Cool S#!t I get to work on

[Stretch]

I have tons of pics of cool cars I have been trusted to work on over the years. Here are a few for starters with more to fallow as I run across them.

(yes I always ask before I take pics and before I post them)

This first on is a all steel 34 chevy hot rod. 350,350 ,9 inch. AC cruze, power windows & locks. Remote entry frome inside and out. All controls are hidden. I love the body work. Check out the 3rd brake light, exhaust cut out and gas take fill door.

[Stretch]

This is a real nice 55 chevy. 502, 5 speed 9 inch. AC and on and on. I did the AC install the drive train install and alot of the wiring.

Disk brakes and power rack and pinion steering.

[Stretch]

This is a real deal 409 4 speed 61 Bel air. It's owed by the same guy that owns the 55 chevy. We did a power steering kit, and 4 wheel disk brakes, I rebuilt the carbs and installed pertronics ignition. I love driving this car!

[Stretch]

This car is awesome! 56 olds 88. 383 chevy. AC, 20 year old paint! Look at the shine!!! I love the trick valve covers!

[68X426]

I hate you.  


Both of you. 



Thanks for sharing.  

[Stretch]

Ok guys, go ahead and laugh at me! All I'm going to say is... I have to drive every car before and after I work on it. I know, I know, but it's part of the job....

Remember, I'm 6'6" 280#. LOL

[Stretch]

This impala is the first car this guy ever painted. He did it ALL himself. It's a 572 with AFR heads and big cat mashers. The paint is awesome. even the inner fenders shine.

[Stretch]

23,000 mile buick stright 8 and a 49ish ford. Both unrestored, and cool!

[Stretch]

This is a 69 owned by a 16 year old kid. He's my buddys son. Tommy and his dad restored this over the last four years. It was a basket case. They did frame rails, floors, full quarters, rockers, sail panils. on and on and on. He is SO proud of it it makes me giggle! I was honered he asked me to align it. I wish all teens could be as good a kid as Tommy.

Paul, Tommys dad has a one of 3 '68 4speed dana Road Runner. Paul bought it for $900.00 when he was 16 in 1976. Its turquoise with a taxi interior and the inlend shifter. Very cool!

[Stretch]

This one is called Frankinfive. It started life as a '55 110 4door. He took five '55's and built this. I dare you to find where the rear doors once were. It's got a stroker small block in it a muncy 4 speed and a gear venders and a 9 inch rear.

[twodko]

Just shows to goya. If you love what you do you'll never work a day in you life!

Oh yeah....what Dan said. 

[Vainglory, Esq.]

Okay, so fill us in on your job details.  What exactly do you do, where are you located, do you work only on old cars, what's your specialty, etc.?

[Stretch]

I work on about anything. I  have some Heavy Duty truck certifications. (Heavy duty brakes air and hydraulic. Suspension). Mostly I do auto chassie, brakes, alignment, tune up/driveabilty, electrical & AC on your every day cars. I try and stay away from big jobs like engine & trans R&R because I'm a one man show in a small shop (3 bays) and we just don't have the room or the time for stuff like that. We have one guy in the office who sells tires and one guy who mounts those. I'm my own service manager.

I get most of the classics in town. My dad was always in the "car scene" and I have always had some sort of nice old car. People know I'm good at what I do and I'm picky. They also know I give a shit and I'm not going to be careless with/ around there stuff.

As for where I work, I'm in a small town (about 10,000 to 12,000 people) in Michigain's upper peninsula, about 100 miles north of Green Bay Wisconsin. I live in a smaller town (800 people in a 90 sq mile township) about 25 miles away.

In my free time I help on my buddys dairy fram. We are milking about 120 head. and farming about 200 acres.

I also still have a CDL from my 13 years as a Heavy Duty truck mechanic. I have let it drop to "Farm endorsement" status.

Other than that i have a 2.5 year old daughter and another little one on the way.

I stay busy!

[WS23U1A]

Hey Buttflex!!! (inside joke, Stretch will get it ) I'd have to say my fav is the green '73 in the background of a few pictures.

[Stretch]

Wazz Up H.G.P.

[bobs66440]

I would like to be the first to volunteer my time to do the before/after test drives for you.    This will relieve the terrible buden on you!




Cool job!

[Stretch]

Hey Buttflex!!! (inside joke, Stretch will get it ) I'd have to say my fav is the green '73 in the background of a few pictures.

I haven't heard that sense we worked together. What was that 20 years or more ago? Thanks for the complement on my car. You should come back and drive it again some time.

[WS23U1A]

Hey Buttflex!!! (inside joke, Stretch will get it ) I'd have to say my fav is the green '73 in the background of a few pictures.

