I started selling Christmas trees at Green Bros. Nursery at 14 years old. Worked there on the weekends and at Dunwoody Chevron at night until the day I left for basic training.
In the 70s… A lot of people were looking to get rid of muscle cars, due to gas prices and shortages. On into the 80s you could still buy them affordably. My dad had so many muscle cars growing up in the 60s and 70s… He could’ve retired three times over,if he had just hung on to them and parked them under a barn. His first “muscle car” was a 62 1/2 Lightweight Galaxie…yes..one of the factory “lightweight” drag cars. 406 Tri-power,4-speed,fiberglass hood,deck lid,aluminum bumpers,Swiss Cheese frame..! That car was parted out & he used the frame for a dune buggy
. Luckily …it was tracked down by a local Ford collector…and slowly restored.! It appraised around $200K the last time he had it appraised! Heck,in the late 80’s…I almost had a MINT ‘67 Fastback Mustang..for $4,500.00 & barely missed it. I can remember a (complete) 68 Shelby GT-500…for $7,500..in 1986. ‘67 Camaro for $3000…big block car that just needed finishing(interior).One of my best friends in high school drove a ‘67 Chevelle SS 396..daily. One of the girls in my class drove her Dads ‘70 Judge GTO,occasionally. It was a bright Orange & was a cool car. Last,but not least…I remember a ‘68 Plymouth Superbee that sat about a mile from our high school..it only came out occasionally to be washed. Old guy never drove it..just washed it & put it back in his garage. I tried to buy it after I got out of college and had a little money packed away. He would not sell it. Said he grew up in it & he would eventually rebuild it. I had no idea even what engine was in it..I just knew it still had original paint & was CLEAN..with a 4-speed
. He died a few years ago…so I went back and asked his wife about it. It got sold to one of his best friends growing up, in another state. Turns out… It was a 426 hemi/four-speed car…
.Just Damn…
I started working full time during the summers at age 13. Paid for my own car's and education. I guess I was fortunate that my parents didn't give me everything I wanted.
It was the key to freedom.....
But at least you had a 'vette.
