Message Forum

It certainly looks like the 1954 Kaiser Darrin I traded in for a Lasalle....

03/28/23 10:59 AM

#7105

Patrick Riley

Concur ... Kaiser Durrin ... not sure of the model year.

The entire car looks like this.

FYI ... it's an American car made by the Kaiser Motors Company (owned/partially owned by Henry J. Kaiser who built the Hoover Dam and all the World War II Liberty Ships).

03/28/23 03:08 PM

#7106

John L,

You certainly named the car! What year was the 'Caddy' ? Take a stab at the year of this white Kaiser Darrin.

03/28/23 03:35 PM

#7107

Pat,

Congrats for nameing the vehicle. You and John L. are even thus far!

Yes, I am well aware this is an American made car. T'was researched prior to posting the pictures. Kaiser Motors (formerly Kaiser-Frazer) made automobiles in Michigan from 1945 to 1953. In 1953, Kaiser merged with Willys-Overland to form Willys Motors moving its production operations to the Willys plant at Toledo, Ohio. I found the body line of the this "1953 Kaiser-Durrin" to be an excellent example of the inovative design engineering which developed during this era!

Anybody else have a favorite car you would like posted? Or you can post it yourself!

03/29/23 08:15 AM

#7108

Paula Carl (Cowee Miller)

Rex,

I hope that all know I was only joshing about the 1954 Kaiser Darrin!!! I rode a bike until I was in college...

Pat, the Darrin was only built in 1954, and there were only 435. So, if that wealthy client of yours wanted to invest, there are a few for sale online, ranging from the $50s (original) to fully restored in the $170s. They were built of fiberglas.....competion to vettes????

By the way, does anyone remember the Henry J?? Sears sold them in Roswell as Alstates. We had a neighbor buy one for his wife, as she wanted a 'little' car.

Sears also sold cushman motor scooters under the Alstate brand.

03/29/23 09:19 AM

#7109

Patrick Riley

Ah ... memories.

I have lots of car memories as (seemingly) everyone else had one but me. I was an avid looker (only)! I got my first car between my Junior and Senior years in college when Howard Holt and I each put up $325 to buy half of a well-used $650 1959 Mercury. Tom Mangham's summer job that year was as a used car salesman. That rather run-down Mercury he sold Howard and I was his only sale over the 11 weeks he had that job.

I later bought Howard's share of the Mercury for $400 ... it had "newer" tires on it by that time. Happy days ... it was all mine!

I certainly remember the Cushman and its Sears' counterpart. Several classmates had one!

Does anyone remember the Simplex Motorcycle/Motorbike? At least one classmate had one ... Mike Saundry maybe ... not sure? Looks like this:

03/29/23 02:03 PM

#7110

In 1996-97 I dated a guy who had 2?Cushman motorcycles. He went to a national Cushman event in Sweetwater, TX. and apparently there were Cushman motorcycles and their owners from all over the states. I never knew they were such a big deal.

03/29/23 06:20 PM

#7111

Fred Miller

I had a Cushman Eagle when I went to North JH. I think Dad paid $700-800 for it. Have seen some going for $5k now.

Had a bad wreck one night on the way to a scout meeting. Somebody had parked in the middle of a dark road with no lights, never saw the car. Happened in front of the electric company there on Bland. Our neighbor was just leaving work there and heard the wreck. He found me on the road in front of the car, and the scooter crunched into the back end of the car.

He took me home and Dr. Lander made a house call that night to patch me up.

Have not been on a motor cycle since...

03/29/23 06:32 PM

#7112

Fred,

I can sympathise with you 110% regarding your motorscooter mishap! What kind of injuries? I laid my 1100cc Shadow down on it's side to avoid hitting a guy that ran a 'four way stop"! Wasn't close to teeth, hair, and eyeball all over the pavement like "Brother Dave's Story of Chuck and his girl friend Baby"... but it laid me up for six months.

More fun stuff...

I recall Jerry Floyd sitting on his Cushman Eagle in front of North Jr. High. His cousin Verlon Miller had a 50cc Harley. They'd sit out front of North Jr. in the morning giving guys the 'tough-bad-boy stare'. Yep, North had our own "Leather Jacket Cowboys"!! Yeah Man! Right on Jerry!

1952 Cushman Eagle

03/30/23 05:02 AM

#7113

John Doyal

John and Patrick, glad to know I wasn't the only one not having a car til a senior in college. I paid $75.00 for my tank(47 pontiac). The tires were big enough to drive in deep snow or sand, but to big for most parking spots at NMSU. Found biking was still best transportation there. I was used to driving other students fast cars and blew the motor on the way to see my sister in Socorro. Rod through the side of the block slows things down. I got another used motor but was not a good enough shadetree mechanic at the time to get it running before I got drafted.. City made my dad get rid of it as it was not driveable while I was in the army.

