My Frankenstein

[FrankensteinChick]

I started out my life as a tomboy. As a small child in my sunday school dress i remember helping my dad install new floor pans in his gt37. Those small memories lead me on to love Pontiac. In my late 20’s i became an alcoholic. By my 30’s i was a drug addict, suicidal and in an abusive relationship. I had nothing left to fight for. Then one day i did a google search and found a lemans that really stood out to me. I was living off an injury settlement which was diminishing by the day and took the gamble and called the seller. The listing said the car was in Long Island New York. I live in Pennsylvania and at the time had no drivers license or car of my own. I had no way to get to the car. To me it didnt matter I would find a way. I then found out the owner of the car had her stored in the Poconos. Which was only 60 miles away from me. After begging my step dad, he agreed to take me. April 16, 2019 i was handed the title to my very own 1970 Pontiac LeMans Sport. 

That day set in a chain of events that changed my life. February 28, 2020 is my recovery date. It took some time but with hard work, My car (Frankenstein) and myself are on the path of recovery. We both have a long way to go, but with determination and patience we will both come out stronger. She taught me a lot about myself and I owe my life to restoring her. She gave me purpose when I had none. She gave me a reason to live again and i gave her life again. We’re connected in so many ways. 
 

Since buying my car, I’ve met so many incredible people. Who have all excepted me. They’ve all heard my story and congratulate me. However the real goal is to see her once again completed and legal. As I am now, legal to drive. I now have my drivers license, sobriety, and a good life. 

Now my car and myself are advocates for the AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.) We do car shows with the foundation and tell our story to help raise money for the foundation. The next show is June 12, 2022 in Massapequa, NY @ Sunrise Mall. Also, I’m planning on having her attend this years Pontiac Nationals in Ohio.  

I hope to see everyone there!

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by FrankensteinChick
Needed to add something

[64 kiwi boni]

Steph, welcome.

i am super impressed with how you have worked hard to get to where you are, big thank you too your Step dad for helping in those early days to get this car !!!👍

What you will find, is that building cars is not the point. !

It is all about the people you meet and share your passion with along the way !! their is shit loads of us ALL over the planet!!! ( i am in new Zealand)

 We ALL share the passion and it gives us direction.

 And with direction we get pride!!! we feel good because we have achieved some thing cool 

 And wow!!! you chose the perfect beast to build..a big high five to you Steph. 

[64 kiwi boni]

NOW ! you so have to tell us all about the car and how you made it soo cool.... pics would be cool 

[Fitzy]

He's right. On these pages, you will feel the heartache and the dizzying highs. Cars can create all manner of emotions (normally anger, when you take even more skin off your knuckles) but like most things in life, after all the effort, there it is - the fruit of your labours. 

[FrankensteinChick]

1 hour ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

NOW ! you so have to tell us all about the car and how you made it soo cool.... pics would be cool 

Didn’t the pics upload? Oh well.. so when i found her.. or she found me she was in pretty rough shape. Her rad core support was rusted in, the center support bracket was bent side ways and the radiator was barely sitting in the car. The valve covers seals were shot barely holding back oil, power steering pump was shot, thermostat was stuck closed, fuel pump was shot, and the carb needed rebuilt it was fuel of dirt. So i started with the rad support and gutted the front end and slowly rebuilt the whole front end of the car. Added new headlights and repainted the bezels. Rebadged the car.. among many many other things she’s still got a very long way to go though but thats part of the fun lol i will try and upload more pics of the whole process so far

[FrankensteinChick]

2 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

NOW ! you so have to tell us all about the car and how you made it soo cool.... pics would be cool 

So I don’t know how to upload pics to posts yet but i made an album lol  

[64 kiwi boni]

23 minutes ago, FrankensteinChick said:

So I don’t know how to upload pics to posts yet but i made an album lol  

When you put some txt in the dialogue box you will see below a add files box ...

there you can add pics from your phone or computer ... hope that helps 👍

[64 kiwi boni]

Steph. have you done all this work your self? 

[FrankensteinChick]

1 minute ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

Steph. have you done all this work your self? 

Most of it i have. Had help putting in the rad support, also the shocks i had help. I can’t take all the credit though. No matter where I go someone wants to get their hands on her lol my adopted dad surprised me one day by putting in a new steering wheel and fixing the carpet. This summer I have to weld in a new trunk pan. Should be interesting, i bought a mig welder before i could weld. But i cant mess the trunk up anymore then it is right? 😂

[64 kiwi boni]

that is so cool 

and i bet your learning as you go too !......

so did you paint the car or did you get it done by a shop ?

