That 1st day a boy falls in love with a car...

**esqeddy** · 04-09-2014

For me, it was in 1974 when I saw the movie Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. The Trans An scene:

That scene changed my life forever. I've loved muscle cars ever since. And since I was 17 I've always had a performance car to one degree or another up and unto this very day.

My youngest son is 13. He's always seen me with performance cars. He went with me to the salt flats when he was almost 6 and was there with me when I set my first land speed record. And he has seen many nice cars before and since. And in this time he has been totally indifferent to my cars and my passion for them. But something has changed.

Two weeks ago my dream car arrived. A Black 2008 Dodge Viper Coup with Silver stripes. Only 11 of these of 1500 Vipers made that year.

Leading up to my purchase, he has seen me endlessly searching the web, looking at cars, making phone calls. And again, taking no interest.

Then she arrived.... More importantly, I gave him a ride.

Yesterday evening, just as I was getting in bed, my son came and insisted I go with him. He had a surprise for me.

To the garage we went where he proudly showed me that he had waxed and polished the Viper.

I was taken aback.

Had he done this to win my favor? Was he about to ask for a new video game? Or was he about to announce some trouble he had gotten into and he was trying to soften the inevitable impact of an upset parent? As I finished a slow appreciative walk around the car, having such thoughts, I finally looked up into his eyes and instantly found my answer:

He loved this car.

God bless his soul.

**C.J** · 04-10-2014

Sounds like your son has a good heart. And lucky enough to have a good father. With a Viper.

**MI Viper** · 04-10-2014

wow,
What a great story, you should be very proud of your son, and job you have done raising him

**FrgMstr** · 04-10-2014

When I got the Gen IV I was showing it to my then 11 year old son in the garage and his first question was, "Can I seen the motor?" I knew that day he was not gay. LMAO.

**Boba Fett** · 04-10-2014

Great Read and well done with your son!!

**esqeddy** · 04-14-2014

Went to Road Atlanta with my son, we drove the Viper up and met Jack North and many other wonderful members of the Georgia Club. My son rode with me for the first set of parade laps. Then he asked me if he could ride up front in the pace car, another very nice Viper. Boy did he get a thrill out of that. Not to mention seeing all the other great cars and the race cars. We left in the early afternoon and went back to our hotel in Tucker, near Stone Mountain, got a nap at the hotel and as we were about to head out for dinner, someone told us we should go over to the car show. He said it was right there in Tucker and everyone was welcome. My son immediately grabbed a rag and said let's shine her up first! So he took one side and I the other. We got there late, but turned every head as we rolled in looking like black and chrome sex!
We parked the car and I was ready to go see all the other great cars. Not my son, he shinned on her and kept her company showing her off to everyone he could. Yep, he loved this car. I finally drug him away to see the other cars, showing and explaining to him what a rumble seat was, among many other cool car features I'm sure he'd never even heard of before.

It was a great day.... a great car day for a father and son!

**GuitarSteve2112** · 04-14-2014

The first time I fell in love with a car, it was at the Toronto Auto Show back in '92. I was 6 years old. It was what appeared to look really big to a child, red sports car on a rotating platform. It had 10 cylinders, and just the overall look of the car with its beautiful curves caught me. It was a '92 Viper RT/10.

Congrats on your Viper. Use it well. Just be careful when your son turns 16....