sexybabyjamie
Active Member
The way we were pt3
If you have not read "The way we were pt's 1 and 2 please do so before reading pt 3
OK everyone time for another visit to memory lane. Through the magic of hind site we will be able to take with us memories of events that happened either before or after one very important day in my life. A day that I had been waiting for, a day that I thought, at times, would never get here. The year is 1962 and it's graduation day. We will celebrate by taking a ride in the 61 Chev 348/280 convertible with a factory installed 4 speed transmission that I purchased today. We are going to cruse to the Country Kitchen, the local drive in restaurant and park in the back row. We will share opinions, trivia, humorous events, etc. Oh yes, I am quite sure before the evening is over we will entice someone or be enticed to go out and "run one off". Where were you in 62? If you were not born yet you can still join us and help me celebrate this wonderful day. For you see this is the day I became a member of the big leagues. This is not commencement day, that happened last week. This is the REAL graduation day, the day I became a man. The day I took delivery of the above mentioned 61 Chevy. Anyone remember the song titled We will remember always--graduation day?
I was fortunate to have has a good job lined up and again fortunate enough that I had a father willing to co-sign the note that made it's purchase possible. When dad agreed to do this, I didn't know if he would refuse when my selection became clear. He didn't bat an eye. I think he got tired of hearing me complain about the Turboglide transmission in his 60 Chev.
I know you have heard me mention, more than once, how great is was to have been alive when the performance era came off the line in 55 and why it was the "golden era along with the story of the V-8 engine that changed my life.
I have to fast forward to 1996 and share an experience that formed this opinion. I had been living in Texas a long time and while my memories of the golden era were still quite vivid, some of them had become clouded by life's ever changing events. In 1968 I got married and that was the end of the muscle car era for me. High insurance rates, government regulations, etc. finished it a few short years later for everyone else.
On a return trip to my home town, Middletown Ohio, I saw a black 63 Super Sport in a restaurant parking lot and was quick to see the 409 emblems. It had been years since I had seen one so, having a hunch I might know the lucky owner, decided to stop. While looking it over Fred Totten was waving at me to come in. It was a great reunion and of course I accepted his invitation for a little joy ride. The proceeding 10 years or so had brought performance to levels that would surpass
the vast majority of cars we see hear in on graduation day in 62. An example would be my 1993 Altima. This car with it's 146 cubic inch 4 cylinder engine would out run this 61 Chev we are sitting in tonight. I mean this little motor is a raging beast when you step on it. It has the most amazing power band curve of any car I have ever owned. But enough of that for now. The people who became adults in 96 are used to the performance of cars like this. If they were to take that ride in that 57 Chev like I took as a 14 year old they would not feel the sensation I did. They are used to this type of performance. I was used to the performance of the cars of my era. The 53 Ford being in the upper half of them just a few short years before I took that life changing ride in that 57 Chev.
What made me come to that conclusion. When Fred took me for that ride in 96 in that good running 409 I did not get the sensation that I was expecting. This is what I meant about vivid memories becoming clouded. Over the proceeding 30 years everything kind of melded together. When I stumbled on this site last Sunday and met some of you wonderful guys and found out that I lost two dear friends; Dean LaPole and Fred Totten coupled with the clouding of my vivid memories, I decided to try to impose on you young people what I experienced in the hope you have an unclouded and better understanding of what I went through. I know Dean and Fred would have wanted me to do so, and I believe inspired me to do so from above and are helping me to find the right words. As a matter of fact I thing I hear a a couple of voices singing: "geddy up geddy up sexy--baaby--jamie".
A confession and an apology is in order here. I was not going to use my Altima in the above mentioned example with a 348 but a slight bit of "grudge mentality" tempted me to do so when I was not given permission to rev it's engine on 409 day----even though it's true.
An apology must be made because after staying up all night last night trying to condense my copy into less than 10,000 spaces with so many errors left in place this old boy is going to call it a night. We will have postpone running one off for now. I'll be back soon.
