Where were You in 1996

smitty_p said:
1996?

I was married by that point and had three children. I wasn't playing any music at all, and my guitar was in it's case. I had only one guitar at the time: my 1974 Gibson SG. I was barely paying attention to any music except for what was being played at work.

In some ways, I miss that time. Things were a little simpler for me, personally. Though I have no actual regrets, there are times I wish I could revisit some things and make some minor tweaks.
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I had nearly an identical SG sitting in a case under the bed unplayed but I think it was around 2003. I regret selling that one.
 
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smitty_p said:
I was married in 1989. Around 1996 I was more into my car. A 1971 Olds Cutlass. The whole car thing was totally dumb money pit. I'm glad I got rid of that car before I sunk too much money into it.
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Cutlass you say?? Do tell! I'm a sucker for classic muscle cars lols

Had a 72 Chevy Nova SS me and my dad rebuilt when I was 15. Ignorantly sold it right before I got married, 13 years later
 
Clockworkmike said:
Cutlass you say?? Do tell! I'm a sucker for classic muscle cars lols

Had a 72 Chevy Nova SS me and my dad rebuilt when I was 15. Ignorantly sold it right before I got married, 13 years later
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Here it is. This is the day I picked it up. This was the early '90s sometime. Within a couple years of this picture, I had replaced all the missing insignia, such as the missing logo on the front between the grills.

It had a genuine 350 Olds Rocket engine, which was in excellent shape. The car ran clean and didn't leak or burn any oil. At some point, I installed an Edelbrock OL48 four-barrel intake manifold on it. I used to go back and forth between a Holley carburetor and a Q-Jet that I modified. I had dual exhaust turbo mufflers installed on it. They gave a nice exhaust note, without being loud and obnoxious.

I rebuilt the TH350 automatic transmission at some point and put a shift kit in it. I liked the way that made the tranny respond. I enjoyed rebuilding that transmission. I did it over a period of a few days in my shed.

I never had the goal of making a super hot muscle car out of it. I just wanted to give it a little more performance capability.

Cutlass003.jpg

You mentioned a Nova. Before this car, I had a 1971 Chevy Nova, as well. However, it wasn't a muscle car. It only had a 250 straight six. But, I LOVED that engine. It was tough as nails and rock solid reliable. It had a three-on-the-floor manual transmission.

All in all, the car thing was kind of fun and I learned a lot. I don't regret that. But, I'm glad I let the car thing go when I did. I really don't miss it.
 
smitty_p said:
Here it is. This is the day I picked it up. This was the early '90s sometime. Within a couple years of this picture, I had replaced all the missing insignia, such as the missing logo on the front between the grills.

It had a genuine 350 Olds Rocket engine, which was in excellent shape. The car ran clean and didn't leak or burn any oil. At some point, I installed an Edelbrock OL48 four-barrel intake manifold on it. I used to go back and forth between a Holley carburetor and a Q-Jet that I modified. I had dual exhaust turbo mufflers installed on it. They gave a nice exhaust note, without being loud and obnoxious.

I rebuilt the TH350 automatic transmission at some point and put a shift kit in it. I liked the way that made the tranny respond. I enjoyed rebuilding that transmission. I did it over a period of a few days in my shed.

I never had the goal of making a super hot muscle car out of it. I just wanted to give it a little more performance capability.

View attachment 88809

You mentioned a Nova. Before this car, I had a 1971 Chevy Nova, as well. However, it wasn't a muscle car. It only had a 250 straight six. But, I LOVED that engine. It was tough as nails and rock solid reliable. It had a three-on-the-floor manual transmission.

All in all, the car thing was kind of fun and I learned a lot. I don't regret that. But, I'm glad I let the car thing go when I did. I really don't miss it.
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That looks glorious, in high school I had a friend who had a 442, yeah he destroyed it.
 
