Turned a Harley Sportster into a pretzel after hitting a power pole on a blind curve. I did not make out much better, but survived after spending two months on my back in the hospital. Lived on a cattle ranch about 5 miles from Highway 101. The road from the ranch house to the pavement was dirt. Dad (or someone) placed some bed slippers on the back bumper of his Dodge Dakota. Found the slippers on the street at the freeway on ramp after about a 10 minute drive from the ranch to Highway 101. Driving an armored truck, my partner left his sun glasses on the rear bumper of the vehicle. It case you did not know, rear suspension of those trucks is very stiff and bouncy. We drove from this last stop with the sunglasses sitting on the flat of the diamond-plate rear bumper back to our office/garage in downtown San Diego using both freeway and surface streets (probably a ten minute drive). The sunglasses had not moved upon our return.
Perhaps some of the members are familiar with the Albion fairgrounds.(site of the Lake Erie Mopar club annual swap meet) Back in the late 70s/early80s it was a popular spot to hang out and party. one afternoon while enjoying some beers and other stuff (colombian?) my best friend claimed he could run on foot across the park faster than I could drive around the perimeter. game on. my 74 Valiant Brouham wasn't fast enough to win but it sure made some bystanders angry!! They started screaming that are calling the cops. (no cell phones back in those days) but I figured it would be a good idea to get out of dodge, which I did at a fairly high rate of speed everything was fine until a lady pulled out of a driveway right in front of me. Swerved and avoided a collision thanks to the superior handling of the A-body torsion bar suspension and did a couple of 360s through a yard full of trees. missed em all thanks to dumb luck!!
My dad had a 74 Valiant Brougham!! Red with a white vinyl top. 318 and solid as a rock!! I was driving it one time my when car was broken down. Had three other people with me partying. All three passengers had put their beers on the floorboard. I don't remember why, but I had to make a fast getaway. All three beers spilled on the floorboard. NOT GOOD. I remember parking it in the driving and widing all four windows down to get rid of the smell. He never said anything, but I'm sure he knew.
Jumped off a high wall into the river one evening, my buddy yells how deep is in. I said not so much, I can stand up. Its a wonder I did not break both my legs. With the same friends different day, I had a 80 CJ-5 renegade, all stock, just bought it off a local Jeep dealership a few months before. We were camping at his parents cabin, and decided to go climb the fire tower. OK we pile in my almost new jeep, no top and head to the fire tower. My buddy knew the way, but forgot to tell me about the "water crossing" the water looked clear as could be, I could see the rock at the bottom and the path up a steep bank on the other side. The water crossing was one of the drains out of the lake, nice friends I had back then. Anyways, Jeep full of beer and teenage kids going to climb the fire tower. I start across the water crossing slow, thinking it is only a couple of feet deep. Wrong, I knew I was in deep doo-do when water starting coming over the hood, and in where the non-existant doors were. I just nailed the throttle, when in doubt gas it. The old girl made it out the other side, shuddered up the steep, muddy bank on the other side, and we climbed the fire tower and drank some more beer. My butt was soaked because the water was up in the lake, and it filled the whole inside of the Jeep up. On the way back, when it is pitch black dark out, my buddy says go this way, there is a bridge over the water. I about punched him, but I did not know where the bridge was.
Yeah, that's what mine was, It was a burgundy red with white vinyl top and velour seats, I remember taking this hot chick to lake erie to go skinny dipping but she puked all over herself and the interior . Bummer, took her home and lots of cleaning!!
Ive left a coffee and a Big Gulp on the bumper of my truck to find them at the next stop. Cell phone on top of bin, etc. I jumped off a 25 foot rock into the ocean where you had to time the swells so you wouldnt hit in 5 feet of water. Little Corona, CA. (dramatic pic!) I was terrified but just HAD to do it! I got major street cred for it......(Ask your kids)
Ok, I dug some old pictures. Man, we had some good times! Lined up on Virginia Beach. My Dodge in the middle and one of our location. We always did a circle and partied in the middle.
First one is my buddy hanging in my van. Second picture is me with a fish hat playing my "air guitar"!!
Unfortunately my ex has all my old van-fest pictures. Most would have to go in the Blue Forum though.
I know what you mean about the blue forum. One if the craziest thing we saw was a couple going at it on a blanket right next to the road. We just watched as we walked by. Also lots and lots of flashing! Man, what fun. We were out of Pennsylvania and went to Virginia a bunch and English town raceway in NJ a couple of years. There is a van-in website I ran across a few years ago.
Haaa! I knew a girl who was married to 3 Marines ALL AT THE SAME TIME! They tried to scam the marriage allowance, and all 3 got busted down to PVT.
We went to Cumberland MD, Danville VA, and some others I can't remember where they were. Only rule I remember was everything goes once you pass the front gate. Cops never came in. Teeny weeny bikini contests were great. Also they had their own radio station on premise the entire festival.
We did Haymarket Virginia one year. It was the WILDEST one I was at. Then we did three Virginia Van Nationals in Virginia Beach. Oh, the crazy stuff we did. About 5 of us went streaking one afternoon. When we ran past the announcer booth, through the microphone the guy says " get the ketchup out, get the hot dog rolls out and catch those streakers!!!" We must not have heard about Cumberland or we would have gone. We lived in Waynesboro, PA. Our club name was The Highway Trucking Company. You call, we haul. If we can't truck it, f*#k it.
