As we enter June, it is obvious to even the oblivious among us that summer is here. It won’t be long before we are looking for cool respites from the sweltering summer heat. During the day that means ice water, air conditioning, and swimming holes. At night, that neon sign in your town that screams “ice cream” beckons. People from all walks of life are drawn to that sign like the proverbial moths to the flame on cool summer nights. One thing we all love in the old car hobby is taking a cruise down to get ice cream with the family in our vehicles. If you are looking for a good ice cream runner, check out this 1937 Oldsmobile tudor sedan for sale on Craigslist in San Rafael, California. This once-restored Oldsmobile is looking for a new owner. Does the asking price of $16,500 leave you enough change to buy ice cream for the family?
I consider myself very lucky to have had a grandfather that was into old cars. My brother and I spent a lot of time with our grandparents, and a lot of that time centered around his two older cars. We helped him restore a 1939 Plymouth, and he didn’t believe in trailering. He drove the car and we were almost always with him. One of the best parts of that time was when the Steak and Shake in a neighboring town sponsored cruise-ins one Saturday night per month. It quickly became a large affair that grew into the parking lot of the local mall. Imagine walking around and looking at 100 or more cars on a cool Saturday night, then heading into the Steak and Shake for a hot fudge sundae. We drove his old Plymouth there and back, with the ride being a large percentage of that fun.
Another memory happened when I was an adult. Passing by the local Dairy Queen, I saw a 1932 Ford convertible street rod pulling out of the parking lot. Instead of turning down my street, I followed the car for a while. It was a true traditional roadster, with no fenders, a souped-up Flathead, steelies with wide bias ply whitewalls, and a bit of a rake, and it sounded marvelous. Pulling ahead, I saw that the headlights were larger than stock Ford units and set low near the axle. They had that golden glow that only a 6-volt system could make. In the cockpit were a man in his sixties and a kid around 10 years old, both grinning ear to ear. I never saw that car again, but I think about it often. It was the perfect hot rod.
I mention these two stories for two reasons. The first is a reminder that all of us have someone in our past that introduced us to the hobby and fed the fires in our hearts for these cars. Second is that we all must create old car memories for those younger than us. This hobby isn’t dying, but it is on life support in many areas because we have collectively done a poor job of passing along our love for old cars and making those connections. This 1937 Oldsmobile, while not a particularly remarkable car in any way, has the potential to be the gateway for someone into our hobby. That may be someone who has always wanted an old car but never had that person in their life. Or it can be from a person who wants an old car to take the kids to get ice cream on Saturday nights. These are not pieces of art only to be seen. They are meant to be driven and experienced.
So, if you want a car to make ice cream runs in, this Oldsmobile will fit the bill nicely. Evidently, this was the seller’s recently departed father’s car. It has been four months and the seller has decided it needs to go to someone who has the time to enjoy it. The car is described as one that needs some work but is in good overall condition. The drivetrain has been rebuilt and it runs and drives fine.
We are also told that the interior is there and not in bad shape. The same cannot be said for the weatherstripping. It will need to be replaced due to age. The paint is also described to be nice, but not perfect. It does have an expensive set of whitewalls. Unfortunately, we do not know the age of them. The car is currently registered in California and comes with a period-correct set of license plates.
One of the final things stated in the ad is that this Olds is a great reliable road car. While it is not an open car or even a coupe, it does seem to present well. The price may be a little off, but sometimes it’s the regular, everyday cars that are the most enjoyable. Especially if you are taking the family for ice cream.
Do you have any ice cream run related old car memories? Please share your experiences in the comments.
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