Z/28

[Z28 HLR]

[Hunt-man]

Sorry for your loss. Great post. I agree you can't take it with you so I drive my Z. I drive it in the snow. I drive it in the rain.

Love what you have around you because you won't have it long.

[Z/28Dan]

Wow, I am very sorry to hear about your friend. Life is too short. I know exactly what you mean about driving these cars and I'm doing my best to drive it every chance I get.

Your road trip sounds fantastic. Your kids will love it, but mainly for the uninterrupted time with Dad.

[All2Easy]

Sorry for your loss...

I purchased mine with the intention of it being a track car. That went out the window quickly....I now use it as a DD. I will intentionally take the long way to where I am going just to enjoy the car that much longer. I've had the car for three months, and already have 3800 miles on it.

It is simply one of the best GM has ever produced.

[Z/28Dan]

Originally Posted by Z28 HLR

Where do you think part of the idea came from, Dan??

Keep us posted on your road trip itinerary. It looks like you'll be cruising pretty close to me in Virginia and I'll have to make a point of meeting up with you along the way. Looking forward to it!

[JUSTIFIED]

Truly sorry for your loss. None of us know what tomorrow holds so we must enjoy what we have, while we have it.

Also, I can't think of a better use of your Z than creating cool memories with your kids. Those memories will be priceless for you and them! I have an 8 year old grandson and every time I stop by with my car he begs me to let him sit in my lap and drive it around the block. Nothing can beat that! Enjoy that road trip!

[The_Blur]

I'm sorry for your loss. It's never fun to lose someone, but you may have fun in the wake of this. Your friend's realization, and now yours, that there's adventure out there behind the wheel of a muscle car is something to be admired. It's the reason many of us modify our cars, throwing warranties out the window in favor of risk and liability for our now monstrous machines. Ultimately, these things are just that: machines. Drive it or store it, the air will corrode the metal, and the interior will rot. It will die in time, not unlike actual living things.

A car is as much a machine as it is a companion on our adventures. It takes us where we go and reminds us of where we've been. Your friend's collection likely represented stories more than they represented a trophy case of cool toys.

For me, the Camaro SS in the garage is my first success; the first time I earned respect for my work; the fastest I've ever driven; and certainly the most grease I've gotten under my fingernails. I could have another car with the same story, but this one is me. I had wanted this Camaro for 7 years before this one entered my life.

Your friend, a self-made collector, probably felt similarly. Each car represented a new victory. We should all aspire to have so much meaning in our lives. I'm genuinely sorry for your loss, but I am glad you found a good way to cope. Enjoy your adventure, and try to make a stop in California. We have good tacos.

[TonyNDeb]

I remember reading a story about a son and dad driving cross country in a Boss 302. They said they did it for the memories. If you do make it to Virginia, I'm sure a bunch of us in the Hampton Roads Camaro Club would like to get together.

[Jackass]

I just love to read posts like this , the OP did a great job while doing it
As some know , I came from a different part on this planet , but for some reason soon after I first landed in this great place we all call USA , I just loved the way the cars looked like , specially the muscle ones .
But going back to the OP post , by doing that trip with your kid , you two will be creating a bonding and memories that will last a life time , go for it , even without the DVD !

[KaBoom1701]

Awesome read.

Thanks for sharing and sorry about the loss of your friend.

[Zslash28]

Change the rubber for the trip. Last thing you need is to get a flat.

[pincoin]

Originally Posted by Z28 HLR

I received a call today notifying me that I had lost a dear friend. During the hour long conversation with his wife we talked about stories from long ago, dreams and regrets. He had told her he wished he’d have done more…..

He was a self made man with a love of cars. In this massive shed he had you could find tons of muscle cars and strange vehicles he collected through the years. 500+HP Big Block Chevelles, 50’s Chevy trucks, Mustangs, Rare Tri-5 Convertibles and a slew of other wonderful cars. A candy store to most of us grown children. Some he picked up in cherry condition and drove around and enjoyed. I was sick to my stomach when he picked up a 1977 Porsche 911 with 8,000 miles and told me his wife would enjoy driving it since the German Sheppard was always with her. I saw it as a car to be stored and admired. He was more of the opinion that the 396 Chevelle’s needed to have all 4 gears power shifted until the 4.10 gears could get you up to a little over a 110 mph but then requiring a neck brace for a few weeks. He loved the cars, but used them for what they were meant to be used for. I see the wisdom now in the wake of his passing. You can’t take it with you. He thought he could have done more but then again, his stories were endless. We can only wish to have a life as great and as fun as his was.

Earlier last year I posted a thread about a Z/28 Rendez Vous. My thought at the time was to get some of us Z/28 owners together and enjoy some rides together, sharing stories. Today while I was processing all this I began to think of an old magazine I used to read as a kid called Car Craft. Not sure if it’s still around but they used to have stories of people driving cross country in Hemi Cuda’s, Convertible Camaro’s (not that Guy from the Food Channel) and even a Pontiac with a triple carb. They enjoyed the cars, stopping for pictures with onlookers along the way and just loving it.

My Z/28 has 318 miles on it. When my kid gets out of school this year, I think we will need to take a trip for a few weeks. Up through Michigan and to the Oshawa plant to see where it was built, across to Maine and then down to Tennessee to enjoy the Smokey Mountains. A stop at the beach and then into the French Quarter is a must before making our way back towards Memphis and into the Midwest. Along the way, I think we will need to stop at some tracks, and hopefully meet up with some of you. Maybe some of you will join us for part of our trip. This is all preliminary. The other thread is all over the place. It was not what I had in mind but hopefully it will be the beginning of a bunch of local Z/28 meets. I never wanted to start a Camaro Fest, just meeting some of the few owners of these rather rare automobiles.

Hopefully in 20-30 years it will all be worth it. Not what some of you think when we talk about 20 years down the line. I don’t care what the value will be. But the memory of taking a muscle car across the country and having the child remember the sound of the engine, the people who will stop us for pictures and ask questions, as well as meeting other owners will be a memory to treasure. They are meant to be driven, right? So why the hell not??


We can’t take it with us, but we can take the memories along for sure! As I come up with more concrete plans I will post them and hopefully get some ideas from some of you of what we could do along the way.

The one comment that’s come out so far…”But Dad, it doesn’t have a DVD player!” “Doesn’t matter, be grateful it has A/C”, I responded. “I don’t get it.” – Some day you will.

May I ask what he died from?

[motorhead]

Sorry for your loss of a good friend. They are indeed hard to come by, but he truly got it. I'm the same way. Cars are built to be driven not put on a shelf like a nick nack. I've had a lot of special vehicles, and my family and I have made a lot of good memories in them. Your idea of this trip with your son is a good one, and it will be far more valuable than what a low mile Z/28 ever could be.

[Z/28Dan]

Originally Posted by Z28 HLR

Is it realistic to leave the Trofeo's on there, or should I get some Michelin's for the trip?

Pretty much anything but Trofeos for a long road trip.