Comments on: Blowout! Between Phoenix and Tucson, AZ, 1958

By: Noel

Noel — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:55:59 +0000

Question is for Jim above about the suspension. Didn’t these Olds have an Elevator handle with a light above it under the dash left of the steering wheel that you used to release the suspension tension or somthing like that. Kind of a T shaped handle

By: T. Bird

T. Bird — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:39:15 +0000

And not just any Oldsmobile either Charles. the chrome hashmarks on the roof above the rear window show that this is not the entry level Dynamic 88 series oldsmobile Holiday Coupe; oh no, this has to be either the Super 88 or the 98 series. I vote for Super 88 although the thermometer was probably closer to 98 that day!

By: Bob McGowan

Bob McGowan — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:40:26 +0000

Charles, this slide is perfect for this 100 degree + weather we’re having this week, made all the more enjoyable by your clever comments that come from your eagle eye to every detail and nuance. I appreciate a great picture all the more because of your observations each week.

By: Jim

Jim — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:36:14 +0000

This motorist is about to learn something special about his new Oldsmobile; it has coil springs in the rear and not leaf springs.

What is the difference you ask? You need to jack up the rear bumper MUCH HIGHER to get the flat off the ground. He is about the discover that this cannot be accomplished without first disconnecting the trailer. (the hitch wont permit the bumper jack to lift the car high enough)

This means that mom may have gotten out and taken a picture of a disappointed dad when they first stopped, but he was not going to want a second picture taken when he becomes throughly enraged at the extra work that will soon be necessary to get the tire changed.

Reminds me of a family trip to Arizona in 1962 with a 1958 Rambler station wagon towing a 1959 Coastline trailer. EIGHT (8) flat tires on one 2 week trip!! The old 4 ply tires coupled with a heavy load and hot weather and they popped like ballons at a party. Dad got very good at changing them quickly.

Great pictures Charles, Thanks for sharing.

By: Ms. Gerry

Ms. Gerry — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:18:31 +0000

Charles, I gotta laugh…believe it or not, I had a flat tire today! Called AAA on my cell phone; 15 minutes later, my rescuer was there, and 10 minutes later…I’m on the road again. My, have times changed!

By: Spence Flournoy

Spence Flournoy — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:12:28 +0000

This fellow looks prepared. Is that a safe bottle jack he is using to lift up the car as opposed to the stock, wobbly, notch-in-the- bumper jack? Even so, shouldn’t he disconnect the trailer first so the weight isn’t so huge?

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:32:22 +0000

I grew up in Tucson and traveled this route many times. There is nothing to compare with driving through the Sonora desert in a big ass car with all the windows rolled down. Especially on a hot summer night; even better if you end up at a Dairy Queen for a lemon slush!

By: Casey Jones

Casey Jones — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:22:22 +0000

Oh Charles! You have such a way with words (a regular Hedda Hopper!). This brings back a fond memory from the “era” 1965. Picture it…a Robin’s Egg Blue ’64 Continental in the middle of the Mojave Desert alongside a train track (yes, the train passed by at least once in the searing heat) with my father feverishly changing the tire. It was the dead of summer and the family was returning from a vacation at the Flamingo in Vegas. Is that chrome trim I see on the top back edge of the front seats of that Oldsmobile? I guess not enough people had cracked their lips open (like me) during sudden stops by the time Lincoln had designed the interior of their 64 Continental. I guess innovation, the learning curve and timeliness were much broader concepts then than they are today (see Edsel, noun).