Part of living in the past is driving the right car. Watch any early episode of Perry Mason and you can see how it was done. Another common thread to us baby boomer kids out west was Boy Scouting and trips with the troop to destinations like Yellowstone and Yosemite riding along in the troopmaster's big station wagon.

This is my latest fantasy ride. 1956 Dodge Custom Sierra. It is a one owner car, special ordered from Eddy's Garage Co. in Deadwood, SD. Dad wanted a Dodge, Mom wanted a wagon. Dad ante'd up the extra dough and got the D-500 Hemi / brake / handling package!

Interesting story in that Mom and Dad had to buy TWO cars like this ! Car number one was ordered and delivered to the dealer for prep. Mom and Dad were called and told the car was in and would be ready at such-and-such a time. When Mom and Dad arrived, an unknowing salesman had already sold the car to another party and a very displeased Mom and Dad demanded an identical car be produced poste haste!

This second car was delivered and the eldest son was asked to take Mom into town to take delivery. Dad kept the car until he died at the ripe old age of ninety-something and the eldest son took the car and stuffed it in his garage. It was there that Joan and I found it resting quietly behind yard tools, boxes and a heavy coat of dust.

The car wears incorrect Coronet headlight and tailight bezels. The son tells me the car always had them since new. I suspect that car number one may have been a Coronet-based Sierra wagon, rather than the up-model Custom Royal-based Custom Sierra. When Mom and Dad demanded an identical replacement be brought forth, it appeared as a Custom series, so the dealer swapped the Coronet trim onto car number two to make it look like car number one (?).

A chrome roof rack and white walls are all that is needed to complete this rolling sheetmetal sculpture of American road art.