Cruising in style

After given a new chance at “life” an old relic is stepping out in style to celebrate its 80th birthday. 

She only had 32,304 miles on her (not much compared to vehicles of this day and age) when her original owner put her in moth balls. She served her new owner faithfully, right up until the time he could no longer drive.

Lundy Hills of Rock Rapids, IA, grandfather of Ogden’s Gary Paulsen, purchased the brand new black Plymouth De Luxe Sedan July 27, 1935 for $814. 

When Mr. Hills passed away in the early 60s, the car was transported to Minnesota and stored at Paulsen’s boyhood home for several years.

Paulsen drove the old Plymouth his sophomore and junior years of high school, rotating with his five friends. Paulsen wasn’t picky about what type of car he drove. He just considered himself fortunate to have wheels at all. Most of his friends had to ride the bus.

The car retired on the family farm in Minnesota.

Paulsen’s father died in 1981. He and his brother were going through their dad’s inventory when they came across the car in the back timber  slowly being swallowed up by nature. “Oh, man!” said Paulsen. “Here’s that old Plymouth. What are we going to do with it?” A question directed more to himself than his brother.

His brother hauled the vehicle home to Steen, MN with intentions of restoring the car - when he retired. 

“We knew this one would be a challenge, but my brother liked challenges,” claimed Paulsen. “And he was always mechanically minded.” His brother had restored five vehicles of his own (cars and tractors) and this was going to be his next one, but he ran out of time, passing away in 2014.

For more on the story, see the July 29, 2015 issue of The Ogden Reporter.