My past and the cars to do with it 

 

HOME MY AUDI HISTORY TO THE PROJECT T44 DIRECTORY
ME!!!!This is where it all started I was sixteen (1984) and had to amuse myself with something The chicks weren't interested in me. So in comes my first car (PROJECT #1), this started it all. The Trans-Am was quite a car ...maybe too much for a young man with little or no experience with power..

Anyway Audi QUATTROS were way beyond my reach at that time.

Since the first car I have kept busy the selection of cars thru out my lifetime is interesting.   I have owned more cars then shown here on this site but the purpose of this all is to show the art work I have created over the years. 

 

USE THE LINKS BELOW TO TAKE YOU TO THROUGH THE TIME TRAVEL SHOW OF MY PAST.

PROJECT #1

 

PROJECT #2

PROJECT #3

 

1984-1988

MY FIRST OFFICIAL PROJECT CAR

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1978 PONTIAC FIREBIRD 6.6L

   

6.6 LITER (180 BHP ENGINE) TH400 AUTO TRANS WITH HURST SHIFTER

This was my first car at 16 years of age. When your 16 the dream of having the hottest car on the  block can vanish when you don't have enough experience to put it all back together. Luckily I had a brother that was able to piece it back together later. The photos below are the only ones that exist from back then. This poor car suffered the worst of it all, I almost blew the engine one night (forgot to check the coolant) and had to rebuild the head...thankfully nothing major busted..I attempted to install a Moroso engine coil...OOPPS My brother squared it away later though. I have to admit my early attempts at hot-rodding (now a-days called tuning) were lousy to say least. I had a start though into car projects because here is where it all began. I played around with all sorts of Ideas such redoing the interior in complete Velvet BLUE, I also did some outside modifications like the decals were removed and played around with other things like pinstripping, added highjackers in the rear (what was I thinking!). Any way this car rode around with me for the two last years I was in High school (KAYNOR TECH, in Connecticut)) and was dependable except in the rain or slippery conditions even with good tires this thing would loose control easy so my thoughts progressed on how to improve on situations like this HUUMMMM 4 wheel drive....those new Quattro's have ALL WHEEL DRIVE...one thing was for sure it was clean, so clean you could eat in the engine compartment!

BODY MODIFICATIONS:

  • HIGH JACKERS SHOCKS  IN REAR

  • 15" WHEELS (DISH STYLE) 

  • Had originally Pontiac famous gold honeycomb wheels

  • FIREBIRD DECALS REMOVED

 

INTERIOR MODIFICATIONS:

  • COMPLETELY REDONE IN ORIGINAL LIGHT BLUE VELVET

  • CONCEALED RADAR DETECTOR / POWER AMP.

 

ENGINE MODIFICATIONS:

  • TOP END OF MOTOR REBUILT

  • SILICONE PLUG WIRES

  • MOROSO RACING COIL

  • MISC. ENGINE DRESS UPS

 

 

1986 - late 1987

MY SECOND PROJECT CAR

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 1980 MITSUBISHI SAPPORO 2.6  

  

2.6 LITER 4-cyl.  (110 BHP)   /  5 SPEED TRANSMISSION

My  second project car in life turned out to be more of a surprise than anything else. This car was actually  my first strip down exercise. the car was brought down to bare metal, even the underside! The whole car as you see it was repainted by myself with a help of My friend Rich. The Mitsubishi was originally metallic dark red. This car had an natural death - rust that is, as Japanese cars were (are) known to rust easy. Number #2 was only originally designated as a get back and forth car, and did it well economically compared to the trans-am upstairs, dependable (always started). But one late night coming back from a disco with my Brother and a friend some drunk driver in a YUGO! collided front on. The car was un-drivable so I decided (here we go again) to do some experimenting. I took the car stripped it, repainted and did some custom work on it, this all at the same time I was working on the Trans-am. Well the job was completed looked awesome no one even knew what it was...first successful attempt at a complete restore..wait... several months later it was revealed in the inspection station that the rust on the lower part (floor pan) would not make the car thru. It turned out to be it's death...There must be a car out there that is not prone to rust??...HUUMMM those Audi's are zinced...10 year warranty...HMMMM...            this car was a regretful loss....It was a piece of art. The side squirts came from the SALEEN Mustangs of the 80s. The rear light panel from a Porsche 944, the front grill was my own hand work. 

