Bruce and I are primarily e-mail friends these days. He lives in Ponte Vedra Beach Fla., with his wife, Linda. But Bruce and I have common interests. He was once a reporter in Sacramento and we came through the ranks of the news business together via the training of some of the same editors.
Bruce long ago left journalism for public relations, but we got reacquainted a few years back when Bruce and his wife began a quest to run a marathon in every state. As a fellow marathoner, we share running tales from time to time.Like a lot of men around my age ('m 52), Bruce remembers the cars of his youth and the influence his father had on his early automobile purchases.
Here's the story of Bruce Reid's first car:
"My dad had taught me never to purchase a vehicle off the lot — they normally had too many 'wasteful options' he said. Things like push buttons on the radio, tinted front windshield and most of the time power steering — all expensive and frivolous items unnecessary for transportation.
So, after college graduation and a dismal one season career in the Oakland A's organization I blew my entire spring training savings — $1,500 — on a down payment for a 1971 forest green GMC Vandura.
A friend and former co-worker helped me get fleet pricing, so I ordered it built custom for me. That meant completely stripped. To my surprise, cargo vans didn't even come with a passenger seat. Since I was getting married in two months the extra seat would come in handy. I also sprung for chrome bumpers and rear pop-out windows.
I customized it with shag carpet remnants, homemade Hawaiian curtains that my mom mad and redwood paneling from Lumberjack.
Mags and a cassette player were added about a year later in San Diego. I surfed, played softball, camped, reported and moved in that van until 1976, when I sold it in Sacramento and bought another one.
That Vandura must have weighed more at the time of sale from years of Turtle Wax. What a classic first vehicle. And only two wrecks."
(I couldn't find an image of a 1971 lime green GMC Vandura; The accompanying image is a 1970 model.)
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