I haven't heard that sense we worked together. What was that 20 years or more ago? Thanks for the complement on my car. You should come back and drive it again some time.

As I was looking at the picture of you behind the wheel of that Viper, I had a flashback to the K-mart Service Center. "Get me down 4 of those Tiger Paw A/S's while you're up there". Those were good times.

Is that picture in your avatar from the day we had our car's out by Lake Antoine? I seem to have misplaced that cd Pierre gave me with those pictures on it. They came out pretty nice.

The 40th Anniversary '71 Charger show at the Wellborn Museum is next month. You should pack up the family & come out.

[Stretch]

That picture was at your moms place but I'm not sure if it was the same day. I too have misplaced that disk.

Going to the Welborn museum would be awesome. Somehow I don't think Chrissie would be as excited as I would be.

[John_Kunkel]

I have tons of pics of cool cars I have been trusted to work on over the years. Here are a few for starters with more to fallow as I run across them.

This first on is a all steel 34 chevy hot rod.

Sure it's not a '39?

[Stretch]

It could be. It's been over a year sense I worked on it last.

[bobs66440]

Yeah, that's a '39.

[tan top]

   nice

[PocketThunder]

Yeah, that's a '39.

  Thats what i was thinking. 

[Stretch]

It is a a '39. I have no idea why I said '34. I have a bunch more pics that I plan to load onto my laptop tonight. Hopefully I'll get them posted before the weekend.

[PocketThunder]

Got more pictures fo the 55 4-door to 2-door conversion? 

[Stretch]

Got more pictures fo the 55 4-door to 2-door conversion? 

I may but none as a work in progress. He brought it here for the alignment after he reassembled it.

[mauve66]

Ok guys, go ahead and laugh at me! All I'm going to say is... I have to drive every car before and after I work on it. I know, I know, but it's part of the job....

Remember, I'm 6'6" 280#+. LOL

[Stretch]

Ok guys, go ahead and laugh at me! All I'm going to say is... I have to drive every car before and after I work on it. I know, I know, but it's part of the job....

Remember, I'm 6'6" 280#+. LOL

True enough

[Stretch]

This was here monday. It's a one owner '64 vette. He ordered it in 1963. We swapped out the front coils for a transverse fiberglass mono leaf spring, and tubular A-arms. We also swaped out the rear multi leaf spring for a glass mono leaf. It still rools on 15X 5" wheels and 4 wheel manual drums.  The interior is torn abart to gane access to the radio. It has been sent out to be repaired.

[Stretch]

This is a '56 ford I worked on this spring. I love the color combo. It a 3 speed with OD. The engine is suppoedly a NASCAR engine from the mid 50's. It runs hard and strong. The car was brought here from the resto shop for me to align. Once again I had to drive it before and after I worked on it. I know, I know, but its part of the job.

Check out the factory tach!!!

[Stretch]

This is a '64 falcon I got to wrench on. It has about 23,000 miles on it. It's all original paint and interior. I went through the brakes and fuel system. The owner tells me it's 80 H.P. I said "All under one hood?"

It is a sweet little car. I told him it needs a big block, 4 speed, and fenderwell headders! He disagreed!

[Budnicks]

23,000 mile buick stright 8 and a 49ish ford. Both unrestored, and cool!

Very Cool stuff, ypu have a great job it looks like fun.... not to pile on, but that's a 50 Ford the 49 has different smaller markers/blinkers on the edge of the grill, with no stainless bezel below them & has exposed hinges on the hood & trunk, I love the black Old 88...

[Stretch]

23,000 mile buick stright 8 and a 49ish ford. Both unrestored, and cool!

Very Cool stuff, ypu have a great job it looks like fun.... not to pile on, but that's a 50 Ford the 49 has different smaller markers/blinkers on the edge of the grill, with no stainless bezel below them & has exposed hinges on the hood & trunk, I love the black Old 88...

No biggy. I work on so many cars a week I just don't remember all of the details. If I'm wrong about somthing, by all means correct me. How else am I going to learn?

[Budnicks]

23,000 mile buick stright 8 and a 49ish ford. Both unrestored, and cool!

Very Cool stuff, ypu have a great job it looks like fun.... not to pile on, but that's a 50 Ford the 49 has different smaller markers/blinkers on the edge of the grill, with no stainless bezel below them & has exposed hinges on the hood & trunk, I love the black Old 88...

No biggy. I work on so many cars a week I just don't remember all of the details. If I'm wrong about somthing, by all means correct me. How else am I going to learn?

