[weatherdon]

The Rolling Stones said it best, "No, you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime you just might find*you get what you need." What I want is an all original matching number '71 Hemi Cuda convertible. Well that ain't gonna happen, so what do I need? A neat looking current technology vehicle that doesn't look like every other car on the road.
After 25 years I stopped subscribing to Car & Driver because all of the cars in the new car issue look like last year's new car issue, so does the year before that.
I've read some older posts on this forum with members concerned what millennials may think, or how collectible SSRs are becoming now or in the future. Personally speaking none of that concerns me. What I care about is the good feeling I get standing alone in my garage and looking at my red SSR and thinking what a cool car I have. That's what I needed all along, maybe even more than a 48 year old Mopar.

 

[Stlhotrod]

Hey Don if you had the Hemi Cuda it would stay in your garage more than it would be out of it. Your insurance would cost you way more and you would have less friends who could help you work on it or help with parts or advise for it. You will enjoy the SSR a lot more.

 

[Jersey red]

Yeah been there and thought that . I was thinking classic Camaro or Chevelle and then the SSR popped into my head , and it was a done deal .
I've had her for over 3 years and loving every minute I get to drive her .
I'm currently on my first SSR road trip,
something you would think twice about with a 40 year old classic car .
Welcome to the Red brotherhood and SSR family long may we run !
Permagrin ,Dave

 

[PeteL]

And, if you had the Hemi Cuda, you would be deprived of whatever else you could have done with $3,500,000.00. Which is what I saw one go for on Mecum.

 

[Boomer Bob]

Totally agree with you, Don,
My dream was a 69 white/orange Pace Car Camaro. Experienced a ride in one when it was new. Over the years had posters, articles and such. Discovered the new Chevy SSR at a local dealer in 2003. WOW! Good looks. Cool convertible top. V8 power. A factory hot rod that came with a warranty. So dreams about my someday car changed. At the time premiums were charged by the dealers lucky enough to have one on the lot.
Flash-forward to today. Like you I was in the garage checking on my adopted Redline. Still cant believe its out there, like I may wake up and realize it was a dream.
Looks like you know the feeling. Thanks for sharing. Great group, these Fanatics! Getting together this weekend with other local owners. The ties that bind us are the love of our dream-ride SSRs and this group of Fanatics. :grin2:
Best!
Boomer Bob :ssr

 

[Warrior=='06]

Yes Don, the feeling that you describe so nicely in your post is a little something we Fanatics like to call PERMAGRIN. It will pop up whenever driving, cleaning, wrench-turning, talking about or even thinking about your new SSR. :smile2:



Without a doubt you're going to love it. :x





================
David :black:
- "Oh yeah...you are now officially one Kool Kat!!"

 

[SoonerSSR]

I can identify with all of the aforementioned threads. I too had dreamed of buying the identical 68 GTO like I had when my wife and I were first married. When I looked at what these cars are bringing now, I realized that I needed to find something that wasn’t a ‘budget breaker’ that I could enjoy just as much. My SSR has fulfilled this desire, and I didn’t have to pay that much to achieve that satisfaction. The ‘Fanatic’ group has given me an interest in cars that didn’t exist prior to my retirement. I’m lovin’ it. Thanks to everyone for re-igniting this interest.

 

[Texasbaehr]

I bought an old Corvette because I always wanted one. But after years of driving it and fixing it and tinkering with it I grew tired of constant wrenching and adjusting and worrying something would go wrong. The old cars are great to look at but a PIA to own if you want to drive them.
Like weatherdon, I wanted a reliable, good running, fun uncommon vehicle. Looked at Prowlers but they have absolutely no luggage space at all and the V6 just did not get me excited, The T-Bird was nice but when in it I felt like I was sitting in a Lincoln LS with no top. Then I saw an SSR and I was hooked.

 

[abadssr]

Don when I was in high school I had a 71 challenger convertible 383 with some added horse power. Wish I had that thing now. It was a west coast build called western special as for that year had no R/T models built on west coast

 

[06-SSR]

I pleased with what I have also. I would like to add something later like one of SS they stopped making in 2017. I think that probably be my next one I want to do some serious road trips later I would like to have that.

