A similar story you might enjoy...I lost my first 67 Firebird 400 to fire in 1985. I found my current one in 1998 at the Carlisle, PA swap meet and drove it home. Probably shouldn't have after finding the steering issues the next day. Having a limited budget, I got all the safety stuff done first, like you, Harry. The car had been sitting since 1986 and was a sight my wife and daughter could not believe I had actually paid to own. They dubbed it the "welfare car".
One evening soon after getting it on the road, we had to make a grocery run with all hands. Well, the daughter was mortified to be seen in the "welfare car". This was made worse by the presence of the store-employed teenaged package handlers outside the store. That is, until she heard their "Wow, awesome car!" comments when we had pulled up to the curb and she was getting out of the car. She went from shriveling up to be as small as possible in the back seat to hide and transformed into the Queen of Sheba debarking from her gold-encrusted chariot!
That was just the start! The next day at school she was given the third-degree by the guys wanting to find out about the car. In turn, I got it from her that evening. She must have had her arm full from elbow to fingertip of crib notes on the details to answer all the questions the next day.
She never has lacked for conversational material with guys since...and the old nickname disappeared, too.
Glad to hear you are back in the Morrokide saddle, Harry. Enjoy it fully.
