I grew up a car lover. When I was young my Dad drove a 1970 Chevy Malibu (Chevelle) that I was convinced was going to be mine when I was old enough to drive. It was eventually sold and for several years I gravitated toward exotic cars. My bedroom walls were covered with pictures cut from magazines - BMW, Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, etc. But as I got closer to age 14 and really driving (learner's permit age in KS), I shifted focus to muscle cars as they were far more attainable, at least in theory.

I was thrilled when my Dad came home from a work trip with something he found at a small car lot in Emporia, KS - a 1970 Chevy Malibu. It was a 350 V8 and not the LS-6 454 I spent my time reading about in Muscle Car magazine, but it was mine, and I loved it. Turquoise with a black vinyl top and white interior. Eventually, I had it painted red (my adult self cringes at the mistake). And I drove it all through high school.

I slowly grew out of my muscle car stage for the most part, though I've always had a soft spot for the 1970 Chevelle, King of the Muscle Cars. These days, an original LS-6 is beyond reach like so many of the vintage european cars I more often admire. But I still think of maybe building a 1970 Chevelle. I don't really care about originality. In fact, these days I prefer mild resto-mod to an all-original look. I've never been a hot rod lover, but I do love old tech repurposed with modern technology.

So all that being an introduction, I've found what I really want. I just sold off several cars, and I told myself I won't be buying anything for a while, but this is what is at the top of my list when it comes time to seriously scratch the itch I've had since I was 10 years old.