[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by garrell.770

Hey Cobalt327, good to read from you. I am still working hard on my recovery but have had a few setbacks recently. My landspeed racing plans are coming together and getting ready to run in the first ever Ohio Mile at the end of April.
How is the wagon project coming along?

Garrell Patterson

I follow your threads even when I don't post, Garrell. Sorry to hear you've been having a hard time of things, and I hope your folks are doing better.

The wagon... it just runs so darned good w/it's nutless 229 V6, TH350C and highway gears. But for as good as it runs it's a real yawner when you mash the gas. I'm still moving ahead w/the 5.7L Vortec build. I need to line up a stronger rear end before doing the swap, though. Also need to rebuild the front end before then, so there's no shortage of things to do.

[OLNOLAN]

Garrell, Don't have photos from back then, so I google searched images and found representative examples in the correct colors. Here goes;

First car in high school, 63 VW, 40 horsepower, bought for $300 washing dishes in a restaurant;



Second car in high school, 64 Triumph TR4a, about 110 horsepower, promoted to cook, traded VW and $500 for it;

http://media.lehighvalleylive.com/ev...76e495f2cf.jpg

Near the end of my senior year, the Triumph had a catatrophic front end frame failure, sold it for about $125, bought a '65 Fairlane for $200 that needed work but ran pretty good, 200 horsepower, eventually rebuilt the car from one end to the other, added duals and a four speed, slotted dish mags. Had to part it out after the old man I bought it from died and his family refused to turn over the title(we were friends and never changed the title over);

http://images54.fotki.com/v1615/phot...airlane-vi.jpg

These are what carried me through high school. During the gas price wars of the early 70's I can remember gas getting down to about 17-19 cents a gallon. I could fill up the VW from nearly empty for less than $2.00. My first real job as an apprentice electrician allowed me to buy cars with more horsepower and start hotrodding the engines. The high compression ratio's could be fueled with Sunoco 260 for about 40-50 cents a gallon. Back in the day. Later, Nolan

[garrell.770]

Nice mixture but a lot of bad luck until you started making the big money.

[OLNOLAN]

Big money, HaHa,HarHar,cough,spit. I was making a whopping $ 1.25 an hour as an electricians helper. I also worked weekends at an auto parts store($1.00 an hour). When I figured out I was gonna have to part out the Fairlane to get some of my money back out of it, I bought a '58 Chevy pick up with a 6 cylinder, ran good but used alot of oil, it was a nice custom cab with the chrome front end and bumpers and big back window. It was pretty rusty though. I think I gave $150 for it. It looked like this but no mags, just painted rims;

http://image.customclassictrucks.com...ache+front.jpg

I stumbled on a '70 Dodge Challenger R/T, 340 with a 4 speed that was smoking and missing real bad, also a bad clutch. Seems like I gave $700 for it cause the body and interior was real nice. Paid for it with cash made off the Fairlane parts. It was an ugly green but shiney. Overhauled the engine/clutch cheap because I got my parts at cost. Sold the truck for the same thing I paid for it. Challenger was identical to this one except mine didn't have the rear spoiler;

http://www.baycityautocompany.com/si...20RT%20(14)%20[Website].JPG

Actually most of what I made at the auto parts store just paid my parts bill, back in the day. HaHa

[cmc-10]

Hello everyone.
First car (truck actually)in 1989 was an 81 Toyota pick-up that was t-boned by a 75 Monte Carlo running around 45 mph. Given to me at the age of 15 by my parents. They bought it for 250.00. My dad and I repaired the body, and painted it Toyota super -white. It glowed in the dark! Lowered it, customized it all, and sold it before I was 16. Bought an S-10 with the money, customized it, and traded a good friend for a 76 Pro Street Ford pickup. It had a 390 police interceptor block bored to 428, 780 double-pumper holley on a high rise dominator intake, modified c-6 tranny, dana 60 rearend narrowed to handle 15 in wide rears (Centerlines, Kelly supercharger tires) and 6 in centerlines up front. The front crossmember was 1 1/2 inches from the ground. Had wheelie bars out back. I loved that truck (even though I am not a Ford fan). Spanked MANY 80's Mustangs with it, just to put them in check!Sold that truck because my ex-fiance was scared I would kill myself in it, about a month before she and my best friend got together, but, I still miss the truck more! Bought an 87 Nissan hardbody, customized it and traded for a convertible 87 Nissan hardbodyRedid that whole truck, &sold it to a friend. Had several trucks, vans, 2 cars, (wifes Altima is an ugly gold-ish color, but still runs like new)since then, but, now, I have a 92 Nissan extended cab hardbody ( going to my 15 yr old son) that I rebuilt, ported and polished heads, intake, exhaust manifolds, intake plenum, intake, with a Centerforce stage 2 clutch assy, 3 inch drop spindles, and custom interior. Shaving the tailgate right now, as well as a few things. Great father-son project. Having a blast teaching him some of what my dad taught me. "My truck" is an 82 c-10 sb, air bagged, shaved everything, richard childress blt. 305 with nascar headers and pipes (I am gonna slip the flowmasters between the 2 for street use), 700r4 trans, I am building from the ground up. My 9 yr old daughter thinks she is getting that one, but, um, no. Worked at a bowling alley as a teen, then landscaping, metal fabrication, now, service tech. Gas back then, .75 cents a gallon. Could only run 93 or higher octane (Amoco Gold) in the pro street ford. Basically worked to fill the tank,buy smokes, and play pool.

