A Tribute to a Love Affair with Cars

It’s often said that driving is one of the greatest privileges of living in the US.

I came to understand that early on since cars were a hobby with my father Juneau. It seemed that he was always working on them. The garage was his man cave, his escape from the tedium of day-to-day life.

He wasn’t a car collector. He didn’t buy a new car every couple years. Raising a family of five kids on a single income didn’t allow for that. The few new cars he bought before retirement were the cheapest models available, usually without a radio or power steering. 

One of his proudest accomplishments was keeping his cars clean and tuned up and if his four boys learned from that, he had done his American duty. We boys learned that he was really just a cobbler, using Bondo and duct tape. His garage had shelves with half used containers of leak stoppers, miracle gas additives and STP. He taught us how to wash and wax rust and to fix a car up before selling it at a loss.

So, I was amazed when I saw his detailed report about the cars in his life. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised since he also wrote his autobiography and obituary.

He grew up on a small farm just outside Strum, Wisconsin and, for a time, they lived in Eau Claire. His parents were Julius and Hilda. He had two older brothers, Alton and Jerrold, and a twin sister, Harriet.

Here are some edited excerpts from his report:

“My first contact with cars in our family was a 1919 4-door Chevrolet (a touring car with two round rear windows) that Dad (Julius) bought new in Strum! Alton told me that Dad had a very short driving lesson and then drove it proudly up the prairie road in either low or second gear! This was the only car that he ever owned.

“When we lived in Eau Claire, Harriet and Mother (Hilda) were riding with him up the East Side hill from downtown, suddenly a wheel fell off. He kept this car for many years until we had moved back to Strum and the Depression swept the country.

“Every winter the radiator was drained, and the car was put up on blocks with sacks hung over the tires. About 1928 a state law was passed requiring windshield wipers. To comply with the law, he bought a wiper that had an inside handle to move while driving. Imagine driving in a downpour.

“Julius was a tall man (6’2” in his prime) and a husky, strong man – used to hard physical work. However, he was rather inept in the handling a team of horses or driving a car. He broke his arm while cranking his Chevy. It was never driven again and was sold for junk. Some years later I tried to teach him to drive a Model A Ford that I owned – no luck!

“Jerrold had several cars. His first was a Model T Ford Touring. How proud I was riding with him on the 4th of July with a bracket of little flags on the radiator cap! Among other cars was a 1928 Whippet (a real dog – with engine racing and going down a hill we made 40 mph). I also recall a 1928 Chrysler and a 1937 Dodge pickup (a long box delivery van) he used to haul vegetables to resorts up in northern Wisconsin. It was open on the sides with curtains that could be rolled up.

“From an account book that Alton kept, I find some interesting entries! He bought a used 1924 Maxwell coupe for $40. Additional costs were three gallons of gas ($.51), auto horn ($2.50), tire pump ($.48), jack ($.60), ball pein hammer ($.35), coveralls ($1.98), fan belt ($.25), wrench set ($.19), one quart oil ($.25), tire patch ($.15), two tires ($14.96), two inner tubes ($1.80), battery ($6.50), radiator stop leak ($.35), license ($10.50). He sold it for $15.

“Alton’s second car was a 1927 Nash Roadster for which he paid $180. The odometer reading was 57,500. Gasoline was now $.18 a gallon and a license was $13.50. He moved up to a 1921 Chevy DeLuxe Coach for $240 (30,686 miles). In 1938 he bought a new 1939 Chevrolet at Strum (about $675). This was the last car he owned as he went into the service in WW2. He was killed in action.

“My (Juneau’s) first car was a 1930 Model A which Harriet and I bought together for $70.

“The first night when I drove it to Strum from Eau Claire, I stopped every few miles, got out and walked around the car, and kicked the tires to make sure everything was OK. What a thrill! We soon decided that we each needed a car, so I sold my $35 share to Harriet and bought another 1930 Model A.”

By the time Juneau died in 1995, he had owned 23 cars and one pickup. His list included two Chevys, 13 Fords, three Plymouths, three Dodges, two Nashes and a Studebaker. Seven were station wagons. 

His understated conclusion was, “You can see that I have had a lifelong love affair with cars!”

I’ll never get to 24 cars. My brother Bruce wins anyhow. I believe his car count is north of 30. He learned well.