Get your car and story into the next Tire Tracks

[gmcferon]

Guys and gals, get your stories in print. I am looking for stories about your car, your car club or any event related to the TriFives. We have over 10,000 members out there now and I want to hear from you. Most of us gearheads are not the best spellers, or are not grammiticly correct let alone politicaly correct. I am looking for stories, from story tellers, most of us are good story tellers so lets have your stories, short long or just a bunch of pictures with explinations. I want to know what is going on in your area, with your car and with you.

Write something up, I will clean it up if I need to. get your story and car in the next Tire Tracks.

Submitting your stories and pictures gives me authorization to edit it for use in Tire Tracks the TriFive.com official newsletter. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

[35YR57]

I emailed/submittied my story to editor@trifive.com
I tried to PM it but i exceeded the max text for PM's.

[Shua57]

Let me tell you about the time I spent a night in the drunk tank.............lol.
Josh

[gmcferon]

Were you driving your 57 when you got there? Thats a good story

[airmentbob]

here's but just one of the many stories with the 55 known as "Christine aka Rat Schtick". Well basically i had been driving the car for months daily, with a few cruises around 50 miles so i figured the car was pretty road worthy. At the time i was running a fresh 355 small block, gear drive, flex fan, mallory dual point distributor, 5 speed, with 40 series flowmasters so the car was pretty loud and had some decent snap to the throttle with the gears i was running. Back to the story...so i invited a girl to roll with me to the local classic car show. The first thing i hear out of here mouth as she stepped out of her front door was that she got into a car accident once upon a time. And mumbles something about how she doesn't like my ride because she thinks it's going to break down because it's old. The next few lines out of her mouth are, "it's going to break down and leave us stranded it always happens to me." We roll through the streets and make it there in about 20 minutes plus or minus. Naturally we walk around and i scope out all the classics trifives that were present looking for any new ideas i could utilize. An hour passes and she gets bored so I decide to bounce and drop her off. So we take off down the road. Ten minutes into the cursing again, the car shuts off in mid traffic at a light after a big pop sound. I turn the key a few more times and it sputters and more loud bang noises from the exhaust. i knew i didin't throw a rod this time so I figure it's related to the ignition system somehow. So i get out and set up to push my car out of traffic. I just happen to be in the inside lane with a 3300 lb car and of course I can get no help from the scared passenger, so i start pushing by myself and eventually get enough momentum to turn the next corner and get off the main intersection after a few cars swerve around me and cut me off. Sure enough i get "I told you so". Eventually i get a tow truck to pick me up and her brother comes to get her. The dual point distributor blew up one of the copper strips to the points. it became a single point. the point of my story goes as is...if a chick curses your ride, tell her to get out and check if the brake lights work and then proceed to do a smoking burn out and leave, hopefully she'll get the hint. Since then, no curses and no problems with Rat Schtick formerly known as Christine.

[stoly]

It was 4 and a half years ago when my wife and went on a cruise from Fla., I had saved up $25000 in cash and few months after the vacation I was looking to buy my second 55 of my life when I went to look at the first car. When I got back from looking at the car my wife made me a martini, when I was done with it she broke the news that she was pregnant. She said to buy the car anyway (she knew how much I love cars and wanted to buy a 55 again). I told her it would be selfish to spend the money with a new kid on the way. I put the car on hold for another 2 years and bought it December 29 2007. She is the best wife anyone could ask for. P.S I had a little girl that we named Lily. Stoly

[John T]

Very cool Gary.

I will be writing you up something hopefully before the new year.
it's no show car, but has gone through a major transformation.

-john

[35YR57]

Here is the one i submitted, should anyone want to read...


Somewhere around 1971, in Buffalo New York, my dad was searching for a tri-five car. More specifically, a 1957. One day, a friend of his claimed he had spotted one sitting in a yard, next to a house, not to far away. He was unsure if it was for sale, but encouraged my dad to go take a look anyway. So that he did.

Immediately upon arriving at the address my father was given, he spots the 57” sitting off to the side, with the front end raised due to the lack of an engine. He also spotted a man sitting on the front porch of the house the car resided at. Without further delay, my father approaches the man, inquiring about the car. After talking for a few minutes, the owner revealed that it was his project car. He had a big block engine he was going to put in it. He had big plans for it, until one day, someone stole the engine he had sunk all his money into. He gave up, and let the car sit.

Once this information was revealed, the next words out of my dad’s mouth were “do you want to sell it?” The owner responded very quickly with “sure”. When asked how much he wanted for it the owner replied “Just give me enough for a six pack, and it’s yours”. Without delay, my dad took out his wallet, and gave the man enough for a case…ten dollars. The owner signed everything over to him, and he towed the car away right then and there.

