steveb leatherworks: the blather

I grew up with cars like this. They ruled the roost. In NYC, where I grew up we had alot of urban hot rodders. Most of the fast baddass cars we young male teens all boned for, were like this beauty sitting here. I dont recall many  of the old style cut downs, slammed, chopped or channeled rods. Most of the cars we victimized were late 60’s/ early 70’s cars for the most part…. it ‘s what was available and affordable.

a little side story here…….

In 1977, I had my license for awhile and was looking for my first car….as borrowing Mom’s Chevy wagon (the equivalent of today’s minivan for you kids) was getting old and I had a hankering for a $400, gray primered, 2-door, 68 Impala, “trashcan” Cragars in the jacked up rear (using shackles of course), hacked in the floor 3-speed, front bench seat,  I think the engine was a small block 8 or maybe even a 6. This car had been owned by a series of older kids in my neighborhood… it was making the rounds…making it a perfect car for a young wannabe car guy like myself – it looked dangerous with the mags, air shocks, primer and all the chrome trim peeled off (hence very very cool), was mild-mannered performance wise and there was a ton of help i could get from the big guys in my neighborhood to keep this shit-can rolling. parts were plentiful and there wasn’t anything that couldn’t be scrounged from a junkyard (remember them?) down by Shea Stadium.

Well, my old man, bless his cold black heart, vetoed the idea of the Impala and instead I got saddled owning a car that had less than zero cool, was a bitch to maintain and ruined me financially – a goddamn Volvo. I mean who the fuck in 1977 has their kid drive, let alone BUY a 1972 Volvo 164 – and this was when there were these things called FOREIGN cars. Metric tools, special parts, who knew how to work on these beasts, no one thats who. What a maroon. I hate him to this day for demanding ” I get a safe car” like that POS Volvo…the car sucked me dry in 6mos, I wound up being indebted to him for like a grand to keep that shit-barge running…huge money in 1977 dollars.

Well being the little worker bee that I am, I worked my ass off for a year, paid him back, moved out and closed the book on him and Volvo’s  – I learned my lessons. Fuck’em both.