Are We Really Moving Ahead?

I read several disturbing articles this week and if you think about it, none of them were good for the hot rod hobby. One was about the legislative bill that is starting to move forward in California where the state, by the year 2040, wants a ban on all internal combustion engines. In my humble opinion, this is a lose-lose for everybody. I'm not looking at this from strictly a hot rod enthusiast point of view, but in regards to the big picture. There's a few items that are more than troubling. What will the state do with all those vehicles that have engines, including hybrids? Granted, I realize that in the Golden State any vehicle that's over 4 years old is considered a beater, but there's still a lot of gas-powered iron out there that's running on the street. It's not just going to disappear. Second, when is the government going to realize that, as of this writing, the producing or the manufacturing process of an all-electric and/or hybrid emits three times the emissions when compared to when a petrol driven rig is built. No carbon footprint, my ass. Maybe that manufacturing process will change by 2040 - it's going to have to.

While I feel all the speed-part companies that are based in California won't be affected a great deal, they'll just sell their wares to the other 49 states, I do feel that the state is boxing themselves into a corner. When all is said and done, and there are no more fossil-fuel burning monsters on the road, and they still have a pollution problem, who are they going to blame then? Will they finally go after the factories that have been polluting for the past 50+ years or will they turn a blind-eye because of election-based donations of sick amounts of cash? And please, don't even mention CAFE credits - that's just pure bullshit. So, with this bill, are we really moving ahead?

The same can be said for the even-greater divide of aftermarket parts. The quality of speed parts that are coming from Edelbrock, Holley, AFR, MSD, and the thousands of other reputable companies continues to increase. However, the stuff you purchase at your local parts store, is sliding ever faster down the dumper... and the skids are greased. I work at an automotive repair shop during the week, and it

seems that the parts are being made by companies that just don't care. In just the past two months, I've seen "brand new" parts already failing just after installation; batteries that have a dead cell, brake calipers where the piston seals leak when you bleed brakes, starters that are completely shot right out of the box, and ditto with wheel bearings. I've also seen exhaust parts that don't even come close to fitting properly, and the same with suspension parts. And all these examples are the "better quality" parts with better warranties, not the cheap shit. In this case, if you want to move forward, stick with the brands that have been around a long time like Moog, Federal Mogul, and others the like.

One of the best ways to move ahead, is to educate yourself as much as possible. And don't be afraid of tackling an older car to fix up. One of the best articles I've read in a while is about a group of young men (all aged 33 and younger) that are totally into vintage iron from the late 20's into the very early 30's. They're learning by listening to older mentors (there's a reason why we have two ears and only one mouth - to listen more than we talk), and doing it yourself. It's in the latest issue of Hot Rod Deluxe magazine. None of the rides these gentlemen have are pristine. In fact, one of them is a POS Special. "That's great", I hear you say, "But I live in the snow belt. I can't drive a 50's 4-door sedan in the winter." True - but how bout this; get yourself a ride that's at least 20 years old... like a late 90's Toyota Camry - a base model - to thrash around in the winter weather. Cheap, easy to work on, (ever lift the hood on one of these 4-cylinder no-frills cars? Everything is accessible), and when it craps out, buy another one just like it.

Life isn't perfect - we're all going to have good days and bad days. But in the grand scheme of things, don't you think it would be wise if we actually went three steps forward and only one step back instead of the other way around?

Until next time, peace out.
Dave