Dad gave himself 2 weeks to get the car running and driving, and that he did. He found a 283 engine out of an early 60’s Chevy, and dropped it in. He converted the three on the tree to 3 on the floor. He patched the Swiss cheese like floor with whatever he could find…from scrap pieces of metal, to “flammable” signs. He even put parts on the car that were from other cars, like a grill from a 1953 corvette. Before he knew it, the deadline arrived. He was done. It was a driver.

Over the course of the next 2 or so years, he drove it less and less. He worked on it here and there. Then ultimately, around 1973, he parked it in his barn, where it sat until the mid 80’s. For some reason, he felt the need to see if he could get it running after all those years of sitting. He was successful…I remember vividly being about 8 or 9 years old, and him taking me for a ride in it around his yard. I remember the weekends I spent at his house, I would be in the garage with cleaner and rags, cleaning the only side of the car, not covered with boxes and misc. junk and polishing the stainless trim. I even remember waxing the one side. I was in love with this car since as far back as I can remember. I always had a “vision” for it. He never did put it back on the road. In fact, after he proved to himself he could get it running, and drove it around his yard a couple times, he parked it back in the barn, never to see daylight again until approximately 23 years later, in August of 2008. Over the 35 or so years the 57’ sat in my dad’s garage, he was given the chance to sell it a number of times…to which he replied “no, it’s my sons”.

2008 was a rough year for my self. I went through a divorce earlier in the year, and lost my job not long after. Not being able to keep up with the bills due to unemployment, I was being forced to sell off my pride and joy 1985 Mustang in lieu of not losing my house. Tinkering with cars is my meditation. My garage is my sanctuary. Going out to the garage was a great way for me to forget about my problems and worries. Without my car, what was I to do? If it wasn’t for the love and support of my girlfriend, I would not have gotten through it….and if it wasn’t for my best friend who reminded me of something, I would not be writing this today.

He reminded me about my dads 57’. My dad always told me since as far back as I can remember, that the 57 would be mine some day. He was always talking about how he wanted to restore it. He never had the time, and I know, though he said it, and though he wanted to…he wouldn’t. So with my nerves in a knot (he is not the easiest man to talk to, let alone ask for something), I called him up. I asked if it were possible for me to bring the 57 back to my house, and start working on it since he lives over an hour away. To my surprise he said “when do you want to pick it up?" I almost fell over. He actually gave it to me. Within a week, I picked it up, and brought it home for the restoration process. Finally, I had something to tinker with once again! Not only that, but I finally got the chance to work on something I have wanted my whole life. Within the first week, I was gung ho. I had the car completely stripped, and the body off of the frame all out of my 1 car garage, by myself. It was great!

Fast forward a couple months to November. Still not having a job, and no money to buy parts, there was nothing more I could do to the car. In fact, I hadn’t touched it since getting the body off of the frame. The time came, when I had to sell my house. I simply ran out of money and options. I felt relief and sadness at the same time…relief from not foreclosing, and sadness because it was my first house. To my surprise, the house sold within 2 weeks, and I got more then I was asking! Things were looking up. The new owners moved in fast, while I moved into my girlfriend’s apartment. The new owners let me keep the car in the driveway until I could find a place to store it, worried it may have to go back to my dads.

After chatting with my better half, we decided to buy house since she was employed and I made out good on my house. This would be her first home and I knew I couldn’t be unemployed forever. We found one rather quickly. It was perfect for us! The house was beautiful, but what's more beautiful were the garages. A 2 car attached, and a 2.5 car detached behind it. Even more surprising, was when we first walked through the place to take a look at it. Looking into the garages, I discovered a 1957 Nomad being restored and a pile of 57’ parts. In the other garage, were more 57’ parts and 57’ posters hanging on the walls. It was an omen. I never felt so at “home” The previous owner of the house was obviously a 57’ nut. We put in an offer right away. It was accepted. Later I found out the previous owner had 3 57’s. 1 hardtop and 2 nomads! I finally had the proper place to restore this beauty. The previous owner built the back garage around restoring 57’s! The timing and circumstances could not have been more perfect. It was meant to be.

I have been living in the new place for about 8 months now, have a great new job and after making the garage a little more functional for me and my tools, I am finally getting back to working on the 57. Just over a year from when I first picked her up and tore her down. Dad gave me 2 years to get it done, because he wants me to drive him around while he is in the back seat with his friend, and a “case”. I am giving myself 2 years to get it done, because well, I just want to enjoy the car with my dad.

[airmentbob]

pretty heavy story, good story though in the sense that it seems to be all working out for you. the car has been around the family for some time, which brings nostalgia into the picture. good luck with the 57 and have fun wrenching, you are right on about wrenching on classics and meditation.

[Sweden]

Great story Joe.

I just went back to your tread and you are making great progress.