At times, I may have accused myself of losing interest in cars, but that would be untrue. Perhaps there have been periods in which I have grown tired, or lost interest in working on cars, yet the passion has always been there. During times, like these past 5 years, when I lived in an apartment for 2 and my house for 3, I really have lacked the means, and then the time, to really work on my cars like I used to. Yet I still found myself picking up the classic car traders on occasion, as well as continuing my car magazine subscriptions. I never miss the Detroit Auto Show, nor the Autorama. In fact, seldom do I visit just once, as 2 visits is usually my benchmark.
Just this past week or so my girlfriend and I were heading to a movie. While on the way I spotted a 3rd Generation Formula like my own. I don't have the money, nor the storage space for another car. Yet I was unable to simply drive passed, I just had to look, just to gauge the condition, see how much, and to check out the options. It had like 145,000 on it, was pretty rough around the edges, though still appeared solid. The price was $2-$3,000 I think. I drove away with the satisfaction that mine was way nicer, and my need to know fullfilled.
Tonight, while shopping, I took a stroll through the magazine section...just to look and see. While I have since sold my 1970 Challenger to my dad, I still have an interest in Mopars, and picked up a copy of Mopar Action to thumb through. After that, I grabbed a GM High Tech performance, which would somehow find it's way into my cart as I walked away. There was an article on a Formula like mine with a turbo charged version of my 350. If nothing else, I had to have that information on hand for later on down the road...just in case.
As I left the parking lot, I knew what I had to do. I had spotted a primer black Mopar along the other side of the road on my way down. On my return trip, once again I was pulled in by the Mopar as if it were some great gravitational pull. She was a 1971 Dodge Dart Swinger, out of South Carolina (so it said), a "built" slant 6 for drag racing, a roll cage (which was actually just a roll bar), and a few other minor details. No price was given, just the situation "Going through a divorce, need to sell it." I think the guy's name was Harvey, I feel your pain Harvey.
While no progress has been made on my own Camaro, I have been slowly stockpiling paints and other materials in preparation of working on it. Some day, I'll get out there and start digging back into it. For now, I'm in the midst of a complete and total change in career path. Quite possibly I will be leaving the auto industry forever, in a quest to join an organization that had me pulled over many times in my younger years, law enforcement. If everything goes as planned, the next few years will be regaining my footing, then hopefully I'll be able to put the money into the Camaro that it needs, getting her once again back on the road and hitting the drag strip and car shows.
