I wish I had the forethought of an adult to keep the valve covers from that L48 Tonawanda 350.  On the driver's side valve cover, it was stamped "Tonawanda Chevrolet's # 1 Team" on a silver plate on the orange cover.  Just for nostalgia, that would have been great.  I would never have sold that.

I actually took the original hub caps off because I was worried somebody would steal them.  3rd generation Monte Carlos were out by the time I started driving in 1985.  The car was painted in imron polyurethane paint by my buddy Jerry Thorpe.  I could NEVER have afforded paint that was $90 a pint way back then (wouldn't like to now), but I was buds with his GORGEOUS daughter, Kendra, so he hooked me up.  

Spiker's All American 4X4 on Memorial Bv. in Lakeland cut my grand dad a great deal on the BFGoodrich T/A Comps.  That was a bad ass tire for then.  We added engine mods besides the cam, but the Moog coils and Monroe air and gas shocks were what made it hande well for what it was.  It ran mid 13s which was good for student budget in the late 1980s.  

By the time I got the second Monte I had the A-Body car all figured out.  Of course they acted completely differently for some reason, but I knew how to mod it.   

I wanted a  1987 or 1988 Monte Carlo SS / AC with an LM1 in it, but by the time I got that kind of bank, the Lumina Z34s were out.  I obviously went that route.   

 Click her picture above to see her extensive movie filmography.  Even though she was actually only 4 years older than me, it was hard not to be intimidated by her presence... She had star vibe and a voluptuous body that drew attention no matter what she was or wasn't wearing when we were out together. 

Our first date in Arigato's in Clearwater was awesome.  We bumped into a couple I knew and Doug recognized her and was stunned that she was actually there and I was with her... So was I actually ! 

One thing that kind of got lost with all that was going on was that she thought I was a really good photographer.  It was different from 90% of what she did, but she actually wanted to go with my style and lose the Hollywood glam for awhile and just relax. She scrutinized every page of my 11x14" portfolio and liked it. That was very important.  

 In my world of meeting celebrities, this car was a magnet.  when I was shopping for NASCAR memorabilia in The Race Place in Pinellas Park, it happened to be next door to Bobby Allison's cellular phone business.  Bobby happened to be in there, and I went to go see him.  I figured he would either be really nice or tell me to get the f out of his store being the he was one of NASCAR"s "Alabama Gang", and is from the "old South".  

Not only was Bobby REALLY nice, but we hit it off.  I was in the Lumina, but still had the Monte Carlo.  I told him I had a 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and we called it "The Coke Machine" after his #12 NASCAR that finished 2nd in the points behind Richard Petty.  

When he asked me what he wanted me to sign for an autograph, I said "My car."  He literally sat in the passenger seat of the Lumina Z34 and autographed the dash board.  That was so cool ! To sit in your car with a true legend of the sport is awesome.