Thanks all. Figured I'd post a Father's day Ferrari photo here today. T First is my dad in one of his first 308's along with my Grandfather on my mothers side. Taken early to mid 80's probably. Second obviously a F348. Not sure if this one was my Dad's (he had one it probably is) or Bob Turner who is pictured between my mom and I. Sadly Bob also passed away from Parkinson's a long while back but was another car enthusiast. My first look at a Lotus Esprit was when he pulled up in a white one in the early 80's. Loved that wedge look. Last pic is my dad's 355 spyder along with Jim Long who I got to meet again last month. I think that's his Ferrari 512 Boxster. Not sure who owned the Dino.... might have been his as well. Enjoy! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Great pictures and they look like fabulous, happy memories! - I'm kinda wishing I could have been you growing up, looking at those pictures! Thank you!
I spent sooooo many summer afternoons staring and drooling at the cars at Thoroughbred Motors. Was turned into a Petco for a while, then torn down a few years ago and turned into a park. Only thing left is the old back shed/garage that is now used by St. Charles Church. Thanks for the awesome pics!
Sorry about your loss, but what a great tribute and way to remember him. My Dad is still with us, and my bond with him is 100% through our love of cars. Some of my fondest memories spending time with him was always at car shows or working in the garage on something mechanical (motorcycles, cars, lawn mowers, bicycles - whatever).
Hi all! Happy July 4! Time for another crazy Countach video! This one again a small drive at the local mall in Ohio...almost exactly 30 years ago on July 4! Well 29 as I think based on audio this is from 1987 even though the overlay says 1986. Here's the link to my youTube Video: https://youtu.be/892me90KGZk Any a quick shot from video... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks. I've been back home helping my mom clean out some stuff and have discovered even more old photos... Once I have a chance to edit some there will be more. Heh .... I've also discovered VIN numbers for many of the cars after the 3x8s. Now if I could only afford one...hehe. :/ Image Unavailable, Please Login
Who'd have thought taking the engine and gearbox out of a Lamborghini Countach would make the front end lift up so much!
Ok been over half a year tho been slowly posting some to my IG account but figured I'd post a few more here to keep the thread of mine alive still..hehe... Some show with the Countach at an airport obviously military helicopters there too. Then the Diablo around the time we went to this medieval costume dinner in Cleveland so we posed for a photo back at our garage... LOL. Then the car show I think back up in Detroit area. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi all... been a while since I posted.. I am happy to say I am DONE with my photo editing, sorting, and uploading! I've decided to upload over 600+ photos of my fathers old cars (and others) to my new SmugMug account. Check it out here: https://michaelcomet.smugmug.com/Old-1980s-Car-Photos/ That is a sub-page of my main smug mug account (which has other photos of say car week and stuff). This page holds galleries of my fathers old vehicles. Mostly pictures of our old Countach, and from car show events and vacation, but also has things like our old 308s, 348, etc... Here's one more photo...this one of his 360 just for fun. Thank you! Michael Image Unavailable, Please Login
Great photos. Curious about the ownership of the Countach. How long did your dad have it? What did he like and dislike about it? What was it like having in the household in what looks like an average upper middle class neighborhood? And finally, why sell it?
