[cccbock]

The wife and I have been cleaning out closets and looking through old albums. At the risk of aging myself, it has brought back a memory to share.

While a freshman in college I dated a girl (not the wife) who had a new 1975 Camaro. It was a base model V8...I thought that car was the coolest thing in the universe. It was a killer 145HP version of the popular 350ci motor with automatic tranny. It was one of many girlfriends, but the beginning of my F-body obsession.

I didnt know too much about cars then, and I thought that car was fast. I flipped the lid on the air cleaner over the 2BBL carb so it would sound cool, and she let me buy "wide" aftermarket wheels and tires for it. I was pretty sure I was the coolest kid in town at that point.

During the two years following I became best friends with the brother of one of my frat brothers. He had a Formula 400 Firebird as a daily driver into which he had shoehorned a 454 Chevy motor. It was a 4 speed car...and there was no way to keep the rear tires from spinning on that car, even with the "oversized 50's rubber" out back. I got a fresh education about what was fast.

Just a year later he obtained a 69 Camaro that had been built to drag race. When we got it it was a low 12 second car. We wrenched on that thing night and day, until it was a respectable drag racing machine. He won the local Super Pro bracket finals and the Division with that car running 10.50's. That was 1981.

After college the Fbody obsession got put into the closet while doing the career, marraige and baby thing. It creeped out of the closet and grabbed me one day when I drove by a car lot near my home in 1994. There on prominent display position was a shiny 1969 Z/28. By the end of the day it was mine. The obsession had returned.

There's more, but this post is too long now. Hopefully we'll hear a few other Fbody memories....

bock

[CMC #37]

Those are great stories! I think I wanted an F-body since birth! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) My obsession for quick things GM was encouraged by me living near Van Nuys Blvd in the San Fernando Valley, where we had an awesome cruise back in the 70s. This deal went on 7 days a week, the best days being Wed., Fri or Saturday. The cars went about 5mph there were so many, and on heavy days the sidewalks were so crowded you could hardly walk anywhere. There were several speed shops on Van Nuys so it was a double treat for we hot rodders to go there.

My obsession was also encouraged at, of all places, my church! There was a plastic surgeon who drove an orange convertible GTO with black interior, and a teen my age that drove a Plum Crazy Purple Charger. The San Fernando valley was and is a car crazy place, and you don't have to look far to find a fellow car nut!

Then there was snakey and scenic Mulholland Drive, where I pushed myself learning to drive my semi-cool Chevy Monza, and Pacific Coast Highway where there were many sights in addition to cool metal cruising at the beach!

I did not get my first Firebird until I was in my late 20s. Hubby worked at a GM dealer as a mechanic and kept giving thumbs down to the 80s 'Birds. Finally in 1988 he gave the thumbs up and I went home with a 3 mile 1989 Formula 350. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) That was the beginning of the serious 'Bird addiction!

Here's a little somethin' that makes me remember the 80s, and also takes me back to a time that was much more care free, at least in my life....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnRwQjTYfGI

[AllZWay]

Those are great stories! I think I wanted an F-body since birth! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Me too...but I have had a passion for others as well.

Not my first cars, but in high school I owned both a '75 Triumph TR7 and a '68 Camaro SS. Wrecked the TR7 and sold the Camaro.

Then I bought a '77 TR7 that I drove through most of college while owning at different times a couple of Nissan Z-cars.

Then I bought the '96 Camaro I started doing HPDE's with Mitch, so I kept it a street car and built the '93 CMC car.

BTW... I still can't shake my interest in the Triumphs. I just bought yet another TR7...this time a convertible that I am in the process of getting ready to paint. I still own the '77 TR7, but it was pretty much destroyed by a hail storm many years ago and will be a parts donor for this newest one.

I have been considering making the '77 TR7 a 24 hours of Lemons car. It would be perfect for it.