how did we let things get this way

[Autumn Daze]

Dean, You're not gonna believe this...but my first job was in a Shell station!...in the 60's. They were stock car guy's.

[TARNATION !!!]

Originally posted by Dean Romig: ... I had a '65 GTO ...

[Dean Romig]

I loved that car Jack! What a muscle car! I should have died in that car several times.... the stories I could tell

[Autumn Daze]

You got that right Dean..and I,m sure us "Ol" hot rodders have a few stories of our own to tell..I know I do. Not to worry though remember "only the good die young" and you're way to old to worry about that now....

[TARNATION !!!]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

I loved that car Jack! What a muscle car! I should have died in that car several times.... the stories I could tell

Do tell !!

Most GTO fans will know the Italian language vocabulary behind GTO but rumour has it that the design team had to come up with that version because the real version was thought to possibly be slightly over the top for the competition, as well as Sunday school teachers. As I recall, possibly in a dream but who knows, DeLorean, Gee, Wangers and Collins had put in an all nighter one Saturday, when they should have been home tending to the BBQs. On Sunday, old Alfred P. Sloan happened to wander in, which was unusual given his age but he still loved the company. He happened upon the team who, by then, were fatigued. Drawings were all over the place and Sloan picked up one and said "Who's idea is this?? Amazing! ". One by one, the team peered through bleary eyes and not one of them could recall the drawing. Finally, DeLorean spoke up and said "Don't know Alfred, I guess God Took Over. And so, it is rumored, was born the acronym GTO, which the legal department quckly determined had to be re-worked to Gran Turismo Omologato. Now come on, who can say that and why is legal so intent on getting God out of everything anyway? I have been a long time Mopar fan but have a soft spot for the somewhat heavenly early GTOs.

Cheers,,
Jack

[Bill Murphy]

John Dallas, those of us who "volunteered" by throwing ourselves on the grenade still maintained our US serial number prefix if we did not foolishly sign up for the third year before we had served a day of our obligatory two years. The only difference between a two year US and a three year RA was that we two year guys didn't get to choose our MOS. I remember being in a unit at Fort Lee, Virginia where returning Vietnam veterans were cursing the final year they had to serve stateside just because they were scared into the third year by being told they would die if they didn't sign the papers.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Jack Cronkhite

God Took Over.

I guess that's what happened all those times I should have died in that car.

As far as Mopars are concerned, I beat out a few Hemi GTX's but I attribute that to driving (racing) skill rather than a fictitious superiority of a 389 over a 426

[Big D]

Bill - I got my draft notice when I started the Wharton School for my MBA. I was able to get a deferment to let me finish the first semester and enroll in an OCS program. Including a year in Korea as an ammunition depot commander, my total time in was 2 years, 7 months. (I had an RA prefix until I was commisioned)

[Old and Reliable]

As I was a E-6, MOS 0311 (basic rifleman) and 2112 (Armorer). I think you may well be right, John about the "Whole Nine yards" But understand, if you will, my Lt. Col. USAF 'friend" from the two weeks UMCOR TDY tour in FL a while ago was the first one in my life to ever offer a logical explanation to that oft-heard phrase.

Furthermore, not only is he an Officer and a Gentleman, he is a Southern Gentleman, and I tend to rank those as highly as I do the late Gen. "Chesty" Puller. Case in point- we had some female volunteers on the job site crews, as well as doing the cooking and laundry for the crews- A sweet Lady from Waycross, GA was up with us on a roof (in FL any roof built over a 4/12 pitch is considered "steep") we were removing damaged shingles and plywood, she slipped and caught her backside on a nail point- Bob caught her and took off his shirt to cover her "wounded area" and to also protect her modesty- We had a First Aide tent nearby so she received proper medical care (and a new set of clothes) from them, and came right back up on the roof and resumed the work--

So, if Bob had told me that Ho Chi Minh played Ma Jong with 5 Trappist Monks on Fridays- I'd believe him- He also confirmed the aviators term "The Iron Compass" for me, NOT to be confused with the Iron Triangle of course--

But as a qualified Armorer who serviced and test fired a few "Ma-Deuce's" back in my day (now they have a Modified M2 with closed bolt firing, fixed headspacing, right or left hand feed options, and Stellite liners in the barrels for the SLAP specialized rounds- and usually our Uncle goofs up, but this new version will also take the std. barrel group that requires headspacing and the aircraft group with its lighter profile-- anyway, I took the armament specs for my favorite WW11 Allied fighter plane, the P-51D Mustang- 6 .50 MG's total rd. capacity of 1880- 2 sets at 400 rds each, 4 sets at 270 rds. each (Thanks to my Jayne's ref books) at an aprox. working width of .850" x 1880 equals 133.2 ft. for all SIX feed trays (Belts is a misnomer here- the 1919-A-1 Cal. 30 MG had a cloth belt, the M-2 .50, like the fine German M34 and later M43 LMG's had a frangible metal feed link- most common came linked 100 rds. in a attachable feed ammo box--

Our USMC legend- Gunny Carlos N. Hathcock about 1968 worked up a modification of the M-2 set for single rd. firing and scoped it and took out an enemy target of opportunity at almost 2000 yds- a "one shot confirmed kill" Now we have the Barrett and other .50 cal modified sniper weapons in "The sandbox" Little did John M. Browning know in 1921 that two of all his great military weapons he designed for the US would endure yet today- the 1911-A-1 .45 ACP pistol and the "Ma-Deuce" in all its useful variants.

Thank you for your service to Our Country in Korea, Lt. Dallas!!

[CSL]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

As far as Mopars are concerned, I beat out a few Hemi GTX's but I attribute that to driving (racing) skill rather than a fictitious superiority of a 389 over a 426

_____________________________________________

Dean, I know exactly what you mean... There were many a night the VW Bus decisively trounced 427 Vettes, LS-6 Chevelles, 454 Suburbans, and Holley aspirated 460 Ford Country Squire wagons, which like yourself, I also attribute to above average driving (racing) skills...

CSL