First car I restored in high school, wish I still had it!

[87 Drop top]

Going through a few boxes I had stored at dads house the other day and came across pics of the 70 Chevelle I bought my senior year, paid 600 bucks for it, and 8 months later and many paper routes, lawns mowed, and part time at K mart, was a pretty cool ride. Wasn't done for prom or graduation, but had a blast in it the whole summer before college, sold it 4 years later after my first son was born. Wish I still had it, but glad I have the GN now. But on a happier note of cars I once had, my first car, a 72 Buick skylark custom, white with black vinyl top, black interior is still sitting in dads barn waiting for a restoration someday. Anyone else got high school cars they wish they still owned?
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[salvageV6]

1969 GS 400 with air, buckets and console shifter, power windows and disc brakes, vinyl roof.

I paid $400 for it, and the motor seized up on the highway at 156K.

Luckily I was able to put about 50K on it myself.

Sold the seats and Turbo 400 for more than I paid for the car so that worked out ok.

It lasted through two years of college.

 

[ttaowner]

I still have my high school car. 1971 Pontiac lemans . I've had it 21 years now . I will post some pics. It hasn't moved under its own power since 1995 or 1996 . At least it's been stored inside ever since 1996

 

[87 Drop top]

I graduated in 92, it was a common sight to see several gm muscle cars, mopars, mustangs of all years, staged against the fence of the football field before school, wasn't any grand nationals or t types though, none of us could afford one, but drooled when we seen one. I hung out with a pretty good group of gear heads. The whole import thing was just starting, and I remember coming home one day and one of the preppy kids whose dad bought him a Mazda rx-7, came flying by me on a country road. The old skylark had a 350 with a two barrel on it, I mashed it to the floor, the dual exhaust started singing, and around 120 with the Buick just floating, I blew by that mazda like he was sitting still, he didn't know what to think, his car wasn't as hot as he thought is was, he turned off, the next day he didn't park anywhere near the fence of the football field.
Going by any high school these days its pretty rare to any type of old muscle car, kind of a shame.

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[ttaowner]

Me in 1992 right around graduation time

June 1994

Right now !!! At least I still have it !!!

A few others I gained along the way

That's some of them that were gained since high school


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[dartguy340]

87 Drop top, you mentioning your '70 Chevelle you use to have brought
back memories of the '70 I use to own. It was an SS 396, black with
black bench seat, 4-speed and a/c. I sold it in 1975 for $1300. Wish I
still had that car and the new '69 340 Swinger I totaled with only 6K miles.

 

[87 Drop top]

Dartguy, Have had a real love of the 70 chevelles ever since my cousin owned one back when I was 13 or 14, just thought it was the most awesome car around, can't imagine having one a few years old, mine was rode hard and put away wet, Lol.. but I think I did it justice for an amateur restoration. Same cousin bought a brand new 87 grand national, can u see a pattern, I really looked up to him growing up, and still do! His son was brought home from the hospital in the GN! How cool is that. Unfortunately he did sell both of em, the chevelle had the front end wiped off by a train 3 months after he sold it, and as far as I know his GN got put up on blocks with 4000 miles on it, not sure but that's what I was told. He did buy and restore another 70 chevelle, but still misses his GN, by the way he is the only other person to get behind the wheel of mine!
TTAowner, wow nice collection, maybe someday that Pontiac will be tearing up the streets, hope to have my old skylark running around again someday.

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[dartguy340]

Dartguy, Have had a real love of the 70 chevelles ever since my cousin owned one back when I was 13 or 14, just thought it was the most awesome car around, can't imagine having one a few years old, mine was rode hard and put away wet, Lol.. but I think I did it justice for an amateur restoration. Same cousin bought a brand new 87 grand national, can u see a pattern, I really looked up to him growing up, and still do! His son was brought home from the hospital in the GN! How cool is that. Unfortunately he did sell both of em, the chevelle had the front end wiped off by a train 3 months after he sold it, and as far as I know his GN got put up on blocks with 4000 miles on it, not sure but that's what I was told. He did buy and restore another 70 chevelle, but still misses his GN, by the way he is the only other person to get behind the wheel of mine!
TTAowner, wow nice collection, maybe someday that Pontiac will be tearing up the streets, hope to have my old skylark running around again someday.

