In the Studio

I just got home from the Draggins Rod and Custom Car Show, the annual rite of passage of spring here in Saskatoon.

I grew up around cars and hot rods all my life. Recent discussions over on the EAG boards, reminiscing fondly of childhood memories bonding with special horses and other animals. The topic came around to how modern kids are missing out on some of that in lieu of other common mechanical replacements for horses. Well, of course I had to pipe in with my own life experiences as I was one of those kids who grew up with “steel and rubber” more so than flesh and blood companions.

Yes, I did bond very much so with some of the cars we had, and even cried when our dear old Nova was totalled in a car accident. The car that I had grown up with and had known longer than I knew even my own siblings….bought brand new in 1975, when I was only 5yrs old. My dad was t-boned with it when I was 14….without missing a beat, soon as I heard about it, I cried for the car. I knew Dad would be fine, it didn’t even occur to me to be worried for him. (My dad is one of those invincible drivers, you just know they’re never gonna get hurt.) And I was jealous of the car he bought after it, to “replace” it with….I wanted him to fix the Nova back up, to “make her better” again. So I hated that Malibu with a passion. As though it was a living creature, yes, lol. I eventually got over it, but I still miss that Nova and if I could ever find it again, I’d snap it up in a heartbeat. (He did have it fixed back up and sold it but it would never be as solid as it had been prior to the accident) When I got the Phoenix, which is basically a Nova in a different name tag, it tied me with one of my past loves. So yes, you CAN become VERY emotionally attached to just steel and rubber.

I have some photos here of just a small sampling of some of the cars my dad owned over the years. Fond memories of each one. The lime green Chevy II, known as “Foxy”, was the first racecar I remember him having. It was supposed to have been painted Corvette yellow, but the body shop screwed up on the paint order and it ended up lime green, but somehow it suited the car. He raced Foxy for many years and it became identified with him. (Much like my Phoenix is “me”. Folk know my car almost more than they know me, ha!) Then he sold it to some “kids” who trashed it while drinking and driving. We all felt as though our beloved rehomed “pet” had just gone to an abusive home. It was such a loss. (You don’t wanna know what that 1962 Chevy II SS would be worth on the books nowadays!!!)

And then there was Night Stalker, a ‘69 Chevelle with a unique paint job on it that it came with. The paint scheme came out of an old issue of Hot Rod magazine, on a Dodge Duster. But the scheme really looked a lot like a wheat ear on the side, so a lot of folk nick-named it the Sask Grainery car. I have many a fond memory of cruisin’ with my folks in that car…us 4 kids riding in the back as “ballast” over the rear tires for extra traction.

And Muffy was one of many racecars that came and went over the years. A little Vega, it sported a large V8 engine and at the time we bought it, BIG slicks (tires) on the back that stuck out the sides so much that my mom said it looked like it had earmuffs on. Thus the name “Muffy” stuck.

And then one of the last racecars my dad had while I was still living at home was the Spirit. A ‘69 Camaro with beautifully airbrushed murals on it. That car had such a raunchy cam setup on it, that I remember sitting in the back seat at an idle, and when you spoke your voice sounded like it was talking through a fan. You know, that reverbing sound you get when speaking through a big window fan? About like that. hehehe Cept this was from the sheer vibrations of the car, it was such a powerful racecar. But this one suffered hail damage and the insurance company wouldn’t pay to repaint the murals so my dad eventually ended up selling it.

And of course, I owned 5 cars before I ever had a license, LOL! My first car was a $50 Vega, which my dad sold on me while I was at school one day, for $250. So I kept buying/selling cars working my way up to a nicer car each time. (Well, my dad did on me anyway, lol) I finally ended up with a handsome 76 Parisienne ….a big boat by all standards, but it had a handsome ruggedness that I fell for. I was getting within weeks of getting my license by this time and I used to sit in the car for hours, just imagining what it was going to be like to be able to take my own car out cruising. The freedom! That car had a personality, I swear. Reminded me of the movie “Christine”. But dammit Dad went and sold it on me and boy was I pissed at him! Grrr.

Ahhh bliss. But now I have my Phoenix, and have had her for over 8yrs now. She’s my baby and she ain’t goin no wheres. If she rusts, I will rebuild her. So yes, you CAN get VERY attached to sheet metal and yes, their food is fuel,and their vet is the mechanic.

Ya know, I really oughtta be doing some car paintings with how much they’ve inspired me throughout life and the fond feelings I still hold for them.