The Love of My Life

Short Version

I met Hallie in the Fall of 1965.  We both were going to the same college and by coincident we would meet!  There was an attractive girl who wore dresses and high heal shoes and worked in the college Police Administration office.

One night I was going to a sorority  house to pick up my date Kathy, who wasn't ready when I got there.  The girl that opened the door she called towards the bedroom "Hallie (A Pledge) come out and entertain Paul in the kitchen".  Hallie, yells back from behind the closed door, " I am not dressed".  The girl at the door yells back "I don't care, just get out there now"!  Well I'm thinking I do not know Hallie, but this should be interesting.  Out comes Hallie in a London Fog trench coat with no shoes on and clinging to the coat tightly and takes me to the small kitchen.  We begin small talk and I am thinking I know this girl from somewhere.  She mentioned she was in the Police Program.  I said do you work in the office and wear dresses and high heals and she said yes.  About that time Kathy shows up and off we go.  Next week I had a late class and when leaving I ran into Hallie and we began to talk and I asked Hallie for a date.  She asked what about Kathy?  I said she was a friend and we both date other people.  Hallie said call me tomorrow.  Kathy backed up my story and I got the date.  I like to be on time and didn't know the area Hallie lived in and the night before  our date I drove out to her house not expecting to seeing her.  Low and behold she was getting out of her car.  She stopped to look at the 55 Chevy driving by slowly.  Hallie did not know that the car she saw in the school parking lot almost everyday and admired was mine.  Hallie waved her hand when when she recognized me.  I stopped, got out and explained what I was doing out there.  Hallie looked towards the car and looked back at me.  She noticed there was an attractive girl in the car and I told her that was my little sister.  I then explained she was not my real sister and that I was close with her family for years.  I even told her that I dated Linda and her older older sister years ago.   I became Linda's older brother that she never had and Linda was my younger sister I never had.  Linda died in December 2019, and now Hallie, May 3, 2020. 

Hallie and I hit it off right away and we had so much in common.  We both loved water skiing, eating and CARS!  I had 1955 Chevy and she had a new 1965 Mustang coupe with a 289 engine.  Hallie would have crackers and coke for lunch so she could make the car payments. She also worked as a secretary in Police Administration at the college, while taking the course herself to work in Police work. Hallie was very smart and was very observant of everything.

We dated till December 24, 1967 (her 23rd birthday), when I asked her to marry me. I was a lucky young man when she said yes.  We both had graduated and then married July 6, 1968.  Hallie,  would move to Jacksonville, Florida due to the fact I had taken a job in engineering with Southern Bell Telephone before we were married.  Hallie was offered an undercover job in the Jacksonville Sheriffs Department, but never took it, because I and her Mom said no.  Hallie instead took a job with a commercial construction supplier as a secretary. This would be helpful when we started our business.

We now owned three cars in late 1968 and began racing the 55 Chevy with four speed Hydro Stick (4.10 First Gear) at Thunderbolt Dragway South of Jacksonville.  We started out driving to the track till the first time we broke a rear end. We then flat towed behind one of our other cars till we almost had a major crash. We would later get a trailer. Hallie and I decided to look into a Turbo Hydro 350 for our 55 Chevy in the future. We wanted to see if a shift kit would improve the TH350, but no one had one because the Transmissions hadn't made it to the junk yards or where to expensive.  The 1969 cars and had been out only about four months. Hallie was ready to be part of idea to get a car to try some ideas. There was a prominent car rental in Jacksonville and we decided to rent a car with a TH350. She went inside to talk to the rental person while I was looking underneath the cars outside for a TH350 Trans. I found one and Hallie told the sales person I was going out of town for the weekend and liked to try that 69 Olds. When we were done the car really shifted great!  Monday, we returned the car.

Hallie and I decided to make the parts and be the first to design the first TH350 kit and Torqueflite kits. The name of the Company was to be Turbo Action and May 1, 1970 we would be in business.

We both worked our regular jobs and at night we would work on Turbo Action. We would drive around Florida on the weekends and sell to Speed Shops out of our used 68 Chevy wagon 327 Quadrajet with TH400 from the factory. The wagon pulled our open trailer and 55 Chevy now with a TH350 with the first manual valve body. NHRA racers came from everywhere looking for TH350 Transmissions. We both left our regular jobs rented a building and hired people. In 1974 we shook up Chrysler Corp. and their racers with first CHEETAH Valve Body a full tenth of a second faster. Chrysler was so great to work with in those days.

Behind the scenes it was Hallie, busting her butt keeping the parts, the books and me going. Hallie had also raced the 55Chevy in powder puff races and then made a few men mad when the tracks let her run in the regular programs. She also raced our 69 Camaro many times, including one Gatornationals .  Hallie would spend money on the race car before buying something for herself.    Hallie was the catalysis behind the CHEETAH SCS Shifter, CHEETAH E-SHIFT, etc.

There are many more stories, but it would take a few books to write them all down. 

The Hallie Story goes on for 50 years working at Turbo Action till about five weeks before she passed. She loved the sport and its wonderful racers and their families through in some cases five generations.

Hallie was the Best

Business Partner

Employee

Friend

My Wife

"The Love of My Life"

GOD

"Hire her she will get it done!"

Hallie and I were married 51 years, 10 Months and 3 Days!

The 65' Mustang and 55' Chevy I will keep them till I pass.

I might keep the 69 Camaro because of all the fond memories?

These three cars contain memories of our love for each other and our cars.

I Was A Lucky Man to have Hallie Say Yes

I hope we will be again together in eternity?

I Love You,

Paul