Test Drives

Over the years, I have had many car projects. Starting at 15 years old, I built a dune buggy mostly from a 1965 VW Bug. I say mostly since the pan (frame) was from a 1958 VW Bug. The ’58 pan was handed down to me by my brother, who had received it from a friend. So, this dune buggy project was started several years before I got involved. My brother had cut out 18 inches from the middle where the rear seat would have been. It sat in two pieces for a couple of years before I took over the project. The first thing I did was to buy a 1965 VW Bug. I had to get my Dad to sign the papers for that Bug since I was too young. I immediately took the body off that Bug so I could transfer the engine and transmission over to the project pan. Before I could move those over, I had welded a tube frame under the ’58 pan to strengthen it. I had help from my Dad and brothers when we were welding the tube frame. Once I got the running gear installed, I got most of what was needed to drive the dune buggy working. This project was a huge learning experience for me. I learned how to weld, how to get an electrical system and brakes working, along with all the mechanical aspects of a car.

I remember clearly driving that dune buggy in our driveway, back and forth with our dog Eva in the passenger seat, testing everything from brakes to how the engine ran. Since the upper tube frame had yet to be built, the steering column was temporarily supported on a piece of 2 x 4 wood block, with a U-clamp holding the column in place and the seats out of the ’65 Bug, so the car was ready for a test drive. Since the buggy was not street legal, we waited until nighttime before taking it for a quick drive on the local streets. We also had no lights working yet. We drove it to our church, where there was some wooded property to test-drive on. I recall vividly as we drove in the dark, thinking, “…. I wonder if this is what it was like to drive behind enemy lines during the war?” Not sure why I thought that, however. Once we got to the wooded property, my brothers, Dad, and I took turns driving around the trees, making our own off-road path. It is a wonder that we did not hit any of those trees. I remember, as we drove back home, thinking how fulfilling it was to bring this project to life, and now we were driving it. It still had a long way to go before being finished, however.

Fast forward a few years to my 1968 Camaro. I had sold the dune buggy, bought and sold a 1966 Chevelle SS (which was a junky car before I bought it), and was now on to building the ’68 Camaro. I had bought the Camaro for $200, knowing it needed a lot of work, but I was so excited about all the potential this car had. First thing I did was tear down the small block to install a bigger cam and an aluminum intake with a Holley 4-barrel. I tore out the stock exhaust system and added headers and Hush Thrush mufflers with the pipes exiting just in front of the rear wheels on each side. I also installed traction bars on the rear axle. The best of mid-1970s hot-rod technology, I added to the car. After each addition and modification, I took the test drive to see what new abilities this Camaro could perform. During this time, my brothers and I owned and operated a body and mechanic shop where we did all our own work as well as work for customers. We had a lot of business, but since we focused more on our own cars, we only stayed in business for two years. After we had to close the shop, I had to do all my work under the carport at our house.

My older brother had a 396 with 427 big-valve heads, 12:1 compression, and a monster cam that he had pulled from his ’66 Chevelle SS. He gave me the big block. We did a lot of trading and giving back then. I don’t recall what he put in the Chevelle, but I think it was a small block, then he sold that car. I had to make some modifications to get that Big Block to fit in the ’68 Camaro, like fabricating engine mounts on the frame to lower the block. When the Camaro was ready for the test drive with the Big Block, I asked my brother if he wanted to do the honors. He got behind the steering wheel, and I got in on the passenger side. He took it slow at first to get a feel for the extra weight up front, but by the second block, he was ready to rock and roll. We pulled onto a street where he stopped, brought the RPMs up, and dumped the clutch. We took off like a banshee, and I was trying to hold onto my seat (we did not wear seatbelts then; those were for sissies) and laughing as he banged through the four gears, the car going sideways, trying to hold traction. I remember looking over at my brother and seeing the smile on his face. These were the good old days….

A few years later, I had just gotten back home from backpacking around Europe, and a tropical storm flooded our small town. My Dad settled with insurance and hired my brothers and me to repair the house. With the money I earned, I bought a 1977 Monte Carlo, which had been flooded. I got a great deal for a car that was only two years old and had very little mileage. I was about to leave town for college, and I needed a good car I could trust. The water level in the Monte did not reach the dash, so only the seats and carpeting were affected. I stripped out the interior, took the seats apart to make sure they were dry and clean. I tossed the carpet. I went through the engine and transmission to make sure there was no flood damage. It was time to go for a test drive. With the seats still out and no carpeting, I put a 5-gallon bucket upside down where I could sit to go for a test drive. I had never really appreciated seats that were bolted down until this drive. There were a couple of times when the bucket flipped over during a turn. I was laughing and happy that the car was running so well. It was not the hot rod I was used to driving, but it was ready to serve as my ‘college car’. It had rally wheels and the fattest tires I could put on 8-inch-wide rims. It may not have been fast, but it looked good.

Looking back over the years, I have taken many test drives after major projects on the cars I have owned. The best part is hearing an engine come to life after being taken down to almost nothing but the bare block. I have several car projects I am working on now, and I look forward to hearing them come to life at first start-up. Those first Test Drives are going to be great!