The Fin Man Chronicles

The next Rollin’ with the FIN MAN is Saturday September 9 2017. It’s just $65 per person and will take you to some amazing car Meccas in the St Louis area. Transportation, entry and lunch is included! RSVP today by mail or phone: 

Mail your check to
The FIN MAN c/o St Louis Post Dispatch
900 N Tucker Blvd
St Louis MO 63101

Pay by credit card
314-327-FINS (314-327-3467)

Photo from FaceBook, 1961-1963 Bullet Birds, copyright JGT Photography

Lou could barely contain his enthusiasm over the food at Dowd’s Catfish and Bar-b-cue in Lebanon while on our recent pilgrimage to the 2016 It’s A Gas! show. His comments included, and I’m quoting here: “This food is so delicious, it’s doing great things to my stomach… you don’t even know! I mean my stomach can’t handle this! It’s too much happiness… it’s like a gift from the Gods! This meal is a masterpiece the likes of a Grabber Blue, 1969 Shelby Mustang with a white interior!” I don’t know that I’d go quite that far, but it was certainly excellent.

Tri-Power Trivia^tm questions: Rockin’ in the early sixties… 1. This 1961 hit contained the lyrics, “I was all right for awhile, I could smile for awhile”. Name the song and the artist. 2. This 1962 hit had the lyrics, “Shame on you, your mama said, (Silly girl) Shame on you, you’re cryin’ in bed; (Silly girl) Shame on you, you told a lie… Again, song name and artist. 3. This 1963 hit said, "Nobody knows where my Johnny has gone, But Judy left the same time. Song and artist please. Answers at end of story.    People often ask "what is your favorite car?” Well, that’s nearly an impossible question for me to answer for there are so many wonderful collectible cars through the decades that hold a special interest in my mind. If I made a list of, say my “favorite 500” vintage automobiles… the “bullet birds” from 1961-1963 would have to be in the top FIVE. Ever since I was a “wet behind the ears” teenager, about Lou or Manny’s age, and I saw Ms. Wolf, a regular customer at my father’s Han-De Super Service, pull on the lot with her, 1962 Rangoon Red Sports Roadster, I have been enamoured with the sporty, sleek and one might even say sensuous third generation “bird”. 

I touched briefly on the 1963 Landau owned by props man Dick Benach in a OCC just a few weeks back. Today I will, for those with even mild interest, explain how to tell the difference between these very similar models.

T-Bird primer: Let me start by saying that, from the very beginning, Ford Thunderbirds were built in three-year design runs, starting with the 55-57 “baby birds” the two-seater models that won the hearts of thousands of Ford lovers the moment they hit the showroom floors. To the chagrin of many of those “early bird” fans, Ford decided to double the seating capacity for the 1958-1960 “square birds”. Handsome cars in their own right, they can be arguably considered the first of the “personal luxury cars”… the ones that led to the likes of Buick Rivieras, Oldsmobile Toronados and many more. So many people bemoaned the change that many may think the move by FoMoCo marketing was a huge failure. Not so. As a matter of fact, sales increased from 21,380 for the 1957 2-seater to just a skosh under 38,000 for 1958! By the time the 1960 model, the last of the “square birds” hit the road, that number had climbed to 92,798. I guess those marketing “guys” knew what they were talking about. Bullet birds were not quite as popular with sales of roughly 73, 78 and 63k units for 1961, ‘62 and ‘63 models respectively. 

Okay car spotters here, in a nutshell, is the easiest way to determine the model year of a bullet bird. The 1961 is the only one with two raised ridges running down the length of the hood. The 1962 has three large “hash marks” (cast chrome-plated badges) on the rear fenders, just ahead of the taillight nacelles. The 1963, (not originally, but eventually my favorite) has a ridge that runs from the front bumper, across the top of the front wheel opening, continuing onto the door where it dips down, mid-door, just behind three different styled hash mark badges located on the door panel. I know, t.m.i. but we’re talking one of the cars that I am most passionate about… one that I tell people who pose the often-asked question that, if I ever win the lottery, that’s the first (of many) cars I am going to search out and buy.

