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CARS, BIKES & RACING
Over the years I've combined my love of cars, motorcycles &
racing with my
interest in photo restoration and photography. I had some time
on my hands this
week so I went through some of my pictures & picked out a
few of my favorites.
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Left Click Photos
to Enlarge
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Built my Junior Year
of High School, August 1970 this 50 something Plymouth Savoy
was my first project. I didn't win the Demo Derby. That's me
at 17. Tuff Guy. |
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The only picture I have of the
1966
GTO I drove my senior year of high school in 1971. Three clutches,
two rearends, and a blown motor.
This was my third car. The first
was a 1953 Packard Clipper with a straight eight. The second
was a 1963 Chevy II with the ticking six banger.
Also pictured is my younger brother, Dan and our white german
shepherd, Laddy
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I joined
the U.S, Army in early 1972 & spent almost 5 years in Germany.
I owned a lot of cars while I was there but here are a few of
my favorites |
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Purchased in 1973 when
I was assigned to C. Co. 385th in Munich Germany. Lovingly named
the "Green Weenie", it was a 1960 something VW Camper.
Later on I customized it with some stick on ducks.
I spent a lot of nights at the stream in Auschauzen, Germany,
camping & fishing. |
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In early1974 I bought
this 68 GTO from another GI while I was assigned to A. Co. 385th
MP's in Ludwigsburg, Germany |
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These cars were great on the Autobahn,
with few speed limits.
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Purchased when
I was assigned to the 31st MP Det in Stuttgart in 1975. This
1967 Mustang GTA had a 390 C.I. Motor & Auto Trans. It had
an MP radio mounted under the passenger seat. I used it plainclothes.
Photo on the right was taken in Austria. I brought this car home
with me in 1976. Those are L-60 15s on the rear. |
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I came home in 1976. I traded
the GTA for a Dodge Van in 1977. When Disco was hot & vans
were cool!
I also rode this Kawasaki Enduro. I worked
at a local airport until I was hired on the police department.
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This was my 500 cc Triumph Tiger, chopped hardtail. This bike
was quick & close to the ground. You had to be careful not
to lean to far on the corners. Owned this 1977/1978. |
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My first new car. I
bought this Limited Edition, V-6 Mustang new in 1979. |
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Bought in
1979. A 1948 Pontiac street rod project. Original motor &
trans. I drove this one but it never really got finished before
I sold it. |
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| Traded for a Lincoln Towncar
in 1981. This is a 1975 MGB with a V-6 Mercury Capri motor
& automatic trans. Couldn't keep motor mounts in it. |
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My first restoration.
1981. Car was rough when I got it. Trunk was gone.
Hot little Mustang... |
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Bought this 1968 GTO
for $500 in 1982. It was a numbers matching car. Used it for
a driver & beat it to death. Sold it, then got it back about
a year later, from a salvage yard.
Ended up parting it out. |
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My first Corvette.
A 350 C.I. 4 speed car. Purchased in 1983. I owned this one for
a couple of years. |
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City of Elyria Police
Car #1414. This car was assigned to me & I drove it home.
The bosses failed to see the humor in it when I jacked it up
and put the rims & tires off my Corvette on it. |
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This boat was a Limited
Edition T-Bird
I bought for a daily driver in 1985. |
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I bought this from a
co-worker in 1988. It only had 24,000 miles on it and was like
new. It was a 4 speed car. No AC, it was uncomfortable to drive
when it was hot out. |
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I owned this pair of 66 GTO's in 1989 /90.
I bought the convertible, 4 speed car from a co worker. While
I owned it I put the correct wheels & tires back on it &
restored the interior. I found a correct, numbers matching motor
for it, but it never got installed. The previous owner bought
it back from me.
I received the Black /Blue one as payment
for some work I did for a local tow company owner. He built the
car, drove it for awhile, lost interest and parked it in the
back of his shop. When I saw what it was, a deal was made. It
was a 400 / 4 speed car.
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In 1990 we bought a pair
of 1977 Can Ams. |
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Our German
exchange student, Tanja,& the Trans Am she learned how to
drive in. Bought from a used car lot in 1990, Tanja drove it
to school everyday, once she got her llicense. |
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50 Pit bikes for the dragstrip. These little monsters were capable
of 60 mph if you had the stones for it. Orginally used to transport
illegal drugs around the neighborhoods of a nearby large city.
They were impounded by police & ultimately sent to salvage,
where I was able to buy two of them. I still have one of them
sitting in my garage. |
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This is one of my favorites. I bought
this 1970 RAIII numbers matching AC car in 1993 at a Pontiac
or POCI event in Independence, Ohio. It sported Judge stripes
when I bought it. I took them off. This car garnered the most
looks,& trophies, drove & rode the nicest, & was
one of the quickest GTO's I owned over the years. I got pretty
attached to this one.
The previous owner bugged me until I finally
agreed to sell it back to him.
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1994. My 16 year old
daughter makes her first pass at Norwalk Raceway Park.
She learned to drive & drag-race, in this car. It was her
daily driver. We put a booming stereo in this one. It would rattle
the rear glass |
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Purchased in 1994 this 67
GTO was my biggest project
to date. No interior, rear quarters were cut off, glass
was missing and the front clip was off. It did have a 428 Motor
& M-22 that came with it. Complete restoration took about
a year.
Drove it six months & sold it..
