Leona came into my life September 10, 2009. The car was originally bought to be a winter beater. She looked like this when I first got her.
The whole "winter beater" thing didnt exactly last. The car looked like this after 2 days of ownership.
Then after 8 days of ownership, this...
In December of that year, I decided to get the Quarter panel "fixed". She never really recovered from this. The quarter panel needed to get replaced.
That winter, I started collecting parts.
In April 2010, I started installing stuff.
Went from this
To this...
Put on a new rear bumper.
Then I did this.
After getting the quarter fixed the second time, this time shaving the antenna.
Over the winter of 2010/2011. I decided to go balls to the wall. Completely shaved and tucked engine bay, polished supercharged engine and a new look on the outside.
I had to start by gutting it.
These rims lasted 2 weeks, I actually regret getting rid of them
After I was done all the welding, I took it to Wayders, and got this back. Saying I was pleased was an understatement.
2 weeks later, Rob Weatherall and I attacked the car and in one weekend, got it to the point of running, that included re-assembling everything from the engine bay, fuel/brake lines, fuel tank, suspension, completely custom engine, interior and sub harness.
The engine was masterfully polished by Chris Gill.
We got it all assembled and running. Then over the next few weeks, started making it look like a car again. Again, another set of rims.
I didnt drive the car at all in 2011. That winter, I parked the car at my uncles condo. on March 14 2012, I got the call that no car owner wants to get. My car got broken into.
This is what I found.
I already had a few things that I wanted to change, so I just got off to an early start.
Prototype Weatheralls Automotive manual steering rack.
We got it all buttoned up and I started driving it April 15th.
I was very happy with how it turned out.
Ofcourse, another set of new rims. lol
Jeff, Alex and I headed out to the JBOM BBQ on the weekend of May 24th, cruised around like this all weekend.
And came back with a new hood.
June 24th, the beginning of the end for the car. I was being a Putz and did this.
I THOUGHT I got away with being able to reseal the tire and an alignment. I was wrong.
A couple weeks later, the manual steering rack snapped, a short while after that, the left front wheel bearing sheered in half, damaging the Wilwood Rotor and caliper. I had the rotor machined and was able to repair the caliper, but that was enough for me. I bought a new car and let this one sit outside my parents place under a tree.
What most people dont know is that 1cleancav and I worked out a deal for his turbo system. I put the supercharger up for sale and was going to come out next season, Turbocharged, even more tucked and use it as a weekend toy.
I went to the JCO bash and took home this.
My day was ruined however when we took the car off the trailer. The belt somehow got on the inside of the @!#$ty racetech overdrive crank pulley and completely sheered the belt. Even though I was planning on getting rid of everything involved with the failure, it was the final straw.
I decided to part it out and scrap it.
So last Saturday, Alex Priggen, Chris Hooper and I did the deed. It was a bittersweet. It was really hard for me, but I knew that I was moving onto bigger and better things, Things outside of the modified car world. I was comfortable with my decision.
This is the LAST picture of Leona in all her glory.
And this is how I left her at the shop. I never thought I would have to do this, but I did. And Im never looking back.
I can say that I truly accomplished what I wanted with this car. I went further than I expected and I was incredibly proud of what it turned out to be. I DEFINITELY could not have done it without the help of a lot of very talented people. Chris Gill, Rob Weatherall, Wayde Knapp, Alex Priggen and countless others. But most of all, my wife Felicia. Through all the late nights and missed weekends away because of this car, she stood by me and believed in me. If I have forgotten you, I apologize. This car is something that I will look back at years from now and smile knowing that I went balls to the wall and pulled it off.
