This is from a long time ago and not technically a kill story, but it was memorable.
So.....back in 1986 after I just graduated High School in June, a friend of mine who installed those big huge satellite dishes tells me he found a great project car, but he needs some help with the cash to buy it. So, he asked if I wanted to go in half with him. I asked him about the car and what it was.
While he was installing a satellite he saw this car half under a carport and a tarp. He then asked the 85 year old guy (property owner and owner of the car) what the story was on it. He said that his Dad purchased the car, a 1953 Chrysler Newport New Yorker Deluxe with the original 331 Hemi, new from the dealer back in 1953, and his Dad gave it to him. It was light blue with the top painted gloss black. It had a leather dash and leather/cloth seats. All of the parts were there but the seat stitching was coming apart. The only rust was a small area in the drivers floor. Only one small dent in the rear quarter above the wheel well.
Before he parked it (3 years prior) he had the top end rebuilt and it hasn't run since. My buddy asked him if he was willing to part with it and if so, how much he wanted for it. The old guy said "I tell you what...if you can get it running I want $800 for it. If you can't get it running I will take it back and give you your money back.
Well, after that I gave him my $400 and was then half owner of the car. He got it back to his place and we started working on getting it running. We gave it a tune-up and oil change, some fresh gas, new battery and bled the brakes. Two of the wheel brake cylinders on the drivers side were leaking a bit so we knew it would pull to one side until we got them replaced. After making sure the engine was free and not frozen, we then removed one spark plug at a time and did a compression check. Every cylinder was good to go.
After about two days of work we were ready to turn it over and after about three tries it came to life and sounded beautiful!!! We adjusted the timing and then we looked at each other and read each others mind.....we have to take this out for a short trip around town! Lol
No insurance on it yet, and we hadn't even transferred the title! Young, impatient and stupid...lol
So, my buddy gets to drive first and we are out on the main drag through town (two way each way with a turn lane in the middle) in Everett, Silver Lake area next to the freeway on/off ramps. It's dark now (Thank God all of the lights worked cuz we didn't check that) and we come up to a red light idling rough, right next to a stock Honda civic with a little older couple in it and the Chrysler dies on us. My buddy leaves it in drive and he is cranking it over and over giving it a little gas and I glance over from the passenger side and the couple is laughing at us a little...like, we are a couple of idiots driving an old jalopy that doesn't belong on the road in the first place.
Then, just like it was scripted in a Hollywood movie, Mopar Gods took notice of our situation and had Zeus himself use his lightning bolt to breath life into the engine. Now, on a side note I had at that time, a 1962 GMC pick up with a built 350 and turbo 350 tranny in it so I knew what power was...so I thought.
The very second the light turned green the engine came to life and we literally launched across the intersection like we were at the NHRA Nationals in a TOP Fuel drag car! We were both pinned in our seats holding on for our lives and I looked back at the Honda and the couple had the best dumbfounded look of surprise on their faces you ever did see! We were both screaming !@#$ Yeah!!! racing down the street and let off the gas after the tranny shifted to third.
Don't know how fast were going because the speedo didn't work. We got close to home and the car died again because a short in the electrical system drained it but we managed to coast into a service station.
About two months later I bought out my buddies half of the car. I held onto it until I went into the Navy and sold it to a friends Dad and then he sold it a year or two later. Whish I still had that car, I never have seen another one. A small Hemi but DAMN it could run.
