One of my "What a rush" experience's came to me in late 1965. It made quite a mark in my life.
I had a half brother. He's gone now, but this story is one of my fondest memories of him.
His father bought him a new car upon graduation of trade school. At the time, we lived in Chesterton, Indiana.
Our mother drove us to Michigan City, Indiana (about 16 miles) to the chevy dealership (Enyart Chevrolet) to get the car. He was 19, I was 13. When we got there, we were told the car was back in the shop waiting.
I remember walking back there to see a 1966 chevelle SS 396/375 sitting in a mechanics bay with the hood up.
The car was marina blue, with dog dish hub caps, marina blue steel wheels, and red line tires. The engine looked bigger than any engine I had ever seen before. It was beautiful ! The lights from the work bench made the engine bay just sparkle ! The sticker on the air cleaner said 396/375.
The guy that prepped the car put these thick paper floor mats inside. The interior was all blue, bucket seats, knee knocker tachometer, 4-speed with that t-handle for reverse.
Our mom left us, and told my brother to take me home. Well, he wasn't too happy about that, but I was in heaven, and couldn't wait to go for a ride in a car like this. When he started it up, it rumbled like nothing I had ever been around yet. I was riding on top of a cloud! I remember it was nice outside, and we had the windows down when we pulled away from the dealership. Driving down the main street in Michigan City, I could hear the engine rumbling and the sound bouncing off the buildings uptown. People were on the sidewalk, and a lot of them were turning to see what was coming down the street.
My brother had his own apartment by the beach then, but every once in a while someone would drop by my mom's house looking for him & the chevelle. I remember one day when a guy pulled in the drive with a beautiful black mercury looking for him. It was an early 60's merc, with what I remember hearing from other's had a 406, dual quad, and a 4-speed. It was a beautiful car, too, and it rumbled.
Oh, those were the day's ! That's what really opened up my eye's to the muscle car's of the 60's.
I remember being uptown Chesterton on my bicycle and seeing my brother driving by in the chevelle with slicks on, which meant that there was some racing going on out by the Warren Dunes. Sometimes I would catch a ride with someone and go out there to watch.
Once I seen him race a guy that had a wheel standing 59 corvette.
I actually ended up buying that corvette years later.
Ok. I'll shut up now. I'd like to tell this story at work, but the guy's I work with are all young enough to be my kid's, and they rave about that stupid Street Outlaw's on the discovery channel. Boring to me.
Hell, they weren't even alive back when I had my experience with muscle cars! Glad I experienced that.
Good times.
I had a half brother. He's gone now, but this story is one of my fondest memories of him.
His father bought him a new car upon graduation of trade school. At the time, we lived in Chesterton, Indiana.
Our mother drove us to Michigan City, Indiana (about 16 miles) to the chevy dealership (Enyart Chevrolet) to get the car. He was 19, I was 13. When we got there, we were told the car was back in the shop waiting.
I remember walking back there to see a 1966 chevelle SS 396/375 sitting in a mechanics bay with the hood up.
The car was marina blue, with dog dish hub caps, marina blue steel wheels, and red line tires. The engine looked bigger than any engine I had ever seen before. It was beautiful ! The lights from the work bench made the engine bay just sparkle ! The sticker on the air cleaner said 396/375.
The guy that prepped the car put these thick paper floor mats inside. The interior was all blue, bucket seats, knee knocker tachometer, 4-speed with that t-handle for reverse.
Our mom left us, and told my brother to take me home. Well, he wasn't too happy about that, but I was in heaven, and couldn't wait to go for a ride in a car like this. When he started it up, it rumbled like nothing I had ever been around yet. I was riding on top of a cloud! I remember it was nice outside, and we had the windows down when we pulled away from the dealership. Driving down the main street in Michigan City, I could hear the engine rumbling and the sound bouncing off the buildings uptown. People were on the sidewalk, and a lot of them were turning to see what was coming down the street.
My brother had his own apartment by the beach then, but every once in a while someone would drop by my mom's house looking for him & the chevelle. I remember one day when a guy pulled in the drive with a beautiful black mercury looking for him. It was an early 60's merc, with what I remember hearing from other's had a 406, dual quad, and a 4-speed. It was a beautiful car, too, and it rumbled.
Oh, those were the day's ! That's what really opened up my eye's to the muscle car's of the 60's.
I remember being uptown Chesterton on my bicycle and seeing my brother driving by in the chevelle with slicks on, which meant that there was some racing going on out by the Warren Dunes. Sometimes I would catch a ride with someone and go out there to watch.
Once I seen him race a guy that had a wheel standing 59 corvette.
I actually ended up buying that corvette years later.
Ok. I'll shut up now. I'd like to tell this story at work, but the guy's I work with are all young enough to be my kid's, and they rave about that stupid Street Outlaw's on the discovery channel. Boring to me.
Hell, they weren't even alive back when I had my experience with muscle cars! Glad I experienced that.
Good times.