B4

Bill Sherk — The Old Car Detective

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Jim Oates enjoys reading CarStory in the Essex Free Press. Jim was not the first owner of his first car, but he definitely was the last:

Enlarge Photo

1936 Chevrolet with built-in trunk in sales catalogue.

"I used to ride a motorcycle when I was a youth a long time ago. As I grew both physically and mentally, I thought I should have four wheels under me. I traded my bike for some woodworking tools and a phonograph. Still needing transportation, I bought a 1936 Chev from the blacksmith up on Hwy. 2.

"As the price was within my budget, I thought I was getting the best of the deal. I didn't know a great deal about cars in those days, only that you drove them as fast as possible with the radio cranked up as loud as possible. It had a bit of rust but that didn't matter. The motor ran and the wheels turned. Sure, it looked as if it had seen better days but it still had lots of life in it.

"Maybe I should have kept the bike. The universal joint shook itself to pieces, and with a clatter, clatter, and thump, the driveshaft dropped. With a shudder, the old Chevy reared its back end up off the ground as the driveshaft plowed itself into the gravel roadbed. A friend helped me as I tied the shaft up with a piece of baling wire so it wouldn't drag on the ground while he towed me home. I got a new universal joint, installed it, and I was off again.

"Not long after this incident, I was driving through the town of Tecumseh. That was in the days before traffic lights were installed at Lesperance and Tecumseh. Someone didn't yield. Anyway, my Chevy and a pickup truck drove through the intersection. I turned left and the pickup proceeded straight.

"Yes, straight into my right rear fender! Did I mention rust? That fender was held in place by rust. Not only did it bend, it fell on the ground. And wouldn't you know it? There wasn't a scratch on the pickup. No charges were laid and we both went on our way. Me? I had a crumpled fender lying on my back seat. And he? He left with a smile on his face.

"That old Chevy taught me a lot about cars and life. When I tried to trade it in on another car, I discovered that nobody wanted the old thing. Somehow, I got the impression that they thought I was joking every time I drove onto a used car lot.

"Swallowing my pride, I went out and bought a used 1948 Ford. The '36 Chevy went to the scrap yard where it suffered a few more indignities."

As a thank you, if your story is published in CarStory, you will receive a copy of Bill Sherk's book "60 Years Behind the Wheel: The Cars We Drove in Canada 1900-1960." If you have stories or photos to share, email bill@carstory.com or write Bill Sherk, 33 Oak St. E., P.O.Box 10012, Leamington, ON N8H 2C3.