Getting It Right

Those three words can bring about some of the most spirited and opinionated discussions among human beings; how does someone know when something has been "done right" or not. With some aspects of our life, as with art, music, or photography, there really can't be a definitive line of right or wrong - because if we follow set-in-stone composition rules, it will only lead to a tedious repetition of cliches. But can the same concept be said for the automobile, hot rodding, and even racing?

I believe that answer is yes, but only to a point. Allow me to explain. I was reading an article about the 1939-40 Ford, arguably one of the most beautiful vehicles to come out of the depression era. While Ford's design chief, E.T. "Bob" Gregorie totally nailed the design of the car, it took several years to get it right in the chassis department. One of the biggest issues was Ford's early 30's style 112 inch wheelbase. It needed to be longer, so Gregorie designed one. He even had a working prototype done by 1935. Hence, the second delay - ego. Ford's chief engineer, Lawrence Sheldrake, would have no part of a suspension design that had been dreamt up by the head of Ford styling.

A few other examples that I personally experienced brought this "getting it right" concept to mind. The first was a beautifully restored / modified triple black 1970 Plymouth Duster (very similar to pic on left). Let me be the first to say, I will never tell someone how to build, paint, or modify a car. Heck, if you want to cut up a vintage 1957 Corvette and turn it into a modern pro-touring vehicle, go for it. As far as I'm concerned, it's your ride and your money. I had to give kudos to the guy who owned the vehicle, as he stated he built the Duster from a shell.

But here's where the "... only to a point" comes into play. While the Duster had all the right cues - from flawless paint and interior, to a cool sounding exhaust compliments of the modified 440 big block under the hood, (also similar to pic on right) and some spirited performance, it needed "some minor bugs worked out" according to the customer who brought the car in to the shop where my daughter, son-in-law, and I work. We ended up having this car for almost a week trying to work these bugs out. Even though the car looked flawless and totally cool, there were still so many things wrong with it, it was like working on a Pandora's Box. The brakes were all screwed up, because the system did not have all the correct parts; never mind a few fell out when we removed the "new" drum brakes. The steering system was a wreck as was the alignment, because short-cuts were taken. We had to tinker with the idle because the engine was getting way too much gas and ran like shit, especially with the aggressive cam coupled to an automatic. When all those challenges were ironed out and the car was taken for a mild test drive, we found that the original 6-cylinder torsion bars as well as the sloppy factory Chrysler power steering box were still in place. We already knew there was no front sway bar. If one even remotely nailed the gas while turning coming out of an intersection, the Duster was like a hippo on roller skates. It was actually somewhat nerve-wracking to drive, not fun like it should be. Bottom line - feel free to build and/or modify any car you want, any way you want - but all the components have to be up to the task of what you're building and work well together in the end. It will be done right not only in the visual department, but also in the mechanical world.

This past Friday night, my daughter, her kids, and I attended a local car show that meets every Friday night in the small town we work in. It meets in the a-typical shopping plaza parking lot that has a small hot dog stand in it. It is loosely organized and run, but it is definitely done right. No admission fees, cool oldies music supplied by a guy with an MP3 player, an amp, and some big speakers, and no hardcore limits on the cars that participate - domestic, foreign, stock or modified, original, restored, or somewhere in between - as long as it was 15 years or older. The evening was sunny and warm, everyone was laid back, and the show was packed! People of all ages, mingling, chatting, sharing memories, and bench racing. Not a bad way to spend an early Friday evening.

I can remember one time I was at the quarter mile drag strip in Epping New Hampshire. The track was holding a sort-of informal "run what you brung" type event. Be that as it may, the track still made any participants who wanted to take their ride down the 1320 feet of tarmac, go through their normal tech inspection. Rule #1 about hot rodding; safety first - then we can all have a blast. There was this one guy who owned a nice looking 1969 Chevelle; sounded really fast. However, he was denied entry into the racing portion of the event, because his car was not safe enough. He left the event all pissed off, rear tires a blazing out the main entrance. Apparently, he couldn't let go of his anger soon enough, because the Chevelle ended up getting totaled about 10 miles down the pike. A single car accident where the car went off the road, through a guardrail, and got stuffed it into the weeds and trees. He somehow walked away from the accident, even though the body had completely separated from the frame and then caught fire due to the Mickey Mouse wiring and fuel system set-up. And that's why he was denied at Epping in the first place. Things just weren't right. (Picture above for demonstration purposes only. Not of actual accident).

