Oh, how the wheels keep on turning.

Whether one is a teenager or a "teenager plus a number of decades", the automobile can play a significant role in a guy's life. From "milestone" cars that evoke a bunch of memories to the more mundane "just get me around" type, I have had my share. Below is a sampling of some of my more memorable vehicles. Many others passed through my stable, but some weren't photographed, and others just came and went.

Maybe you, too Remember Then!

The three cars below, introduced on my Hobbies Page, were probably my most memorable trio. A person always recalls their first car, whether good or bad, and in my case, not so bad, especially for free. Next comes a first new car and in my case, my own purchase, not a gift. And, finally, if you are a car buff, a love affair with a 'Vette is not such a bad deal, even if it's the first thing to go in a divorce. Below those are a few others of "honorable mention" in the stable over the years of yours truly.









My second car, a '63 Impala Sport Coupe
with a 230 CID Six and a Hurst 3 speed.
Stolen from my college campus, but later recovered.
Alas, it was then owned by the insurance company so I didn't get it back.
Then came a '64 Impala Super Sport
with a 283 V8, bucket seats & a console, and a factory 3-on-the-tree (no kiddin').
A car made for back seat bingo.
This '63 came with a 230 CID Six, but quickly got
a 283 V8. It had a 3 speed on the column, too.
My 70 year old grandmother even drove it for awhile. It cleared 200K on the clock.

This '69 Impala Convertible was the toy that came before the '74 Vette.
It sported a 300 HP 350-4V & TH400, factory A/C, and more.
While stored for the winter, it was damaged during a building fire and then restored.
The '79 Caprice was quite a cruiser,
It had a 350-4V, TH350, 3.08 rear, and it loved gasoline.
My second new car was kind of a family car that never gained a family to carry around.



This little old '48 CJ2A could plow some snow, buzz through the woods, and climb the side of a wall.
A flathead 4 cyl with a 3 speed and 5.34 gears, it was powered by gas - while I was usually powered by Jack Daniels Black Label while driving it!
That awful grey & red got covered with dark brown, applied by good old spray cans.




This '80 Chevette (along with my 'real' Vette), moved to Florida with me in 1981. It was a basic, straight-shift, no A/C, transport special - no frills.
Florida heat demanded air conditioning, so the little 'Vette gave way to this '77 Grand Prix. I swapped even for this "lead sled". Huge, gas guzzling mill with lots of power. A highway cruiser.




This 1980 Pontiac Grand Lemans, 4 door "Grandpa Car" was as good as it got right after my divorce in 1985.
Hey, it ran and was paid for, but all the toys were gone.
The "Grandpa-Mobile" gave way to this 1983 Monte Carlo.
It was not a bad-ass V8 like the "Number 3",
but it was certainly better than the '80 Lemans.



By 1987, I was getting on my feet financially,
so a sporty Camaro came along.
It was a fuel-injected 305 with a 5 speed. Not a bad ride.
I had it when I met and started dating my present wife.




In 1990, I bought this '88 S10 Durango, 4.3 liter V6 with a 4 speed automatic.
I was now a "pickup man".
It hung around until 1997, when it said goodbye with over 150K on it.
This '97 Sonoma continued the 4.3/auto combo, but I moved to the "extended cab" era. It had a beige interior with bucket seats and shift selector in the console. I would trade this one in when it had about 35K on it.




In January 2000, I bought this '00 Sonoma, 4.3 liter V6 with a 4 speed automatic. It was a duplicate of the '97. I really couldn't stand the dark blue with a black interior. I got rid of it with less than 4K on the clock.
This '01 Sonoma continued the 4.3/auto combo, coming in September of 2000. Shift selector on the column & a 60/40 seat, it had a pewter interior. It departed with just under 50K on it. GMC had stopped making Sonoma pickups, so I bought the GMC Canyon pictured below.



This '53 was purchased in Florida in the late 90's from the son-in-law of the original owner and had only 38K on the clock.
Another 235 CID stovebolt & 3 speed stick, much like the very first one I owned. It has since moved on.




This 2004 GMC Canyon is my current everyday mode of transport.
I've become lazy, relying on an automatic transmission. Economy is better, as power is from a 3.5 liter I5 all-aluminum engine.
Creature comforts such as A/C, power windows & locks, and a CD player are standard these days.

Gone are those days of no air, crank windows, clutches, and so forth,
and so is some of that yesteryear automotive romance.


Picked up these old jewels here in Tennessee to roam the woods & wheel with. Still have the 2004 GMC, but use the old Blazer as the daily driver most of the time.

1988 T10 Blazer

1989 XJ

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