I was fortunate to own a 1963 Sports Roadster for a few years back in the mid eighties. But when I went into business for myself, I fell behind in my taxes and had to part with it much to my sorrow. Our roadster was a head turner everywhere we went, especially when we demonstrated the retractable soft top feature and garnered a trophy at nearly every show in which it was entered.

Breakfast With the FIN MAN: NOTE: Due to a change in my schedule at my “real job”, beginning April, 18, BWFM will move from Fridays to Mondays. Stay tuned right here for the next event date, time and location.

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY? I am looking for someone to help me syndicate the Old Car Column nationally and beyond. If you’re confident enough to work on a straight commission basis, willing to start immediately, work from your home and set your own schedule, e-mail me at the_fin_man@msn.com and attach your resume.

Thanks for reading the Old Car Column, and Keep on Cruisin’!

Tri-Power TriviaTM answers: 1. Crying by Roy Orbison. 2. Big Girls Don’t Cry by The Four Seasons. 3. It’s My Party by Leslie Gore.
Bruce Kunz - a.k.a. “The FIN MAN"tm

Met some great people at Tim Hortons in Maplewood yesterday. Join us for the next Breakfast with The FIN MAN - details will be announced in the Old Car Column soon.

Tri-Power Trivia^tm questions: 1. What was the last model year for Plymouth production? 2. Name the title and artist of the 1957 pop song that contains the lyrics, “Do the dance sensation that is sweepin’ the nation ___ ___ ___”. 3. The Plaza was the base line Plymouth for 1957 and the Fury was top-of-the-line model. What two other Plymouth models comprised the Plymouth lineup for 1957? Answers at end of story.

Over the past dozen or so years, I’ve written many a story about flagship, top-of-the-line automobiles– Impalas, Starfires, Galaxie 500s and the like including last week’s story about the DeSoto Adventurer. In the Plymouth family, my archives include numerous stories about the sensational, sporty and high powered Furys. But what I, admittedly, often overlook are the entry level, bread and butter models that often make up a significant portion of production and sales. And these are the cars that many of us knew best because not all of our parents could afford the top-of-the-line models. 

The year was 1957. The Soviet Union launched the first space satellite Sputnik; movies included Twelve Angry Men and The Bridge Over the River Kwai, and Perry Mason and Maverick debuted on the silver tube. The average wage earner made $5,500 annually, gasoline was thirty-one cents per gallon (unless there was a gas war going on); the average home was around $18,000 and the minimum wage was just $1.00 per hour. McDonalds corporation had just two years under its belt under the direction of new owner Ray Kroc. He opened his first restaurant in Des Plains, Illinois in 1955.

While the average new car rolled off the lot for around $2,500 in 1957, my friend Howard’s father would have only shelled out $2, 134 for his new Plymouth Plaza. 

Howard’s dad was fairly well off, working as a chemical engineer for Shell Oil Company at their plant in Wood River, Illinois. The family had a comfortable home in Ferguson, Missouri, but his father was a frugal man… a penny pincher of the nth degree. While mom did the shopping for the family of four, along with working as a substitute teacher in the Ferguson School District, Mr. Hunze, a quite man, spent most of his home time in seclusion, tinkering with his massive O gauge Lionel train set in the basement.

His Plymouth Plaza provided his daily transportation back and forth to his job at the Shell refinery, a twenty mile drive each way. Although the entry level Plaza, the essence of “plain Jane” transportation, was available with V-8 power, I’m certain Howard’s dad went with the standard “PowerFlow” six. With 230 cubic inches of displacement, it managed to churn out 132 horsepower at 3,200 rpm. Those old Plymouths sixes were known for being dependable and efficient power plants that would run nearly forever without a problem.

Just as reliable as the engines were Mopar’s venerable PowerFlite 2-speed and Torque-Flite 3-speed automatic transmissions for an extra $180 and $220 respectively, but I’m pretty sure Mr. Hunze’s Plymouth had the three speed manual version which didn’t require digging any deeper into his Levis pocket than necessary. And I’m certain that the manual tune AM radio, was not to be found in the dash of his Plaza. That would have run another $76. And remember those popular spun stainless wheel covers on the ‘57 Plymouths? They were called “Plymouth cones” and were often chosen to adorn other than Plymouth automobiles. My dad and I had a pair on his 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire (see a photo of them and the car on my web site). Well those cones would have cost Mr. Hunze another $18 for cryin’ out loud. And white sidewall tires? Thirty-three dollars more! “Heck no” is probably what Mr. H. told the salesman.

