You Have To Buy A Newer Car And Other Senseless Mind-Think

I gotta admit - traveling down South on a serious six month road trip had its advantages. If anything, it was witnessing how people lived in another part of the United States - it was like viewing a different culture. It really didn't hit me until I drove below the Mason - Dixon line, and especially so when I entered the Carolina's. There were three distinct differences, automotive wise, I noticed right off the bat when comparing similar aspects to the Northeast... some more obvious than others:
 1). Cars were in MUCH better condition (read: less rust) then here in the snow belt. Even older cars that are least 25 years or more in age  - a higher percentage of those were still on the road. And older cars sell for cheaper money to boot.
 2). There are WAY more new car dealers than in our neck of the woods.
 3). Everyone drives like they're trying to draft - like in NASCAR. As a result, they wreck way more cars than we do per capita regardless of the weather conditions. Hence probably the reason for cultural difference number two.

However, aside from the hot rods and classic cars I saw, I also noticed that just about everyone drove the same mundane form of transportation. I spent about six weeks along the coast of both North and South Carolina, so 4x4 trucks were non-existent - it was mostly automobiles. As was the case in most situations, people were driving a car they need, as opposed to the car they wanted.

This got me to thinking even more when a friend emailed me and told me he was purchasing a used Jeep. It wasn't new, but newer than the one he was replacing. I replied back and asked him why - I thought he loved the 1995 Jeep he currently had. He told me that while it ran great and had decent cosmetics, despite the 168,000 miles on the odo, he was tired of futzing with the electronics. It would just randomly die - usually at the worst time - and throw zero check engine codes. Naturally, every time he took it to his mechanic, it would never act up. In turn, his mechanic was hesitant to really delve into the problem, because he's told my friend that he'll spend way more money in diagnostic time and repairs than what the vehicle's worth.

Another point to this trial and error game that had him pissed off is that there must a million cars out there that suffer from the same circumstance. What do you do? Junk a perfectly good vehicle just because there's some electrical gremlin somewhere or a intermittent operating bad sensor? And because no one wants to take the time to find it? This same friend has a 1975 Chevy pickup with almost 400,000 miles on it - when the 350 engine finally gave up the ghost, he just installed a rebuilt motor and was good to go. Down time was maybe three days.

Part of the problem I feel, is that believe it or not, it's easier to find parts for a simple, no technology in sight 50 year old vehicle than it is for 25 year old car. Face it - very few people are currently restoring a vehicle built in 1989 save for maybe a Mustang GT, V-8 Firebird, or Camaro Z-28. Ever try purchasing exhaust parts for a 1990 Pontiac 6000 with the V-6? Or maybe an intake manifold for the oddball 350 V-8 in a 1992 Buick Roadmaster Limited? Try it sometimes...

So when you factor in that more perfectly usable vehicles are being scrapped - it makes the whole "Green" concept sort of fall on it's face in the end. Then there's the boring part of the deal. It seems every vehicle in the last decade was painted either silver, grey, black, some shade of champagne, or a color that resembles a brick red - but every manufacturer tries to hide that sin by calling it something flashy. Yawn city, baby.

My friend finished his email by stating that if he gets the money, he may put some larger "mudding" tires on the vehicle so he'll look like less of a lemming. All I could say was, "Good luck, brother..."

Until next time, peace out.
Dave

Road Trips

"So that's where you've been!" - a quote from a buddy of mine who I've haven't seen in about six months. He followed that up with, "Oh man - you haven't done a blog post in like... 9 months. That sucks." Yeah, it does. A great deal has happened and changed over that time period. Let's get reacquainted and caught up to date.

My 87 Mustang LX drag car that I wrote frequently about since 2012 has been sold as of the end of last August. The head gaskets got fixed, I had blast with it all summer, but other family responsibilities came up, and it had to go. It was a matter of priorities - a situation that many a gear-head faces usually at several times in their life. Another go-fast vehicle has yet to fill its shoes.What came out of the sale of the Mustang was a 1977 25 foot class c motorhome built on a Chevy 1-ton chassis.

