Well since this is the pilot thread this is my story.
My name is Lorne Jay and i live in Miramichi New Brunswick Canada. I am married with 5 children,own a Funeral Home and have loved cars since I can remember.
I may very well be one of the only members who can say I drove these b body wagons new as my 1991 was the very first one ordered. I remember the former owner worried that a casket may not fit due to the rear slope. We only saw pictures when ordering it. the car was loaded with all options including power seat (driver),mirrors and auto load leveler. the rear end was a posi with 3:23 gears. As most here know the motor was only available with the 305. I forget the price if I was even ever told.
Here is the only picture I could find when it was new. It took some getting used to compared to the Boxys
I was able to have it as a family car once I bought the business. That is also a great memory for my wife and I as our children were probably part of the last generation to drive in a wagon that was new in their era.
2 funny wagon memories were once we went to burger king and the manager met us at the door. He watched us getting out and met us at the door in panic mode as he said sir we only have 1 clown and there is already a birthday booked. When we said we were a family he just kept apologizing.
the other time I was in a hurry to get my wife to work and a cop was behind us. I looked in the mirror to see the youngest guy standing up waving at him from the famous tail gunner seat. I got a $130 fine for him not wearing his seat belt.
5 kids in 6 years they grew up close.
In 2003 I was forced into my first mini van purchase for the business.The wagon was still in good shape with the usual blisters behind the wheel wells starting but it was still original paint and clean inside. it had 13000 kms showing.
I also have suburbans so I really couldn't justify all the cars. I advertised it for $2000 in the auto trader. I remember simply saying I just want enough to get a snowblower.
I got 2 calls. 1 from the local cab company and the other from a young guy with kids. the second showed up unannounced on thanksgiving and interrupted our dinner. I go to the funeral home to meet him and he starts on the blisters and the drivers door armrest was loose. He offers me $1200. I never said a word,hit the remote on the garage door and hop in the suburban. He calls and I refuse to talk.
So that nit I say to my wife,I am going to make the wagon my toy. To this day she will tell anyone who listens boy Lorne sure showed him close to $30,000 later what they missed out on. I never said I was smart. The drivers side armrest is exactly the same to this day. I just left it as a reminder of how upset the guy made me.
I get calls to go out in the nite for my work and I do all the inmates from the federal prison here. these calls are usually people who are not from here or have been killed in car accidents or drown while fishing etc. They are somewhat a pain as you will have to go off road or sometimes get a flat tire at an accident from debris. My wife one nite suggested I save the income from these calls and build up a fund.
I was amazing how my interest changed towards these calls knowing the wagon fund was growing. The first purchase was an impala ss grille and wheels and tires. I taped off the body chrome and bumper chrome. I left the wheel well chrome and door handles.
This is the 1991 its last year in 2004.
Her is its final resting place as of last summer
In the fall of 2004 while on my way to a nursing home on business I see my 1995 for sale on a front yard. I knew very little about the famous LT1 but spotted the tailpipes. I couldn't stop thinking about it and on the way home I pulled in. The guy loves my 91 with the wheels and before i can warn him he opens the back door only to see a body. that was a look I will never forget.
I really only want the motor at this point from the 95 so the condition a non issue. I tell him i will call him when i get back to the Funeral Home.Meanwhile my friend in the business had owned 2 wagons with the lt1. i ask him and he says get it or I will. His were both written off by employees and he still wishes he bought the drive train for a street rod. So for $800 I tell the guy to bring it up.
Those pictures are after I had the floor replaced and the rear end swapped and the motor was rebuilt.
For the most part except for the bumper thats how it looked upon arrival. It ha d blue interior. the registration said surendered and the old guy didn't want to register it. He said you aren't going to title it so who cares. I said I still needed to show what i bought as it was thru the company.
I finally clued in . He didn't want me to know what he paid at the gov't auction. I said It didn't matter and he adnitted he paid $200 on friday and this was monday.
It was the supervisors car for the Highway dept paint crew. He was the only driver and it had 407 000 km thats about 250000 miles showing. When the motor was rebuilt they told me it could have been left alone. The original cam was reused.
As I have since learned from these forums it is a 1A2 which means it is somewhat rare. Tilt wheel,air and thats basically it for options. Crank windows and no cruise control,highway gears and the standard lt1 motor with dual exhaust.
The next year was the expensive year. the only thing from the 95 is the roof and quarter panels.
Everything from the roof liner to the floor is my 91 except for the dash and steering wheel. The glass was also from the 91. The registration is the 95 because of the dash so it was lucky I had it. I soon found out it was next to impossible to simply put the 95 drivetrain in my 91 for all kinds of reasons.
I don't do my own work but I have a great friend who is capable of anything. He is a mopar guy but has been on the forum for various topics like when he put my aluminum heads on . we both enjoy nascar and we actually thought the keys were missing when it only came with 1 and it opened the doors too. Just another 1A2 option I now know. Thie idea was a result of that and the bowl shaved for the shift lever delete. I still have the doors and keys from my 91
seemed like a good idea at the time but now I want to do the z28 cluster and put the stereo back in place. I have a lighter outlet in the console for satellite radio
[img]
https://2img.net/h/i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/lonejay1/dash.jpg[/im Chip foose posed in it last summer
One of the neatest things I have experienced with my son is him wanting to take the family wagon to his prom. I would have never in a million years thought that in 1991. He was born in 1990.
Just something I designed for shows. It is aluminum and is held with magnets and two way tape. My competitor here has a camaro with the undrtkr plates so I did it to make him laugh at the local cruise nite.
I really have too much invested but like I explained I have it as a business car so I can justify it somewhat. I hope this explains the mirrors and interior not matching a 1995
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Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:46 pm
