Getting Back To Basics and Other Rants

       You’ve probably noticed that this blog, in other words, me - had taken a few weeks off. At first, I sort of got into a self-bashing mode and briefly thought of a sign a friend of mine uses for his small business. One side says, “Yes! We’re open!” The flip side says, “Sorry, We’re Lazy!”

     I then realized that I wasn’t being lazy. I could have used the excuse that I was doing photo shoots at some local car shows as well in farther reaches of the state. While that last statement is true, I also looked back at the posts I have already written and realized that some things were missing. I had yet to really broach subjects like vintage drag racing and NASCAR in addition to muscle cars & high performance. So, in retrospect, it’s quite possible that the blog needed a break from me so I could get my act together.

     The car shows I attended were awesome. They are by no means the biggest ones I’ve ever been to, but they offered a great diversity of vehicles - all of which were driven there. No trailer queens. I personally have nothing against car shows, and while I’ve been to well over 200 in my lifetime and have seen some really cool rides, they don’t flip my cookies in the ways they used to. I no longer enter my car in the show as a participant - it’s just too much of a headache. I can no longer just sit there for hours on end & listen to some people blather with so much incorrect bullshit, that it starts ruining the experience. I’ll drive my car to and from the event, no problem; which is what I’d rather be doing anyways.

     I also find I’m attending smaller events. I’ve been to some huge 3 day events from New Jersey to  Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. What you see & what goes on there can literally blow your mind. And while I encourage everyone to attend a show like that at least once in their life, it’s something I’m starting to veer away from as a photographer and writer. I just can’t capture it all - it’s TOO much. When I go to smaller events, I can spend 6 hours at it & come away feeling totally satisfied with what I took in, made notes of, and photographed. I feel less stressed - and I get the feeling that the other people running the event as well as attending it, feel that way too. 

     At one of the car shows, I saw a number of vintage drag racers as well as stock car machines. This brought me back to what I wanted to cover in the blog. I’ll admit that I’m a pretty big nostalgia buff. I recently saw a blurb where long time NHRA Funny Car racer Dale Creasey Sr. is trying to make things work with a new racing crew and car. A Cadillac no less! Check out the pic. While it’s a Funny Car to the nth degree, it actually looks like a new Cadillac CTS, not some molded hunk of fiberglass that completely misses the mark. The car even has a cool name - not a sponsor. This is a case of character over commercial. All I can say is, “Bravo Dale!”

     The nostalgia aspect also got me to thinking about NASCAR. The modern day stuff I can’t stand - haven’t been able to stomach it for almost 30 years. Between the homogenized race car bodies, the ludicrous sponsorship deals, the junior high school drama, and the general boredom of the race just left me flat. Even when Ford announced it’s 2013 Fusion as a next generation NASCAR vehicle, it still had decals for lights, doors that weren’t doors, and body lines that were nowhere near stock. I’m sorry - but most modern day racing teams show up at the track with more equipment than many new car dealerships. I miss

the days from the 50’s through the early 70’s when teams had nothing but a few jacks, fender covers, and one good size tool box. Check out the pic from the 1972 season and Charlie McGee‘s Monte Carlo. It shows 4 guys using a couple of jacks, one small red tool box, and some assorted parts on the work benches. Never mind the fact it actually looks like a Monte Carlo. Amazing…

     All this supposed thinking got my brain working into the thought pattern of “What type of gearhead am I really?” My kids just want to say I’m becoming an old fart. I remember fondly the golden days of stock car as well as drag racing, I’m attending smaller car shows that are closer to home, I’ve grown tired of the concept of “completely restoring” another old vehicle - all the excuses are there.

     However, as I grow older, I find my automotive passions are widening. 25 years ago, it was muscle cars from the 60’s - I wouldn’t even consider street rods. Now, I fully embrace hot rods from the 20’s through the 70’s, and can even get into some modern day muscle. I prefer the older stuff because the lines, styling, and year to year uniqueness will never return to the production automobile. I prefer function over form, love patina, and stance & character still trump chrome and polish. I still enjoy rat rods, even though people are starting to grow tired of them. I am grateful that the pro-street excess of the 80’s and early 90’s hasn’t returned - and I hope it never does. I’ll never build a “checkbook” ride, but I can still appreciate them.

     Drag racing is the only sport I’ll watch on television and even that is not too often. In modern day racing, Funny Cars still ring my bell more than anything, but I prefer nostalgia racing hands down over everything else in that realm. Bracket racing has gotten old for me. Maybe it’s a case of been there, done that. And yes, I still have no interest in modern NASCAR or monster trucks.

    I no longer own (or purchase) cars that do not run, I’m through with trucks and 4x4’s, and for some reason I’m starting to groove on vintage motor-homes (see pic). I wished I hung onto a few of the vehicles I owned in the past. If I sold them all now, I could buy a nice house outright and still have money left over. I really have no marquee loyalty, but if I had to absolutely list them in order it would be Mopar, Buick, Chevy, Ford, Pontiac, Olds.

