The one that started it all for me

[Marv D]

1969 my Dad rolls in the driveway with this 1950 five window built on a 3/4 ton chassis. Says "I found this in a car lot,, what do you think"


(my uncle was home on leave from Nam sitting on the back)

This thing was clean,, he opens the hood and this 15 year old kid starts having orgasms and drooling like a slobbering drunk..... In the glove box is the receipt from a SoCal Chevy dealer for the L84 replacement long block, but in place of the FI the builder had a GM aluminum intake and a 750 Holley. (my first vehicle was a solid lifter 11:1 small block,, what did you expect )
The old man said,, They want $1250 for it. I'll co-sign for the loan if you want to buy it. Mind you I'm barely 15 and have to make payments on this thing and ride around with the old man hot-rodding the CRAP out of it for nearly 3 months before I get a Az learners permit to drive (escourted) ,,, and then another 6 months of sneeking it out when the parents were gone. LOL Story finally comes out,, he had already bought it, but knew my Mom was going to go ballistic if she found out he bought another toy,, LOL (he had a 68 442 and a 67 Caprice BBC 4spd)
So he had to find some way for 'ME' to buy it. If he had only knows what he was stating.. <grins>

Made my first trip down Tucson Dragway before I even had a license. My buddy Bob Larno got the truck through 'AHRA tech' which was seriously a JOKE back then. Not knowing how to 'drive' at the track I was lucky it clicked off a mid 14 after Kevin Roddy told me "kid,, quit spinning the dam tires, it'll be a lot faster"![/url]

The 8 lug 16" split rims didn't offer much availability for rubber, but the old 3/4 ton rear end was definately up to the task of sending the truck tires up in SMOKE for as long as I cared to hear the little 327 buzzing 7000+. Weak link was the little Sag. 3spd trans with overdrive unit (from the chevelle I6 and / wagons) Wow I could shread tho OD unit at the drop of a hat (err umm clutch!) But be nice to the trans, get it into 2nd gear and this thing was a terror in NW Tucson through the mid 70's (until a 'friend' stole it and stripped it out,, never did recover all of the drivetrain,, and all he got was a couple years probation,, and a SERIOUS beatdown! actually MANY!)

Just thought I'd share. Found this old picture in some of my mothers stuff. Couldn't help but think,, WOW the one that started it all!!!