[attachment 209958 chevy1.jpg] When we first met she wasn't much to look at....Pygmalion at best but under her rough exterior I could see a Diamond shining brightly. I couldn't turn my back on her and decided that I would have to be the one to give her the polish and class she needed, the class that she once had. The ability to turn everyone's head once again. I knew it would be a monumental task but I had to prove to all the naysayers that she could once again be the "Belle of the Ball !"
[attachment 209959 chevy2.jpg] She was a fairly stout gal when we first met but I knew it wouldn't be long before we had that 350 V8 purring like a kitten. With her M20 "Rockcrusher" 4 speed transmission, White Leather bucket seats and full instrument package including factory tilt steering she was as comfortable as could be on those short trips around town or out on the open highway. Truth is, there was nothing she liked better than being out on the open road, her top down, 2-bbl Rochester carburetor breathing like an asthmatic with her first full lungs of fresh air. It was like sitting on the living room couch at 90 MPH !
[attachment 209965 chevy3.jpg] Here I am taking a breather after wet sanding and pulling dents all morning. Note the tennis shorts and knee high tube socks.......as you can see, she couldn't help herself, she had to follow me home!
[attachment 209966 chevy4.jpg] Here's my girl after her Porsche red Amerflint paint job. We shot her in an enclosed one car garage and she came out BEAUTIFUL ! At this stage she is about 80% done. I had her top rails pulled, sanded and re-painted back to black along with a brand new top. I also got rid of the 14 inch baby moons and replaced them with a set of early 70's 15 inch Corvette rims that I pulled out of a junkyard. I had those repainted back to the original Chevy silver, chased down the beauty rings and center caps and add 70 series raised white letter rubber all around. Then I had the exhaust pipes dualed straight back from the headers with Thrush mufflers and that V8 would talk to ya ! I've got chills just thinking about it. We'd cruise the beach on a Saturday afternoon and turn heads once again. She was proud and a show-off too.....but I didn't mind.
Several years later I had baby #3 on the way and I had to make the decision to let her go. It was hard but I knew it was the only fair thing to do for both her and I. She need the wide open spaces and I had made my choice as a parent so we had to part ways. The last I heard she was in a private collection in Ft. Lauderdale. I promised myself that one day, I'd find another just like her. That day is coming soon as all 3 kids are now grown and eventually I will be running topless, once again, down Florida's many back roads and Interstates. 1972 Chevrolet Malibu Convertible. One of only 4800 convertibles made that year.
therick
[attachment 209959 chevy2.jpg] She was a fairly stout gal when we first met but I knew it wouldn't be long before we had that 350 V8 purring like a kitten. With her M20 "Rockcrusher" 4 speed transmission, White Leather bucket seats and full instrument package including factory tilt steering she was as comfortable as could be on those short trips around town or out on the open highway. Truth is, there was nothing she liked better than being out on the open road, her top down, 2-bbl Rochester carburetor breathing like an asthmatic with her first full lungs of fresh air. It was like sitting on the living room couch at 90 MPH !
[attachment 209965 chevy3.jpg] Here I am taking a breather after wet sanding and pulling dents all morning. Note the tennis shorts and knee high tube socks.......as you can see, she couldn't help herself, she had to follow me home!
[attachment 209966 chevy4.jpg] Here's my girl after her Porsche red Amerflint paint job. We shot her in an enclosed one car garage and she came out BEAUTIFUL ! At this stage she is about 80% done. I had her top rails pulled, sanded and re-painted back to black along with a brand new top. I also got rid of the 14 inch baby moons and replaced them with a set of early 70's 15 inch Corvette rims that I pulled out of a junkyard. I had those repainted back to the original Chevy silver, chased down the beauty rings and center caps and add 70 series raised white letter rubber all around. Then I had the exhaust pipes dualed straight back from the headers with Thrush mufflers and that V8 would talk to ya ! I've got chills just thinking about it. We'd cruise the beach on a Saturday afternoon and turn heads once again. She was proud and a show-off too.....but I didn't mind.
Several years later I had baby #3 on the way and I had to make the decision to let her go. It was hard but I knew it was the only fair thing to do for both her and I. She need the wide open spaces and I had made my choice as a parent so we had to part ways. The last I heard she was in a private collection in Ft. Lauderdale. I promised myself that one day, I'd find another just like her. That day is coming soon as all 3 kids are now grown and eventually I will be running topless, once again, down Florida's many back roads and Interstates. 1972 Chevrolet Malibu Convertible. One of only 4800 convertibles made that year.
therick