[dataway]

At 4 am this morning I was down in the shop working on the 68 GTO ... instrument panel is now in, radio most of the electrical from the firewall back.

I hooked up a power supply to the engine harness. So there I was, laying on the new carpet, work being illuminated by the dome light, dash lights on, listening to the original AM radio (recently recapped), through the front and rear speakers.

It was so nice I turned out the shop lights and just sat there on the floor for a while (no front seats installed), looking at the glowing dash lights, listening to the radio. Last time I did that in this very same car was 1980 when I was 22 years old. (bought it when I was 17)

It's starting to feel kind of strange. Exciting, scary, emotional. I have a LOT of history with this car, not mechanical history ... life history, lots of ups and downs in life, and this car was with me the whole time in one way or another. Bought it the very same day I graduated HS in 1976.

Saying it here ... because, there's not a large audience of people in the world that understand what I'm talking about.

[tempest1964]

Very nice! I get it!

[PAUL K]

Cool story, I can relate! I still have my first car that I have owned since 1982.

[lugnutx2]

Certain songs take me back to a time (1980) when I was hanging out with my car buds till 3:00 AM. Jackson Browne "Boulevard", The Kings Switchin to Glide and BTO with Takin care of Business to name a few. Those were my best days and will never return. Great story, Thanks for sharing.

[HoovDaddy]

Cool story. I can relate almost every life event to a car.

[rwfisher]

Your a Lucky man…

[tininjun68]

Originally Posted by dataway

At 4 am this morning I was down in the shop working on the 68 GTO ... instrument panel is now in, radio most of the electrical from the firewall back.

I hooked up a power supply to the engine harness. So there I was, laying on the new carpet, work being illuminated by the dome light, dash lights on, listening to the original AM radio (recently recapped), through the front and rear speakers.

It was so nice I turned out the shop lights and just sat there on the floor for a while (no front seats installed), looking at the glowing dash lights, listening to the radio. Last time I did that in this very same car was 1980 when I was 22 years old. (bought it when I was 17)

It's starting to feel kind of strange. Exciting, scary, emotional. I have a LOT of history with this car, not mechanical history ... life history, lots of ups and downs in life, and this car was with me the whole time in one way or another. Bought it the very same day I graduated HS in 1976.

Saying it here ... because, there's not a large audience of people in the world that understand what I'm talking about.

Completely understand what you're talking about, man. I bought my '68 Goat when I was 16 and will likely never sell it. I swear the interior still has a faint smell of 'Vanillaroma' (air freshener) I hung on the rear view the first week I bought the car. I haven't driven the car in about 25 years but to climb in and look at the dash, feel the foam cushion grip of that Grant Steering Wheel (put the Original Wood Wheel away long time ago) is like a step back in time. Thanks for sharing, it's good motivation for us all to finish our projects! Good luck finishing your '68 up and driving that sucker!

[chuckies76ta]

Originally Posted by dataway

At 4 am this morning I was down in the shop working on the 68 GTO ... instrument panel is now in, radio most of the electrical from the firewall back.

I hooked up a power supply to the engine harness. So there I was, laying on the new carpet, work being illuminated by the dome light, dash lights on, listening to the original AM radio (recently recapped), through the front and rear speakers.

It was so nice I turned out the shop lights and just sat there on the floor for a while (no front seats installed), looking at the glowing dash lights, listening to the radio. Last time I did that in this very same car was 1980 when I was 22 years old. (bought it when I was 17)

It's starting to feel kind of strange. Exciting, scary, emotional. I have a LOT of history with this car, not mechanical history ... life history, lots of ups and downs in life, and this car was with me the whole time in one way or another. Bought it the very same day I graduated HS in 1976.

Saying it here ... because, there's not a large audience of people in the world that understand what I'm talking about.

Wow, Reading this caused an emotion in me to drop a tear..I too graduated out of HS in 1975. Seeing a 73 Trans am parked at the school everyday lite a fire in me to this day is still burning. I said to myself I'm getting one of those cars one day come hell or high water. I bought my 76 Trans am about 15 years ago, restored it and still enjoying it. I'm now 5 months from Retirement. I'll be 65. I defiantly know what your talking about. I still play alot of songs from the 70 era. Where has the time gone.

