APRIL 1, 2009: My Star – 1972 Chevelle

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Gary Davis always liked the look of the early 70s Chevelle.

‘Maybe it was the classic lines that were burned into his memory banks. Maybe it was the giant motors that the factory stuffed into them.’

Either way the cars trapped Gary during his formative kid-hood years.

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Gary finally found one of these mid-sized Chevys in 1992. It was a one-owner car with a tragic history. The original owner was a kid who bought the Chevelle when it was brand new in 1972.

Fast forward 10 years to 1982 and he still owned the car plus he had a great game plan for the next stage of the car’s life.

Unfortunately he didn’t live long enough to see the automotive dreams happen because he passed away in 1982. Fast-forward another 10 years to 1992 and Gary entered the picture. He found the car in an ad-the old fashioned print kind and met the family of the late owner.

They had specific conditions that the new owner had to meet. Their son had specifically asked that the car be sold to a good guy-not some slash and burn idiot bent on thrashing the family legacy.

Gary passed the entrance exam/character test with flying colors but it was the first time he’d ever had to qualify in an interview for the privilege of purchasing a car.The car went to the right guy.

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Gary did a minor transplant-the small Chevy original equipment heart was replaced with a giant 572 cubic inch big heart.But the car looks exactly like it did back in 72-the family insisted that it never be painted another color and Gary stuck to the deal.

The finest tribute to Gary as a current owner came from the brother of the late owner in the summer of 2007.

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He choked up immediately and told Gary that the car was exactly what his brother would have done. This is 25 years later and the car had that kind of impact on him. The original owner’s father reacted the same way…

Simple conclusion-the car is in the right hands.

Jerry Sutherland

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