While growing up my parents had a string of station wagons that I first rode in the back of and then eventually got to drive, first a 57 New Yorker, then a 63 Olds 88, then a 66 Fury III. Most of my friends families had a wagon of some kind back then too, they were everywhere.
I have always liked wagons, partially for their utility aspect, and so have owned a string of them over the years, mostly but not all Chevys. I've also had Dodge vans over the years for the same reason, to haul stuff. I've had 3 A100s and two B300s.
In 59 when I was 8 years old I saw the hood open on the 57 New Yorker, I was just tall enough to see the engine, I remember looking at that 392 and thinking "wow, that thing is huge!" I was also surprised that you could see the ground under the engine, For some reason I thought it would be a closed compartment like the trunk.
And I, too, took the cigarette lighter and made circular burn marks on the plastic seat covers.
