Earlier this year we were cruising the main drag of Three Rivers, California, stopping here and there to take photos of random things that caught our eye. One such random thing was this derelict 1959 T-Bird, sitting in front of what appeared to be a closed-up garage.
Intrigued by the old Ford, we pulled over to scope it out, walking around and taking shots from various angles.
It was a rather melancholy exercise, standing there on an overcast, drizzly evening, taking the portrait of a once-magnificent vehicle. It was fairly obvious that it would never see the highway again.
He walked up and asked, "Do you like old cars?" And so began a conversation that lasted an hour or so, with Pat relating stories of his 45 years as a tow truck driver in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. He opened up his garage and showed off his 1964 Muntz Jet, his Lincoln Continental, and the old tow truck that dated back to the 40s.
It's hard to describe the feeling, meeting someone like Pat, and having him open up to a total stranger about his life and times. Of course you can chalk it up to an old man who just wanted somebody to talk to, but we refuse to view our encounter in such a cynical light. Pat talked about how his '68 Toronado hugged the mountain roads, showed what happened to one of it's tires when he hit a rock going too fast around a curve, and lamented the car's demise when his son blew up the engine.
It was getting late, and not having anything to eat since breakfast, it was time to get going. We thanked Pat for showing us around and for generously sharing his stories. As we walked out of the garage, he patted the Jet and jokingly remarked that he really wanted to restore the old Muntz for one last ride. We laughed with him and said, "Well you better get at it then..you have some work ahead of you."
Upon returning home, we tried googling Pat to see if there was anything about him on the web. It was a most pleasant surprise to find not one, but two items about him. After reading them, we're even more glad for stopping to take those pictures of a broken-down Thunderbird:
http://www.darnton.ws/~Pat_O%27Connell/
http://kaweahcommonwealth.com/11-03-06features.htm
5 comments:
Good posting, TSG. Something, indeed, to shout about!
The links you provided are, in fact, worth perusing. The fact that his little town chipped in and bought his new tow truck for him says something quite amazing. Pat sounds like quite the local natural treasure.
I have to tell you, however, that I am also disappointed; as interesting as the motor metal might be, his garden sounds even more photogenic and we see nothing of it here. Sigh.
You're obviously just going to have to go back and take some more pictures!
thanks for the interesting information
I spent many years working for pat in the garage.
I pumped the last gallon of fuel in 1991.
The mounts jet is a 53. Not a 64 as mentioned in your post.
It is one of the first 28 produced in California before production was moved to Indiana. You should go back and see the gardens they are amazing.
Btw the t bird was pats family car when he moved from la and bought the garage in 64.
I'm Pat O'Connell's daughter-in-law and thought you should know he passed away on Saturday, April 6th. He was 91. I googled him searching for photos for his memorial and found your blog. It made me smile because it so perfectly illustrates an average day in Pat's life. He loved talking cars and showing off his acquisitions and his garage. I'm glad you got a chance to spend that time with him and glad he got an opportunity to spend some time with you!
BTW, Pat sold the Muntz earlier this year to a collector friend who's currently restoring it. I was able to show him a YouTube video of his old car during his last days. It really perked him up to see it on the road. Here's a link if anybody would like to watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GFoTuHYJJg&feature=youtu.be
Susie, thank you for taking the time to post a comment. It was truly a pleasure to have met your dad and spend a little time hearing his stories.
ps: also a belated thanks to "unknown" for your comment and correction on the model year of the Muntz Jet.
I hope to visit Three Rivers again soon and I'll definitely be thinking of Pat when I drive by the shop.
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