I Didn't Want to Grow Up

            “I didn’t grow up,” said Glenn Dalsanto with a childish grin on his face. He looked over at the main reason for this, a 1973 Plymouth Barracuda with a big block 440 cubic inch engine and a 513 rear end; what he calls the Whoop-Ass package. “I still feel 17 when I drive it.”

            This is actually the third ‘Cuda Glenn has owned in his life. The first one he bought when he was 16 when he was in high school in South Holland, IL.

            “I had it for two years and I never got a ticket in that car, even though we use to race before school,” he said, his grin getting bigger as he spoke.

            The second ‘Cuda he owned, he said, was the fastest. “It was a 440 with dual quads,” he explained.

            Now he’s on his third one. “I always wanted a big block,” he said. He found it, buying it from the estate of a guy who had won the lottery. The car was in pretty good shape. “There’s a lot of restoration parts for these now,” Glenn said.

            Glenn said he loves to drive the car, and that’s evident by how he beams when he talks about it. “Everybody wants to race to see how fast it can go,” he said. “The nicest thing about it is when cops pull me over and look at the car and say ‘my dad had one of these.’”

            With a laugh Glenn told the story of one time when a police officer pulled up next to him, got his attention and asked if he wanted to race. “I just looked at him and said, ‘You go first.’ He shook his head and said, ‘You go first.’ I just shook my head no and drove off when the light changed.”

            At least he’s grown up enough to know not to race for pinks against a police officer. “That’s a race I’d never win,” he concluded with a laugh.

            Glenn shows his car around but would rather be driving it. When he shows the car he also sets up a display which includes pictures from each of his three ‘Cudas as well as an impressive collection of Barracuda miniatures. And if those Matchbox, Hot Wheel and Johnny Lighting cars wasn’t enough to prove that Glenn hasn’t completely grown up, take a look at the sticker he has in the back window. He is still a teenager at heart.