PB 311 new page 13.indd - Plymouth Club

DeniseThe Jet Black 1961 Suburban Deluxe belongs to myfather, Kurt Oelmann, Sr., of Finksburg, Maryland. Hebought this all-original 29,000 mile wagon in 1991and it has taken us to Massachusetts twice for national meets.Though not perfect, this pristine car has won many PlymouthOwners Club national awards. It certainly helped us makemany wonderful friends with the Colonial Region at theAugust 1993 meet in Plymouth, Massachusetts.Wherever Dad and I drive it, many peoplesmile, wave and ask if it was a hearse! I nicknamedthis black beauty “Denise,” asChristine’s meaner but less famous“brunette” sister. I often imagined her lungingforward, all four headlights blazing balefully,to the shattering opening chords of theSmithereens’ “Blues Before and After,” as sheaims true and lashes out to flatten the punks inStephen King’s awful movie.In 1994, I also bought a ( much less evil!) 1961Fury two-door, a well-worn driver, compared to Denise. Theprior year, I could not resist securing a 1961 Savoy parts car,which I pulled home on the tow bar with my 1958 EdselCorsair. With the Edsel’s 410 cubic-inch powerhouse pulling,I almost couldn't feel the Savoy tracking behind me! I confessI felt sorry for the Savoy, and so, for many years, had itrunning just to breathe life into it.My family has always had an affinity for the full-size1961 Plymouth, because the only car we had when I was achild was a ‘61 Fury convertible. That poor car went almost200,000 miles before rust caused the unibody frame to beunsafe. I tried to find and re-acquire that member of our family,but she passed on sometime in early 1993. I wrote a storyabout trying to bring her back home (in 1993 PLYMOUTHBULLETIN, Issue 201).-30-19615050thAnniverersaryPlymouthI moved to Ludlow, Massachusettsin 2000, but still visit Dad four or fivetimes per year. We take the Fury toOcean City, Maryland, everySeptember for our annual vacation, butjust this past fall we drove the wagoninstead. She received a great deal ofattention near the beach inlet whenDad's vintage Converse surf mat wasleaning against her.These days, the Fury and wagonspend most of their time asleep inDad’s garage in Maryland. One day, Imust convert both to an after-marketfront disc brake kit. Despite our ‘61’smechanical reliability, I will alwayscontend that late ‘50s through mid ‘60sMopars had the worst brakes of anything Ihave ever driven.Thus, Dad and I are very careful, always anticipate traffic,and have had many years to learn the driving and handlingof these wonderful ‘61s. I suppose “careful” is theword, because I have achieved 20 MPG in the Fury and 24 MPGin the wagon! Both cars are 318 V8s with Torqueflite transmissions.(Of course, I also get 17 MPG out of my 1970Mercury Marquis with a 429, so one can imagine howI drive.)With kind regards to all our Plymouth clubfriends,Kurt Oelmann, JrLudlow, Massachusetts (son)andKurt Oelmann, SrFinksburg, Maryland ( father)