03/31/23 04:52 AM

#7114

John Doyal

Fred, Dr. Lander was definitely a blast from the past. He was my folks and later my family doctor until he retired. That was when one doctor did everything and did make house calls. Now finding a family doctor is impossible. This year I have had my doctor leave town and had to find a new one(nurse PA) who just quit, and now getting a new nurse who I can see at the end of April. Plus, the only time you can see them is by appointment, no walkins when you are sick and need to get treatment. My wife's cardiologist did not even come to the hospital(across the street from his office) when she nearly died from high potassium level(his perscriptions)

04/02/23 09:39 AM

#7115

John D.

You are singing to the choir!!!!

Here in Tennessee, where I spend winters, the local hospital has been mergered into basically an ER, with some testing facilities. The local clinic where I go has lost the doctor that I saw, and is now down to one, BUT they have 40 some other employees, mostly PA's, NPA's, nurses, lab techs, etc. They do have a high priced pharmacy on site and a sometimes lab. This, of course, doesn't count the office staff!!

If anything goes wrong with you, it's either an ambulance or chopper to the nearest REAL facility.

Sadly with all the mergering in this area, about 6 or 7 hospitals in smaller communities around have been shuttered or reduced to emergency status only. Efficiency!!! but the costs don't seem to be reduced any!

Thankfully, at this time, I am fairly healthy and ahead of the game... I guess if things start downhill, I can go back to Alaska fulltime, where my oldest son is a ER trauma doctor and chief of staff at the hospital!

WELL, off my soapbox..

04/03/23 04:20 AM

#7116

John Doyal

John I would tell everyone it was my birthday and then say Aprill fool and no one thought it was. Worked so well I used it at work and had no kidding.

04/03/23 08:20 AM

#7117

John L,

Let us know how those winters work out for you up thar 'n Johnny Horton country... "North to Ah'll-ask-her..."

Rare footage of a great man who passed too soon

04/04/23 09:53 AM

#7118

Well, Rex, I did more than 30 Alaska winters, many living on the family homestead. I am probably one of few that owned a Catepillar 12 road-grader to maintain the road. My brother and sister still live out there and have enjoyed the 6 plus feet of snow this winter (ha), but breakup is commencing and I will be heading up next month.

As to Johnny Horton and his early demise.... it is surprising how many musical performers have died in road and air accidents...

Wierd side note: "Sadly, on November 5, 1960, Horton was traveling with band members Tommy Tomlinson and Tillman Franks from Austin, Texas to Shreveport, Louisiana when they collided with a truck near Milano in Milam County, Texas. Horton died in the ambulance before reaching the hospital and all others involved were seriously injured. Eerily, both Horton and Hank Williams gave their final public performances at Austin's Skyline Club -- while they were married to the same woman."

04/04/23 03:43 PM

#7119

WOW, John L. that is interesting about Horton and Hank Williams having their final public performances at Austin's Skyline Club and being married to the same woman!

I did not know that!!!

04/04/23 04:09 PM

#7120

To Your Question; "Who wrote the book of love"?

Let's see, 1957-1958 and I was at North Junior High!
9th Grade dating Johnny Frances! Those were the days!

04/04/23 04:29 PM

#7121

Fred Miller

Miss Billie Jean Jones was quite the looker. She became Hank Williams widow in early 1953, and married Johnny Horton later that year...

04/05/23 09:49 AM

#7122

I am assuming that the one with the BIG smile is Sherry Hester??? Who are the other two, I have a hard time reading script in the mongolian style (vertically) so???

04/05/23 11:10 AM

#7123

Well... John L

Don't know what you mean about mongolian style pictures?? You're the only one that complained about Sherry's pictures. They all look "Vertical" to me! When's the last time you visited your eye-in-the-Doc?

Sherry, when you're right, you're right! But, who sang the song?!!

Could you write what the picture captions read on your posting? I can only make out "basketball and track". Maybe I need to borrow John L's glasses...

04/05/23 05:57 PM

#7124

OK, John L. heres the story and Thank-You Rex!!

Lovelies Crowned

The Football, Basketball, and Track Sweethearts of North Junior
High School was Crowned at a dance last weekend. Pictured
are left to right Pat Liebelch, Football, Sherry Hester, Track and
Shirley McLaughlin, Basketball.

Here is the rest of the story; maybe you can read this part of the story;
does anyone know who played in the band "Blue Notes"?

04/05/23 06:05 PM

#7125

OH, Rex I almost forgot, The Monotones sang "Who Wrote the Book of Love" It was written by three members of the group, Warren Davis, George Malone and Charles Patrick.
Rex, Thanks to You and John L. and all who keep the fun going.

04/05/23 10:25 PM

#7126

Tommy Weathers

The Blue Notes were
Jake Trujillo,2 Otero brothers,1 or 2 Durans, Gilbert Lacon,and others off and on.

04/06/23 08:59 AM

#7127