Friday, September 14, 2007

The Goat








The dark blue 1965 Pontiac with the engine displacing 389 cubic inches, 325 horsepower (when new), Carter AFB 4 barrel carb, dual exhausts, Muncie 4 speed transmission ; no AC, no power steering, no power windows, just power to the rear wheels, and not
a metric bolt to be had in its construction. Inside is bucket seats, 4 on the floor., AM radio, and wing- windows. Designed by John Delorian when fresh at General Motors. It would get 18 miles/gal on a good hiway- driving day and ran down the road straight as an arrow. We drove it over 300,000 miles through two engine overhauls, multiple carb rebuilds, brake shoes every 50,000 miles or so, and two bodies (the body above is from the parts' car which I had to switch out with the old body after it totally rusted in essential places.) I have probably had a wrench or screwdriver on every bolt and screw on this car at one time or another; and busted every knuckle on my right hand trying to get them loose (the bolts or screws, not the knuckles!) It was only stuck once: in florida sand near Port St. Joe at the road to the beach where the helpful fellow who is always there passed by and pulled us out.
The lower shot is headed east in the Oregon desert in the goat's first iteration with the original paint. We were camped near this lake to repair my brother's '53 Chevy pickup which was suffering a broken universal joint on the driveshaft probably from the drive over Mount Hood.
Fortunately there was a small store nearby (in the middle of nowhere) which had some bolts and power to run our drill to fix the part. Then a swim in the lake behind our campsite.