It was about 1973. A buddy that lived a couple block over had this orange 68 Firebird H.O. 400 cid. His dad was a State Farm agent, but Ricky had gotten so many tickets, that the company threatned to cancel him if he kept that car and his son on the policy. So I put it on layaway, giving Ricky 50 bucks here and 100 there till the car was paid for. $500.00 as I recall. I brought it home, knowing my dad would give me a load of crap for buying it. He gets home and the first words out of his mouth " Where did you steal it?" I told him from whom and where, and how I got it. And here is the title, See. Now you have to know my old man, used to be a car guy, and then came IBM. So what does he do gets the title and compares it to the vin. Guess what they don't match. I don't remember exactly what transpired then, but I am sure it took alot of convincing to assure him, and he probably wasn't, that the story was true. After a couple of phone calls to the DMV, I found the owners name and that the car was not stolen, I can remember Ricky buying it from a car lot. Well it turns out a car lot had 2 birds, and had crossed the titles. The other car had been wrecked and junked, the owner had moved back to Puerto Rico. I finally convinced the car lot to help me fix it. After almost 6 months, I finally got the clear title to my 68. All Legal, Dad happy, well at least not wanting to kill me, at least for the car. I drove it for 6 or 7 days and an elderly man rolled thru a stop sign and wiped the drivers door and rear quater pannel. I climbed in and out the window a couple of days and then took a sledge hammer and reworked the door, so it would open and tied it closed with a rope. Damn I miss that car.....................