Lastly, I posted on the Vintage V8 Photography Facebook page that I was contemplating my next go-fast ride. Some of the vehicles left on my bucket list include hot rods from the 30's and 40's. I found a 1948 Ford pickup rat rod online that's down in Maryland. The rig has already been chopped and channeled (very well I might add), has a modified 460 Lincoln engine, a beefed C6 automatic, and a bullet-proof Ford 9" rearend. The interior is nice, and the flat black paint is flawless. The spider web grill is a plus. I might change the 16 1/2" Firestone tires and red steel wheels (still keeping them of course) for some American Racing or Rocket aluminum rims and Mickey Thompson rubber. Don't know yet. Either way, if I purchase it or not, I'll be cool with the fact that this semi rat rod was done right.

Until next time, peace out,
Dave

The Holy Grail Of Hangouts - The Garage

Take any of those classic statements that basically center around the concept of "...the consequences of a misspent youth" and somehow hot rodding, fast cars, racing, and the garage enter the scene at some point. There was a time some 60 years ago, hot rodding in general was frowned upon - the people associated with it were seen as outcasts, "the bad guys", and delinquents. But I'm willing to bet that working on cars in a basic one car garage probably kept a lot of people out of trouble. It gave us something to do; a way to work off excess energy; a place to try ideas.

I was reading an article last night where a guy and his friends restored a 1971 Dodge Challenger in his garage. They worked nights & weekends - and it took them 10 years. They did everything from the engine, to the suspension, the entire interior, to all the body work and paint. The only thing they farmed out was the vinyl roof and interior headliner. All of that is beyond extremely cool. But the lead picture in the article (right) showed the finished car in it's garage. The building is all steel, with a 10 foot high ceiling and concrete flooring. There are racks of tools, shelves galore of supplies, a huge air compressor, a good sized work bench, and a professional 2-post lift. When you finish reading and browsing all the details of this garage, there's probably at least $40 grand wrapped up in this automotive out building. While I would kill to have a set-up like this, I wondered just how many people actually have this type of deal just 20 feet from their house? (Above photo courtesy of Hot Rod).

Don't get me wrong; I'm not busting this guys chops just because he has a sweet garage. Once again the glory of the aftermarket has come through for us enthusiasts. It wasn't long ago that professional equipment like what's described above just wasn't obtainable for the average Joe. It got me to thinking (as it usually does) just how much things have changed, garage wise, over the years. It's amazing as well as amusing to look back at the glory years of hot rodding, NASCAR, and drag racing, to see what they had for garage set-ups. Compare that to the modern garage in the article, some of the early times looked... well, ancient.

It all has to start somewhere. back in the late 40's, just about every hot rod, street rod, or grass roots racer was built in a one car garage, probably with the help of a single 60 watt drop lamp or light. And most likely, it was done in a garage owned by the young speed demon's parents in some suburban neighborhood. When I was a kid, we had a neighbor who was a massive go-fast type of guy. He worked on all his cars in his small single bay garage. He eventually erected a wooden stockade fence so the neighbors wouldn't see all the cars he owned. Way more than once, our neighbor enlisted my help to push a vehicle that was "in process" out of the garage and into the side yard, because another car was on it's way in that became a higher priority.

"Fair enough," you quip. "That's the hometown hot rodder. What about the professional drivers? They must've had big setups to work on cars." Well, let's have a look at that. First up - NASCAR. We'll even skip the roots of the sport from the late 40's and early 50's and jump right into the top drivers of the 60's. The first pic I've included is none other than Richard Petty and his practically unbeatable 1967 Plymouth. Just because you had factory support and financial backing doesn't mean you had cushy accommodations and top-shelf repair facilities wherever you went. While that may be the case today, back then the race teams did things pretty much the same way hot rod enthusiasts did it - outdoors using jack stands.

