Re: [AMC-List] my first car

["Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm not sure this would count, but my dad who passed away last year at 79 
bought a 62 Rambler station wagon home one day, no engine or trannie, as 
someone had bought that, and he bought the remainder for $11 and said it was 
for me. I was 10, and he would let me "drive" it at the Woolco parking lot 
when they were closed, lots of room, sort of like a sprawling parking lot of 
Sam's now days. He easily found a little 232/AT and dropped it in over the 
weekend, so it was running and driving just as quickly as someone had yanked 
the drivetrain, he would later paint it purple. So not sure that one counts.

Later I would buy, with my money, a 70 Javelin from a old peacher man whose 
name escapes me, but he had a car lot that looked like this:
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/65_rambler_carlot.JPG
down in Corpus Christi, TX on Leopard street about 5 blocks from the house 
where we lived at Antelope and Doss. That was 76, and the Javelin had seen 
better times, but price was right at $600, shiny and red, 360, AT. So it 
smoked when first started. I ended up going thru 9 engines on that one 
before it was mercifully totalled out in front of the White Rabbit disco by 
a drunk lady named Elda in a Ventura, my wife was pregnant and had just 
picked me up from Pizza Hut a mile down and we were going home. No damage to 
unborn baby who Jennifer is now 27 and has two kids of her own. But the 
Javelin was history. I don't know if this link will stick:
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/Photo_Gallery_AMX/images/1976javelintransplant_jpg.jpg
but if not, click here:
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/Photo_Gallery_AMX/index1.htm
and it is the upper left, that is big brother Tommy and my dad, Homer T. 
Stakes Sr, in 1977 putting in yet another engine into the Javelin, bought 
that engine for $50 from a salvage yard on Agnes Street, the owner used to 
call us when a AMC came in as we were the only ones who would buy anything 
off the AMC cars. In 77. The reason why so much engines was my idea of 
plugging a oil leak was not to change the seal or gasket, but put more STP 
engine treatment in the engine so it would not leak so quickly. Made for 
some funny stories, like the 343 that blew while driving home, there was a 
hole in the side of the block you could drive a Gremlin into. I knew 
something was wrong as the stereo with Pink Floyd went out and the OIL/ALT 
light came on, and car died doing 50mph on the Crosstown. Duh. So my guess 
is that would be my "real" first car.

On a side note have driven nothing but AMC since I got my license in 
76....30 years ago and 326 American Motors cars later. Just drove my 72 
Ambassador SST wagon to do chores today with sons Noah who is 4, and Jacob 
who is 3:
http://epage.com/js/mi/n0/1392356.html

and this evening had to run more errands and took the 81 Eagle:
http://epage.com/js/mi/n0/1764174.html

http://i4.ebayimg.com/01/i/06/d6/f0/a7_1.JPG
Happy Motoring, neat thread, keep it going.
Eddie Stakes'
Planet Houston AMX
713.464.8825
eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.planethoustonamx.com

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