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Please introduce yourself to the readers of Stock & Custom magazine.

My name is Richard. I am an electrician by trade. I had a career change within the last three years. Now, I am a high school teacher. I teach occupational education to children in special education classes. I am trying to prepare them for the real world. When they leave me, hopefully they can get a job as a plumber’s helper, electrician’s helper, carpen-ter’s helper, or a custodial job.

What was your first car?

My first car was a ’62 Buick Skylark. I bought it in 1970. I was sixteen at the time. It had a 3-speed on the column. My father made it a 3-speed on the floor. I had a lot of fun with that car.

How did you develop a passion for cars?

I have always been interested in cars. My father had a big influence on me. He was a mechanic for General Motors. In his house you could not own anything but a GM car.

I grew up in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. I have owned a number of cars from that era. I like the body styles and the simplicity of cars from the ‘60s and ‘70s. They are also easy to work on.

How many cars have you owned?

I would say that I’ve owned over thirty cars.

How did you come to own the car you have now?

I am good friends with a gentleman named James Brazee. He took over the family business from his father, Bob Brazee, who bought and sold classic vehicles. Bob had quite a reputation for buying good vehicles and standing behind them. His son developed the same reputation.

I was looking to buy a mid-year Corvette. I want-ed to drive it for a while and then sell it for a profit. James called me and said that he had a good buy on a 4-speed ’65 Corvette convertible with a rebuilt engine. I went over to James’ place of business to take a look at the Corvette. I took my friend George with me. Un-fortunately, it was green with a saddle colored interior. I hate green cars. But, the car was in fairly good shape. I asked George what he thought. He said, ‘Paint it, drive it, and then sell it for a profit.” So, I bought it and put it in

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my two-car detached garage.

I decided to have the car repainted immediately. So, I took the bumpers and all of the chrome off of the car. Then I took the car to George who took it up to Connecticut to have it blasted. A few days later, when George and I went to pick up the car, the blaster said it was the nicest vehicle body-wise that he had ever seen. The body was absolutely perfect.

Since it is a matching number, small block engine car, George suggested that I completely restore it. I agreed. George took the car to his garage and took it completely apart. The transmission and rear end were sent out to be rebuilt. The radio was sent out for repair. All of the gauges in the dashboard were sent out for recalibration.

Time passed and the next thing that I know, I had a beautiful ’65 Chevrolet Corvette that had been completely restored by George. George did a good job spending my money, but everything that he told me to spend my money on was money well spent. The Corvette starts right up and it runs great. Unfortunately, I am guilty of not driving the car that much. There are only 66 miles on it.

The only thing that is not original on the car is the color of the interior and exterior of the car. I just could not live with a green car. I think that the Nassau Blue exterior with the white leather interior is a real eye catcher.

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What are the specs on the Corvette?

It has a Corvette 327 engine that is hooked up to a 4-speed transmission. It has four-wheel power disc brakes. It also has power windows. It does not have air conditioning. This car was not ordered with power steering. I had George add the factory power steering.

How did you meet George?

In 1979, I was the maintenance electrician at General Motors. George was a spot weld-er working on the assembly line. We became good friends. In 1984, I left General Motors

and started my own business. I lost contact with George for ten years. In 1994, I saw him at the car show in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The rest is history. We’ve been buddies ever since then.

You mentioned that you do not drive the car that often. How do you store it?

I keep it in a garage that is located under my house. It is in a temperature controlled clear plastic bubble. My friends think that I am crazy.

How do people react to the car?

People look at the exterior of the car, the interior of the car, and the en-gine compartment, and are really impressed with it. They think the car is really beautiful.

What do you think that a car tells you about its owner?

I think a vehicle reflects the era that the owner grew up in. A muscle car guy has the personality of a brawny type that would want horsepower underneath him. Then there are guys like myself who like muscle cars,

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but I like nice cruising vehicles. I like to put the top down and just cruise the boulevard. I like to have people admire my vehicle.

Some people believe that cars are simply meant to get you from one point to another. How do you feel about that?

I took my wife down to the car show at Carlisle. After the show, she said to me that she had no idea that there were so many people interested in cars. Cars are a form of self expression. And, cars are an excellent way to invest some money. The prices of classic cars continue to go up. Or, they at least hold their value. I am proud of my car. For people that think of cars as a means of transportation, that is fine.

How are gas prices impacting you as an automobile enthusiast?

There is absolutely no impact to me as a car collector. I have owned the ’65 Corvette for two years and I have put 66 miles on it. Car collectors do not drive their car often enough for them to be impacted by high gas prices. Collector cars are not driven in the rain. They are driven to cruise nights and car shows. We aren’t putting a lot of miles on these cars. We simply display them and try to relive our youth.

Do you own any other vehicles?

I recently purchased a Hummer H3. I put 20-inch wheels on it. I absolutely love it.

If you could own three cars, what would they be?

The first would be a big-block ’67 Chevrolet Corvette. I’d love to own a big-block ’70 Chevelle LS5. I think that I would love to own the original ’64 GTO.

Do you have any parting comments?

I’d like to thank George. He has been a good friend. He was very honest with me and gave me some great advice during the restoration of the ’65 Corvette. The fee that he charged me was reasonable and the quality of his work speaks for itself. I’d like to mention Bobby Brazee, may his soul rest in peace. I lost a very dear friend. I miss him dearly.

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