Memorial day always has me reflecting.. My brother (Sgt. Phil Kesler) and I were 18 months apart in age and both joined the Air Force and ended up stationed together.. Only brothers on the base - what a time that was. Both had Camaro's in high school that we worked paper routes and fast food jobs to pay for, me a 77 and him a 67.. I sold my 77 but he took the 67 with him when he was assigned.
Phil was a flight engineer on a special operations squadron helicopter. On 10/29/92 he was killed in a training accident with 6 other AF Operators and 5 Army Rangers. He had just started restoring his car. The AF brought it to my parents house in boxes and on a flatbed. Over the last 20 years I've worked to finish what he started. I shot a lot of pics of the restore and ended up fabricating a bunch of stuff that I just couldn't find or needed modifying.. This is where the machining itch originally came from.. It's not a numbers matching or anywhere near original car now, but something I think he would have liked. I'll post pics of the restore up over the next couple days.. If this is the wrong place, please feel free to move it to the correct forum.
My brother in high school parking lot
Car restored.. MERIT84 was call sign of the bird that night.. OH had a limit on license plate characters so the abbreviation
Car was rough.. I had a lot of help on the body and paint..
Engine was really toast.. He had torn 2nd gear up racing off base so I ended up putting a 350ZZ4 crate engine in and a Richmond 5 speed instead of the Muncie..
Rocking and rolling as he used to call it..
I'll put some of the more detailed build pics up a little later.. Got some Memorial Day family activities planned.
Phil was a flight engineer on a special operations squadron helicopter. On 10/29/92 he was killed in a training accident with 6 other AF Operators and 5 Army Rangers. He had just started restoring his car. The AF brought it to my parents house in boxes and on a flatbed. Over the last 20 years I've worked to finish what he started. I shot a lot of pics of the restore and ended up fabricating a bunch of stuff that I just couldn't find or needed modifying.. This is where the machining itch originally came from.. It's not a numbers matching or anywhere near original car now, but something I think he would have liked. I'll post pics of the restore up over the next couple days.. If this is the wrong place, please feel free to move it to the correct forum.
My brother in high school parking lot
Car restored.. MERIT84 was call sign of the bird that night.. OH had a limit on license plate characters so the abbreviation
Car was rough.. I had a lot of help on the body and paint..
Engine was really toast.. He had torn 2nd gear up racing off base so I ended up putting a 350ZZ4 crate engine in and a Richmond 5 speed instead of the Muncie..
Rocking and rolling as he used to call it..
I'll put some of the more detailed build pics up a little later.. Got some Memorial Day family activities planned.
