St. Louis Car Museum and Sales (I)

On the road again!  This time we were off to St. Louis Missouri to visit Laurie’s family followed by our celebration of our oldest grandson’s high school graduation up in Omaha Nebraska.

We really enjoy finding ‘hidden gems’…attractions, restaurants, scenes, etc. that most folks miss.  Since Laurie and I both love beautifully designed automobiles, especially those from the past, when we discovered the existence of the St. Louis Car Museum and Sales in St. Louis, a visit was a ‘must’!

One of the nice things about this museum is that it isn’t just a museum.  Many of the cars on for sale so visitors can look at these classic cars with an eye toward purchasing one of them…or just peruse the collection and dream a bit!

St. Louis Car Museum and Sales has been in business for about 25 years.  It’s located on a secondary street near I-17o.  If you aren’t looking for it, you probably wouldn’t stumble across this big 5-acre plus building.

This business collects and sells classic cars, they store them for their clientele and they have them on display as well.  For a modest entry fee, visitors and dreamers are welcome to wander the aisles looking at the cars (and other items) on display or for sale.

All we could say when we saw this beauty was Wow!  This handsome beauty is a 1935 Mercedes Benz 500 Special Edition.  This fully restored gem has the original 5.0L incline 8 cylinder engine with the supercharger.  Good news!  It is for sale!  This gorgeous creation can be yours for $1,995,900…

This is just one overview of the interior display area in the St. Louis Car Museum and Sales building.  There are at least 150 autos on display as well as other auto and transportation related items.

This is a 1959 Ferrari Dino 196S Fantuzzi Spyder.  It was probably being stored for an owner and it wasn’t for sale when we visited.  However, it was taken for a drive on the Internet.  If you like to hear racing engines and would like to see how this sleek racing car handles, just go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otZWgb-GbM0. 

Another owner’s car… This is a 1959 Cadillac El Dorado Biarritz Convertible.  A red version of this big 225 inch long classic car was recently sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction for $99,000.  Originally, these cars sold for about $7,400.

We both loved this 1930 Mercedes Benz SSK!  It would be such fun to drive around in this car for a day or so…

Fewer than 40 SSKs were built between 1928 and 1932.  Half of them were used for racing and many crashed and were cannibalized for parts.  Only 4 or 5 entirely original models are reputed to exist and they are among the most sought after cars in the world.

Note:

·       The SSK was the last car designed for Mercedes-Benz by Ferdinand Porsche before he left to found his own company.

This is a 1970 Plymouth Superbird.  It was a modified Road Runner and it was developed for NASCAR Racing.  With its outstanding aerodynamics and downforce plus its Hemi engines it could hit 200 mph on the track.  

As per NASCAR rules, it had to be available for purchase by the public. 

About 2,000 of these cars were shipped to dealers in the USA and Canada.  It’s estimated that about 1,000 of them remain today…

The Excalibur was a car that was styled after the 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK.  A company was formed to build and market them.  Under their styling, the cars were conventional.  Most were powered by Chevrolet 327s and they were fast cars…achieving 0 – 60 mph in less than 6 seconds.

This is Excalibur is a Series II Phaeton…and it could be yours for only $42,900.

This is a replica 1936 Auburn 876 Boattail Speedster.  It’s powered by a 460 cubic inch V8 engine and it only has 3,300 miles on the odometer.  I’d like an original…but hey, I’m not greedy.  This beautiful copy can be had for only $69,900.

 Of course, I’d feel pretty good tooling around in this black beauty too… It’s a 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II.  Price: $79,900.

How about something a little more unusual?  This is a 1929 LaSalle Series 328 4-passenger Phaeton.  Love that blue paint!  Powered by a 328 cubic inch L-head V-8, she is priced at $82,750. 

Note:

·       Did you know that LaSalle was a luxury automobile that was manufactured and marketed by General Motors Cadillac Division from 1927 through 1940?  LaSalle autos were actually manufactured by Cadillac but they were priced lower than Cadillacs…

This is a pricy little sports car.  How about that sliding or hidden door!  Pretty fancy… This is a 1954 Kaiser Darrin Model 161 Roadster.  Built by Kaiser Motors, the Darrin was the first American car equipped with a fiberglass body and doors that slid into the front fender wells. 

