In the summer of 1993 (I was 17) my father became unable to drive due to
vision loss from complications of cancer. At that time he had the
Healey and his daily driver was a 1987 Mustang GT. I loved them both. I
had always assumed some day the Healey would be mine since I was the
only son. The Mustang was immediately sold as my father did not think
it was a car a teenager should have (he was probably right!), I never
did drive that car. I graduated from highschool in 1994 and headed off
to college.
One weekend while visiting home during my first semester my mom told me
that he was considering selling the Healey, I guess he was pretty bummed
out he couldn't drive it anymore! I couldn't believe it, my mom agreed
with me that we should keep the car and she spoke to him about it. He
approached me with the following deal, if I kept my grades up for my 1st
year in college he would keep the car and I could have it. The tricky
part of the deal was he would not commit to how well I needed to do,
only that I should do the best I could (whatever the hell that
means...). I was the kind of kid in school that was happy with the B's
I could get putting in minimal time and effort and he knew it.
I'll never forget the day I came home after my second semester in
college and slapped my report card on the kitchen table in front of my
father and told him I held up my side of the deal. All 4.0s. He just
laughed...
.and no, I never did get all A's again.
Justin
Ypsilanti, MI
1961 BT7
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