New to this forum... Current and probably last car is a 1980 Z28, Bronze/tan no t tops, etc,etc... the car is/ WAS mostly original with 43000 miles on it... Previous owner did not like the black trim, so ordered Berlinetta chrome for the windshield etc.. When I picked the car up, it still had the original smog pump, hoses belts everything.. still ran and drove.. tires were 20 years old, put new tires on it.. had the original rims, put those in the shed and put US slots on it with the new tires... It needs rear springs, some interior pieces that are very sun faded... Original cowl induction hood flapper still works etc... currently working on a 434 with a weiand 177 for it... the original engine will get wrapped, and stored with the original gauge cluster.....
background? I started working as a mechanic in 1978 when I was 14... was also driving when I was 14.. worked as a chevrolet tech until 92... first car was a... 1968 camaro, 6 cyl three on the tree.. built a 350 for it, drove that car into the ground.... I have owned a lot of cars... 66 GTO, 55 Bel air two door hardtop, several 68 camaro's, 67 camaro, 70 camaro and a 78 camaro, 70 chevelle, 72 chevelle, etc, etc... ALL gone.... In 1980, I was 16, I had my 68 camaro in our shop putting new front springs in it to hold up the 350.. One of the guys from the chevy garage down the street pulled in with a 1980 camaro... He and dad put a new cam in the car, that had 43 miles on it... I looked that care over pretty seriously, but knew I'd never be able to afford one.... I was told then, that it had 190 HP from the factory, and that the new cam would bump it up over 210 hp... I fell right in love with that car.. When they left to go up to the tavern when they finished it, I sat in it, and I dreamed.... The guy that owned it hated the t tops, so I always dreamed of one without the T tops.... I managed to get my hands on a pretty beat up 78 Z28 when I was in the service, but didn't have any money to spare, and ended up selling it when I got transferred. fast forward to the fall of 2017... My wife called and said... Freddie is selling his Z28 how much is it worth? I knew the car, I had lived in Maine for 17 years before coming back to Iowa.. I told her flat out it was worth about fifteen as it sat... She called me back an hour later... "I just bought it for 9500.00" I had to wait till the following spring to hook up the gooseneck and drive out there. Spent three weeks with her, AND the car, made sure she was WELL rewarded for buying that car, then I pulled it back here where a heated garage was waiting for it.....




And so, here we are.. the 434 will likely be the last performance motor I will ever build.. i rebuiold GM trucks for fun and profit, so there may still be a few motors built for those trucks, but nothing of this caliber...




Early 90's I ran New England Dragway in a 1968 Camaro, sporting a TH 400, 456 gears on a spool, all behind a 327 with a B&M blower.. the Trick flow heads were brand new back then.. that little car ran high tens, and the quest for another tenth was infinite....





Those are the basics of my story... Hope yall have good stories to tell. Can't wait to check out your rides!