(Words and photos by Doug Gregory) – Let me start with I didn’t not shoot more Chevy than everything else in this category. There simply was MORE Chevy stuff than anything else. When you get to looking at the gallery don’t think I have 4 pictures of the same red ’66 SS396 Chevelle because these are actually three different cars. At least one is a true 138 car and at least one isn’t. I never saw the hood up on the third so I can’t be sure, but it looked legit. An awesome Plymouth Scamp caught my attention. I’m a big fan of Darts (my closet Mopar side coming out) and the Scamp is a lesser-known cousin. This thing had all the goodies with MSD fuel-injection and a Gear-Vendors unit. It has stance, color, detail and technology. Sweetness.

Now I hate to let you know this, but one of my children has strayed. I’ve tried to raise him right, but he has defied all logic and has eyes for a particular model of a manufacturer I do not possess. My 8yr-old loves Fairlanes and, more specifically, Thunderbolts. It was fortuitous that a white Fairlane 500 showed up allowing me to take his picture beside it while adorned with his new Fairlane t-shirt. I’d get him therapy if I didn’t like these cars too. Perhaps I dropped him on his head one too many times. Where ever I went wrong it seems the condition might be permanent meaning one day I will have to re-learn wrenching on a Henry. Good thing I have a friend with a Mustang because that will supply ample opportunity to practice.

We also had the occasion to see a recently-restored, ONE-OWNER ’69 Camaro. The owner spoke with us and we even managed to buy off him the HotRod magazines that haven’t been delivered these past few months. Most of us have had cars we wish that we’d never sold. Here is one that didn’t get away which is pretty rare.

I’ve had more than a handful of stories since I last brought up the popular ‘put a LS in everything’ lemming mantra. Its not that I haven’t had opportunity – I was letting you all rest from it for a while. Again, they are great motors and with the proper detailing, Holley coil covers (or relocated coils), and/or some hiding/routing of wires, cables, and stuff they can look good. Using an engine cover doesn’t cut it unless it’s a lead sled. I am a GM guy, but the LS is one of the ugliest enginesever made (the new LT1 is up there too). Please, swap them into your rides, make all kinds of power, and get good gas mileage, but then leave the hood closed. Remember factory engine compartments of the ‘80s.? That’s how an un-properly dressed LS looks. Function over form – yes. More reason to leave the hood down and let the performance speak for itself. Now I’ll switch my rant-mode off for a while.

Some other highlights of this gallery are –

Red Monte Carlo sporting a thumpin’ big-block and AC.

Blue 440 GTX which needs no further description.

A beached, orange whale also known as a Plymouth Sport Fury.

Black 390-powered Mercury Cougar.