[Coco] CoCo crew old car reference

[farna at amc-mag.com]

I've had an AMC Rambler since 1979! A few might remember the 91-96 or so
CoCoFest years when I usually drove my green 63 American from
Warner-Robins, GA, to Elgin. One night Allen Huffman, Linda Podraza, and
someone else (can't recall now!) went into Chicago to eat at the Hardrock.
Taxi slammed on brakes in front of me in town on the way home. I caught
his back bumper on a front headlight. The headlights on the old Rambler
are at least 2' off the ground... that's how hard that idiot stood on his
brakes! Luckily I rode a motorcycle a lot -- as soon as I saw he was going
to stop I looked for a way out -- knew I couldn't stop fast enough, even
though I wasn't going fast or following close. He started to go through a
yellow light... gunned it then changed his mind (no traffic, back road!)
abruptly and stood on the brake with both feet!! Well, at least he got out
and looked at my car, then his. Only bent the back bumper a bit on his
late 80s LTD... so he said no need to call the cops (might have been
drinking...). Jeez... well, thanks for that anyway! Fender was crushed
into tire. I had a tow strap in the trunk. Hooked it to lip of fender and
a convenient light pole, backed up and pulled fender out. Holed the
radiator, but I had a gallon water jug too! Filled radiator, drove 30
minutes or so, stopped, refilled, repeat twice more. Finally got in about
4 AM IIRC!! Tony was a little worried...   What an adventure!! I ended up
staying at Tony and Linda's a couple days while a local shop fixed the
radiator, beat the fender into enough submission to drive home. Got a LOT
more comments at gas stations and such with the crunched fender... lots of
condolences!!

Sold that car in late 1999 when I found my current 63 Classic wagon. Built
myself, everything but paint (and I did spray the interior paint and
primer on outside!).
Jeep 4.0L EFI engine, slightly modified, Jeep AW4 four speed (OD) auto
trans with custom manual shift controller, late 80s T-bird rack and pinion
steering, late 80s Jaguar independent rear suspension. Only four wheel
independent suspension/disc brake Rambler on the road! Also has a cobbled
together AC system with the original 63 inside unit, Jeep 4.0L Sanden
compressor, late 90s Chrylser LS parallel flow condensor, universal dryer.
Seats are from an early 90s Eagle Premier... power buckets in front, along
with the console from the same. It's a mild hot-rod with the hopped up
six. Still gets 22-24 mpg on the highway, averages around 20 mpg combined.
Built it to drive -- was my daily driver while I was in the USAF, from
late 99 (well, basically 2000) through 2008 or so. Retired in 2007, got a
J-10 for work around the house, later replaced with a Ranger. Wanted to
rebuild the J-10, just ran out of time/money... well, mostly patience as
the build was going too slow and I needed a truck! So sold the parts off
and got the Ranger. Worst thing I ever did!! Still have the 63 wagon,
doing some slight upgrade work on it now. Will be driving it up to
Kenosha, WI, in late July for an AMC Homecoming show, happens every three
years.