I was a bit disgruntled as I began to scrub some bugs of my windshield this morning. Then suddenly, I remembered the smile on my new friends 74-year-old face. As Charlie and I meandered the back-county roads of Texas, lighting up the tires on occasion, and the awesome sound of a dual quad carburetor kicking in at the command of a solid-lifter, 427 side-oiler.
Yes, in the short duration of 30 minutes, we discussed his 66 big-block (4-speed) Impala back home in Ohio. Time running out this season for his back-road adventures, while in Texas it is just beginning. His wife purchased the car for him back in 78 and it has been a love affair ever since. We discussed his Chevy and my Ford, the convenience of power-steering, the inconvenience of overheating, 4 speed vs automatic. I lamented the fact that I had C6 automatic as he extolled the virtues of a 4 speed, while all along wishing for a Powerglide due to his age.
Concerned that I had an ignition miss or carburetor issue, only to be reassured by Charlie that after that last burnout, the Shelby needed nothing more than another tank of gas. It was a good morning, bugs and all.
Ron