Tires Optional

In 1963, unable to sell his ?Çÿ55 Buick for the then exorbitant price of $25.00, Rick and two young friends set off in the road tank for a 6,000 mile cross country and back road trip. Their combined wealth was $325.00. The first 3000 miles was driven in 58 hours, despite being slowed down by collecting a few speeding tickets, going to a police station at 3 a.m. to pay a $34.00 fine, getting lost in St. Louis for two hours, stopping for an oil change, and attending mass on Sunday morning. Life was good. Four porthole Buick Roadmasters. ?Çÿ57 T-Birds. GTOs, Barracudas and Buick Wildcat convertibles. These were the trusty inhabitants of Ricks automotive world. Even a 41 Packard Clipper sedan with a hood as long as most peoples driveways. The list of splendid -- and some not so splendid -- cars that Rick has owned goes on and on, and Rick has a story for each of them. Tires Optional brings back the days when a good car cost you less than a hundred bucks, drain oil was ten cents a quart, and a gallon of gas was a mere two bits. If the car had a radio, you were listening to Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. America was strong and was respected, and we made cars that didnt sound like a Campbells soup can when you tapped the hood.