Now you're probably asking, "What the hell did you do that for?" Fair enough. But due to my wife's health challenges, we had to leave the long cold winters of New England and venture south to see if things would improve. Not that we really wanted to do the snow-bird thing - we felt we were too young for that. In any case, it seems we picked one of the "best" winters in over 20 years (whatever that means) to travel down to Georgia. I must admit, overall, the RV performed admirably. In traversing over 5500 miles of all kinds of highways and back roads, we experienced only one tire blowout, one broken fan belt, and an ignition coil that reared a loose connection. We also replaced a seized fan clutch and cut off a stand-alone belt that went to the A/C compressor when the bearings inside the unit started squealing like a banshee.

Getting back to the sentence, "we felt we were too young for that" reminded me of a number of things people have related to us over the past nine months as well as other assumptions and perceptions while on a serious road trip. One of the biggest assumptions was since we were RVing, we must be retired and have cake-loads of money. Half the time I felt like saying, "Look what I'm driving - does it look like I'm retired with cash just flowing out of my back pocket?" Not to say that our RV is a piece of junk - it's actually quite comfortable and serves it's purpose very well. But it's 36 years old, didn't cost 100 large, and has seen it's share of road trips long before we purchased it. In fact, most people who RV full time still work to pay the bills. That aspect of today's economy doesn't go away.

However, being in a retro RV gave us the ultimate excuse, (along with our borderline mandatory priorities), to take an extreme road trip - from just above Portland, Maine to the Georgia / Florida line and back taking two completely routes. We embraced everything - from the weather, (which included snow, sleet, hail, 60 mph winds, torrential downpours, tornadoes, and temperatures that ranged from 84 to -2 degrees), the locals, as well as cities and the countryside in the middle of nowhere. By the way, we took over 6,000 pictures.

One thing I have to admit, any road trip - be it 2 days or 6 months, it gives you the chance to dismiss some of the unwritten societal rules - like your job, a certain time frame and/or schedule, and maybe even a road map. Who says you need GPS? And, for me personally, a road trip is never complete unless taken in an older, less than pristine vehicle. Why less than pristine? Then I don't have to worry about staining a beautiful interior, or worry the cans, bottles, and other assorted road food garbage that gets on the floors. Or trying to protect perfect exterior paint from various road debris.

An older vehicle (at least a 30 year old rear wheel drive American model with a V-8) is crucial because then you stand out from the common motorist. An even older ride, say from the mid 70's and earlier, opens all kinds of conversational doors. Besides, when you haven't shaven (or even showered) in the last few days, are eating all kinds of roadside and/or diner food, and are actually taking your time enjoying the moment, while surrounded by "get the f**k out of my way, can't you see I'm late & don't care about you" idiots - you can actually appreciate the fact you're on a road trip.

It can also be amazing what aspects of your life can fall away, while other ones can intensify. Besides the food, hygiene, and what your vehicle may look like, (all of which are never that bad when you're back at home), you become more aware of your surroundings - like really taking in a beautiful sunset on a country back road, striking up a 90 minute conversation with the cool hotdog stand guy, and not caring that you shut off your iPhone.

Stay on the road long enough, and you'll become a master at packing things for maximum efficiency in said vehicle, actually be okay with the fact you only traveled for 2 hours today because you spent three times that long sunning yourself on a warm day by a scenic river, lake, or the ocean. At that point, you have to sleep in the vehicle at least once. It's all about freedom... at least for a time.

Finally, the road trip is all about the experience - have a mindset like the main character did towards the end of the movie "Elizabethtown". Guess what? The road, the route, and this country isn't going to come to you - you have to find it. Take that road trip you've been planning for way too long before you can't do it. You'll thank yourself in the long run.

Until next time - peace out,
Dave

Getting Back To Basics and Other Rants

       You’ve probably noticed that this blog, in other words, me - had taken a few weeks off. At first, I sort of got into a self-bashing mode and briefly thought of a sign a friend of mine uses for his small business. One side says, “Yes! We’re open!” The flip side says, “Sorry, We’re Lazy!”