[64 kiwi boni]

Steph, when you get time start a thread in the "Pontiac progression" part of the forum and  keep us up to date with what your doing, we have lots of super cleaver people here who really are great at helping with our pontiac builds, and you will find it ever so helpful 

[FrankensteinChick]

17 minutes ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

that is so cool 

and i bet your learning as you go too !......

so did you paint the car or did you get it done by a shop ?

She already had the paint job done when i bought her. That’s actually another cool story.. 

this car blows my mind in many ways. If you don’t believe in fate, sit back and let me show you how it works.. 

Timeline-

April 16, 2019 i bought my car And started posting my story on all the pontiac pages on facebook and it started to draw attention. At the time I was still an addict and struggling in an abusive relationship and suicidal. One guy seen my story and messaged me offering me support and advice. At the time i had lost all trust for men and didn’t really pey attention to what he was telling me. Over time he won my trust and became my friend and go-to for odd questions about my car and life/relationship advice. By February 28, 2020 came he and I had become close. He’s an older gentleman i now call my adopted Dad. The day my world came to a spiraling halt. My now ex had busted my face open. That’s also the last time I used drugs. The older gentleman and I were now talking daily on the phone he helped me keep a level head. Skip ahead to 2021, that older gentleman i now call my adopted dad and I trailered my car to his house in long island. Strangely enough is where the listing that i found my car through when i bought her said she was from. Father’s day weekend we took our cars( he has a 65’ grand prix) to a fathers day car show on long island where we ended up meeting one of his friends. His friend and i started talking and i told him my story of how i found my car and such and he proceeded to tell me he knows my car. Shocked isn’t even the word. He explained to me that his son was the one who painted my car in 2001 for his friend who owned her at the time. My car was the first car he had ever done flames on. He also said he called his son and told him my car was there and that his son was on his way to meet me and see the car again. He hadn’t seen her in 20 years. I got to meet the son, later he sent me all the pictures of the process of painting her. I then got invited to a party he was having at his house for all his car friends where in turn i got to meet the guy who owned my car when it was painted. 
Another strange coincidence- i still live in Pennsylvania.. before my car i had never been to long island or knew anyone from there. Come to find out the guy i met while at work one day here in Pennsylvania and started dating, now almost at our one year anniversary mark is also from Long island. 
i keep saying i found this car… but in all honesty, i believe she found me for a reason. I think she was meant to be mine. She saved my life in so many ways. Its still so hard to believe everything that’s happened since i bought her. People tell me i need to write a book. 😂

 

2 minutes ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

Steph, when you get time start a thread in the "Pontiac progression" part of the forum and  keep us up to date with what your doing, we have lots of super cleaver people here who really are great at helping with our pontiac builds, and you will find it ever so helpful 

Will do!

[Ringo64]

Wow, amazing story! Congrats on the road and recovery to get there. Glad to hear that you found someone who could be supportive and help you get through it. That Lemans is a keeper!

[JUSTA6]

Awesome story with much to be proud of.   Welcome to our Pontiac family here on FP.  AWESOME PIC's   thankz

[Fitzy]

The 'older gentleman' has a 65 Grand Prix! Obviously a man of unsurpassed taste and an eye for quality & style. He has chosen well, as have you!

[FrankensteinChick]

10 hours ago, Fitzy said:

The 'older gentleman' has a 65 Grand Prix! Obviously a man of unsurpassed taste and an eye for quality & style. He has chosen well, as have you!

Lol here ya go Fitzy 

my old man and me at the POCI Of long island car show. 

[64 kiwi boni]

1 hour ago, FrankensteinChick said:

Lol here ya go Fitzy 

my old man and me at the POCI Of long island car show. 

wow ! thats a nice looking 65 aye Fitzy !!!

[Fitzy]

Now that's how mine is SUPPOSED to look! I see it sports 389 badges on the front fenders. I always liked them and they are available but my car doesn't have them. What's the go? Were they fitted to all 65s, or was it something like a midlife facelift where GM tweaked a few things in order to freshen up the car?

Again - it looks great. I am now further inspired to paint mine.

[FrankensteinChick]

2 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Now that's how mine is SUPPOSED to look! I see it sports 389 badges on the front fenders. I always liked them and they are available but my car doesn't have them. What's the go? Were they fitted to all 65s, or was it something like a midlife facelift where GM tweaked a few things in order to freshen up the car?

Again - it looks great. I am now further inspired to paint mine.

He put a 455 in it and bored 60 over and its painted dodge cherry red

[JUSTA6]

6 hours ago, FrankensteinChick said:

Lol here ya go Fitzy 

my old man and me at the POCI Of long island car show. 

The Ghosted 73 Gran Prix in your paint is pretty cool, not to mention the image of you guys in the hood.😎  Awesome ride!

[FrankensteinChick]

I am incorrect of the motor lol he just corrected me. Its a 389 bored 30 over.