Once upon a time, there lived a young man who grew up in the suburbs
of the Motor City (Detroit). He happened to be very fortunate in growing
up there, because he loved cars. He was also fortunate to have a Dad that
was a mechanic (now called an Automotive Technician). His Dad spent a lot
of time with him, teaching him all he could about cars, car maintenance
and repair. This knowledge of cars (especially repair) would come in very
handy as he grew older.
That young man was me……………………..growing up in Detroit
in the early 1960’s.
After school and on the weekends, I worked at a supermarket. Every
dollar I earned went into my car(s). The first car I could buy was a 1954
Ford, two-door sedan with a blown engine. After working extra hours, I
was able to buy a 406cu. in. engine from a friend who had totaled his new
1962 Ford. With my Dad’s help, we re-worked that engine top to bottom.
In fact, the work was so extensive that it really couldn’t be run on
the street….so off to Detroit Dragway (now an apartment complex) we
went. What fun!
That was probably when I got hooked on “Muscle“ cars.
Next came a 1955 Chevy convertible………………….it had a great
body, but mechanically it was a disaster. That’s when the repair
knowledge from my Dad really came in handy. Once that was in good running
condition, I traded it in on a brand new 1962 Pontiac Catalina
convertible.
That was when I fell in love with Pontiacs. What a wonderful car that
was….and it really attracted the girls! It was burgundy with a black
top, parchment & black interior with a unique sound system. The sound
system had a reverbirator, so it sounded like a echo chamber. Everyone
wanted to ride in my Pontiac and listen to my sound system!
We went all the places that you read about ………….cruzin’ up
and down Woodward Avenue…..street racing on Telegraph Road…………………lots
of fun and lots of tickets!
I have the fondest memories of my car-crazy youth in the Motor City….so
it was a natural step for me to jump at a chance to buy THE Pontiac
Muscle Car last Spring.
It just happened to be burgundy with a black top, parchment &
black interior!
If anyone knows where I can find a reverb. unit, please let me know.
New tires, Cragar wheels, new clutch, interior work and some minor
engine repair is all that it took to make me feel like a car-crazy kid in
Detroit once again.
