re: Perhaps a little off topic...

All this talk of '69 Darts got me thinking about my first car - I was working at a body shop and started car shopping just before I turned 15. The first car I dragged my mother to look at was a '66 Fury, red with a big block and a 3 on the tree. The clutch chattered when engaged and I was issued a quick "no". A few weeks later I found a '57 Belvedere - I recall it was dark blue but had oxidized and looked purple. Again a three on the tree, and again clutch chatter. Another no.

One day on the way home from school I spied a red '69 Dart. A trip back revealed it was a 340 four speed car, and they only wanted $600 (1973 dollars). No clutch chatter this time... but it was loud and mom didn't like that it was a "hot-rod", That one really left me drooling...

Not long after that (I was now 15) on another trip home from school I spotted a '62 Belvedere. I got my buddy to spin around, and it was a beige '62 4 door with a slant six and pushbuttons. The owner only wanted $125, so I wasted no time retrieving the money from my underwear drawer and by the time mom got home it was parked in her spot.

I've learned a lot about dealing with women since then.

After an accident my second month driving, I parked the Belvedere in the side yard and picked up a '63 two door Belvedere sedan. An accident during a poorly timed street race retired the '63 (the Poly held her own against a 361 Belvedere), but I soon replaced her with a '62 Belvedere 2 door sedan - I had decided I really liked the '62-65 cars. Mom wasn't so fond of them, and when I turned 17 she picked me up a nice '69 Coronet, but the mold had been cast - I really, really wanted another '62-65 car. I finally got my second '63 after finishing my first two years of school at 19... and never looked back.

I often wonder what would have happened if I'd gotten one of the first cars we looked at... would I be in to C-Bodies? Finned cars? Small blocks?

As always, great conversation on here. Thanks for jogging the memories, guys :)

Steve Charette

'60 Sport Suburban (318 stock, in pre-paint assembly)

'62 Deluxe Suburban (MW project)

'62 Fleet Special (383/343, 727, in metal work)

'64 Savoy (long term project)

'64 Fury (318/727 driver)

'64 Sport Fury (MW racer project)

'67 Coronet Ragtop (383 driver, looking for a new home)

'68 Barracuda (500 ci cruiser)

'68 Fury VIP (440/727 almost ready for paint)