[big2bird]

How about some old stories? I still tease my old friend Jim at HS reunions about this.
My frist experience at restoring cars was at age 16. I'm 53 now. But my first "muscle car" adventures began with Mustangs. Randy, Jim, and I were all car nuts in HS. Jim had a 64 convert 289 his parents bought new. He also had a 69 we rebuilt in HS. We built a 302 for the 69 with Cobra cast iron headers, Isky cam(POS), and numorous other goodies. Jim sold the 289 from the 69 for $50 to some guys that put it in a Maverick. THAT car was fuggin fast as hell. Power to weight was great. Jim regretted selling that engine.
Jim then set out to replace the water pump in the 64, and broke off a stud. He called Villa Ford, and said "Give me $200 and tow it off." They did.
I still like to tease him about that. He still lives in Brea, and restores Mach 1's as a hobby.

Let's hear some more stories.

You wouldn't believe the ones that got away. Next up. My '58 step side Chevy pick up with side mount spare my dad sold out from under me for $200.
I got it for free from a doctor I wrenched on his Austin Healy 3000.
Anyways, dad says get rid of it. So, he sold it to a buddy at work that needed wheels for his son. 1 month later I come home from school, and dad is mad as hell. He says,"What did you do?" While stalling and wondering WTF he knows about now, he says "The Irvine Company wants $2,000 for a damaged fence in Irvine Lake. They said you damaged it and left the vehicle" After a few moments, I ask the date. He then realizes the truck he made me sell was still registered to me, and the date is AFTER I gave it to dad. Ever see your dad mad as hell, but apologize? I'll never forget. The insuing phone call to his friend was "precious."

[Vettezuki]

I'm 34 and didn't get into cars really until I was in my late 20s, so a real noob really. But there are a couple things that stand out to me now.

MY YUTE
My mom at one point had a 1951 Willis Overland. It was the total Mr. Magoo car. Except for one detail. It had a 327 Corvette engine in it. The transmission was total crap and didn't work so well. But every once in a while, it'd "hook". One time my mom was at a stop light in said Mr. Magoomobile and some kids in a VW pulled up, obviously laughing and making fun. My mom has a serious Viking streak that emerges from time to time. She nailed it at the light, and everything worked. The VW just stood there disappearing like the engine had shut off. Sadly, she got rid of it (for like $1,500, think of what that engine might be worth now), mostly because she was a afraid my brother (Death Cult Aaronmageddon) and I might throw each other out going down the road. Plus it needed a lot of work to be nice; but still fond strange memories.

At one point at about age 16, before I had the Jeep, my grandpa gave my parents a 1969 Chrysler Newport from a lady that had lived in their neighborhood. She was the original owner. It was in pristine, complete original condition. Talk about a pimp mobile. I remember comfortably sleeping in the back of that car. But that's a different story. Sadly, it had one small problem, a slipping transmission and my parents got rid of it for almost nothing as I recall.

These would both be pretty cool cars to have around now.


NOW
I have my LSx Swapped 82' Vette with lots of upgraded bits. I started with a fully functional running car that I paid like $12,900 for at the time and drove a couple years before the swap. If I knew I was going to do swap, I would have started with a lesser Vette, since so much was going to be replaced. I would have also used a donor F-Body. I probably have $30k~ into my Vette total. Doing it this way, I probably could have gotten to the same basic level for more like $20k~, and probably less time. But you have to have a place to store not one but two vehicles you're working on and have the time to sell off unused bits from the donor.

[BRUTAL64]

Damn so many.

Here's some--not all.

66 Shelby GT 350
1950 Ford Truck with a Nascar 427 Ford engine
1966 Fairlane GT 390 ci
1966 Mustang
1970 Mustang Grabber
1970 Chevelle SS 396 350 hp with 4 speed and Cowl hood-all factory
1967 Cougar XR7
1970 Nova SS
1964 Fairlane Hipo 289
1970 Tempest coverting to GTO
1972 Firebird Formula
1977 F/B TRAN AM SE
1970 Z28
1979 Z28
1976 Vette

These are a few of what got away.

[big_G]

I bought a 1968 SS Camaro in 1973. It had a 427/Muncie/12 bolt rear. Original green metallic paint with rally fender stripe. Engine code was IP (427/425) . Big rectangular port heads, solid lifter cam. Paid $1,500 for it, sold it a year later for $1,475. I am now 90% sure it was a COPO Camaro...today worth >$100K. WTF, I was 18.