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This Bonneville was my daily driver
in 1996. It had a Saddle interior.
This was a nice car.
In 1995 I decided to give up GTO's and
start playing with motorcycles, specifically Harleys. I had been
riding an 82 Shovelhead while working plainclothes for the city.
Went back to uniform & had to give up the bike. I bought
a banged up, repo'ed 1200 cc Sporty to get me started.
In 1996 I traded the Sporty in for a new Police RoadKing.
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LEFT CLICK
ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
In 1994-95 the P.D. did an auto theft investigation.
We recovered almost 30 stolen 5.0 Mustange with VIN tags
removed. The court ordered they be used by the city
and eventually destroyed. |
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For a while, almost every unmarked police
unit in the city was a 5.0 Mustang. I had several. This one was
a 5 speed. It was assigned to me & I drove it home.
It was ultimately burned for a police arson investigation class. |
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About 1994 I started a non-profit,
anti-drug, motorcycle drag racing program, with a GSXR 750 Suszuki
that was seized from a drug dealer and donated to the race team
by the city.
We raced as part of the "National Race Against Drugs"
program. |
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Seized with less than 2000 miles
on it, the city saw fit to donate the bike to the non profit
anti-drug program I started.
This is the before picture
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This is the after picture,
as I take the bike for a low eleven, high ten second pass at
Norwalk Raceway Park. |
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We later added this ten inch car tire Suzuki
to the race team.
While I made a passes on this one I left racing it to my team
mate.
The race team lined up for
a parade in 1995.
My red Dodge truck was the race team tow vehicle.
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At Norwalk Raceway Park, High
School Nationals, 1996. My 1995 Police RoadKing, a recovered,
stolen 5.0 Mustang that was converted to a marked unit, and a
Corvette that was seized during a drug raid, by the local sheriff,
and converted into a marked unit. All part of the Anti-Drug effort,
all made passes that day.. |
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Purchased new
by my uncle, I was
the second owner of this Trans Am
in 1997. |
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My wifes birthday present
in 1997 |
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My 2000 ElectraGlide UltraClassic |
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My 2001 Screamin' Eagle RoadGlide |
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My Screamin' Eagle Roadglide at
Norwalk Raceway Park |
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I ordered this loaded, top of the
line, 2003 F-250 6.0 ltr Diesel new in 2002. Waited for ever
to get it.
In the four months that I owned it, it spent 45 days in the shop
for repair. Oil leaks, diesel squeezing past the o-rings &
displacing the antifreeze, entire front clip & motor removed,
unauthorized repairs to the rear of the motor in an attempt to
stop oil leaks. Ford refused to do anything intelligent to address
the issues... I filed for arbitration and Ford was forced to
buy it back.
Replaced it with a 2003 7.3 F-250 &
added an 80 hp BD chip.
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Purchased in 2005 from the collection
of a good friend. This is an original paint, 1965 Panhead, ElectraGlide,
with under 16000 miles and the original, special order, Birch
White paint. The paint has 42 years of patina. The front wheel
is covered by a pair of auto hubcaps that were installed when
the bike was fairly new.
I was able to locate & contact all
but the first two owners of this bike
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1965
PANHEAD |
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In 2001 I retired from the P.D. &
went to work as a part time tech at the local Harley Shop. I
turned the race team over to the younger guys.
We got the idea to start a second non-profit
anti-drug race team at the Harley Shop. We started with an eleven
second Buell & added this AHDRA Hot Street Sporty later on.
The motor was built by Carl's Speed Shop in Daytona. This street
legal sporty runs high nines to low tens, no juice, no electronics,
no air & no wheelie bar.
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2004 Playboy Playmate of
the Year Carmella DeCesare
at Norwalk Raceway Park, All Harley Drag Racing,
2004. Miss DeCesare was there to raise funds for
our race team. Take note of the # 9 plate on the
bike. This bike was in the top ten in East Coast,
AHDRA, Hot Street in 2003. |
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Dee Tacket of Cleveland Harley-Davidson
launching our Buell at the 2007
AHDRA Buckeye Nationals
at
Summit Motorsports Park
Norwalk, Ohio |
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I bought this 1976 Original
paint FLH Shovelhead from the third owner in 2006 and sold it
last year. I put the solo seat on it. |
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1976
Shovel |
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My Bikes, 2006, from left to right..
65 Pan, 02 Police RoadKing, Screamin' Eagle ElectraGlide and
06 ElectraGlide Classic. |
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Bought this PHS Documented,
1964,tri-power, 4 speed, numbers matching, California Emissions
GTO, in the Spring of 2007. Drove it for the summer & sold
it in the fall. |
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Bought this 71 GTO Convertible
in the fall of 2007, from a garage where it had been sitting
for over 20 years. Came with a 455 & a
4 speed. Started the restoration, had some health problems, &
had to sell it. |
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My 2007 Mustang GT Convertible purchased
new.& traded in on Barbs new Mariner about 18 months later.
I missed this car so much that in 2011 I sold my 68 GTO and bought
the one below |
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Bought this 64 in 2008,for parts, & sold
it. |
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2007 GTCS - Bought in 2011, taken on the
Hotrod Power Tour and sold in 2013. |
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My 68 GTO
Used in this music video.
The audio of the car going through the gears is this car.
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MY 1971GTO
GTOAA Legends June 2011
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