Driving into the past

When I'm on Anthony Road in northeastern Bedford County I always glance at the 1950 Buick Sedanette (above) which has been sitting in a field for years. It looks restorable from a distance, with easily-fixable surface rust and a little "dental" work needed on its "teeth" - look at that grille!

It's called a "sedanette" because, when viewed from the side, it's a fastback body style.

Glance around rural areas of Bedford County and you'll see several fascinating old cars in fields, some appearing as if they're just waiting to be rebuilt and hit the road once more.

These old cars bring back memories of the midnight blue 1965 Mustang fastback I had for a few months while I was in college. 1960s Mustangs were already collectable by that time, and the Mustang proved more dependable than the late model Grand Prix I also had at the time.

One of my biggest regrets is trading the Mustang for a new Toyota Celica. Last I heard of the Mustang it had been sold to someone in Manchester who turned it into a replica Shelby.

Today's cars are better than ever, honestly. Many mainstream family vehicles today are as fast as a few of the old muscle cars. I see lots of new cars I'd love to own.

But older cars shouldn't just rust away.

Any 1960s or 1970s muscle car, 1972-78 Datsun 280Z, 1970s Trans Am or Camaro Z-28, or practically any pre-1972 car will catch my eye. I also like early 1960s Fords (especially the 1960, 1961 and 1963 Galaxies) and would love to get my hands on a '61 Pontiac Catalina hardtop. And those are just scratching the surface.

I'd guess a lot of people have that one car -- or more -- they wish they'd never traded or sold. One of these days I just may buy another old Mustang -- or maybe something I haven't even thought of yet.

I titled today's blog "driving into the past" but I'm not one for living in the past. I prefer to look it as taking a great part of the past and driving it into the future. That's the role collector cars play.