Rocket 88 - Dave's Midwestern Ohio Memories

Series of Guest Blogs by an out-of-state Fish Report reader originally from this area about fond memories of growing up in Midwestern Ohio during the 50’s & 60’s

Rocket 88

It was really tough to find time to write the blog this weekend because of all the sports on TV (finally); with the US Open, NBA Finals, Major League Baseball, NHL playoffs, NCAA football and the NFL, Plus I played tennis and golf! But here goes:

A friend mentioned this week that his neighbor had purchased a classic car on eBay from a seller in California. The classic was a 1954 Oldsmobile Rocket 88.

The car hauler who transported the classic from California blew a hydraulic hose on his hauler after unloading the Olds on the street right in front of my friends place. About 20 gallons of hydraulic fluid spilled all over the street. My friend was really upset because the driver left without cleaning it up or telling anyone about the spill. The haz mat unit was dispatched to clean it up and will be sending the clean-up bill to the car hauler.

Larry, the best man in my wedding had a Rocket 88 as a teenager. Like my ‘59 Chevy, it was a hand-me-down from his Dad. The car wasn’t a cool 2 door like the classic my friend's neighbor bought, rather a base 4 door sedan but with the famous Rocket V8 engine. Larry’s car was about 10 years old when we were riding it around after getting our drivers license in 1964. The Olds had worn out shocks so drove like a boat but would go like hell with that big 302 Rocket V8. Larry lived near Willowdell where the local Olds dealer was located until 2010 when the Oldsmobile brand was dropped by GM. They also sold John Deere farm implements. Here’s the auction flyer for the dealership.

Larry’s Dad was a great customer of the dealership, which also included a general store next door where Larry at age 16 could buy 3.2% beer. So every Friday night before going to Minster’s Eagle Park dance hall, Larry would buy a case of cold beer and we’d meet up and cruise around in that big Rocket 88 boat. Fun times.

The Rocket 88 was so popular, like many subsequent classic cars, this song was written about the car in 1951 by Ike Turner, of Ike & Tina Turner fame. In fact, the tune was considered the first rock & roll record when Alan Freed invented the famous moniker while playing the song as a DJ in Cleveland on 50,000 watt AM station WJW. That distinction earned Clevelend the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, of which naturally Alan Freed as well as Ike and Tina Turner are honorees.

Look for a future blog featuring other songs about classic cars and all the memories they bring.

~~~~~~~~

Receive a weekly email whenever there is a new blog post. Just enter your email address in the designated spot below the blog and follow instructions to set up the notification.