J.W. Burleson photo / Boquillas del Carmen, Coah.

PHB

My photo
Brooklin, Maine, United States
We own a 1975 GMC Sierra Grande 15 in Maine and a 1986 Chevrolet Custom Deluxe 10 in West Texas. Also a pair of 1997 Volvo 850 wagons. Average age in the fleet is 28 years--we're recycling. I've published 3 novels: THE LAW OF DREAMS (2006), THE O'BRIENS (2012), and CARRY ME (2016). Also 2 short story collections: NIGHT DRIVING(1987) and TRAVELLING LIGHT (2013). More of my literary life is at www.peterbehrens.org I was a Fellow at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study for 2012-13. I'm an adjunct professor at Colorado College and in the MFA program at Queens University of Charlotte. In 2015-16 I was a Fellow at Harvard University's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The Autoliterate office is in Car Talk Plaza in Harvard Square, 2 floors above Dewey Cheatem & Howe. SUBSCRIBE TO THE AUTOLITERATE DAILY EMAIL by hitting the button to the right.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

The Brookwood's for sale again!

I bought a 1969 Chevrolet Brookwood station wagon in Santa Barbara in 1987. It had 22k original miles on the 350 engine. I loved that enormous whale of a car and I took care of it for the next 16 years. Left it in SB when I moved back to Maine--my pal, SB car genius Frank M., took care of it for me. Finally storing it was getting to be a problem and I  did not want to drive it back to Maine and deal with east coast road salt and rust. So I sold it. Had it sell it fast and it was just on the cusp before cars of that era, especially station wagons, became somewhat cool. Sold it for $1500. Saw it for sale a while back on ebay but by the time I contacted the seller it was gone. Now it's up again on eBay, here. Asking $6k. I loved that car and would buy it again in a second EXCEPT between BB & I there are already 2 aged Volvos in the family, plus 2 pickups (1976 GMC in ME, 1987 Chevrolet in TX). If you're looking for a very clean car.....buy the 'Brook, and let me borrow it sometime.  When I had it, I kept it very stock, and it was a very plain jane car (except for that 350): no power brakes, dog dish hubcaps, AM radio, etc. Handled like a....wheelbarrow with a big engine. Beautiful ride though. Used to drive it up the PCH between Santa Barbara, Big Sur & Pescadero two or three times a year. Often overnighted at Deetjen's. Sure miss that road. And Pfeiffer Beach. Oh I am having California yearnings here in the Netherlands. It's a wonderful civilized country but no blue sky. Looks like a costly set of mag wheels on the Brook now which I would probably change back to stock painted steel. And there's an Edelbrock carb, and a few other more-or-less-standard-these-days upgrade tweaks under the hood. But it is and always was an oddly beautiful car, for such a whale, and looks like it has been well maintained since I foolishly let it go.  If you're thinking of buying it, and want to look into getting it shipped, I'd advise going with Safe Way Auto transport: they're miles better than the others, totally reliable, with reasonable prices. If you buy the car, do let me know.



2 comments:

  1. ohhhh.....wishing we had kept it. ( BB)

    ReplyDelete
  2. so dreamy... nice lines, muscly. love the way she sits.

    ReplyDelete

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