[OAC_Sparky]

August 89:

Personal: I was 22. Married 4 months to my first wife, no kids yet, living in an apartment in Windsor. 140 pounds, cut, hair down past my shoulders and a moustache.

Personal x2: Fighting off said wife's married best friend who wanted banged on the side and figured I was "safe" since I was married.

Work: Working in Windsor Engine Plant #1, on the major repair line. If an engine failed Hot Test I would tear it down, figure out what was wrong, and either rebuild it or disassemble it to salvage the parts. I did the equivalent of building 2-4 engines a day in an 8 hour shift.

Car: 1972 Gran Torino Sport. 351W 4V that I hand built, Crane Cam, Holly 650 double pump, ported and polished, Edelbrock timing gears and intake, forged rods, roller rockers, convert to electronic ignition; B&M transmission, 3.50 gears. Mickey Thompsons on the back on a set of Cragar 5-spoke mags.

The engine put down 350HP, which for back then getting nearly 1HP per cubic inch was pretty good. For a 4000 pound car to get 0-60 in 6s flat and pull all the way to 120MPH was incredible too. Don't forget that it only had 3 gears and no fuel injection.

Looked like this, except it was canary yellow:


I wish I still had that car; it could pass anything except a gas station and a cop with a radar gun (which is why I'll never buy a yellow car ever again.)