Talk about starting at the bottom...Greg Donahue was cleaning the greasepit at his Dad’s Ford dealership when he was eight years old. By the age of 16, he was racing for Ford, driving in the late model division in 1964. By his late teens, he was making a living racing in the Winston Cup and did so between 1969 and 1972.
Today, he writes for a number of publications, one of which is this magazine. He also takes a lot of his time trying to help Galaxie Club members with problems they may be having with their restorations. He is pretty easy to talk to PROVIDING you bought the part in question from him and not a competitor. (Seems fair to me!)
He writes for Super Ford Magazine, Old Car Trader, Corvette Fever, Mopar Muscle, Hi Performance Mopar and the online Corvette Magazine.com. He has also written for Muscle Car Review.
Greg has recently been awarded a spot in the Muscle Car Hall of Fame as one of the top 10 people who have shaped our hobby. Quoting from the January 2000 issue of Muscle Car Review: Greg Donahue - Category: Restorer We could talk about Greg Donahue the Chevrolet dealer, NASCAR racer, or parts supplier (’63-’64 Ford Galaxie), but it’s Greg Donahue the restorer we’ll focus on here. Since Donahue’s Restoration Clinic column first appeared in the August ’86 issue, Greg has freely shared his diverse, innovative, and accomplished automobile restoration skills in writing this highly technical and specialized column. Mopar, GM, Ford, or AMC, Greg has the answer to what color a part should be, who sells a specific part, what to do if no one makes the part you need, whether to repaint a non-original color, etc. In addition to his many columns, Greg has produced more how-to tech articles than anyone in this industry and has coauthored a major book on muscle car restoration. His writing, always well researched and accurate, never fails to consider the job from the reader’s perspective, warning of potential problems and suggesting the right remedies that come only from having actually done the job. Further, Donahue’s restoration writing consistently finds that balance between dogmatic perfectionism and real world practicality. Greg also developed the Platinum Challenge, an uncompromising judging standard that gave top restorers a goal to shoot for. No one has done more to inspire, guide, and help enthusiasts over the hurdles they face in their own restorations.
Greg refuses to compromise quality. All of his reproduction Ford parts for 1963 and 1964 are of top notch quality and he guarantees everything against defects. Of course a defect you cause by not reading the instructions is well...I guess you could say mute?
One of the books Greg co authored, “How To Restore Your Muscle Car” has sold thousands of copies. Unfortunately for all of us, Motor Books decided to quit printing it and refused to sell the plates back to Greg so that he could have it printed somewhere else. So to do so, he will have to start all over again.
Currently Greg sells reproduction parts for 1963 and 1964 Galaxies. He also sells shop manuals for these two years as well as a small information booklet about those two years. I can only say, if the word is correct, that 1963 and 1964 Galaxie owners are blessed to have Greg Donahue around to help them restore their cars.
If you call Greg, please ask if he is busy at the time. If he isn’t, he gladly spends time talking to you if you are willing to pay the phone bill. If he is busy, he will let you know and you can always call back later. Some folks think the world revolves around them and that everyone should just drop what they are doing at whatever hour of the night or day (I speak from first hand experience!) and talk to them about whatever subject that they have to talk about. Sorry...it doesn’t work that way.
We all thank Greg for his Resto-Tips column that he does for no fee in our club magazine. However, to keep it going...YOU need to get in those questions. And if the question isn’t model specific, he will answer them too.
His contact information is located on page 2 of this magazine.
Thanks from all of us in the FGCoA, Greg!
Greg Donahue Collector Car Restorations
12900 South Betty Point
Floral City, Florida 34436
352-344-4329
|