My hubby does a lot of transmission work for folks who rebuild these vehicles so I get to see a rusted out hulk slowly return to her original beauty. It takes an incredible amount of work, dedication, and skilled people to get these old gals on the road again. In the 80's the hubby owned a 69 Fastback that he finished. Already partially restored, he returned the maroon colored car to her original specs. Once she was off the rack this little lady could take you town realllllll quick. Once I was cruising on a nice 4 lane highway on my way to college, enjoying her throaty purr of power as we sailed over the asphalt. Eventually, I noticed a highway patrol car rolling next to me. The officer pointed at me and I looked at the speedometer. I was going 120! My look of shocked horror must have tickled him because although I quickly reduced my speed he sped on by.
I loved that car and was rather sad when she was sold to a collector who routinely takes her to shows and always places well. The next car after that was a dark green 68 Chevy. This little lady needed a lot of cosmetic work but her engine was in good shape. She was a sassy little gal whose rear end would spin out of control if you had a lead foot. I liked her though, she required a driver with fast reflexes and a gentle touch. Try to jerk her around and she'd spin in circles. Her current owner likes to take her on Sunday drives.
My favorite one of all is a 66 Mustang that my husband found in a barn he was supposed to demolish. Hidden under an old tarp this ragged girl had long ago been somebody's dream car. Sadly, her faded pink color was spotted with rust and her engine was locked down. Her seats were ripped to shreds and her dash was askew from somebody's attempt to start her. We took her home on a trailer and locked her in our 'special shop'. My husband traded work to get her body repaired. We were surprised when the frame guy said the Mustang had never been wrecked. My spouse spent several years working on her. He traded transmission work to help get the job done. He researched her VIN number and had a duplicate title made so we could get her street legal. We took a scrap of her paint to a local Ford dealer for analysis and discovered her original color was hot pink. Her interior was white with wood trim. Obviously, she had been a custom order for a woman.
Needless to say my husband would not be caught driving a hot pink car and I was not about to allow him inside a car with white interior so I was her main driver. Carefully restored to her original specs this hot pink gal was not a true muscle car. She was no where as quick as our other muscle cars nor had she been made to do so. But she was a special little lady who was extraordinarily dependable for her age.
She was so special the son of her original owner found us (remember the VIN number?) and broke down into tears when I pulled her out of the shop. Yes, it had been his mother's car and he remember the rides he had taken in this car as a youngster. He revealed his mother had to wait 6 months to get her car because of color of the paint. He even brought a photo and was stunned how accurately the car had been restored. He said the car was lost when his mother died without a will and everything had to be sold according to state law. Of course we sold the car back to him.
So now we have a red and white two tone 56 Chevy whose chrome accents twinkle as you walk by her. If you are not careful that massive chrome rear bumper will snag your pants as if to say, "Hey! Where are you going?" This husky gal has a trunk you could camp out in. Although not in the same class the the Fastback or Chevy, this gal can dig in and grab asphalt when asked to. Her front end and rear end will have to be modified to help her stick to the road a little better because like any plus size woman she can sway unsteadily if asked to turn suddenly. However, you can hit a pothole with her and barely feel it. She's a big gal with lot of room for a family with lots of kids! Her back seat is big enough to sleep in and her front seat is very comfortable during long drives. She'll put you to sleep she's so smooth.
I'm the old chick and I love old cars. I've got my eye on an old Rambler.....
