When Did Things Become So Divided?

A couple of events took place this week and with my somewhat skewed thought process, gelled them all together into this week's concept. There's a line from a well-known movie where one of the characters states, "What do they call that when everything just kinda comes together?" Right afterwards, the lead character fires back, "Yeah - they call it the Bermuda Triangle."

Case in point; I was reading an article this week about the 2017 Honda Civic Type R. Now before you lose your shit asking why on Earth I'm taking about a rice burner, here me out. While I think it's really cool that a four-banger from the factory can come with 306 horsepower and 295 pound feet of torque, that's not the direction I'm going in. My main point is, I have one big problem with this car and it's not even the $35,000 price tag. My beef? It looks like the poster child for a tuner car. It has it all - the special scooped hood and scalloped body, the bling wheels, the trumpet rear exhaust tips, and a big rear wing that defines the word goofy. And there lies the rub - this is the only way you can purchase this car. No rear spoiler delete option, no discount for removing special ground effects. I'm also wondering just who exactly is Honda marketing this puppy to? Maybe things are different in Florida or out in California, but in my humble opinion, this car screams the under-28 crowd. Now - just how many 28 year old's (or younger) can swing 35 large or the monthly payment (and insurance) that goes with it? Maybe some peeps out there can shed some light on this. It's too bad the Type R engine isn't available in the regular plain-jane SI. Now that would a daily driver I just might buy. Talk about a sleeper.


Which leads me to my next point; I really miss the good old days of hot rodding. Long before the manufacturers got the hang of adding scoops, stripes, and spoilers by the late 60's, sleepers were bountiful and even encouraged. Another different aspect between then and now, was most hot rodders didn't rely on the factory for go-fast vehicles and/or hardware. The 50's and most of the 60's were defined by two words - engine swap. I have an old publication that was printed decades ago by the Hot Rod Magazine that showcased Mopar engine swaps. This publication held page after page of people swapping the 392 Hemi into almost anything - from a 1957 Thunderbird to an early 60's Studebaker Lark. Big block 383 and 440 engines were swapped into Ford F-100 pickups as well as Chevy's from the early 50's. You see, back then (and I'm talking pre-1970) hot rodders didn't care if they or someone else created a "mutt" of a vehicle. The name of the game was to go fast for as little coin as possible. A part of me leapt for joy last Friday when I saw a nice 1964 Ford Falcon with a modified Buick Nailhead engine between the fenders at a car show. Other people who viewed it, were divided - a definite love / hate type of deal.

It's funny though - when I step into the realm of street rods from the late 20's and 30's, I'm more persnickety about engine swaps. If you peruse the classifieds of Racing Junk, you'll see countless Ford street rods with small block Chevy's powering them. Ditto with an old Dodge, Plymouth, Pontiac, etc. I love it when a Ford street rod that actually contains Blue Oval power, especially if it's a tunnel-ram big block or a stoker small block. And don't even get me started on the Mustang Fox-body engine swaps, especially ones with LS Chevy's. It was a novelty 5+ years ago, but that's worn off for me. Maybe I'm just burnt out from seeing so many of them. I guess it's a case of you don't know what you've got until it's gone... or perhaps less common.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave

All Things Being Equal

I can remember a time as recent as the mid to late 60's, that women simply weren't considered in the world of muscle cars, hot rodding and drag racing. While that by-gone era may seem like ages ago, it is still burnt in my memory, because it was during my lifetime. If you want a glaring example of just how bad and sexist things used to be, dig into the October 1966 issue of Hot Rod magazine and check out the article and road test on the new 1967 383 Plymouth Barracuda S. It's full of all kinds of groovy lingo, but it openly states that this car is not for a woman. Period. Today, however, I'm reminded of the progress we've made during that time when browsing through automotive history books, checking out the latest racing events, as well as chatting with muscle car / street rod enthusiasts.

For example, I was at a weekend cookout that was hosted by a friend of my wife. The host and hostess were wonderful, gracious people. When the husband found out I work at an automotive repair garage and I'm a dye-in-the-wool vintage car nut, he took me down to their garage and showed me two pristine examples of sports cars; one was a 1968 Jaguar XJE roadster, the other was a 1963 split-window Corvette. Unfortunately, I was drawn immediately to the Vette, and almost ignored the Jag. Why unfortunately? Because the XKE was his and the Corvette was his wife's. I had to gently explain to him my infinity for American cars only as I handed him my business card. When I returned to the outdoor deck to rejoin my wife, she asked about the cars and I told her that I thought I broke the poor guys heart, because in my heart, the Corvette blew away the Jaguar. Our hostess Gail piped up, "...did he tell you the Corvette is mine?" I replied that he indeed had. "Did he also tell you my car just absolutely annihilates his on the road?" Uh... nope. 