If you have not read "The way we were pt's 1 and 2 please do so before reading pt 3
OK everyone time for another visit to memory lane. Through the magic of hind site we will be able to take with us memories of events that happened either before or after one very important day in my life. A day that I had been waiting for, a day that I thought, at times, would never get here. The year is 1962 and it's graduation day. We will celebrate by taking a ride in the 61 Chev 348/280 convertible with a factory installed 4 speed transmission that I purchased today. We are going to cruse to the Country Kitchen, the local drive in restaurant and park in the back row. We will share opinions, trivia, humorous events, etc. Oh yes, I am quite sure before the evening is over we will entice someone or be enticed to go out and "run one off". Where were you in 62? If you were not born yet you can still join us and help me celebrate this wonderful day. For you see this is the day I became a member of the big leagues. This is not commencement day, that happened last week. This is the REAL graduation day, the day I became a man. The day I took delivery of the above mentioned 61 Chevy. Anyone remember the song titled We will remember always--graduation day?
I was fortunate to have has a good job lined up and again fortunate enough that I had a father willing to co-sign the note that made it's purchase possible. When dad agreed to do this, I didn't know if he would refuse when my selection became clear. He didn't bat an eye. I think he got tired of hearing me complain about the Turboglide transmission in his 60 Chev.
I know you have heard me mention, more than once, how great is was to have been alive when the performance era came off the line in 55 and why it was the "golden era along with the story of the V-8 engine that changed my life.
I have to fast forward to 1996 and share an experience that formed this opinion. I had been living in Texas a long time and while my memories of the golden era were still quite vivid, some of them had become clouded by life's ever changing events. In 1968 I got married and that was the end of the muscle car era for me. High insurance rates, government regulations, etc. finished it a few short years later for everyone else.
On a return trip to my home town, Middletown Ohio, I saw a black 63 Super Sport in a restaurant parking lot and was quick to see the 409 emblems. It had been years since I had seen one so, having a hunch I might know the lucky owner, decided to stop. While looking it over Fred Totten was waving at me to come in. It was a great reunion and of course I accepted his invitation for a little joy ride. The proceeding 10 years or so had brought performance to levels that would surpass
the vast majority of cars we see hear in on graduation day in 62. An example would be my 1993 Altima. This car with it's 146 cubic inch 4 cylinder engine would out run this 61 Chev we are sitting in tonight. I mean this little motor is a raging beast when you step on it. It has the most amazing power band curve of any car I have ever owned. But enough of that for now. The people who became adults in 96 are used to the performance of cars like this. If they were to take that ride in that 57 Chev like I took as a 14 year old they would not feel the sensation I did. They are used to this type of performance. I was used to the performance of the cars of my era. The 53 Ford being in the upper half of them just a few short years before I took that life changing ride in that 57 Chev.
What made me come to that conclusion. When Fred took me for that ride in 96 in that good running 409 I did not get the sensation that I was expecting. This is what I meant about vivid memories becoming clouded. Over the proceeding 30 years everything kind of melded together. When I stumbled on this site last Sunday and met some of you wonderful guys and found out that I lost two dear friends; Dean LaPole and Fred Totten coupled with the clouding of my vivid memories, I decided to try to impose on you young people what I experienced in the hope you have an unclouded and better understanding of what I went through. I know Dean and Fred would have wanted me to do so, and I believe inspired me to do so from above and are helping me to find the right words. As a matter of fact I thing I hear a a couple of voices singing: "geddy up geddy up sexy--baaby--jamie".
A confession and an apology is in order here. I was not going to use my Altima in the above mentioned example with a 348 but a slight bit of "grudge mentality" tempted me to do so when I was not given permission to rev it's engine on 409 day----even though it's true.
An apology must be made because after staying up all night last night trying to condense my copy into less than 10,000 spaces with so many errors left in place this old boy is going to call it a night. We will have postpone running one off for now. I'll be back soon.
no1: Don't mess with old farts...age and treachery will always overcome