-----Original Message-----
From: Ringlein Thomas J Capt 40 ELRF/CC <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Dec 31, 2005 1:11 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Chevelle-list] What Year is Yours?
1972 Malibu 307 - modified and in shambles (see story below)
2000 Harley XLH-883 - Never finished (if you have one, you know what I am talking about)
1995 Honda Accord (not my choice)
1993 BMW 525iTx (my German beater car - selling in 2 months)
Short story---
Car was bought by my family for my sister to drive in high school back in 1981 from the original owners. Car was driven stock in its green metallic paint (not original), black vinyl top, white and black bench seat interior, 307 2bbl with TH350 shift on the tree. My sister made lots of good friends, but a lot of good enemies also. The green paint was keyed so bad and the vinyl top destroyed in about 1984, so she repainted it Corvette yellow and stripped the vinyl top. She sold it to me in 1987 for the grand total of $600 and I drove it for about 6 months in this configuration. First to go was the bench seat and column shift just because I was in high school and needed to be cool. The paint was old (she banged it up a bit) and the 307 had a knock. I scored a 327 from a local builder and had a local body shop (fellow gun club member) reshoot the yellow paint and add some black racing stripes (again, had to be cool). I grenaded the 327 6 months later (builder used incorrect bearings), chunked down the cash necessary to build a hot 350 for the car, and had the tranny reworked with a custom torque converter and shift kit in college. I drove the car in that configuration until 1997 when I went active duty, and the car was left at my father's house in central California with every intention of fetching it ASAP for a rebuild.
Well, 9 years later I am still trekking the globe for Uncle Sam. A new wife, new car, two small children and one small paycheck have relegated my car to living life under my Dad's rear deck buried under a blue tarp that I replace every year or two when I am home. After 4 years in Germany I finally have a little money saved up, and the blessing of my wife (we went on our first date in that car) to rebuild it right.
Plan for the car? A emblemless pro-touring g-machine with a LS1 402 stroker, 6 speed T56, 4-wheel disk brakes, and bright Corvette yellow paint with black racing stripes. Estimated time of completion: 4 years from start (with a lot of luck and a winning lottery ticket).
Thanks for letting me rant - it is nice to have a group of folks to chat about my car with.
Flame suit on for admitting I have a Honda.
Rinky (TJR)
THOMAS J. RINGLEIN, JR. Capt, USAF
40 ELRF/CC - Commander, Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Flight
40 AEG/IDO - Installation Deployment Officer
DSN 315-370-3966 Pager 1460
"In the MSS - Support is our middle name..."
