After 52 years I finally own it

[muscle_collector]

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.

[R68GTO]

Awesome story! Glad you finally got it!

[x44d80]

Great story. Keep us updated on the restoration.

[TimG]

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.

[Crush]

How cool is that!!!

[turbo69bird]

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.

[SPEEDYB]

awesome!

[68camaroz28]

Great story but as you wrote sad condition of car but in good hands now.

[chevyandpontiac]

Fantastic story glad it ended up where it needed to be.

[RPOLS3]

Congratulations!