96 Z28 long story
#1
05-12-2008, 02:00 PM
96 Z28 long story
Hello All,
My name is James and I have been into cars and "hot rodding" for about 17 years now. My Dad and Mom both are/were car freaks. I started out working on a severely rusted out 69 fastback mustang, when completed turned the wrenches onto a then not so used 88 LX 5.0, a year later a 91 LX 5.0, a year after that a 94 Camaro (V6--insurance at the time), then got the 96 Z28 when I graduated high school as a gift from my Dad. It has been through a lot of various stages, both fast and broken. It also has a lot of sentimental value as it was my fathers dream when he found out my Mom was going to have a boy that he wanted to buy me a Z28 one day.
The first month I had it, I installed gears, headers, full catback, MTI 4 inch cold air, and a bored out throttle body. From there over the next 5 years the project just grew until life took its course and I began to neglect the car.
6 years ago I popped two of the cylinders in a money race and it sat while I bought and drove around a 01 Civic. Trust me that took some getting used to. But I learned how to turn a car as I began to focus on SCCA road races and auto-X. The cost to fix the Z was too much for me to bear at the time so it sat. I met my wife a year later in 2002 and in 2003 we got engaged to be married in 2004. That same year we decided to build a house to move into when we got married. We needed some more money to come up with 25% down payment. I called my Dad and said "hey, I am stuck between a rock and a hard spot. I need to come up with about 6,000 more for the house and I am thinking about selling the hotrod but I am seriously conflicted about it. What should I do?" My Dad, for the first time, told me he could not answer that for me. Not what I was looking for.
Two weeks later I get a call from Dad at the office. He begins telling me that his long time childhood friend, and friend of the family, was saying he wanted to buy a Camaro. My Dad said that he told him about my car being for sale, about my position needing money and that he (my Dad) would give me a call and see if I still want to sell it. I said how much, he said he told him 6 exactly. I said do it...no questions, just do it before I change my mind. A week later a tow truck driver shows up at the storage unit where I kept the car hands me a check and picks up the car.
Eight months go by and my 27th birthday was Wednesday July 21 and my parents were taking me, my wife and her two daughters out for my bday dinner that following Saturday. My parents would come pick us up and so we can all ride in the SUV. I had just finished cutting the yard and I hear the distinct sound of an LT1 engine coming down the street. I did not pay too much attention, walked the mower back in the garage and when I turned around my Z was pulling into my driveway.
It had a Happy Birthday Banner on it and two balloons tied around the mirrors. My Dad is driving it and has the biggest grin on it face when he gets out. I was like "...cool Joe let you borrow the car for my birthday!" My Dad looks at me and said "No, Son I bought the car from you not Joe. Happy Birthday and hands over the keys to me...again." My Mom pulls into the driveway behind my Dad in the Montero and she is just giggling, I turn around my wife is walking outside with a big grin and I am still trying to figure out what I missed.
Turns out my Dad was so moved by my willingness to sacrifice something that was a huge part of my life to start a new life with my wife that he could not let me sell the car. He bought it from me, made me think his best friend bought it, took it and had it completely restored with a new LT4 short block in it, new T56 tranny, new 4:10 gears, new axles, new carpet, weather seals, and had the leather replaced.
Years go by and the car hardly gets driven, to afraid to
My name is James and I have been into cars and "hot rodding" for about 17 years now. My Dad and Mom both are/were car freaks. I started out working on a severely rusted out 69 fastback mustang, when completed turned the wrenches onto a then not so used 88 LX 5.0, a year later a 91 LX 5.0, a year after that a 94 Camaro (V6--insurance at the time), then got the 96 Z28 when I graduated high school as a gift from my Dad. It has been through a lot of various stages, both fast and broken. It also has a lot of sentimental value as it was my fathers dream when he found out my Mom was going to have a boy that he wanted to buy me a Z28 one day.
The first month I had it, I installed gears, headers, full catback, MTI 4 inch cold air, and a bored out throttle body. From there over the next 5 years the project just grew until life took its course and I began to neglect the car.
6 years ago I popped two of the cylinders in a money race and it sat while I bought and drove around a 01 Civic. Trust me that took some getting used to. But I learned how to turn a car as I began to focus on SCCA road races and auto-X. The cost to fix the Z was too much for me to bear at the time so it sat. I met my wife a year later in 2002 and in 2003 we got engaged to be married in 2004. That same year we decided to build a house to move into when we got married. We needed some more money to come up with 25% down payment. I called my Dad and said "hey, I am stuck between a rock and a hard spot. I need to come up with about 6,000 more for the house and I am thinking about selling the hotrod but I am seriously conflicted about it. What should I do?" My Dad, for the first time, told me he could not answer that for me. Not what I was looking for.
Two weeks later I get a call from Dad at the office. He begins telling me that his long time childhood friend, and friend of the family, was saying he wanted to buy a Camaro. My Dad said that he told him about my car being for sale, about my position needing money and that he (my Dad) would give me a call and see if I still want to sell it. I said how much, he said he told him 6 exactly. I said do it...no questions, just do it before I change my mind. A week later a tow truck driver shows up at the storage unit where I kept the car hands me a check and picks up the car.
Eight months go by and my 27th birthday was Wednesday July 21 and my parents were taking me, my wife and her two daughters out for my bday dinner that following Saturday. My parents would come pick us up and so we can all ride in the SUV. I had just finished cutting the yard and I hear the distinct sound of an LT1 engine coming down the street. I did not pay too much attention, walked the mower back in the garage and when I turned around my Z was pulling into my driveway.
It had a Happy Birthday Banner on it and two balloons tied around the mirrors. My Dad is driving it and has the biggest grin on it face when he gets out. I was like "...cool Joe let you borrow the car for my birthday!" My Dad looks at me and said "No, Son I bought the car from you not Joe. Happy Birthday and hands over the keys to me...again." My Mom pulls into the driveway behind my Dad in the Montero and she is just giggling, I turn around my wife is walking outside with a big grin and I am still trying to figure out what I missed.
Turns out my Dad was so moved by my willingness to sacrifice something that was a huge part of my life to start a new life with my wife that he could not let me sell the car. He bought it from me, made me think his best friend bought it, took it and had it completely restored with a new LT4 short block in it, new T56 tranny, new 4:10 gears, new axles, new carpet, weather seals, and had the leather replaced.
Years go by and the car hardly gets driven, to afraid to
#10
05-15-2008, 12:45 PM
RE: 96 Z28 long story
Thanks for the kind welcome guys. I hope to get to know a lot of good people here. I have always loved Chevys, mustangs aren't so bad, but I really don't care too much for the blue oval company at the moment.
-James
-James