It seemed like we were all in a good place for it. I had owned 2 or 3 Mustang GT verts but had not actually drag raced since the late '60s. Over 30 years away from the track.
It was the car. Ford just got it right. Delivered a toy that would let us go ape crap with the pulley, cold air intake, gears and tires and then no competition except folks in other terminators or all out race cars. What a great time, meeting a bunch of good guys and we all had very little in common except being straight-shooters (except for Tetge and me being in some sort of same age, freakish mirror-world, 2 folks who could not be more different, but bought same motorcycles starting in the 1960's thing with far too many life coincidences for comfort ) And this all happened at an otherwise very difficult time in my life and was a great distraction.
jhwalker wrote:........(except for Tetge and me being in some sort of same age, freakish mirror-world, 2 folks who could not be more different, but bought same motorcycles starting in the 1960's thing with far too many life coincidences for comfort )..........................
I shall have to take comfort in the "who could not be more different" part of your statement, although the sum of the similarities still remains inexplicable.
jhwalker wrote:........(except for Tetge and me being in some sort of same age, freakish mirror-world, 2 folks who could not be more different, but bought same motorcycles starting in the 1960's thing with far too many life coincidences for comfort )..........................
I shall have to take comfort in the "who could not be more different" part of your statement, although the sum of the similarities still remains inexplicable.
although the sum of the similarities still remains inexplicable ( and frightening) !!
jhwalker wrote:........(except for Tetge and me being in some sort of same age, freakish mirror-world, 2 folks who could not be more different, but bought same motorcycles starting in the 1960's thing with far too many life coincidences for comfort )..........................
I shall have to take comfort in the "who could not be more different" part of your statement, although the sum of the similarities still remains inexplicable.
although the sum of the similarities still remains inexplicable ( and frightening) !!
want to do some DNA testing ???
No, it is all coincidental. A matter of gear heads, born at about the same time, taking similar paths based upon the currently available opportunities open to them based upon that time in their lives and their personal situations at that point, including finances. Obviously, Mustangs were one of the logical choices when it came to bang for the buck, if a person happened to be a Ford fan boy. And, there was a time when Ducati singles were affordable. Hell, I even had a Bultaco. Of course, I did have a new BMW automobile after I was married, but, I generally do not advertise that fact since I was not all that impressed and I returned to Mustangs, as I always did. And, as the years went by, I could have abandoned the lowly Mustangs, as my financial situation improved, but, it was not about the money by then. Finally, my loyalty was rewarded when the Terminator was released for sale in 2002....
Well, I must be the much delayed "mistake" of the family that they decided to keep around. I know certain "profiles" and parallels exist for those who have the same interests, I too find it is very odd and a bit disturbing when Tetge and I have sat down and randomly mentioned past vehicles, experiences, thoughts on certain things, etc. and our paths could not be any further apart. Then add in about a 20 year delay before I showed up, going through the same personal development, speaking in terms of mechanical conveyances or experiences behind the wheel.
How we have all come together I suppose is just a testament to the power of the internet and modern "social networking" though our introductions were quite crude by those standards, the result of face to face introductions, random run in's at tracks, etc as opposed to the now nearly fully automated 'suggested people , places and things' or "Pairings" which are the result of modern, match maker type advertising and social grouping or tracking programs.
But the collision of lives, resulting in Five or Ten very tight relationships, and perhaps Twenty associates that may be lesser involved, but similarly minded or at least interested enough to stick around is amazing. Perhaps it is just numbers. Out of the pool of Millions in LA County alone, clearly even with astronomical figures, there will always be a nucleus of Twenty or so that will clump together. The fact that we found each other and maintained those ties is what is most amazing. And, I suppose, if we all owe anything to Richard, it is that. SoCalTerminators provided the right format, at the right place at the right time for many of us, who come from such varied, differing ages, locations and social and financial classes that it just had to be magic.
The fact that this "family" formed, tolerated and continues to exist is beyond explanation. Good, bad or indifferent, we all bring something to the table.
We've all been through a lot in the last ten or so years. Collectively, Individually and across all boundaries we all have had some incredible experiences.
Wow that's pretty deep jay I although I did not meet most of you till just a few years ago it was great meeting everyone that I have. I felt welcomed by everyone it's funny to think of the first time I met most of you at the cantina and I was driving and thinking to myself wow im am driving to a place I never been to meet people I never met they could all be 12yr olds or raging murders this is crazy. But I still decided to show up and those are probably some of my most fondest memories just a group of guy that know about cars enjoy cars and have a good time and everyone was so welcoming to the group mainly due to jay pat kept calling me a Mexican. To me there is nothing better then going to the track bust tetges balls and just racing. It beats all the women ihave slept with haha
) And this all happened at an otherwise very difficult time in my life and was a great distraction. 