I can see the hands raised in objections already - "That was on the road. What about their home base of operations?" OK - let's look at that. This next photo is from the early 60's and the operation headquarters of none other than the Woods Brothers. When this shot was taken, Glen Wood had just bought out his then-partner Chris Williams. Just who are the Woods Brothers? They owned the familiar #21 red and white Ford and Mercury's that numerous talented drivers like A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Cale Yarborough, and David Pearson drove to the winners circle. Of course, things would change dramatically by the late 70's and early 80's when racing teams started fielding multiple cars during a race or at minimum, having backup cars.

Drag racing wasn't a whole heap different as you groove on the next two pictures. The first one on the left is of the famous Vic Hubbard garage. Much like the Woods Brothers, very humble beginnings that were simplistic in nature. No snazzy enclosed car carriers, just plain-Jane U-Haul type trailers. The second shot (below) was taken in the pits at Dover Raceway from 1961. Like NASCAR, you schlepped your own bags, parts, and tools - usually in the back of a pickup truck. And these guys worked outdoors as well. I've also read countless stories and have seen tons of old photos of racers who participated at Bonneville. It wasn't uncommon at all to see racers rebuilding engines, transmissions, and who knows what else in motel parking lots.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Think about how much has been invented or started, especially automotive, in a garage. Well, enough of the history lessons for this week - time to head out to that magical one or two door building of inspiration and dreams. It's also a damn good place to crank up some good tunes and tune that carburetor a little better.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave

Milestones And Memories

I was reading an article the other day about "...how far the modern automobile has come, horsepower and technology wise, in just the past 10 years. It could almost be considered a milestone." While I'm unsure if that statement isn't a bit overboard, I have been keenly aware this past week of other milestones which usually trigger some kind of cool memory.

As I write this, I'm turning 52 in a few weeks, been married for over 30 years, my oldest daughter hits the big 3-0 next year, and I have six incredible grand kids. Which means I'm a grandfather... married to a grandmother. Those simple facts right there will flood me with memories. Heck, it'll rock your world or even knock you on your ass if you're not careful. This is post #35 of Maximum Power and this blog has just about achieved 10,000 views. While that may be small potatoes compared to the blogs of major auto magazines and / or a You Tube video, I still consider that a milestone and I have you to thank for it.

We are reaching or have reached several milestones this year - especially when it comes to 50th anniversaries. Think about it; let's start with muscle cars. Fifty years ago, it was 1965 and the muscle car wars were red hot. By this time, just about every American manufacturer, save for AMC, had it's own muscle car - even Studebaker had one! Chevy released the potent 375 horsepower 396 cubic inch V-8 in limited numbers as part of their Z-16 option on the Chevelle SS, but it created a domino effect that would last until late 1969. By October 1965, Ford as well as Chrysler would drop their own A-bombs - the Blue Oval boys would shoe horn the incredible 425 horsepower 427 side-oiler V-8 into the mid-size Fairlane, and Mopar lovers would rejoice when the street version of the Hemi would be available in any mid-size vehicle except a wagon. This was a time before the government and the insurance agencies got wise to these street terrors - legends were born, bench racing reached folk-lore proportions, and gas was cheap.

I remember living in New Jersey back in the late 60's - there was this Shell gas station about a half-mile from my house. It was one of those stations that I fantasized about as a kid dreaming that I would own one just like it when I grew up. In fact, I still do fantasize about owning one if I could swing it - retro look and all. The station had the classic look of a two-bay garage complete with the old style gas pumps. In fact, the station was one of the few left that still had it's original early 50's style overhead lights when numerous other service centers were converting to those "modern" (and ugly) fluorescent lights.
I used to beg my Dad to go there and fuel up for several reasons. First, there were always a good number hot rods and muscle cars either in the bays or parked outside. It was like the station was this uncover speed shop or something. Many times, the station gave away free Hot Wheels toy cars with every fill-up of 8 gallons or more. The owner knew I was really into hot rods & would let me look (but not touch) the cars that were parked there while my Dad gassed up the VW. I think the owner kinda felt sorry for me, as he always gave me two Hot Wheels cars every time we went...