 

[tennesseecozydog]

I bought an old Corvette because I always wanted one. But after years of driving it and fixing it and tinkering with it I grew tired of constant wrenching and adjusting and worrying something would go wrong. The old cars are great to look at but a PIA to own if you want to drive them.
Like weatherdon, I wanted a reliable, good running, fun uncommon vehicle. Looked at Prowlers but they have absolutely no luggage space at all and the V6 just did not get me excited, The T-Bird was nice but when in it I felt like I was sitting in a Lincoln LS with no top. Then I saw an SSR and I was hooked.

"The old cars are great to look at but a PIA to own if you want drive them" You couldn't have said it any better "Texas"... Sadly the SSR's will probably become that way in a few years, like 20, but now 79 (February 1) I will not care. I actually want out now at 79. I must admit, now I'm just a looker and enjoyed our SSR for nearly 10 years. tennesseecozydog :ssr Would like to do 1 more Route 66 Mother Road Festival Friday night Cruise In, September 24th IF "Red Molly" is still around.

 

[ohhawk]

Have been fortunate to have driven down several "roads" with some of these............

 

[Firetruck]

I'm fortunate to have both street rod and SSR. But the tale of the odometer tells the story.....last year SSR about 8,000 miles and the '36 about 20! (And couldn't be happier) I think it's mostly the camaraderie with the forum members, likeness of vehicles and the ability to really understand each other in our common pursuit of the permagrin that's makes it so much better than the street rod club. Everyone's classic is their own for their own reasons but the group here is the icing on the cake for me.

 

[BoboSSR]

Yeah been there and thought that . I was thinking classic Camaro or Chevelle and then the SSR popped into my head , and it was a done deal .
I've had her for over 3 years and loving every minute I get to drive her .
I'm currently on my first SSR road trip,
something you would think twice about with a 40 year old classic car .
Welcome to the Red brotherhood and SSR family long may we run !
Permagrin ,Dave

 

[BoboSSR]

Wife and I just did an overnight fun to the Grand Canyon up route 89 & 89a. I love that route through Prescott valley, oak creek canyon, Jerome Az. Came home on Route 66. The roadster loved it too.

 

[Trygodfirst]

Could not agree more with the statement
“I’m happy with what we have” I call it the secret society of contentment. I so hold what each of you has said as truth in me.
55,56,66 Chevy’s. 69 l88 vette,72 SS nova ,
05 vette , 87 gran national,
supercharged impalas, 83 vette, H2 Hummer, big block 4 wheel suburban, tee top camaro, the list goes on HOWEVER my wife has NEVER asked for anything in her car but heated and memory seats. She loved the new thunderbird bird we couldn’t lift the hardtop nor have a proper place to stor it. I remembered the Chevy dealership where we bought the high top family conversion van and seeing those (trucks) there. Didn’t know they were ssr. In 06 seeing the 6 speed, floor gauges similar to my dream car 69 Z/28, and that beautiful wood in the cargo area WOW. Love at first site but at that time in my life not practical.
Roll forward to 2014 and rooling down the road in our RV. Diane never says “ hey look at that car”. But on that and other trips since she would say it to the thunderbird and the SSR’s she saw. Then in 2019, my birthday, her birthday, and our anniversary are all within 4 days of each other. We had sold EVERYTHING due to my terminal cancer and not wanting her to have to deal with it when I graduate. I shopped for a birthday/ anniversary gift. Was sooo blessed to find a one owner redline red with 15000 miles on it. I let her test drive it and as soon as she cranked it I was hooked. Never forget her getting used to the throttle response of that ssr. I’m the guy who LOVES the drone sound at 45-50 mph.
My permagrin was truly on. Came back in and bought it for her. Her names the only name on the title. We upgraded her and in 18 months or so the love grew for our SSR but especially for the people, no family, that exist NATIONWIDE and in Canada (she made great Canadian friends while in Branson and still today they email) in our ssr community. Every time I meet a new owner I load them in our cell under ssr owner and where they live. We also know of the pin map and it’s value if we break down or want to visit. As many know I’m no longer able to work on vehicles, @Dicktator and @Mike in AZ surely know, they have been compassionate in my , lack of knowledge, and questions and help. We are blessed to have an ssr mechanic here in Jupiter Florida and VERY blessed by the LIBRARY of info that he can use.
Well September 2020 our first ssr was sold to @Klondike here in Florida and we purchased Dianes “dream color” Pacific Blue. Again blessed to find an ssr in Naples Florida garage kept and this one with the chrome package inside and out AND with my dream of floor gauge set. I never cared how accurate they were. Just looking down and seeing them I truly smile(permagrin) and say THANK YOU LORD, as I say to Him THANK YOU LORD FOR MY SSR FAMILY.
Sorry for the long post but now you know just a little more about us and our vehicle adventure and where it landed us. It’s the the greatest sportster class in America.
We love you all.
Scott and Diane
P.S. she got her convertible and I got my gauges 😀

