I called the guy and right off he told me that it smoked because of an oil leak. My mom and I drove over there to look at it and took my cousin with us to have a man's perspective on it. It was the longest drive over there. We got there and as soon as I saw the car, I fell in love with it. I wanted it so much that I begged my mom. She was hesitant because my dad was not with us, but I talked her into it. She did not want to drive it home in the dark, though, so we waited til the morning to drive back over there and get it. It was a sunny day, and I had my first car!
It was painted metal flake green, and the interior was all green, also. It was in great condition. I had to wait until the weekend for my dad to look it over and tune it up before I could drive it. He bled the brakes and fixed the little things that were wrong, and then I drove it for the first time. I was nervous, but it drove fine, despite the smoking.
I drove it to school a few times and even drove it to my senior graduation. After the ceremony, my closest friends and I climbed into it and drove out to the lake with the intent to go skinny-dipping. It was cold and we only got down to our underwear, but it was still great fun. As we left, paranoid about cops, we passed one on our way out.
In June, the engine spun a bearing and started knocking a rod. After only a month, I had to park it. I was devastated. In July, we found a motor from a 1967 Dodge Dart two-door. It had been sitting there with the hood open for more than seven years. In August, my dad was messing with this motor and he started it! I was shocked and happy.
This began the struggle to fix my car. We took my motor out and exchanged needed parts. After a broken manifold, we started to see more problems each time he worked on the car. We got the motor in and began putting it back together. We saw that the transmission in the older car might not work, but the only way to tell was to put it in and try it out.
My dad put the transmission in three different times and each time something would not work right. The older transmission would not turn. Then he tried the other one, but the torque converter would not fit, so he fixed that, but then the car would not go forward (it was the valve body). It ran great in reverse. The next weekend, my dad came home and it ran forward, but not in reverse. Something magical happened, I guess. Now it runs forward in all gears, but will not go in reverse.
I drive it this way as I am looking for a transmission to fit and work in it. I love my car and can see myself driving it for the rest of my life.