It all started for me in 1975. I was a freshman in
High School and school was coming to a close. I met a great guy named Joe
Boehme, and he had the coolest car in town as far as those of us in our
High School were concerned. We became fast friends, spending nearly every
waking moment together, cruising, occasionally racing and beating someone
badly! This car was 66 Tyrol Blue LeMans with white pinstripes. It was
equipped with a 389, 4-barrel, and headers, along with a 3 speed on the
floor and US slot mags with a deep offset and G60’s all the way around.
No shocks on the front end of the car allowed us to do wheelie hops in
front of the high school though it made for some seriously dangerous
handling conditions. We also spent a lot of time at the local Drive In
Theater with our girlfriends. Joe had enlisted in the Marines, and had to
sell the car at the end of that summer, but…my family was dirt poor. We
lived in state sponsored housing, so I never imagined I could actually
end up with this car! But life is full of great surprises, and one of my
dearest memories would soon unfold.
Grandpa Ted was my father figure in spite of having a
biological father who I didn’t really get to know, and a step father
who didn’t like anyone, much less us kids. Mom was finally rid of him
when I was 13. Grandpa had lived with us off and on for many years and we
all loved him, so when our stepfather moved out, he lived with us from
that point on. Grandpa was exactly the opposite of either of my fathers.
He took a great interest in us children, my youngest brother Gregg and I
most of all, and spent a great deal of time with each of us. He taught us
to hunt and fish, as well as when to stand up and fight and when to be
compassionate and giving. He taught me all the good things I know about
being a man, and not one of the bad things. He really took a liking to
Joe over that summer. Joe liked him too. When he was getting ready to
leave, Grandpa Ted decided to get me the car. I had no idea what they had
planned. Grandpa had been saving money for his funeral for several years.
He was dying slowly of heart disease, and after three open heart
surgeries, at 72 he just didn’t have the strength to keep on fighting.
Instead of spending the money on his funeral, he bought me the car, and
my younger brother Gregg a used stereo, and a Schwinn 10- speed. It was
his way of saying goodbye to us, though at the time we didn’t know it.
My Mother was dead set against it, but Grandpa told her "hush, and
let me do this last thing for my boy." To this day, no one has ever
given to me in such a selfless way. I will never forget the sacrifice he
made. Or the gesture of friendship Joe showed me.
On the night Joe left, Grandpa called Joe and had him
come up to the house. I was trembling in disbelief at what I was
witnessing in my kitchen. Grandpa had bought me the car! He told me he’d
rather be buried in a cardboard casket than let this opportunity pass. I
still cannot believe I was that important to anyone and am grateful for
the gesture still. When I drove Joe home, he had me come into his bedroom
and take a look in his closet. There it was, a 3 Deuce setup! Needed
rebuilding, but he gave it to me as a going away gift! Grandpa was broke
after it all, and we weren’t aware of just what he had done, or how
incredibly selfless he was at this time of his last days. But his little
wry smile told me he enjoyed this even more than I did. To this day it
still brings tears to think of the ends to which he would go for us. He
was a very rare man.
I found him dead in his bed about a month later, and
being the oldest took the responsibility to handle the coroner and help
my mom pick his casket. It was the hardest thing I have ever done but I
was happy to make his final arrangements for him. Our family members
stepped up to make sure he had a beautiful service. To this day we all
still miss him profoundly. My biological father died a few months later
at age 34 of renal failure due to alcoholism and as a result of handling
Grandpa’s funeral and burial arrangements, I was able to do this for
him also. Grandpa wasn’t done teaching me how to be a man.
I built that car up as much as my budget and skills
would allow, and my auto shop buddies helped me keep it on the road. Over
time I became a solid mechanic, and acted as TA in Auto Shop both my
Junior and Senior Year. My senior year, I finally had a few bucks in the
bank as a result of some insurance money from my dad, as well as a very
small inheritance, and I blew most of mine on the cars. I’d do it again
too. In my senior year the car had taken so much abuse that it started to
just fall apart, and I just couldn’t keep putting money in it. It had
the reputation with my friends that if you wanted a ride, you had to be
willing to push it. At the time I had installed a Ram Air III 400 with a
Ram Air IV cam, 1.65 rockers, and it turned low 13’s in my Le
Mans...that is, when it ran! It was a quirky beast.
I decided to yank the engine and get rid of the rest,
and put it in a very nice lime green ‘68 Firebird I bought for $800. It
had a 2 speed, 350 and 2.56 when I bought it, so all of that had to go! I
sold the LeMans to a friend of mine who gutted it and turned it into a
stock car racer. It was a basic bird when I got it, but when I was done
it turned low 11’s with my best time an 11.18 at 123 mph! I used a 4.10
gear set in a12 bolt, B&M built TH 400, Holley 1050, Warrior
manifold, RAM Air IV cam and #16 heads that were heavily ported by Bench
Flow research. I had forged 12.1 Arias pistons, polished super duty rods,
balanced, NHRA blueprinted, and way too many parts to list here made that
Ram Air III a 7200 RPM screamer. I loved that car and NEVER lost a street
race in it! It was street legal and ran on pump gas, which in 1978 was
actually still pretty decent. But it also ran way too hot at 250 all the
time. I managed to win my bracket 3 times in a row before I moved away
from our hometown. But…after a few years of rat beating it, well…it
too fell apart and had to be sold. It made it’s way back to me a few
years later in pieces, and I managed to bring it back to life.