 

[Firetruck]

Could not agree more with the statement
“I’m happy with what we have” I call it the secret society of contentment. I so hold what each of you has said as truth in me.
55,56,66 Chevy’s. 69 l88 vette,72 SS nova ,
05 vette , 87 gran national,
supercharged impalas, 83 vette, H2 Hummer, big block 4 wheel suburban, tee top camaro, the list goes on HOWEVER my wife has NEVER asked for anything in her car but heated and memory seats. She loved the new thunderbird bird we couldn’t lift the hardtop nor have a proper place to stor it. I remembered the Chevy dealership where we bought the high top family conversion van and seeing those (trucks) there. Didn’t know they were ssr. In 06 seeing the 6 speed, floor gauges similar to my dream car 69 Z/28, and that beautiful wood in the cargo area WOW. Love at first site but at that time in my life not practical.
Roll forward to 2014 and rooling down the road in our RV. Diane never says “ hey look at that car”. But on that and other trips since she would say it to the thunderbird and the SSR’s she saw. Then in 2019, my birthday, her birthday, and our anniversary are all within 4 days of each other. We had sold EVERYTHING due to my terminal cancer and not wanting her to have to deal with it when I graduate. I shopped for a birthday/ anniversary gift. Was sooo blessed to find a one owner redline red with 15000 miles on it. I let her test drive it and as soon as she cranked it I was hooked. Never forget her getting used to the throttle response of that ssr. I’m the guy who LOVES the drone sound at 45-50 mph.
My permagrin was truly on. Came back in and bought it for her. Her names the only name on the title. We upgraded her and in 18 months or so the love grew for our SSR but especially for the people, no family, that exist NATIONWIDE and in Canada (she made great Canadian friends while in Branson and still today they email) in our ssr community. Every time I meet a new owner I load them in our cell under ssr owner and where they live. We also know of the pin map and it’s value if we break down or want to visit. As many know I’m no longer able to work on vehicles, @Dicktator and @Mike in AZ surely know, they have been compassionate in my , lack of knowledge, and questions and help. We are blessed to have an ssr mechanic here in Jupiter Florida and VERY blessed by the LIBRARY of info that he can use.
Well September 2020 our first ssr was sold to @Klondike here in Florida and we purchased Dianes “dream color” Pacific Blue. Again blessed to find an ssr in Naples Florida garage kept and this one with the chrome package inside and out AND with my dream of floor gauge set. I never cared how accurate they were. Just looking down and seeing them I truly smile(permagrin) and say THANK YOU LORD, as I say to Him THANK YOU LORD FOR MY SSR FAMILY.
Sorry for the long post but now you know just a little more about us and our vehicle adventure and where it landed us. It’s the the greatest sportster class in America.
We love you all.
Scott and Diane
P.S. she got her convertible and I got my gauges 😀

What a great story! It's a pleasure having you both in our group! Look forward to meeting you in person next year at the no frills rally or the international.

 

[Trygodfirst]

What a great story! It's a pleasure having you both in our group! Look forward to meeting you in person next year at the no frills rally or the international.

And I you sir. Lord willing we’re paid for and hotel reserved.