The drag racing world is celebrating a milestone of its own this year - 50 years of funny cars. A genre of the motorsports arena that literally came out of nowhere in late 1964, exploded in 1965, and went off the charts by 1966. This was in an era when almost all of the early funny cars either had factory or major car dealership support. They were simply born out of the concept of just trying to go faster and beat the competition. However, critics of yesteryear mentioned time and again that the sport wouldn't last. Safety was always a concern, the cars were going way too fast in to short a time span. Many aspects of the sport needed to be reevaluated. The speeds these cars were capable of were outpacing technology, and yes - lives were lost. But somehow, the sport survived. Technology did find its balance with speed and safety. As a result of these advances, nostalgic drag racing is at an all time high in popularity. Even the old-school rigs that participate in these events benefit from scores of new safety items.

I remember going to Englishtown raceway frequently in the summer as it wasn't that far from my house. Numerous ads we heard on the radio for certain events were for the "wild and crazy" funny cars or the "lightning fast" dragsters. Other times, there might have been a significant Pro-stock event where famous drivers like Ronnie Sox, Bill Jenkins, and Don Nicholson would be appearing. However, it was at those meets where I developed a liking for sleepers. I remember this one 1963 Pontiac Catalina - it was a gorgeous silver and was flawless. It didn't "look" all that fast, even though it sounded kinda tough with it's big block rumble. But once the Christmas Tree dropped, the Catalina did the biggest Jekyll and Hyde transition I'd ever seen. The wheels jerked off the ground, the engine literally roared, and left the hotter looking Chevy in the dust. This unassuming behemoth pulled off a wicked low 11 second time slip. While that's yawn city today, that was flying back then for a street driven car.

NASCAR was changing and reaching milestones of it's own. By 1965, NASCAR banned the
Chrysler Hemi engine from competing due to the increasing speeds of the cars, and the concerns for safety. Chrysler responded by withdrawing their support, and drivers Richard Petty, David Pearson, Paul Goldsmith, Bobby Isaac, as well as others were forced to sit out the races. Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina opened that year, and Curtis Turner returned from his ban to win the inaugural race in his Ford. Turner had been banned from NASCAR in 1961 by Bill France, Sr. for trying to organize a drivers union with the Teamsters. If this were to happen today, we would probably be calling "union-gate"...

It's easy to forget what a challenge it was to actually watch a NASCAR event back then. In the mid to late 60's, races were uncommon on TV. You were lucky if the Daytona 500 made it to the airwaves. Unless you lived in a big city, TV reception kinda sucked. Even if you had one of those big-ass arrow shaped roof antennas, it still faded in and out - never mind if an airplane went overhead or the weather was inclement. You still had commercials, and everything was in black and white. Did I forget to mention, it was all on a 17" screen or smaller...

But that's the beauty of memories - it makes milestones in our own lives. If you have a cool memory of hot rodding or racing from your past, be sure to exercise it. It'll stay with you longer and I think you'll appreciate it more.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave

The Time Just Doesn't Fly - It Changes

From the late 60's through the early 70's, I had a really good friend named Frank. We lived in neighboring towns along the Jersey shore, when driving from point A to B only took about 7-8 minutes, unlike the 20+ it takes today. We got along really well because he was one of the very few kids who kinda thought like me - plus he was really into hot rods like I was. An added bonus was that Frank had a cool older brother who used to drag a '56 Chevy BelAir at Englishtown Raceway. I also remember when his brother "retired" the old shoebox and dropped the big block motor and transmission into a Camaro around 1972. Even though Frank & I were only 10 years old at that time, we planned on fixing up the oddly colored BelAir and cruise the beaches in the summer in about 6-7 years. Of course, we had no clue how to work on cars or where we were going to get the money to drop another drivetrain into this faded aqua marine / moss green colored 2-door, but we didn't care. To a pair of 10-year olds, girls and rock and roll music were starting to become important, but cars still ruled.