 

BODY MODIFICATIONS:

  • BODY / CHASSIS STRIPPED AND REPAINTED

  • DEVELOPED UNIQUE FRONT GRILL 

  • FRONT SPOILER

  • SIDE SKIRTS FROM SALEEN MUSTANG

  • REAR LIGHTS FROM PORSCHE 944

  • 15" WHEELS (WIDE IN THE BACK)

  • PORSCHE REPLICA WHALE TAIL

ENGINE MODIFICATIONS:

  • ENGINE BLOCK PAINTED

  • MECH. FUEL PUMP SWITCHED TO ELECTRIC

  • HOSE COVERING FROM MOROSO

 

you can get more information on these cars with this interesting link below:

 

SOooo...I ended up joining the US Military in 1987, (this will be part of another story) 

So the military send me to Germany!!

 

 

 

 

late 1989 - 1992

MY THIRD PROJECT CAR (PROJECT MATRA)

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1981 MATRA MURENA 1.6

MID-ENGINE 3 SEAT SPORTS CAR / 1.6 LITER 4-cyl.  (90 BHP)

MODIFIED APPROX. 110 BHP

 I arrive in Germany for Active duty under the US ARMY....and I find an interesting car..... So this car was purchased in Germany while in the military, up in until 1991  and was most of the time stationed in Baumholder, Germany, what a wonderful place....Any 1/39 or 4/12 members out there?  After convincing my C.O. that I was a responsible young man, I purchased it in the state you see below.   Matra what? My third project car in life....yeah it's exotic really !!  I should just create a web-site for the  thing but let's see what I can do with the other first. 

Now most would laugh  at the puny 1.6 liter engine HA Ha HA...is that all you got! .......initially it was OK (base 90 BHP) but a very very lite car!! but my hot-rodding  senses kicked in soon after with a  purchase of wheels then the rear "Picnic table" spoiler, then the front spoiler done up by a company in Germany for me (helped the front end stay down at speed). Then came the killer I started doing some investigation, how could I improve something already good.

By this time The C.O. was suspecting I was  doing something illegal to have a car like this around the base.  Anyway in came my idea take 4 carbs. (from the earlier  Matra Bagheera) and stick them on top coupled with a rigged up intake manifold and ducting from an Army personnel carrier...and what do you have.....insanity!! .this thing was brutal. This was my first successful custom engine job, it turned out fabulous. I later created the side skirts which I got from RIEGER for a VW sirrocco worked just fine ( had to cut an trim them a bit , otherwise fit right on.  Of course the only issue with French cars is should I say is dependability.  I ended up at least once every month in the hobby shop at  Baumholder to  repair something mostly the brakes or the headlight mechanism or electrical BUT it was AWESOME.. these things were zinced and had a fiberglass outer hull pretty much like the Vette, and if I have not mentioned it yet it was light, I could pick it up in the front alone..with some help!!. In total I had it for about 3 years, Until I sold it off to a working colleague which has the car up in Holland (and will not resell it back!!!) (update 2020...the car was sold to Switzerland)This car was the second successful complete project car. I do mean successful. The car had allot of redoing most was from what I had picked up on previous car experiences. I had a drive with this car across Europe at the end of my army tour (1991) in Europe just to prove the worthiness of the machine...I learned allot off this thing. 

 

   

Before I left on my trip I had entered it in the Baumholder custom auto show I think it was a month before I left....(departed from active army duty).

A parting shot just before I left the military I managed to finish the car And enter it in the local car show

 

BODY MODIFICATIONS:

  • front spoiler made to order / rear spoiler (Ferrari F40) type$$$

  • rear quarters widened for bigger wheels

  • Scirocco-RIEGER side skirts with rear ducts fully operational-lead to intake system-one each side

  • RIAL 7x15 front /8x15 rear wheels with Pirrelli tires.

INTERIOR MODIFICATIONS:

  • all gauges revised: painted in red background (see picture) speed limit increased to 220 Kph.

  • Pioneer stereo with 10 changer CD system & remote control.

  • power windows installed.

ENGINE MODIFICATIONS:

  • head rebuilt

  • custom self made intake with quad. down draft carbs. (see picture)

  • custom air intake system created jointly with side skirts.

  • custom dual muffer with 4 outlets & custom header

On to the AUDI SAGA.................