How I Got Hooked on Vintage Wheels
Got super into 60s cars after watching my neighbor restore a rusty Corvette. Decided I wanted pictures to use as phone wallpapers and inspiration for my garage art project.
My First Search Disaster
Typed “cool old car pics” into the big search thing first. Big mistake! Got flooded with ads for toy models and junkyard parts sites. Felt like digging through a trash bin looking for gold coins.
Tried the popular photo sharing app next. Searched for #classiccars and got mostly blurry shots of taillights taken at bad angles. One guy posted his cereal box collection claiming it was car memorabilia. Clicked away frustrated.
The Library Lightbulb Moment
Remembered my grandpa saying “real answers live in books.” Went downtown to the central library’s reference desk. Librarian handed me two treasures:
- Physical archives of local car club newsletters from 1965-1970
- Microfilm rolls of automotive magazines my fingers smelled like metal after scrolling
Spent 3 hours making copies of Mustang ads and Chevy promo shots until security guard kicked me out at closing.
Garage Goldmine
Struck up convo with classic car owners at gas stations. Most were grumpy but one guy restoring a Thunderbird showed me his personal albums – actual physical photos in plastic sleeves! Took pictures of his pictures like a creep.
Final Score Sources
- Local historical societies have donation boxes of vintage dealership photos
- Classic car shows let you snap pics freely if you chat up owners
- Auto museum archives have folders labeled “unscanned promo materials”
- Estate sale negatives – bought a shoebox full for $5 at a garage sale
The Weird Part That Happened
At some fancy auto show snapped pics of a Plymouth Barracuda’s dashboard. Owner saw me and screamed “NO PHOTOS!” Turns out he covered his VIN number to prevent cloning scams. Almost got security called on me.
Got my shots in the end though. Current phone wallpaper is that same Barracuda’s tailfin.
