Ok, third weekend in a row the Nomad has hit the road, another crazy story to come from it. The Golden Supercruise is a monthly deal and I got up there early. It was a hot one but amazingly the Nomad runs below the mid point on the gauge even at the peak of heat mid day. I did hit about 4 miles worth of highway on the way up. I'm gonna need to deal with the balance on the tires as there's a touch of a shake at 65. Plus it's spinning the engine at about 3500 at that speed in 4th. So unless I drop the rear gear I'm probably not going to push it beyond 65 much.
I got up to Golden and did a lap to downtown and worked my back to Golden Rd. I did stop for a photo op on the way.
I came up to the main part of the cruise and pulled into a lot and parked next to a sweet '55 Chevy. The guy had just parked and started chatting me up before I got out of the car. He was pretty cool, he bought the car in highschool back in the 60's and kept it ever since. Nice setup with a RamJet 350, 5-speed combo. Since it was lunch time, I walked over to Sonic and got my cheat meal for the week. I grabbed a bit of shade across the street from the car as it was hot as balls out.
As I was sitting over there, I watched people check out the car. I was actually chatting up the guy with the '55 who was hiding out under the same shade tree as me. Eventually I see a guy seriously checking out the car. Like front to back, inside and out. I could see him asking people nearby who owned the car. They didn't know so he eventually wanders off. During all this
@Capt Ron and I had been texting so I set out a cone to save him a spot. A few minutes goes by and the same guy is back just now he's getting handsy with the car. Like leaning all the way under the hood and putting his hands on the radiator support, touching the body in spots and leaning his whole head through the open passenger side window. Naturally my annoyance kicks in and I'm jaywalking across the road to let the guy know I'm not happy with his antics. But as I'm pulling up some clown is parking just to the side of the cone I set out for Ron in a '54 Chevy. He's getting reaching for the cone and I calmly let him know I'm saving a spot and to leave it. He gives me some attitude and I'm not having it. He's barely left enough room for Ron's car and I figure I'd move mine over a couple of feet. The '54 guy starts mounting off to me that my friend better be careful opening his door so he don't scratch his car. I'm like look dude, his car is just as nice, he won't touch your car. More on this clown later...
So the other guy that's been getting handsy with the Nomad is standing there and I ask if there's something I can help him with on the car. I think he could tell I was annoyed. He saw the paper plate on the back and asked when I bought it. I explained I didn't buy it, I got it from my Dad after he passed. He said is your Dad's last name Zulian? I go from annoyed to shocked in about 0.2 seconds. I don't recognize this guy at all. I knew all of my Dad's car buddies well, specifically the tri-five and Nomad guys so this guy knowing our name is freaking me out. He said he sold the car to my dad. I'm like are you serious? He said yeah, he was. I asked if you called the house a couple of years ago. He said he did. Mind blown, we start talking about the car. He goes on to tell me he did the upholstery on the door, side panels and gate. He knew things about the car that either Dad, me or this guy having owned the car would know. The rot in the body supports in front of the rear tires, the air shocks and a few other tidbits. I have no doubt this guy sold it to my Dad.
Of course in the conversation he tells me the 327 came from a Corvette (I'm laughing to myself as he said it, proving the stereotype that all 327's must have come from a Corvette). I did have to correct him with the knowledge I have from decoding the casting and stamping numbers. It's been 51 years since he had the car so I'll let it slide. He said he listed it in the newspaper and my Dad was the first guy to respond. He also remembered my Dad being super knowledgeable about the car. He was surprised how little it changed over the years. He had figured my Dad would have restored it or at least painted it. I gave him the cliff notes version of the history and that the car was very well traveled. We were busy enjoying it, plus early on our family didn't have enough to do that. So it was treated nicely and always stored inside. I told him the car has been off the road for 25 years also. He was really as shocked to see the car again as I was finding out who he was.
Then came the question I knew he was going to ask. Hey so do you want to sell me the car? I let out a laugh and tell him absolutely not on my watch. I explained this is a family heirloom, it's not going anywhere. He said it was his first. My annoyance is back. I look at him and said, if it was your heirloom you shouldn't have sold it. 51 years in my family and it's going to stay that way. I thanked him for all the info and he went on his way.
About this time Senor Ron is pulling up in his '33. I hopped in the 'mad and moved it over a couple of feet to give a little more room. The '54 Chevy was safe from Ron at this point. I grabbed another chair from the Nomad and we went back to the shade across the street.
Ron's brother ended up meeting with us and we spent the afternoon taking in the cars and the people watching. Eventually we watched the '54 Chevy guy walk back over to his car and get ready to leave. Karma, biting him squarely in the butt has stepped in and the Chevy won't start. Keep in mind we are watching this unfold from across the street. He's mooched a battery from the nearby Grease Monkey to jump from and still no good. Eventually he gets somebody to bring a truck over to jump from. A solid 30 minutes had elapsed by the time he could leave. We chuckled over it a bit.
It was late enough it was going to be dark on the ride home so we packed it in. The car ran great again on the way home. It's just keeps getting better. Confidence improving for sure. My neighbor didn't get to take a ride as she wasn't feeling well today so I gave her a raincheck for later. Still, it was a great day at the cruise.
