The Car

When I first learned about this car I didn't want it. It was simply to new. I am a muscle car guy and a late 70's Monte is pretty far from that. I spent my whole day trying to find ways to gently tell my father that I didn't want it. However, when I first laid eyes on the car I liked it more than I wanted to. Those post-OPEC lines still looked mean. It was like 70's America was trying to prove that those little Datsun 510's couldn't top it. The car looked rough but it had potential. It had quite a lot of rust around the rear-window. It also needed a new trunk pan along with a patch-weld in the floor pan. Sadly, the list just goes on. However, I thought that it was a sharp looking car. The 350 small block was also a nice bonus. I figured that I could do quite a bit to that motor. My father and I walked away from the car and decided that we could discuss what to do with the car over the next couple days. I then went back to trying to forget about the thing. I still had my heart set on a muscle car. The problem was I liked the car and when my dad called the owner of the car on Sunday he didn't answer his phone. My heart sank. I feared that he had second thoughts, or he lost his phone, or the phone number was wrong. The truth was I had built myself up if you couldn't tell. The next day my dad texted me that he had negotiated a price and we were going to get the car. That night we went over with my mother  and I meet the owner and his wife, along with his son and daughter. My dad paid the man and we talked for awhile. He bought the car in 1989 and he drove it quite a bit. However, he parked it in 2006 and it has sat ever since. I believe the reason was that the thing had transmission troubles. Before selling the car the owner did however ask for one simple thing. He wanted to see the car when it was being restored. I was happy to agree. It's cool how he seems to still be a bit attached to it. When you think about it some of his life was played out in that car and it must be a bit hard to see it go. Non-car people don't seem to get this but you can become attached to a car. Most people just see a machine but they are so much more. I then went to go poke around the car for the first time. I should have been seeing dollar signs and hours of work but all I could see was open roads. The smell of freshly cut grass accented by the symphony of a V8. The car had gone from a daydream into reality. I was seeing some of my life playing out in the driver's seat and it was exciting. I was walking away from the car and the previous owner came out and handed me the keys. They were well worn and they felt right in my hand. For the first time, I was holding the keys to my Monte. The plan for this car is to get the body fixed and get all of the mechanicals in working order. I also plan to do a slight buildup in the motor. I was thinking a lumpier cam, headers (if I can find them), a four-barrel carb and intake, along with a open air filter, and finally duel exhaust. The car won't be much faster but it should sound awesome. I have never restored a car before and even though I am getting professional help there will still be a serious learning curve. But hey, it's all about the journey for me and the car. I hope that you read along and experience it with us. I don't know how often I will write on here but I think I will try for once a week. Since I will be working the times that I can work on the car will be sporadic. However, the keys still feel good in my hand. I have no idea where this road is going to lead but I'll tell you one thing. Those Datsun's better run when my Monte rolls up.