Alaska Search for Flathead V8s
by Rex Rice When I was a boy growing up in the Pacific Northwest, we had a Spring ritual that was lots of fun. Our family would go out into the woods and look for Trilliums, a rare lily with …
Author: Rex Rice
A Close Encounter with the Tucker Automobile
It was before my time, so I missed the tour to Las Vegas that the club took in ______ . It was on this tour that Bev had tire trouble, it was then that Steve Laubly stopped and took a …
We Were Nuts in the 50’s!
I finally graduated from high school in 1954 as intense partying left me a few a credits short in 1953. Drugs weren’t the cause, unless you count Olympia beer as a drug. I also can’t use wild sex parties as …
The $5 Ford
In the early 1970’s I was a student at Western Washington University in Bellingham Washington. The campus was located at the base of thickly wooded Seholm Hill and was itself looking down on the city of Bellingham and beautiful Bellingham …
People and Their Big New Cars!
I used to live on quiet Marrowstone Island for ten years while building our house. It’s a lovely area about 12 miles from the beautiful Victorian seaport town of Port Townsend, WA. There are no freeways in this area so …
Motorcycles I Have Known
My father was called a Speed Demon‚ when I was a kid. As he roared down those country roads around our area, he saved his serious swear words for bicyclists. As he slid around corners or flew over a hill, …
The Desert Mercury
If you look at a map of the Mediterranean area, you can see that the country of Libya lies along the bottom. A land of desert, mountains and seacoast, Libya was an important province during the Roman Empire with large …
Mr. Schumann’s Model T
Old Man Schumann was an urban entrepreneur. In the 1920’s and 30’s, in the logged off land between Seattle and Tacoma, he built a water company and telephone company and ran them from his home. Later, he sold milk from …
A Good Kid
Terry was the skinny kid from down the street. He showed up one day while I was under my ‘38 Ford convertible in the driveway, pulling another broken transmission. It was cold and drizzling and he asked: “Can I help?” …
1933 Chevrolet
After my adventures with my first Model T‚ Ford, I was offered a 1933 Chevrolet sedan as an even trade. Wow! Four wheel brakes and a real clutch. On Broadway, the main street of Seattle’s Capital Hill area, there were …
1939 Chevrolet Coupe
Of all the Chevrolets built, I think the ‘39 was the prettiest. I paid $145 for this dark green beauty and loved to drive it. But, even being careful, I couldn’t keep engines in it. There is some kind of …
Memories of a Ford Model T
Near Top Hat Junction in South Seattle, there lived a strange family. The house was small and unpainted, but it was the yard that drew attention. Old pinball machines, televisions, washers and dryers, were piled up all around the place …
1948 Ford Deluxe Sedan
Newly married and with a child coming and a German Shepard puppy swiftly out-growing the TR-3, I started looking for a family car. My mother’s next-door neighbor heard of my plight and called me. She had purchased their 1948 Ford …
1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Turbo
I claim temporary insanity. (Warning; Corvair owners aren’t going to like this.) It’s February, 1965 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A supervisor that I worked with had two older Corvairs that he loved, one for him and one for his wife. He …
The $25 1935 Ford Fordor
My friend Stan and I were walking home from a day of bean picking when we spotted a For Sale sign on an old Ford. It was sitting in front of a tarpaper shack amidst lots of other junk. We …
South End Auto Wrecking
Remember when wrecking yards weren’t called auto recyclers? When their staff members were incredibly filthy, had bad teeth and used foul language? When cars were turned upside down and torched after the good parts were removed? When oil, gasoline and …
A 1938 Willys Sedan
A nicely restored 1938 Willys 4 dr Sedan
I bought this great little car from some kids in the neighborhood for $35. It was dark blue 1938 Willys 4dr, with ivory flames on the front. I loved this car. It was fun to drive, was reliable, got good …
1938 Ford Convertible
Henry Ford had no idea what he was doing to the youth of America when he came out with the ‘flat head’ V-8 engine. It’s looks, sound and smells, let alone it’s power, caused adrenaline to flow, mixing into a …
License Plate Memories
I have a collection of license plates that collectors keep trying to buy. I’m not into collecting useless stuff (my wife begs to differ), but this began as a matter of money. I was assigned to Belle Forche, South Dakota …
Hitchhiking
How did I ever survive adolescence? Between the ages of 12 and 14, I hitchhiked when I wasn’t riding my beloved bike. Here are some rides I remember while growing up in Washington State: The Blind Driver: My friend Stan …