Thinking back 57 years ago, my first car, on the right, is my 1949 Ford sedan which was purchased from a high school friend who had fixed this car up so very nicely and painted it candy apple red, with tuck-n-roll and white hearts on the interior door panels.
It sounded good, with dual exhaust glass-packed mufflers, with extra chrome here and there. My car was necessary for transportation to and from school and work, which I did almost daily at a grocery store, the Alpha Beta in Costa Mesa, Calif.
On the left is my next car, a 1939 Ford coupe, the photo was taken January 1960. My ’39 had a big V8 Chrysler engine in it. The ’49 was a stock 6 cylinder flathead 6 in a row, they were both 4 on the floor stick shifts. One of the biggest mistakes in my life was letting these cars go.
— Doug Copeman, Grants Pass