This is a story how them Pontiac's touched my life.
Guys, I've always been a car nut. On my wall I have a picture of me at age 2 standing next to our family car in '58. It's a '50 Cheifton str8-8. My dad tells me it was a 400 dollar car and drove like a dream with the best sounding radio he has ever heard.
But, after that my dad started his job at the Chevy engine plant and we always had Chebbies!!!
In '68, now more of a car nut than I ever was, I have a vivid memory of this:
My best friends brother returned home from his tour in Viet-nam with his arm in a sling. He came out to the garage while we were sitting on our bikes in the driveway, and rolled up the garage door. Backed into the right side was a brand spankin' new '68 GTO! green, with a black top. Red striped tires. How cool was this for a 12yr old!! I was in awe!
Now a little FF to '74. I enterd the military. I've never owned a car yet. My good friend I met in boot camp always talked about his Firebird back home. He and I got the same training base after that so he brought his car down. It was a brand new '74 Formula 400
4sp. We tooled around all over in that car! What a blast!
Through him, I met another Pontiac guy (Mike) at the same base. He had a '70 T/A RAIII. Him and I got to be great fiends. All he talked about was Pontiacs!!
He really knew his stuff. Him and I went onto our final military base together, and the Formula guy went off to be stationed near home.
Mike and i spent the next 2-1/2yrs in OK, and having the time of our lives. He went back to his home in Joplin often. He would sometimes bring his father's car back with him. A '69 Judge!! 155,000 highway miles on it. Original everything, too!
Mike even brought back his brother's car once. A '64 GTO 389 tri-pwr. He rebuilt the motor for it while it was on base.
Needless to say, this guy had a big impression on me. All I drove were your typical run of the mill chevys. I hadn't caught the Pontiac bug yet.
It wasn't till 1998 that I saw the muscle car market making a comeback, and for investment purposes thought I'd better snatch one up.
Thanks to the internet, found one. Thought about my old buddy Mike and what better choice but a GTO.
Still have my '70, and never met a better bunch to be in the brotherhood with.
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