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Old 01-12-2011, 10:48 AM   #3
dragracer9911
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Southern Maryland
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Default Re: Where is the pride? Is it just a checkbook?

Wade, as you know, I have a lot of respect for you as a man and for your fabrication abilities. I grew up in this sport with Dicke Estevez, who build everything from the car to the engine. He fabricated the car, did the body work and painted it. He did minor upholstry work. Even though he was not a transmittion man, he has rebuilt his C6 the night before a race when he couldn't get it fixed but the trans man of the day. He has rebuilt the rear as well. But, having that be said, he also had different engine builders, transmittion men, and rear end men as well. At one point in time, he worked with a can shaft company to help develope FE cams, to the tune of a cam a week. He commisioned a guy in NJ to make a base intake that allowed a 351 Torker to fit a FE motor. As you also know, hin and Alfred did rollbar and tub work to support the "habit". He did most of it because he couldn't affo0rd to pay someone to do it.
I guess what I am driving at is, not everyone can do what you or Dickie, or a lot of other people can do, or they can to up to a point. Most everyone has a fabricator do their suspension, tubes and rollbars. Most have a engine builder, trans man, or get their rear for Strange or Mark Willimans, etc. In alot of ways, these guys that are racing "Factory" car are rebuilding them after they get the car. I know a stock racer that has a competitive older mustang that Ford gave him a body in white, some exterior trim and some interior trim and he still has over $70,000 in the car and it's not finished yet. In hind sight, he wishes he wasn't give the "free" car.
We allo do what we can with what we have, whether it's a Class car, a bracket car, or street rod. Some may look at your roaster and say look at that guy, "guess we all know who has the money". I may know what it took for you to build that car, how much work and time you personlly spend on it, what you sacrificed to afford what you didn't fabricated or all the side work you did to be able to afford it, but the average guy doesn't know that.

Tom Sr.
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