[beertracker]

First year of college I had a 73 Firebird with 350 engine. Later I added a Edelbrock manifold and Holley carburetor and took it for a test drive. It had a lot more response than the two barrel Rochester. So I floored it and hit 90 mph in no time. As I entered a curve I let off the accelerator and the throttle stuck open. I quickly shut the ignition off and lost power steering but I coasted & braked down to a safe speed. Steering was a little difficult but I survived. When I got home I put a double return spring on the throttle. It's amazing I survived my earlier years.

BT

[Prof. T. Soggmeyer]

I learned to drive in a 53 willys p/u that had no brakes and a built 350 on a dairy farm. After being shown how to do a power slide a few times it was my turn to do it. Failure to achieve meant ending up in a giant scrap pile (a dirt road), well I pulled it off and survived!

[dogwater]

65 Chevy ll, 4 dr, 283 2bbl, powerglide, bench seat with cracking peeling blue vinyl heated by the Texas sun.And no a/c.The only good thing was the FM stereo I put in it.Every one had 8 tracks but I had to be different. Then I sold it to a Co worker thinking it was on its last legs and she drove it another 5yrs. Now that I'm remembering that car one of the things I hated about it was vinyl against bear skin.But I had alot fun in it.

[garrell.770]

Sorry guys. I have been kinda tied up and then I got locked out of the forum,
forget the ....... password, then used up my five tries twice and had to waite thirty minures. The entire time the caps was locked on!!! Some more interesting rides and stories.

Garrell

[Blkbrd77]

I had a 1979 red trans am ttop 403 olds th350 trans used to sneak it out when the old man went to work being 15 what did I know no license just permit no plates and no insurance the only good thing about this set up living in Chicago it had a bad flat in the cam so stomping on it was no good then it had a bad alternator so it was only good for short trips to school and back the bad the cops would pull me over (pushing the car ) and would ask me for a license don't have one. Plates. construction paper in the window with numbers on it. These cops would look at me and say where are you pushing to? Home . How did you get it here ? I pushed it they laughed and left by that time the battery would be charged at home brought to the car started it and drove home that car saved me from a whole lot of gang banging trouble I never fit in being a gear head

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by Blkbrd77

I had a 1979 red trans am ttop 403 olds th350 trans used to sneak it out when the old man went to work being 15 what did I know no license just permit no plates and no insurance the only good thing about this set up living in Chicago it had a bad flat in the cam so stomping on it was no good then it had a bad alternator so it was only good for short trips to school and back the bad the cops would pull me over (pushing the car ) and would ask me for a license don't have one. Plates. construction paper in the window with numbers on it. These cops would look at me and say where are you pushing to? Home . How did you get it here ? I pushed it they laughed and left by that time the battery would be charged at home brought to the car started it and drove home that car saved me from a whole lot of gang banging trouble I never fit in being a gear head

Good story on several levels... welcome aboard, fellow gear head!

[garrell.770]

BlkBrd, you failed to mention the great gas mileage!

Garrell

[DoubleVision]

My ride in high school was the cheese wagon. I wasn't in high school long though. Later on I went to tech college, and the former family car was thrown my way which was a 1979 Chevy Malibu 2 door. It was two tone green, and not exactly what you'd call a great looking green either.
Anyway, it had a 305 in it that we replaced the heads on and the timing chain on when the mileage got up and that did alot to help power. I really couldn't hot rod it as at the time I was just a broke kid going to tech college.
Some years later I was still driving it, and I noticed it was running hot but the light wasn't coming on. I couldn't figure out why it kept running hot as it never had before. In time all the antifreeze was gone and it had straight water. We had a real hard 3 day freeze and it cracked the block. It was my fathers car and not mine so he gave it to my brother in law who sold it.
It wasn't until after it was gone I found out why it kept running hot, my older brother had removed the air dam from underneth the front end and used it to build a rear spoiler. I wish I knew where it was now, I'd do anything to have that car back.

[garrell.770]

Good story, Do you guys never sleep, yawn.

Garrell

[garrell.770]

Mother was admitted to hospital last night with a heart attack and congested lungs. Say a prayer or think good thought whichever is your belief. This thread has been a blast to follow, so many different stories, thanks.

Garrell