Dad loves to tell us stories… last night he reminded us of one of my favorites.  I thought I would share it here, because it demonstrates the ingenuity of an earlier generation…. and it’s a great story.

Dad was an aircraft mechanic.  He specialized in oxygen supply for naval aircraft.   He grew up and lived close to where he was stationed at Grosse Ile Naval Air Station, just south of Detroit.  He used to like to say that he was station on an island 2000 miles from the West Coast!   That was true, but  that island was on the Detroit River!

He bought a 1947 Ford Coupe for $50… it was a simple car, no radio, no heater, just transportation.  It needed an exhaust system, that would have cost $35, and being the mechanic he was, he was not going to pay that price.  So he rigged up an Oxygen supply in the car and had an aircraft respirator in the car so he could drive it without  being asphyxiated when it was cold, thus allowing him to keep the windows up.

One early morning, long before dawn he was driving to the naval air station and crossing the bridge to Grosse Ile, the latch for the hood of the car released and the hood flew up and hit the top of the car, thus blocking his view and bending in the middle.  He stopped and tried to get the hood down but was unable.  Fearing being rear-ended on a foggy dark morning, he drove across the bridge with his head out the window.  Pulling over he climbed on top and managed to get the hood down and latched, all though with a crease in the mangled hood.   At the naval air station he got a heavy hammer and did his best to hammer the hood into place and make it look something like normal.  But the real ingenuity was yet to come.

Deciding that he no longer wanted to deal with this problem of a car, he decided to sell it.  As it was the day new recruits were arriving.   He decided to create one hundred one-dollar chances, and raffle the car off.  Guys were thrilled for a chance to win a car for a $1, some bought 3 tickets, some 5, but he sold all 100 tickets.   Dad was delighted to rid himself of the car and pocketed $100 for his $50 Ford Coupe.  The guy who won the car, was thrilled to get a car for a $1 ticket, complete with its own Naval Air Oxygen System.