Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Classic cars -what's your ride?

I have a 73 Corvette, 454 4-speed.

The factory engine is in pieces. A warmer 454 lives under the hood.

1970 VW Beetle................low mileage survivor. Very similar to the 1968 I brought back from Germany when discharged from the USAF.

I've posted this before, but here it is again!

I learned how to drive in a '68 just like that.

My closest route to a paved road is almost 2 1/2 miles and even when I drive slow with my truck to try and keep it somewhat clean, some boner face ALWAYS passes or meets me, dusting the crap out of it. lol

I don't much bother trying anymore.

One of them foreign thangs. 1985 BMW M635Csi. Motor has been massaged a little, 3.6L in-line 6, about 370 hp at the crank, 313 to the wheels.

The little Beetle is a pretty driver-friendly car.............as long as you remember a 50 year-old economy car does not have the safety of a modern vehicle.........from several angles. My 31 year-old daughter proclaimed it "very primitive". True enough I guess. But as our first new car in 1968........my young bride and I thought we were in pretty tall cotton when we bought that Beetle in Germany.

They've become quite popular as collector cars, and even daily drivers. Prices vary wildly,and they're really popular on the west coast. Good Midwest copies are harder to find...............winters and salty roads are not friendly to the bug. I searched locally for two years before price/condition coincided. Also was aided by two previous owners who kept it stored during winters, kept up maintenance and originality, and drove sparingly for a combined 42 years. So.........I'm the 3rd septuagenarian to continue that premise.

'68 Chevelle SS. The first car I ever owned when I was 17 was a '69.

I bought it 9 years ago from one of my customers. He had it for 5 years and I told him if he ever sold it that I had first dibs. Someone along the way, somewhat, half assed restored it. It looks like all of the sheet metal is in good shape with no bondo. The rocker panels is the only place with a touch of rust bubbles. It was originally Crimson Red, but they painted it Hugger Orange. I wish they painted it Red. It had a mish mash of '69 parts on it including the rally wheels, so I put the Cragars on it. I put new bumpers on it. The engine is a big block and originally was a 396, but not sure now. It originally came out of a '67 Impala SS according to the numbers on the block. It doesn't seem too radical and runs good with no smoke. It might have a little bigger cam because it has a little bit of a lope when it idles. It has developed an exhaust leak between the head and the header. My guy is gonna fix that after Christmas. I've replaced everything under the hood except for the engine it's self. Radiator, power steering pump and gear box. brake booster, distributor, wires, alternator, and fuel pump. It leaked fluid from every possible place including the valve covers, so I put new valve covers on it. Fixed all of the other leaks and now it doesn't lose a drop. Replaced all of the springs and bushings in the suspension. New Flow Master Exhaust. It came from the factory with a 2 speed Power Glide with the shifter on the tree and a bench seat. They put a 3 speed Turbo 400 in it, so I took out the bench seat and replaced it with stock buckets and the stock console and shifter for a 3 speed automatic. It has power steering and brakes with disc on the front. Replaced the brake calipers and pads. It has an independent rear, so it's "a one wheel tire fire". My mechanic said he could put Posi rear gears in it, but it's not needed because I don't run it hard. The guy before me put new carpet in it. It's only been in the rain one time while I owned it. That time, I got caught out in a thunder storm and it fried the wiring. They had it all jack legged in there, so we rewired it. I've put as much money in it as what I paid for the car. I probably have more in it than the car is worth, but I'll never sell it, so it doesn't matter