Finnegan's Garage Ep.54: Surprise Paintjob and Six-Speed for My Wife's El Camino

In 2009 my wife and I inherited her grandfather's 1969 Chevy El Camino. It was a dilapidated version of the Malibu with a 350 small-block engine, a factory two-barrel carburetor, a Turbo-350 three-speed transmission, drum brakes and power nothing. There were zero creature comforts including air conditioning. Still, structurally speaking the car was in quite good shape and it held a ton of sentimental value because its been in our family since it was new.
Grandpa Joe's Elco quickly appeared on episodes of Roadkill, first as the car we swapped a new engine into during a snowfall at a Summit Racing store parking lot in Reno, Nevada. Later we raced it against other Roadkill project cars during an autocross shootout involving Jonny Lieberman and Carlos Lago and a Kia. After it was done being Roadkilled, I really got to work on improving all aspects of it.
My friends and I set about the task of making it reliable; My stint on the web show Hot Rod Garage allowed me the time to swap a Chevrolet Performance LS3 and a Gearstar 4L70-E overdrive transmission into the car as well as a new coilover suspension and disc brakes from Ridetech and Wilwood. It took less than a year for this car to morph from being Grandpa's grocery getter into a legitimate autocross terror.
All along, my wife yearned for the car to remind her of her youth, when her Grandpa would pick her up from school in the shiny blue El Camino. She repeatedly asked me to have the car repainted and I refused because I didn't want the car to become so nice that we'd be afraid to drive it anywhere. Over the last 10 years she watched my own project cars progress even staying mum when I went ahead and painted Blasphemi, my '55 Chevy Bel Air. I tell ya, the woman is a saint. Finally, during our last outing in the Elco during the summer of 2017 the transmission died and the car was parked. She was sad but I had a plan; I used the broken transmission as an excuse to hide the car while it was being restored by my friends. The original bumper were straightened and rechromed. The stock body panels were pounded, patched, primed and painted. The interior was dyed and the dash repainted and after 20 years of wearing the wrong color of Earl Schieb paint, it was brought back to its original Glacier Blue glory.
On our wedding anniversary in 2018 we revealed the car to my wife as the ultimate gift and my way of letting her know that what she values matters deeply to me.
This is the video of not only the big reveal of the car but also tips on how to switch over from an automatic transmission to a Tremec manual gearbox using a Silversport Transmissions kit. I think you'll like it.
For more information on the parts used here, visit Silversport Transmissions' website or KZbin channel. The links are here:
shiftsst.com/
/ sstoverdrive
and to grab any of the cool Finnegan Speed and Marine swag you spot in the video, visit: www.fsmgarage....
As always there are lots of behind the scenes clips and photos on my various social media outlets. Find me on:
Instagram: @finnegan999
twitter: @mike.finnegan999
Facebook: / mikefinnegannews

[@BlindBatG34]

I love that Mike owns like twelve hot rods and a race boat but doesn't own a bucket and sponge. You know, because Roadkill.

[@ChristopherBell]

I'm sure he does, but Mrs. lives there too.

[@oambrosia]

@@ChristopherBell I wouldn't be too sure about that. He may own a pressure washer though ;)

[@mfThump]

pffff nature washes your cars for free and it doesn't even take your thought to make it happen!

[@LtLard]

Dear god, never use a sponge on paint.

[@GeorgeMcNally]

4 words................ Happy wife. Happy life.

[@Jbk4real]

Thats bullshit bud, it works both ways

[@samc.7323]

No wife happy life!

[@liedownsfan]

George McNa

[@Nick210]

Those of us following you over the years know exactly how long you've been putting off painting this thing.

[@zacht9447]

Man I remember watching the early roadkills in my high school study halls way back in 2012-2013

[@805NAVE]

1423 171 Same! I did the exact same thing, those were good days lol

[@robroten6446]

"Oh my God! I can't believe you did that!" I wonder how many times she's used that exact phrase talking to Finnegan...

