Throw'me sum' tin, Missstah!

by Lea Ellen Dunham

Situated on the Mississippi River, Gary Guidroz didn’t grow up wrenching or working in the automotive industry. Although, like many of us Gary learned at an early age how to drive tractors and was allowed to move trucks around on his father’s farm. But that’s as far as automotive skills went between father and son.

It was Gary’s mother, a mom from the 50’s, who taught him quite a bit about the Great American Automobile. As a young boy, he would get behind the wheel of his mother’s car for hours on end and pretend he was driving. (Many readers can relate) Gary was fortunate to have a mother who recognized his interest early on. 

College came and went, Gary learned a trade in electrical and instrumentation. He took a job in construction, Gary quickly found himself with full crews working under him. Years later he switched jobs to an assembly plant and found his way to head of research and development. In a  relatively short period of time Gary had found his niche and realized his was good at putting stuff together.

A variety of project cars and trucks had come and gone over the years, none of which really did anything for him. Gary had it set in his head he wanted some ratty old car that he could turn into a heart-stopper. One with soul, the “big one” ... someday.

While driving around town Gary’s mom would point out choice cars to her son and took him to local car shows as a special day out on the town. These times were just plain ol’ good times between mother and son. Little did Gary’s mother realize what would develop years down the road. She was teaching Gary and didn’t even know it. It appears she was a good teacher in many ways. When Gary was in high school he got his first car. Along with his first car came financial responsibility. If the car broke, it was out of his pocket for repairs, not mom’s. When you don’t have the mechanical know-how ... well, repairs can be expensive, especially to a student, this frustrated Gary.