You're Too Old...

You know how many times I've heard that? It doesn't matter if it's in reference to a car, music, a job, a hobby - whatever. I've gotten better over the years; my response nowadays is either, "Well, that's just your opinion. You're entitled to it." or in most cases, I don't say anything. I'll be turning 53 this year. I don't consider myself old - not by a long shot. Heck, my parents are both 79 and I don't consider them old, even though we both get flooded with AARP shit in our collective mailboxes from time to time.

This whole "old" thing came about one day this past week when I was discussing a customers brand new 2015 BMW X5 that was getting undercoated at the garage I work at. Never mind that it was a high end crossover SUV and the fact it had the 445 horsepower turbocharged V-8 under the hood. Oh, did I mention it was also a brilliant blue? Granted, there's not much eye candy when you pop the hood. Almost everything is hidden by that honking engine cover. But what struck me was why she purchased it - yeah... a woman owns this; "I'm 55, divorced, and have no kids. I needed an all wheel drive vehicle with enough room for all my crap that I need for my job. After working for over 30 years - I was finally able to get something really nice for myself. But honestly - I just love the way the engine sounds when I punch the gas accelerating onto the highway and that turbo kicks in... it is so awesome!" There you go - that's as good of an excuse as any! Of course, the other female customer who was having an oil change done on her Prius V wagon at the same time just had to pipe up; "Aren't you a bit old for something like that?" The BMW owner just glared at the other woman - "Madam; your opinion does not matter", and went back to what she was working on.

Be that as it may, racing and high performance has always been sprinkled with inspiring people who, to the uneducated casual observer, would be considered too old to participate in what they are doing. Two of the most notable examples are Mogan Shepard and Chris Karamesines.

I realize that not many people have heard of Mr. Shepard (right) and the fact that highlighting him sort of deviates from the early 70's cut off date we have for the blog. Your unfamiliarity may be due to the fact that he only competes part time in the Xfinity series of NASCAR. Regardless, he still deserves serious mention. As of this writing he just turned 74 about a week or so ago. He's not a powerhouse in the points division and has zero wins so far this season. Who cares. Would you still have the nerve and skill to power a 200+ mph race car around a track when you're in your 70's? And then still be good enough at it to qualify to start?

Chris Karamesines (left) should be more familiar, especially if you're into drag racing. Commonly referred to as "The Golden Greek", he has been a staple of the NHRA since the late 50's. Do the math - that's almost 60 years in professional drag racing... as a driver! He will turn 84 years young this November. Karamesines got his start with factory stock cars, then moved to Funny Cars, and finally switched to Top Fuel dragsters by the late 60's. While he hasn't been in the winners circle in years and his last final round appearance was way back in 1990, he is still a force to be reckoned with and is a man who truly loves the sport. Just ask #1 qualifier Brittany Force after she lost to Karamesines in the 1st round back in June 2014 in Bristol Tennessee. When interviewed afterwards, she basically stated, "He's very good and extremely competitive. My dad (John Force) wasn't so subtle. He asked me how it felt to get beaten by an 82 year old..."

Speaking of old, that seems to be a new semi-movement with rat rods lately. Using old but cool non-automotive items as a substitute for car parts. Case in point - dig the antique spittoons as carburetor air cleaners on top of the tunnel ram intake. While it may not be your cup of tea, you gotta admit it is unique. I have been seeing more of this in the past few years or so, when builders started using old street signs as floor boards and transmission tunnel sheet metal. While some people wish this particular genre of hot rodding would go away, I'm glad it's still as strong as it is. To me, it is another form of expression. Just like that completely over the top street rod that cost $300,000 to build and every magazine will feature is one person's statement, this type of creativity is the root of all hot rodding - work with what you have.

The thing is, I feel every hot rodder never truly loses their passion for going fast - it's the mode of transportation that changes. This has been fact for decades, especially when it came to muscle cars in the 60's and 1970. Companies like Studebaker and Buick realized this and tried capitalizing on it - you were never too old to go fast. Buick ended up building one of the best performance cars of the era. Studebaker... well, mechanically they built a pocket rocket, but sales wise, the car was too little too late as Studebaker was bleeding cash catastrophically in the early 60's. Some of you may be asking, "Studebaker built a muscle car?" Yup - back in 1963, the company screwed together turbo-charged V-8's that cranked out over 300 horsepower in a car that weighed under 3000 pounds. In 1964, just as the manufacturer was about to lock the doors, they offered an R3 and R4 versions of the Lark and the Avanti. The option placed a 400+ horsepower turbo small block V8 between the fenders that could blow the doors off most anything the big three could offer. I have a rare Studebaker brochure in my collection that highlights their turbocharged options, although it's on an Avanti model. The bottom line says it all - "More power than you'll ever need."

Buick was a bit more successful. Their performance version of the Skylark, known as the GS, was potent in its own right. But when GM threw the 400 cubic inch engine mandate for mid-size muscle cars out the window for 1970, the GS when equipped with the Stage 1 package became iconic. With a horsepower rating that was a sedate 360 horsepower - it was more like 425 plus - and 510 pound feet of torque, the car was an iron fist in a velvet glove. If one could live without A/C, and the owner swapped in an aluminum intake, a Holley carb, and decent set of headers in place of the factory pieces, low 12-second quarter mile times were common, even with an automatic... in a 4000 pound car. Add the rare Stage 2 option and you had a set of wheels legends were made of and very few modified muscle cars, even Corvettes, could touch. Motor Trend magazine fell in love with the 1970 GS Stage 1 calling it, "...brutally fast without the hint of Geritol."

We may age, but we never get old.
Until next time, peace out.
Dave