About me and my passion for cars

Well there is not much to say about me personally except that I'm a girl and I try to think outside of the box when it comes to cars. For me bigger and blingier is not always better, but that does not mean I'm a stock car junkie either. Honestly, I can't keep anything stock. I guess that is pretty evident from my cars... LOL...

I think back to what got me into cars. I can't pin point anything in particular. My dad was not really a car guy. He tinkered, but that was about it. He used to bring home hot wheel cars for me though. Nothing really got me into cars except sitting there watching Knight Rider and wishing real cars could do cool stuff like that. But it was ultimately wanting a car that was unique like KITT with a personality. Though it seems every fbody owner has to bring KITT into it sometime. LOL... 2000 is when I really dove into modifying my bird for shows.

When I'm working on ideas for my cars and others, I like to blend ideas from all types of car groups. From street rods to muscle cars, and yes, even those pesky annoying imports can lend some ideas. For me there is something to learn from every type of car out there.

Since I have been showing for many years, I can get pretty bored at car shows. Seems you see a lot of the same old same old. I like to walk around and get fresh ideas though. Something I have never seen before can always trigger an idea. Mind you different is not always better, but if you work it right the changes can flow together quite well. My ideas keep evolving with each car I see and each project I gain a better understanding for the ultimate goal.

I had to learn early on that if you don't have a current model car, you can forget about any real aftermarket choices. And since there are so few choices you see the same thing over and over. So I had to learn if they do not make it, then make it yourself. Adapt and use what is already out there. The best reward has come from doing things myself, without paying a shop. Seems I have higher standards then most shops do, especially when it comes to not chipping or messing up the paint and interior when the car does have to go for service. The inadvertent damage my car always received was the main reason I gave up allowing shops to do anything. Its also nice the keep the money too!

Then I gained a few more strays along the way.
*I have an engine-less 1976 Scout II that is in need of a full restoration. A vehicle I always wanted to build myself.
*An engine-less 82 TA. It was a junkyard rescue. Don't have a power plant for it anymore, as it grew legs and got used in another car (NOT MINE).
*A 87 Pulsar that was mistreated with a broken timing belt. Now thanks to my luck... it has an engine in pieces thanks to a dog running off with the plastic divider i had all the bolts in... Yes all... So that is going to take a trip to the junk yard or some time at the dealer to get all the right bolts.
*Then I have my 90 Chevy Dually that had its engine and tranny stolen. Though I have a 500 caddy motor ripe and ready as soon as I get the right tranny for it.
*Then there is the Fiero. It was a field mouse left for years, neglected. But I got it running.
*But the one that started everything was my 87 Firebird. It was my first car and the one that I have done the most with.

I think the one thing I get ragged for the most is the fact that I kept the car what it was... V6 based. Well what started as a need to keep the car running as it was my daily driver, then morphed into the need to prove a point. The more I was told I was an idiot for keeping the V-6 the more I pushed to get something extra out of the motor. I had to prove the V-6 platform could actually do more then people thought. The starting point was swapping to the 3.4L with a basic cam & doing my own intake manifold and head porting job. The real triumph was adding a 3 inch exhaust that actually gave gains after I was told it would not work. Then I got a custom one off intake manifold that added 40 ft lbs of TQ. All this while retaining the stock chip, thus a horrible tune. I have a NOS kit, but have never fired it. Now I have further ported the heads and lower intake and can't wait to see the gains. Then I will get it all dialed in with a custom chip and see what can really happen.

The car got taken down to do some improvements and the paint in the engine bay did not turn out well. So it was all about waiting for a painter to take the repair on. After waiting for some painters to make some time, the economy tanked. Without a job the car has had to sit. Hopefully once I get a stable job I can get the bird back on the road and see what gains I got from the last bit of work.

The focus then rolled to the Fiero. It was left in a field for years. Basic improvements were what the doctor ordered and I got the car back on the road. Being a neglected Fiero its been a roller coaster keeping it on the road, but with every challenge come more knowledge.

Then I met my spouse and I gained an 2003 Mustang and 2003 Civic for the garage. So with my Firebird down the Mustang got the car show attention and has become quite a show piece. It has received quite a bit of magazine coverage.

Sadly all the cars have to wait on my monetary position to get back in order

My first car

1987 Pontiac Firebird (the one I still have). The first one I drove was a Buick Skylark.

Car I wish I still had

I would have loved to hang on to my Mom's gold convertible Buick Wildcat. I had the racing engine and really packed a punch for an older car. Man I miss that car. I wish I could track it down. Now that I show cars I really could have done a lot with it now.

My dream car

Well I'm not into exotics since its not something you can drive and enjoy everyday. I would love to get a Sky and put and LS1 based engine in it. Now that would surprise some people. Another dream toy would be a Cadillac XLR with a ZR1 drive train swap. But I dream that GM will get it right one day and bring back the Firebird/TransAm.

Car clubs I’m in

ACFA, GAFBA... Well once the bird is back in play.

Favorites

• Type of racing: Autocrossing
• Driving song: anything with bass and a good beat
• Car movie: Transformers (New Camaro)
• Car magazine: Anything I can learn from be it mechanical or body/interior mods
• Car game: Wii Mario cart... LOL....

— Profile last updated: Jan 9, 2012