So Now What Do We Do?

As I write this at the tail end of Thanksgiving weekend, hopefully all of you are finally over that holiday food comatose and behaved yourselves (unlike some others I read about in the news) during Black Friday. As much as BF leaves an ugly taste in my mouth, I must admit there were some truly screaming deals online over the weekend in regards to classic car parts as well as go-fast goodies. It was a decent way to get a jump start on your winter hot rod project or perhaps snag some speed parts for installation on your street machine next Spring. But as this weekend draws to a close, and most of the country is preparing for winter, it begs the question - what do we do now?

One of the biggest things about the hot rodding hobby in winter is the ubiquitous project car. It runs the gamut - some will get started, others will get finished, while some more will be stalled and/or given up on. And it's the last one that still bugs me; why was a vintage piece of Detroit iron given up on? Don't get me wrong - I've lived through this - life can throw some pretty nasty curve balls at you that were totally unexpected and the project car has to go because funds are needed. You simply have no choice. However, I believe those scenarios are in the minority. What usually happens, and I've been a victim of this many moons ago, is a failure to plan realistically. I can daydream with the rest of them and visualize a twin-turbo big block that cranks out 1,200 horsepower between the fenders of a 60's musclecar. Or an old-school small block, complete with the BDS blower, on the rails of a 1932 Ford Model A. However, without a plan, I won't even remotely get from point A to B, never mind to the finish line which is point R. Have a plan - even if it means it will take yet another year to finish your pride and joy. You'll get there.

Now - what if you don't have a winter project, or your ride is already finished to the point where you are all good with it? This is where your imagination can really stoke your creativity. One of the best articles that has ever influenced me came from a major automotive magazine, and I've had a chance to experience something very similar here in Maine - is drive your hot rod, especially if it's a convertible, in the winter. I'm not talking about in the snow, or when the roads are loaded with salt, or when it's -5 degrees outside. I've seen enthusiasts in my neighborhood take their street rod, musclecar, and/or motorcycle out in January and February when Mother Nature smiles with some upper 40 degree temperatures and the roads are good and clean. What was the story I read? When   Hot Rod magazine took an early '30's roadster (no roof or windows) and drove it through New Mexico, Arizona, and into Southern California - in late January. Think it doesn't get cold in that part of the U.S. in winter? Think again - Flagstaff Arizona gets snow. I've ventured out onto I-295 here in southern Maine in mid-February with a friend of mine driving his late '20's rat rod. The fact that both of us looked like Eskimos doesn't begin to describe how many layers we had on, but what an unforgettable experience! And the looks you get from other travelers is priceless.

That's great Dave, but what if you don't fall into any of the categories I've described? One thing I've really gravitated towards over the past few years is photographing vintage cars and trucks in winter. The rustier they are, the better. It gives an entirely new perspective on vintage machinery. It doesn't matter if there's snow on the ground or not, and you don't have to be the next Ansel Adams. You will find your own perspective and discover what you truly dig. Plus, there's numerous "rust" photography groups on Facebook that will also appreciate your work. Trust me - there are lots of amateurs on those sights, so chill out if you think your shots "won't be good enough". Go ahead - take chances and make mistakes. It will actually help you be more creative when the time ever comes if you build another winter project. 

Until next time, get out there and just do it.
And peace out as always,
Dave

Giving Thanks For Something Illegal

Looking back in automotive history, it boggles my mind sometimes how one thing can lead to another. When we narrow our focus to the hot rod, it's pretty much a given that the concept was born in southern California just before World War II and races were primarily run on the dry lake beds that were located mostly in the northern part of the state. Many of these vehicles were prepared by bootleggers - the same

individuals that ran shine during Prohibition so they could outrun revenue agents as well as the federal government. Also as a direct result, police vehicles were modified in an effort to reel the bootleggers in. So in reality, when running booze was illegal, it also dawned the first "police interceptor" models used by The Man. Think about it - if we didn't have the Prohibition period, we may not have had the hot rod, or muscle car, or aftermarket speed equipment business we enjoy today or to the extent it has expanded to in modern times.

This concept can also broaden the mind in how this trickle-down effect has also influenced muscle cars as well as drag racing. Love them or hate them, we can all thank the heads of GM for being "responsible" and giving the other manufacturers the tools and means for giving the General Motors is own self-inflicted sucker punch. The first came in 1963 when GM pulled the plug on all factory backed racing; whether it was drag racing, NASCAR, Indy racing - you name it. They thought Ford and Chrysler would follow suit. They didn't. To add insult to injury at the same time, GM thought the horsepower wars were getting out of hand. In response, they implemented a corporate wide ban on the use of any 400+ cubic inch engine in a mid-size or smaller vehicle, the only exception being the Corvette because of it's specialty / sports car status. With a slew of new or redesigned vehicles on the horizon for 1964, including the all-new Chevelle, GM again thought Chrysler and Ford would fall in line. Again, they didn't. In fact, both manufacturers went in the opposite direction. As a result, on the musclecar front, manufacturers like Pontiac and Oldsmobile used loopholes like making the GTO an option and Oldsmobile using the specialty manufacturing clause (read: Hurst Industries) to skirt around that mandate.

In spite of GM's racing ban, it seemed drag racing went absolutely hog wild by the end of 1965. There were factory super-stock vehicles in both stock as well as altered wheelbase from the factory courtesy of Chrysler, never mind the A-bomb they dropped in the form of the 426 Hemi engine. Ford also produced some equally devastating hardware in the form of the SOHC or Cammer engine as well as memorable rides like the 1964 Thunderbolt. In what seemed like another massive flip of the bird to GM, by December of 1965, Mercury developed the Eliminator I - which was the first all fiberglass body over a tube-frame chassis race car, and changed the path of the funny car forever, while making "Dyno Don" Nicholson a racing hero for all time.

However, it wasn't all bad for fans of the Bowtie. Savvy dealers, who were tired of getting taking their lumps in the hometown stoplight wars, finally got their act in gear and released in-house supercars under their own colors, which was another way to get around the GM engine mandate, which wouldn't be lifted until the early fall of 1969. Baldwin-Motion from New York, Yenko Chevrolet from Pennsylvania, as well as Nickey and Gibbs Chevy from Chicago and Los Angeles, produced some of the most wicked musclecars that ever graced the tarmac.

So while the good old days weren't always so good, and tomorrow may not be as bad as it seems, we can give thanks for the cool shit from the past as well as for what we have - be it a little or a good deal more. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still waking up daily on the right side of the grass. And that's not a bad place to start.

Until next time, peace out, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Dave