Me and the Meadowbrook

[Worden18]

You can see the bumper is crinkled and the chrome part of the grill above it is crinkled as well.  Someone had gone to great lengths to hammer it out, I wonder if it was Ray?

Sheryl also told me (at my respectful request) that she would dig through her old picture albums and see if she had any photographs of the car BITD.  She wrote down my address; I hope to get something in the mail at some point!  If she does send me some photos I will scan them and send the photos back. 

[Young Ed]

8 hours ago, Worden18 said:

Another shot of these awesome keys.  Can someone please tell me if keys like this were offered by the dealer when a person bought a new car?  From what I've heard from some of the old timers at car shows and gatherings I've been to, keys like this were not a standard thing.  Opinions?

I would say they are aftermarket. The mopar keys at the time were aluminum with a DPCD logo on them. 

[pflaming]

I enjoyed the tour. Two favorite shots brightened up.

[MackTheFinger]

@Young Ed Love the story about the previous owner!! Thanks for all the great pics, too!

[Worden18]

3 hours ago, Young Ed said:

I would say they are aftermarket. The mopar keys at the time were aluminum with a DPCD logo on them. 

I do have the aluminum set as well.  Thanks for the input. 

[Worden18]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-DODGE-Crest-Yellow-Gold-Classic-3-Piece-Key-Set-1949-1955-Keys/391079545039

Yeah looks like that type of key was definitely an aftermarket product.  Pretty cool.  I wonder how much they cost back in the 50s?  Not sure I would ever dish out $100 for a set now....

[wldavis3]

Enjoyed hearing the stories you have learned so far about your Dodge.

Also, like seeing the photos of your other big "toys".

[Niel Hoback]

I want to see more of those dogs.

[medium_jon]

22 hours ago, Worden18 said:

Interesting, yes?

Yes it is interesting @Worden18  I wish I knew more about my car

[Worden18]

I found out some more about my car tonight.  When I bought the car from the previous owner, he had never transferred the title.  So we had to go to the DMV and he actually had to transfer the title to his name, then we had to wait 3 weeks for it to come back, then he sent me the title via the mail and I was able to transfer it to my name.  Well, I had written down the name of the guy who was on the title before the guy I bought it from.  Turns out this guy's daughter and my daughter are good friends!  One day after a sleepover for my daughter at their house, we went to pick her up in the Meadowbrook.  (This was before I knew he was one of the previous owners).  He told me that he had a car just like mine about 15 years ago and owned it for 6 or 7 years.  After I found my notes that I had misplaced, (some time after talking to him) I realized it was HIS name on the title.  So I texted him today and he confirmed his full name and former address.  I asked him who he bought the car from.  He gave me that guy's name, and said that this fellow had bought it at an auction and then it sat in his garage in Winona, MN for a bunch of years before he decided to put it on the street with a for sale sign.  That's when my friend saw it and bought it.  So....let me break this down for you guys.

OWNERS and TIMELINE:

-Original owner: Ray Sebo, Winona, MN 1951-1996

-Bruce B: bought the car at the Sebo auction from Ray's daughter after Ray's death in 1996.  Also from Winona, MN

-Ken S: early 2000s-2008 (this guy is the father of my daughter's friend) Winona, MN

-Pat G: 2008-2016 Nodine, MN, just a few miles east of Winona

-John M. (that's ME ): March 2016-Present  Houston, MN

Look at this oil change sticker.  I THINK it says July '78; could be 73 but I think its 78.  It reads 58,380 miles.  Well, from that date until I bought it in 2016, only 745 miles were put on the car.  No wonder so many things were wrong with it.  Sitting like that certainly is hard on a car.  Anyway, I was the first one to really do anything with it since Ray Sebo parked it in his barn one day after it quit running (according to his daughter whom I talked to on the phone the other day) back in the 70s.  

[Worden18]

Wife and I (and the dogs) took our 50+ mile loop tonight, which was really interesting.  Here's a shot of the dogs lovin' the ride.

[Worden18]

We first stopped in Spring Grove to take the dogs for a walk.  Right after I snapped this pic, a gentleman of about 65 or 70 with a long gray beard and long hair was walking along the sidewalk approaching us.  He was very excited to look at my car.  He said, "Wow its really nice to see a car like this!"  He immediately started asking questions and of course I showed him the keys and opened the hood.  He said he had a 53 Ford when he was a teenager and it had a flathead V8 with overdrive.  He then told me that years and years ago when he moved off the farm (with his folks) they left the car there (in the weeds I'm assuming).  We talked for about 10 minutes, and then he thanked me for bringing back old memories.  

[Worden18]

On our walk we ended up on some street we'd never been on before, and I spotted this old Ford.

[Worden18]

Main St., Spring Grove, right before we took off to stop at the gas station so I could wash the bugs off the windows.

