Sunnybuckdrew

CF

My Dad first got into cars (seriously) when I was about 9 or 10 years old. I remember helping him run brake lines on a 55 Chev BelAir 2door post. My parents were separated so I only got to see him(lived with mom) every other weekend as a kid. He had been a massive alcoholic until I was about 6, when he quit for good.

He bought me a 95 caprice 9c1 (police car) when I turned 16. I had to cut out the plastic backseat and shield bw the front and back seats with a saw. The car was blue/white for the first year I had it. It eventually was painted black with black police wheels & is an all time regret of mine selling it for a dadgum s10 blazer (for "muddin")

As I got older, I found my way into alcohol & drugs, despite my Dads best efforts to warn me away from them by sharing his experiences with me. I was too naive to listen and found myself in legal trouble as well as addictions to narcotics. After high school and 2 yrs of college(partying) I moved home and got a full time job. (drugs are expensive!) During this time I all but disowned my Dad because I knew that he knew I had major problems. Almost 2 whole years went by without me talking to him, and I even skipped his wedding to my current stepmother(in freaking Costa Rica, boy was I stupid)

My Dad got very sick in August of 2011 and I only got to see him three times in the hospital before he died, one of which he was in a coma so there was no back & forth communication.

Exactly 6 months after he passed, I gave up all the drugs and drinking I was doing. After 1 &1/2 years of sobriety my stepmother allowed my to come live in my dad's old house with all his cars. It's a "man cave" thru&thru, with an apartment and garage connected in the middle. He left behind a '48 coupe, '55 BelAir, '66 & '95 ImpSS, '63 SWC stingray, and a pair of C5s. It is a full time job keeping all of them up and running & there are still a few more "project" cars he never got finished rebuilding.

I'm almost 26 yrs old now & clipping along in college(Deans List baby!!) and working still. My stepmom still helps with all the car insurance, as I can't afford it alone. So when questioning how a "young" person got a nice car, it's not always bc they are spoiled.

All of this being said, I would trade every car in the garage for those last two years I ignored all my Dads reaching out to help me or even for just ten more minutes with him.

If you still have your father, don't take him for granted. Answer his calls, hang out with him, take him out in your Vette and just ride for a while! One day he will be gone & from experience I can say, it's hard living with the regrets for things I didn't/wouldn't do with him. Tell your pops you love him, if not for you, for me!
-atw.

MotoJB

Wow man, touching story and thanks for sharing. I totally agree. Missed many years with my Dad and we're now finally close. Life is too short to waste the precious moments that matter. Good luck in school and I hope you get some of those cars to add to your future garage!

Chilliwack vettes

My Dad passed when I was 26. I will always wish to have spent more time him.

blacksedan87

It's a hard lesson to learn - but for so many, you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone.

I lost my father - I was 13, he was 39 - 47 years ago. There is never a day that goes by that I don't think about him. There is never a day that I don't think about the idea of what I would willingly sacrifice to have just another day with him. He never met my wife, his granddaughter and now his great grandson.

If you are lucky enough to still have the single most important man in your life - give him a hug and tell him how much you love him.

bjones7131

Had my dad until he was 90 and i was 58 when he passed 6 yrs ago. We had a pretty good relationship but could have been better. If you still have your dad or mom, love on them all u can. Bible says to" honor your father and mother". God Bless

mojo1

thanks for sharing. My dad is 83 and I see him as much as I can. He is my Hero.

jcsperson

I know that exact feeling. My dad died at 37 when I was 11. He was around long enough to teach me about setting goals. I know a good bit of what I've done and where I've been in life are because he had high expectations for me.

andrec10

I skied with my dad till he was 80. Died at 81 from Cancer. I was 44. At least he got to ski with his grandson till he was 17! That was 2009. Really miss him in the winter and with car stuff.

Vetteman Jack

I lost my dad when he was only 57 - I was 33 at the time. Came as a complete shock and I still wonder how life would have been if he had lived a lot longer.

mstromquist

Sorry you had to live through this. I still have my dad and he just turned 80. I moved away from home and l live 1300+ miles way. I try to get back home a couple times a year but always wish it were more or that I lived a lot closer to him so I could spend more time with him. He taught me everything I know about cars. Maybe your story will be an inspiration for others.

jrose7004

You never know what you have until it's gone. It's good that you've figured that out sooner rather than later.

rob-cyn

I lost my dad when I was 21. He was 56 and I still miss him to this day. I remember when I came home with a best up 67 camaro that I bought to restore. He was so pissed at me that he made me hide it behind the fence. Lol all that changed when his work buddy stopped by and told him what a cool car it was. He got to see it after I got it painted.
I do miss the fact that we never had much if an adult relationship and I envy those that still have their dads I their lives. Don't take it for granted. Life changes in an instant.

