x2thaz
11-09-2005, 08:33 PM
This is an essay of my obsession, it requires:
clear thesis
an interesting and effective intro
Hearing the thunderous roar of engines starting up as the rich smell of gasoline burning into the air, you could see the gaseous fumes setting in as the morning horizon starts to become the background. Cruising down Pacific Coast highway on a Sunday afternoon with the windows rolled down was the feeling you would get from the cool summer breeze starting to form your hair. Having a window seat meant you could stick out your hands out the window and move it up and down as the car drove faster. When people see classic cars they think it's just like any other vehicle out on the road, very old and unreliable. Some people just see cars as means of transportation; not a hobby and hardly a lifestyle. One may view things differently from others; for instance, when I would see a classic car that caught my eye I would turn my head quickly and take a good glance at the car. Most car enthusiasts can determine the make of the vehicle but for me it goes a step further, I can easily distinct the make, model and even the year of some classic cars.
My infatuation for cars came with my father who is a car mechanic; his life revolves around cars as well. Being the curious child I was, I would always observe my father working on cars in our driveway, whether it meant he was lying under or leaning over a car he was always around cars. He took me to my first car show and swap meet when I was young. At such a young age my brain was like a sponge, always wanting to soak up more information. Throughout many years with my father he taught me how to appreciate old cars and how rare and unique they were. I began to adapt to my own father’s habits for cars when he showed me books on station wagons and the history behind it. Words cannot explain how my emotions felt when I saw the many different types of stations wagons there were. I was like a monk in a state of tranquility and at the same time, like an enormous volcano erupting of excitement. Being such a young teenager I knew my priorities had changed from playing video games all day to classic cars topping my list.
I’ve noticed that my first real experience of antique cars began to sink in when I started to subscribe to multiple classic car magazines. I knew I could only drool and fanaticize about my growing addiction by reading through books and looking at the pictures from magazines that I had subscribed to. It was only a matter of time when my father and I decided to make that big step into a world of car restoration. Once I had bought the car of my dreams everything that I had hoped and wished for came true. The people who knew me as the hockey player, once had forgotten the old Alan and knew that I had changed into a different person because of my new profound interest for classic cars. My exuberant desire for classic cars has shaped my life in many ways, sometimes on Sunday morning I would watch racecars go in circles on a track for hours. Everyday I keep fueling this thirst for knowledge, like a fire that keeps on growing.
When we bought the 1963 Chevy Nova station wagon the condition of it was so unbearable, that we couldn’t drive it home because the interior had a strong smell of cat urine. The seats and carpet all had to be removed due to the distinct smell and to make way of the new interior and bench seats. The paint had a dull yet unfinished look to it with some dents on the side of the wagon. The whole front suspension had to be worked on to improve the handling of the car. The small things also had to be done such as changing the brakes from drum to disc. Improving on the safety of the wagon was our main concern; therefore, the brakes had to be converted to meet today’s car safety standards. Doing a complete restoration on the wagon was going to take some time and patients from the both of us. Our envision of what the car would turn out like was a long process due to the fact that parts are hard to come by as well of the deciding factor. Being the mechanic and handyman of all trades, my father wanted to do all the work from top to bottom by painting the wagon marlin blue and sewing the bench seats a two tone color in our garage.
One of the few things that got me started with my love for cars was my father, who influenced me in many ways. As a child I always look up to him as a role model and for inspiration. One of his great accomplishments in life as well as overcoming his barriers of being deaf was showing his friends and family that he could do it anything he wanted. With some hard work, dedication and his strong motivation towards his goal he was unstoppable. He has truly made me realize that you should never take things for granted and anyone with physical disability’s can overcome the many obstacles he went through. Looking up to role models, many of us want to be like them or even spend time with that person. For me I always wanted to spend time with my father and sharing that father and son bond together. Sharing that moment with my father wasn’t feasible at all, because of our busy schedule and hectic life, it wasn’t permitted. By starting this project car we knew that we were going to be in this for the long run and has brought my father and I one step closer to a bond that all children should share.