[@wvrailfan1]

Probably more times than he cares to remember.

[@creepingbert]

my guess would be on a daily basis

[@tomstech4390]

Gents this is how to treat that woman who has allowed you to do your crazy shit for all these years, You finally do the thing you've been putting off that she least expects for her benefit. Edit- I bet your mom and dad are so proud of their son.

[@Road_Rash]

I have a 1968 El Camino that I'll be building after I get done with my C10...it was my very first car...can't wait to restore it...

[@drewfausett5388]

Mike, thanks for sharing your life with us. I'm sitting here 8 shades of emotional for your wife and the history that car has... because of videos on the internet... this is why car people are the best people.

[@pythongunner]

Couldn't have said it better !

[@FinnegansGarage]

Thanks Drew. You certainly get it. :)

[@wobblysauce]

2 years with a broken car... some would have devoiced a long time ago, but she knows you mean well.

[@BiffTech05]

the feels in this was awesome, Mike doing it for all the right reasons and Mrs F's reaction... just beautiful. This ElCo is officially a project of love. I'm assuming this car is now officially off limits to Roadkill... imagine if you broke this thing now...

[@drewfausett5388]

@@FinnegansGarage - Now, let's get to the smoky burnouts with the wife's ride!!!!

[@marktunes]

BEST ANNIVERSARY GIFT EVER!!! Ladies and gentlemen I present the Husband of the Decade, Because thats how long it took him to deliver.

[@abefrohman1759]

That night Mrs F left mike home with the kids and went drag racing.

[@justbuggin67]

That’s a sweet double cab abe

[@DestroyersGarage]

On one of the podcast episodes mike talks about sitting on the shore of a lake pounding beers while his wife cruised back and fourth in front of him doing pulls in his drag boat. Cool couple.

[@RamMan2016]

and when they got home after drag racing, Finnegan #3 was conceived!

[@homecyber32283]

lmao

[@williamgleason69]

77g

[@bronsoncole9734]

What a sweetheart your wife is .. your a lucky guy Mike Finnegan... And kudos on doing up the wife's car always go for gold with the brownie points..

[@KitbashCody]

been waiting to see this painted since the parking lot motor swap, love this thing.

[@brokenacoustic]

Almost hard to believe it actually happened...guess theres only so many excuses lol

[@tima6549]

The parking lot motor swap was the best episode ever, lol.

[@lilorbielilorbie2496]

Tim A imo. that would have made this episode better. would be if Bika The Dog could have been there.

[@FinnegansGarage]

once i painted Blasphemi i really had no excuse for ignoring the Elco. lol

[@brokenacoustic]

@@FinnegansGarage You better go do something you shouldnt while your husband points are still valid!

[@Jdeese53]

One good man and one great woman. It’s amazing what can be accomplished

[@jamesbambury]

I am guessing I am not the only one who watched to the end not to see the car, but to finally see the poor suffering automotive saint that suffers through all of his shinnanigens and a 10 year wait to paint a car. It’s been a wait to put a face to this name ever since he called her up from that old motel to tell her he bought an old Chrysler and was going to put it in her driveway!! Poor Girl she finally got what she deserved!! And it was a good present for his wife too!!

[@speakerville]

and last I heard, he never picked up the Chrysler, it's sill sitting in the desert

[@tiny-hj3xo]

Lol I was hopin I wasn't the only one who did that lol poor woman has her hands full!!! But ya gotta love him he makes me laugh everytime I watch his vids,,,,,Elco looks and sounds fantastic great job Mike

[@sebsshenanigans]

"Im gonna score tonight aren't I..." ahaha, how did I never know that he had his own channel :') always watched him on roadkill but didn't even realise there was this masterpiece in the shadows

[@TheZmt325]

Soooo... Let me get this right? You painted the "never gonna paint the" elco. Before steve could finish the duster..

