Automotive peek into my past for those that may interested

[EaOutlaw]

Here is a link to one of my photo bucket albums that at one time showed some of the vehicles and other pictures from my past.

Stumbling across this old folder made me feel nostalgic.

http://s1216.photobucket.com/user/Knelson1969/library/my rides last 10 years

The ones with all the tool boxes was one of the Automotive repair shops I had back around 1992 or 1993

The Black Mustang and POS Citation were flip cars to keep my mechanics busy during slow periods and times we were waiting on parts.

This is yet just a drop in the bucket compared to the vehicles I owned before these pictures were taken and after.

Some of you can relate to my addiction others that have had the same car for 40 years or more probably will just shake their head.

Keep in mind some of these cars were purchased just for the enjoyment to fix them up and sell them off. most were driven either by my wife and I

The Blue HHR is the HHR we currently have the red and black one were returned promptly either because of defects or shady dealers trying to screw us over after the sale was complete.

The Mini was returned the next day after we purchased it because of a scam the dealer tried to pull on us.

The HHR was a replacement for my GTO that just had to go before this car killed me or worse someone else. I made it way too powerful for the traction the car could provide. Plus I just couldn't keep my foot out of it.

Recent Vehicles that did not make it in to this folder that I know of or can remember were a 2010 Honda st1300. 2012 Honda Gold wing 2010 Honda civic 2008 Honda van 2002 Ford Ranger my 1985 V8 sunbird basket case that I just gave away yesterday.

Cars that I no longer or never had pictures of or are printed on real photo paper that I can remember from the past was as follows

from my very first car forward is something like this.

1976 Buick Skyhawk turd brown ( thanks Dad for picking this one out and spending my money on it. ( )

I had picked out a yellow 1970s dodge with a 383 magnum I do not remember what model but it was bad ass I am thinking it was a GTX or Satellite 2 door

1978 Ford Thunderbird silver with red interior ( purchased from my dad )

1964 Chevy Corvair monza 900 convertible ( I wanted to buy the Triumph chopper from this guy but my Dad once again got involved and talked me into buying this Corvair ( thanks again dad )

1975 Chevy Camaro white with black interior straight 6

1977 Ford Mustang II 302 v8 white with red interior

1984 Ford Mustang 3.8 V6 yet another car my Dad got involved in helping me establish my credit.

I got a loan through Trans World Airlines credit union to pay for this POS sight unseen, through a dealer friend of his.

It was grey with red strips hatch back car red interior. The dealer told my Dad I had to do a "little" body work to it.

When I went to pick up the car the little body work was a 3 inch line straight down the car from the drivers side marker light to the rear tail light that was missing the metal !!!

It was like some one took a pair of sheet metal shears and cut out a three inch line right down the side of the car. No dents no rub marks no wrinkled metal just missing metal.

I was speech less to say the least yet I couldn't get mad at my Dad so I sucked up my anger and repaired the car.

1976 Chevy Camaro grey and black with red and orange stripes crusty original paint with a straight 6 cylinder.

I drove this Camaro for a long time I bought it from a old muscle car dealer It was the least expensive car he had.

I sold it or traded I do not remember yet 2 years later I purchased again from another dealer this time I had to tow it back to the shop I worked at because of a bad front wheel bearing. I fixed and flipped it.

1970s Pontiac convertible white fix and flip

1969 Pontiac 4dr I do not remember what model, I got it from the original owner because of the 455 in it.

I kept it for a week before my friend Howard convinced me that the motor needed to be in his Lemans he was building.

So I gave him the car for what I paid 500 bucks. ( that old redneck taught me what little I remember about paint and body work ( and quite a bit about repairing cars )

Howard in Bristol Tenn if your still alive and out there reading this thanks for taking the time showing a snot nose brat the ropes.

next was a

1980 Toyota corolla picked up with a blown engine, for 200 dollars I replaced the engine for 200 bucks and put a cheap audio system in it. plus Mazda RX7 wheels.

