New member from NorCal (Chico)

[Trent]

Greetings.

I have been a longtime lurker (dreamer) and recently created an account. I have been reading all the great information/advice/ideas on this forum and it is so encouraging!

I am the owner of 1968 SPL311. It was my first care when I was 16 and lived in the San Diego area (Poway). My father and I spent many hours back then prepping the car for paint and trying to learn how to tune it properly, this was in 1989 so there was no 311s.org back then! I drove the car all through college, up and down the state, and back and forth to the bay area during that time and it only left my stranded on the side of the road twice ☺

This is what the car and I looked like back then (check out that hair):

DAT01.jpeg

DAT02.jpeg

After college the car was garaged at my parents’ house for years (13) and only driven occasionally. My father and I talked about plans to restore it and life just got more and more busy. Almost 7 years ago now my father asked if he could start on it without me, and that I could help as much as time allowed. The plan was he would drive it when it was done and give it back to me at some later date. It was exciting and before I knew it my father had dropped the gas tank, pulled the radiator, water pump and even pulled the dash. That is the way my father did things… full speed ahead. This part of the story has a sad ending, my father passed suddenly in 2008 and I was left devastated. I lost my best friend.

It took me several years to even be able to be in the garage with the car for too long before the memories just overcame me. As the years went on my mother kept asking when I was going to be ready to take the car. I started lurking on this forum and seeing the amazing cars and inspiring projects everyone has. A few months ago I showed up at my mom’s house (she only lives a mile away) and told her I was taking the car. I pushed the car the mile home and into my garage!

This is what the car looks like today:

DAT1.jpg

DAT2.jpg

DAT3.jpg

DAT4.jpg

DAT5.jpg

Now I need to get started!

The plan is to make this my daily driver. The good and the bad thing is I know all of the faults with the car. Fortunately I am not too worried about making it prefect. For example I know (now) the rear bumper is off a 1969 but the story behind getting the bumper with my father is more important to me then the bumper being correct. Right now I am leaning toward an engine swap (KA24 or SR20) for the car's second life. I have been reading all the great information in the Engine Swaps Discussion Topic and will be posting some questions there. I am looking for the best place to find a donor engine and will likely be looking for someone to do the transplant (being realistic). I hope to start making significant progress this coming spring so I am trying to get an early start figuring out the timeline and cost.

Thank you for making it to the end of this long introduction. I look forward to being involved in this community, mostly as a consumer to start with and posting updates (and pictures).

Trent.

[notoptoy]

Welcome Trent, great (but a little sad) story. It's wonderful and probably cathartic to pick up where you dad left off, and I am sure he would be proud. I look forward to your posts going forward as you restore your lady!

[Rodster]

Welcome Trent
Any help just ask. You took the first step.
You can do this!!!

[S Allen]

Hey Trent, welcome and glad you came out of lurking mode. Awesome story with a sad ending. I am sure you will make your dad proud by getting her running again. Good luck and post a lot of pictures. Looking forward to reading about your project.

Steve

[mraitch]

Trent,
I have owned a few roadsters in the past, when they were merely FUN transportation - now I look at them with a different eye. For me, it would be SO cool to fulfill on my fathers' intentions and keep him 'alive/present' in getting his expectations fulfilled.
Keep us posted and more PIX as you move one.

[Gregs672000]

Trent, thanks for sharing your Roadster story. There are many here who can relate to how these cars are much more than just cars... They are chapters in our lives, companions in the journey, expressions of love, bonds that tie friends and family across generations...
I'm glad you are ready to revisit and regain that personal history and share your unique but familiar story. Love can at times be a painful thing, and life is finite, but the love you and your father shared with this car continues to exist when you allow yourself to express it and embrace it, and then share it with others... Love never dies, it just gets added to and passed on to others. We welcome you to OUR family, and look forward to your success and expressions of that love shared. We get it.