[@delta614]

SHOOTS FIRED

[@oambrosia]

Is that somehow shocking? Have you seen Steve's yard? LOL

[@frank_texas7400]

Are you married? I think he yielded to bed chat pressure

[@ccubsfan94]

Dont forget about the "dont hit the dart" dart.

[@willn8590]

Lmao

[@danyelberger6959]

As a female veteran car and motorcycle enthusiast, i would be totally stoked. My man would have a before work smile on his face for months, way to go Finn! Love the show, and yes keep the lady wife happy, VERY IMPORTANT!

[@RamblinAround]

Happy wife, happy life. Nice job Mike!

[@g8joe]

I had to watch this again tonight...awesome car resto and awesome reaction for the wifey ...

[@firefighteruppy9121]

We're going to see another addition to the family in 9 months.

[@jeffbamford1954]

So the paint job worked

[@GOGOSLIFE]

@@aj200415 C`mon dude, keep it somewhat clean, his kids are gonna see this someday. Respect the man, respect his family.

[@aj200415]

Jeff Gogo I didn’t think of that. Point taken. Deleted my comment. Thank you sir.

[@GOGOSLIFE]

​@@aj200415 You`re cool guy. Thank you, for his family`s sake.

[@Klocaine237]

Everyone needs a Mr. Quinn. Good job guys. Score, score, score !!!!!

[@joshparsons59]

This is the closest thing we get to roadkill anymore on KZbin

[@jmlcolorado]

joshparsons59 yep. spend $10 you cheap bastard

[@mcearl8073]

jmlcolorado 10 bucks a month is pretty steep for one show a month. I never watched any of the other shows. I miss the show but not 10 bucks worth.

[@jmlcolorado]

There are a couple other good ones there too. Roadkill garage is good. There’s an off road 4 wheel one that I like. I piss away $10 a month hitting the throttle harder than it needs to be from a stop light. Or drinking one extra beer a weekend for a month. It’s worth it to me, maybe not for others.

[@mcearl8073]

jmlcolorado If it’s worth it to you that’s great, I don’t argue it being worth it to some people. It’s not a ton of money but I already spend monthly subscription fees to KZbin, Netflix, Hulu, my internet and data plan and probably several others I’m not thinking of and that’s worth it to me, especially KZbin as I watch it quite a lot and don’t ever see ads. If Motortrend would sell individual shows I’d be fine with a few bucks. Im curious how many KZbin viewers actually subscribed to their ap and whether or not it’s even more profitable. You’d think they’d at least upload highlights or something to remind people and make a bit of Adsense off those videos. The other thing is I didn’t really like their ap, it was far less polished and usable than KZbin is and wouldn’t play in the background for me and would restart a lot. Maybe they’ve made it better since then, I haven’t even opened the ap in a while. For a while they claimed we would still be able to watch the shows for free but there would be ads which I could live with for one show a month but the last time I tried there were only a few older episodes available if I remember correctly.

[@LoudGuitar14]

Their platform really isn't that bad to use. Hell, you can still watch everyting that was on KZbin before for free. The only ad I hate is the Alco one because it is always way louder than everything else

[@fh276]

A keeper, right there. The lady, not the car, LOL Not shy, about stepping on it! & stepping on it she did.

[@Stainlessslayer]

Car looks great. 👍👍 5 acre Dave is a natural in front of the camera.

[@FinnegansGarage]

and he's a helluva wrench.

[@johnswick4593]

I'm a year late watching this. I enjoy watching people's sentimental rides restored. You are a good man for doing this for your wife. Nice Elk! Congrats.

[@AZTrucker]

"I'm going to score tonight aren't I? And for the next 6 months!".....I'm freakn dying right now! bwhahahhahah

[@Gyrmyth]

narrator: he didnt

[@theninja001]

We all wish we could find a woman who has emotional reactions to cars!

[@theduke2398]

Mine buys cars on if it's cute or not 🤣😹.

