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| YEAR: 1977 MAKE: Chevrolet MODEL: Camaro LT PHOTOS: September 2002 I got my driver's license in 1988. By Summer 1990, I'd been workin' full time for two years, and was needing a car in better shape than the old 1968 Buick La Sabre that had been driven up until that time. Fortunately, a search through The Recycler quickly revealed to me what became the first car I would ever buy. Equipped with power steering/brakes/windows & door locks, a 350 V-8 engine, great handling and a sporty style, The Camaro was a big step up from "Le Behemoth;" and a real deal for only $1,450. Of course, another $700 worth of repairs had to be immediately spent before it was road worthy...not to mention the costs of expired registration & late fees, new license plates, etc. Then there was the matter of new locks: the car came with only a key to the ignition (no keys for the doors & glove box; the trunk had no lock at all!); so that cost $250. Installing a car alarm ran $500; and a new stereo (which it was in dire need of) cost $450. So after greatly increasing its value, and more than doubling the amount of money paid for it, I finally had a good car to drive. I'd purchased my car two weeks after TOBY bought his 1971 Plymouth Duster. We referred to our vehicles as "AC/DC: American Cars - Duster & Camaro." Yeah; we were having fun. An added bonus was this feeling that I finally had a car which suited me and my personality, similar to how the 1970 Mach I Mustang my dad owned had fit him so well, God rest his soul. The money shelled out for it that first year was only the beginning. Don't get me wrong; this car was not a money pit. I've seen cars that have been maintenance nightmares, and am glad to say my Camaro was not one of them. Cars need maintenance, true; and I had to put out money to keep my vehicle running well--just as ya might hope any car owner would do for their automobiles. With classic cars, there are older parts which need replacing; some cheap, some expensive. And some prove to be bigger than others, with any of 'em falling into either the "necessity" or "preference" categories. Overall, maintaining my car was what kept me on the road. My dad taught me that one of the best things you can do for your car is to have wide tires, front & back, to provide better handling; so I went with 50-series BF Goodrich tires on 14" Crager Chrome Nugget rims all around...thus helping the car to sit lower, which enhanced the wide berth between the wheels. I also had air shocks installed to raise the back end, since those leaf springs that came with the car are absolutely useless. Of course, new front springs & shocks were installed long ago. And to help the car with its look, I also got the windows tinted--dark in back, and light on the doors. To appease the cops. Right. The heaviest effort came in the late '90s, which is when I had the most (expensive) work done. The old engine was starting to die, so I had a new GM 350 V-8 dropped in, along with a rebuilt 2-barrell carburator (saves gas...kinda), a four-core radiator, upgraded air conditioning system (new compressor & all), and even had the transmission rebuilt. As expected, the car that "ran like a champ" now ran like new--and continued to haul serious ass. The cost of all that work may have put me under a ton o'debt...but it was so worth it. A lot of shallow-minded people have told me that I should "save the cost of keeping an old car on the road" and just go with buying a new vehicle. Obviously, these morons have not taken into account the high, ridiculous cost of the many things that accompany purchasing a new car. I owned my Camaro; not "The Bank." I never had to worry about taking it to some kind of computer specialist to make sure the gas gauge could be read. And before Da Gubernator signed that insipid smog-exemption cut-off law in 2004 (where every vehicle Year 1976 and later will always have to be smogged from now on), I had hoped that by 2007, my Camaro would never have to go through a smog check again. Now, come onnn... Does keeping an old car on the road REALLY seem like such an expensive thing--or even a bad idea? The correct answer, kids, is: NO. Remember to tell your yuppie friends to take their heads out of their asses before they even try to talk about cars. And if you want to talk about "making a statement," think about this: Any fool can buy a new car off a lot, from a dealer, and pay through the nose for the next 3-5 years before even owning the damned thing. And, yes; your SUV with the shiny new bling-bling (spinning?) wagon-wheel rims might turn some heads. At first. But, kids; keep in mind that novelties wear off. What is "cool" now will be "so five minutes ago" by next week. Classic muscle cars are timeless; hailing from an age when smog devices did not exist. There were no gas shortages causing outrageous prices at the pump; and roads without speed limits that you could literally tear apart were abundant. Get one of these classics, take care of it, keep it in good shape...and you'll not only get noticed, but you'll earn respect for actually showing ya give-a-shit about something. So, yeah; chew on that as food for thought. And for the sake of intelligence, "VW" means: "Very WEAK!" So, BUY AMERICAN!!! |
| ~ THE OLD RIDE ~ |