Jim Hlavac's
Watch out the way, coming through, wide load.
The Story of my 1973 Lincoln Continental Town Car
In 2001 I was working in a crazed lunatic drunken wacko bar in New Orleans. It was called the C-Note Lounge. There was
a beautiful grand piano in this bar that attracted a strictly skid row crowd. These were people who consumed 10, 15, 20
even 25 beers and still were able to walk around. They were professional drunks. Along with them were equally
professional crack whores and other assorted criminal types. Not one of them were reasonable decent courteous people,
but rather the dregs of society. I tended bar and played piano six or seven days a week for countless hours. I lived above
the bar.
Among these wackos was a merchant marine sailor named Carey Heinz. One day he just showed up and parked a 1973
Lincoln Continental Town Car in front of the bar and proceeded to drink himself into oblivion by noon each day. He rented a
room above the bar, where he entertained a number of the, umm, ladies of the evening. He spent approximately 25,000
dollars on booze, drugs and babes in less than one month -- the vast majority of it at the C-Note.
One day he said he was going to go for a drive -- and I wouldn't let him do it -- for I had already served him about 14 beers.
It wasn't even noon yet. I offered to drive him in his car. And I began to take care of -- such simple things as checking the
fluids and washing it. Soon I began to drive him every where he needed or wanted to go. He wanted to get back offshore.
Yet he was so pickled and insinuated in the bar that he couldn't pull it together. So I helped him.
A month later he gave me the car -- with all the appropriate and official paper work. In Louisiana this is accomplished by
what is called an "Act of Gift and Donation." Basically it was a tip. And it was one of two fantastic tips I received. The
other was a portrait of me playing that piano.
I kept the car just a little over 4 years. I drove it around New Orleans as my regular car. I made several cross country trips
with it. Finally, in Albuquerque, New Mexico I couldn't keep it going any long. I sold it to a mechanic -- and all I can hope is
that he kept it going and started to return it to its glory.
On the following few pages are some pictures of this amazing gift.
In 2001 I was working in a crazed lunatic drunken wacko bar in New Orleans. It was called the C-Note Lounge. There was
a beautiful grand piano in this bar that attracted a strictly skid row crowd. These were people who consumed 10, 15, 20
even 25 beers and still were able to walk around. They were professional drunks. Along with them were equally
professional crack whores and other assorted criminal types. Not one of them were reasonable decent courteous people,
but rather the dregs of society. I tended bar and played piano six or seven days a week for countless hours. I lived above
the bar.
Among these wackos was a merchant marine sailor named Carey Heinz. One day he just showed up and parked a 1973
Lincoln Continental Town Car in front of the bar and proceeded to drink himself into oblivion by noon each day. He rented a
room above the bar, where he entertained a number of the, umm, ladies of the evening. He spent approximately 25,000
dollars on booze, drugs and babes in less than one month -- the vast majority of it at the C-Note.
One day he said he was going to go for a drive -- and I wouldn't let him do it -- for I had already served him about 14 beers.
It wasn't even noon yet. I offered to drive him in his car. And I began to take care of -- such simple things as checking the
fluids and washing it. Soon I began to drive him every where he needed or wanted to go. He wanted to get back offshore.
Yet he was so pickled and insinuated in the bar that he couldn't pull it together. So I helped him.
A month later he gave me the car -- with all the appropriate and official paper work. In Louisiana this is accomplished by
what is called an "Act of Gift and Donation." Basically it was a tip. And it was one of two fantastic tips I received. The
other was a portrait of me playing that piano.
I kept the car just a little over 4 years. I drove it around New Orleans as my regular car. I made several cross country trips
with it. Finally, in Albuquerque, New Mexico I couldn't keep it going any long. I sold it to a mechanic -- and all I can hope is
that he kept it going and started to return it to its glory.
On the following few pages are some pictures of this amazing gift.
Lincoln has long continued to be
one of the finest American automobiles.
I came to own one in a strange way.
It's a story somewhat from a fantasy land.
While I no longer have the car,
I pine away for another one like it.
one of the finest American automobiles.
I came to own one in a strange way.
It's a story somewhat from a fantasy land.
While I no longer have the car,
I pine away for another one like it.
Wow! Look at that!