[@michaelswart9236]

It was her father or grandfather's car. She's the one that owns it, so it makes sense that she would be so emotional

[@matthewshambler2644]

Just watched this.. with my wife.. The pressure is now on to get my ‘72 Ranchero sorted out! Awesome gesture and a great video!

[@pub6023]

You are the man Mr Finnegan! That effort should allow you to do no wrong for at least six months, unfortunately as we all know....that can change in a heartbeat! That’s why we love our women, there’s no fun left when it all gets predictable! I like your style Sir, enlist the family and neighbour to get it sorted....well done!

[@StockiGTI]

Wow, you Sir, are a Legend !!! Well done !

[@FinnegansGarage]

thank you

[@boba4588]

Awesome job , it's nice to see that there are still men out there that love there wives enough to go though what you had to to make her happy

[@robdabb4292]

Saw the reveal on Insta. Well done good sir!

[@Sledneck1080]

Gosh dang it you made me cry let alone your wife that's a beautiful thing you did for her

[@jarno3000]

I'm gonna score tonight, aren't I 😄

[@Xfacehack]

*Walk away* :D :D :D

[@michaelcaplinger5115]

For the next 6 months 😂😂😂

[@slowlearner984]

Well he was until he said that.

[@maartenyzer4121]

Haha,waisted..

[@rlh421]

One of your best episodes. Happy Wife . . . . Happy Life !

[@theblountguy463]

Great job! Fast car= happy wife. Happy wife=.....more fast cars! lol's

[@TmcIIIvideo]

well played sir, well played...you made the mother of your children very happy!

[@JohnehLennon]

I got to sit in this car a couple years back in a atlanta cars and coffee glad to see its getting restored

[@kennethlaw5216]

It's awesome to see the look on your wife's face. You could see how much she loved driving that car. It was great to see the love she has for cars. My first car was a 70 El Camino that had a 69 front on it. It is still one of my all time favorite cars to date. Hope you had a great anniversary

[@mattpish9675]

Not sure how anyone could give this episode the 👎. Really nice work on the paint and body. Plus the fit and finish on the 6 speed transmission. Nice anniversary present.

[@thebigpicture2032]

Grandpa has to be smiling down on that one. Well played!

[@mattsez2879]

dont let David TOUCH IT

[@chadlehrke7102]

You mean Tony!!!

[@mattsez2879]

@@chadlehrke7102 no....dont let David touch it....or Tony DRIVE it

[@epjose6607]

A massive improvement and a spoiling gift to your wife.

[@TNels]

Smart to cover the street signs! I like the ladder still set up next to them.

[@ghostkind101]

@@Connor-Pilling lol gives you the city name not his like...actual adress....which is probably for the best tbh xD and yes...way to easy tbh

[@TheRandynorris]

Mike you are a blessed man. Awesome cars, home, job, family and an awesome wife who must be a saint. BEST LIFE EVER. Happy anniversary

[@bigpappahemi4263]

You're a good man Fin! And you've got great friends and neighbors!

[@tjmoneybags]

Awesome video. you did aweome and YOUR WIFE CAN DRIVE! I had a 72 Elco and this made me really consider getting one again. thanks

[@PimpCoop]

Watching this makes me want to finish my 86 El Camino. I've been letting things go and go and go. Now it's time to actually do it.

[@musician445]

Way to pay it forward to someone willing to put up with the craziness of a car guy. We aren't always easy to deal with, but any woman that can love us regardless of that is worth taking care of. Nice one Finn.

[@leemer1]

Ten people dislike a fresh new paintjob, a 6 speed and Mike getting nookie for the next couple days. I think this video makes up for the lack of uploads the last few months.

[@brayanmacias6083]

leemer1 it's 102 people now in 2019

[@pamhodges4973]

You are 1 crazy guy, but you are a great husband- what an awesome surprise!!!!! WAY TO GO!!!!! Really enjoyed this video!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!! Bob H.

