I was just posting a reply in a paint thread I started. And I couldn't help remembering my reason for liking Vette's and becoming a backyard mechanic.
It was the year 1976. Ah, yes the 200th birthday of our country, and almost as important....I was a freshman in High School this year. When it came to 6th period and I entered a rougher section of the school and opened this big steel grey door....Nirvana
We sat in this little 10'x10' section of the 6 billion (ok, maybe 8 stall) garage/building...but it seemed like 6 billion to me. the 16 of us sat in those goofy *** chairs of the 70's and in walks this 6'4" dark haired big bushy mustache guy that just utterd out.."Mornin." MR. Sirma. My hero. My older broter was always tinkering on his Camaro and I tried to get him to let me help...but no go. So I was coming into "Auto Shop" as it was called at my H.S. (Ludington High School, Ludington, Michigan) bright eyed and a big sponge.
As soon as we got done with the preliminary talk of safety in the shop, we started our tour of the garage. And there it was. A Corvette!!! I honestly don't recall what year it was, but I do remember it was a C2. Come to find out that week, Sirma (he insisted we call him that, and leave out the sir part) I found out that he had 4 Vette's. As time passed and my Sopmore year was half way through. Sirma announced that he will be pick his "Two Assistants" from the 14 of us, at the end of this marking period. They will be his asst. for the Junior and Senior years. Better yet....his assistants were the only "kids" he let help him work on his Vette's. We did all the teachers cars. And if one of us had a problem with our ride, we'd pull it in, pick a few guys and get the job done.
Long story (I know...it already is a short Novel here) short, I became one of the two assistants and helped "Mike" as Denny (the other asst.) and I called him by the end of our Senior year, do a lot of Engine work on those Vette's. He never did any body work at the school, maybe due to the chemicals, fumes, etc. But I fell in love with the Corvette, then and there.
I had some life and career changes early in my Life, due to bad woman, and job choices. And I have even had to declare the big "B" in my late 20's because of some poor stock market and investment choices. But at 47, I finall have all I have ever wanted. Really! A wonderful Wife, 4 kids, a nice house in the Twp./Burbs, and a 3rd car...A Vette! Bought and paid for.
But if it wasn't for Mr. Mike Sirma pushing me back in my Sophmore year to go for the Asst. job (I was a pretty good kiss *** ) I might not have ever had a dream all these years to "Get a Vette." I know folks on here have 2 or 3 Vettes...maybe more. Or have had a whole bunch of them over their life span. But for me...this is a completion to a dream I have had for 30 years. The End

 

my dad had his 69 vette sitting in a garage for 20 or so years, hadnt seen the road or ran in just as long. about hte time i turned 17 i said, "you know, that cars pretty bad ***. i want it." he basically tosses me the keys and says lets go get it running.

we had it running by the time i graduated the following year, and it became my graduation gift.

ive been rebuilding it bit by bit over the last 4 years over the winters and springs, while driving it in the summer.

as of last year, it ran better then my dad ever had it running. and in a few weeks, the rear suspension will be done and should handle better then it ever has also.

next year? ill fix what ever i break this year, and then find a new project to tackle.

 

I was delivering furniture as a part time job to help pay for college. I delivered some furniture to a residence... and they had an anniversary model sitting in the driveway. The thing I distinctly remember was the back windshield... the defrost "stripes".... man that was just too cool. Never forgot that.

 

i really dont remember but i think i saw one driving down the road and just had to get one. at this time i was 14 and every sunday i looked in the newspaper. i knew it had to be any year between 68-82. well 2 days before my 15 birthday i found a two tone 81. the guy wanted 5500 so we went down looked and drove it and left with the car paying 4000 Next thing i know im buying another corvette 3 years later.




if your not buying a corvette, your wasting your money

 

When I was a kid, my uncle bought a wrecked '74 convertible that was a pale yellow color with tan interior. I remember sitting in it thinking how cool it was, even though it was smashed up. After a couple of years, my uncle had fixed it up and had it looking like it was in showroom condition with a candy apple red paintjob. He sold it shortly after. I've wanted a C3 ever since.

 

Think it was 73 or 74 and saw a 66 listed for $4500.Paid $4000 and brought it home.Boy the girls liked that car.

 

That is a great picture!. Brings back memories of the good old days. Is that a Pinto behind the Vette, or maybe a Maverick.

 

Late 70's in high school, A mechanic friend of mine, let me and a bud drive a black midyear through the Pizza Hut parking lot on a Saturday night. That's where all the cool rides hung out.
I've been hooked ever since.
Bryan

 

1976 bought a 69 Chevelle...fixed it loved it still have it! 2 guys I used to hang around with bought 73 corvettes at the same time...one guy was hopeless at repairs the other guy not bad I used to fix their cars...finally about 3 years ago I finally bought mine

 

Sophmore in high school in 1984. I ended up making a new best friend that year who was the responsible type and his parents were well off. Turns out we spent the next 3 summers cruising mom and dad's '71 BB Vert.