[mgarblik]

I have two lasting memories that really stick out, both involving Arnie Beswick. At a Super Chevy event in Columbus, OH, Arnie had lost to Dyno Don in the last run Saturday at a 2 day event. Arnie was super competitive and very upset that he had lost this match race. Dyno Don had obviously become much quicker since their last meeting. Arnie has an additional Nitrous kit with him that was not installed. Eric and I loaded up his car and we hauled it to Eric's farm/shop. We spend the entire night until 5-6 AM the following day fabricating brackets and attaching points for another nitrous bottle and plumbing and wiring another system into his car. Arnie was right there with us working through the night. The next morning we were back at National Trails Raceway ready to go. Dyno Don was surprised and not happy when Arnie charged right by him and pulled a several car victory through the lights. Arnie jumped out of his car and danced around it in the shutdown area like a 12 year old kid. It was beautiful.
The second of many all -nighters that comes to mind was at another match race with Arnie. He had badly hurt his engine last run on a Saturday night. We took the engine all the way down to find several melted pistons, aluminum embedded in the cylinder walls, several bent valves, all kinds of damage. Arnie pulled an ancient set of micrometers out of the trailer and began measuring a large pile of mixed, old pistons that were still usable. None were very good. I was tasked with removing aluminum from the cylinders using 60 grit sandpaper, then 80, then 180, finishing with 240. I put used valves in the head and "machined" the seats with lapping compound and an electric drill to hold the stems for hours. We had thrown the old piston rings in the trash but we had a problem. We didn't have enough new ones. Spent an hour sorting through the trash looking for good enough rings to run. About 8:00 AM the next morning after working through the night we had it ready to start. Race was at 1:00 PM. It sounded OK and we crossed our fingers. The car ran a 7.21 @ 193 mph on the match race run and we won!! Arnie had an .007 light and led all the way. I remember not being tired at all that afternoon having no sleep at all. Great memories. Like Dataway, these memories are not all about the car, or the work or no sleep. They are about the man, Arnie Beswick. The most determined, hard working, never say it can't be done, fan focused, person I have ever known. His drive to win, give the fans their money's worth, is beyond most people's understanding. He would do almost anything to make his runs as not to disappoint the race fans.

[bird72]

I had a moment a couple nights ago. Was in garage, in drivers seat fiddling with the little knob on the tach / clock in the 72 Bird. It has full gauges, so the dash is similar to the four 2nd gen TA's I have owned, and the Formula I had. So the cabin "look" is very familiar.

I sat there and realized it was 40 years ago I got my first TA. 4 decades, holy macaroni. And how I was 26 then. Now, four decades older, and through deaths, disease, ex wives, along with the good, kids, events, places, and all the changes in me and everything around me, there is one constant. Pontiacs and birds at many times, have been my tether to sanity in the sea of confusion.

Music is my other comfort, and I joyously collect vinyl and live in a past where digital wasn't even known and everything i play has a memory tied to it.

But Pontiacs are like a half worn, comfortable, old shoe that just feel so good.

[Hesster1977]

Cool story Dataway!
I'm sure there are a number of us out there that can relate where we have owned our car(s) for many years and were just a "kid" when we purchased them.
God bless my Dad back then in '77, he let us park our cars in the garage and his Caddy sat outside. I would wander into the garage back then to just look at my Bandit from time to time.
45 years later, I still do the same damn thing - going into the Man Cave from time to time to pay homage to a beloved car with countless memories.

[Greg Reid]

Good for you dataway! Seems that we're the same age.
I wish I still had my first 68 GTO. I've never really bonded with this one the way I did that one. Lost it due to an engine fire in 1985. I wished I could have kept it, it would have been way less work than this one was!

[Skip Fix]

I get it. Still have my 78 TA I bought new out of college and can take most of it apart without thinking. Now my 64 Impala I am trying to clone my first car (just not making it a stick) I remember some but have forgotten a lot since '73.