The price tag for this one is $149,900.  Why so expensive?  Only 435 production models were produced along with 6 prototypes.  Most importantly, nothing on the road looks like these sleek sports cars!

I didn’t know that I could buy a Rolls Royce for such a reasonable price.  Well, it is 30 years old… This is a 1989 Rolls Royce Silver Spur.  It has a 6.75L V-8 with an automatic transmission.  It could be yours for only $34,400!

I’m sure that this is part of St. Louis Car Museum’s owner’s personal collection.  This is a 1924 White Yellowstone 11-passenger open touring bus.  Used in the 1920s, it has a musical exhaust whistle and an ‘ahooga’ horn.

Later in the 1930s, White produced 500 of their small buses that were specifically designed to carry passengers through the major National Parks of the western USA.  They had roll back convertible tops.  Some of these buses have been refurbished and are still in operation.  Glacier National Park has 33, Yellowstone has 8…3 of which are this early model.  Gettysburg National Battlefield operates 2 of Yellowstone’s original buses.    

This is a view of the spotless shop which backs up against the rear wall of the museum display area.  Not a bad collection by itself!  In addition to the cars, there is a plethora of other collectibles.  Gas signs, bicycles and that great Jet Diner neon sign all grabbed our attention…

The classy looking car on the left is a 1935 Packard Eight 1101 2/4 Rumble Seat Coupe.  It has been totally rebuilt with factory equipment and it’s powered with a 320 cubic inch Incline 8.  Price: $159,900. 

The car on the right is a 1934 Lincoln KA522 Coupe.  It’s powered by a 414 cubic inch V-12.  Only 60 were built and of the 60, only 5 were built with both a rumble seat and a spare tire.  This is the only survivor of that group of 5… Price: $164,900.

This little MG Roadster with a 50 HP 4-cylinder engine certainly brought back memories.  My grandmother had one that looked just like this one.  She drove it like a maniac (or a race car driver) and after just one ride, neither my brother nor I would ever ride with her again.   

This is a 1957 Austin-Healey 100-6.  This 2-seat roadster was produced in England from 1956 to 1959.  I think that it is a great looking roadster!  Love the colors, upholstery, grill and lights… Price: $61,500.  Love those gas pumps and the other auto related memorabilia!

This must be ‘Shelby’ country!  This is a 2011 replica Backdraft Racing Shelby Cobra.  She is powered by a 408 cubic inch V-8 with a 5 speed transmission.  Believe or not, this car only has 1,352 miles on her odometer.  It is reasonably priced too, at $64,900.

Here is a ‘racing red’ 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 is powered by a 302 cubic inch V-8 with a 4-speed transmission.  It’s from California so it’s never dealt with icy roads and ice.  Price: $59,000.

…another Shelby Mustang but in this case it’s a 1969 GT350 Tribute with a 5-speed transmission, powered by a 351 cubic inch V-8.  Price: $59,900.

I’m seem to be on a consistent price streak now… This 1954 Mercury V-8 Station Wagon has been fully restored and it has power brakes!  This pleasant looking 65 year old family automobile, just like the 2 Mustangs, can be purchased for $59,900.

My first car was a 1956 Oldsmobile… I didn’t know that you actually had to change the oil!  Froze up like a block of granite…

This is a 1942 Ford Super Deluxe “Woodie” Station Wagon.  Powered by a 221 cubic inch Flathead V-8, not everything is about speed.  Style counts…and the fact that the only civilian car released by Ford in 1942 was the Ford Super Deluxe.  That makes this this station wagon a little special.  Price: $124,900.

I don’t ever remember having a station wagon, much less a ‘woodie’.  We had a Ford, a couple of Hudsons and a Morris Minor.  When I was a young teenager on the ‘prowl’, I had to borrow my mother’s 4 cylinder baby blue Ford Falcon… I’ve never recovered from that experience!

I’ll end this post with one more ‘woody’.  I guess that Cadillac couldn’t spell woody like Ford did.  This big beautiful boat of a car is a 1941 Cadillac Series 61 Station Wagon.  She is up for sale right now on eBay.  The opening bid was $64,935 but the reserve hadn’t been met yet.  Bidding ends this coming Tuesday at 12:14 AM!

