Your Automotive Journey

I was giving some thought to what brought me here. To this hobby. To this place. To this forum. It brought me back to the beginning. My journey as a gearhead. A car junkie. My automotive journey. Share your journey. Where you came from in the automotive world? What and who got you interested? Who taught you? What was your first project? What were some of your formative experiences? What brought you to TacomaWorld?

 

I remember cars before I remember people. I mean, not before my parents, but before childhood friends. Dad’s first car that I recall was bought used in 1974-ish, a 1970 Oldsmobile 442. 455, 4Speed, dark green metallic (there were two greens that year, don’t know the paint code). I recall going to the used car lot. It was raining, Dad still crawled under the car (ironically, it always leaked oil). We took it home. At the time, I had no idea what that car was, what it meant in muscle car history, certainly not what it would be worth. We used that as our family daily driver for years. Dad took it to work. Mom took it to the store. Dad took it racing at Atco Speedway with his brother in his 1965 442. I remember coming home one day to our row home in Philadelphia in the Olds. Just me and Dad. Pulled up and an egg burst against the passenger window. I barely had time to think before the Olds big block pushed me back in the seat and Dad took off to chase (or scare) the perpetrators. This was the moment. The moment I felt and understood torque and horsepower and speed and acceleration and burnouts. This moment changed my life.


My uncle was a mechanic and ran his own shop for years I hung around his garage after work several nights a week. He never failed to drop a bit of helpful advice. Sometimes simple things like you develop steady hands carrying a drainpan full of oil when you are the one who has to clean it up. Sometimes more important things, like never take chances with steering or brakes. Anything on a vehicle can fail without tragedy, but steering and brakes need to always work. I carry his lessons with me and tried to pass them along when I can.


My first car was a 1967 Ford Thunderbird 2 door Landau. 390 4 barrel, c6 automatic. Dad and I bought it $500. Interior looked new. Body looked straight, but was in primer. We did body work (poorly). Replaced the head gaskets (big block Ford intakes are HEAVY). Chased vacuum leaks and rebuilt power window motors. This is the car I would buy back should I find it again.


There were a few vehicles after that. A 1985 Merkur Xr4ti (saw an indicated 150 one night). 1992 Jeep Wrangler (first new car). 1996 Ford Ranger (ate transmissions). 1985 Honda Nighthawk S 700 (first bike), 2001 Triumph Sprint RS (first bike wreck).


In 2003 I bought a Toyota Tacoma SR5 Double Cab. Bought this on the way to put tires on the Ranger. I was early for my appointment and stopped in Del Toyota. Little red came home with me. Drove it stock for a while until I joined TW. Went from a spacer lift to Full OME set up with TC UCAs. Welded on sliders, Trail Gear front bumper and trimmed the hell out of it to fit 33’s. The only thing I ever paid someone to do on that was front end alignments. Taught my daughter how to drive in it (on and off road). I was driving a lot for work them. Truck was a beast off road. Not so good on road. So it went to a nice guy in Oklahoma. I hear it’s in Arkansas now. I used nearly every lesson I had learned building that truck. I’ve even managed to help a few people on TW from that time.



Along the way, I got to help some great people on some great projects. My mechanic is an avid drag racer and I’ve gotten to help work on the dragster and Camaro. I’ve helped friends rebuild engines, suspensions, whole vehicles. Been to a ton of car shows (got to judge one) and swap meets. Point being, from the time Dad bought that cast-aside Oldsmobile in the 70’s cars have been a part of my life. It’s one of the only things I truly enjoy. Looking at cars, talking about cars, working on cars. Cars have brought me on my journey. With all of that, I ask that you tell me about your automotive journey. Where did you start? What happened along the way? Who or what formed you?


I look forward to your stories.

 

1981 Honda CM400A (93-98)
1988 Chevy Corsica (98-99)
1989 Chevy Berreta (99-02)
1981 Chevy Corvette (02-05)
2006 Toyota Tacoma (05-??)