What color would you expect conservative Mr. Hunze’s car to be? Medium Sky Blue of course… not too dark, not too bright and definitely not too flashy.

My aunt Dorothy would have appreciated the thriftiness of the Plymouth Plaza, but the stark sides, devoid of any bright work was not her style. My uncle Gene, an engineer of the mechanical kind, took care of her by purchasing high line Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs for the most part.

Be sure to visit my web site at THEFINMAN.COM to see more photos of 1957 Plymouths and pages from the sales brochure. And yes, more stuff. Meanwhile, Keep on Cruisin’!

UPCOMING EVENTS: A special Christmas Breakfast with The FIN MAN will be held from 9 a.m. until noon, on Friday, December 18th, a week before Christmas. We’ll play FINS For FUN^tm at 10 a.m. for which you can win some really cheesy (but useful) prizes. Dress like Santa and bring that special car with you if you have one (if the weather holds out). I’ll be at the McDonalds located at 350 S. Kirkwood Rd (S. Lindbergh), Kirkwood, MO 63122, rain, snow or shine.

OPPORTUNITY: I’m still looking for that special person to help me syndicate the Old Car Column. If you think you have what it takes, e-mail me at the_fin_man@msn.com.    

Tri-Power Trivia^tm answers: 1. The final Plymouth, a Neon, was assembled on 28 June 2001, with a total of 38,657 built for the model year. 2. The song was At the Hop, performed by Danny & The Juniors. 3. Next up from Plaza was the Savoy, and just below the Fury was the Belvedere.

Tri-Power Trivia^tm questions: 1. What was the last model year for Plymouth production? 2. Name the title and artist of the 1957 pop song that contains the lyrics, “Do the dance sensation that is sweepin’ the nation ___ ___ ___”. 3. The Plaza was the base line Plymouth for 1957 and the Fury was top-of-the-line model. What two other Plymouth models comprised the Plymouth lineup for 1957? Answers at end of story.

Over the past dozen or so years, I’ve written many a story about flagship, top-of-the-line automobiles– Impalas, Starfires, Galaxie 500s and the like including last week’s story about the DeSoto Adventurer. In the Plymouth family, my archives include numerous stories about the sensational, sporty and high powered Furys. But what I, admittedly, often overlook are the entry level, bread and butter models that often make up a significant portion of production and sales. And these are the cars that many of us knew best because not all of our parents could afford the top-of-the-line models. 

The year was 1957. The Soviet Union launched the first space satellite Sputnik; movies included Twelve Angry Men and The Bridge Over the River Kwai, and Perry Mason and Maverick debuted on the silver tube. The average wage earner made $5,500 annually, gasoline was thirty-one cents per gallon (unless there was a gas war going on); the average home was around $18,000 and the minimum wage was just $1.00 per hour. McDonalds corporation had just two years under its belt under the direction of new owner Ray Kroc. He opened his first restaurant in Des Plains, Illinois in 1955.

While the average new car rolled off the lot for around $2,500 in 1957, my friend Howard’s father would have only shelled out $2, 134 for his new Plymouth Plaza. 

Howard’s dad was fairly well off, working as a chemical engineer for Shell Oil Company at their plant in Wood River, Illinois. The family had a comfortable home in Ferguson, Missouri, but his father was a frugal man… a penny pincher of the nth degree. While mom did the shopping for the family of four, along with working as a substitute teacher in the Ferguson School District, Mr. Hunze, a quite man, spent most of his home time in seclusion, tinkering with his massive O gauge Lionel train set in the basement.

His Plymouth Plaza provided his daily transportation back and forth to his job at the Shell refinery, a twenty mile drive each way. Although the entry level Plaza, the essence of “plain Jane” transportation, was available with V-8 power, I’m certain Howard’s dad went with the standard “PowerFlow” six. With 230 cubic inches of displacement, it managed to churn out 132 horsepower at 3,200 rpm. Those old Plymouths sixes were known for being dependable and efficient power plants that would run nearly forever without a problem.