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Kool story....welcome to the site,
I forgot to mention that the Chevelle only had 61K miles on it when I sold it.

 

[87 Drop top]

Pretty awesome to have had one like that, mine had an automatic when I bought it, but a skinny brake pedal, after looking a few weeks later when it was time to tear it down, I found the clutch pedal coat hangered up under the dash! A Muncie 4 speed went back in it. When I was 15 1/2 dad found the 72 skylark and knowing I loved the chevelles hoped I would like the Buick being the same body style. He was right, and I still love that car today, but when the ratted out 70 chevelle ss came by the beginning of my senior year I had to have it. Cars have always been a great hobby, stress reliever, sit in the garage n stare at, BS n drink a few drinks with friends, and later on in life, spend time with my sons on. I've been blessed with many memories and hopefully many more to make! Great site, and from what I've seen so far a great group people to share turbo Buick and life stories with!

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[dr_frankenstein]

Me in 1992 right around graduation time

That's some of them that were gained since high school

I absolutly love your Poncho....

I still have mine ...... but on flat tires sitting behind a barn.

 

[87 Drop top]

I love going through old boxes of pictures, found this one from fall of 91, took the 72 skylark to Norwalk raceway park for the high school race, this is the smokey burnout, contest, came in 2nd, had to go til you blew a tire. Ran the 1/4 also, was like a high 16 sec pass, not real impressive but a great day! My girlfriend at the time was in the car during the burn out, she bitched all day about smelling like burnt rubber, lol

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[87 Drop top]

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[ttaowner]

I absolutly love your Poncho....

I still have mine ...... but on flat tires sitting behind a barn.

this one is better 474 cu in aluminum heads ported ,roller cam ,aluminum rods which seemed like a good idea at the time, roller rockers, th400 ati converter which was the best at the time, 12 bolt 4.10 moroso posi strange axels, qa1's I picked up a hr parts rear bar, ta rear girdle, bg complete fuel system etc....... nos fenders and front valance. the rest of the car is 100% rustfree which is impossible in this part of the world. I put rally gauges in it, have a tilt column,floor shift and a formula wheel, in dash tach,radio delete plate factory part. its a full bench seat and i'm gonna have a stand built to put the ati shifter up in the air because I don't have the floor room and I like the bench seat. interior is off white. I have had about 50 of these cars and this is the only post coupe I ever had. I had 2-3 wagons even a t41 endure one. probably 3-4 convertibles even a 1 of 157 455 ho 1970 gto 4 speed 12 bolt 3.31 convertible matching # but body wasted. a couple 4 doors and all the rest hardtops. Pontiacs were my first love. the black lemans is my first car ever. I still have extra parts if you need anything. sorry for the crappy pics they were off my old phone

 

[dartguy340]

Wow! An old t-37 2 door sedan! I haven't seen one of them since the md 70's.
James, you probably got the same problem I do...when are you gonna have time
to put her back together? I still got a 340 Swinger I rolled over in 1971 that I keep
telling myself I will put back together some day!

 

[ttaowner]

Wow! An old t-37 2 door sedan! I haven't seen one of them since the md 70's.
James, you probably got the same problem I do...when are you gonna have time
to put her back together? I still got a 340 Swinger I rolled over in 1971 that I keep
telling myself I will put back together some day!

I'm hoping to have another 40 years on this planet so hopefully I will find the motivation somewhere but I kinda fell out of love with old cars the last couple years. The buicks kinda had me distracted the last 10 years or it would of been done. I have 98% of the needed parts . Where can you buy some motivation? I want to finish it myself for pride reasons.