Still trying to find my 1st car, Again!

[joe1148]

Gonna hope for a little help from my friends as to where my first car might be.

My first car story starts on a September 1975 Friday afternoon when I got home from working at the Sunoco station where I pumped gas in Mt Holly, NJ.

I Got home and grabbed the BCT Newspaper, went stright to the auto classifieds of course, and there was that add

It read, 1971 Nova being auctioned off this Saturday morning at 10:00am at Household finance Route 13 in Levittown PA. OK, That's Tomorrow morning. I had $1.800.00 saved I'm In!


Saturday morning at 9:30 we rolled up and behind the HFC office, there it was. a Ultra Delicious, 1971 Nova SS, in Rare Classic Copper, No stainless window frames, No Vinyl top. The interior was light Sandalwood standard vinyl bench seat, Hurst shifter in the center of that Black rubber floor mat. A ultra Trick Sun Tach on the steering column and three sun gauges under the ashtray. Motor was a factory 350 4barrel, M21 4spd and 12 bolt posi rear. Keystone Classics on the front and steel wheels with slicks on the back. Oooooh Boy!

Right before the auction was to begin the manager came out and tried to start it, Dead. That's Perfect I thought. SO we offered to pull the van over and jump that battery.
Couple of minuets on the cables, and I got inside, Put it in neutral, Hit the key, And it fired right up. Whoooa! Whoooa! Open headers.Now were talkin!, I put it in 1st gear, let the clutch out nice and slow and.... Uh Oh, No brakes, Quick! Hit the emergency brake pedal and we skid to a stop, Were Kool Baby, Were Kool!

Could this be any better, I didn't think so.

The Manager didn't look very happy and said, that car is in need of a lot of work son, as he walked back into the office. We stood around and waited for others to show up for the auction. It was a long half hour but to our surprise, we were the only people that showed up for that auction.

So we went inside and offered the guy $500.00 for the car, He said you gotta do a lot better than that Son. Uh OK, what were you thinking Sir I asked. he said you can have it for $1,000.00, I thought I died and went to heaven, Did he just say One Thousand dollars??? Yep, That's what he said, I made the cash exchange and was promptly handed the title and the keys and was told I gotta have it out of the parking lot by 3:00 today. I said, That will be absolutely be No Problemo Mr. Sir. Thank you Mr. Sir.

I had just purchased the car of my dreams.

As I mentioned earlier, I lived in Mt. Holly NJ, back then and I became a regular at the Burlington City High Street fast car scene Or, The High Street Street Squirrels as my mom used to call it.

Ah yes, I fondly remember those Jack n The Box fried bean burritos. What a healthy low carb, High protein low fat meal It was. Oh Yea!

I quickly blew up the 350,and swapped in a nice 396 out of a 68 Impala and B.B. front springs including labor for $500.00. at Sonny's Citgo gas station across from the now gone Garden State Race track in Chery Hill.

Sonny owned a Sweet Red Mettle flake Anglia with a small block in it he raced. Well after Sonny was done with the swap, and I bought some headers etc. That car could do burnouts that could last all afternoon if I wanted.

Now in July or August of 1977 I lost my friggin mind and traded my Nova even up to a guy that lived on Springside rd. in Burlington Twp NJ for his 1970 Mach 1, Dark Blue with light blue fogin on the sides, White interior with a 351C, FMX and 9inch rear. a Big factory 429 SCJ hood scoop on it, and slotted aluminum mags.

The Mustang was nice but, I always regretted trading my Nova for it. and still do.

When I traded the car for that Mustang, it had the 396, original M21 4spd and original 12 bolt. The Keystone Classics still on the front and Crager S/S on the back.

If anyone remembers that car, or has any idea where I might find it, Please let me know.

Thanks in advance, Joe

[flyingn]

Joe. I live in the area you speak of right now... Small world. Good luck finding it. I went to Trenton state college in the early 80's and remember a 69 Hurst Olds, a 71 Roadrunner 340 4 speed and a 70 SS350 Nova with buckets and 4 speed at college.
What station in MT Holley? On 541?

[sambrutay]

Good luck Joe.

[joe1148]

Hi Frank, Thanks for the reply

The Sunoco station is now gone, but It was on Garden St. across the street from the Mt Holly Police department, and next to the Mt Holly Fire house. It was owned by Butch Shobert and Rich Titko, Sorry if I spelled the last names wrong.

Great guys though. Even after I ran a twin turbo corvette they were putting together. they had yet to figured how to mount the master cylinder due to the exhaust being in the way.

My job was to pump gas, tally up the money at closing time, and drive the Corvette into the end bay, very slowly and just not hit anything.

Well I was very careful, I slowly drove it in the bay, but the darn bay floor had a valley in it and it just went in and right up into that tool box. It broke the entire nose of the car.

Man did I hate to make that call to Butch. Needless to say I did get fired for it. But we remained friends for many years after that incident.

[jannes_z-28]

Do you have the VIN for the Nova? If so try to Google it.

[joe1148]

unfortunately I don't

[joe1148]

Sorry but I had a Sr. moment brain fade. The Sunoco station wasn't on Garden St. at all, Fact is, It was on Washington St. Rt. 537. Duh!

[joe1148]

I hope this helps jar a memory or two. Its my only hope now, My Ex Wife had the only photo that exists of my Nova and she is leaning inside the 73 Purple Gremlin X in the background. Thanks Arlene. This was taken in Delanco NJ at an upholstery shop where I did some work on cars around summer of 1976 or 77. Russ Eastburn was the owner of the shop.

[bad1racing]

Joe the Gremlin X looks like one we used to have except ours had the white stripe down the side. It was a 304 auto car. Fun car that would burn the tires off of itself if you wanted to.


Kendall [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/[/img]

[twertsy]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bad1racing</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Joe the Gremlin X looks like one we used to have except ours had the white stripe down the side. It was a 304 auto car. Fun car that would burn the tires off of itself if you wanted to. : </div></div>

Not to jack the thread and I hope you locate your car but, saw a 2700 mile Gremlin X, 304 4 speed green w/white stripe in an airplane hanger today.....