Just as reliable as the engines were Mopar’s venerable PowerFlite 2-speed and Torque-Flite 3-speed automatic transmissions for an extra $180 and $220 respectively, but I’m pretty sure Mr. Hunze’s Plymouth had the three speed manual version which didn’t require digging any deeper into his Levis pocket than necessary. And I’m certain that the manual tune AM radio, was not to be found in the dash of his Plaza. That would have run another $76. And remember those popular spun stainless wheel covers on the ‘57 Plymouths? They were called “Plymouth cones” and were often chosen to adorn other than Plymouth automobiles. My dad and I had a pair on his 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire (see a photo of them and the car on my web site). Well those cones would have cost Mr. Hunze another $18 for cryin’ out loud. And white sidewall tires? Thirty-three dollars more! “Heck no” is probably what Mr. H. told the salesman.

What color would you expect conservative Mr. Hunze’s car to be? Medium Sky Blue of course… not too dark, not too bright and definitely not too flashy.

My aunt Dorothy would have appreciated the thriftiness of the Plymouth Plaza, but the stark sides, devoid of any bright work was not her style. My uncle Gene, an engineer of the mechanical kind, took care of her by purchasing high line Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs for the most part.

Be sure to visit my web site at THEFINMAN.COM to see more photos of 1957 Plymouths and pages from the sales brochure. And yes, more stuff. Meanwhile, Keep on Cruisin’!

UPCOMING EVENTS: A special Christmas Breakfast with The FIN MAN will be held from 9 a.m. until noon, on Friday, December 18th, a week before Christmas. We’ll play FINS For FUN^tm at 10 a.m. for which you can win some really cheesy (but useful) prizes. Dress like Santa and bring that special car with you if you have one (if the weather holds out). I’ll be at the McDonalds located at 350 S. Kirkwood Rd (S. Lindbergh), Kirkwood, MO 63122, rain, snow or shine.

OPPORTUNITY: I’m still looking for that special person to help me syndicate the Old Car Column. If you think you have what it takes, e-mail me at the_fin_man@msn.com.    

Tri-Power Trivia^tm answers: 1. The final Plymouth, a Neon, was assembled on 28 June 2001, with a total of 38,657 built for the model year. 2. The song was At the Hop, performed by Danny & The Juniors. 3. Next up from Plaza was the Savoy, and just below the Fury was the Belvedere.

My father drove Oldsmobiles for the better part of his life. After twenty years in the service station business (Han-De Super Service, at the corner of Hanley and Delmar Roads [see what he did there?] in University City, MO) he sold his half of the business to his partner Harold MacFarland and went into sales of Oldsmobiles for the remainder of his work life.

When I attended St. Louis-The Studebaker Scene in 2015 a few weeks back, I expected to see a lot of wonderful Studebakers from years past. I was not disappointed. But what I was not expecting to see was the ebony black, 1957 Imperial coupe you see here on this page.

This custom, 1950 Studebaker Starlight Coupe defined the phrase “head turner” for TKCS-Stl participating volunteer Emanuel. 

The recent national meet of the Studebaker Drivers Club, held at Westport Plaza provided plenty of material for The Old Car Column.

When you think of the 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix (IF you have ever even thought about it in the first place)… you probably never thought of it as a rare, collectible automobile. And, you would be correct, at least when it comes to everyday, run-of-the-mill Grand Prixs.

Above: The cover from a 1942 Ford truck brochure.

ARCHWAY OLDSMOBILE CLUB’ s ALL OLDSMOBILE FUN SHOW at the Museum of Transport THIS SUNDAY!

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by trucks… the bigger the better. During my curtain-climbing years, we lived on the third floor of an apartment building at 4008 Greanlea Place in north St. Louis. I would run to the balcony out back when I heard the trash man come, taking in every sight and sound, especially the clackkety diesel engine that powered the beast. 

You never know when an interesting old car is going to catch your attention. My OCR (old car radar) was tuned in the other day when, as I was heading home, I spotted this sharp-looking 1962 Chrysler Newport sitting in the back row at Alton Motor Group.