In the summer of 55 I was 17 years old and had saved up about $400 to buy a car. In those days $400 would buy a very nice car. I wanted my father to go with me to advise me on which car to buy. My new car had to be a convertible. One evening I asked my father to go with me to look at a certain car. He said OK and to meet him in the garage. When I opened the garage door, I was
astonished to see a red 53 Chevy convertible. My father had taken my $400 and added $800 to it and bought me the car of my dreams. In my wildest dreams, I had not thought that I would have such a car. It was a fantastic year for me. My high school football team, of which I was captain, went on to win a state championship after two previous years of losing records. My girl, whom I
later married, was homecoming queen. I graduated from high school and was awarded a partial scholarship to Columbia Univ.

What a fabulous year and it all started with that 53 Chevy.

I went to college, married my homecoming queen, and in the spring of 61 I was employed as an engineer. The 53 Chevy was beginning to wear out. I traded it in for $500 on a 60 Falcon. $500 was all the money in the world to me then and I couldn't keep the 53. I regretted it instantly.

In the winter of 96, I decided that I wanted another 53 Chevy convertible. I had restored a 50 Ford pickup and was and still are working on a 50 Chevy pick up. I know how long it takes me to do a restoration. I had to have it for my 40 year high school reunion. I decided to buy it finished. I found the one I now have in Rock Hill, S. C. It was more beautiful than I remembered. My homecoming queen and I went to the reunion in it.

Lewis Bridges