[OG68]

Sometimes with original or family owners emotion plays a big, and often expensive role to relive your youth. So I get it too Data.
I was 16 when dad brought our new 68 home. It was my mothers car to drive to work every day. Some days she would need the station wagon and I'd get to drive the Goat to school. There were two other GTOs in the school parking lot. A Blue Tri-power 65 and a Gold Tri-power 66.
I drove that car to the lake, Friday night cruises, Sr Prom. Everything a teenage male would want to do with a hot car.
But it was still my moms car. Fast forward to 1981, I had finished eight years in the Navy, got married with two kids and my dad calls up and wants to know if I want the GTO. uh YEAH! I took it home to SoCal and it became my daily driver with 100 mile round trips to LA every day. Parked outside for the first time the paint became faded, upholstery torn from the sun with the headliner hanging down, held together with safety pins. And no money to spare for a restoration. Fast forward again to 2017 and my retirement. It was now time to do something. And I'm slowly making progress. Sometimes its hard to get motivated, other things pop up as they always do. But like Data, I'm moving forward. He and the other 68 owners provide the motivation necessary for me to get off my butt. So with that being said, I gotta go out to the garage and do some necessary dirty work.

[spartazoo]

When I was in my teens, my mom would always tell my girlfriend "you'll be fine as long as you are ok only seeing his legs sticking out from underneath his car". LOL

[jhein]

Originally Posted by dataway

there's not a large audience of people in the world that understand what I'm talking about.

And that's what makes it special. There's not a single person who didn't live it that can understand it.

And it is special. You're a lucky guy.

[dataway]

OG68 ... that's a freakin awesome picture, really captures those days.

[Verdoro 68]

I've taken my car apart so much over the years, I feel like I have a relationship with every nut and bolt. I know them well, and probably have spent some time with each one on the wire wheel at some point.

Working in the garage has always been my solitary time to think and whatever I'm working on reminds me of what was going on in life at the time I last touched those parts. Recently, I pulled the engine out and my 14 y/o son helped. When I put the engine in, he was 4 and right there in the garage with all the guys. It was a definite moment of "where has the time gone?" Taking apart the front end brought back memories from doing the work 20 years ago in the small one car garage of a house we were renting. We were planning our wedding at the time so stress was pretty high. I can remember the songs that played on the radio and how cold the floor was in the Winter.

I don't really have a direct emotional attachment to the car. There aren't many important experiences that include it, but it's sort of been my fortress of solitude over the years. It feels kind of like an old piece of furniture that's been around forever. I know what it's made out of, how it's been taken care of, and I've broken it in so it's super comfortable so I keep it around.

Me in '91 at 16 between my GTO and my buddy's Chevelle:

[1965gp]

I never knew anyone else felt this way!

My wife asks what the hell I’m doing in the garage all night. I pull up some 80’s hair metal videos on YouTube, drink beer and think about the good times I’ve had with these cars. One in particular is my 70 LeMans, my dad bought it right before I was born.

Came home from the hospital in that car
Rode to pre-school and grade school in that car
Learned to drive on that car.
First date in that car
First errr, uh well ya know …in that car
First drag race in that car
First ticket in that car
Among others….

And I never appreciated it. I always wanted a GTO or my Grand Prix built. I took it for granted. After a tree fell on it and it sat in the barn for years we decided to see if it still ran. If it ran we would fix it, if not we would save the parts we could.

That car fired right up and idled on 15 year old gas and drove out on four flat tires. It was ready to be restored! I refurbished the car- it still has the original motor, Trans and rear end with over 200k on it.

The car is as close to a time machine as you can get. The smell, feel, everything.

We had a party once and I had the car out. We all drank a lot that night and the next morning the car was gone when I walked outside. I literally dropped to my knees and started hurling. Every bit of my life involved that car. Luckily my buddy knew how much it meant to me and had his sober wife pull it in the shop before they left! You can imagine my relief!

I can sit in this car for hours and not say a word….


Thanks for bringing up all of these memories

[67drake]

I think most of us can relate to this thread.
I remember when I bought my current GTO back in ‘07, I’d just putz around out in the garage with Dick Biondi on the radio (Chicago guys know who that is).
I miss those high school days wrenching on my and my buddies GTO’s and GS, always had a case of beer and a pack of Marlboros. Seems like a dozen other gearheads would always drop by. I don’t miss the school, but the shenanigans and buddies, I do!