I only know that because I had a 49 Custom, 50 Tudor & a 51 Ford Businessman's Coupe, I needed all three to build 1 race car, I used the main body of the 51 & the 49's grill, hood & trunk lid, misc. parts off the interior of the 50...  I'm sure your very knowledgeable.... There are so many of the 50's eras cars that I'm clueless about...

[Stretch]

This is in the shop today. It's a '66 Lincoln Continental. This is the guys dally driver. I'm replacing all of the fuel lines and brake lines, the front and rear brakes and an axle bearing. It's a cool car to drive for sure. It turns heads fore sure. I'm pretty sure people think, "Wow! Thats cool!" and then, "I can't believe that guys driving that in the snow and salt!"

I used coated tubing for the lines on this one because he's not looking for resto quality work. As I said, he drives it daily.

[Stretch]

Suicide doors rock. The car has been painted at some point. The interior is original. Looks to be room for 12 in here.

[TiMopar]

I love that 61 Impala.

[Stretch]

It's a '62 and it's awesome! Fun ride for sure.

[Bob T]

The Linc's are cool with the suicide doors, nothing quite like it.
A buddy of mine also has a '66 460 in white with original white cracked leather interior out here.  It came in from Canada and needed the floors and brakelines done cause of rust and a windscreen for compliance , windscreen had to come from Switzerland of all places, very expensive.
I had to push it out of the way every day for a week to gain access to a garage switchboard during a job there, man there some weight in those puppies..

[Stretch]

This is my Brother-in-laws '68 cougar. It's one of 142 or so '68 4 speed 289 cars. We were replacing all 4 springs, shocks and rebuilding the front end.

[Stretch]

This is a '66 mustang that belongs to the same guy who has the Falcon. This is his daily driver. It's a 302, C4 I think he said it's still got the original paint. He has had it for 25 to 30 years. It was his wifes when they met.

[ACUDANUT]

Why do you have the brake pedal pushed down (with a rod) while you do a alignment ?

[Stretch]

This was the first "cool" car of this year to come in. I did a tube upper and lower A arm set and aligned it. Thed owner bought this car in Arazona for $800.00 and drove home to Michigans U.P. He redid the interior and painted it. Thats it. Its a 403/400.

[Stretch]

Why do you have the brake pedal pushed down (with a rod) while you do a alignment ?

That is to keep the wheels from rotating while you are making camber/caster adjustments. Some cars need the camber/caster changes done with no weight on the wheels.  It also keeps the car from rolling while pulling wrenches. If the heads move while making adjustments it will throw off the alignment readings.

[Stretch]

This is a '68 GTO that was here last week for some electrical issues. The owner tryed to change the alternator from the original style external regulator, to the GM one wire internal regulator set up. He failed! It wouldn't charge, the hood tach didn't work, and the engine would stall over bumps and in turns.

It's a beautiful dark metalic green. I love the black vinyl top! The wheels.... Not so much. I think the back is a touch too high aswell but he likes it and thats what matters.

Didn't these Pontiac's have the coolest marker lights!!??

[Stretch]

This is my neighbors car! I EFIN LOVE THIS THING!!!! If I had the cash I would buy it in a hartbeat!  '56 mecury montclair Frenched headlights, and door handles! Skirts, tuck & roll int. droped in the weeds, 289/c4 and it just drips with cool! The pin sripes are Von Dutch! I have spent a lot of time over the years helping Dick with this car. His sone was my age and was killed in a car accident a few years after we got out of high school. My Dad isn't healthy anymore and cant get out to the garage anymore. Dick and I just have a good time together and I think that is part of the reason I love this car so much. He has let me drive it quite a few times now and it always turns heads!

[Stretch]

A few more of the merc!

[Stretch]

I have a bunch of chassis parts coming for this little gem. I will be going right through it. It's a '69 Karmmin Ghia from California, it has AC and no rust what so ever. It also comes with a rear seat so it has seating for 5 at various comfort levels!
These Vdubs were not built for a man my size!

[69rtse4spd]

Very cool job. .

[charger_fan_4ever]

What kind of lift is that ? Looks like a scissors jack type lift with a platform.

[Stretch]

There are two differant hoists in these pics. The old hoist (gone now) and the new one (Snap -on) are the lifts for the alignment rack. I don't remember who made the old one. It said John Bean on it but I have no idea who the manufacturer was. It had a 9000# capacity. This new one has a 14,000# capacity.

[hatersaurusrex]

Ok guys, go ahead and laugh at me! All I'm going to say is... I have to drive every car before and after I work on it. I know, I know, but it's part of the job....

Remember, I'm 6'6" 280#. LOL

Lol I wouldn't laugh at all, I'm 6'4" and 320... this tells me a Viper isn't in the cards for me...