[Worden18]

Then, more fun at the gas station!  I was washing the windows and a gentleman approached me and asked if my car was a 49.  I told him a 51.  He said his dad had a 50 Chevy that he used to drive a lot.  His wife came over to talk as well.  Then his wife started talking to my wife so it was just him and I.  I told him all the things about the car that I know, and he was happy and excited to look it over and listen.  In between some of the things I had to say, he told me some things of his own.

He said that when the rocker panels rusted on that 50 Chevy, his dad took a hammer to the chrome strip and busted the whole mess off, on both sides!  

He also told me that way back in the 60s (this guy and his wife are 70 years old, he told me that right away) a friend of his had a late 40s Pontiac with a straight 8 that he was going to send to the junkyard.  It still ran and was driveable.  He said they took it out and squeeled the tires, revved the engine and beat the hell out of it until the engine blew up.  Then he junked it.  He said he felt bad at the time for participating, and he knew that doing such a thing to that car was totally wrong.

His final story was really funny.  He said to this day he is a big hunter/fisherman.  Back in the 60s he had a 1960 Chevy station wagon.  He said he put a mattress in the back so he could sleep in it at his favorite fishing hole, then in the morning he could get up early and be there without having to drive.  He said one day driving home from the fishing hole 2 young ladies were broken down on the side of the road.  He stopped of course and offered them a ride to town.  He said they took one look at the mattress in the back of his car and one said "No thanks, we'll walk" LOL

He said he realized they probably thought he was some kind of serial rapist LOL

I laughed so damn hard I almost fell over backwards 

We talked for 1/2 and hour before we finally parted ways.

Here's his wife and mine.

Edited July 22, 2017 by Worden18

[Worden18]

First pic: A shot going down a long hill.

Was plenty dark by the time we got home.  I had the bright lights on, you can see the red high-beam indicator.  The pic is deceiving; looks like my headlight isn't aimed and is really bright right in front of the car when its actually not.  Not sure why it turned out like that.  Somewhere along the route my left turn signal decided to quit working.

It was a fun night 

[medium_jon]

7 hours ago, Worden18 said:

OWNERS and TIMELINE:

-Original owner: Ray Sebo, Winona, MN 1951-1996

-Bruce B: bought the car at the Sebo auction from Ray's daughter after Ray's death in 1996.  Also from Winona, MN

-Ken S: early 2000s-2008 (this guy is the father of my daughter's friend) Winona, MN

-Pat G: 2008-2016 Nodine, MN, just a few miles east of Winona

-John M. (that's ME ): March 2016-Present  Houston, MN

That's awesome 

[dpollo]

On 7/20/2017 at 10:52 AM, Worden18 said:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-DODGE-Crest-Yellow-Gold-Classic-3-Piece-Key-Set-1949-1955-Keys/391079545039

Yeah looks like that type of key was definitely an aftermarket product.  Pretty cool.  I wonder how much they cost back in the 50s?  Not sure I would ever dish out $100 for a set now....

I remember buying one for a Plymouth . It was under a dollar back in 1959  as I recall.  A regular blank may have been 15 cents.

[Worden18]

Took the Meadowbrook to my friend's place late last week.  We call it the junkyard because he has so much stuff.  His son had their 1964 White tractor out to get it ready for the pulling competition coming up this weekend at Houston Hoe-Down-Days.  

[Worden18]

My son got to sit in my friend (Rick's) dozer.  He wanted to know why he couldn't drive it!  

[Worden18]

I wanted to drive that thing! 

[Worden18]

60s C-700 chassis cab at Rick's  361 BB in it.  Single axle.  Hasn't been run in a few years, but about 7 or 8 years ago I drove it.  No rust really to speak of.  It is for sale.  I love the swing out fenders.  Wish I could buy it but I just have too much junk of my own...

[Worden18]

Today I visited a friend of mine that I hadn't seen in a while.  He's a savvy mechanic to say the least and gave me a hand with a few things on the Meadowbrook.  It was raining on the way over there so I got to exercise the wipers again.  I drove 60-65mph on the stretch of interstate hwy.  This shot is just before I put it up on the hoist.

[Worden18]

Here's a partial shot of my new exhaust.  No, the pipe isn't crinkled, not sure why it turned out like that in the pic.  While I was under there I tightened the oil pan bolts gently, snugged the fuel pump bowl and the lines and clamps, wiped off some excess oil, checked over the parking brake, checked the oil in the transmission, tightened the driveshaft bolts, readjusted the front brakes, and probably a couple other things I forgot about already.

Edited July 26, 2017 by Worden18

[Worden18]

I took the passenger side rear wheel off to see what I was up against as far as servicing those brakes.  I just ordered the universal puller that has been mentioned here on the forums.