Cars, Automobiles, Pieces of Junk

Cars, I've owned many since I was 16 years years old. The kids I knew in the little valley town of Selma, California ogled cars. Ate, slept and ran after cars. Walking the deserted downtown streets at night we'd stop at every newish car and check it out, tires, chrome, radios, upholstery, anything and everything. This was the era of the '55 Ford and Chevy's...very desireable then and more so now some 50 years later. The 56's were even better and our little town had a bunch of them, some with v8's that roared loudy through thier glass-pack mufflers as they sped by us after school. I abhored walking to school amidst the traffic so soon befriended a guy who owned such a car, a (Ford Futura 2 dr sedan) and then after we became fast friends. He'd pick me up the the morning for the 5 minute ride to the school parking lot, carefully pick out the choicest spot next to some giggly girls and there we'd be. I had picked out a Ford 4 dr sedan, as plain as day for my first venture into automobile ownership, it was 52 and as homely a car as I could imagine, but the price was right at $400 in 1960 dollars and thoroughly affordable. I had to convince my parents but they knew it was going to happen. When 15 1/2 yrs of age in the US of A or at least California a kid wants and NEEDS a car to have any status whatsoever. Besides it would mean they wouldn't have to pick me up after work at 2pm at the Selma Motel off highway 99 near Floral Avenue. It was "across the tracks" which meant in a bad neighborhood in those days so me alone out there walking home at night, not on a bet! My grandmother would never allow it. So my step-grandfather Harold came down in his '56 pink and white 2 door Buick Century to pick me up until I bought the Ford late one afternoon after school with my hard earned money. Now I had a car, the year was 1959. I was free, sort of.
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Here's one I found on the net for your viewing pleasure:

I used this car through my graduation at high school in 1961 and through by somewhat abbreviated college experience at the nearby Reedley College about 20 miles NE of Selma. It served me well enough, every other start took a jump or a push but it ran, sort of. Yes it was a V8, a flat head Ford. Verdict: This was a piece of junk.
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In the fall of 1962 I gave up on Reedley and joined one day the United States Air Force. The Ford was left behind to be sold as I certainly had no more use for a car.