     I still go to car shows mainly to take photos & notes as well as to appreciate the vehicles. I’d rather do that than talk about them for hours. Showing & talking is another severe been there, done that. I will never stop trying to learn about the mechanics of a vehicle (new or  old), NOS stuff is way over-rated, I love the aftermarket as well as swap meets. I’ll keep my comments to myself in regards to automotive films as well as music.

     So - how about you? Let me kn ow what you think.
     Until next time, peace out.
     Dave

Triumphs, Challenges, and Human Nature - Oh My!

     Numerous people have heard this saying from me on several occasions over the years; “…sometimes it’s embarrassing to be part of this species called humans.” I will admit that I am guilty, on too many occasions to mention, of falling into that category. Last weeks example - my 87 Mustang. I knew it had a blown head gasket. I knew it had to be fixed… and soon. I knew roughly what the cost of the parts and the repairs (that I could not do myself) would be. I knew that the costs could be higher than what I estimated they would be. So when the car was finally finished, why was I still grimacing over the repair bill?

      Call it human nature. Call it having a chance to digest things. Or more likely, because of the “drama driven, never enough” society we live in, call it that we’re never really satisfied. And that last part is a pretty sad state, my friends. It’s been a few days since I stuffed the bill in my pocket and I’ve had time to reflect over what’s on it. First off in reality, I never even should have thought about what the final tally was, despite the fact it was a couple of hundred bucks over the original estimate. In the end, I got a screamin’ deal… plain and simple.

       What drove the bill up was the fact that the AFR aluminum heads were warped and had to be milled. This process is not something my friend nor I could do, so that job had to be farmed out. The guy who did the work, (thanks again Dan) not only did an outstanding job, but did it for dirt cheap. Why? Because he found out that these were going on an antique Mustang that served double duty as a drag car thinly disguised as a street vehicle. He thought the whole package (sleeper image) was “downright righteous”. He also heli-coiled some bolt holes in the heads, so we could install some new (as well as the correct type; ASE not metric) bolts that help keep some steering components in place. He did that part for free. The money I paid, along with a huge dose of thanks (and a 30 rack) just didn’t seem enough.

      While tearing the motor apart, we also found out that the 9 month old serpentine belt was just a whisker too big. The previous owner had to improvise since the A/C and the air pump were long gone by the time he bought it and he couldn‘t get in touch with the guy who built the motor originally. The guy ended up buying a new belt at a NAPA in New Jersey and the part came with a lifetime warranty. Since I had the original receipt, my local NAPA contact took that belt back, (muchas gracias Harley), listed it as defective, and gave me the correct size belt I needed. Again, free of charge.

      Is all this diatribe an attempt in massively gloating my good luck or ego? Far from it. The key point here is, is the power of building an effective network of friends and fellow gear-heads. I didn’t even know Dan before last week, but we shared a deep common thread of the love of performance cars and drag racing. You can also build a network of friends, contacts and fellow gear-heads from the most unlikely places. For example, before I purchased the Mustang, I restored an old Chevy C-10. 90% of the body work & paint was performed by several low security inmates that were due to be released from the local prison. It took way longer than we ever thought it would (about 8 months), but working side by side with these guys was an enlightening experience. Yes, prior to their stay at the prison, they made mistakes. Yes, they paid their debt to society. Yes, the admitted they fucked up. But they were also very real & human - more so than many other people I’ve dealt with “on the outside”. Even though that work was done over 3 years ago & the truck is long gone, I still keep in touch with one of the guys who helped with the work. He’s very down to Earth & probably one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet… tattoos and all.

      It also proved the benefits of documentation. One of the big selling points of this car was the fact the owner had a notebook that contained every receipt, part manuals, dyno sheets - anything that was installed, worked on, or done to the car over the past 15 years. That can be almost invaluable. Coupled with the fact that three different owners managed to hang on to all this paperwork before I got it, this is an absolute miracle- especially in this day in age.

      We still have some minor things to do on the 'Stang over the next few weeks. One of them is numerous oil changes. I’ll probably be performing about one a week for at least the next month to make sure all that crap (coolant & oil mix) is out of every crevasse in that engine. 

     In the end, a co-worker of mine put it best. After all the work was finished, the Mustang was fired up for the 1st time in 3 weeks & she ran like a Swiss watch. He said, "was it worth it?" The thoughts of listening to the V-8 roar, the aggressive cam, and the loud exhaust, made me smile and respond, "yeah... no question." Looking back on all the people who helped in any way on this major project also left me (and I still have it) with a deep sense of awesome and gratitude.

     Until next time, peace out.
     Dave