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"MY THIRD CAR WAS A KEEPER"
by Paulette Hendrickson
My family has been a Pontiac family for many years. My
Dad purchased his first new Pontiac in 1948, a blue convertible with a
straight-eight motor. Since that was before I was born, I don’t really
recall much about that car other the photos I have seen. What I do
remember are the Pontiacs that followed; The new 1955 that was Salmon and
Ivory color with a V-8. At that time I was four years old and I still
remember sitting on a small wooden bench made to set on the seat of the
car, that my Dad made especially for me, so I could see out the car
window like my big sister, Marlene, who was twelve. Our family made a
trip from California to New Jersey and back in that car. Later the ‘55
was traded in for a new 1960 white Catalina with Tahitian red interior. I
loved sitting in the back seat of that car looking up and seeing the sky.
I can remember my sister driving that wide-track Pontiac.
Then in 1965 my Mother, who had not yet learned to
drive, decided she was going to get her driver’s license. I was
fourteen at the time, and just like a teenager I couldn’t wait to get
behind the wheel also. I remember my Mom and I taking turns driving the
1960 Catalina around the block by our house in Sunnyvale. My Dad decided
to purchase an additional smaller car, which my Mom insisted on which was
a 1965 Ford Mustang. During that same time my sister had bought a new
1965 GTO with tri-power. That was an awesome car. I liked the power and
the styling that the ‘65 Goat had.
As the story goes on, Mom got her license driving the
‘65 Ford Mustang, but soon after the Mustang had to go! At that time my
Dad purchased a new blue 1967 LeMans. I loved that car; Now we’re
talking, we are getting closer to the GTO. I got my driver’s license
driving the ‘67 LeMans, which I later drove to and from school. We
still had the 1960 Catalina wide-track which Dad drove and the ‘67
LeMans which Mom drove.
My dream was still to have my own GTO. After owning my
first car, a 1966 Ford Galaxy 500, I later purchased a new 1970 MG
Midget. Finally later in 1974, I went to Larry Hopkins Pontiac in
Sunnyvale, where my Dad had purchased many Pontiacs. There I was
immediately drawn towards my dream of owning a GTO. The 1974 GTO featured
a shaker hood with a functional scoop, a 350 motor with 4bbl, dual
exhaust, with Rally wheels. The color was Crestwood brown with Sandalwood
interior, the sticker price was $4600.00. My dream was complete as I
drove it off the lot that warm Summer day in August.
The GTO became the family car with baby car seat and
all. It’s now 2002, 28 years later and I have managed to keep the car
in near original condition with 81,500 original miles.
No, it’s not like the 1965 GTO car my Sister had,
but I love it just the same and it’s “MY CAR #3” for keeps!
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