Boating & Cars

gardening

So my wife let me do this page and I’m pretty excited about it because, well, if we’re airing out our interests for the world, I should at least get a page, right? Being married to her, I am well aware of the fact that her interests will be more interesting. She’s out helping kids and saving the world while I fix cars all day, but everybody has their passion and mine certainly isn’t teaching. For my own sake and the sakes of my imaginary students I’m staying as far away from a classroom as possible. You’re welcome. Anyway, my interests are pretty direct and simple. Cars and boats. That’s about it. 

My Dream Car

At the moment, I own a white 1964 Chevy Nova, fully restored. After four years of work, the V-8 350 runs better than new and I’m thinking of selling the thing sometime in the near future to help pay for the next project… The Dream. The car I’ve wanted for the past 30 years – and there’s a story there. 

My dad, who just had his 66th birthday, owned this car before I can remember it. I’ve seen pictures, though. Man, have I seen pictures. He loved that car but it was totaled before I was old enough to remember it. Without ever seeing that particular car in person, I love the model. It’s just everything a car should be. Powerful. Stylish. Just… awesome. So, after I sell the Nova, I’m getting one. It will probably be beat up and need some TLC if I’m going to afford it, but it’s going to be awesome… especially when I watch Dad drive it.

Boats

Here’s another hobby I can’t afford! I try to do the same thing I do with cars… buy a beater, fix it up, buy something which is slightly less of a beater, but it doesn’t have the same wow factor a car has. I guess I like pretty much anything with a motor and then the body work is icing on the cake. Right now in the driveway I have a half-finished 36’ 1977 Pacemaker that I’ve taken out a couple times. The body’s sound but the motor’s garbage and one of the two times I’ve taken it out, I was towed back in. There is something to be said for taking a boat you built (or at least restored) out on the water alone or with the family. Of course, they haven’t been out on the Pacemaker because allowing your family on a boat you’re not sure wouldn’t capsize in a moderate wind doesn’t exactly make you father of the year, but the old 1997 35’ Bayliner I fixed up last time gave us lots of good memories. I sold that to pay for the Pacemaker. Now I’m kind of stuck with it until I either swallow my pride and sell it for a loss or admit I can’t fix it and hire someone who can (which would require swallowing even more pride). 

So there they are… my interests. Sure, they’ll keep us in the poor house for probably the rest of our lives, but what they heck… maybe one day I’ll find a hidden gem… fix it up… and sell it for enough to pay for the girls’ college. That’s what I tell myself. Thanks!

Vicki tells me I should link to the sites I use for finding/fixing up my beaters. So… here they are.

Links