1965 Bristol Lodekka

The Bristol Lodekka is a low-height double-decker bus that was built by Bristol Commerical Vehicles in Bristol, England from 1953 to 1968, with a half-cab coach body built by Eastern Coach Works of Lowestoft, England. The Bristol Lodekka was the first double-decker bus to use a dropped-center rear axle to allow for a lower floor height on the lower level, allowing for a center aisle on the upper level without reducing headroom on the lower level, unlike the previous "lowbridge" double-decker buses which used an asymmetric layout and had reduced headroom for the lower level seats under the upper level aisle. Over 5,000 Bristol Lodekkas were built. 

This bus entered service with Southern National Omnibus Company Ltd in February 1965 as #2057. It is an FLF6B chassis, which indicated flat floor, long, with a forward entrance, and powered by a Bristol BWV 8.9-litre 6-cylinder diesel engine. It originally seated 38 passengers on the upper level and 32 on the lower level in forward facing seats. 

The operations of Southern National Omnibus Company Ltd were transferred to Western National Omnibus Company Ltd, and this bus was transferred in November 1969, retaining the same number. It was retired and sold to a dealer in December 1977, and was acquired in January 1978 by Up North Combine, a pigeon racing organization in Greatham, England. By November 1981, it had been acquired by Griersons Coaches of Fishburn, England, and in 1984 it was sold to a dealer and ended up being exported to the United States. It was converted into a mobile fish and chips shop in Astoria, Oregon, before ending up here at 2420 Mission Street SE in Salem, Oregon, by January 1991. 

The building the bus sat in front of was once a restaurant called Cheers, and apparently the bus originally advertised a realtor. According to the side facing away from the road, the bus was once used as, or as part of, a restaurant called The London Eatery. It later became an expresso stand called Coffee In Motion, as seen here. In 2019 the bus and business was relocated to 1725 Silverton Road in Salem.

Related Links:
History of this bus at the Bristol Commercial Vehicles Enthusiasts

Bid-Well 2450 Roller Paver

This isn't a car, or even a vehicle, but there is an interesting story behind this piece of construction equipment. This is a Bid-Well 2450 Roller Paver. In 1961, Seymour P. "Tex" Bidwell was a construction foreman for Burton Jensen Construction, a bridge contractor based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Tex had an idea for a machine with on oscillating bull float on a moving carriage riding a truss frame that would allow concrete bridge decks to be paved transversely instead of longitudinally, making the installation higher quality and more efficient. With his employer's backing, Tex began selling his machine to other contractors in South Dakota. In 1962, Tex met Murray Rowe, a machine shop operator from Canton, South Dakota, and shared his idea. They partnered to further develop Tex's idea, but only three weeks later, Tex passed away at the age of 44. Murray Rowe bought the business from Tex's widow Irene, offering her royalties for the rest of her life, and he grew the Bid-Well Corporation into an international business with Tex's idea becoming a new industry standard. The Bid-Well Corporation was purchased by the CMI Corporation of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1969, with Murray Rowe remaining Bid-Well's president. CMI was purchased by the Terex Corporation in 2001, and Terex continues to produce paving machines under the Bid-Well name.

The Bid-Well 2450 Roller Paver can span up to 60 feet with a light weight and small profile that allow it to be used in tight spaces. It can be used not only for bridges, but also for roads, warehouse slabs, airport runways, and canals. This one was being used to repave the Liberty Street bridge over Pringle Creek in Salem, Oregon, on September 17, 2006.

1998-1999 Lincoln Navigator

This first-generation Lincoln Navigator was photographed at the Vern W. Miller Civic Center in Salem, Oregon, on September 17, 2006. It was being used by the Salem Police Department as a Crime Prevention Unit, and had probably been seized as part of an investigation. The radio antenna mounted in the front fender identifies it as either a 1998 or 1999 model. The Lincoln Navigator was introduced on July 1, 1997, for the 1998 model year and was based on the Ford Expedition, which was new for 1997, which itself was based on the new Ford F-150 also introduced for 1997. The 1998 Navigator would help Lincoln outsell Cadillac for the first time in 59 years, though Cadillac would respond with the Escalade in 1999. For 1998, the Navigator was powered by a 230-horsepower 5.4-liter Triton single overhead cam 16-valve V8 with 325 foot-pounds of torque. In 1999, the 5.4-liter Triton V8 got a boost to 260 horsepower and 345 foot-pounds of torque, but mid-year it was replaced with a 300-horsepower 5.4-liter InTech dual-overhead-cam 32-valve V8 with 355 foot-pounds of torque. Standard features in 1998 and 1999 included a four-speed electronic automatic overdrive transmission, four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes, speed-sensitive variable-assist power steering, load-leveling rear air suspension, Anti-Theft System, Remote keyless entry with illuminated entry, speed-sensitive intermittent front windshield wipers, automatic wraparound complex reflector headlights, complex reflector foglights, power heated outside mirrors, leather seating, dual power front bucket seats, memory driver's seat & mirrors, electronic automatic temperature control, Premium AM/FM stereo cassette radio with second-row controls, power windows and locks with illuminated controls and one-touch-down driver's window, and integrated illuminated running boards. Available options included Control-Trac four-wheel drive, power moonroof, 6-disc CD changer, Premium 290-watt AM/FM stereo radio with cassette and seven speakers, and an electrochromic rear view mirror.

GEM e2

 

This e2 electric vehicle was built by Global Electric MotorCars, or GEM, and was acquired by the City of Salem, Oregon. Equipped with an aluminum diamond plate clip-in tool box, it was assigned for use in Community Enforcement. Global Electric MotorCars, LLC was founded in 1992 by former General Motors engineers in Livonia, Michigan, as Trans2 Corporation. In early 1998 the company was purchased, relocated to Fargo, North Dakota, and given its new name. GEM manufactured its first vehicle in April 1998. In December 2000 GEM was acquired by the DaimlerChrysler Corporation. GEM began producing its 2005 models in March 2004. In addition to the 2-passenger e2, GEM also offered the 4-passenger e4, the eS with a short cargo bed, and the eL with a long cargo bed. The 6-passenger e6 was introduced in April 2006. GEM products are classified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as Neighborhood Electric Vehicles. In July 2011 GEM was sold to Polaris. As of October 2015, GEM had global sales of more than 50,000 units since 1998 and was the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle market leader in North America.

The 2005 GEM e2 features a 72-volt General Electric motor driving the front wheels through a Dana Spicer speed reducer with an integral differential, powered by six 12-volt deep-cycle batteries. The e2 has an aluminum welded space frame and structural composite and thermoplastic body panels, and it has a curb weight of 1,078 pounds and a gross vehicle weight of 1600 pounds. It has a wheelbase of 72 inches and is 99 inches long, 55 inches wide and 68 inches high. The e2 also features an onboard 72-volt DC charger that uses 110-volt AC input, a General Electric solid-state custom speed controller with regenerative braking, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, and rack-and-pinion steering giving a turning radius of 12.5 feet. The e2 has a top speed of 25 miles per hour and a range of up to 30 miles depending on temperature, grade, and driving style. Additional features include a bench seat cushion covered by marine-gray vinyl, three-point safety belts, quartz-halogen headlights, front and rear turn signals, high mount rear brake light and taillights, and a laminated tinted safety glass windshield with wiper. Standard equipment includes horn, floor mat, and driver's side exterior mirror. Available options include dual upper safety handles, passenger side exterior mirror, 12-volt accessory plug, chrome bumper, GEL maintenance-free batteries, car covers, custom wheels, scuff guards, Alpine stereo, soft or hard doors, heater/defroster, charging cord set, premium colors, and windshield washer kit.