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

I grew up in the Detroit suburbs. There was a guy that lived a few houses down, I was about 8 or 9, he was in his teens and a real ass to us kids, but he had a bright yellow 2nd gen camaro that I thought was cool. But a few streets over there was a guy with a brand new 2nd gen firebird, it had the side by side dual headlights, bird on the hood, machine turned gauge panel, and that factory 2 tone faded silver paint job. I don't know how many times I rode clear over there to stare at it. Im back to being a camaro guy now, but it all started with that firebird. I have actually wondered if that car is why I fell so madly in love with the LT1 4th gen (see headlights left), headlights look just like the 77-78 firebird front end. Coincidence?

Not an F-Car, but the wife and I went and watched Clint Eastwood in "Torino" a few weeks ago.

It made me long for my 73 Torino GT. It had a 351C-4V and I won a few races and lost a couple things, including a race or two in that car, if you know what I mean.

Mine wasn't an f-body either but I'm obviously still a Pontiac guy. Mine was a 1971 GTO with a 400 and your basic bolt on stuff but like most gear heads I couldn't leave well enough alone and dropped in a warmed over 455. One buddy had a 69 Camaro and the other a 69 SS 396 Chevelle. We were the three musketeers and it is flat out a miracle that we didn't kill ourselves or someone else. Good times but man we were pretty dumb with some of the stuff we pulled.

Those are great stories! I think I wanted an F-body since birth! 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. 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

Bought the one family owned 327, 3 speed, deluxe interior including speed warning indicator 69 Camaro in 1985; it's sitting in the garage as we speak.

Of course the 383/6 speed combo is a little more fun...

I've owned 2 F-bodies in my life. The first one was my first car when I was 17....
http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq169/z...pg?t=1236087980
1980 Firebird with a 231 V6. It was a dog but I felt cool in it. This probably had something to do with the fact that I was raised on Smokey and the Bandit movies. I only had it for less than a year because I had so many problems with the carb and chassi rust. Traded it for an 84 Fiero SE. I know I wasn't too bright back then.
Fast forward 10 -12 years and I picked up my 94 Z28 in 05 with 28k miles on it...
http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq169/z...pg?t=1236087748
Still have that one.

My first car was a 1970 1/2 Camaro. Loved that car in high school. Always DROVE in my friends Volkswagen Bug, because $5 would get you a week in that car, and PARKED my car somewhere when we wanted to look cool, cause $5 would get you down the street in that car.....even back then.....:-)

My addiction started innocently enough....my older brother had an 87 IROC and used to take me to the local drag races in it. Had more fun getting there and back than actually watching the races. Picked up a gently used bright red 88 Firebird when I was 17...let's see that would have been in 92. Mysteriously enough my high school popularity and "dating life" picked up considerably around the same time. Like Mitch, I lost many things in that car, not all of them to Mustangs . Best friend at the time had a 91 Camaro....still amazed I lived through that period. Kept the Firebird through college, did a bunch of bolt-ons and eventually sold it to pick up a 92 Camaro. Raced the ever-living-bejeezus out of that car on the street for several years (wasn't terribly fast but I had a lot of fun with the 'ol 305) and then sold it to a good friend to buy my current car - 97 30th Anniversary SS (came with a 6psi blower when I bought it....walked away from a great deal on an LT4 Vette to get it....just couldn't pass this car up). Had it for 9 years now...I know every bolt, washer, and plastic thingy by name and can't see ever parting with it. If I have my way it will one day go to my son and become a family heirloom for generations to come.

As I read this, I'm realizing that I'm 34 now and have been driving these cars since I was 17....oddly that's 17 years spent driving the "same" car it took 17 years to be able to drive in the first place. Hmmm...not sure what to make of that but it still feels good so I guess I'll keep doing it

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.

I started w/ a 68 camaro w/ a firebird taillight set on it. 8 months later, got rearended. It was totalled, and we went shopping. My Stepdad found a 68 firebird, burnt orange w/ a white interior. The best part: 400, 4 speed! Ran the hell out of that car. A little more than a year later, I had to share the car w/ my younger brother when he got his license. Rather than that, I sold my 1/2 to him. I got a couple not so great cars and missed the Firebird badly.

2 years out of high school, saw an ad for a 67 Nova SS. Drove it daily for 2 years and parked it in November 1983. She sits in my garage now, waiting for an LS6 swap and new paint. After my youngest is out of the house (a few years) it will be time.

I still have a soft spot for the Sunset Orange cars being sold today.