My first ride
1985 Trans Am
It was the month of June and the summer of 1985 and what a year it
was. School was out; I was 16 years old flipping
Burgers at the local Park
pool concession stand. I had met a Beautiful young lady 2 months earlier who at
that time I
had know ideal that she would end up being my wife & mother of
my 3 kids. I was working to make payments on the new
85 Honda
Rebel 250 I had bought 2 months earlier. I had several buddies that had street
bikes that I run around with
and I really wasn’t interested in a car. My parents even tried to
talk me out of the bike. My Mother said, “Wouldn’t you
like to save up your money for a car!”
But like a stupid teenager I was thinking about Now, Instead of
the future. I remember saiding to her “It would take me
Forever to save up for A car, The bike made a Hole lot more since,
it cost a lot less, it was cheaper on Gas & Insurance,
Plus all my buddies had bikes.” And to think how close I came to
messing up!
Growing up My Favorite Car was a Black & Gold Trans Am and I
guess you can figure out what my favorite movie was!
Smoky & the Bandit. I
remember seeing the movie the 1st time with my parents at a Drive in
theater. So it was larger
than life. I was ready to jump every creek from the theater to the
house.
Well enough of the 70’s and back to the 80’s. It was a Friday
evening I had a couple of Hours of work left at the
concession stand when my dad Stopped by and ask me if I had a
minute. (This was the first time he had ever stopped by
so I thought something was
wrong). The lady I was working for told me I could take a break but not to
be long, we were
getting very busy. So I walked out in the parking lot with my dad
right by a Brand new Black & Gold 1985 Trans Am
needless to say it cault my eye when we walked by it. Then he came
to a dead stop at the back end of it, turned around
and dropped the keys at my feet.
Reaction: Speechless, I could
Talk, Scream, Breath, Nothing! Just total Shock! I was a kid with a new
toy.
I didn’t have even a clue. All my Boss could say was “Must Be
Nice! Go ahead and get out of here, you are not going to
Be Worth a quarter the rest of the day.” So my dad took
the car home and I followed on my bike (needless to say I didn’t
Ride My bike much after
that). The 1st thing I did after drooling all over the car
was called my Girl friend to give her the
news. Than Dad & me took it for a drive. No other kind of car
would do after that. The car was loaded: Power windows,
Locks, Cassette tape, Camel cloth seats with gray inserts, 305
Tune Port injected engine (That was
extremely quick!)
Automatic transmission, T-Top’s, Rear defrost, hatch release, Etc.
The 1st thing I did when we got back was washed it.
And up to this point I never had as much pleasure in washing a
vehicle as I got out of that car. I also don’t think I have
Ever Washed a car more than I washed that one.
I have a lot of
great memories with that car. I drove the Home coming Queen through the Parade,
Cruising around
town on a
Friday Night. But the following had to be the best; We had just graduated High
School, Me and several of my
friends
planned to go to Myrtle Beach, Sc. For a week to celebrate. Two of my friends
wanted to follow me down
because they
had not been to myrtle before, They were driving a Red 86 Mustang GT. We left
my house around 5:30 PM.
I don’t
remember what time we arrived but it was the fastest I had ever made it to the
beach. I know for a fact there
was very few
Times I seen the speedometer under 85 mph. We were coming through North
Carolina. My friend was in
front and we
had just topped a hill (what we didn’t know was that there was a Speed trap
just on the other side) we
were in the
fast lane problebly doing 120 MPH at least when a person in a Lincoln Town Car
way ahead of us Pulled out
of the slow
lane and was passing another car.
He had to be
going just over the speed limit and fast enough to get a ticket. Than a State
Trooper hide back against a
bank in the
center medium Turned on his lights and pulled right out in front of us. We both
locked up the brakes and
swerved into
the slow lane. The trooper went ahead and pulled the Lincoln over, We went 55
until we made the next
curve than we
made a mad dash to the next Exit & made a DETOUR! It was really amazing we
didn’t get a ticket that
night.
So we made it! There’s nothing like diving down the Grand Strand with
your T-Top’s out and Cranking “Journey,
REO Speed wagon, Among other’s” Out of your speakers. For the 1st
time in our lives none of us had a curfew or any
particular place to be. One of the things I enjoyed the most was
drag racing. I run every Iroc, TA,
Mustang That wanted
to go and had a blast! One thing I wish I could forget though was
dinner time, I eat at McDonald’s most of the week to
save money and if I don’t every eat at another one it will be To
soon. Well in the blink of an eye the week was up & we
were back home. Unfortunately I didn’t take any photo’s during
that week but I Got a life time worth of memories!
Unfortunately I wish I could forget the next memory. One year
later I was involved in an accident. “These cars don’t
handle well on wet roads” My brother was
with me, we were heading for home when I swerved to avoid another
vehicle “and for once in my life not doing anything
crazy!” The car fish tailed I cut
into the skid. It slingshot around in
the other direction 360 Deg. And flipped over a 20’+ embankment. Nether
of us were wearing a seat belt. I busted
Through the T-Top and some how the car flipped over me; My brother
hit the T-Bar Stayed in the car and was not
injured. The next thing I remember was being on all fours in the
creek, water Dripping off my face. The next few
seconds I didn’t know I wrecked, Had a car, or who I was. Than I
remember my brother yelling for me. I turned around
and realized what had happened. Luckily I only had Some glass in
my head & a small cut on my back, which was taken
care of at the emergency room. But I could not say the same thing
about My TA. It was in critical condition and 3 days
later the insurance adjuster declared it DEAD!
I was in mourning months after that day and don’t think I ever
really fully recovered. It was like losing a family member.
But life did go on! And seams to have repeated it self as you have
read in my Spotlight Story. But it will never Replace
my first Car or the Memories!
1985 –1988