About me and my passion for cars

When my Dad returned from WWII, he got married and purchased a gas station in Springfield, MA. When I was born, he gave up the gas station and got a job as an auto mechanic at a local Ford dealership for better wages, job security, and some benefits. He became a good mechanic and enjoyed working on Ford trucks and '55 - '57 T-birds. He actually became the "birdman" at the dealership because he enjoyed working on them so much. When the Air Force Thunderbirds flew to Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, MA for the annual air show, the Ford dealership would loan them T-birds to drive during their 4-day visit. The press would follow them around and my Dad had his picture taken with them each year when they delivered the cars to the Air Force base. On the Monday morning after the show, the Thunderbirds would "fly by" the Ford dealership to say thanks for the cars. I remember my Dad taking me up to the roof of the dealership to wait and watch them fly overhead. What a great memory! My Dad's brother also worked as a body man at the same dealership and they built roadsters for themselves and for others until the mid-50's as a second source of income. He often talks about a '34 Ford roadster he built and owned and a Lincoln that he wishes he never sold. When I started going to school, my Dad stopped working on cars at home and he never wanted me to get involved with auto mechanics. He encouraged me to play sports and never wanted to develop my interest in working on cars. His boss let my Dad take home a '70 Firebird convertible for me to drive my girlfriend to my senior prom. When I was in college, he bought me my first car...a '65 Pontiac Tempest Custom.with a 326-cu. in. engine. It was a great car but I always wished it was a GTO. When I graduated from college, I bought a '74 Pontiac Firebird Esprit. I didn't have the extra cash to buy a Trans Am.but in '76, I traded it in for a Firethorn Red Trans Am with a 455-cu. in. 4-speed. It was my first car with a standard transmission. I can still remember driving that car out of the lot for the first time. In '79, I bought a 10th Anniversary Trans Am and in '82 I bought a '70 GTO Judge Convertible that my Dad and I restored as a father/son project. Well, we actually got a lot of help from a mechanic and body man at the Pontiac dealership. I bought my parts and had to deliver cases of beer every Friday when work was done on the goat. It was a fun project and I only wished we had done a car project when I was younger. Now, I am looking for a '51 or '52 Ford pick-up to restore. My Dad always said they were great trucks to work on and I'd like to have one more project while he is around to tell me what needs to be done. It can be an F-1, F-2, F-3, or F-4...it doesn't really matter. I think they are great looking trucks. I've been around cars my entire life and I learned a lot being around the Pontiac dealership with my Dad. My dream car is a '58 Corvette. Why? Well, my Little League baseball coach had a red one and he often gave me a ride home from practice because my house was on his way home. Some day, I hope to own one of my own. Motortopia helps you keep your dreams alive and I look forward to meeting new friends. May 2014 update: My Dad passed away this month at the age of 87. He was a great man and I loved him dearly. I always looked up to him as a role model for the man I hoped to become. We never did get the opportunity to work on our '51 or '52 Ford Pickup project that we talked about for so many years. The lesson learned is that time may not always be there for you so make the most of it when you can. Don't procrastinate what you have the means to do today. Dad fell victim to alzheimer's disease which chewed up several of the last years of his life. It came on slowly but accelerated quickly and he soon did not remember any of his background in the car industry. It was a sad end to a great man's life. I think of him every day and will continue to dream about building that Ford pickup together.

My first car

1965 Pontiac Tempest Custom

Car I wish I still had

1970 Pontiac GTO Convertible

My dream car

1958 Chevrolet Corvette

Favorites

• Type of racing: Drag Racing
• Driver: Ashley Force
• Driving song: Anything by the Beach Boys
• Car movie: American Graffiti
• Car magazine: Hemming's Motor News
• Car game: Chinese Fire Drill

— Profile last updated: Dec 3, 2014