Even before I got my driver’s license, I was all about fast motorcycles and cars.
No license, no registration.
I decided to sell the Cuda and let him find me a car.
Mel was meticulous, knowledgeable, and very passionate about cars.
Mel was as excited to show me the car as I was to see it.
He said," When I’m done, it will purr like a kitten!
“He smiled, and I smiled back.
While walking home, I rationalized that it was a nice car and it would run well.
Who was I kidding, I was disappointed as fuck.
“You just got your license this morning?
“I told him I did.
“And you’re out here speeding?
“I could only hang my head.
WTF was I thinking?
After that, I was very careful, for a while anyway…
It was a great deal, and I thanked him.
According to him, I had ruined a perfectly good automobile.
I make no apologies.
I was a kid, I wanted a fucking hot rod like the ones in the magazine!
With the help of another one of my friends, I installed aHurst3-speed synchro lock floor shifter.
Along with a mini steering wheel and big Chevy decals on the rear quarters, the transformation was complete.
It was a pretty cool-looking car and the fastest six-cylinder in town.
I was working atCook Brothers Gettyin Walpole when a guy driving a'68 AMXpulled up to the pumps.
“I was working 50 hours a week back then, and I could afford it.
It was silver with black factory racing stripes.
I sold the Chevelle to a local kid the following day.
It took a while, but it came out incredible.
That was in 1973.
This is a ‘69 AMX, but very similar to mine… “I changed it up daily, but it ran best with the Carter…
It was a dating machine!
But I missed having people in the car to party with, and I was considering selling it.
He was all in.
I spent the summer cruising down theCapewith friends, roof down, cold beer in hand.
Then I heard that Jan sold the AMX to a local kid.
One afternoon, Jan showed up at my house and told me he wanted to buy the GTO back.
He said he’d give me $1,300, and I could take my stereo and speakers.
I had never seen him happier.
Within two weeks, the kid who bought the AMX totaled it.
I went to see it at the Gulf station on North Main Street, and it was almost unrecognizable.
Remarkably, no one got hurt.
I cried all the way home…
When I popped the hood to check the oil, I saw that it had a big fucking motor.
He went on that the car had a Borg-Warner T-10 stone crusher transmission with a limited-slip differential.
He said he wanted to sell it because it was a gas guzzler.
Once again, I asked,“How much do you want?
“When he said $450, I immediately said,“Sold!”
Then, I cut the hood and installed a Shaker Scoop I bought from a guy in Salem.
I jacked it up and put on some deep dish slotted wheels and wide tires.
It was a really powerful car.
I revved the motor and let the clutch fly.
After all, it was the fourth of July, shit like that is to be expected.
After I said it was, he asked me to pop the hood.
“He said,“Meet me at the station.
Because of my inherentneed for speed, most were standard shift “muscle cars.”
But, the worst car I ever owned in my lifetime was a lipstick red'67 Fiat 850 Spiderconvertible…
The car had an 843cc 4-cylinder engine that only produced 49 horsepower, something I hadn’t considered.
It was so fucking slow!
The top speed of mine was around 60 MPH.
It was like a street-legal go-kart.
The cool I thought I’d purchased with this car never came to fruition.
It was the most uncool car I had ever owned.
Oh, the fucking looks I got!
Ain’t she pretty!
