WARNING: This post contains a story known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
I just want things checked off my long list that remain unfinished. The summertime, when it’s hot and humid out is when I typically fall behind - I can’t function in the heat anymore.
I’m tempted everyday to jump on my bike and take off for parts unknown - feeling like Jack Kerouac! But I’m not nearly at a sufficient range of motion to feel safe holding up a 650 lb bike.
And, I say “
And”
I’m feeling after all that I’ve
had and
done, I’ve never satisfied my one obsession I had as a teenager (of 16/17). Back then I was absolutely and certifiably crazy over a couple cars I wanted so badly but couldn’t obtain. And by the time it seemed I had the money in my early 20s . . . . Getting just one of those cars just wasn’t important anymore.
Back then my world was cars and girls and chasing both was . . .well that’s a long story by itself.
Growing up the older guys had all the cool cars. The crowd of guys I watched with envy was utterly amazing. One guy had a Dark Cherry Red w/White stripes ‘69 Z/28, his buddy had a White with a Black vinyl top and Black interior, 1970 Charger R/T 383 w/trips (sorry, wish I could say it was a 440 w/a six pac
). There was an old man, must have been at least 30, he had a gorgeous Black w/Gold metallic stripes 1967 Chevelle w/ a 396 that I swore just about lifted those front 7” Center Line wheels off the pavement when he was showing off. On the rear edge of his trunk lid he had his car’s name painted “
Dream Weaver” I assume it was the title of that great cruising song in the early ‘70s by Gary Wright.
My older brother had friends with cars they bought with their savings after they came back from VN. I was allowed once to sit in the back seat of Bobby Lee’s Forest Green w/White stripes 1970 454 Chevelle with cowl induction. Man that ride around the block was memorable! I don’t know who this one guy WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.associated with, but his Light Blue 1967 GTO with a Black Vinyl top and Ralley wheels was one on my top 5 favorites. He wanted $2750 for it, it might as well been a million dollars when you don’t have any more than your week’s pay to look forward to. This one guy, Larry Doney, he short a few Sandwiches from his picnic basket. We all knew he was in prison for robbing some 7/11 Stores. He was obsessed with early Big Block, 4 spd Novas. He would wreck one on a get-away and a few days later appear with a Cherry 1970 Nova 396, 4 speed w/ his signature Black, high back bucket seats - all black interior, Black paint and a Black vinyl top. We never saw any girl with him, he looked like an uglier version of Charles Bronson and always had a rag in his hand wiping any dust from his hood and another rag draped out his back pocket. But the one car I drooled over was a Lemans Blue, 1968 Camaro SS with White Z/28 stripes and non-functional chrome six pack grills on the hood. It wasn’t the fastest, it certainly wasn’t any contender for speed like the others I remember, it was a stock 327, 4 speed with Black interior and Corvette Ralley wheels. I just didn’t want that car,
I needed that car! I spotted that car at a Chevy dealer , April 1977. It was the car of a classmate’s older brother. He traded that car in for something, I have no idea what it was. Dealer was Asking $1,650 and it was sooo nice. George Stockburger was the Chevy dealer owner and I wanted to test drive that car. Vision in your mind, I never drove a manual trans car, but that one sunny afternoon I was going to fake it. George took the car with me in he passenger seat off the lot and pulled off the road while we swapped seats. Bucking and stalling a couple times I suggested maybe the car needs a tune up (I wish I could say I saw or even remember seeing his face, he was a saint that day - as far as I was concerned).
I had the money to buy the car, just no money for tax, tags and insurance. I asked my father for help. He didn’t have money back then, growing up I knew he made his pay work to cover costs to make it by in life and maybe $20 - $30 left some paydays to put in the bank. I just wanted a loan, a few hundred bucks, I would work my ass off to pay him back, but he wouldn’t hear it. By the time I had the money that car was gone. That was a lesson that marked a moment when I promised myself I’ll never let something like this ever happen again.
I always wanted that car, it’s only in the past 8 years after facing my own mortality several times that I’ve come back to “needing” that car. Time has slipped by, life gets in the way and all of a sudden now I’m making an effort to get that car or a variation of that car. I will tell you I’m watching a car right now, slightly different but that doesn’t matter. Experts tell me there is only 120 of these cars out of 620 built in the spring of 1967. 15 exist in the configuration I want but maybe just 1 outside of the Heritage Collection I really want. A 1967 Z/28 in Admiral Blue, 302 4 speed with factory headers, Winters Aluminum heads and high rise. Hounds tooth seat covers, deluxe console, fold down rear seat, HD brakes, 3.73 posi and I’m not at all interested in preserving it, I will drive it like I stole it. Let the next guy restore it after I run the hell out of it!
