Big Chrome and Plenty of Rust

Gibby

Piney
Apr 4, 2011
1,640
442
Trenton
While on my search for Pine Barren Gentians, I found this fifties' gem rusting away. A four door beast of a car with fins and huge pointed bumpers. Some black paint was still visible on the quarter panels and a few pieces of white vinyl could be found. I stood in front of the shell of a car and wondered how it found it's way to this resting spot. It must have been fun driving this huge car down the sandy roads in the area!

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Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,177
Nice find. There are a few of them scattered around the pines and it is always fun to find them.

Guy
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
While on my search for Pine Barren Gentians, I found this fifties' gem rusting away. A four door beast of a car with fins and huge pointed bumpers. Some black paint was still visible on the quarter panels and a few pieces of white vinyl could be found. I stood in front of the shell of a car and wondered how it found it's way to this resting spot. It must have been fun driving this huge car down the sandy roads in the area!

Looks like an early 50's Caddy, when cars were cars :)
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,177
You should go back in the winter. There may even be more in that area.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
there is a man in kentucky that goes around hunting cars like this.he asks locals to lead him to them,then he cuts a road to them and drags them out,takes them home and restores them.There is a tv show about him but I forget what it's called.
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,177
In NJ if he cuts a road to them on state property he will be on America's Most Wanted.

BTW Al, Jessica just told me Call of the Wildman was picked up for another season, and his Labor Day marathon had the highest ratings ever for any show on that station. Live Action!

Guy
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
In NJ if he cuts a road to them on state property he will be on America's Most Wanted.

BTW Al, Jessica just told me Call of the Wildman was picked up for another season, and his Labor Day marathon had the highest ratings ever for any show on that station. Live Action!

Guy
I can do a most convincing Turtleman imitation.That was my call before I heard of Turtleman,not the Live Action but the Rebel Yell he does before that.I love the show,He quite over reacts and dramatizes but thats Hollywood.I wonder how much they had to pay him to tangle with that skunk,probably descented.
 

LARGO

Piney
Sep 7, 2005
1,552
132
53
Pestletown
I have had a few treasures like this in the back forty and found in surrounding properties over the years, since us backwoods types can't seem to get rid of stuff in a reasonable time frame if we have someplace in "the way back" to put 'em.
Since my cousin has one big ass junkyard within spittin' distance of me, we get to it well, when we get to it.
The wonder of it all is the quality of the chrome and it's content being so much better back then. It would in many cases outlast the rest of the vehicle as depicted, and... would stand up easily against today's crap. Now, I have a few bits and parts I found over the years as nick-nacks, much to the wife's chagrin. Best story.... I got some fine chrome and hubcaps off a mid fifties Desoto and sold on Ebay. Not too shabby a profit. This'n coming from a guy who sold a mailbox found tossed out back Goshen woods on Ebay as well. ( I just don't have time for all that nowadays ) My fave though was an old Ford behind my dad's property that a new owner eventually got around to cutting up and pulling out. I called it "Uncle Otto's Truck" All I have now, are memories, a screensaver at work of it (that gets me some looks but most people think it's cool as heck) and, best of all from the truck I have an original painting of it from one of the most talented artists I know and in my mind the best O' the Pines. A priceless and thoughtful gift.
I love to see it here when folks find stuff like this and record it and share. My guess on your Caddy... A stolen car taken on a joyride and left for dead in the Barrens. Maybe just someone ticked the wrong person off, I do not know. I am sure there is a tale worthy of a nice listen out of it yet for now, all one can do is wonder, and wonder is good enough.

g.
 

Gibby

Piney
Apr 4, 2011
1,640
442
Trenton
I plan on going back and taking more pictures during the Winter. The doors and other parts are on the ground, all covered by low growth. I just realized that I don't have any photographs of the fins. If you look close at the stainless windshield trim, it is blue along the bottom. This car was burned. Prescribed burn, forest fire, or vandals - take your choice.
 

Gibby

Piney
Apr 4, 2011
1,640
442
Trenton
The fat fenders and curves of the old pickups are gorgeous! Look at the lines on both of those trucks! A low drag coefficient and a small drag area was not even in the minds of the designers of the two of those vehicles. A computer model will never generate an image like either of those trucks.
 

Gibby

Piney
Apr 4, 2011
1,640
442
Trenton
Expensive gas was never in the minds of the designers of those vehicles either!

I quickly averaged several prices from 1956 for gas. It is close to twenty cents or so per a gallon. Factor in inflation and today that would be approximately two dollars and change. Fuel today is double that price for premium.
 

Boyd

Administrator
Staff member
Site Administrator
Jul 31, 2004
9,502
2,765
Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
They were discussing gas prices on Bloomberg this morning. The statistic they gave was that a "middle class" American was spending 1.2% of their income for gas in 2006 and 4.0% today. But during the energy crisis in the 1970's it was up around 6.0%.
 
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