After reading the posts everyday I think I might be one of the younger Inliners...
If so, why don't I get a V8 to drop in my '69 Camaro? Why not get a Crate V8 that will have more get-up-n-go than my old 250? Why not follow the crowd? Or get a "Tuner" car with go-faster-stripes and a big wing on a front wheel drive car?
(A Wing on a front wheel drive car? DUMB!)
Simple really...
I'm different. I never follow the crowd. I like to shock people. Plus I'm keeping the car as it was purchased, with a few mods and options thrown in...
I've read the posts about getting rid of the Slush Boxes...
I'm keeping my Powerglide too! Those things are bullet proof if you build them right. But why keep the old 250 with over 100k before the rebuild and 50k after the rebuild with lots of beat-run time on it? Well...
I rebuilt the 250 because it was cheaper than finding a 350 V8 in a boneyard and rebuilding it and not knowing who's it was, what it went through, and what problems it might give in the future. Plus my Dad talked me into keeping the 250 with tails of how L6's served him for years before V8's came out and took over.
There was 40 years between my Dad and me. He's gone now... He told me of how they hand built our family cabin in the northwoods of Wisconsin and hauled everything up with his old car, a big trailer, and an old L6 that just wouldn't quit. He told me of running the poor thing dry of oil and wondering why it was running sluggish until he pulled in for gas and checked the dipstick. A few quarts and they were back doing 70+mph up to the cabin, trailer in tow. No speed limits on HWY 51 back then...
My Mother drove me downtown to register me for school one year and threw the belt. (Back in '88) Here we are, downtown with no extra money (parents didn't believe in credit cards), and steam pouring out of the hood. She called the Shop and they told her to let it cool and drive it for a bit then let it cool again or pull over if the ENGINE light comes on. We registered me, went and fired the car up, and drove 30 minutes to the Shop. The guys were suprised that we didn't seize the motor or blow a hose. She told them that the ENGINE light never came on so she kept driving. They let it cool (It was red hot) and put on a new belt. Oil was fine, gold and smelled ok, so they didn't think we burned a bearing, and we went home.
That old L6 served me well for seven years until I blew the brake lines. I new that to save the car it HAD to be parked and restored from the ground up and it would take time. Its backed into the garage and I'm hoping to start by yanking the motor and tranny this summer then stripping the body and whatever else I can get done before winter.
I hope in a few years the garage will give birth to my resto'ed Camaro with a PHAT250Six between the fenders. Old Sixes never die... They just get modded!
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(O)2(O)5(O)0(O)S(O)I(O)X
PHAT250Six
Git in! Sit Down! Shut Up! Hang On!
And when in doubt... STICK YER FOOT IN IT!
[This message has been edited by PHAT250Six (edited 04-01-2003).]
