Like Father, Like Son: The Story of my 1970 Dodge Dart

In the days and months since my father passed away, you've all made me feel welcome and have provided knowledge I'm sure I couldn't find anywhere but here.

For that, Thank You.

My Dad's nickname was Burt (like Burt and Ernie) because of his temper. He even had a Burt doll that he put in the window of one of his cars. I didn't get to spend much time with him throughout his life, but I remember (and give him credit for) how he'd muffle his swearing around me, pretend there wasn't Jack Daniels mixed into his drinks, the smell of exhaust and sounds of roaring engines, and trips to the drag strip.

After my parents split, I'd go work for him each summer in Ohio. He was a career Iron Worker who always had a side business of putting up fence. That's what I'd do when I'd go visit him, and every now and again, catch the Mopar Nationals. If there's anything I took away from his death, it's finality. I now know that nothing can ever change. The good will stay good, and the bad will stay bad. The past is written in stone and the only direction that matters is forward.

My father gave me his name, work ethic, and love for cars. I hope to carry on the good times we shared and hopefully create some new ones for my kids. He left behind a few torn apart A Bodies and a pile of parts he was planning to put towards getting another drag racer built. I inherited these items which have awoken the love for Mopars I once had. I have been selling off the drag racing components so that I can build the 1970 Dodge Dart he left behind.

This thread will memorialize the struggles of our past and the triumphs of our future. As long I'm alive his memory will live on.

I only wish we could have done it together.