Green With Envy

There's just something about old American muscle that seems untouched by time. As modern muscle cars try to reinvent their old look, they continually make their predecessors look even better. Sometimes the old is much better than the new.
A dream was made when Donna got her Firebird.

    Donna's only request for this shoot was to make sure her Firebird was in direct sunlight. As a photographer, this request is crazy. The best time to shoot is where the car isn't in direct sunlight, but she made it clear is was all about the paint. I quickly realized what she meant.

     I jumped at the chance to photograph this car. For one, I've never ridden in an old muscle car. Second, I could tell by Donna's photographs that it was beautiful. If the car itself didn't pull me in, the paint job definitely did.

     Bouncing between a distinctly different blue and green, the color (or colors) of this car make you look twice. As if the car itself wasn't enough, the previous owner found the perfect pearlescent shade to go with this classic Pontiac. It was the last nail in the coffin when Donna and her husband were searching for a classic car.

     With a slapshifter installed, it seems like this Firebird was being built to drag, but thankfully Donna got to it before that could happen. Don't get me wrong, some cars are meant to be dragged, but I believe this car is built to be beautiful, and Donna seems to be doing just that.

      Even if Pontiac was still building cars today, I don't think that they could produce cars with the same feeling as this Firebird. Sure, it's not the most practical, efficient, or safe car in the world, but it's timeless. It doesn't make sense to produce cars like this anymore, but thank god it made sense at one point.

     Without riding in any classic muscle car beforehand, this time was an experience. When idling it felt the whole car was an engine, and the feeling was unlike anything I ride in today. Turning the vehicle was like turning a cruise ship, but every hardship about the experience seemed like a labor of love for Donna.

     I should also mention that anyone could hear this car once it got within a mile of them. Unlike obnoxious exhausts that are infamous today, this car sounds like the low, deep, loud rumbling of another time. This Firebird is loud and proud; the full muscle car experience.

     I'd like to thank Donna for her time and patience setting this all up. Mother nature didn't agree with us at first, but thankfully everything worked out. I'd also like to thank the gracious Air Wilmington for their amazing help and the time they take out of their day for me.

---