About me and my passion for cars

Ever since I can remember, I've been a car nut. I think it started with "Speed Racer" after school. Since my folks had Chevys while I was growing up, my interests just naturally went that way. Now, I consider myself to be kinda unconventional, so while most Chevy guys turned to 'Vettes, Camaros, and Big-Block Chevelles, I felt I had to travel the road less taken. When my Chevy II died and left me stranded one too many times, I found my first Corvair in the newspaper for $325. I've never looked back. Since then, I've had 14 of them. I've had some other stuff, too, as family needs came up. A '76 Buick Le Sabre 4-door hardtop that started its life as an unmarked Police car. The Ultimate sleeper! Two Chevelle wagons - a '70 that got us where we needed to go (and is probably worth 10 times what I sold it for by now!), and a real oddball - a '73 Laguna. When was the last time YOU saw a Laguna wagon? Didn't think so. 400 V-8 with a 4 barrel and a mid-rise manifold, turbo 400 tranny, dual exhaust with turbo mufflers, and a posi rear. This was an honest 14-second street-driven station wagon. My ex proceeded to round off all the corners over the course of one month. She parked by the Braille System. By the time she was done with it, the only straight panels were the hood and the roof.
I came to my passion for NASCAR a rather unusual way: while waiting for my mom at the dentist's office when I was about 9 or 10, I picked up an issue of Sports Illustrated and read an article about this guy named Richard Petty who just went over the million dollar mark in career winnings. Completely unheard of in the early 70's. I figured, if he can do it, why can't I? At that point, I set my sights on a career of glory behind the wheel of a NASCAR stocker. Well, it didn't turn out that way, but I still enjoy watching the sport.

My first car

'65 Chevy II 100-series 4-door. My first REAL car was a "65 Corvair Monza coupe with the mid-level engine and a 4-speed. This is the car that started me on the road to total Corvair addiction.

Car I wish I still had

"Ashley" - My 1966 Corvair Monza Sport Coupe. She was, far and away, the best of the 14 Corvairs that I've owned. 220 horses in a Corvair fooled many a Mustang at traffic lights and some very quick cars were left in the dust on back roads due to her reworked suspension.

My first - '65 Corvair Monza Sport Coupe 110/4-speed, dark green with a tan interior.

My only convertible - '65 Corvair Corsa 140 hp/4-speed, same colors as my '65 coupe!

My only Corvair wagon - '61 Lakewood 700 series. rough but very restorable. I needed the money and sold it after having it for only a month at a 300+% profit.

Two Chevelle wagons - '70 Greenbrier and '73 Laguna. The '73 was an honest 14 second station wagon!

My dream car

An authentic Yenko Stinger Corvair in mint original condition.

Car clubs I’m in

CORSA (the Corvair Society of America)
Philadelphia Corvair Association

Favorites

• Type of racing: NASCAR
• Driver: The Earnhardts: Dale (forever The Man), and Dale Jr.
• Driving song: Radar Love by Golden Earring - The all out best ever song to drive while listening!
• Car movie: The ORIGINAL "Gone In 60 Seconds"
• Car book: "The Assassination of the Corvair" by Andrew J. White. This book refutes all the B.S. first put forth by Ralph Nader in his work of fiction "Unsafe At Any Speed".
• Car magazine: Collectible Automobile

— Profile last updated: Oct 28, 2009