Hi, Thanks. Yeah the Countach I think he might have actually owned the longest period of time, maybe 10 years or so. It was definitely somewhat surreal. I definitely knew it was special but at the same time it was semi normal to have in the garage. I remember always wanting to be the one to go for a ride haha. Bummed out if my brothers got their chance. I also remember being on the freeway and feeling the torque the car had at the time which was something else. I'm pretty sure our neighbors and everyone at school thought we were nuts. I recall him taking it to at least one photoshoot with other kids in the car for the yearbook that he did my senior year I think... I may have to dig my yearbook out to find it..heh. I wasn't involved for that. But yeah average upper middle class area. Still was super special. If you've seen the videos he definitely had a friend or two that had nice cars in the area, but especially being in the midwest/cleveland area not a lot of cars to begin with. Plus can really only come out when it's not winter. But everything from watching the Canonball run movies to going to car events and vacation was just crazy. On the one hand I knew it was super rare, on the other hand I probably sort of took it for granted being a kid. But often short little rides, gas station, around somewhere, and back. Generally a point A to point A car. I think ergonomics wise lets face it, it's not the best car. Not really adjustable seats. A/C works just sort of. Windows barely go down. Hard to see out the back or back up. And no power steering so any sort of slow speed or parking lot work is a lot of effort. Plus the clutch at least on ours was fairly heavy as well. It's the sort of car you enjoy taking to an event or a small drive, but are also happy to get out of at the end of that drive. Definitely looked and sounds amazing though. I don't really know why he sold it...he seemed to bounce back and forth between Ferrari and Lamborghini so I guess usually it was one at at time...with small periods with maybe the other before he traded or sold the previous. From video logs I have it appears he had a 308 and then a 348 right after. So my guess is he just wanted to move back to the Ferrari world for a bit or maybe wanted some cash, then replaced it. After the 348 he went Diablo. And probably like any car guy always looking at the next "better" thing. And in honesty not the smartest/best thing to do financially but he sort of lived in the moment I guess that way. So this was sort of his car list...years are the year of the car itself not ownership... Jaguar XKE - several 1982 F308 #1 1983 F308 #2 1983 Countach 1961 Corvette (still had Countach) 1985 308 #3 1991 348 ts 1992 Diablo 2000 Dodge Viper 1996 F355 GTS 1997 F355 Spyder 1999 F355 Spyder 1974 Jaguar XKE 1998 Diablo SV 2004 F360 Spyder 2003 Murcielago 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera 1995 Acura NSX
Man, that must have been cool. I think you and I are similarly aged. I also grew up in the Midwest (St. Louis). It was cool enough being dropped off at school in my Dad's e30 M3, I can't imagine an exotic like your dads'. I'd like to know more about your dad, what kind of man is able to pull that off. Sorry for his passing. So, did you get to drive this great stuff when you got your license? What did you drive to Prom, dances, dates?
He owned a small manufacturing business. Washers, gaskets, etc... He definitely was larger than life though. And had a no holds barred personality and penchant for humorous if not immature behavior a fair bit heh. My middle brother, another car nut, was the one who really got the deal on driving. Of course he was into Autocross, and Track as well, long before I ever was. So I guess he was trusted more. I got to drive the Countach for a short bit about 2 times with my dad as passenger. After I moved out of the house, my brother got to drive the Diablo solo down to Columbus (~3 hrs) multiple times there and back for service. Heh. Beyond that really it was the passenger seat for me though. Still cool. The keys and car were always there...but I had the brains not to "borrow" it without permissions...haha. My main car in High School was a Chevy Berreta GT v6. There's a pic in my smug mug gallery of the old cars. It was pretty spry for a new driver back then. School was a school bus and then my car for the most part. To your point I'm pretty sure I might have been dropped off at school a few times...I know people there knew we had it...but my memory is fuzzy on that. He also used to take it to work now and then as well. So when I worked in his factory during the summer it was sometimes used then too. Though again the Daily Drivers were also nice like say a toyota supra or corvette...
Really love your thread, brother. Thanks again for sharing and giving us a little window into your very cool household in the 80's and "larger than life" Dad.
I finally uploaded another new video. This one Vasek Polak porsche dealer and also a Testarossa spot and then a bunch of Ferrari at Hollywood Sport Cars all circa June 1988. Enjoy!
Seems like I am slowly uploading the content end of each year.... Just uploaded another small video... This one is a friends Ferrari 512BB back in 1987. Pretty cool seeing it around all the regular boxy cars. There's also a few quick shots of our old Toyota Supra and 308 in the garage too. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to everyone! Here's a few (cropped) pics from the video as well just because... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here's one more! Some amazing retro track footage of our friends 512BB at Nelson Ledges outside of Cleveland, OH along with a bunch of other classic exotics. There's a Ford GT40, Porsche 935 Kremer (I think) and our Countach... Happy New Years!