instead.

[ACP]

Ouch, dropping a TR4 from the truck would have made me cry. I settled for a Karmann Ghia in college with a KPH gage; direct from Germany.

[Richard S]

The Karmann Ghias were superb little automobiles -- a combination Italian design and German engineering.

As for the Alpine, it wasn't as quick as the TRs but it proved to be a great "Fräulein Magnet."

[tracker]

Great shots and great stuff. Why are you the only one in your group wearing a tie?

[kjtrains]

I was wondering the same thing!

[Richard S]

Great shots and great stuff. Why are you the only one in your group wearing a tie?

I worked for a U. S. Senator during the day and attended classes at night. My two nere-do-well fraternity brothers shown in the photograph came from "richer stock."  

[kjtrains]

Well, that explains it.      Not that it needed explaining.    

[ACP]

The Karmann Ghia I had was two tone; a powder blue body with a navy blue hard top. Standard transmission (of course), great mileage but not a chick magnet.

The greatest chick magnet I ever drove was owned by a wealthy childhood friend who had moved to Arizona. This was in the late 1970's and he let me drive it which I did right to the campus of Arizona State. Talk about beautiful women. Sadly, I could not claim the vehicle as my own.

It was a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427; 500 horsepower, no frills, all business, 110% testosterone

[Richard S]

* * *
It was a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427; 500 horsepower, no frills, all business, 110% testosterone

Whoa!  

[kjtrains]

And a double WOW!  WOW!

[ACP]

Yeah; it is a good story and I am grateful I got to drive it. Time and distance have taken their toll and I have lost track of my friend but I remember that he paid $25,000 for it. Value today? Uh, much more.

Earlier in this string I mentioned how I sold some great guns because I was forced to do so when I lost my aerospace job in the mid 1990's. That was a watershed moment as it taught me a great life lesson.

I was "gun poor" and had amassed a lot of credit card debt as I traveled constantly and was living lavishly. When I lost my job I destroyed my credit cards, paid them off and made a commitment, to this day, to live DEBT FREE.

Money is neither the root of all evil nor the proper means to keep score, in my view. I am glad that Shelby Cobras exist but I do not believe I have "failed" if I never own one.

I could not make a similar claim if I never got to own an R9. That, as I would hope many of you would agree, is true failure.

[Reinz]

Yeah; and Mom always liked you best.

Actually, that story is mitigated by the fact that I lost a good job in the mid 1990's. I was an aerospace employee and was "downsized" (I hate that term) along with another 2 million aerospace employees.

In order to meet financial obligations I had to sell guns and, unfortunately, if you want to make money you have to sell the good ones.

I also sold my ASP (no comments please as this is actually a highly customized M39 S&W) and a lot of other guns.

 My story is a sad old song: Were it not for the reversal of fortune, I could have kept some great guns that would be worth a small fortune today, even with the present market, softened due to the poor economy.

ACP - boy am I behind  

MOM liked me best- LMAO

I gues the alignment of the planets with our signs affected me as well in the nineties, for I got downsized as well and had to sell off some things....

but an ASP!!!    Oh that hurts, man that really stings ( no pun intended).


Reinz

[Reinz]

Guns I wish I had never sold . . . every da**ed gun I ever sold, particularly one Uzi carbine chambered for .45 ACP --ugly as homemade sin but as reliable as the phases of the moon. We all make mistakes. And don't ask me about automobiles I never should have sold. I'm too old to cry, but it hurts too much to laugh.

Richard - I hurt for you on that one buddy.  I have a 9mm Uzi and it is solid and reliable.
I would love to have a 45, If so, It would be hard to let go.


Reinz

[Reinz]

Whoa!  

ACP - that is my absolue DREAM CAR!

Back in the 70's when I used to live and breathe street racing, at the time I was racing a '47 Willys Jeep with a Chevy 327 in it.  Everything else was stock, thus it was only quick from 0-70 because it topped out at 70.

Well one night around 1976 maybe, I'm in Denton,TX on University Blvd which was the main drag.  Up beside pulls up this Shelby Cobra.  I had no idea what it was.  We punched it and off it went like a ROCKET!   And it was like I stood on the brakes!  
I didn't have a prayer.
I never found out what that car was until about 10 years later and boy did I feel like an Idiot.
I've wanted one ever since and everytime I see one my heart jumps out of my skin.


Reinz