Larry P

I am getting my second knee replacement surgery and will be laid up for awhile.
It's the second knee, so, I don't need ANY comments on that.
I need interesting posts to read while recovering..
I want you to state your proudest moments in your automotive past.
Most of you won't just come out and brag, so,
I am asking you to tell us your proudest moment.
Just answer my question, what are you most proud of?
I will start with mine.
Runner up in Top Stock, AHRA Nationals, drag racing.
Beat by a stock, big block, 67 Corvette.
I guess I will allow TWO moments, because I need to include that
I am proud that I did the complete restore labor on my 1960 except
paint and tops.
Larry P

warrenmj

I'll chime in. In 1993, I bought my first Vette, a '75 in dire need of paint. With no experience, but with a good friend that put himself through college painting cars giving me advice and loaning me tools, I stripped the paint, primed it and painted it. One of my neighbors saw me working on it in my driveway and came down and started helping me strip it down. We were both in the USAF at the time and moved to different places over the years, but kept in touch. I retired as a SMSgt and he retired as a Major General, but we are best friends.

66jack

Is that an SR-71...my brother guarded them at Beale AFB back in the 70's...

warrenmj

Yes it is. It is on permanent display at the Lackland AFB parade ground in San Antonio, Tx.

mmaturo

Well for my first post on these forums I will say it has changed over time. As a teenager it was working on my first car from light body work dealing with rust and doing trim to perfect detailing and light engine work doing head gaskets and rebuilding the carb and working on anything attached to the engine. I got the car as perfect as I could that it did look new as a 12 year old Buick. 10-15 years ago it was doing track days and before that auto-x that I won my class every event for two years. In a slower car. Best track day was lap after lap at Blackhawk Farms in a lower hp and not as well set up Audi chasing an E30 M3 way back when and finally taking him, by out driving him. Corner workers noticed and waved/gave me thumbs up.

Since then I have much much faster cars so it is challenging myself to be a better driver while working through traffic on track days at places like Sebring, Daytona and COTA that I really enjoy driving historic and world class tracks often with great friends from the car clubs.

Now up to today I own two classic cars along with the modern fast sports cars...both rather restored condition (solid 2s) of a 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, and my 1960 Vette that looks original inside and out but has a more modern crate motor in it with a fantastic exhaust. What I am most proud of today is driving these cars and people seeing them and getting excited about them both young and old. Older folks with the memories and young kids with the WOW what is THAT. It is the kids I am proudest of being able to show them and talk to them about the cars. I enjoy the kids and their excitement. I want people to see these works of art that people used to own and drive vs the appliances we have today and for the kids to realize cars like these exist and they do not have to just drive blobs and should strive for better design.

Larry P

WELCOME!
Glad to be the very first post that you replied to!
Probably a first for me.
Welcome and I hope you enjoy the forum as much as I have.
Larry P

zachaeous

The proudest moment in my auto hobby occurred in mid year 1968. I spotted a 1963 Corvette Roadster at a local Chevrolet dealers used car lot. I had the Corvette bug since watching Route 66 for its entire run.

I was going to College and working 2nd shift at a Coal Mine in Southern Illinois at the time. I stopped at the Dealership one day on the way to work and looked at the Corvette. The Salesman came out to show me the Corvette. He could not get it to start at that time. I looked it over and saw that it was going to need a lot of work to make it a presentable car once again.

They were asking $950.00 Dollars for it. I offered them $800.00 and two days later the owner called and said he would take my offer only if I took the car as is. I agreed and went over to make the deal and do a little trouble shooting as to why the engine would not start.

I found that the car was not getting any power to the coil from the ignition switch. I went to the Auto Supply and got a new ignition switch and went and installed it. I started the car and drove my new used 1963 Roadster home for $800.00 dollars. (Would love to do that today LOL.) The interior was not to bad at all and did not have to do much but clean it up.

I took the car to my Mom and Dads house and pulled the motor and Transmission out and put in the trunk and back seat of my old 1954 Chevrolet work car. I then went to work and that night after my shift I steamed cleaned the motor and transmission.

I then proceeded to slowly bring her back to life. I rebuilt the motor and checked the 4 speed transmission. I did some body work and repaired some cracks on the body and repainted the car. It was not perfect but I was proud of her.

