[Ducati] Aaaagh, you young guys + Hy Drive

[Peter Bonner]

Right vintage there Wally,

but mine was a 1931 Model A Pickup. It was a 4 cylinder when I got while
still in high school, then got a donated six cylinder Ford (inline) and lost
the fenders, and in final evolution (after HS) I built a custom frame with
2" x 4" box tubing, bulldog front perch for the transverse solid axle front,
25 coats of black laquer on the frame rails, 3/8" thick alum. firewall with
swing pedals, VW bus steering box, channeled 6 inches over the rails with a
z section in back, shortened bed, and 289 inches of motivation with a C6
tranny. Other transport modes included a 41 Ford (w/hotrodded flathead),
Austin 100/4 with 327 and muncie 4 speed (converted from underslung to
overslung chassis in the rear ... to allow for the street slicks), and
assorted other cars, including the Hudson Jet and a 1954 Oldsmobile with a
three speed stick shift in it (try to find one of those now). But in HS, the
main ride was a 1949 AJS, rigid frame and all, with mostly mid 50's
matchless motor parts and increased from 500cc to 560cc. Then in 64, after
graduation, the first ever new vehicle became the entire fleet for the next
3 years, being the solidly dependable 250cc n/c Scrambler. Unfortunately I
spent so much time commuting to classes, I didn't have much time to attend
for those first few years of college...... It's all because I would head
over Grizzly Peak and Skyline blvd to do the off and ons, as well as Redwood
canyon (when it was still a cool ride, unlike the new version I rode on with
Kevin coming back from Laguna).

Peter

PS  Did anybody have a Dodge Hy Drive? It was a funky collection of
stick/automatic with buttons for gear changes but a clutch and shift lever
too. Fred Mork's (AHRMA) father had one, station wagon, and sometimes drove
us to Berkeley High School in it.





>>>>>Message: 11
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:58:17 EDT
From: Ducmotorcycles at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Ducati] Aaaagh, you young guys


1931 Chev 2 door sedan when 16 years old, paid $15. Drove it for two years
and then bought a 1947 Studebaker Champion. Next car was a 1955 Ford, next a
49
 MG TD and on to about 50 more sport cars with a few imported race cars
sprinkled  in then finally ended the craziness with a Lotus Elan. I had
bikes all
during the car madness but gave cars up and switched my  sickness to totally
to bikes, easier to store! My 3rd bike in 1962 was  a 1947 Vincent Black
Shadow
purchased for $400 and sold two years later for  $400. What a fool I was!!!
Wally
97 Ducati 916 (street