We were dreamers - as most people (and especially gearheads) are. I remember Frank & I used to walk the quarter mile from his house to the boardwalk and beach in the summer. Yeah - it was also a lot safer then, too. This soda / ice cream place used to sell 7-up in those cool green bottles and we would sit and watch for the frequent hot rod or muscle car to rumble by. We could hear those cars long before we could see them, and we used to guess what make & model they were. Most of the time, we were completely wrong. But I can also remember flipping our lids when we first saw a Dodge Daytona, or Plymouth Superbird, and the new for 1970 1/2 Camaro SS. And unlike other kids who wanted truckers to toot their horns when they passed by, we encouraged the owners to light up the tires when we saw a tunnel-ram engined Mustang, or a blown super-charged GTO.

As time marched onward, Frank and I never did anything with that Chevy. I think his Mom sold or junked it before we could get our best laid dreams on it. I get depressed for what I imagine she sold it for. As forlorn as it looked, it was in great shape for its age, wasn't all cut up, had its original dash, and possessed cake-loads of potential. As it turns out, by the time I was 17, I had moved to central New Hampshire and was driving a 1970 Mustang, and I had lost touch with Frank as he and his Mom moved to Florida in 1975. We lived in an analog age - no emails, no Facebook, no digital sharing of anything. We wrote each other from time to time about the cars he had seen down South, and the fact that I saw jack shit up in New Hampshire - nothing but Subaru's, Volvo's and Saab's. And 4-wheel drive trucks. I think girls eventually took over the car bug in regards to Frank's interests. Can't say that I blame him.

So - what did we learn from hanging out at the beach for most of the summer? That the good stuff comes if you wait long enough. You can't force it. This has rung true for me whether it was purchasing muscle cars, antique trucks, and/or drag cars. I could easily say those times with Frank were some of the best days of my life. No experience necessary - just vivid imaginations. Remember when TV sucked in the 60's and 70's? Most people thought you were living large if you had a choice of 10 channels to watch, as this was even before cable. But it still sucked. Being outside and watching these rigs roll by, bang-shifting gears, or doing massive burn-outs was the ultimate reality TV - it was in your face.

From 1977 onward, I have no idea where Frank lives, what he's doing nowadays, or if he's even alive. I hope he's still kicking and that possibly he's rediscovered that appreciation for old Detroit iron. Maybe... maybe not. I only have hope. And even though we live in a world of government bashing where no one seems to have any answers, the media still tries to do it's best with its subliminal mind-fuck at times, and numerous Americans seem to offended by something that is totally trivial, I still have hope for this human species.

Sometimes I want to escape back in time to the Jersey shore with Frank, the cool cars, easier times, and those green soda bottles. But, in these modern horsepower-driven times, it is great to be alive. Never in automotive history has there been more aftermarket support for hot rods, factory muscle and performance offerings, and enthusiasm for vintage V8 vehicles. The times have changed, and the time has flown by. But people are keeping the faith... and the hope alive.



Until next time, peace out.
Dave

Then And Now

I was thumbing through an old issue of Hot Rod (February 1964) on Saturday morning and got warmfuzzy feelings about certain aspects of that issue;
 - The story on the factory built 1964 lightweight 427 Ford Fairlane that would become a legend.
 - A tech article about using Corvair front suspension under a 30's street rod (!!)
 - And an advertisement for a mint 1957 Chevy BelAir with a 2-door hardtop that had the rare 283 cubic inch V-8 power-pack option with only 4400 miles on the clock... for $1000 firm.

Say what? Yup - only a grand for a rare performance machine. "But that's in 1964 dollars...", you might say - things are way different now. Well, that $1000 dollars equates to just a tick under $7600 bucks in today's world. Now how do you feel? I looked online for a similar model that was for sale. I found one with almost the same mileage (4,187 original miles to be exact), it was red (not turquoise and white like the one in the 1964 ad), and the red car didn't have the power pack option, although it had its original 283. The price? $50,000 dollars. Now how do you really feel? But that's the big difference between then and now - and there's two sides to this coin.

