Out of Many Great American Cars, One is the Best

As an avid racecar enthusiast and activist all my life, it is difficult to pick one of the daily drivers I've owned over the years and say "This is the best car I have ever owned". In my younger years (1940-1960), I became enamored with fast American iron. I have been blessed over the years with owning many of what are considered today: street rods, hot rods or classics, most of which I should never have parted with.

In 1948, at seventeen and still in high school, other than girls, the love of my life was my first car: a dark green, 1932 full-fendered Ford, three-window coupe with a 1940 Mercury engine. My older brother helped me with the two hundred dollar price tag. I hopped-up the engine and running gear extensively and kept the car several years. At that time, I thought it was the best car I would ever own. That was just the beginning.

More cars

After the '32 came a black 1940 Ford Standard, two door sedan; several years later, a beautiful dark green 1951 Mercury (Merc) convertible which I immediately lowered and installed fender skirts. I was thinking at the time it was going to be the best car I would ever own. A few years after the Merc, I bought a 1956 Oldsmobile Holiday hard top coupe, a very nice car but I didn't fall in love with it; so in 1959, I purchased a brand new Chevrolet El Camino with a 348 cu. in. engine, the forerunner to the 409. I added a white canvas snap-on cover for the bed and the car was beautiful but the engine ... a slug. Marriage, children and becoming a fireman put a temporary halt to the hot rods and classics.

While on the fire department, I sold the El Camino and bought a near new, red 1962 Pontiac Catalina station wagon that doubled as a family car and tow vehicle for a dragster another fireman and I had built. During this time, I purchased a 1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible, indeed a classic as I look back. After retirement from the fire department, I became half owner of a large wholesale auto parts warehouse which offered me the means to be the proud owner of a brand new 1972 Dodge Charger Rally with special-ordered 440 Magnum engine, followed by a 1977 Corvette "T" top and then a 1980 Cadillac Sedan Deville.

The Plymouth 'Cuda

At that time, I figured the Charger with all its horsepower and special order interior and paint was probably the best car I would ever own. Until ... I purchased a 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda. This was for sure going to be the best car I would ever own. A four-speed Dana transmission, Dana 60 powr-loc rear-end, (cuda-challenger.com), Halibrand magnesium wheels and a 426 cubic inch Hemi engine with a shaker hood. (dictionary.sensagent.com). It was definitely the fastest street machine I would ever own and at the time, I figured it would be the best ... until I bought a brand new black 1994 Ford Explorer XLT, SUV. I kept the 'Cuda for a few years but was finally talked into selling it to my younger brother. Yes, as I look back at what became the classics, muscle cars and hot rods in my life, I certainly should have kept a few but the Explorer was a car to behold.

Many features make the Explorer the best

No, it was not a hot rod or muscle car; in fact it only had a V6 engine. The car was well appointed with tan, leather interior and air conditioning. It had a towing package that included a heavy duty radiator and transmission cooler. Probably the thing I remember most about that car was the driver's compartment - tilt and telescoping steering wheel plus heated seats with arm rests. The back would move forward and back, up and down with a forward/back tilt, the seat was amazing.

Another unique feature was an electric/hydraulic part of the seat called 4-way lumbar control, (schukra.com) that would give support to the pelvic area to minimize horizontal movement. Add to all of this a manual pull-out in front of the seat to rest the legs while driving and it's understandable why Ford only provided this option for 2 years. It's my opinion that for safety reasons, they were making the driver's compartment just too comfortable.

The Explorer performed flawlessly over 134,000 rigorous miles. It was both family car and truck. As I look back with a nostalgic eye, the classics and muscle cars I have owned were fun and I would love to have my '32 three window back but I have to be honest, the Ford Explorer was practical and overall ... the best car I have ever owned.

Additional source - Ford