Turning back the odometer on daily drivers

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Peter van Drimmelen gets thumbs up every day on his morning and afternoon commutes. People stop to ask him about his car and it’s always a conversation starter. His daily driver is a 1952 Dodge that is economical, reliable and eye catching. Heading out on Highway 1 from North Vancouver, the old black Dodge stands out in a sea of Hondas, Subarus and Chevrolets. It’s the only car with chrome bumpers, wide whitewall tires, a split windshield and door handles that stick out from the body. It’s also one of the only cars on the road that can carry six passengers – comfortably. 

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The semi-retired machinist paid $4,000 for the car from a friend who had owned it for 40 years. It was a deal Peter couldn’t pass up. The car had new black paint, a rebuilt engine and a new interior. It looked like new. Peter discovered the old Dodge drove as good as it looked with its reliable 218 cubic inch six-cylinder engine with standard gear shift and he couldn’t stay out of it. His aging Toyota Camry had traveled a lot of kilometers and the repairs were costing a lot of money. So he sold it and started driving the Dodge that is eight years younger than he is. “It gets 16 miles to the gallon and it’s fun to drive,” Peter says of his classic. 

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He also owns the black-and-white 1956 Plymouth Belvedere convertible his mother bought new. It’s totally restored so it’s too nice to drive in the rain. His mother gave it to him to drive to high school in West Vancouver and he has owned it ever since. Peter plans to make some improvements to his 1952 Dodge to make it even more of a pleasure to drive. He has five whitewall radial tires on order and has purchased an overdrive transmission so, once its installed, he will have a fourth gear for highway driving. The overdrive transmission will create less wear on the engine and his gas mileage will improve.

Retired realtor Ray Mitchell has also moved backwards in his choice for a sunny day driver. He has restored a 1953 Mercury Monterey four-door sedan which is now his car of choice. His garage also houses beautifully restored collector vehicles including a 1935 Ford pickup truck along with Ford convertibles from 1940, 1951 and 1956. 

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Ray’s love for Ford convertibles goes back to 1951 when he bought a new Ford convertible at Dominion Vancouver Motors at the age of 16 and drove it to high school. He customized the car in his later teens with 1954 Oldsmobile side trim and a bright green and white paint job. Memories of that car have made him a fan of Ford-built cars built from 1932 through 1953. “I always liked the look of the 1953 Mercury but never owned one,” he says.

He became interested in the 1953 Mercury Monterey sedan he saw advertised in an Early Ford V8 Club newsletter from the Seattle area. A widow was selling her late husband’s restoration project that had new tires, new dual exhaust and a rebuilt engine that had never been fired. The asking price was $15,000. But the widow eventually accepted Ray’s offer of $5,000 and he brought it home to his garage in Surrey.

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He and fellow club member Les Henderson worked on the car for two hours every Tuesday for seven months. They finished the wiring, made everything work including the clock, radio and optional spotlight and got the car roadworthy. Ray liked the car so much he had it painted in the original Sherwood Green metallic. Now, with $20,000 invested, he has a car that he loves to drive. The top-of-the-line Mercury Monterey is a very well optioned car for its era with power brakes and power steering, automatic transmission, tinted glass, radio, clock and windshield washers.

“It’s the best riding and most comfortable car that I have ever owned,” the 87-year-old says. “I try to drive one of my old cars every sunny day, but the Mercury is my choice two to one over the other cars.”

He says the 70-year-old car gets a lot of attention and, because it has four doors, he can take a lot of his friends with him when club members meet for lunch every Wednesday.

Alyn Edwards is a classic car enthusiast and partner in a Vancouver-based public relations company. [email protected]