Biography

Hey guys!

Today I'm going to touch on some cars I've owned in the past.

2002 - I received my drivers license in February. With the help of my parents, who contributed 50% of what I saved, I managed to buy a 1994 Impala SS in August with 130,xxx miles on it. This was my first car. Tipping the scales at 4300 lbs. and powered by a Small Block (SB) Chevy 350, LT1 similar to which was available in the Corvette and Camaro of the era, this car had 260hp and 330lb. ft. of torque. She was a great car and introduced me, the hard way, to mechanics and engineering. After 6 months, I had replaced the brakes, tires, exhaust (modified), and a heater line. In 2004 the heater core had leaked and corroded the wiring harness, shorting out the fuel pump and the ECU (Engine Control Unit).  $2,400 later the car was running but being in my freshman year of College at NJIT in Newark NJ, this prompted me to look for something  more reliable and fuel efficient, AND all wheel drive.

2004 - My family owned a Subaru dealership at the time and my family always had Subaru's. I started searching for a sporty and fun Subaru and naturally an Impreza 2.5RS Coupe entered the picture. I searched for a couple months, found a 2001 RS with 42,000 miles at the time in Black, and went for it. My mother, sister and myself headed to a dealership about 2 hours away, with the Impala, to scope it out. 2 hours later we found ourselves driving home in the Impreza. Mind you I didn't know how to drive a manual transmission and this was my first experience driving stick. I owned this car for about 6 months and decided that it was too small for my fit (6'1"). I sold it with 58,000 miles for more than I paid for it.

2004 - I found myself infatuated with Impala SS's since my first 94'. Naturally I searched in the Northeast Region for a 1996 Impala SS. This car had the floor style shifter and analog gauges (exclusive to the 96'). I found one in Delaware and went down to look at it with my best friend, my sister and my girlfriend at the time. We were able to negotiate a fair price considering the modifications and mileage and I purchased the car the following weekend. The car had an intermittent problem with a hesitation/studder. I got the car home and went over it with a fine tooth comb. Much to my dismay, I found that 3 of the 8 spark plugs were loose! We did spark plugs and the car was perfect. This Impala had the LT4 conversion with a K&N intake and catback exhaust. The car was FAST for a 4300lb. vehicle......this is where I realized that I had a problem. I was in love. Addicted to cars....

As this Impala was in great shape, I had to search for a "beater". Working at the dealership I managed to find myself purchasing a 1987 Subatu XT Coupe for $100. The car was on our used car lot for a few years and I couldn't pass it up. This was my beater. It needed some work here and there, light bulbs, exhaust, heater hoses, but worked out very well for the situation. I ended up selling the Impala making a $5,000 profit. To a football player for the Steelers non the less...

I had my heart set on a 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. White with Gold wheels exactly. I ran the numbers and the car was expensive. I could swing it with a large down payment I had but then came the second factor, INSURANCE. Up until now my mother paid my car insurance. I ran a quote for the STI and fell out of my chair when they told me $6,200 for the year....My dreams were crushed. I himmed and hawwed and ended up buying a brand new 2005 Subaru Legacy GT sedan. It wasn't my first choice but the "responsible" choice.

2005 - Having just acquired this 2005 Legacy (December of 2004), I started searching...and modifying...a few thousand dollars later this Legacy was running a 12.5 sec. 1/4 mi., at the time it was one of fastest recorded in the nation. For those that don't know, a 2004 Corvette would run the 1/4 mi in about 13.0 sec flat. Camaro's of that era would run a 13.4 sec 1/4 mi, and a Mustang GT about 14.0 sec. My AWD 4-door 4 cylinder was a sleeper.....