ZIL029

In May of 1969, Mom and Dad bought a 1969 Chevy Caprice.  It was gold, it was plush.  It was huge. Mom loved the beauty of the car and Dad loved the power under the hood, the trunk size and the fact it had no center post.

In the spring on 1969, Dianne and Richard, living at1620 Bird Ave in San Jose, had just had their first child, Pamela  Anne. Lorena was graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Martha was graduating from LC Curtis Junior High, and the Grandparents Chandler were staying on Wheeling Drive while Grandma's glaucoma was being treated at Stanford.

The Caprice was the rock star of its time. I said it was plush, it had the prettiest car doors ever -- Mom bought the car for the doors.  I said it was huge -- it was larger than the 1969 Lincoln Continental -- Dad and Uncle Darley measured their new cars -- Dad won.

The car was our transport to many good times, picnics, camping trips and trips to Iowa.

On our first picnic in the Caprice, we were playing around a stream, and Mom threatened us: if we got wet, we were walking home.  No wet bodies or shoes in her new car.  Who fell in?  You guessed it -- Mom.  As we walked toward the car, the glue in her wet shoes started to foam.  Martha and I were hardly able to walk, as we were doubled over with laughter.

We made a trip to Iowa in it in 1971.  Mom and Dad, Martha Donna and Pepe.  Mom had made Pepe a special bed that was weighted so that it would ride on the transmission hump.  He stayed in his basket for 2 days, quietly sleeping.  When we enter Iowa, he went nuts looking for Dianne.  The trunk of the car was so large that we had all of our stuff to 2-3 weeks on the road plus a lawnmower in it.  Once there, Pammie would ride an the arm rest in the front seat, between her Grandparents; strapped in with the seat belt

It made the trip again to Iowa in 1975, with Mom, Grandpa Andy, Martha and I.  It made trips to Oregon and  Colorado.  It towed a boat and a trailer.  Once while towing the trailer up to Weaverville, a buck fell off a road cut and slammed into the front passenger door, where John sat. Its antlers were inside the car.  Why didn't you grab it John?  Dad asked. Coming home from Weaverville once we had 7 people in the car for 6 hours.  Mom, Dad and Aunt Georgie were in the front, and Lorena, Bill, Martha and I in the back.

On the 1979 trip to Colorado, Dad pulled over and let me drive the Caprice with the trailer right through Salt Lake City -- w00h00!

I had learned to drive in that car.  I would parallel park that bigger-than-a-Lincoln car in downtown San Jose.  I had my first 2 accidents in that car.  One with Mom as a passenger as I didn't have my license yet. What are you doing, she asked? 

Mom and Dad gave us the car when John was born.  They didn't want their newest grandchild riding in a Mustang. It was sold in the late 80's without my knowledge or permission and I've always wanted to have it back.  I found one for sale online...for $22,000!

And the title of this story?  That was its license plate number.

There never was another car like that, and there never will be again.

 *The images are ones I found online, not the real Caprice.