Rinky, Don't feel bad about not getting back to the old girl. Life throws us many curves. Plans made in highschool/college many times vanish. The good thing is you've held on to yours and the time will come when you can proudly put her to the streets. Sounds like you have a solid plan. I bought my 69 L78 when I was in highschool in 1975. Pulled the big block and stuffed it in a corner along with the wheels, steering wheel, console, you get the idea :) Put in a high revving 327 so I could race the locals. Six motors and 4 years later I put her in storage at my uncles farm to go to college. Twenty years later I finally came back to my home town opened shop and got her out for a frame off restore. Actually found all the parts I had pulled in 75. My dad had found them buried deep in a corner of an old shed he had torn down in the 80's and took them to my uncles, storing them neatly next to the Che. Long story short, starting my own business has been quite time consuming and 6 years later she's only about half way finished but I get a little bit done each week. It has become my way to relax, my personal time and I enjoy every minute as I inch closer to driving her again. Wow this is beginning to sound like a love story, but in reality I guess it is. I wouldn't trade or sell her for the world.
Trooper ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ringlein Thomas J Capt 40 ELRF/CC" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2005 12:11 AM 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..." > > > >
