Fifth Time Is The Charm

David Madden, TX

The 1950’s…what a great world it was! It was the dawning of the beatnik and a time when the world literally turned from black and white to full color. I’d like to think that my childhood was the best. I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. When I was a young man, my family had a ’57 Bel Air 4-door hardtop as our regular car. At that young age, however, I didn’t even know what the word “classic” meant. I learned to drive in my older brother’s Corvair and from then on I was car crazy.

After raising my own family years later, my interests turned back to cars…Corvettes mainly. I fell in live with and bought a ’66, then a ’64, a ’63 split window and a ’59. The ‘Vettes were fun, but I still had the urge for one of those big finny cars from the ‘50’s. I decided I had to have a 1957 Bel Air; so first I bought a 2-door sedan then a 2-door hardtop. Now I’m really running out of room in the garage! That’s when I found the beautiful Larkspur Blue convertible you see here. It was located in Los Angeles and was being used by a stereo shop to showcase their video and stereo systems. After I bought the car I upgraded the interior and replaced a few dull exteriors items with parts from Classic Chevy. The car is a super driver with power from a 350ci engine and a TH700R4 automatic overdrive. Now, my “NIFFT7” is in tip top shape inside and out.

Nothing makes me happier than to jump in one of the Corvette’s or the ’57 convertible and just cruise that wide open hill country just north of Houston. Cruising the hills and local car shows and cruise nights…that is my life now!