Then came the ‘65 LeMans. I bought it from Joe
Boehme just like the ‘66. This one had a 326, 2 barrel, dual exhaust
and a 4 speed in the console. It was a pristine car with root beer brown
Imron paint, white interior that was nearly perfect, and it was
completely rebuilt by one of the local machine shops. I had put a LOT of
work in it, as well as a few thousand dollars of my own when it was
stolen from in front of my house and never recovered. After that, my
heart just wasn’t in it anymore.
I bought a few new cars over the last 10 years, and
none of them made me feel the way those old Poncho’s did. So…about
three years ago, my wife Rain and I had sold our Ford Aerostar Eddie
Bauer Mini Van and I asked her if I could get a muscle car. To my
surprise she said maybe. Off to the local liquor store I went to get the
Auto Trader, Diablo Dealer, etc. On my way home, the most beautiful ‘67
Tempest I had seen in many years came cruising by. I speculated aloud,
"hey nice car, wonder if they want to sell it, Naaah! They’d want
ten grand for it anyway, way too nice a car!" As I looked in my rear
view I saw a hand written sign in the rear window. I broke several
traffic laws, and chased them down. We agreed to make the deal the
following day when I could get the funds from the bank. I was so excited
and nervous the deal would somehow fall through I couldn’t sleep.
I am the 2nd owner! It seemed to me to be a perfect
foundation for a GTO Post clone. The ‘67 Post was a rare car, and
always my favorite. That was three years ago, and literally everything
has changed on the car. First came new suspension, I put on an 1
1/4" sway, new ball joints, bushings and tie rod ends, idler arm and
steering box that goes 3 1/4 turns lock-to-lock, and is a perfect fit.
Then I gathered the parts and had Gilroy Precision Automotive build a 455
with a nodular crank, Keith Black Pistons, 80 PSI SD Oil Pump, Milodon 7
qt. street pan,#96 heads with SS Valves, ported to flow 270/210 CFM @
.550, SD Valve Springs, ARP main studs, rocker studs, and head
bolts.,1.65 Crane Roller Rockers, Rhoads Lifters, Ram Air IV cam,795 CFM
Rochester, Edelbrock Performer Intake, ported and gasket matched, Erson
Roller Timing Kit, HO Exhaust extrusion honed and ceramic coated flow
through 2 1/2 inch pipes back to the flowmasters.
I spark it with Mallory electronic ignition and a
Summit hi torque mini starter. I also added the steel Ram Air Pan and did
the hood scoop cutout. Power is put to the ground through a TH350 with
B&M Transpak with MegaShifter, fresh 3.23 PosiTrac and Metco Billet T
6061 upper and lower aircraft aluminum rear control arms with
Polyurethane bushings.Traction is via new Cragar SS wheels, mounted with
BF Goodrich Comp TA ZR 225/60/15’s. Wheel hop is gone, and I have gone
from uncontrollable tire boiling at virtually any speed to unreal
traction. I can’t spin more than a few feet before I get positive hook
up and very quick acceleration. The upper control arms are completely
adjustable so you can change the pinion angle too. These are superior in
quality to any sheet metal boxed control arms, period!
I also added a GTO hood, grills, surrounds and parking
lamps,window chromes and felts, weather stripping, door rubbers and after
it all, fresh paint. I also have new interior, a rally cluster, walnut
dash finished in stain and lacquer, (wife insists I keep the bench seat
for going to the drive in!) as well as a decent replica AM/FM Cassette
from Kenwood (warning-do NOT buy this unit if you’re after sound
quality-it looks great, but the sound is merely average!!!). At some
point I’ll add a 12 CD changer in the trunk. Stopping power is applied
through vacuum assisted disk brakes equipped with Praise Dyno Kevlar pads
in the front and Kevlar shoes in the rear. Stops from 70 MPH in 148 feet.
Not too bad for an old goat!
Everywhere we go people marvel at how clean and
beautiful she is. When my youngest daughter is old enough to drive we’ll
rebuild it for her, from the ground up. I am very attached to this car,
and will never sell it. It keeps Grandpa Ted’s memory and spirit fresh
in my heart where they belong. I also have a 1998 WS6 TransAm that is
good for low 13’s and is a real joy to drive. It has the LS1 and 6
Speed, and it lopes along at 160 MPH+ at 3800 RPM! (relax, I did NOT go
that fast, Car and Driver did, I've only wound it up to 145 a few times.)
There is a governor though, so no telling just how fast it could go
unrestricted! I saw it’s commercial "The Muscle Car Lives" on
the Super Bowl in ‘98, and said, "I’ll buy it." Then I
waited for eight months after I ordered it to get it. GM was on strike
and there weren’t many made that year. Mine is #522. It’s the best
balanced, best looking high performance car on the road for under 50K,
and despite the fact that is has a CHEVY engine in it, I love this
car.
The love affair continues…
by Tim Taylor
