Battleship Chains

It was May of 1988 in Waterford, Michigan. My days were spent cruising around in a 1984 Pontiac T-1000 that was white with blue stripes. The Georgia Satellites album was literally stuck in the cassette deck; I knew every song on the album, from “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” to “Battleship Chains,”… I could sing each song note for note (and probably still can). My mind was singularly focused on my upcoming graduation day. The way I figured, depending on how much money I received at my party – I would be in a new ride soon. A few weeks later the party is over and a pocket full of money was burning a hole in my cuffed Lee Riders. That is the moment when I met a person who enhanced my love for all things automobile, Vern Roberts.

Vern was the owner of Southern Motors in Pontiac, Michigan. I ended up buying a bright red 1970 Cutlass S with black racing stripes; it was all original except for the new paint, American racing wheels and tires. The cassette deck worked fine, so I was also able to listen to some new tunes as well.

The day I picked up my Cutlass a friendship with Vern and the other guys at the car lot began. Interestingly enough, Vern called me a few days after having the Cutlass and said another buyer was interested in my car. He offered to swap an all original, four speed, fire engine red 1967 Chevelle SS 396 for my Cutlass. (And yes, to this day I regret saying no to Vern on the trade.)

About a year later, I needed a job and started working for Southern Motors. It didn’t pay a whole lot but the experience was well worth it. I still remember traveling with the team to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee a couple times a month to attend car club cruises on the weekends. We had a car hauler standing by for the cars we would acquire and for a 19 year old; the best part of the job was getting to drive the cars to the car hauler.

Vern specialized in vehicles pre-1976 with a focus on “Muscle Cars.” I was amazed at how he was able de-code a V.I.N completely from memory on most cars we had on the lot. This man knew his stuff and he loved what he did for a living! I learned recently that Vern passed away a few years ago. Even back then I believe I was aware of how special that time was, chasing down muscle cars and being part of something special. I’m thankful to have experienced that time in my youth and appreciate it even more now that I’m older. Realizing that Vern has passed away serves as yet another reminder of how fleeting time is and yet encourages me to not give up on my dream of working with cars.