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If I have a car that’s a survivor

Was someone possibly upset with you over a female?
Nope.
I still have the receipt for the new windshield.
This all went down around 44 years ago.
One night we met some friends at a garage and they were wrapping barbwire around baseball bats and also driving big nails through those bat. They said "there is going to be a rumble up at (blank) park with the (blank)''.
So I drive away and I look at Dana and say "want to go up past the Park?''
"what else are we doing?"
So up around the park I drive, it's dark but you could see, trees on both sides of the road and a stone wall on my left maybe 4' tall.
Well this guy steps out from around a tree up to my left and says" Hey man come here", I say "no man".
and slowly keep on driving.

Well the next thing I see is another guy coming out from around a tree on the right with the baseball bat in the swing position in motion.
I say "DANA, BASEBALL BAT, DUCK", and punched it and swerved towards the "attacker".
The windshield in front of Dana spider webbed and the windshield wiper and antenna went flying.
The "attacker" with the bat went flying.
I looked up to the left and then the right and I saw feet and legs in the air outside the passenger window.
I ran/drove like a scalded dog. Baby don't fail me now.
I saw headlights come on as I looked in the rear view mirror.
Yes, I drove great that night, alleys, back streets, this way, that way lights out from the beginning till I felt...well what ever one would feel.
There was one car I recognized and knew the owner, he was dating a girl that my girl friend and I knew, that car was at the park.
A Pontiac for sure, IIRC a Grand Am or a Grand Prick, orange paint, white top, mag wheels and with either Leopard spots or Tiger stripe seat covers. The car kinda reminded you of a cream sickle.

We made it back to "safe" ground and I dropped Dana off at his house.
My parents were out of town that weekend, and I am pissed, hot and planning.

Here is where my life could have taken a wrong turn.
I'd guess about a half hour goes by and I have just finished "customizing" a 12 ga. pump and with pockets stuffed full and holding a box of 25 getting ready to sneak back into the park, the door bell rings and I think Cops.
I peek out and there is Dana with his mom.
I let them in and Dana and his mom started both talking at the same time.
Before they left they got me cooled down and thinking straight.
I was thinking straight and had a plan before they came but was not thinking about my future.
Dana stayed with me and his mom went home.

The next day Dana asked why I planed to go back to the park alone without him.
I told him "it would be dark, if I am the only one there, no friendly's will get in the way, only targets''.
To this day Dana still says he saw someone to his right with a machete and not a hatchet.
He thought he was going to loose his head that night.
Oh and there were black sole marks on the passenger door that were made by a boot.
I will end it here and say that the guys we knew in the garage never went to the park that night.
440 4 speed, bet you are sorry you asked.
 
Last edited:
Nope.
I still have the receipt for the new windshield.
This all went down around 44 years ago.
One night we met some friends at a garage and they were wrapping barbwire around baseball bats and also driving big nails through those bat. They said "there is going to be a rumble up at (blank) park with the (blank)''.
So I drive away and I look at Dana and say "want to go up past the Park?''
"what else are we doing?"
So up around the park I drive, it's dark but you could see, trees on both sides of the road and a stone wall on my left maybe 4' tall.
Well this guy steps out from around a tree up to my left and says" Hey man come here", I say "no man".
and slowly keep on driving.

Well the next thing I see is another guy coming out from around a tree on the right with the baseball bat in the swing position in motion.
I say "DANA, BASEBALL BAT, DUCK", and punched it and swerved towards the "attacker".
The windshield in front of Dana spider webbed and the windshield wiper and antenna went flying.
The "attacker" with the bat went flying.
I looked up to the left and then the right and I saw feet and legs in the air outside the passenger window.
I ran/drove like a scalded dog. Baby don't fail me now.
I saw headlights come on as I looked in the rear view mirror.
Yes, I drove great that night, alleys, back streets, this way, that way lights out from the beginning till I felt...well what ever one would feel.
There was one car I recognized and knew the owner, he was dating a girl that my girl friend and I knew, that car was at the park.
A Pontiac for sure, IIRC a Grand Am or a Grand Prick, orange paint, white top, mag wheels and with either Leopard spots or Tiger stripe seat covers. The car kinda reminded you of a cream sickle.

We made it back to "safe" ground and I dropped Dana off at his house.
My parents were out of town that weekend, and I am pissed, hot and planning.

Here is where my life could have taken a wrong turn.
I'd guess about a half hour goes by and I have just finished "customizing" a 12 ga. pump and with pockets stuffed full and holding a box of 25 getting ready to sneak back into the park, the door bell rings and I think Cops.
I peek out and there is Dana with his mom.
I let them in and Dana and his mom started both talking at the same time.
Before they left they got me cooled down and thinking straight.
I was thinking straight and had a plan before they came but was not thinking about my future.
Dana stayed with me and his mom went home.