Ontario orange, saddle int., 4spd, and white top. Had about 60K miles on it back then. We put a few on it in those 3 years...hehe. His mom and dad still have it. It's in storage and hasn't been out in quite awhile. Won't sell it but don't have the interest to run it either.

Anyhow, thats how I got bitten. Also how it turned out my favorite color for a car is orange....

 

I miss the 70's....BAD! My Wife (she's an 80's girl....12 years my junior) were talking last night on how things seem to be going back to the 70's. I saw a teenage girl the other day at a gas station with some pretty far out clothes on. Swore I was looking back in time. Seems like the thing to do these days in the Music biz is to take a 70's song and redo it.
DW....is that you inthat Vette? Look like my older Brother Robert back in 73. Same hair, and never had his shirt on. What is that creature on the rear deck of the Vette I would love to have a '66. Maybe if all the planets are in alingment and there is some sort of Devine intervention....I can find a '66, or '67 for my next project.

 

Thats a Pinto and that part of the car you see in the pic is the best part of the car.

 

No thats my mom,my hair was little longer. That fur ball was the family pet named after Pepe La Pue.There wernt very many pictures taken back then without Pepe in them.If you want I can dig up my pics of me in my cap and gown holding you know who!!!
EDIT-My girlfriend says I'm nuts...she says that is me not my mom.Not sure now.

 

at eight years old cruisin around san antonio one pulled left at a light.. man did i love that *** end!!!! that was the first car i ever asked what it was, 69 if i member correctly. from that very moment ive wanted to know everything i can about cars! how i became a nurse instead of a mechanic, i have no idea... that was in... 93?

 

my dad had a 74 since i was in 5th grade...sold it when i started college.... he still regrets it.... i would like to get him a vette one day....

b

 

I lived in a small town (about 2,000 people) in farm country. No one, and I mean no one had a Corvette. The only place you saw one was at the very beginning of Bonanza.

In July 1967 I was in the back seat of the family Oldsmobile with my father driving and my mother riding shotgun, as we turned the final corner before the church parking lot there sat a 1967 Marlboro Maroon (with black stinger) Corvette coupe with sidepipes. I threw myself forward into the rear of the front seat and said, "Holy $hit!." Trust me when I tell you that those are not the words you want your mother hearing when driving to church...

The Vette turned out to be a 427/435 hp - 4 speed and belonged to one of the better off farmers kids who had just graduated high school.

I've been hooked since.

kdlp

 

my father got me into the old car thing by stepping on the gas over a 1/2 mile bridge often when I was young. The vette hunger got me when I was a teenager and a vette club used to go to a bar about a block away from the house I could see the parking lot from the window and every weekend seeing the vettes ans sometimes if some of the guys stayed at the bar late. You can guess they would smoke the hell out of the tires when leaving, watching that week after week gave me the itch

 

in 79 i was 10 and all my buddies older bros had 67-73 camaros or 66-72 chevelles and 1 or 2 had 68-72 vettes and i was always talking to them instead of my buddies as i was a car nut from like age 6!!!
i wanted to know everthing what size motor auto or stick how much hp etc... by the time i was 16 i had a 68 camaro and had done my first engine swap and its been all down hill from there about 30-40 camaro,chevelle,novas later i finally bought my first vette the 68 about 1 yr ago!! So i would say my friends older brothers got me into it but my dad was a big influence as well with 440 six pack cars when i was a kid and a purple 55 chevy farm truck with 50`s on the rear!!

 

In 1968 when I got out of Army I bought a 67 Chevelle with a 396 in it, I did not know much about cars, and the first street race I had was with a Road Runner and got beat bad,that got me started in racing,put a 427 in, and learned everthing I could about cars and drag racing, my brother had a Speed Shop so I got parts cheap, later on I got some good deals on L88 engines and put one in the Chevelle with a tunnel ram and ran in some of the Gasser Wars with a straight axel in 69 and 70. In 1970 the Speed Shop had a Funny Car that they ran so I got some experience with Nitro cars. In 1975 I got married and made a different life but I will always remember how those L88s ran, fast forward to 2006,eight kids and two marriages I had 2 strokes and my left side of my body was messed up, my brother had this 69 Vette he wanted to sell so I bought it from him, thinking it would help me get going. The car needed a lot of work, I think this car my have saved my life because it has given me a new outlook on life, I look forward to working on it and all the sanding has helped my left side, it is not a L88 car but it brings back good memories and it is old school so I can work on it, so now I am 62 years old and a first time Vette owner and proud of it. Thanks for listening---JON--

 

My Dad got me started way back when he took me to the Autorama in N.Y.C.'s Waldorf-Astoria which was a yearly ritual for us and they had on display this awsome, gleaming White "New" car on the turntable with a plastic body that my Dad predicted (wrongly) will never go over big. So I suppose that'd be 1952 or 1953. Been inflicted with the disease ever since,,,,,,,thanks Dad. Peace,,,Moosie