Date disaster with a 1936 Chevrolet
By Bill Sherk, The Old Car Detective Don Fraser of Ottawa, Ont., reads CarStory in the local EMC paper:
“When the Arts Formal at Queen's University rolled around in January 1945, I was only 18 but determined to attend. My date was June Godkin, an attractive Kingston girl in her first year of Queen's KGH Nursing program.
“The Arts Formal was our first date and, as it turned out, our last! I had no car to drive June to the dance so decided to ask an older friend if I could borrow his. Larry Balfour was a mechanic at the Catherine Street Garage and he loaned me his 1936 Chevrolet for the evening.
“I felt so proud as I drove to June's home, met her parents, escorted her in her long flimsy formal dress to the car and so to the Gym on Union Street for the dance. Mart Kenny's music was great to dance to and the evening went too quickly.
“After 1 a.m., in sub-zero weather, we made our way to the cold car to find the battery dead. The heater fan, which I had neglected to turn off, had drained the battery.
“The parked cars along Union Street quickly took off so I got a taxi driver to give the Chev a push. He saw a puff of smoke from the exhaust as I let out the clutch and presumed the engine had started and so pulled around me and away.
“The engine gasped and died. I coasted toward the curb and foolishly put on the brake. I was told the right rear brake shoes sometimes locked on stopping, and they did.
“There were two ways to unlock the brake. First, put the car in reverse and back up a little (impossible with a dead battery). Or get out and give the frozen wheel a good swift kick. I did. PSST! Whoosh! I had kicked the valve stem clean off and down went the tire.
“How stupid I felt! June was shivering in her taffeta dress, the gym was closed, no phone booth near, and not another car in sight.
“Wait! A '28 Chev coupe was pulling toward me. Oh what a sight on a frigid night! The driver was my friend, Clare Kellogg, a theology student who had already delivered his own date to her abode. His old jalopy had a heater. Clare generously offered to transport my date and June was content to snuggle in beside him.
“I waved good-bye as they pulled away, leaving me to jack up the Chev and put on the spare tire. My friend Larry had the car towed to his garage in the morning and June and I did not date after that.”
As a thank you, if your story is published in my column you will receive a copy of my book 60 Years Behind the Wheel: The Cars We Drove in Canada 1900-1960. To share your stories or photos e-mail billtsherk@sympatico.ca or write Bill Sherk, 33 Oak St. E., P.O. Box 10012, Leamington, ON N8H 2C3.