[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Originally Posted by tinindian68

It’s really hard for me to write this. My dad passed away a few days ago and I don’t think I’ve fully come to grips with it. My dad was the one who even entertained the idea that I get into old cars to start. I remember being 14 and having stacks of Hot Rod, Car Craft, and High Performance Pontiac magazines. My dad was handy, but definitely not a car person or mechanic.

We were taking a ride, just he and I, to visit my grandmother that lived about 45 minutes away. I spotted a 68 Firebird at the back of a small used car lot. This was 1994. The car was pretty rough. I think my dad’s belief in me far outweighed my actual ability to fix this car.

It was $1500. Looking back, and knowing what I know now about cars, it was probably about right, but for me it may as well been $15,000. We finished our trip and came home. The next day, the car was in my driveway. A surprise from my father to me. My mother was less than enthused. My mom was very well aware of my abilities and thought this whole thing was a terrible idea.

That car was the one. The one that started my passion for cars, and especially for Pontiacs. By the time I was ready to drive, I had the Firebird looking pretty good. Lots of body work and paint, interior and a transmission rebuild and it was ready to go. It was my daily for years.

I’ve owned around 50 cars since then but none as special as that car. I still have it. It’s crazy to find such comfort in a thing, but when I sit in that car I can still feel my dad next to me. We had some great times and built some wonderful memories together thanks to that car. His health had been declining for a while now and I know that he’s in a better place now.

One of the last conversations I had with him was about the Firebird. I found a nice original 400 hood for it after looking for almost 20 years. He’s smiled when I told him about it. His eyes lit up when I told him it’s also got a factory hood tach.

Thank you dad, for always being in my corner no matter what, and instilling good old common sense and strong values into me as we worked on this car together.

What a great story! I'm sure your dad is proud of you and don't worry, he's still right there with you. When the weather is nice, you should both go for a drive in the Firebird.

How I got into Pontiacs is because of my mother. But I've loved muscle cars ever since I was a child. I'm only 37 years old, so I'm a millenial - not the typical agegroup associated with this hobby.

It all started when me and my family went up north for a roadtrip as a child since my mother, having grew up in NYC (we lived in and still live in South Florida) was hellbent on us seeing snow. We stopped at a K-Mart in Maryland and I went to the toy section and wanted this snap-together model of a 1974 Plymouth 'Cuda in yellow. My mom bought it for me and it kept me entertained the rest of the road trip. This ushered in a year of so of obsessing over muscle cars, going to car shows, and collecting more models. Eventually I fell out of it, and after years of moving onto other obsessions, I eventually reached driving age.

Fast forward to 2006 and I'm looking around for a first car. I had no idea the values for classic cars skyrocketed the way they did, and I wanted a 'Cuda. Obviously that dream fell to the wayside, but then my mother turned me onto Trans Ams when she told me stories about the two she owned when she was in her 20's working as a nurse in Staten Island.

She had a 1975 and 1976, both Sterling Silver w/ black interior, automatics. The 1975, she accidentally ran right into the Staten Island river shoreline as she flew down the highway. The force of the impact was so great, the wall of water literally caused the car to just rebound and float right back on land. However, the engine flooded. She was able to start it and nurse it back home - she opened all the doors, it was a sunny week and she just kept it outside with the doors and windows open and it dried out. She traded it in the following week for a 1976 after a thorough detail, claiming "she just wanted the new model." The dealer was none the wiser. That's how she ended up with the 1976.

So I started looking up Trans Ams and developed the itch. They became my obsession, and in 2006; 2007; and 2008 they were still relatively affordable. I eventually got a 1978 in 2008 which turned out to be a disaster. I thought after I sold it, I'd never get another classic car but then the passion started to return in 2019 after I sold my 2011 Camaro. The opportunity for my '79 came up, and the rest is history.

Classic cars is a hobby not many of my generation understands. It takes you back to a different time, the smells; the sounds; the styling. Not necessarily a simpler time, or a more progressive time, just a different time. Cars, like music; film; TV; clothes; or fashion; are one of the strongest ways to see the optimism (or pessimism) of a given era, the tone of an era, and that fascinates me. Every decade's overall vibe and presence comes out in the styling of the cars of the time. It's always fascinated me.

I don't plan on ever selling my T/A, so its increased value, while nice to know, is irrelevant to me. I'd rather have it than a Ferrari. My T/A has also taught me a lot about working on cars, since I do all of the repairs and maintenance on it myself. I've done engine work; brake work; pulled the transmission and taken it apart and re-assembled it twice; among plenty of other things. These are invaluable skills that could save me from ever having to blow a ton of money on a new car ever again. You can't own one of these cars and and be a working class average joe without learning to service them yourself, haha.

I would love nothing more than to take my mother for a ride in my '79 so she could get that nostalgia rush, but sadly she is bedbound now due to spinal degeneration. At least she was able to see it when I got it in 2020.

[kingbuzzo]

great story Nuclear and great upgrade from that Camaro as well...

[Ashley P]

As an infant, I probably came home from the hospital in dad's 66 GTO. He got it (brand new) on return from Vietnam, only paying $600 for it because his dad (a WWII vet) paid the remainder of the $2875. It was our family "daily driver". Even though I heard stories of how dad drove when he was young, he drove gently about 99.9% of the time, getting pretty good use of the old LeMans 350 that had replaced the tired 389. He almost always shifted from 1st to 3rd to 4th (to "save 2nd gear"). That 0.1% of the time...WOW, what a rush as he rowed through all 4 gears at WOT!

I bought a 69 GTO when I was in college (about 1996). Gave $5050 for it. Went from a slug 10.5 @ 70 to 9.0 @ 79.8 with only a carb rebuild, HEI, and more and more and more timing. In 1996-97, new cars couldn't compete. It was a blast, until I wrecked it. I put my engine in Dad's car for him to enjoy. Every now and then I'd ask to drive it.

A few years later, Dad was sick. I asked to borrow it. He said "You can have it."

Huh?

"You want it?"

Well, yup.

"You can have it."

Thanks.

That was a tough "thanks" with plenty of "wow, is he nearing the end" thoughts.

I took a girl out that night. We had a good enough time that we went out again. Dad passed on just about 3 weeks after that night. But I've been married to the girl for over 20 years.


That's the long way to answer "my dad".