Local man recalls his youthful love of wheels

Dean Graybill of Paradise was known for telling stories of his experiences with automobiles. He considered writing a book to share with family, but after talking to some friends, he realized that his tales might appeal to a wider audience. "(They) said it would be of great local interest," reported Dean. "They said, 'I would buy that. People would love that.'"

Working with Masthof Press of Morgantown, Dean has produced 151 pages of 165 stories with the title "Burning Rubber, Slamming Gears, & Cheap Gas," published in mid-March. The pages are punctuated by color and black-and-white photos of vintage automobiles and trucks. Dean began writing about five years ago by sitting at the computer while listening to classic rock 'n' roll. "It just took me back," said Dean of the process. "If it had to do with cars, it had stuck in my memory." Editor Keith Rohrer added color and detail to Dean's recollections.

The book recounts Dean's experiences from Maple Grove to Pequea Valley and as far south as the Norman Wood Bridge. Names and places that may be familiar to area residents include the "S" turns on Hollander Road, Victor Weaver's Poultry, Paul Shirk's car lot, and the New Holland Community Memorial Park, where Dean recalled hanging out in 1971 with eight other young people and their cars. Story No. 81 tells how the group cruised around New Holland and behaved themselves on the "nice straight stretch of Jackson Street," because they knew local police watched the spot. When they moved to the lot where New Holland Ford is now located, they noticed one of their number was missing. When he arrived 10 minutes later, they learned he had been running interference for the rest by driving exceptionally slowly, which attracted police attention and garnered him a ticket.

Dean also recalled a 1974 incident where he was pulled over while cruising "the loop" in downtown Lancaster. "I had a 1961 Dodge Power Wagon," he said, explaining that his four-wheel drive, heavy-duty truck had a big motor. Dean was pulled over on suspicion of having altered the suspension to make the truck sit higher. "I said, 'This is factory suspension,'" recalled Dean. "The policeman said, 'Yeah and I'm Elvis Presley.'" Dean agreed to go to court, and headed to Horning Dodge to secure schematics to prove the height of the truck was unchanged. At court, the judge asked Dean and the officer who had pulled him over to take the schematics outside and look at the truck. "(The officer) could see it was original," said Dean. "The judge said, 'Case dismissed.'"

The final story in the book is one that Dean sneaked in as a suprise tribute to his wife, Cathy. He and Cathy met when she became friends with Dean's sister. Dean liked it when Cathy visited their house, but he was too "bashful" to speak to her. That changed when he learned Cathy was interested in him. "I heard she wanted to go out with me, and that gave me the courage to ask her out," he said.

Readers who are interested in a copy of Dean's book may search for "Dean Graybill" on Facebook or email him at dehemi@comcast.net.