The negative side, in my humble opinion, is definitely the money aspect. There's no denying that almost all muscle cars (even clones), any classic drag car, and most antique vehicles from the 30's through the 50's that have serious street rod potential (in other words, not a basket case project) have escalated beyond a lot of enthusiasts financial reach. I can remember 20+ years ago when muscle car values took a down-turn, enthusiasts would never consider a 4-door, a wagon, or a 2-door model from the late 70's through the early 80's. Today those cars get serious consideration.

This brings us to the flip side of the coin - and there is a silver lining here. I feel that since fewer and fewer of any classic vehicle built from the mid 50's through the mid 70's exist today, prices are naturally going to go up. The after-market has responded tremendously with parts, kits, and who-knows-what-all, so vehicles that were impossible to restore or modify 20 years ago, can be a reality today. I mean, who would've thought one could get a 6-speed manual transmission & installation kit for a 1959 Edsel wagon? Yeah - a company makes them. This I feel, also drives car prices up. So where's the silver lining I'm talking about?

A lot of people mention, "...all the good cars are gone." What they really mean is they feel all the cheap cars are gone and definitely the most popular. The silver lining is, there are cool, classic cars still out there, in very restorable condition (and better), waiting to be purchased. It takes diligence, patience, timing, and really expanding your horizons. Face it - it's highly unlikely you're going to find that 1970 Chevelle SS 454 somewhere in decent shape for $5000. But, if you can get past the 4-door stigma in your head, I've seen some nice Chevelle V-8 models with little rust (I'm talking Virginia little - not New England little), faded paint, needing some minor interior work that run good for the same money. Another example; when I was at a car show last weekend, a guy I knew was selling his 1968 Falcon wagon, (very similar to pic on right) that was in really nice shape, for $4995. Did I mention it had a brilliant red paint job, a mint interior, ice-cold A/C, power disc brakes, and a 340 horse 351 Cleveland between the fenders with a 4-speed? This car needed nothing. If I had the cash, I would've been like, "Where do I sign on the bill of sale?"

I was reading an article a while back and how John Force and his two daughters were looking for new sponsors to keep their team of Funny Cars & Top Fuel dragsters going. The money it takes to be competitive in any NHRA event is staggering and borderline sickening. Even John Force thinks it's out of control. But that's the nature of the beast today. Unfortunately, that same aspect keeps a number of talented drivers out of the game, which in reality is creating one of the big divides between the fans and the NHRA sanctioned events, which is resulting in poorer attendance at events. I can remember going to Englishtown Raceway in New Jersey as a kid in the late 60's and early 70's - things were so much looser, seemed easier, and innovation - not always money - is what made numerous racers victorious. Just groove for a moment at the pic from 1968. Look at the cars, the drivers, the fans - all mixing and mingling. Everybody's cool, no headaches. And even though it's still popular, don't even get me started on modern NASCAR...

I find that I'm at a cross-roads in my automotive hobby. I'm not as young as I used to be and my knees, shoulders, and at least three other bodily areas remind me of this frequently. I'm jonesing for another go-fast summer vehicle, especially since gas is still below the $2.75 a gallon mark, even along the Maine coast in summer where price inflating for the tourists is common. However, I've come to the conclusion that I no longer want to do extensive body work. The last time I did a complete re-paint job was several years ago on an antique Chevy pickup. There was so much metal on that rig, inside and out, it was literally sand until you bleed. I'm also becoming more comfortable with the fact that, the more a certain ride is finished, the more I'm liking it - even though I long for (in my head anyways) wrenching on it, modifying it, or restoring it.

I think I need to have a sit-down conference with my brain and my body and get into some kind of agreement and balance. Written contracts may have to be signed. I don't know.
Until next time, peace out.
Dave

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words... and Motivations

July and August are two of the busiest months of the year for me - not only with my regular job at the garage, but also for photographing vintage Detroit iron and the occasional classic VW. My boss is very cool about me leaving work early on some days, so I can get certain things done in preparation for the weekends, where car shows around the state are literally back to back to back.

