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For the Love of Old Cars

June 10th, 2010

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Last week, on separate occasions, I had the pleasure of meeting two people with two very different approaches to vintage vehicle ownership.

Time spent with them reinforced my suspicion that there are plenty of reasons people sink time, money and heartache into cars and trucks that, through luck or love, have managed to remain on the road for decades.

Indeed, Brady Doyle and Darlene Steeves, both of the Halifax area, are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of what they want from their 50-year-old vehicles.

Brady Doyle’s love affair with his rare 1956 Oldsmobile Holiday 98 blossomed in Hamilton, Ontario more than four decades ago when he forked out $400 for the then 12-year-old top-of-the-line Oldsmobile. The two-door hardtop coupe was loaded with options including power seats, windows, antenna and even a Wonderbar radio, precursor to the seek-scan feature found on most car radios today.

Brady drove the Holiday 98 for years in Ontario where he played lead guitar for the Clark Street Reunion. The rock band, that eventually morphed into a country music band, was comprised of four lads from New Waterford, Cape Breton who headed for Central Canada with visions of glory and grandeur.

After a few years, Brady grounded the car in a series of storage locations; friends driveways, back yards and eventually at his home in Dartmouth where Brady settled into marriage, a family and a career at Pierceys Hardware. But the passion for his Oldsmobile never waned and these days, with retirement, comes a renewed restoration effort.

“There’s plenty to do, but I’ve rebuilt the 394-cubic inch V8 and gathered lots of spare parts. The brakes are finished too and I have most of the chrome except one rear quarter strip.” Brady’s eyes light up when he talks ‘the restoration’ and his plan to do much of it himself.

As I checked out the Olds, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed at what lay in front of Brady’s dream, but soon realized his love affair with the car is probably deeper than someone who just went out and bought a beautifully restored Metropolitan Nash, Desoto Firedome or Duesenberg SSJ Speedster.

At the other end of the vintage vehicle ownership spectrum is Darlene Steeves who bought her immaculately restored 1955 Chevy Stepside pick-up truck ready to roll. Nothing to do but drive and enjoy it.

“She is my baby, I've had her 2 ½ years and every time I get behind the wheel I'm a kid again with a new toy. The feeling never changes.” Darlene’s enthusiasm is infectious.

The truck is almost all original including the six cylinder 235 CID engine. It has standard steering and brakes and no power options other than the radio antenna and seats that are obviously not original equipment items.

Darlene purchased the pristine pick-up from a guy in Sydney who bought it in Houston, Texas and drove it back to Cape Breton 10 years ago. The deal included many trophies that are on display in Darlene’s ‘shrine’, a tidy double garage she traded her ‘04 Chevy Silverado plow and salter truck for.

But Darlene, who has owned about 10 special cars and trucks over the years, plans on selling her ’55 Chevy pick-up and see what restored gem will stoke her fever for yet another vintage car or truck. Although she loves her truck, she plays the field unlike Brady Doyle who has owned his Holiday 98 Oldsmobile for 41 years.

So why do seemingly normal folks fork out money, heart and time buying, maintaining and insuring 50-year-old vehicles when they could just buy a new VW Golf, Mazda 3 or Chevy Malibu? After all, new cars are more fuel efficient, environmentally correct and have something called a warranty.

I considered my personal ongoing restoration saga, a 1965 Ford F-100 pick-up I bought in Bandera, Texas 15 years ago. When I added up the money the project ingested and confessed to my wife that I could have almost bought a new truck with the cost, she responded, “Well, anyone can do that!”

It’s easy for folks to rationalize buying old cars and trucks though. Their Auntie Doris had one, they learned to drive on one, or perhaps it’s the same model as their first car, rife with memories of mobile teenage shenanigans.

In some cases the purchase could be a prudent investment but more likely, it’s the result of a fit of vehicular infatuation the buyer is convinced will somehow make him or her a better, more complete, person.

Having been through the restoration process once, I’d purchase my next vintage rig fully restored. Like Darlene Steeves, I don’t have the time, expertise or patience to spend another dozen years rebuilding a clone of the truck that was the core of my mobility during high school.

Then there are people like Brady Doyle and his long-term love affair with a 50-year-old iconic Oldsmobile. With his vision, tenacity and patience, it's obvious he will finish the restoration he has been working on for so long.

But whether folks want to drive or restore vintage cars, either way helps ensure another piece of automotive history will hang on for a while yet.

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