Nice stories, guys. My dad wasn't mechanical at all, but he did let me cut my wrenching teeth on his cars - mostly the '73 Ford Ranch Wagon with a 400 under the hood. When I was a senior in high school, he lent me $1,000. that I could use to buy my first car or a killer home stereo. I spent the money on my first car - a '70 GTX 440+6, 4-speed. That car changed my life, and I've been all Mopar ever since. I ended up working as a mechanic right out of high school for awhile, went to tech school for it for a bit, then gave it up as a vocation and went off to college and got a BA. My dad only made it to age 67. Next month it'll be 17 years that he's been gone. It's nice to think about all of that again with Father's Day coming up before too long. Dave --- On Fri, 5/20/11, 64-polara <wchuseby@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > From: 64-polara <wchuseby@xxxxxxxxxx> > Subject: Re: funny Dad memory > To: "The 1962 to 1965 Mopar Mail List Clubhouse" <1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Date: Friday, May 20, 2011, 2:45 PM > Hi Neal > My dad would never show me anything about repairs or > maintainance on > the cars except RH threads on the right wheels LH threads > on the left > wheels. Why, because he said one day "never become a > mechanic". He > was a mechanic for Dodge for about 40 years so all we drove > were > Dodges and plymouths. He passed away going on 27 years ago > at the age > of 60. If only he could see my 2nd polara 500 now. He never > said > anything about never getting into body work tho. I didnt > get into body > work for a career just all the detail work for this > project. I'm sure > he has been looking over my shoulder checking things out as > the car > progresses tho. He did let me buy a 61 polara convertible > with a 383, > that was safe it was the 64 with the 318 that took on a > tree one wild > and crazy night. > > > On May 20, 9:17 am, neal zimmerman <neal.zimmer...@xxxxxxxxx> > wrote: > > LOL, my last post about my Dad and the exhaust pipes > reminded me of > > this story. When I was a kid and wanted my first car I > drug my dad > > everywhere with me, because I didn't know much.I knew > I liked Mopars > > because my friend Harlan did, and dad always had them > probably because > > his first job after coming home from fighting in the > Pacific in WW2 > > was at the Dodge plant in San Leandro California. > > So anyway, one car we went to look at and that > day I learned an > > important lesson . We went to look at a 1969 AMC > Javelin SST with a > > 390 and a 4 speed. The thing was cool. I remember it > was metallic > > green with slot hole mags, all for the price of , I > believe, about > > 1500 dollars ( !!!!!) The guy threw us the keys and > told us to take it > > for a spin. I jumped in with Dad in the passenger seat > and took off > > for the back roads behind the little town the car was > from. I was > > pretty confused by the four speed, really not doing > too well with it > > and the clutch, so I had the bright idea to let dad > try it, as he was > > more familiar with 4 speeds and could drive it better, > so we could get > > a more accurate idea of how good of shape the car was > in. Big mistake. > > I pulled over to the side of the country road, and > we switched seats. > > Dad underestimated the car I guess and on a shift from > 1 to 2, just > > about sent us cartwheeling down the wet road. He > gained control of > > the car , looked a little emberassed , and just said, > " Boy, this > > things sure got a lot of power". I knew what that > meant and all hope > > began to seal over for my 17 year old mind. By the > time we got back to > > the guys place, dad had informed me it was too much of > a car for me, > > and I would kill myself. > > Moral: never let Dad test drive the car you want to > buy. Unless its > > 4 cylinder. > > Sorry about that guys, I waxed philosophic there > for a moment. I > > just lost Dad on New Years day at the age of 89, so I > guess I am still > > kind of tender about him. When people criticize me for > being a > > gearhead I always blame it on my Dad. He taught me the > basics. I > > remember him talking me through my first oil change > on a slant six. > > I'm gonna go cry now. > > Neal ZImmerman, Eugene Oregon > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > Google Groups "The 1962 to 1965 Mopar Mail List Clubhouse" > group. > To post to this group, send email to 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > 1962to1965mopars+unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/1962to1965mopars?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The 1962 to 1965 Mopar Mail List Clubhouse" group. To post to this group, send email to 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe from this group, send email to 1962to1965mopars+unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/1962to1965mopars?hl=en.