...And you wonder why I drive an HHR Panel
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 04-06-2010
Posts: 655
From: Riverside, California
...And you wonder why I drive an HHR Panel
I ran across this 50 year old photo recently. It's me with my 49 Pontiac sedan delivery in high school. I guess my HHR is my lame attempt at re living my youth.
Pontiac Panel
Deceased
Joined: 03-22-2012
Posts: 1,012
From: Rogers City, Michigan
Why I drive a HHR Panel?
Wow, looks like the one I drove in 1962.
Long story short:
I went to work one morning and the boss asked me to drive a load of flowers/garden plants up to Sault St. Marie, Michigan. Seems his regular driver had a heart attack.
I was just 19 and worked at a greenhouse in St. Louis, Michigan. I had never driven across the Big Bridge and it was a 6-7 hour drive to the Soo.
Well I did it and on the way back the brakes went out about 1 1/2 hours from work. I was lucky to not be going very fast and was able to come to a rest on the shoulder. And luckily there was a gas station less than a mile from where I stopped.
The tail pipe had been rubbing on the brake line. The mechanic fixed it and I was back by 6:30. They said the boss was biting his nails all day. Later that fall when everyone was laid off, I was asked to stay. Wow that is 53 years ago............
Boydie
Long story short:
I went to work one morning and the boss asked me to drive a load of flowers/garden plants up to Sault St. Marie, Michigan. Seems his regular driver had a heart attack.
I was just 19 and worked at a greenhouse in St. Louis, Michigan. I had never driven across the Big Bridge and it was a 6-7 hour drive to the Soo.
Well I did it and on the way back the brakes went out about 1 1/2 hours from work. I was lucky to not be going very fast and was able to come to a rest on the shoulder. And luckily there was a gas station less than a mile from where I stopped.
The tail pipe had been rubbing on the brake line. The mechanic fixed it and I was back by 6:30. They said the boss was biting his nails all day. Later that fall when everyone was laid off, I was asked to stay. Wow that is 53 years ago............
Boydie
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 04-06-2010
Posts: 655
From: Riverside, California
Yeah, it came with a straight 8. We dropped a stroked 389 with tri-power and a beefed hydro. Those American Torque Thrust wheels are real magnesium, long before aluminum alloys. Those rear wheel wells were radiused by hand.....I still can't believe they came out halfway round. The rear tires measured 12" across.....huge for the day. Cheater slicks with 1 groove down the center. Took it down to T.J. (Tijuana Mexico ) for a solid black naugahyde interior. It ran pretty well for a car that weighed roughly the same as a Sherman tank. Probably got 4 or 5 mpg. Not a concern in the days of 36 cent gas. (Standard Custom Supreme. ..white pump 104 octane)