C-Grin said:
oh damn
Well my 66 mustang went away for a family friendly 4 door. :facepalm:
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Ain't that the way it goes? Classic ride yesterday and a damn sedan/minivan tomorrow lol

smitty_p said:
Here it is. This is the day I picked it up. This was the early '90s sometime. Within a couple years of this picture, I had replaced all the missing insignia, such as the missing logo on the front between the grills.

It had a genuine 350 Olds Rocket engine, which was in excellent shape. The car ran clean and didn't leak or burn any oil. At some point, I installed an Edelbrock OL48 four-barrel intake manifold on it. I used to go back and forth between a Holley carburetor and a Q-Jet that I modified. I had dual exhaust turbo mufflers installed on it. They gave a nice exhaust note, without being loud and obnoxious.

I rebuilt the TH350 automatic transmission at some point and put a shift kit in it. I liked the way that made the tranny respond. I enjoyed rebuilding that transmission. I did it over a period of a few days in my shed.

I never had the goal of making a super hot muscle car out of it. I just wanted to give it a little more performance capability.

View attachment 88809

You mentioned a Nova. Before this car, I had a 1971 Chevy Nova, as well. However, it wasn't a muscle car. It only had a 250 straight six. But, I LOVED that engine. It was tough as nails and rock solid reliable. It had a three-on-the-floor manual transmission.

All in all, the car thing was kind of fun and I learned a lot. I don't regret that. But, I'm glad I let the car thing go when I did. I really don't miss it.
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That's super cool! Nice looking ride and I'm sucker for GM lol

My Nova had a few similarities with your Cutlass it seems. It had a Turbo Hydromatic 350 transmission as well and I also had a shiftkit in it ( B&M if I remember right), along with a high rpm Stall Torque converter. It was originally a 307ci but before we got it, the guy we got it from had swapped the motor out for a L79 327ci which was awesome. The 350 emblems were to throw off people lol

It had a Rochester Quadrajet that was actually not that bad, but I swapped it to a Edelbrock 600cfm 4 Barrel and an Edelbrock Performer Aluminum Intake. Put a slightly oversized camshaft in it to give it some more juice

Originally the car was a pretty medium blue with blue interior, but being me, it was resprayed total black and all black vinyl interior. For it's size and what it had, it was a pretty potent car and unbelievably fun ( landed my first speeding ticket in it of course lol).

But, as I got a house and was getting married, something had to give. I actually refused to sell it due to rebuilding it with my dad and him obviously being the one who actually bought it. But I had it in his garage and he began complaining about it, telling me " you aren't ever gonna have the time now to keep up with it so sell it". I refused and told him to just take it and he said " No, I want my garage back so get rid of it" lol. After some long arguments, I reluctantly sold it to a cool old guy from Ohio who was buying it for his grandson to work together on, who ironically was the same age I was when I got it. So I thought that was kinda cool and poetic.

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There it was sitting in my dad's driveway outside of the garage he was hellbent to get back lol
 
Clockworkmike said:
The 350 emblems were to throw off people lol
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That’s funny!

It reminds me, too…one apprehension I had when I got that car was that people would try to race me. I would never have done it, but I had the thought, nonetheless.

Well, one day a guy at a gas station asked me if I had a 455 in it. I said that I didn’t. He looked a little puzzled and motioned to my license plate.

Out of sheer dumb luck, my license plate had the last three digits of “455”! He thought it was a vanity plate. So, it dawned on me, as long as I had the car people probably thought I had a 455 under the hood and they just left me alone!

At least, that’s what I tell myself!
 
Clockworkmike said:
My Nova had a few similarities with your Cutlass it seems. It had a Turbo Hydromatic 350 transmission as well and I also had a shiftkit in it ( B&M if I remember right), along with a high rpm Stall Torque converter.
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Yeah, it was a B&M that I had, too. As I recall, there were parts to select one of three shift profiles: stock shifting, firm shifting, and harder shifting. I picked the middle one. I think it worked great. I kept the stock torque converter, though.
 
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