[@chadroy16]

Thank you for keeping the spirit of "our little webshow" going. This is also my first comment on youtube, feel special!

[@henrikcarlsen1881]

Can't help thinking what a lucky man he is. A wife who agrees that tuning and painting the car is a thing to do.

[@huntnut8635]

Your neighbor seems like a great old dude👍🏼

[@stevemontoya8]

Dude that is so cool, and your wife is gorgeous. Very very well done you're a great husband and a great man.

[@jabba974]

I was waiting for her to be in so much shock that she rolled her other ride into the Elco! lol. awesome job Fin!

[@jlgrrt1]

Wife finally gets some love big thumbs up.

[@Lachiejack99]

Mike Finegan wife’s 69 ElCamino feel like it just rolled off the production line brand-new

[@lesterscrugs2272]

Nothing against the other episodes of Finnegans Garage, but this one is THE BEST because of the meaning behind it. Bravo, Mike.

[@BlaineLudeman]

oh dude, you're gonna get some nookie for this action lol!

[@owen7441]

Hi mike im from ireland and i have a good time watching your show with my son UP THE IRISH-AMERICAN

[@tedbownas2748]

Awww, that was awesome! Thirteen is a "lucky" number after all. 🤣🤣 Well done! PS: Nice to see your wife in a video again- she's obviously a saint for putting up with you, plus she can rip through a stick shift! 😂😂

[@yourhandlehere1]

I have this buddy, He likes 13. Last spring he got a rustbucket (but complete) '65 Mustang for building a guy some new steps on his house. Bad shape, been sitting under a tree for 8-10 years. 13 weeks later, it won it's first show. ( we're roofers, we do all the car work "after hours" ) 13 weeks wasn't really a plan, it's just all the time we had left before a yearly show we go to. It's got a 13 ghosted on the rear panel between the tail lights. The car is charcoal gray and black. Turns out it's also his 13th car to build. Two of his kids were born on Friday the 13th too ( different years).

[@sadiqhameed3265]

What a good year you have new best time for balfhemi complete drag week restore your wife grandpa elcamino, wish you all the best Mike.

[@billjohnson8704]

What you have to do to get laid once your married

[@dixoncider7256]

you can say that again.

[@rhull3939]

Seriously.

[@veritablechris2541]

Don't get married.

[@ryanlukens9280]

That won’t even work in my house.. the struggle is real.

[@bobordewald1367]

i have found a smile and 'I love you' Works well for the 1st 20 years.

[@frankjames3027]

Nice job, Mike. Beautiful car and a true romantic.

[@jeremymatthews5169]

Man I was in tears by the end of this just watching her reaction and knowing the sentimental value it holds for her. It's a beautiful car and a beautiful moment for you guys. I wish you many more.

[@1967davethewave]

Man I wish my wife liked old cars. Being able to do what I love and make her happy at the same time, that's a win win!!! Now all you need is a bunch of leaf blowers in the back of it;)

[@darcymcintosh1372]

The car came out amazing, sounds so good. Well Done!

[@BiffTech05]

Damn that is mint, the body work and paint look flawless. If you ever put anything in that tray god will cry.

[@RedBandanaGarage]

Whoever downvoted, gtfo. Great vid mike. Glad she’s finally restored.

[@davidwindsor2866]

Way to go Finnegan. Looks good. Hope the wife is happy. She was fanging it. So i guess so. 😉😍👍👍 Happy anniversary.

[@FishFind3000]

23:45 I like the blank over the street sign.

[@Alejandro-vb2fx]

I've drove by his house before, visiting a good friend last year, it's one nice and sleepy neighborhood that's for sure lol I didn't realize it was his house and had completely forgotten he lived in that town until I saw the ramp truck in the driveway and I was like "no fucking way" lol.

[@T1000AX]

when ya can't figure out how to do blurs in videos lol

[@bryduhbikeguy]

I'm glad someone finally realized there was a big Green ladder setting there,that would give a clue..

