[importsmasher]

I have shared my 66 GTO convertible story several times on this site....short version...my parents bought it new, I wanted it when I was in kindergarten, bought it when I was 16, and still have it. I have the original window sticker, Protect-O-Plate, and pictures of the car the day they bought it.

My 73 Firebird Formula was inherited from my uncle. He traded a 73 Ventura (with a Buick 350 in it) straight across for it in the mid 80s (85-86). It was his daily driver through college. He was gathering parts to restore it when he passed in 1995.

I also had a 62 LeMans I picked up in 1997. It had sat in someone's back yard since 1970, because they thought the block was cracked (it was the aluminum 215 V8). The husband died in 97, and the wife was preparing to sell the house, so she had it pulled out to the front yard, which is when I saw it. I asked if it was for sale, and she said she was waiting for a junkyard to come get it. I offered to match the yard's offer of $100, and she accepted. I bought it planning to part it out, but decided to try getting it running (it had 74,000 miles on it). I cleaned the carb, changed the oil, and lubed the cylinders, and it fired right up, even on 27 year old gas (the smell had me choking in the garage after a few seconds). Then I added water to the radiator, and it started leaking from the side of the block. I thought, "ok, that's what they meant about the block being cracked." I climbed under, and it was leaking from two of the freeze plugs. I changed the freeze plugs and the problem was fixed! I replaced the radiator that had rotted out, and hit the road. I put 90,000 miles on that car before I sold it when we moved to Utah. My understanding is that it went to England. One of only a few cars that I miss.....

Importsmasher