7. Chevy Caprice Wagon
The years are fuzzy after the Datsun 510, to the point I am not sure of the year of my Tuna Boat Chevy Caprice Station Wagon. I know it was next in line because I had began a long career of coaching youth baseball. I started with Pony League with ball players who were 13 & 14. I had 12 players on the roster so I needed a car big enough to lug around many of them.
I really liked the Caprice. It actually looked good in spite of being so large. It was cool how the far back seats folded down and faced backwards. The coolest day the Caprice ever had was the day I took the entire team to Disneyland. We packed all 12 kids in the car (probably somewhat illegal) and had a great road trip to Anaheim from east San Diego County. I can remember other times we did fishing trips to a local lake. That is the last time I was much of a fisherman. We also took trips to see the San Diego Padres play.
No frantic “put it out John” stories with the Caprice. Lots of fond memories of some very good baseball players. I remember my first team….we opened the season with a double header. We won both games and the last run of the second game scored on a last inning base hit and a bang-bang play at the plate. When the umpire ruled “safe”, I jumped up and down repeal. One of the other, more veteran coaches advised I not get so excited. I am sure I DID NOT take his advise….lol.
Remembering this story about Pony League makes me think of another, which I will post separately.
I had a 1974 Ford Country Squire station wagon…for 13 years!! Mine was used for hauling 3 boys around plus their friends and cousins. When we would go camping…this was before we moved up to a trailer and then a motorhome…I would load the back with camping supplies, the luggage rack with tents and put a bike rack on the back and strap on the bikes. Then load in the boys and extras. I use to laugh that we looked like the gypsy’s heading to the camp grounds. When we “junked” the car my husband took out the 460 motor to save…they make good engines to rebuild for a racer. Even tho my guy isn’t a “Ford” racer…there are lots of others that are! So it’s been sitting in one of our shops for the last 20 years! And he complains that he needs another shop! Gee, wonder why! LOL
I think it was great that you passed on you baseball knowledge and experience…without those that help be a part of children’s lives some children never have something good in their lives. And someone to look up to…even if he is pacing back and forth or yelling at the umpire.
I had a very hard time tracking down the Caprice station wagon, but I think this is where it went.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/4213384
That is cruel and unusual punishment for any car….
I think when they picked it up to crush it a few baseball bats, gloves, balls and soda cans fell out.