The Joy of driving my ZL1,and how i almost might of lost it...

[gen=5]

I would like to share my Friday night.
For some of those that dont know I am crippled from just below the neck,but low enough to still have most of the use of my hands.
Anyway I don't drive my car much in fact i think it might of only been 5-6 times ,my son did most of the driving,and kept the car else where.
Once i got the large service garage under contract i moved the ZL1 over here since i could open the doors wide enough to get in and out from my wheelchair.
The only issue is that its got a side door to enter through.I had the door screwed shut and they only did it from the outside since it open to the outside,they installed a wooden strip on both outer sides all the way up and screws through the door into the jams...
Anyway Friday afternoon I went to a place called ADA which install equipment so the disabled can either drive or be driven around..I have purchased a 14 ram and had all the bells and whistles installed.Although i could sit in it and start it ,the fitting was not perfect so it stayed.
When i got home i was so hopped up about driving so easy whenever i wanted ,the only thing i could think of was my poor lonely ZL1..Man talk about a great time, I took my 2 youngest kids dropped the top and drove in the cool 45-50 degree weather ,we headed out onto the freeway and just cursed at 55-65 in the left lane ,being a Friday everyone was in a rush kept riding my tail,etc so i would get tired of it and drop the hammer,kids laughing watching the headlights in the rear disappear till i slowed down,next thing we knew we were 60 miles out of Houston..
so we turned around in the middles of no where and went under the overpass and stopped and just nailed it a few times,what a great sound. anyway on the way we called my oldest son he was at a sonic and had just ordered so we stopped in to eat just as they were half way through with their meals...
MY grand kid came and sat in the seats with us while we listen to music and talked with the heater on,lol...
Turn out one of the guys that had done the motor work on my ZL1 while in the shop was also there,that was a good conversation.....
It was one of the best nights /times i have had in the longest time..All due to a great car,just wish it didn't take 2 or 3 people to help me get out of the car otherwise i would do it more often,,
Well it turned out that i had attracted a little bit too much attention while i
let it idle to warmed it up,its really loud in there with headers etc...Seemed like at least 20 people stopped in front or slowed down to a crawl..None of which i really gave a second thought to..I took some protection with me thank you Texas gun laws knowing it Friday night and i had the top down...
Well after i got home i parked it and today my son came over to run to the store and bank for me..When he looked at the side door the door had about 20 or so big dents,and all the screws had been removed from the outer door except the small white painted strip of wood that looked like part of the jam as if the door open in instead of out....you could even see where they had taken a crowbar or something to try to pry the door away from the frame...
Talk about a close call,if they had know which way the door open it might of either been gone or at least damaged...I freaking hate people that break in and try to steal your stuff,go buy your own stuff ,earn it instead , It makes me sick enough to go and sit and just wait inside cocked and loaded
well we install a bunch of stuff to stop the door from opening, kick in.as well as a couple cameras Which i wont show where and but thanks to a friend on a patio over looking as well.I can not now wait till i move out of Houston and into the country....Talk about a close call !!!!!!!!

[TBone]

I have the perfect Monkey for you....



I will send him over to keep an eye on your car and YOU.

Really sorry this happened. Good thing they were stupid.

T.

[blessedhellride]

Sorry for your troubles, I hope things get better.

[2012-1822]

Sucks, really does. Where I live, the entire town is a straight up ghetto. But thanks to the football program we have a well funded, large for this size population, police department. Car theft is just not a big deal here at all. They'll break in a haul off your tv, but usually not mess with cars.

Maybe things are different out there. But is there a way, and I know this cost money, but you could run a fence around your ZL1 garage and then get a dog to live in it? I've had a career police officer in Birmingham, AL tell me in almost 20 years he had never seen a break in once where the person had a dog. So I asked my cop buddy here about that, he said basically the same thing. It's just easier for a crook to go to the house without the dog.

[Kelly@PCMofNC]

Wow!! That's crazy.

[gen=5]

I am moving in a couple months I purchased small 11 acre ranch north of Houston we are building a second 3600 sqft house design for wheelchair use with a 30x30 built on garage that's break in proof as much as possible..Instead of tearing the house thats on it now apart for a remodel,I am going to have a relative come live in it. So as soon as its finished i am out of here,we broke ground on it about 2 weeks ago...The only thing i don't like is the long dirt roads to get to the property,might end up causing damage,and get the underside of my ZL really dirty ,so I am most likely going to sell it instead of taking a chance on hurting its value...I am going to use that track looking thing to get around its called a rip chair, my wheelchair just backs into it and off i go...I run over anyone trying to get out there,lol...
I wish i could use your monkey,but the place i live in might have a issue with him,lol....

[gen=5]

Originally Posted by 2012-1822

Sucks, really does. Where I live, the entire town is a straight up ghetto. But thanks to the football program we have a well funded, large for this size population, police department. Car theft is just not a big deal here at all. They'll break in a haul off your tv, but usually not mess with cars.

Maybe things are different out there. But is there a way, and I know this cost money, but you could run a fence around your ZL1 garage and then get a dog to live in it? I've had a career police officer in Birmingham, AL tell me in almost 20 years he had never seen a break in once where the person had a dog. So I asked my cop buddy here about that, he said basically the same thing. It's just easier for a crook to go to the house without the dog.

Yep,I watched 20/20 ,they said the same thing.One of the hosts drove around with a retired burglar who said the number one protection against break in's is a dog,and in fact he said most cases all it takes is a beware of dog sign to do the trick.. Alarms and or the company signs just means that there is something worth breaking in the house from...crazy !!!!!

[unssafe]

hey now,

im glad those pieces of crap could not get thru your door, good thing you had it burgler proof enough.

that rip chair is tuff looking! it probally goes pretty good, i hope you wont leave it stock. it looks like a commercial grade mower with tracks instead of wheels.

if you can afford it keep the zl1 and have those family zl1 days even if it is only every once in awhile, sounds like it was a great time for your family.

[joes407]

I'm happy to hear that you're finally getting some enjoyment out of that car you put so much into.also if I was checking around the kind of money that you are I would keep that zl1and the truck regardless of any stupid dirt road you might move on to

[Fred 6528]

My Saint Bernard is better than any alarm

[OVERPAR73]

Hey Mark, glad to hear you got the car out for some enjoyment. I have been getting some pieces back from H2O Printers and some look like they needed more coats of clear. Slowly putting them back onto the car while I still have it tore apart and doing some LED mods. You can check out some pics on my page, take care!

[gen=5]

Originally Posted by OVERPAR73

Hey Mark, glad to hear you got the car out for some enjoyment. I have been getting some pieces back from H2O Printers and some look like they needed more coats of clear. Slowly putting them back onto the car while I still have it tore apart and doing some LED mods. You can check out some pics on my page, take care!

Will do.If you have any issues I would call them,they always makes things right...

[SamHouseIII]

Hope all goes well with the move and you don't have to get rid of the ZL1. Nice looking property btw.

[gen=5]

Thank you,but its going one way or another,I have had 2 offers already,so i will wait to see what happens..We have gotten the foundation poured now so we are moving along I will post a few pics as it gets built...

I have a demo set up to ride the tractor/tank wheelchair this weekend they are bring 2 of them......There is a place in Houston that disabled vets meet that all have one of these each and play paint ball shooting each other,or the gun club...This type is a little smaller and can be used to do other things besides racing around with ATV's