[nj85z28]

You know whats always great? When you find out you have more in common with your father that you ever imagined after 5 years of not speaking.

Rewind about 10 years ago. My parents got divorced, so in order to keep the household the way it was, i ended up getting a job down at the local garage. Nothing mechanical what so ever. I would sweep the floors, hand mechanics their tools, and wipe their tool boxes down for a few hours after school each day. My mother started dating the owner of said shop, and my father dispised that "grease monkey" (lol).
This guy was a dirt track racer at middletown, ny, and he had another guy working for him that raced in the street stock class with an 81 Camaro. One day he showed up to work with a mint 91 Z camaro, 5 speed. It was white with 2 green racing stripes (Of course dad hated the idea i liked the car). We ended up being friends (he was closer to my age) and he drove me around in the car an awful lot. I loved every second of it. We would go up and watch the races on the dirt tracks and work on the cars after work until late into the night. Thats where it all started.
Fast forward 5 years, i got my liscense. my first car was an old mitsubishi 5 speed with some issues. After this thing bit the dust for the hundreth time, i ended up with ford tempo (LOL). Hanging with a buddy in clifton one saturday, he wanted to visit his friend. His friend was a lot older than us and was into old Novas. so we were checking them out and hanging out when i suddenly noticed a red third gen camaro under a tarp. I asked about the car, it needed an engine, 300 dollars for it. Hmm, i remember thinking, the body was so nice. My dad hated the idea and told me not to buy it. Few weeks later my moms boyfriend was towing it home for me.
During the time it took to get that car together, i fell in love with it, and bought a 96 v6 to ease the urge to drive the godly Camaro. My father disapproved of sports cars, so we didnt get along at all at this point. The payments were so high i couldnt keep it. i ended up driving my sisters old 87 LeBaron for the week the tranny help up. 2 months of being car-less, i found an 84 Berlinetta for 6 hundred and picked that up. keep in mind my 88 with no engine was still being fixed. Finally, about a year later it was done and i picked it up. Me and that car were inseperable. I went through another trans with it, learned how to do tuneups, brakes, made my own exhaust for it, basically learned the car in and out, but the time came to buy a truck when i started working as an electrician. I sold that little 88 that cost me 300 dollars, for 3 thousand with the GTA wheels still on it, and it killed me to do it.
Fast forward 2 years of driving a truck and a monte carlo in there someplace, and a buddy i worked with's stepdad was selling his 85 Z28. It barely ran, but i picked up for a decent price (after begging him to sell it to me and not to the next door neighbor). it sat and sat and sat, until my mom finally threatened to kick me out of the house if i didnt fix it. (it only needed a cat)Fixed finally, i drove it around and around, but something went terribly wrong and unexpectly a few weeks later the engine blew a hole the size of my fist in the side.
So the 85 got junked, and i bought an 89 RS to replace the gaping hole in my heart, and as you all know that worked out well (LOL)

So, sitting in a dark bar with my father years after my first experiences in my friends 91, and going through all that, fighting with my father for all those years over fast cars, dumping money into camaros, engines, transmissions and plenty of other things, my father turns to me and says "you know, i used to be just like you". This struck me as strange, coming from the man who got a new Silverado every few years, and never really connecting with me on any sort of level, or making the attempt for that matter. I stated "I seriously doubt that". he went on to tell me the stories about his old pontiac grand prix, buick electras, blowing motors, grinding cams, racing his 455's through wayne in the early 70's, and how he fought with his father about all his cars in parts around the house.
I never knew about any of those things, i always figured he wasnt the type. Right there i realized why he fought with me, because i reminded him of himself. Today, we get along great, and i firmly believe if i didnt take that ride in the 91 years ago, my father and i would have never reconnected. Thank you General Motors.