some have one, some have two, i have THREE gone before their time stories
story 1:
I got for an early graduation from high school gift my first car a clean, low millage rust free 1980 Chevrolet Malibu classic coupe. this car literately belonged to a 'little old lady who only drove the car to the church on Sunday'. it was hideous 'elephant hide' gray with a gray vinyl top and matching gray vinyl molding on the sides. it had a bench seat with column mounted shifter. and of course it had white wall tire with imitation bolt on wire wheel covers that were removed with a tool (gotta love GM and those
). the ONLY saving grace on this car besides the fact that it was a coupe not a sedan was what was under the hood. it had a 305 V8 with a aluminum eldebrock intake manifold (name was stamped on it) and a holley four barrel carb under the stock air cleaner. we found out that her grandson did this to the car to give it more oomph
. I left it stock for a while, the only thing i did was remove the wire wheel covers and replaced them and the steel wheels with a set of ralleye rims off a early 80s monte SS and white letter tires from bf goodwrench. over the summer i saved some money and we gave it a minor restoration. me and my dad pulled off the 'rubber roof' and side trim and most of the chrome (we left the wheel well trim and trim around the head and tail lights. and we painted it 78 corvette silver anniversary metalic silver with a black pin strip. after we moved to florida it was totaled by a guy who ran a red light and spun me into a ditch on the side of the road. this 'waste of space' who was driving a old Bronco or a Blazer saw that i was getting out of the car and TOOK OFF!!. of ALL the cars i have had over the years this was the ONLY one i REALLY want back. I had BIG plans for that car, putting a 350 and updating the interior as well.
RIP 1980 Chevrolet Malibu Classic aka the 'gray ghost'
1979-1993
story 2:
I was living in Florida and still never really got over the loss of my baby (check story numero uno). I found a piece of crap Plymouth turismo duster coupe it didn't look bad but it was a real lemon. my dad who worked at a local nursing home knew of an old gentleman who had a clean low millage truck i may be interested in. it was mint cond 1986 Toyota SR5 extended cab 4x4 pickup. it looked EXACTLY like the truck Michael J Fox had in the Back to the Future movies (which is my all time favorite film check my screen name
). i bought it off him for about 2 grand and i loved this truck. not a BIG need for a 4x4 in eastern Florida but i did not care it was "Marty's truck". I took it to shows and everybody loved it. I even got the KC light covers for the roll bar and grille guards too. Well a year or so after I got it me and my mom and my brother who were ahead of me in her car a nice olds 88 LSS sport sedan that she LOVED. were on a back roads route in west or regular Virgina on our way to spend the holidays with our family in NY. it was slippery and i hit a patch of bad slush covered ice and i started fishtailing and i went off road striking a mile marker that you see every 10th of a mile. and then spun out 180 degrees on the side of the road i did not come to a complete stop before i fell on my side and ROLLED down the side of the road 4 or 5 times
. my mom and my brother slammed on the brakes and pulled over and ran over to me. i was still belted in but i was on my right side, i unbuckled the belt still a little dazed that i forgot i was on my side and well gravity took over and i ended up in the passenger side. they had to use a tow truck's winch to get me onto my wheels and pull me back to the side of the road and get me out. i inspected my truck and surprisingly the only damage to the truck was the front where i hit the marker and the drivers side door an fender and part of the cab roof (NO broken glass) we were able to replace the headlight that was shattered but we drove a few miles before i realized something was wrong and we pulled to a gas station and i climbed under the truck and me an my brother saw that MOST of the damage was in the frame and where the bed and cab were attached to the frame. we had to leave the truck there and i went on with my mom and him in her car. we went back after the holidays to get the truck brought to Florida and the body shop guys said it was basically totaled it would cost way to much for me to repair it so i had to take my plates and my stereo from it and leave it. i found out later on somebody bought it and repaired some of the damage and uses it for a off road truck for his hunting.
RIP 1986 Toyota SR5 4x4 aka "Marty's truck"
1985-1997
story 3:
I was living in my current location of Jamestown NY, moved back from Florida it was just too crazy traffic wise and could not afford to live there anymore. at the time i was driving the NICEST car i have owned. a 1995 Ford Thunderbird 40th anniversary edition that was loaded with leather, sunroof and the same 4.6 OHC V8 that was in the current mustang. it was nice for Florida where it is sunny year round but in western NY where it has brutal winters and i have a lot of hills (Florida is MOSTLY flat) my car was not practical for it being rear drive and heavy. I was looking in the auto trader and i saw a nice 95 monte carlo and a very nice 96 grand prix coupe in Seneca (near where dragoneye is i believe) at a place called Liberty Motors. I was not planning on buying a car as i have a friend who is a dealer and can get what i am looking for at an auction in PA. I only wanted to drive the two cars and see if i liked either one of them. well i was on this road in front of the place with my signal on and my wheel turned to the left waiting for an opening in traffic when i see a car coming up behind me but not slowing down. I was thinking "he will stop or go arr-" i never finished my thought he slammed into me and knocked me INTO oncoming traffic and almost hit a big dump truck
. I ended up in the ditch with both bags deployed. i got out and checked the driver he was just stunned and not listening to me. i went back to my car the whole back end was just gone caved in, my trunk floor was now almost vertical and the spare tire fell out. he hit me with such force that the floorboards bucked upwards slamming my forehead into my ceiling. i only had a gash on my forehead and a sore shoulder from it hitting the side window glass. i had to call my dad to come get me, we went back the next day to get my paperwork and plates from the car and to get the police report. his insurance said my car was totaled (DUH) and gave me a check for 6k which was a 1000 more than i paid for it 3 years ago.
RIP 1995 Ford Thunderbird 40th Anniversary Edition aka "bluebird"
1994-2003
well those are my stories, the cops at the last one said i was 'damn lucky to be alive!' and it was amazing i was not paralyzed, i look at as any crash you can walk away from, is a good one
.