So, in that same spirit, the blog is taking this week off... kinda. A Chinese proverb is given credit for the famous line, "A picture is worth a thousand words."  The following pictures are proof positive that some vehicle owners are living certain mantras -

1). Rarity Be Damned; One of the featured vehicles at a car show I was at yesterday was the famous 1964 Falcon factory built A/FX "Wild Child" drag car still with it's dual-quad 427 cubic inch SOHC motor. Nobody pushed this rig out into it's space. Show staff volunteers fired the motor up and drove it out of a building. It shook the walls and was loud as hell! I literally only had a few seconds to snap a general pic of the vehicle when it was being driven out, so I shot it with my i-Phone. I was able to get some more detailed shots later on, but it was truly an awesome moment.

2). My Car Is Not Finished Yet; This can be one of the most damaging thought processes the car hobby as a whole can have. An owner of a classic automobile "waiting" until the entire restoration (or whichever process) has been completed. No! No! No! Who cares if your vehicle is finished? If it's drivable, then drive it! Case in point this 1954 Studebaker Champion. It is in the process of getting fixed up, but the brakes, suspension, wheels / tires, and drive-train have all been gone through. Sure the paint is really faded, and the interior still needs help. Even one of the windows is damaged (see pic). The owner, bless his heart, brought it to a local car show anyways. Why? So people could groove on a piece of American history.

3). My Ride Is Not Nice Enough; This is an extension of number two. I saw a cool early 60's F-100 pickup at a car show recently. It was the true meaning of the word "driver". No restoration of any kind, had yet to commence. It was a fairly solid truck with zero safety issues. However, it did not have updated suspension, or brakes, and/or tires. The paint was a weathered shade of green with plenty of surface rust. The engine ran great, but was grimy as all get out. I talked with the owner of the truck for a few minutes and expressed my gratitude that he brought it to the car show as it currently is. He mentioned that eventually it will be a work in progress. His bottom line was, "I purchased it to enjoy - and I ain't gonna enjoy it if it's sitting in my garage just because it's kind of a heap right now." Amen brother!

4). People Just Don't Understand Me; This one floored me the first time I heard it. Welcome to the club... we have jackets. People don't call us gear-heads for nothing. I have been asked countless times as to why I would want to fix up (read: put a good deal of money into) an old car. At times, we can eat, drink, and sleep automotive. However, I'm finding the same type of thinking regardless if you're an artist, a photographer, a musician, whatever. Everyone has gifts and talents. Everyone has a passion about something. The person who owns this 1935 Anglia Gasser was one of the nicest and coolest people I've ever had the chance to talk with, never mind that it's a beautiful car. What made the conversation even better was that a woman named Debbie owns it... and drives it... a lot! Her husband Jerry mentioned that while he purchased it, she did most of the work and made all the decisions as to its appearance, although he does drive it as well. Debbie mentioned being a "closet" female gear-head held her back for quite a few years from owning, wrenching, and participating in numerous car events. "I was afraid that people wouldn't accept me for who I am. I've loved these cars since I was a kid, and I'm not exactly young anymore. But hey - at least all that psycho-shit is out the window now!" My hat is off to you, ma'am... and to you as well Jerry.

Be sure to check out the website www.VintageV8Photography.wix.com/photography for more pics from recent photo shoots as well as car shows.
Until next time, peace out.
Dave

Get Out There and Drive It!

There's an old saying: "You can't rule the tarmac unless you get out there and drive on it!" This solid statement applies to more than just driving your classic vehicle on your Main streets, back roads, and highways. It's also appropriate for drag strips, circle track, as well as road courses. As I'm writing this, I'm taking a short breather from a day chock full of 4th of July festivities. Being a typical gearhead, one of the highlights of this celebration of our country's freedom are the vintage cars that cruise in parades. One cool aspect about the semi-rural coastal area I live in, is ALL types of vintage iron are welcome in our local parade - not just beautifully restored vehicles. As I mentioned last week, I've heard numerous people tell me over the years, "...a car is only original once." While that's true, a car is also like a muscle - use it or lose it. In my opinion, people have to exercise their hot rods, muscle cars, and antique vehicles, or we run the risk of losing more and more vintage iron.