[@ORflycaster]

Funny that a Mike would live in a quiet neighborhood considering his collection of horsepower. Maybe he hosts an apology BBQ every few months. :D

[@Djean70]

You sir, are the man. Ive wanted one of these for years. You lady are the luckiest.

[@swedauto1]

Did anyone else notice the ladder and rag covering the street sign across the street?

[@beefcakeandgravy]

Most likely to help prevent creepy motherfuckers from invading their privacy or stealing their shit. Mighty Car Mods ran into that problem and now film from a more secret location garage rather than their home for the exact same reason. Apparently the worst incident was when Moog was coming out of the shower nekkid and was confronted by a creepy fan *IN HIS BEDROOM!!!*

[@KarlEller]

@@beefcakeandgravy Yep, people on the internet can get fucking weird, you've gotta take steps to protect how much information you're putting out there.

[@matthewcoradeschi6625]

Smart man

[@LextechLighting]

I don't blame him as much as he travels. I live close enough to him that i know the neighborhood because i grew up in ATL about 5 miles from him, but i wouldn't invite the internet over if i can avoid it.

[@badad0166]

Time to upgrade the editing software. Even dirty filthy pornographers can blur shit...

[@wayneparris3439]

Congrats! There are a few women who are saints and you have one. I do too so I know how lucky we both are! NICE JOB!

[@fh8pu]

love roadkill but really enjoyed this show.

[@danielrichard4512]

Well done guy good job and good suprise for your wife, love it.

[@1970HondaCL100]

I love these type of videos. Great job!

[@MINIMOTOMADNESS]

what a machine,wish we had them in the uk,finnegan respect fella,

[@joshs6857]

Man thats a beutiful car good job Finnegan

[@tonymccomish1506]

Super cool in a thousand ways kudos Mr Finnegan!

[@BlakeMcBride]

Don't do the bar soap trick for the pilot bearing/bushing on an LS Mike, there is a plug in the back of the crankshaft and you'll just push that into the engine. You need an actual puller for it.

[@FinnegansGarage]

I did not know that. oops. lol

[@BlakeMcBride]

@@FinnegansGarage It's okay, we still love you.

[@yourhandlehere1]

Next question in my head would be...why is there a plug in a crankshaft? Maybe my school is too old but most crankshafts I've seen are solid metal. To the schematics!!

[@frankbradleyjr]

All ones I have ever seen were solid on the back.. Ive always pack it with grease and used a wooden dowl. Done that for almost 20 yrs and never pushed anything out of Crankshaft but the bearing

[@BlakeMcBride]

​@@frankbradleyjr Take a look: redshift.homestead.com/ScottClutch/Pilot_Bearing_Bore.jpg This is an OE LS crankshaft specific thing, possibly Gen III specific.

[@robertmartin4135]

For years I've been trying for the perfect gift for my wife and I never hit the mark. This, my friend, is perfect. I might as well stop trying. Congrats and happy anniversary!

[@burtronomaniac]

Dang that woman can sure handle a stick shift 😇

[@brianstewart3918]

Looks great , now your beautiful wife can get out their and show out in her beautiful El Camino . You have done a very nice thing for your wife. I hope she has been driving the tires off it.

[@ericsutton8270]

Hahahaha "she can Bang gears on our anniversary"

[@retsaoter]

Gears is Mike's nickname for little Mike.

[@ericsutton8270]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahah I'm dead!

[@joebuckler3935]

Who's Gears? My wife is always doing Dishes. Let me find em.

[@FinnegansGarage]

lol

[@mattevans7884]

This is winning at life.........and marriage! Top work, Sir. Top work

[@sergeantscumbag2116]

ill marry you for an LS swapped el camino lmfao

[@mrbigw100]

IM GONNA SCORE TONIGHT 😂😂Favourite episode to date

[@stevenduering3716]

Doesn't want people to know where he lives, parks a truck with Roadkill in the driveway

[@barryobler9491]

Yep, saw the ladder with the furniture blanket over the street sign! Truck is only a bit of a giveaway Mike!

