Did a search for Whippet after Tom's post regarding Pat S's Whatisit

[greg g]

Whippets were the low priced Willys Overland compatriot to the Willys Knight and others. The search came up with link to the grounding of the City of Bangor in the Great Lakes (transiting Detroit for Duluth) with a load of Chrysler Cars.

http://www.ship-wreck.com/shipwreck/keweenaw/bangor.html

Make sure you click the more infor button at the bottom of the article for how the cars were removed from the ship.

[RobertKB]

Very interesting. It's amazing any survived. An old friend of mine in the car club (he's 97 and still driving so he's 40 years my senior) has a 1929 Whippet Six which was the bigger and better Whippet. His dad bought the car in 1930 and it's been in the family since then. He has driven the car to lots of events and covered over 11,000 miles since restoration.

[Chester Brzostowski]

Greg,

Interesting story, you hit on my two favorite subjects, old boats and old cars. I will have to dig out the books when I get home and read up on Wippets.

Tks, Chet…

[PatS....]

Good story, Greg. I was thinking that that's alot of what I like about old cars...the stories.

I love it when people tell the story of why they bought the old car they have and what the story is behind the purchase and the cars history.

Stories like this shipwreck, even though completely OT, are one of the big reasons this site is so much fun. I have a Chrysler, but I just like old cars and the stories behind 'em.

Thanks Greg

[RobertKB]

That's what makes these old girls a part of history. I often would love to know who bought my '38 Chyrsler new. It went all through World War Two and the great events of those times must have been discussed in it. If only they could talk.

[greg g]

So I will tell you the story of mine. In 1970, I graduated from college and took a job at Penn State College, in State College, Pa. One of the women who worked for me drove a 48 P 15 4 door back and forth to work each day bringing 3 other women with her. One day we happened to be leaving work at the same time, and I mentioned to her that I had admired her car. She said if I liked her's than I might like her Dad's also. I asked what he had, she replied "a coupe version of mine. He has cataracts and can't drive anymore, and no one else drives it cause its only a 2 seater. So I made arangements to visit, talk to her dad and see whet was up. I was suprised to find a running, registered car sitting in the garage. He started it up, and backed it out of the garage, and it sat there idling quietly, with no smoke or odd noises.

Asked if I'd like to drive it and off we went. Brakes were a little iffy but all else worked as designed. I asked how long he had had it, and he said he bought it new in December of 1946, and registered it and picked it up after the New Year in 47. He had just returned from the Army, and had gotten a job as an Agricultural Equipment Sales Rep. He represented Massey Harris, Case and Allis Chamlers. He used the car in his travels around central Pa. from 47 till 58 when he got a car from one of he companies. He kept the P15 liscenced as he wasn't supposed to use the company car for non work purposes. So it got relatively little use from 58 till when I bought it, I believe it showed 60,000 miles. I fixed the brakes, put some new exhaust stuff on it as it wouldn't pass PA inspection, as it was a bit breezy. At the time they tested the exhaust by plugging the tail pipe with a shop rag wit the engine running, and listen for leaks. If a leak is evident the system needed to be replaced. Polished up the fenders, put on a couple of used tires, and drove it for till 79. Got interested in other things at the time, and put it in storage in a friends barn till 5 years ago. The barn started to fall in so I rescued it and started tinkering.