But regardless of my ranting, let's say you just don't want to risk driving that rare 1969 Dodge Daytona equipped with the 426 Hemi engine every weekend. Fair enough. But maybe - just maybe, you could pony up enough coin to screw together a really cool alternate hot rod. It doesn't have to be stellar, just functional. It also doesn't have to be a rather expensive 30's era street rod or whatever, just something off-beat but cool. Like a late 70's Chevy Malibu wagon with a ripping big block. Or maybe a 1964 Ford Falcon with a turbo small block. Or perhaps an early 70's 4-door Olds Cutlass with a mild 455 cubic inch V-8 between the fenders is more your speed. The bottom line here is that it shouldn't matter - even if one of the above rides is your only summer toy and it's "not done yet" - get out and drive it! (Photo above left courtesy of Car Craft).

Don't have a weekend or summer cruiser just yet? One of the best experiences you can have is enrolling in a performance driving clinic. Companies, organizations, as well as the manufacturers hold events like these from late Spring through late Autumn throughout the country, usually at killer road racing courses. Not only do you learn some valuable driving tips from true professionals, but at almost everyone of these events, participants get to drive modern muscle cars. Too bad our drivers education class in high school wasn't set up like this!

I will give in to the fact that driving, no matter where you do it, be it public roads or racing venue, does involve a certain amount of risk. That risk can involve other drivers and/or equipment. One of the greatest stories out there is when "Big Daddy" Don Garlits (as well as other drivers) were given 426 Hemi motors by Chrysler with the intention of replacing the older 392 Hemi engine in their Top Fuel dragsters. The problem was, none of the drivers knew how to tune the big Elephant engine so it would reach it's full potential, thus resulting in slower quarter mile times and speeds. At first, Garlits hated the 426 Hemi. The story goes, that he got so fed up trying to work with the new Hemi, that he was going to blow up the motor on a quarter-mile run, ship the destroyed engine back to Chrysler, and walk away from the entire corporate sponsorship.

How was he going to accomplish this? Garlits set the engine timing to 40 degrees advanced. Every Top Fuel driver knew that setting the timing on the 392 Hemi above 32 degrees resulted in split blocks - so Garlits thought the same regarding the 426. Simple right? Well, not so fast. Garlits ran his race - and won. He also set a new world record in the process in regards to his trap speed. After the race, Garlits and his crew opened up the motor expecting damage. There was none. According to Garlits, they didn't even change the oil before the next run. His curiosity running wild, Garlits advanced the 426 Hemi engine in his Swamp Rat dragster to 50 degrees. He remembers thinking he just had to know how much this new 426 Hemi motor could take. He ran his next race - and won that one as well. And set another miles per hour trap speed world record. This would have never had happened if Garlits didn't get out there and drove it.

I was too young (heck I wasn't even born yet), to be around for the inaugural Daytona 500 back in 1959. This was the first year the race was run on the new track as opposed to the beach. It was also the first major milestone in NASCAR history. Nearing the finish, Johnny Beauchamp and Lee Petty battled for the lead. The two cars crossed the finish line side-by-side for a photo finish. Officials deemed Johnny Beauchamp the unofficial winner, and he drove to victory lane. The results, however, were protested. After examining photographs and newsreel film for three days, Lee Petty was declared the official winner. The controversy kept the race in the news for several days. That style of racing - never lift, just drive it - has kept fans coming back year after year.

Finally, I received an email a few days ago asking how young I was when I first got into cars. According to my Mom, I loved riding in a car when I was as little as 5 months old. Here's a photo of me on my Mom's lap back in January 1964. While the vehicle was a counter-culture (for then) side door Willy's Jeep, dig our neighbors car - you can just make out the tail end of his big block 1959 Ford Galaxie. Thank God for cool neighbors...

Until next time, get out there & drive it!
Dave