The next day Dana asked why I planed to go back to the park alone without him.
I told him "it would be dark, if I am the only one there, no friendly's will get in the way, only targets''.
To this day Dana still says he saw someone to his right with a machete and not a hatchet.
He thought he was going to loose his head that night.
Oh and there were black sole marks on the passenger door that were made by a boot.
I will end it here and say that the guys we knew in the garage never went to the park that night.
440 4 speed, bet you are sorry you asked.
Not sorry at all. Read about things like that through the years, wasn’t sure about them. Glad you have a solid friend.
 
I like this post because I’m wondering if a couple cars we got are quote on quote, survivors. Because I don’t think so, but my stepdad still insists that they are. Both are big C-body cars. First car is one of our newest additions, a 1967 LL1 Dark Turquoise Fury VIP 2-door. Car is an original G code 383 2 barrel car with a stromberg carburetor and a single snorkel when we first got it, both the carburetor and single snorkel are gone and it has a dual snorkel and an edelbrock Avs on it now. Oh and a Weiland intake on it now too. The whole engine was also repainted to original light turquoise, and the bottom of the hood was repainted in the original color too may I add. The car also used to have a single exhaust on it but now has a TTI dual system. The front grill, headlight bezels, hood ornament, hood “lip” molding, and taillights were all replaced with NOS. Now tell me, is it still a survivor? My opinion is no and that its ruined, but my stepdad still insists on it being one because the dark turquoise paint, the vinyl top, and the interior are still all original.



The second car is a 1970 Fury III 4-door hardtop in FK3 Burnt Orange with only 22,000 miles. The car is a 318 2 barrel with air conditioning and a single exhaust. When my stepdad got it he repainted the engine, replaced the washer bottle with an nos one, replaced hoses, and put on a dual exhaust system. It still had its original pentastar exhaust on it when it got replaced too, I personally still have it even though my stepdad told the exhaust guy to throw it out. The car still has its original carburetor on it although it will likely get replaced soon, but I will save that too. Is this car still considered a survivor? My opinion is also no.
 
I like this post because I’m wondering if a couple cars we got are quote on quote, survivors. Because I don’t think so, but my stepdad still insists that they are. Both are big C-body cars. First car is one of our newest additions, a 1967 LL1 Dark Turquoise Fury VIP 2-door. Car is an original G code 383 2 barrel car with a stromberg carburetor and a single snorkel when we first got it, both the carburetor and single snorkel are gone and it has a dual snorkel and an edelbrock Avs on it now. Oh and a Weiland intake on it now too. The whole engine was also repainted to original light turquoise, and the bottom of the hood was repainted in the original color too may I add. The car also used to have a single exhaust on it but now has a TTI dual system. The front grill, headlight bezels, hood ornament, hood “lip” molding, and taillights were all replaced with NOS. Now tell me, is it still a survivor? My opinion is no and that its ruined, but my stepdad still insists on it being one because the dark turquoise paint, the vinyl top, and the interior are still all original.



The second car is a 1970 Fury III 4-door hardtop in FK3 Burnt Orange with only 22,000 miles. The car is a 318 2 barrel with air conditioning and a single exhaust. When my stepdad got it he repainted the engine, replaced the washer bottle with an nos one, replaced hoses, and put on a dual exhaust system. It still had its original pentastar exhaust on it when it got replaced too, I personally still have it even though my stepdad told the exhaust guy to throw it out. The car still has its original carburetor on it although it will likely get replaced soon, but I will save that too. Is this car still considered a survivor? My opinion is also no.
My personal opinion….

Things like the exhaust and other “wear” items are allowed to be changed and still retain survivor status. If the first car was mine, I would consider doing things like painting a bare aluminum intake engine color, and finding the correct air cleaner for it, to look the part. Painting the entire engine seems a little excessive in the labor dept, but if you feel the original color of the engine breaks your vision of originality. Remember tho that a freshly painted engine will do that as well.

I don’t see calling these cars survivors is out of line. They are not repainted, have replacement engines or such the like. It’s when a combination of those things gets done that they lost their original flavor. I find myself seeking out less than NOS or repop parts when dealing with the Roadrunner. I wanted same year license plates, and the .license plate guy told me he had a really nice set, I told him I wanted a set that wasn’t as nice, and that’s what I got. I also don’t want to replace chrome items with new parts because they will just stick out, so I polish what I have. It’s actually a tougher job to preserve the integrity of the car versus just buying new repopped or NOS parts, but kind of fun in a way. It’s a different way of thinking, that’s for sure.
 
This is my survivor everything untouched except for the radio

IMG_20240513_091306724.jpg
 
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