[@fluffyfreak505]

Pretty sure his neighbors got his back, and are super suspect of any stranger

[@chrisclayton5349]

Lots of places like that here in GA easy to blend in when you live way out. Lol A lot of these roads here are like corn mazes.

[@POTCsIronMan]

ikr , If you really don't want ppl to know exactly where you live . Take into consideration that there may be fans that could live in your area. For Starts Freiburger . Films several times at his house . Shows all his Cars . Films RK in his Town. Which for someone who lives in said town. after watching the eps a few hundred times over since they're all too good. you tend to notice things than at some point you end up driving past his house while ur on ur way to get Chili Dogs for dinner XD

[@BustedClassicGarage]

@@chrisclayton5349 I know exactly what you're talking about. Here in Illinois if you take a left you're going to continue going that direction for quite some time, in Georgia if you take a left trying to get to the Atlantic you'll end up in Alabama... lol

[@banshee01ful]

Still my favorite video on your channel Mike . That's my favourite Elcamino on the planet. You did it for your Mrs.Amazing

[@richdiscoveries]

Great job buddy, both on the car and the way you did it. Now all I have to do is keep my wife from seeing this video because this will out do anything I could possibly do for our anniversary. LOL just kidding happy anniversary buddy God bless

[@scottdasher8541]

Great video, especially when Mrs. F is banging gears with a smile on her face. Happy wife, happy life! And I'm sure the answer to your question about what happens later that night was a resounding yes. Well done Finn!

[@OHJUSTFORKU]

NEVER use the grease and dowel method on ANY LS crank the cranks are center drilled and full of oil with A plug in the end...And you WILL drive the oil plug IN before you drive the pilot bearing out...

[@reelslotmafia3000]

DUDE that was awesome !!! She was blown away, and you are a great guy , keep up with all the great videos projects and fun you put out for us , THANK YOU ! maybe one day i can get a project going again , hope before i end up having to do a wheelchair or something , with a sm blk chevy .

[@nodamnametouse]

So I should keep a look out for flying pigs if fin is actually going to paint it this probably one of my favorite cars in the Chanel and in roadkill

[@sgt420sx]

i saw this car out on 41,cool to know these cool people live near by

[@Bagom80]

No AC in ATL? If you did that you would get triple points.

[@scottgshomewrenching1352]

Next years Anniversary.

[@btoleu]

That was some funny stuff Mike and very touching,good job happy wife happy life.

[@williamrobinson5851]

Love the car looks awesome just can't stand that Gowdy GPS Speedo gauge sitting on the steering column you need to make her a new Dash and Incorporated

[@SpookyMietz]

Plus the Speedo wasn't even working when she drove it. Spees was zero. :D

[@JC-11111]

Pretty sure that's a Recepak digital dash, not a gowdy GPS speedo?

[@williamrobinson5851]

@@JC-11111 either way it's still needs to be incorporated into the dash and off the steering column I think it would look better

[@juliuskwak1263]

If he went with a near-original dash, it'd be a lot harder to accurately read gauge details. They're designed different. More like what we today call "fancy" because they were works of art. The digital dash is for the sake of efficiency. You need your numbers and you need them pronto! And the digital dash is less likely/prone to failure in falling out of tune while also being moddable to hook up with various race pack systems should he decide to change the currently implemented one. The only downside to the digital dash is that if that car gets hit by lightning, the dash could be unsalvageable. As in fried, toast, finished. But that would have to happen while the car is turned on and the dash is drawing power to operate.

[@justicefireeatingdiscopand6989]

So a resto mod

[@o2boutdoors]

She's a keeper! Great seeing how emotional/appreciative she was upon seeing the restored car as she drove into the driveway.