I also found this same car (with lots of first class photos) on the Hemmings website.  It is thought to be 1 of only 14 cars of this type that were built.  The price shown on the Hemmings site (as shown at St. Louis Car Museum) is $99,900.Website: https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/cadillac/61/2087382.html.

FYI…If you are in the St. Louis area this weekend, the St. Louis Car Museum and Sales Inaugural Car Show takes place this Sunday, June 2, 2019 between 10 AM and 2 PM.  To learn more, go to www.blacklistedevents.org.

Two additional posts regarding St. Louis Car Museum and Sales are planned…and it’s not all about the cars!  This museum and auto sales operation is located at 1575 Woodson Road in St. Louis Missouri.  Phone: 314-993-1330.  Website: www.stlouiscarmuseum.com.  

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to see what we’ve been doing!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Off to St. Louis Missouri and Beyond!

May is proving to be a busy month.  First it was surgery on my left (primary) hand to correct De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis…a bit like carpal tunnel syndrome only it’s all about the thumb.  My sling came off a few days later but some discomfort remained.  Right after Mother’s Day, my stitches came out and the day after that we were off on our road trip of the month! 

The next series of posts to my blog site will deal with our trip to St. Louis Missouri, Omaha Nebraska and places in between…

The trip to St. Louis was uneventful but as we headed north up I-57 through Illinois, Laurie captured this hastily snapped fuzzy photo of a crop duster flying very low across its assigned field.  He or she barely pulled up in time to miss a semi-trailer that was cruising along at about 70 mph!

So…our primary objective for this road trip was all about family.  This cutie is Gwen.  She’s    years old and Laurie is her great aunt.  On this particular day, she was being cared for by Laurie’s sister (Gwen’s great grandmother) Glenda while her grandmother Judy was working out!

We had stopped at a retirement community Chesterfield Missouri to visit with Laurie’s oldest sister Glenda and her husband Ken.  The whole complex is under construction with both housing expansion and amenities in the plans.  In any case, at one point in our guided tour highlighting the changes, we stopped and I took this photo of Laurie’s sister Bonnie, Laurie, her great niece Judy, 

Ken and Glenda suggested that we have lunch at Fallon’s Grill and Tap, a new restaurant located in the St. Louis Missouri suburb of Ellisville.  Although this location is new, apparently the restaurant was either somewhere else previously or there is another location in the area.  The Facebook site shows that Fallon’s has been in business since 2009. 

The industrial look is pretty standard these days… Perhaps it’s a less expensive décor.  While we have seen a few striking applications of this style, this isn’t one of them.  Boring…or just an ‘average’ look in our opinion.

Bonnie, Glenda and Laurie all ordered the special, overflowing chicken salad sandwiches with a side of choice. ($13.95 each) Everyone thought that the portions were very large but although the chicken salad was good, it was fairly average.  Bonnie described the onion rings as ‘OK’ but Laurie’s potato chips were over cooked…with a bit of a burnt taste.

Ken had a very satisfactory French Dip Sandwich with a side of coleslaw. ($10.50)

I wasn’t crazy about my entrée… I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with the chicken breast coated with the house special spicy sauce and accompanied by a side of cottage cheese. ($10.50) It just didn’t work for me.  I like spice and ‘heat’ but the house sauce overwhelmed the chicken and blue cheese.  My taste buds were shot and the cottage cheese side was set aside after one bite.

You can’t really judge a restaurant by one luncheon visit but our initial visit scored just ‘average’.

Fallon’s Grill and Tap is located at 15850 Manchester Road in Ellisville Missouri.  Phone: 636-386-5621.  This restaurant is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fallonsgrillandtap/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

In Memoriam...

In Memoriam – Ronald Allen Myers

Ronald Allen Myers…my father.  Killed in action during World War II in Czechoslovakia.  Date of Death: May 5 1945.  Victory in Europe Day was only 3 days later on May 8, 1945. 

High School Graduation Photo

Mom and Dad with yours truly in front of my maternal grandparent's home in Jackson Michigan...

