 | Faye Graves, a native Wichitan, attended school at Friends and Wichita State, concluding at Midwestern Theological Seminary. He has been active in media for many years with Channel 12, KIRL, KFDI, KOOO AM & FM (Omaha), KFRM & KICT 95, as an owner, manager, producer, director and announcer. He has served as President of the Haysville Board of Education. He has also served on several national boards of the Southern Baptist Convention. Faye currently serves as Executive Pastor and Director of Administration and Education at Immanuel Baptist Church, 1415 S. Topeka, Wichita. You may contact Faye by e-mail fmgraves@amenibc.org, or by phone at (316) 262-1452. |
Nostalgia
2005-04-01 10:50:00
Custom rod days
: What memories can you share about spring in Wichita?
ANSWER: Winter is gone and May is here once again. The flowers are blooming, the temperature is climbing and people are coming out of their houses, cooking out, having picnics and looking forward to vacations and summer. This time of year always makes me think of my high school years and what occupied my mind back then when spring came… My car! Spring meant that it came out of the garage and was ready to shed the salt, grime and dirt of the winter storms. I could not afford a new car in 1948, but my Dad found a 41' Ford Sedan. This car was not only used, but in close investigation I noticed a decal right at the base of the hood with the number 48. The car had either been a company car or a police car. Nevertheless, it was mine and I was prepared to clean it up. I really did not like the color; kind of grey, almost white, so I decided to have it painted. I took it to a baked enamel shop on North Main, close to Rudy's Auction. How many of you remember Rudy's? This paint shop would completely paint your car with baked enamel for the whopping sum of $35. I gave it a face lift and renewed its glory by painting it Hawaiian Bronze. I then proceeded to take it to a welding shop and have the rear springs heated (and by the way ruined) but for the purpose of lowering the rear of the car to approximately six inches above the pavement. This look was really in. (During the 60's the cars were lowered in the front.) I then went to a shop on South Broadway just beyond the John Mack Bridge and purchased Hollywood hub caps. Remember, those were the ones with the propeller in the center. Then the car needed the next step of this great customizing job…LEAD. We removed the chrome from the doors, the hood, and the trunk. Inset the license on the trunk, installed dual straight pipes and capped it all off by buying rubberized white paint at Oklahoma Tire & Supply, and painting each tire to make it (appear) a wide whitewall. This had to be repeated every few days. I needed some gold tail pipe extensions for my straight pipes. These were obtained by taking a piece of brass pipe to the auto mechanics shop at North High and having it formed into tail pipe extensions. The car also had to dawn a Packard Bird on the front of the hood with wings that lighted. Now that was a car! The straight pipes did not last long, after a motorcycle officer stopped me and said, "Son, I want this car as quiet as the day it came out of the factory." Well, it still looked great and took me through many great days of dragging Douglas and my high school years.
