Here's another good one.

My dad purchased a 1968 Ferrari Dino when I was in elementary school that had been in an accident and in a fire.

He got it cheap, but he was a mechanic for Union Oil and worked on oil rigs, etc., and could do anything.

Over the course of 3-4 years, he rebuilt the whole car. Replaced all of the wires, re-did the interior, rebuilt the motor, even painted the car himself in the garage. I was the 7 or 8 year old being forced to stay up late holding the wrench and bringing him tools.

The car was flawless, got a lot of looks, was very fast. In a two year period, he got so many speeding tickets and gross violations of the speed limit, that he was actually thrown in jail for one night and was one ticket away for losing his license for a year.

He parked the car, and shortly after that, my parents divorced. The car turned out to be a bad reminder of his failed marriage, so he parked the car at Grandma's house, uncovered and outside for about 15 years.

The rain and sun had gotten to the car, and it was virtually ruined. All of the seals had failed, the interior had gotten wet. The tires were flat and cracked, all the chrome was rusted.

My dad wanted to sell the car, but thought it would be fun if we could get the engine running. We drained the fuel tank, changed the fluids in the car, replaced all of the hoses, went through the fuel injection system, new tires, etc. We could turn the engine, and knew it wasn't seized.

With a lot of work, the engine started, but ran badly and smoked.

We took it for a slow drive around the block, and we're whooping and hollering, and grinning like two kids in a candy shop.

He's taking the car through the gears, not letting the rpm's get too high. Very gently.

He pulls around the block, looks at me with this devlish look on his face, and guns it. Takes it to about 65 in 2nd gear and just before he let his foot off the accelerator, BAM!. A loud clanking noise results. Clank clank clank clank. He shuts off the engine quickly and we coast to the side of the road. It was obvious that we threw a rod!

He looks at me like, What the hell was I thinking? We got carried away in the moment. But it was sure worth it. It is now a great memory now that he's past away.

I pushed the car down the block and up the driveway into the garage. He put the car up for sale, and I don't know what he asked for the car, but probably gave it away. It sold the first morning, and callers were begging and pleading to hold it for them. He always told them the first guy that shows up with cash for the full price gets the car.

The first guy that showed up bought it.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".