sorry i just droped out, power for several blocks went out, so no computer until i got home. too bad kyle a mustang with the 289 shelby (4 duces and the racing cam) was my dream car. never got it. we were too poor to pay attention. and i remember the vega. not one of gm's better models. my dad drove a studebaker for a while i though the hawk model would have been cool, but dad went with the 6 cylinder instead. -----Original Message----- From: Cleveland, Kyle E. To: [log in to unmask] Sent: 6/3/2002 3:24 PM Subject: Re: first cars, how fun , a little long. My first was a '65 Mustang. I saved a long time for that car bacsue I was the youngest in my class--I could get a job long before I was old enough to get a license. I worked in a chemical factory after school, 40 hours/week in the summers, and saved every penny. I made $4.50 an hour when the minimum wage was $1.5, so I was "rich". My friend's dad owned the local Ford dealership and he save back this Mustang for me while I made "payments". I payed it off ($450) about the same time I got my license. It was strictly "stock" when I got it--289 V8. I burned the engine up pretty quick by running it without exhause manifolds (made a real loud exhaust). I lied and told my Dad that the oil plug had fallen out of the oil pan, so I needed to buy a new engine. I still had plenty of cash, but I wanted something hotter than a 289. Lo and behold, my Dad's boss (Dad worked for the same chemical co. I did until we moved to Ohio) had a son who was in to hot cars. The kid was about 25 and spoiled rotten. The old man had bought him a Lotus Europa, which he wrecked within a month. When I found out that the engine was still good, I badgered my dad to ask his boss to sell me the engine out of the car. The beast had a 351 Cleveland with 2 staged 4-bbl carbs. Neither my dad or his boss had any clue that this engine was designed by Shelby himself, so the boss said I could have the motor for free (I had my dad snowed into thinking I was a responsible driver. Can you believe that?). Anyway, we had to cut the shock towers to drop this think in my Mustang and then beef-up the front springs because it was so heavy. I drove this car until I was a freshman in college. One day, my dad (who had never driven the car) decides to take it out for a "bread and milk" run. To this day I can't beleive my dad was so dumb as not to know this was a "muscle car". Anyway, he gets down to the 7/11 and keeps stalling it out because he didn't know how to use the "competition clutch". He got mad, floored it, popped the clutch and the front end lifted up so far that he had no steering. Drove off the road, down a culvert and into the roof of a telephone "switch house". The car was totalled. I was furious, so he said he'd buy me a brand-new car to make up for it. I was still pissed, but I figured a new car was better than a 12 year-old car. Next day I came home to find a brand, new Vega in the drive. I actually cried! I think I got 50K miles out of it before the engine completely siezed. Just before it died, I was burning one quart of oil for every tank of gas! True story. Not as good as yours, Ken, but true story. -----Original Message----- From: Barber, Kenneth L. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 2:33 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: first cars, how fun , a little long. i guess thare are advantages to that too. my problem is when i do find an honest mechanic, i go to them exclisivly until all of a sudden they get transfered and replaced by a crook. then i have to try to find another honest one. -----Original Message----- From: BG Greer, PhD [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 2:22 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: first cars, how fun , a little long. My first car was a '54 Chevy BelAir. Now we lease two Saturns with bumper to bumper warranties. We have not found an honest mechanic in Memphis, ever. Now, when something goes wrong it's Saturn's problem. Bobby