I traded this car for a 1978 Blue Trans am with a 455 and 4 spd black interior

1980 GMC 3/4 ton 4x4 blue with 38 inch tires

1979 Gold Trans am 403 olds

1976 Chevy vega with a 327 maroon paint black interior one wheel wonder tire fryer.

1968 Pontiac Firebird custom maroon paint with a bad ass built 428 with a automatic trans stall converter and Chrysler rear end it had a white and black interior.

1974 Pontiac Firebird Formula blue with black interior it had a straight six in it so I am not sure it was a real Formula.

1980 VW Scirocco grey flip car

1978 Mercury Cougar XR7 white and red with white and red interior

1988 Nissan Dessert Runner 4X4 Red white and Blue purchased new in 1988
( what was I thinking ) that truck cost me 488 per month and the same for the insurance since I was so young back then.

My Insurance agent said I could have been insured for a new Vette for less.

1978 Dodge Monaco white with red interior

1980 Ford Fairmont both were purchased from the same guy

I picked up the Dodge and got the title to the Fairmont that just needed a new catalytic converter yet I never went back to pick it up something came up and I just plain forgot about this car. ( my bad Sorry to the guy I purchased this car from I should have went back and towed it away like i promised )

You know you have a problem when you buy a car and forget about it

1984 Yamaha Virago 550 ( first Motorcycle ) purchased way further up this list but just remembered it.

1988 nighthawk 750 purchased for 900 in one week I got a speeding ticket for 250 bucks for doing 90 in a 35 zone while still in third gear.

I sold it the next day for 1500 to an exporter ( had the officer been able to clock how fast I was really going I would have spent some time behind bars )

1964 ChevyII nova 2 door with a straight 6 I traded my friends dad a set of tires and rims for his hunting buggy for this car.

The nova I didn't get a chance to get it home before I sold it.
All I did was rebuild the carburetor and get it running drove it around the block to makes sure it could drive then before I could pull it back in the my friends yard it was sold.

I should have kept that one. and yes I sold it way too cheap.

1978 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 that I put a TPI 5.7 and then painted it plum crazy purple. this one was going to be a keeper yet I needed the cash and sold it off.

1967 Chevy Camaro Z28 Orange with black stripes numbers matching car with original paint and black interior. I picked it up for $1300.00

I got it with the 327 engine that needed to be rebuilt.
I stuck a 350 in it while I was going rebuild the original engine.

Yet like a dumb ass I sold it to buy a engagement ring for my now EX wife.
( tips for the youngsters out there ) never ever sell a once in a lifetime car for what you think will be a once in a life time wife.

That Z28 would still be in my Possession today if I just bought the ring I could afford with the cash I had. ( which would have been a nice enough ring to get her to say I do )
After all she had already said she would before I bought the ring.

That was a double barrel dumb ass mistake on my part.

First mistake was asking her in the first place.

1985 Chevy Camaro z28 red with red interior

1984 Chevy Camaro IROC grey with black or grey interior Flip car

1988 Ford Ranger I put a Chevy 350 in Black with tan interior standard cab

1974 Nova Chevy 350 Blue with Black interior eventual source for the engine and trans for the Ranger.

1984 Ford T-bird 5.0 V8 white with grey interior

1988 Mercury cougar XR7 5.0 V8 Blue with grey interior I restored and even painted this one for some reason ( burnt to the ground from a PS leak that sprayed the hot exhaust )

1990s Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 3.4 DOHC HUD display Black with red interior

1996 ish Mitsubishi Eclipse Green with grey or black interior

1970s Volkswagen bug dune buggy white

1978 Doge Ram step side Truck 360 auto Blue with black interior purchased from a friend that did a Frame off restoration then gave to my Brother after I played with it for a while.

1978 Yamaha XS 1100 red and chrome gave to my friend when I purchased my first Harley.

For me the thrill was the hunt for them then the satisfaction or repairing them

After that they had to go unless it was something special.

As you can see I need to join or start a support group I am just not sure which one.