My dad and me not long before he shipped over to Europe.

Sgt. Ronald Allen Myers

Notice of Ronald Allen Myers’s Death as published in the Jackson Citizen Patriot Newspaper.

My Dad’s burial flag being displayed on our deck with the help of other Myers family members.

Rest in Peace Dad… I’ll always wonder what life would have been like if you’d survived the war and had raised me.

Thanks to all who have given the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect their families and our freedom!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave 

Family Photos…Some are Mysteries (Weed and Sibbald)

I’ve been digging through our stacks of photos…vacations, trips, food, attractions, historical sites, museums, trains, depots, automobiles, airplanes and more.  However far and away the most numerous photos are the stacks of photos featuring family and friends…

Some of these photos are really very old.  In this post I’m showing a few of my mother’s oldest photos of her parents and grandparents…and others who are a complete mystery!

Some of these pictures include the identification of the subject being photographed.  This photo is of my maternal grandmother, Estelle J. (Sibbald) Weed as a little girl.  Even at this early age, she looked determined!  Credit for the photo goes to R and R Studios (G.W. Thomas and Company) at either 152 – 154 West 23^rd Street in New York City or 298 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. 

My grandmother was born on March 4, 1894 at 2635 Eighth Street in New York City.  Her parents were John Sheppard Sibbald and Elise Ferdinando Strauck.  

This is a photo of my maternal grandfather’s mother…aka my great grandmother, Selma C. (Bergstrom) Weed.  She was born ca. 1860 in Sweden.  The photo was taken at the Smith and Hardy studios located at 685 Sixth Avenue in New York City. 

Other than the fact that this is a relative from my maternal grandfather’s side of the family, we only know his name…Charles E. Weed.  Given his age and the obvious age of the photo, I’m guessing that he’s Edward A. Weed’s brother.  Edward (born ca. 1849) was Selma Weed’s husband.  There is an attribution as to the photographer handwritten on the back of the photo but I can’t read the author’s writing.

Selma and Edward were married at Sag Harbor New York on October 30, 1883.  She was about 23 and he was 34 years of age. 

This colored photo is of my grandmother’s sister Sadie with her dog Punch. It was taken at DeYoung’s at 815 Broadway in New York City.  The back of the photo includes a Medal of Merit awarded to this studio in 1885.

…and then there are the mystery photos.  They are all part of the family photos that my mom passed on to me.

Beginning with this chubby baby, the theme song entitled “Who Are You?” (Performed by Peter Townsend with The Who), from the TV series CSI (Crime Scene Investigation), comes to mind.  This photograph was taken at the Bostwick Gallery which was located at 98 Sixth Avenue in New York City.

This is another mystery photo.  This child is posed for maximum impact on this little ‘stage’.  The photographic studio was Baker and Vanduzen.

Yet one more mystery baby picture… This little one with the spooky eyes was photographed by William F. Hunter, Art Photographer who had his studio at 243 Fulton Street in Brooklyn New York.

We do know who this jaunty lad was… This is my grandfather Nathan G. Weed.  Love the suit with knickers and the hat!  Since his mother’s photo was taken by the same studio, it makes sense that this photo was also taken by Smith and Hardy at 685 Sixth Avenue in New York City.

Nathan G. Weed was born in New York City at 207 East 73^rd Street on September 12, 1884.  Nathan and Estelle Sibbald were married on March 30, 1912.  She was only 18 years old while my grandfather was 28.

At the time they were married my grandmother’s address was at 3472 Broadway and my grandfather’s was at 522 East 183^rd Street.

Hey…family is family!  It was part of my mom's family photo collection... This handsome portrait of a proud and evidently well-bred relative was extremely well posed… The picture was taken by the Alcide Pinard Studio at Amsterdam Avenue near 145^th Street in New York City.  Unfortunately we don’t know his name…

I’ve previously published old family photos on my blog site…but these are a bit older than most.  You can check out some other old photos as posted at https://bigdaddydavesbitsandpieces.blogspot.com/2015/07/old-time-family-photos.html.  I have 'scored' before, finding ‘lost’ family via posts on this site…so maybe I’ll get lucky again.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave