Burgh just spotted your reply & I think Anthony will excuse us for mudding up the water here .
Buddy my life is like a cookie cutter of sorts to yours, Girlfriend late my fault we are still married and have raised 4 children (2 boys 2 Girls= B 26/G=25/G=22/B=19)
I used to get calls at her house on date "in" nights from my buddies in town when a stray Duster or Tang showed up in 1974/1975 to check up on my Chevelle SS396's reputation as a BAD street machine. So I would leave her and held into town to show some upstart what my taillights looked like. (I figured she musta loved me to put up with my antics)
I could grind on this keyboard all night with stories of those days but gotta go sell Buick Parts in the AM so here is the Readers Digest version and will elaborate later.
I am a March of 1954 producton model (3/20/54)
First car I drove Dad's Desota Fireflite 2 Dr Hdtop 361 with a pushbutton Torqueflite auto and the giant winged fins on the rear. This car had more windshield and rear glass than metal roof so it was sorta ahead of it's time in some respects styling wise.
I won the first race I every ran in that Mopar simply reved up the 361 to about 4 grand and pushed in the "1" button when the stop light turned green I beat a 64 Galaxie with a 390 who was sitting in gear and being powerbraked in drive.
Next car I drove was a 67 Olds Delmont 88 with a 425 Rocket
then a 62 Impala 327 4V with three on the tree (this one was all mine)
Next a 1963 Impala SS 409 body with a 327 (I could not find a 409 to rebuild for it in my area)
Then a 1965 Impala SS 327/300hp that could really roll for a big car (It was still not enough)
Next a 1965 Goat with a 389 4V 4 speed which was getting the full speed upgrade until I found the love of my auto life
A southern Kentucky 1968 Chevelle SS 396 with a blown engine and the factory floor console with the gated shifter and factory tach in the dash the one that had a needle that moved up and down with engine RPM's complete with a tilt wheel and Red exteriior and black guts. I found a 1971 LS-5 454 to repower and we were on our way !
My 22 y/o daoughter needs to college work so I am off
(To be continued)