Old guy, long-standing Goldmember.

[ywca]

I have never made a post on this site or any other site. I am pretty well computer illiterate, but I’m learning very slowly. I have just retired after being 45 years of self-employed .at 20 years old. I bought a repair shop in southwestern Manitoba. all my family were entrepreneurs, and I knew that I could never work for anybody., my father owned a small little service station on the southwestern Shores of Lake Winnipeg. I was around cars in my early child hood working for my father fixing tires and pumping gas at the age of 10. I graduated from college in the automotive trade in 1976 two years later I bought my shop. I thought I found my calling by buying that repair shop that I owned for 16 years but back in the day being in a farming community. If the crops weren’t good, you didn’t get paid for the work that you’ve done. Since I was a couple hours from any major center, obtaining parts was very difficult. most of the vehicles that I worked on were Chevys Fords, and some Chrysler products. I stocked the common parts for rebuilding alternators, starters transmissions, and all the tuneup stuff that I needed and brakes. this was a bare bone shop with no equipment. I purchased disc and drum lathe snap on silos scope, had a Sioux valve grind machine did a lot of head work on GMs ,and piles of specially tools to do the job at hand. Bought a tow truck ,end up having a wrecking yard. collected a lot of old vehicles from the 30s and 40s and 50s. decided I needed a change and bought a rundown Island resort on Lake Of The Woods in Ontario. built it up to a thriving business and I just sold it in May. I am turning 66 years old and it’s time to have fun with the vehicles that I have. I am currently working on a 68 Plymouth GTX that I bought from Missouri which came from California originally .I also just purchased this fall at 67 GTX convertible that also came from California so no rust . I know you want pictures and I’m working on it., I have a lot of pictures I just don’t know how to get them onto this site. I severed my index finger and thumb on a commercial exhaust fan that I was rebuilding. so I cannot type, so this is all through speech. The other thing is I have ADHD so you might find that I might be rambling on one thing and then changing to something else, I apologize .One of the cars that I purchased when I was 16 was my grandfather’s 58 Plymouth Savoy, two door hardtop, had a flathead six in it push button automatic, went to college in that car. Head gasket went on it twice in the middle of winter that I had to change out with just a few hand tools. I eventually put a 313 in it and had a lot of fun. I will try to update with pictures of the 68 and 67. 68 was done on a rotisserie at my brothers body shop. He currently owns 2 68 GTX.s One dark green convertible, white top, automatic, and the other is B5 blue 4 speed all original

Thanks, Perry

 

[WileE]

Welcome, Perry, love your story of hard work and success. Hope to read of your cars and your enjoyment of a well-deserved retirement !

 

[Dutchrebuild]

Cool!

 

[Mopar Hunter]

 

[Budnicks]

Cool story

welcome to FBBO, from NorCal Sierras
after 11+ years you're finally starting to post
better late then never, you'll learn the in & outs
if you stick around long enough

 

[ckessel]

Welcome from the central coast of Cal.

 

[RemCharger]

Welcome! Great story!

 

[polywideblock]

G'day from Australia

 

[PrescottJeff]

Welcome Perry

 

[davek]

 

[moparedtn]

I'd say you're doing just fine, Perry. Looking forwatrd to reading more from you soon!

 

[Don Frelier]

Welcome from NY.

I'd like to take a trip to the lake of the woods

 

[kiwigtx]

Welcome along Perry....from New Zealand.

Sounds like a very hard-fought career path, but you made it through and did well by the sounds of things.

 

[Islandkent]

Welcome aboard Perry
Great story your hard work has paid off

 

[71RRHI]

I feel funny saying welcome to a member that joined before me. Have you had gold membership the whole time?

 

[ywca]

Thanks for all the well wishes. I appreciate it very much. My handle on here is YWCA, that’s because I owned Youngs Wilderness Camp , And as most of you know, a lot of all Canadians would say an after a sentence. The X is 4 1/2 hours away at my brothers body shop, and I just start working on it ,put in the tinted glass and installing American auto wire kit in it, i’m rebuilding the dash and the gauges, hopefully next month it will go to the Upholstery shop to get all new interior in it. The motor is year, correct it was originally an automatic, but the guy I bought it from changed it to a standard with the petals installed ,he planned on racing it. The motor and tranny we’re out of the car when I bought it but it came with all the parts to rebuild it ,30 over Keith Black Pistons, some big ***, cam, lifters, bearings, plus a new six barrel, set up intake, carbs, still in the box, air cleaner and linkage. I sent it to a reputable builder north of Winnipeg, he got the block machine and everything done we also put in aluminum heads and electronic ignition, I have brand new TTI headers for it, and I will be putting electric cut outs on it. had it run on a test stand, it was supposed to be dynoed but the dyno was broke down at that time. This motor was done eight years ago and has been sitting in my heated garage waiting to get put in. I will probably send it back to him and let him tear it down and make sure everything is OK before I install it .I will be looking for a driveshaft rad and a few other things to get it going . I will be reaching out for advice, and looking for parts. Thanks.

 

[ywca]

I feel funny saying welcome to a member that joined before me. Have you had gold membership the whole time?

I think I had it for the last 7 years or more not quite sure . Being self-employed every day is a Monday I never know what day it is and it really doesn’t matter because I work seven days a week.

 

[ywca]

Welcome from NY.

I'd like to take a trip to the lake of the woods

I sold my island resort in May, but I bought another island with a cabin on it not too far from it, we are in a very secluded area .I live right on the lake and my property was the parking area for our guests. The island was a mile and a half from my house. The closest public access to my area is 25 miles away by boat. I have my own private road.

 

[ywca]

I'd say you're doing just fine, Perry. Looking forwatrd to reading more from you soon!

Thanks, Moparedtn, I’ve been following the threads for a long time and your name comes up quite a bit. I hope to get more involved in the forum as I go along. Thanks. Perry.

 

[71RRHI]

I think I had it for the last 7 years or more not quite sure . Being self-employed every day is a Monday I never know what day it is and it really doesn’t matter because I work seven days a week.

I hear you. I've been self employed for the last 21 years. It's been alot of work. But, now I'm at a point where I can enjoy the fruits of all my labor.