Hi guys,Mike here!
Figured I better drop a line in the newby forum after getting my first thread I posted axed because of a misunderstanding over my occupation.Ill try to make it short!I grew up in So Cal back when you could still pic up a 440SixPack challenger complete for 500 bucks.Bought my first car when I was twelve(71 Vega),gave it a mid engine 455 by the time I turned 13,and full on three stage paint 6 mos after that!I have lived, ate, and $--t cars my entire life.After many warnings I got expelled from the 1st grade for drawing cars(actually I was teaching the other kids how to draw them-big motor in the front,big tires in the back!)The teacher said I was disrupting the class......maybe I was? Anyways I was full time employed at a body shop by the time I was 15.From there I got into heavy restoration work for a number of years but my passion was always for custom painting.I ran my own very succesful hot rod shop for 13 years until I was diognosed with a potentialy life threatning lung disease.(Yes guys that stuff WILL kill you)Being a father of 5 I had to find a completely different direction to go with my life and family, before my passion killed me!So from there I went into the heavy construction biz.Went thru a 4yr apprentiship and worked my way up to job forman for a $100 million dollar a year highway contractor.Which brings me to where i am now.In the off months(I now live in WI-we dont build roads in the winter!)I teach a mechanics/maintainance class at the Operating Engineers training center.The pay is very good which makes it possible for me to FINALLY work on my own stuff and not everybody elses!I am heavy into open road racing and building VERY FAST cars!(MY OWN!)My current stable now houses over 30 cars so Im not going to list them all here.Most are fords but I am an automotive enthusioust and enjoy ALL makes.My current big dog project is a 1969 Talladega being built for open road racing and at least one trip down the Bonniville salts.My goal is 240mph.Just got the 598in SVO mill outta the dyno room to the tune of 1087hp!A G-force 5speed backs it up.This has been a 6 year project with probably that many more till its finished!I hope not though!I'll be sure to keep you all posted on its progress(as long as my threads dont all get axed)!So I'll tell you all now if you sign up to my web page....IM NOT LOOKING FOR WORK, WMS IS NOT A BODY SHOP but I encourage all to log on and check it out!
THanks and Happy Hotrodding!Mike...aka...TopEndMACH!!!!