[Vettezuki]

Originally Posted by BRUTAL64

Damn so many.

Here's some--not all.

. . .

Well if it makes you feel better, I just saw a 66' Shelby GT 350 go at auction for $135k, and the owner was pretty disappointed with the low price. Wait, that probably doesn't make you feel better.

That car though is possibly my single favorite Ford car ever.

[BRUTAL64]

Originally Posted by Vettezuki

Well if it makes you feel better, I just saw a 66' Shelby GT 350 go at auction for $135k, and the owner was pretty disappointed with the low price. Wait, that probably doesn't make you feel better.

That car though is possibly my single favorite Ford car ever.

Yea, I sold it for 7,900 dollars in 80. I then split it with an Ex-girlfriend (Her husband was a Orange Cop--suspened for police brutality).

Yes, a real smart thing I did selling it. That was a GREAT driving vehicle. I liked driving it better than the Vette. The Vette was faster though.

[big2bird]

Right after HS, I worked in a Chevron. The head mechanic raced bracket 1 at OCIR and Irwindale. He took me under his wing and let me tow/pit/crew for him. He raced a 34 Dodge coupe with a 502 Hemi/dual crossram manifold. We rigged up electric pumps and fans before anybody else using boat bilge pumps. Quite a mess but effective. No belts. We had a huge marine battery over the rear axle for traction, and after charging all week, would last all day. No alt.
Danny also had a 64 Linclon with suicide doors and REAL mags for a tow car. He also had a 64 Vette Vert he offered me for $3,000. Dad said no, and that was that.
I later saw the Dodge Coupe at his uncles car lot. (Chapman and Citrus)I almost bought it and should have. It was a killer machine, but the engine was gone.
I also saw an Amphicar at one of those old Harbor Blvd car lots down in Santa Ana. I almost had Dad talked into it for $500.00.

[kdracer73]

When I was in my early teens I went to a car show/autocross event with my Dad. In the pit area was a couple of Datsun Fairlady Roadsters. One was stock and the other was set up for the track. My Dad took several pics of these two cars. I fell in love with those pics for some reason.
Fast forward 8 or 10 years.... I am working with a guy at a shop in Mission Viejo. He has one sitting in his driveway, 4 flat tires, baby blue oxidized paint in Lake Elsinore. I bugged him every week about car. I really did not think I could buy it. 22 year old father with a 1 year old and a stay at home wife.
The co-worker comes to me one day and tells me I can have it for $500. I told him I did not have $500 The next day I get a call from my wife. he dropped the car of at my apartment . When I saw him he told me he wanted me to make payments , as much as I could spare from my check each week. I was amazed the car ran !!!! I drove that car over the Ortega hwy to work for 2 years. Man, what a ride, 1600cc ,dual side draft carbs and a 4 speed manual. Coming home one night I was going to pass a Dodge Caravan on the next straight so I started speeding up, then changed my mind.
At the end of the straight was a left hand corner. I saw his brake lights come on as he went round the bend. I guessed he was slowing for the corner. WRONG someone coming the other way was trying to pass on a short run. Caravan guy sees 4 headlights and slams the brakes hard. His week old Caravan with ABS stopped on a dime. My 70 Datsun....not so much Plowed the back of his van hard.......I miss that car:

I saw a nice one Sat morning at Cars and Coffee in Irvine....It took me back a little.

[TimAT]

MY Dad was an Insurance Agent. I had a 64 Ford Falcon 170 6 cylinder and a 4 speed. Would not fall out of a tree in a high wind. He found a 67 Chevelle SS that had been repo'd. Took me to look at it- the 396 was gone, it had a 327 in it that had frozen and split the lifter galley, ( that happens here when you don't use antifreeze in the winter- not something you south Cali guys are too familiar with). Dropped another 327 in there, got it running drove that for 6 months and decided it was time for a rebuild. He was out of town so I stuffed a 70 Z-28 solid cam in the thing. He figured out I'd done something when I smoked his 442 Olds (455). He asked, I told him, and got to tear it down and put a little sissy hydraulic cam back in there. He was PISSED! And then smoked that 442 again. Turns out the PO of that Chevelle had stuck 4:11's in the diffy. Traded that in on a 73 Z-28- got $500 on the trade for it. The Camaro rusted away- you could get in the back seat and never open a door. Dad passed in 73, I put the GM 140 cam in the Camaro and never looked back. I've still got that 350 from the Camaro- one day I'll find it a home.