Fond memories

[Dog427435]

On Long Island back in 1965 we were buying and building old cars for prices you wouldn't believe. People didn't keep cars as they do today, 50-60,000 miles and it was time to get something new. Cars didn't hold up mechanically or structurally as they do now. Rarely was a 10 year old car traded in, it was privately sold or junked.
Junkyards were only paying $7 - $12 for complete cars, so if you could spend a little more there were some great buys to be had. Working at a gas station and knowing what was around we were buying '55 Chevy's and Ford's for $25 - $50 dollars. We would do the wildest things we could to get that Gasser look. Radised rear wheel wells, no front bumper, monster spring set ups - you name it. A car with a straight axle was as wild as you could get.
I'll never forget riding through the back roads one afternoon and seeing this brand new GTO pulling down the driveway from between two houses. It had one of the highest straight axle setups I had ever seen, with the undercarriage painted bright white. Loud pipes, mags all around with jet black tinted windows. I was in love! A hot rodded brand new car! My trips past this house became a routine I would follow for years.
It seemed the only time I ever saw it, it was leaving, never parked where I could get a closer look or talk to the owner. One time I went by and saw it now had zoomie style headers sticking out over the front wheels, then it was sporting a beautiful rainbow painted hood scoop.
Then it was gone - never to be seen again. I spoke to friends about, other car guys I would meet from the area but no one knew the car I was speaking of. It was not that long ago I made a pass by the house and stopped and stared down the driveway wondering was that GTO still in the garage?
You can imagine my suprise when I start reading Hot Rod magazine last month and there is the GTO looking back at me.
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I sent a e-mail to Hot Rod and they forwarded it to Pete. I told him basically what I said above and he responded -


Thank you so much for the kind words about my old hot rod - '65 GTO. It really is a small world. We were cruising the same streets - maybe a couple of years apart. When I try to explain it to my kids, and now my grandkids, of how life used to be driving on the streets during those years, how it was like one big car show and cruise night, they just can't comprehend it. Hot rods all over the place. It was a blast and a time of American history that will never be repeated.

I might have narrowed my search down to the GTO ending up totaled in the early seventies. A big block went into it - probably just a little too much for it. I had the car down to 2920 lbs. in weight. But, I'm still not sure on that info. I did a lot of hot rodding for many years afterwards racing for SK speed with my older brother, won many car shows and have come in contact with a lot of great guys and really powerful cars. However, the feelings that I endured driving my '65 GTO have overshadowed all of it since.

Sent you some photos - hope you enjoy them. Look forward to receiving some photos from you as well.

From one car guy to another - thanks again!

Regards!
Pete Pranzo

[b]
Isn't it great that car guys, never meeting can have a bond like this!

Here are some more shots of Pete's car - anyone seen it??

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[mockingbird812]

Totally RaDiCaL!!! Neat story Dog. Thanks!

[SS427]

Now THAT is cool! Cumby has some shots of a similar hot rodded straight axle car as well and I think it too was a GTO (but not this one) and a well known one at that. I did not have the photos saves so he will have to post them. Those were the days!!!

[Xplantdad]

That is just way too cool. Doesn't surprise me that a 'car guy' would send you the photos...you should tell him to join the site. He sounds like one of us!

[Dog427435]

I have told Pete what a great site this is and know he has been on checking it out
He is one of us - I'm sure he'll be joining soon!

[six-corners]

What a great post. I too saw this car in Hot Rod and it blew my mind. What an awesome piece of machinery. Too bad that guys info lead up to a info of it being totaled. Thanks for the photos.

I remember when I was a kid, a guy down the street had a sky-high 68 Caprice (on the north side of Chicago around 77-79)I have been hooked on that look ever since.

[vince]

great story.....i was running around the north shore of suffolk county from 76-81 didnt see that car. im sure i would have remembered that ride the island was a major hotbed of radical muscle and the memorys from those days will always be burned in to my memory.

[markinnaples]

That car flat out rocks.

Can you imagine the look on his dad's face when he brought home a brand new Goat and started cutting it up immediately?

Man, I hope it's wrong that it was totalled and it's found somehow.

[firstgenaddict]

Awesome!

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Hmmmm..... Whitewalls!