My oldest brother pumped gas for the only "Esso" service station in the "Jersey Meadows."
The gigantic  Pulaski Skyway bridges The Cliffs (overlooking the Hudson and New York City)
to the east, then over the Passaic and  Hackensack rivers with swampy meadows, on to the
flatlands towards Newark airport in the west. Some like to point  out the  Skyway's
brief role in the original science fiction  film of: "War of the Worlds."
Besides gasoline, the  station also sold  automobiles. "Fixer-uppers," explained my brother:
"...when someone trades a car up, wants to sell it... or for transportation...  right now they got a
Packard, two Chevys, a Dodge and a Kaiser. So, you just got your license? Right?
Why not buy one of their cars?"
I carefully examined all the cars at the "Esso." I do not remember now if it was Bob or Smitty at
the station who tried to do 'a real fatherly talk.'  Something like this: "Look, you're his younger
brother, right? So you're smart! Listen to me son, get a Chevy! I'll give you a good deal, you
know. I give you honest advice, stay away from the off-brands. They're all gone bust. You'll be
wasting your time. Stay away from the Packards and Kaisers; hard to get parts, you know."
I was convinced that I would take this advice as the "ultimate truth" and really follow
the logic of their "tete-a-tete."
However, it  was the 5" stainless steel trim strip that ran the length of the car from the front fender,
along the doors, then as a removeable "skirt" over the rear wheels, then along the rear fender,
and finally to meet up with the bumper; that overruled 'fatherly'  truth  and  logic!
And more chrome (actually stainless steel) was generously sculptured around the bottom of the windows;
'what a beautiful car' I thought.
The "heart-shaped" dip on both front and rear large windows; the spear-space-rocket on the hood,
maybe I can hook up a light to the lucite tip, the way the Indian Chief is lit on Pontiacs?
This car is really different, neat. And all that chrome on the dash; a pure white steering wheel, incredible.
The cool way the spare fits under the trunk floor. Those front and rear "vents."
And that was, to use a line from  Rudyard Kipling: "
...what and why and when and how and where and from whom
" I bought my very own:  "My First Car."
There, at that station, below the Skyway: a 1951 Kaiser Deluxe 4 door Sedan,
gray interior, for only $145, a real bargain.
It was black and needed a real good compounding and waxing.
Yes, I could bring it back, make it new again.... yes, I could!
Today, many decades later, I think  that my brother being a 'gas-jockey' there had a lot to do with
the very reasonable price. I also remember my first drive in "My First Car" that evening: I took all
the side streets very, very slowly, cautiously, carefully all the way home.
Three weeks later, my Kaiser Deluxe now all shined up, I even drove the busy Skyway to the
Jersey Shore or Lake Hopatcong, even West Point and Pennsylvania.

For me, back then,  taking pictures was very rare;  in black & white, and usually family"stuff"...

                                                                  These following photos of  "MY FIRST CAR"  survived:

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