American Mid Year Society "AMYS"

It all started with buying and restoring a 1950 Dodge Panel truck with a flat-head 6 motor, that I later sold for a 1970 Triumph GT6+.  What awesome handling that Triumph had!  I was bit by the "sports car" bug.  I always dreamed of owning a Jaguar XKE, but after the total frame on restoration of the Triumph (and thanks to Lucas electrics), I was cured of ever owning a British sports car again. 

I sold the Triumph and wanted American muscle.  After much research, and almost buying a '72 Pantera, I found my 1963 convertible near San Francisco in 1995 for $18K.  An original Sonoma County, Calif. car (I was told) with no paperwork, but somewhat verified by a magnetic car show dash plaque from Sonoma in 1982 found in the defrost vent when replacing the dash pads.  After about 10 years and $15K more, she (Yvette) is a beautiful, unmolested (frame on restored), numbers-matching (kind of), show-quality driver.  Red on red, small block 327-300+ HP.

One of 919 factory produced (St. Louis, Mo.) original 1963 convertibles with the Saginaw 3 speed transmission.  Fortunately, the synchros went bad in 2nd and 3rd (1st gear was not synchro!) as it forced me to put the 3 spd in a box and replace it with a sweet Borg-Warner 4 speed.  No regrets!  Haven't spent a dime in the last 4-5 years.  Runs beautifully and keeps me excited to drive her like she was meant to be driven. 

May Bill Mitchell, Zora Duntov and Mike Shinoda R.I.P.