By now, tons of pictures and scads of news have flooded the internet regarding the east coast The Race Of Gentlemen that took place about a month ago down on the beaches in Wildwood New Jersey. If this event is not on your vintage automotive bucket list, shame on you. It has got to be one of the best times one can have all year. Not only does the town fully embrace this annual shindig, but it truly is a nostalgic family event. What's also truly refreshing, is that there is a pleasant mix of male and female drivers of vintage cars as well as motorcycles - not just hot looking flag starters. Don't be fooled by the term "Gentlemen" in the event title, nor the blurb on their website, "... time and tide wait for no man." Everything looks the part - from the cars, to the drivers, even the spectators. Many people go to great lengths to give this event a feel of early drag racing from the late 40's. Cars and bikes must be 1934 and older models with drive-train mods using speed equipment up to the year 1948. The event pretty much occurs every year in mid-June - mark it on your calendar for next year.

I'll end this week's blog with a splash of drag racing. You can cruise the net and find all kinds of articles on famous drag racing drivers, both men and woman, ranging from Don Garlits, to Shirley Shahan. Many of the articles state the extra lengths women had to go through so they could be viewed as competitors that were just as good as the guys. Driving this point across is none other than Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney in a Sunday News Magazine cover from 1978. A picture is worth a thousand words...

Until next time, peace out.
Dave

4th of July and Automotive Freedoms

I live in a very tourist-oriented area here along the coast of Maine and with July 4th on our doorstep, I can honestly say, without a doubt, summer is here... and all that goes with it. According to the local paper, some 625,000+ people are going to cross the border into Maine over the next few days. By now, you're probably asking what the hell does this have to do with Full Throttle?

There's a funny but strange phenomenon that occurs when the tourists "blindly invade" (a local term, especially on the out-lying islands) our area. First off, yard sales multiply about 30-fold. And with that, comes things that you normally don't see. For example, my wife and I were heading home from a cookout yesterday afternoon when we saw a huge yard sale still in progress. The key item that caught my eye was a 1942 Pontiac 2-door sedan that had an asking price of $3000. Normally, one would never see something like this when tourists are absent. When I first eyeballed the price, I kinda expected a vehicle that needed quite a bit of work, but it was in surprisingly restorable condition, plus it started, ran and drove. Okay, it had the ubiquitous 6-cylinder and 3-speed stick, but it was a decent street rod starting point if someone had the time and money.

That's all well and good, but what about the "automotive freedom" bit? This is something, at least in the automotive hobby, still holds true and has not been subject to a total lack of empathy, a meltdown of brand bashing, and filled with assholes like other facets of life. Our government is one example that comes to mind, especially on the national level. And while, yes - there are some people in this hobby that are way too egotistical, self-centered, and just plain stupid assholes - what I mean by automotive freedom is that, whether a casual enthusiast or hardcore gear head, we can appreciate each other, our varied skills, each others ideas, and as a whole the concept of "...united we stand, divided we fall".

I've had the pleasure and experience of engaging in hot rod road trips as well as drag racing events. Even in competition, there's still a general camaraderie among car people. The same holds true with motorcyclists and people who RV. At national drag racing events, I've seen competitors "loan" engines and other drive-train parts to other teams. That's literally unheard of in any other type of professional sport. On road trips in a hot rod, I've had people stop and attempt to help (and actually help) when I've experienced a breakdown. I've even had police officers pull me over in a hot rod just because they want a closer look at it.

The second part of the automotive freedom concept is mostly psychological. I work in an automotive repair garage with my oldest daughter who is a top ASE technician. Recently, I was asked if my oldest grandson (who loves coming up to the shop on occasion), who is also my oldest daughter's son, if he'll be working at the same garage when he's older. My response was, "At his point, I honestly don't know. Even though he's eleven, there's a lot of years between now and when he's an adult." The question that followed was, "Do you hope he follows in your family's footsteps?" My response to that was first, I want him to grow up being true to himself and not be an asshole. He can be whatever he wants to be in life. Treat people the way you want to be treated - which is decently. Second, I've told my grandson before, don't be afraid to make a living with your hands. In our modern society, too many blue collar professions (and the people employed in them) are downplayed as crass and stupid. It doesn't matter if you're a plumber, a construction worker, or an automotive mechanic / technician. Granted, there are some people out there who fit that mold in those industries, but it's in the extreme minority.

I also said the same holds true for my granddaughter. Do what you love, even if it's in a male-dominated field. It is no less noble to teach boys and girls how to repair machinery than it is to educate them about literature. Fabricating is just as vital as litigating. Want to go to a technical school while you're in high school? Go for it. Both my daughters are worlds better off because of it. Want to attend college? By all means, attend the college of your choice and nail it. The automotive world is waiting for you and needs you. Just be sure you leave the drama, bullshit, and prejudicial divides at the door.

Until next time, peace out & have a safe 4th.
Dave