Patrick Smith
Speed Demon Columnist
Trans Am & Muscle Car Nut
It’s been nine years since I sent in my first bio page, and twelve years since I’d participated in the original Bandit chat room hosted by Crawford Smith. So much has changed since then. Reading my original biography, I sound like some kind of obnoxious know-it-all. I think it’s time for a reboot. I have been into cars ever since I could crawl. It must be a genetic thing for me. I can’t remember a time when they weren’t part of my focus. I graduated with a Vehicle Technology diploma with a major in Dealership Administration in 1988 from Centennial College. I wound up working for AMC, Pontiac GMC, Cadillac-Buick and Hyundai. I also did the parts jobber thing and still more training at a huge National Auto Parts chain. All during those years I fooled around with muscle cars, mostly 1971 Cudas.
Me and the T-Bird
I left the industry in 1999 and started writing about classic and muscle cars. I always liked Trans Ams so when a car magazine wanted to do a restoration series, I chose a 1980 SE turbo car for a project. That car became known in print as Dead Eagle. I did a bunch of articles on a budget resto of that car. The Bandit Trans Am Club printed all of them. I started an appraisal business in 1999 as well, basically turning my old hobby of decoding build sheets and casting numbers into a paying profession, PHS Collector Car Appraisals & Documentation. I’d taken the SE trans Am resto as far as I wanted to by 2007 and sold the car. It only took two years to realize I missed the Trans Am’s handling and smooth, fat power. The SE market had exploded since then, so I bought a survivor 1981 that suited my preferences. It’s been excellent to me. I still mess around with a 1972 455 GTO and someday I’ll get a Y88 car. I’ve had many strange and interesting experiences with Trans Ams especially SE models. I never know what to expect when one shows up!
Me and the 1980 SE Turbo
I wrote a series of articles on buying classic cars at secondchancegarage.com
This is a free portal with lots of great info on all aspects of car hobby. Check it out for yourself.
This link goes directly to the buyers guide section: http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/department51.cfm (Yes, there is a trans am section.)
PHS Collector Car World - Blog Spot