Go Back   The Supercar Registry > General Discussion > Pontiac


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-12-2023, 11:14 PM
muscle_collector muscle_collector is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 564
Thanks: 394
Thanked 770 Times in 205 Posts
Default After 52 years I finally own it

Very long story:
I was 10 years old and back in 1971 a guy who lived down the street from one of my best friends came home with his new 71 blue trans am. My friend told me about it and in the next few days i was over at his house and saw the guy washing the car. So we rode our bikes to his house and I started talking to him telling him how much I loved his car and that was my favorite car in the whole world. He was very proud of it and was very nice and let me look it all over.

Very soon after buying it he put 5 spoke mags on it with the big 60 series back tires and 70 series front tires on it. it was my absolute dream looking car. (on another visit he let me sit in the front seat of it. i can get chills thinking back about how that felt). i always told him when i get old enough to drive or if he ever sells it i want to buy it. but he always said "ill keep it until i die". when i was 15 and was really serious about getting a car i was begging him to sell it to me and he was about to get married and said bring your dad over and we will talk about it. so my dad and i went over drove it. it was just like brand new, he had taken immaculent care of it. i still have it written down in my note book i had back then, but we made an offer of either $2650 or $2750 and the car had either 26k or 27k miles on it (i cant remember which number was which off the top of my head now). he said let me think about it. i was having extreme anxiety about possibly getting this car, but he called and said he just cant sell it but if he ever does he will let me know but dont get my hopes up because he is going to keep it until he dies and then he wants to be buried in it.

over the many years i always kept in touch with him, would stop by and talk to him and remind him that i wanted the car. about 15 years ago the car had 55k miles on it and still looked like new. he had an accident and tweaked the front bumper and bent the fender. it absolutely killed him that it happened and then the car sat outside with a tarp on it. i begged him to put it inside and even offered to let him keep it in my one of my buildings for free if he would make sure his family sells it to me when he dies and if something happened to me, my family would let him get it out and not owe anything for storage. that didnt work and so it sat and sat.

fast forward to last sunday i am going to the airport to pick up my wife and daughter and am running about an hour early and i thought i havent driven by his house in probably over a year now and need to. so i drove by (he lived in a very small neighborhood and at the end of a deadend street) and took these two pictures. i didnt stop because i knew i didnt have time to talk. crazy thing but later in the week i get a call and find out he had passed away and his family was willing to sell me the car. i picked it up yesterday and now am the owner of the car i dreamed about owning a little over 52 years ago. his wife told me that he really wanted to be buried inside the car but the city would not ok it. sadly sitting outside under the tarp has done a number on it. what is left of it is the original paint. the interior is really dirty and unfortunately not in good shape. the engine compartment is still very original including the original carb and hood scoop solenoid system. the alternator and master cylinder have been replaced. (reciept for having it done was in the glove box). has 55k original miles and still has the dealership nameplate on the rear. ernie miller pontiac has been in tulsa since the late 60's.

he was a friend of my dads and i have bought a few trans ams from them. his son is a friend of mine and now owns the dealership which is a buick / gmc now and is named marc miller. still at the same location they have been at since 1971. even though i have owned countless 70-72 trans ams and still own numerous ones, this particular car ranks up with a few of my others i own that i have known since they were new. enjoy the pictures and i know it is sad to see it in this shape.
Attached Images
          

