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I think the advantage for an elderly driver is, "no third pedal to have-to depress." It's definitely easier to-drive, probably faster on acceleration, and you don't have-to deal with clutch repairs. The 4L80 can be built above any standard needed in a street big-block, and while driving a stick is fun (we own a 6-speed S2000) the ease of use for an automatic transmission makes it a practical choice.
 
Sean, about the only thing I can think of that I would prefer on an SS427 Impala would be an M22 rock crusher instead of the 4L80.

I have done a lot of Chevrolet restorations over the years. I haven’t done one since the ex-wife and I split. She got my ‘70 SS454 Chevelle and it took the wind right out of my sails on cars. I’m still stewing on that one 16 years later.

I’ve decided to console myself playing with motorcycles instead.

Yea, that would be rough. I was able to keep most of my car/bike "stuff" in my divorce but of course lost other stuff financially (or should we say we divided it up lol). Dad always wanted a 4 speed version but these aren't exactly easy to come by and with his age advancing the auto will let him drive it for more years.
 
Why am I thinking that thin silver pin striping around the blue on the hood would look slick?
Actually some striping in a lot of places would be cool and is in the future plans. I only let one friend touch my vehicles with pin striping. He is good and I will let him pick the colors and go ! He knows what I like and nails it every time. This is the fender and trunk on my old 88 Goldwing
 

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That friend does great work! Pinstriping is an art form and it has been used I believe the entire history of the automobile. Duesenbergs had pin-striping. The growth of hot rodding after WW II saw it regain in popularity because it distinguished one car from another, of the same model.

Probably one of the most-famous pinstripers was Kenny Howard, who was also a gunsmith. The famous motorcyclist racer, stuntman, and businessman Bud Ekins, (he did the barbed-wire jump in The Great Escape, in-place of Steve McQueen; and he won the race at Catalina Island, California, among many others, BSA released a Gold Star 500cc model named the Catalina Scrambler, however, Ekins rode a Triumph 500 to his victory) who owned a shop in L.A. allowed Kenny Howard to live on the property, and to work for him. Unfortunately, Howard was an alcoholic, and had 'problems with authority,' meaning, anyone who didn't agree with him. Ekins said, "Kenny was an erratic worker, he did great work when things were OK, but when he was not capable of working, it was bad. I fired him multiple times, and then hired him back." You may be familiar with Kenny Howard's work, here's one of his iconic characters.
Flying eyeball.png

Kenny Howard was Von Dutch.

His work was such that you didn't tell him what to-do, you told him what you could afford, and dropped-off whatever was being pinstriped. When you picked it up, that was what you got. A helmet, a car, a motorcycle, he did what he thought was good for that item on that day.

A story: A guy brought his Ford in to get some pinstriping, and what his budget was. Kenny Howard told him, "come-back in a week."

A week later, he returned, and paid. He couldn't find the pinstriping. He looked all-over the exterior: nothing! He got behind the wheel, and as he was looking at the dashboard, he saw a single musical note below the radio, above the ashtray. On impulse, he opened the ashtray, and there was his work. Von Dutch painted a symphony orchestra in his ashtray!

Kenny Howard's work greatly-influenced popular culture. His character (below) was adopted by poster artists like Rick Griffin, who made dozens of famous rock concert posters starting back in the 1960's, for Bill Graham's Fillmore West concert hall in San Francisco, and for other promoters and locations. Here's a poster I bought at Bill Graham's Factory Outlet in San Francisco, over 40 years ago, worth probably $1,000 today.

Flying eyeball.pngRick Griffin Fillmore-Hendrix.png
 
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So what does everyone have going on for winter projects ? My Luv truck is the biggest one. I got tired of looking at it not painted and dove In head first. After that is done I am going to drive it for a month or so and then yank the engine back out and change the cam and pistons. I have plenty of other projects to but this is the biggest one.
I feel your pain , I got to get this car done
 

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I feel your pain
 

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Fire-Medic My Pinstriping friend has traveled all over the nation doing shows. He was rated in the top 10 when he was traveling . I love watching him work it is amazing watching him duplicate the designs from side to side .
 
Fire-Medic My Pinstriping friend has traveled all over the nation doing shows. He was rated in the top 10 when he was traveling . I love watching him work it is amazing watching him duplicate the designs from side to side .
When I was a kid my dad dabbled in hotrods. I remember this body shop he used to go to and the man there would use this very small brush with very long "hair" on it to do pinstripes. He painted them on.

I didn't know at the time but their was an illegal gambling place in the back. My dad would leave me there to watch him and go lose playing cards all day. I didn't mind. I loved watching that guy work. I always wished I had talent like that.
 
FM, Thanks for the discussion on Von Dutch. Been a huge fan since I was a wee lad. I can recall doodling while at school trying to duplicate his stuff. Of course I never did, but I recall it vividly.

And I was trying to imagine going to a Hendrix/Mayall concert. Sort of a Yin Yang effect I guess.

Don’t get me going on Music. Huge audiophile here. Both in the artistry and its reproduction. Maybe we should start a thread “What are you listening to? “
 
“What are you listening to? “ would quickly cover a lot of territory. On other sites, it's everything from musicians discussing equipment, to gigs, concerts attended, scrapes trying to sneak-in concerts, LP records, what equipment you use or had, and of-course, the venues and the performers.
 
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