ONE HUNDRED HORSEPOWER

ONE HUNDRED HORSEPOWER separated the popular 1963 Ford Mustang from my 1963 Dodge 383 Hemi 4 speed convertible.  Every Friday night back in the mid '60's Mustangs were all over the circuit (Front Street and Second Street in Harrisburg), since street racing was the highlight of the week.  



It was getting late one Friday night and I had already burned about $3.00 for gas (.20/gallon).  Heading home I stopped at the traffic light just before the Harvey Taylor bridge.  A Mustang pulled up beside my convertible and revved his engine.  He glanced over, I glared back and we waited for a green light.  Mustangs were quick initially, but I knew my Hemi 383 superior horsepower wouldn't let me down.  About 1/4 of the way across the bridge we were neck and neck, so I had to hit forth gear hard. I jammed the floor shift down so hard the gearshift knob broke completely off and flew up in the air.  I lost the knob but won the race.  I really wish I would have kept this car, but had to sell it to go to school. Nice memories remain.

Wait!  I just remembered one more.

It was 1967 and I decided to leave Central PA to chase my dreams.  One evening I packed what little I had in the Dodge convertible and headed down route 83.  My parents talked a lot about Florida and a newspaper ad said there were job opportunities building big boats in Sarasota.  

My plan was to drive all night and spend a week looking for a job.  Some of you won't get this, but one of my favorite memories to this day was when I was driving at night, convertible top down, radio on, warm summer breeze......(is this perfect, or what?)  Wait!  It gets better.  When I drove under an overpass on the beltway the glass pack mufflers on my Dodge resonated so loud it shock the entire highway, including the overpasses directly above me. 

Life was sweet.

I wasn't able to find work so after 5 days I drove back.  By the time I got to PA I was so sleep deprived that my mind started playing games.  Coming north on route 83 I saw three roads and couldn't figure out which one to take, so I pulled off at the rest stop and grabbed a couple of hours sleep. 

Not too long after this I decided to go south on 83 again, but only from Harrisburg to York, PA, where I spent the next few years attending college and it was there I met a girl.  Not just any girl, but one that would fulfill my life for the next 45 years.

Life is sweeter now.