Last edited by Pro Stock John; 11-13-2023 at 06:19 PM.
Reply With Quote
The Following 48 Users Say Thank You to muscle_collector For This Useful Post:
169indy (11-13-2023), 1967Z28 (11-13-2023), 427.060 (11-13-2023), 427TJ (11-21-2023), 67 Nova Boy (11-16-2023), 69 Post Sedan (11-13-2023), 69hurstSC (12-14-2023), 69M22Z (11-13-2023), 69Z11Pacer396 (11-13-2023), Andy (11-13-2023), Big Block Bill (11-13-2023), big gear head (11-13-2023), Bill Pritchard (11-14-2023), BJCHEV396 (11-14-2023), carnut4life (11-13-2023), CC Rider (11-13-2023), Dave Rifkin (11-13-2023), dustinm (11-13-2023), dykstra (11-15-2023), GearheadSS (11-28-2023), grantprix (11-14-2023), HawkX66 (11-13-2023), hurstL78 (11-14-2023), jer (11-13-2023), juliosz (11-13-2023), Keith Seymore (11-13-2023), L78_Nova (11-14-2023), ls6owner (11-13-2023), L_e_e (11-13-2023), markinnaples (11-18-2023), napa68 (11-22-2023), Oldss (11-20-2023), olredalert (11-13-2023), PeteLeathersac (11-13-2023), R68GTO (11-12-2023), RPOLS3 (11-13-2023), ScottG (12-15-2023), scuncio (11-13-2023), SS427 (11-13-2023), Steve Shauger (11-13-2023), Stihl (03-13-2024), SuperNovaSS (11-17-2023), Tenney (11-13-2023), Tracker1 (11-13-2023), X66 714 (11-12-2023), Xplantdad (11-13-2023), YenkoYS-199Stinger (11-13-2023), Zman1969 (12-07-2023)
Attachments - The Supercar Registry 71 ta blue 112055 top left view.jpg 71 ta blue 112055 right side at original owners house.jpg 71 ta blue 112055 right rear.jpg 71 ta blue 112055 rear close up dealer tag.jpg
O Garage vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.
Click here to view all the pictures posted in this thread...
  #2  
Old 11-12-2023, 11:37 PM
R68GTO R68GTO is offline
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Minster, Ohio
Posts: 1,260
Thanks: 2,201
Thanked 2,195 Times in 568 Posts
Default

Awesome story! Glad you finally got it!
__________________
SOLD 1969 427 COPO Camaro Lemans Blue/Black, M22 4 speed, 15,800 original miles
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-12-2023, 11:49 PM
x44d80 x44d80 is online now
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: American Fork, Utah
Posts: 356
Thanks: 166
Thanked 76 Times in 41 Posts
Default

Great story. Keep us updated on the restoration.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-13-2023, 12:31 AM
TimG TimG is offline
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 4,262
Thanks: 1
Thanked 2,082 Times in 825 Posts
Default

What a great story, your childhood dream car. I'm glad you ended up with the TA even if it's in rough shape. Please keep the pictures coming.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-13-2023, 12:53 AM
Crush Crush is online now
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Motor City!
Posts: 2,071
Thanks: 992
Thanked 725 Times in 447 Posts
Default

How cool is that!!!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-13-2023, 01:01 AM
turbo69bird's Avatar
turbo69bird turbo69bird is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Here
Posts: 260
Thanks: 97
Thanked 589 Times in 133 Posts
Default

Gary we have similar stories I was that way with the Stephens car I have I used to draw pictures of it in school, so I totally get it! Doesn’t matter how rusty it is you see that car you saw in 1971 and your back on your bicycle in that guys driveway again, and I know you’ll probably make it look exactly like that again .

Spectacular that you never gave up and ended up w the car. Such an awesome story, love it.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-13-2023, 01:59 AM
SPEEDYB SPEEDYB is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Los Angeles CA
Posts: 154
Thanks: 318
Thanked 154 Times in 61 Posts
Default

awesome!
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-13-2023, 02:20 AM
68camaroz28 68camaroz28 is offline
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: PA
Posts: 253
Thanks: 41
Thanked 90 Times in 59 Posts
Default

Great story but as you wrote sad condition of car but in good hands now.
__________________
68,69&2015 Z/28's
69 L78 Nova Purchased new 32k miles
69 Restored Nova L34 Father/Son
Few Corvettes
Our 68 Z/28 Build thread- http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=182584
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-13-2023, 12:15 PM
chevyandpontiac chevyandpontiac is offline
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Shorewood, IL
Posts: 931
Thanks: 101
Thanked 782 Times in 213 Posts
Default

Fantastic story glad it ended up where it needed to be.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-13-2023, 12:27 PM
RPOLS3's Avatar
RPOLS3 RPOLS3 is online now
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Rockford, IL area
Posts: 3,289
Thanks: 4,926
Thanked 2,114 Times in 837 Posts
Default

Congratulations!
__________________
Jake Dykstra

Dykstra Motorsports
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:45 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.