Howard Pilon

I get to go back in time...to the good 'ol days...yippee!

After graduation, I attended Santa Monica Junior College in the Automotive Technology Class. No surprise as some of you may know of the love I have for cars and hot rods. In 1965 I was picked to attend the General Motors Training Center and that's where my career really started. I then went to workfor Kaiser Brothers Oldsmobile in Los Angeles as a technician. Over the next few years I transferred to several dealerships in the area. In 1967 I marriedthe love of my life, Barbara at St. Monica's church. She also attended St. Monica's High School, class of 1966. In 1970 our son, Matthew, was born and in 1973, our daughter, Michelle, entered this world.

I had an opportunity to relocate to Las Cruces, New Mexico (which we loved!) and from there we moved to Brownfield, Texas (south of Lubbock) to accept my first "gig" as a Service Manager.

After 3 years and my wife having enough of the dirt, sand, weather and missing our families, we moved back to California and settled at that time in Sacramento. Over the next several years I continued mycareer as Service Manager in some very large dealerships. Can you say STRESS! I was fortunate enough to have great success and won several General Motors awards which afforded us the pleasure of travel and seeing many parts of the world such as Germany, Austria, Jamaica, Spain, Portugal, Hawaii, Australia, and ports on the Mediterranian Sea.

Moving again...in 1987 we settled down in Vacaville, California and have been there ever since!

Over the years, I always continued on with my love of cars and hot rods and built a 1974 Chevrolet Vega to NHRA specs and raced many years in the Super Gas category. Fun, Fun, Fun! I also restored a 1971 Chevelle.
My wife loved the car but it scared her to death to drive...not too surprised as it had a 502, 600 hp engine.

She says I have oil in my veins...not blood!

We are now both retired and loving life. I've had 2 complete knee replacements. We both keep on movin' but really, this getting old isn't for "sissys"