Mike98SilVert

Touching story, sorry about your Dad. I lost my Dad when I was 37. That was 18 years ago, he was 70. I still think of him every day and often think about the time I missed spending with him for one reason or another. You know, life happens and it's easy to put things off. Busy with work and the kids etc. The more excuses you make, the easier it becomes. I thank my Dad for my strong work ethic, morals and values and for my interest in cars. He knew how much I loved Corvettes and co-signed the loan on my first Corvette when I was 18.

Sometimes family members will drift apart and stop communicating. Time passes quickly and before you know it too much time has gone by. You can't get that time back but you can move forward. There is no point in dwelling on and beating yourself up over things that you cannot change. You got your life back on track and he would be proud. It was not intentional, it's part of life.

Remember all the good stuff and the times you spent with your dad and most importantly enjoy his legacy. Your step-mom sounds like an awesome lady who must have loved your father greatly. Congrats on the Dean's list and keep up the great work!

CactusCat

Sunnybuckdrew, that's a very good story young man. You can't bring him back and believe me, we all have regrets so don't worry about that. Live for the future and honor your Dad by being the man he wanted you to be. And when the time comes, tell this story to your kids. I'm pretty lucky. Had a great Dad and he's still with me today at 82.

Time is short for all of us. Just the other day, I was 26, now those numbers are reversed at 62. There aren't any guarantees but if this helps, remember that in the future you will get to see him again and you can tell him thanks then.

Marine One

My Dad died a couple of years ago. He was over 80. Unfortunately he had suffered a stroke in 2008 and ended up with near end state dementia as a result. The hardest thing I've ever witnessed was watching this guy who was literally a brilliant man (finished 5th in his high school class, graduated from the US Naval Academy, USAF pilot and selected for the manned space program in 1958) slowly waste away and die over a two year period. It was brutal and he deserved better.
He never got a ride in the Vette. When I eulogized him at his funeral at Arlington, I mentioned that one of the gifts he gave me was his love of cars, and that he taught me from an early age how to work on them. Like many here have said, not a day goes by that I don't think about him.
Couple of pics. One of him in Vietnam, in front of his beloved H-34. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross three times for his service there. Second one is of him commissioning me as an officer of Marines many moons ago. He was always much prouder of my achievements than I ever was. I guess that was cuz he was a Dad.

MotoJB

Awesome....

OUFAN76

Well said, CactusCat. I was thinking along the same lines when I read Sunnybuckdrew's story.
If I could add just a thought, all you dads out there owe it to your children to take good care of your health, so you'll be here for them as long as you can. Too many kids out there don't have a dad for an example so they can learn to be a good man. And remember, the best thing you can do for your kids, Love their Mom.
Sorry if I went off in a weird direction, The young man's story touched my heart.
Now, enough of that mushey stuff! TAKE CARE OF THOSE 'VETTES, SON.

Cathole

Amen. I just lost my dad at 26. I was always around my dad we both ran team together as over the road truck drivers. I really love my dad the hardest thing I am dealing with right now is I had to do CPR on my father I tried to save him, god I wish I could have saved him. I will always miss him. I really wish I told him more I loved him and hugged him more. I really wish he was here with me.

DevilDog II

My dad passed away nearly 4 years ago at the age of 92. He has, and always will be, my hero. He and my mom lived in Colorado, and he and I talked once or twice a day by phone. I last saw him about 4 months before he passed away and I knew it would be the last time I saw him alive. I gave him a big hug and told him I loved him.

I talked to him on the phone about an hour before he passed away, which was 42-years to the day that I was wounded in Vietnam. We talked over each other at the end of our last conversation and I asked him if he heard what I said. He said, No. and I repeated that I loved him. About an hour later I received a phone call from my sister saying he had passed away.

As a side note, 34's were all that we flew on in Vietnam.

bjones7131

Thank you men and your dad's for your service to our great nation. God Bless and RIP