More proof that the P-39 rules! 😂

[special ed]

My uncle told me about a farmer down the road who had never had a vehicle. Finally bought one and went by train to Perth to pick it up.
While he was there the sales people taught him how to drive it. It was a tray back truck - 1930 something. Drove it all way back
from Perth (220 miles) leaving early morning as the roads were not great. Got to town and decided to show the boys at the pub.

Spent the rest of the evening at the pub and then drove another 20 miles on gravel to home. Up the driveway - into the shed,
forgot he was not on the cart (thoroughly pissed) and loudly said "Whoah now boy" - 240 miles of driving - his first time - went clean
through the back wall of the shed and buggered the radiator. Apparently the wife was not overly impressed.

There is a model T Ford in a museum in South Carolina with a similar occurrence. It was bought by a farmer, taught to drive it by the salesman and on the way home came to a turn too fast, called whoa and it ran off the road. Ii was towed to the barn where it sat until 1942. Gas rationing caused the farmer's son to get it road worthy and after WW2 it went back in the barn except for parades. It was donated to the museum. I wonder how many such things happened.

 

[GrauGeist]

At some point, the Mods might take all these great car recollections and peel them out of this thread and make a new thread since the P-39 conversation died out several pages back!

 

[GregP]

The P-39 very definitely did NOT have a stick shift. But, since it had roll-down windows, perhaps you COULD have accommodated a window tray at a drive-in.

 

[SaparotRob]

You would need ramps for the waitress to skate up and down the wings.

 

[GrauGeist]

You would need ramps for the waitress to skate up and down the wings.

Unless you tumbled in.

Then it would be in it's belly and the carhop would be able get that tray on the window no problem.

 

[GregP]

There's a country song "Stumbling In."

We need oine called "Tumbling In."

If we can fly,
We need a place to begin,
If you fly a P-39,
You'll be tumbling in ... etc.

 

[tyrodtom]

We called that, "Bitch with your feet on the hump"! Which wasn't bad in the desert, in the front seat, due to proximity to the weak A/C vents…

Weak A/C vents ?? What A/C?

 

[PAT303]

At some point, the Mods might take all these great car recollections and peel them out of this thread and make a new thread since the P-39 conversation died out several pages back!

But this is a cool thread nevertheless.

 

[GrauGeist]

Weak A/C vents ?? What A/C?

How 'bout wind wings and kick-panel vents?

 

[SaparotRob]

I forgot all about "fly windows".

 

[GrauGeist]

I forgot all about "fly windows".

Unless you were really cool and owned a Mercury Monterey that had the retracting back window!

 

[special ed]

Four sixty A/C, of course, was all four windows open and 60 miles per hour. As a kid in the backseat of our 48 Plymouth with the front vent wings open and the rear vent wings open, I discovered if I released a piece of paper about 1/2 inch square about head high, it would shoot forward and make a right or left turn, head high just in front of Mom or Dad and exit through front vent windows. Dad was not amused, so I was not able to fully explore this aerodynamic Phenomena.

 

[MIflyer]

But the thing is, with P-39's everyone is always having so much fun.

 

[GregP]

You should go find a 48 PLymouth and finish that research. It likely has something to do with why a turbocharger could not be made to work well on the side of a P-39. It all might have worked out if only they had installed vent windows in the P-39.

Who'd have guessed?

I KNOW we'd all like to have more information on THAT. I know I would.

Keep us updated.

 

[GrauGeist]

But the thing is, with P-39's everyone is always having so much fun.

View attachment 688496

Wait, does that pilot have a custom headliner complete with dingle-balls?
If so, where's the fuzzy dice?

 

[Greg Boeser]

Wait, does that pilot have a custom headliner complete with dingle-balls?
If so, where's the fuzzy dice?

Hanging from the gunsight.

 

[SaparotRob]

Unless you were really cool and owned a Mercury Monterey that had the retracting back window!

I was really hyped when Dad said he was looking at one. So disappointed when he didn't buy it.

 

[MIflyer]

It likely has something to do with why a turbocharger could not be made to work well on the side of a P-39.

The turbo produced so much drag that it made the P-39 slower than the version without it.

 

[WARSPITER]

But the thing is, with P-39's everyone is always having so much fun.

View attachment 688496

Wow!!! Not a wonder so many P-39's were ordered given their buy price.

 

[special ed]

You should go find a 48 PLymouth and finish that research. It likely has something to do with why a turbocharger could not be made to work well on the side of a P-39. It all might have worked out if only they had installed vent windows in the P-39.

Who'd have guessed?

I KNOW we'd all like to have more information on THAT. I know I would.

Keep us updated.

Finally sold Dad's 48 last year. The study could not be replicated while driving and riding in the back seat. I know for a fact..