46 years ago today – My first NEW car and the Great Midwest Blizzard of 1967

46 years ago today, I got my brand new 1966 Karmann Ghia.  My first NEW car! My 1st car, a 1960 Ghia 'back lot special' was wrecked driving home from school the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, 1966, by a man who ran a stop sign and t-boned me.  One of the Detroit area dealers at the time, still had 3 '66 141 (LHD convertible) demos for sale and we were all set to go get one when we got word of a NEW '66 coupe still on the lot at the local dealer.  So dad arranged the financing for me and we were all set to pick it up the afternoon of 26 Jan 1967.  I was QUITE EXCITED to say the least.  MY FIRST NEW CAR!!!  I was just short of 17 years old. It was a Thursday and it began snowing in the morning.  My buddy Duane was going to run me to the bank after school to get my $300 down payment from savings and then on to pick up dad at work and finally on to the dealership. By 6th hour, the snow was getting worse so Duane and I decided to forge notes to get out of Electronics class.  I suspected from the look on his face that Mr. Kile knew these notes were forgeries, but he just kinda smiled and told us we'd better get going.  So we left school an hour early in Duane's '63 Rambler, dropped by the bank and then down to dad's office.  Snow's REALLY coming down now! Dad said I was crazy to get this car today and that we should all just go home.  "Nope!  Can't do it!  First new car!"  Duane and I tried to talk him into leaving work early but he wouldn't do it so finally at 4:30, quitting time, we all piled in the Rambler and headed for Bushouse VW several blocks north, on Capital Avenue, near Union Street.   We got about a block before Duane got stuck and burnt out his clutch trying to rock it out.  Dad was mad.  Standing in the road he pointed that index finger and yelled at me: "You boys get this car out of the road!  I'm going to walk up and get the Ghia.  Be ready to go when I get back!".  "Yessir!"  Then, just as he turned to go, he added "AND I'M GOING TO DRIVE IT HOME 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO WRECK IT!"  I can see him in my mind's eye to this day, red faced with that vein sticking out of his neck, and pointing that finger!  "OK, dad".  The snow's about 8-10" deep at this point. So Duane and I and the guy at the corner gas station finally got the car into the gas station lot and about an hour later we see the Bermuda Blue Ghia coming down the street all shiny and new.  We yelled 'thanx' to the gas station guy and ran out to meet it.  I jumped in the back and Duane rode shotgun. About an hour later we finally made the 3-4 miles to Duane's house and let him out.  Another 20 minutes to get the last mile home.  As we came down our street we saw mom's '65 Mercury in the driveway, just off the street.  I said to dad, "Where are you going to put it; you can't leave it on the street overnight, you'll get a ticket"  (normally you would, but probably not THAT night!  There were abandoned cars scattered all over town that night).  Dad said "I'm going to try to shoot it up in the front yard, just missing your mother's car".  I said "I'll get out and watch". So I'm standing there behind the Mercury with my butt up against the license plate and dad gets the car positioned at a 45 degree angle in the middle of the street.  It was in reverse; he guns the motor a couple of times and let's go the clutch.  The Ghia starts coming back very quickly, up over the driveway apron and into the front yard and just as it flies by, I hear this HORRIBLE scraping noise. Dear Ol' Dad had caught the corner of mom's bumper with the left-rear quarter of my BRAND NEW Ghia coupe. I was almost 17 years old but I cried like a baby!  Less than 2 hours after delivery, my FIRST NEW CAR had it's 1st scar.  I never let my father forget the last words he said to me, standing in front of that Gulf station at the corner of McCamly Street and North Avenue! School was closed the next day and the following Monday and Tuesday due to the weather.  It had been the worst snow in recorded history up until that time.   But what hurt the most, I think, was with no school that Friday, Duane and his brother decided to snowshoe over to our house.  The first thing he said when he got inside was "What happened to the Ghia?" So here we are, 46 years later.  Dad passed away 2 years and 10 days ago.  I’m sure he died on the 16th of January on purpose, just so he wouldn’t have to listen to me bitch and moan about it again.

Art
(O = | = O)
'67 343 Ghia Coupe
'69 143 Ghia Coupe L62K
'69 143 Ghia Coupe L51K
'72 141 Ghia Convertible
RIP:
'60 143 Ghia Coupe
'66 143 Ghia Coupe
'68 113 Sedan
'71 143 Ghia Coupe
'74 143 Ghia Coupe
"Always looking for NICE 1969 Type 14 Ghias and that elusive '66-69 "345" Sunroof coupe.