Going to a rod run meant cleaning detail. Before the car ever left the garage, the rule was to clean the entire car. I became the detail artist of cleaning cars! Dad told me that he really needed my help cleaning the wire wheels. He told me that I would do so much better then he would at cleaning the spokes because my fingers were smaller than his. And yes, I fell for that line! I was only a kid.
When we would go to the rod runs, I had to know the specs of the street rod just in case anyone would ask. Somehow one of the guys would always ask me questions about the 32 as I was cleaning the car, again, from the trip there. Funny how that always worked that way, and I was so proud to be able to spout off that the street rod was a 32 Ford Sedan with a 283 Chevy engine bored out to a 292 with a Jag rear end. Dad would say that the 32 was Ford’s better idea, a Chevford. No offense to anyone!
Now as we travelled to the rod runs, the game for me was to name the make and model of the car coming towards us. Most families play the ABC game with their kids when travelling. Me? I had to learn what cars were on the road!
I remember taking the 32 on a “test run” after dad had been working on the car in the garage. He would say go tell your mom that we are going on a test run and we’ll be back soon. The test run was a straight away back road near our house. I would be in the passenger seat and dad sit at the beginning of the road and saying, “The Christmas Tree’s lit!” and off we would go. Guess it was a taste of his racing days! I think the saying now is, Sit Down, Shut Up and Hold On! That is exactly what happened.
The 32 had an automatic transmission but on test run days, that Stroh’s keg for a gearshift handle, became a stick shift! With each tap of the gearshift changing gears I would be thrown back in my seat. Funny thing, you ask my sister who is ten years my junior and she would be able to tell you the exact same story about going for a “test run”.
You have to know that Mom and Dad did not have a lot of money. They made the most of what they had and Cher and I had a fun childhood. I can remember helping mom make Lebanon bologna sandwiches (a Lancaster County meat) and packing the cooler to put in the back of the ‘32. My sister and I would put our feet on the cooler as a foot stool and so we would keep our feet off the seats!
Rule number one in the car was no carrying on, no feet on the seat and heaven forbid, do not push the back of the front seats with your feet. There was hell to pay for that one!
The ‘32 went on many trips such as the street nationals in Tulsa, OK and the street rod nationals in St. Paul MN. The ‘32 even made its way to Memphis TN to see Graceland. As I am writing this article, my husband and I are currently traveling to Rogersville, TN for the Memory Lane show and extending our trip to include a trip to see Graceland in my father’s memory. My dad loved Elvis Presley’s music so much that our family room was a “50’s room” fully decorated in 50’s memorabilia and a juke box full of Elvis music. Dad was so proud that he actually got to park the 32 in the driveway of Graceland and have his picture taken in front of gate. Back then the mansion was not open to the public, as family members along with Lisa Marie were still residing in part of it. As a teenager, it was haunting to see the three graves in the back yard and realizing I was standing in front of Elvis’ grave. Now I get to see the mansion from inside and outside from an adult perspective.