It took me over a year to do all this work. I enjoyed every minute of it.
I drove this car for a year and a half after that as my daily driver to work.

I was drafted into the United States Army in January of 1971. Took the Corvette to my Grandmas house and stored it in her garage while I was in the Army.

As life has it I ended up selling the Corvette when I got a chance to take my wife with me to my first military assignment at Fort Hood, Texas.

I regretted selling it many times over the years. Family has to come first over toys in my opinion.

This started my Corvette life and I will never forget the experience. I have owned and or restored eleven Corvettes since then. Below are some pics of a few of them. Sadly over the years I lost the pictures of this particular Corvette.




Before and after on the 59 and a 68





1959 and 1968 before and after pics

The 1959 was my favorite and will always be. Hope you enjoy my story and heal up soon. Jerry

TCracingCA

Proudest, but not quite auto!

i road a wheelie on one of my crotch rockets onto and over the entire span of the Coronado Bay Bridge and didn't kill myself!

But Corvette related hard to say- maybe lapping Riverside Raceway at race speed in my own car!

mmaturo

Thank you! This is my first Corvette and someone on another car forum told me about this one (I also own/owned a pile of Audi's) and I certainly know how good of a resource and a place to start meeting others these forums can really be. I bought my 60 out of the blue back in January at Mecum in FL. I have been passively looking for a 63 split window coupe for a few years and I have been learning more what to look for and tell if a car is generally good or not so after sitting through several auctions and watching cars go by after looking them over and watching people that know what they are doing look at them, I could tell I was starting to get the hang of a good read on C2s...then my wife and I walked by the 60. She surprisingly had a strong reaction to it. It was white on white, red interior and looked pretty good but had a hardcover on it that was not restored and looked like crap, so I though many people would pass it by for the perfect C1 vettes which there was a huge number of. But I saw enough to draw my eye and then sat in it. I never thought I fit well in C1s since I am 6'-2" and a bit stocky/round ish, big shoulders etc. But I fit ok. It had the smaller diameter wheel in it already and the seat was worn enough that I sank in just right. Had the Mechum guys start it and that was eye opening. Anyway got it at a great/fair price with most things already done on the car but since I have had it I went to town on the interior metal work/switches and little pieces missing, and in trunk as well, plus did a wrap rather than paint to do red coves (yes I know 60s should not have red coves but it looks too good). The wrap allows me to switch it out inexpensively if I want or go back to white/white or try white/silver. Turns out I have gotten to know the last owner and he is bigger than I am. We are a lot alike on our car thoughts just he is 20 years older and was time to pass his car on to the next generation (he bought a C7 with the proceeds off the C1). I will take care of it till I pass it on.

-Mark

Frankie the Fink

My wife likes the '61 more than the '63 split window - part of it is the convertible "thing"...she has no clue how primitive the C1s are or what it takes to maintain them...

I sold the '61 and I guess I'll have to find a convertible "something" now for cruising about...

Larry P

My dad's family were coal minors in Sessor 1906 to the 50's.
Larry

sub006

TWO 1960 classics? Which one gets the Nixon sticker and which one the Kennedy?

Old mastermind Joseph P. Kennedy used Chrysler Imperials for decades, maybe swap the Caqdy for a Mopar?

R66

Made it back to the world from across the pond in 1970. My 15 month old son I hadn't seen in 12 months, met me yelling Daddy when I got off of the plane.
Bought a 1971 Vega for a family car. Paid it off in 73 and dumped the 283 with a muncie in it from my 64 El Camino. Off to the strip we go.

A few years later, the wife got tired of watching, so I pulled the then 350 and muncie out of the Vega and stuffed it in her 67 Camaro. Stuffed a full race 302 with a Nash 5 speed in the Vega.

In southern Ohio on Mother's Day, we both won our ET class. She challenged me to a grudge race. She brought home both trophies, but allowed me to keep my tail high, although our kids talked about the 11 guys she put on the trailer and then me too for months.

"We" restored two 68 Camaro convertibles that we still have.
Then when I quite bidding on R66 Roadster, she upped it $2K.

We had over a dozen classics 55 thru 69. But my most prized one is the one I married in 68, even though she gets out of hand on her broom once in a while.
What is a classic car without your best classic friend in the passenger's seat.