The do not buy that car support group or do not sell that car support group.

 

[melsg5]

looks like you could write a book based on all the cars you have owned. Any more details on the yellow Chevelle with the hood scoop?

 

[EaOutlaw]

The Chevelle was a 1972.

I traded my Wifes 1998 Dodge ram with 50,000 on it miles for it.

It came to me as a roller, I Built the 350 out of the Nova pictured without a rear end in one of the pictures.

The Nova was a parts car intended for the 57 Chevy Truck.

It was side tracked when I found the Chevelle.

My plan was to turn it into a car that could be driven on the road and track for bracket racing.

The engine I built was only around 400 HP estimated

I was at a new to me Doctors office when I noticed my Chevelle in a magazine page that was framed and hanging in his waiting room.

Turns out it he framed and hung the page because of another car in the picture that he owned.

He raced my Chevelle when it was owned by someone else.

I thought it was a cool coincidence and purchased a copy of the magazine off of eBay which is why you see a picture of my car in a Magazine.

I had in my cart at Summit racing the last $2800 worth of parts needed to get it on the road.

I was just about ready to hit the checkout button when my wife told me about Hurricane Francis coming our way that now was for sure going to hit land very close to us.

So I decided to wait and see what happens with the storm first.

Francis hit and pretty much tore my house and property up. We were out of power for about 3-4 weeks.

I couldn't remove my make shift window shutters made from 1/2 ply and a layer of metal from an old metal building because of Hurricane Gene that decided to finish us off.

It got so hot in our house the candles we had around the house had melted and bent over nearly bending into a u shape. which is when I sent My wife to New York to stay with my Dad.

At the time I worked for Palm Beach County Water Utilities so I couldn't leave the county and was expected to show up to work every day and help keep the various Plants going.

Our most important plant to keep going was our waste water plant that was running on generator power.

These generators were consuming 350 gallons per hour of fuel one of my jobs was to keep the fuel in the storage tanks.

Because of poor planning and intercepted fuel deliveries.

Yet I only had a Sterling crane truck with a 500 gallon transfer tank chained to the bed and I had to travel 20 minutes to the nearest facility that had fuel,
fill the tanks with standard nozzles and race back and dump the fuel into the storage tanks dodging live power wires and falling trees debris etc

This entire process took 1.5 hours so you can see I was fighting a loosing battle.

I did this back and fourth fuel dump for 36 hours straight until we finally got a fuel delivery and shortly after FPL restored power to the plant.

We were down to about 750 gallons out of 3 25000 gallon capacity tanks when this madness ended.

If the waste water plant shut down within minutes many homes and businesses connected to this plant would have been flooded with raw sewage.

Between the two storms my wife and I were without power for more than a month and a half.

The damage done to my house was mainly to the roof and inside water damage plus landscaping.

Yet this house was built in 1938 and I could not get a contractor in Palm Beach County to repair it, because it was so old and the work I needed meant the entire house had to be brought up to current code which was impossible.

The back log on home repairs was insane, to get someone to knock it down and build a new one foundation included would have taken way too long perhaps years.

So I spent my insurance claim that I did get, to have my Brother and his crew come down and put a roof and trusses on without a permit for a temporary solution.

I could have went back to the insurance company for a supplemental claim yet my insurance limits would not have covered the entire cost.

During the Hurricane clean up efforts I took a blow to the head and neck ending up with 19 staples to my head.

When my wife picked me up from the hospital she informed me that the heavy thick 1938 stucco from my ceiling was caving in nearly killing our dog
we had to abandon that house.

By this time we were broke from feeding two generators 24 hours a day at nearly 5 bucks a gallon.

So I had to sell off all my toys including the Chevelle

I only got to drive the Chevelle to my front yard to help a guy load it on his trailer.

I didn't even get to do a burnt out, because the left front brake was locked up from sitting and I had to remove the caliper just to get it to move.

Anyways your right there is a lot more than meets the eye with my cars.