clear thesis
an interesting and effective intro
Hearing the thunderous roar of engines starting up as the rich smell of gasoline burning into the air, you could see the gaseous fumes setting in as the morning horizon starts to become the background. Cruising down Pacific Coast highway on a Sunday afternoon with the windows rolled down was the feeling you would get from the cool summer breeze starting to form your hair. Having a window seat meant you could stick out your hands out the window and move it up and down as the car drove faster. When people see classic cars they think it's just like any other vehicle out on the road, very old and unreliable. Some people just see cars as means of transportation; not a hobby and hardly a lifestyle. One may view things differently from others; for instance, when I would see a classic car that caught my eye I would turn my head quickly and take a good glance at the car. Most car enthusiasts can determine the make of the vehicle but for me it goes a step further, I can easily distinct the make, model and even the year of some classic cars.
My infatuation for cars came with my father who is a car mechanic; his life revolves around cars as well. Being the curious child I was, I would always observe my father working on cars in our driveway, whether it meant he was lying under or leaning over a car he was always around cars. He took me to my first car show and swap meet when I was young. At such a young age my brain was like a sponge, always wanting to soak up more information. Throughout many years with my father he taught me how to appreciate old cars and how rare and unique they were. I began to adapt to my own father’s habits for cars when he showed me books on station wagons and the history behind it. Words cannot explain how my emotions felt when I saw the many different types of stations wagons there were. I was like a monk in a state of tranquility and at the same time, like an enormous volcano erupting of excitement. Being such a young teenager I knew my priorities had changed from playing video games all day to classic cars topping my list.
I’ve noticed that my first real experience of antique cars began to sink in when I started to subscribe to multiple classic car magazines. I knew I could only drool and fanaticize about my growing addiction by reading through books and looking at the pictures from magazines that I had subscribed to. It was only a matter of time when my father and I decided to make that big step into a world of car restoration. Once I had bought the car of my dreams everything that I had hoped and wished for came true. The people who knew me as the hockey player, once had forgotten the old Alan and knew that I had changed into a different person because of my new profound interest for classic cars. My exuberant desire for classic cars has shaped my life in many ways, sometimes on Sunday morning I would watch racecars go in circles on a track for hours. Everyday I keep fueling this thirst for knowledge, like a fire that keeps on growing.
When we bought the 1963 Chevy Nova station wagon the condition of it was so unbearable, that we couldn’t drive it home because the interior had a strong smell of cat urine. The seats and carpet all had to be removed due to the distinct smell and to make way of the new interior and bench seats. The paint had a dull yet unfinished look to it with some dents on the side of the wagon. The whole front suspension had to be worked on to improve the handling of the car. The small things also had to be done such as changing the brakes from drum to disc. Improving on the safety of the wagon was our main concern; therefore, the brakes had to be converted to meet today’s car safety standards. Doing a complete restoration on the wagon was going to take some time and patients from the both of us. Our envision of what the car would turn out like was a long process due to the fact that parts are hard to come by as well of the deciding factor. Being the mechanic and handyman of all trades, my father wanted to do all the work from top to bottom by painting the wagon marlin blue and sewing the bench seats a two tone color in our garage.
One of the few things that got me started with my love for cars was my father, who influenced me in many ways. As a child I always look up to him as a role model and for inspiration. One of his great accomplishments in life as well as overcoming his barriers of being deaf was showing his friends and family that he could do it anything he wanted. With some hard work, dedication and his strong motivation towards his goal he was unstoppable. He has truly made me realize that you should never take things for granted and anyone with physical disability’s can overcome the many obstacles he went through. Looking up to role models, many of us want to be like them or even spend time with that person. For me I always wanted to spend time with my father and sharing that father and son bond together. Sharing that moment with my father wasn’t feasible at all, because of our busy schedule and hectic life, it wasn’t permitted. By starting this project car we knew that we were going to be in this for the long run and has brought my father and I one step closer to a bond that all children should share.