     I then realized that I wasn’t being lazy. I could have used the excuse that I was doing photo shoots at some local car shows as well in farther reaches of the state. While that last statement is true, I also looked back at the posts I have already written and realized that some things were missing. I had yet to really broach subjects like vintage drag racing and NASCAR in addition to muscle cars & high performance. So, in retrospect, it’s quite possible that the blog needed a break from me so I could get my act together.

     The car shows I attended were awesome. They are by no means the biggest ones I’ve ever been to, but they offered a great diversity of vehicles - all of which were driven there. No trailer queens. I personally have nothing against car shows, and while I’ve been to well over 200 in my lifetime and have seen some really cool rides, they don’t flip my cookies in the ways they used to. I no longer enter my car in the show as a participant - it’s just too much of a headache. I can no longer just sit there for hours on end & listen to some people blather with so much incorrect bullshit, that it starts ruining the experience. I’ll drive my car to and from the event, no problem; which is what I’d rather be doing anyways.

     I also find I’m attending smaller events. I’ve been to some huge 3 day events from New Jersey to  Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. What you see & what goes on there can literally blow your mind. And while I encourage everyone to attend a show like that at least once in their life, it’s something I’m starting to veer away from as a photographer and writer. I just can’t capture it all - it’s TOO much. When I go to smaller events, I can spend 6 hours at it & come away feeling totally satisfied with what I took in, made notes of, and photographed. I feel less stressed - and I get the feeling that the other people running the event as well as attending it, feel that way too. 

     At one of the car shows, I saw a number of vintage drag racers as well as stock car machines. This brought me back to what I wanted to cover in the blog. I’ll admit that I’m a pretty big nostalgia buff. I recently saw a blurb where long time NHRA Funny Car racer Dale Creasey Sr. is trying to make things work with a new racing crew and car. A Cadillac no less! Check out the pic. While it’s a Funny Car to the nth degree, it actually looks like a new Cadillac CTS, not some molded hunk of fiberglass that completely misses the mark. The car even has a cool name - not a sponsor. This is a case of character over commercial. All I can say is, “Bravo Dale!”

     The nostalgia aspect also got me to thinking about NASCAR. The modern day stuff I can’t stand - haven’t been able to stomach it for almost 30 years. Between the homogenized race car bodies, the ludicrous sponsorship deals, the junior high school drama, and the general boredom of the race just left me flat. Even when Ford announced it’s 2013 Fusion as a next generation NASCAR vehicle, it still had decals for lights, doors that weren’t doors, and body lines that were nowhere near stock. I’m sorry - but most modern day racing teams show up at the track with more equipment than many new car dealerships. I miss

the days from the 50’s through the early 70’s when teams had nothing but a few jacks, fender covers, and one good size tool box. Check out the pic from the 1972 season and Charlie McGee‘s Monte Carlo. It shows 4 guys using a couple of jacks, one small red tool box, and some assorted parts on the work benches. Never mind the fact it actually looks like a Monte Carlo. Amazing…

     All this supposed thinking got my brain working into the thought pattern of “What type of gearhead am I really?” My kids just want to say I’m becoming an old fart. I remember fondly the golden days of stock car as well as drag racing, I’m attending smaller car shows that are closer to home, I’ve grown tired of the concept of “completely restoring” another old vehicle - all the excuses are there.

     However, as I grow older, I find my automotive passions are widening. 25 years ago, it was muscle cars from the 60’s - I wouldn’t even consider street rods. Now, I fully embrace hot rods from the 20’s through the 70’s, and can even get into some modern day muscle. I prefer the older stuff because the lines, styling, and year to year uniqueness will never return to the production automobile. I prefer function over form, love patina, and stance & character still trump chrome and polish. I still enjoy rat rods, even though people are starting to grow tired of them. I am grateful that the pro-street excess of the 80’s and early 90’s hasn’t returned - and I hope it never does. I’ll never build a “checkbook” ride, but I can still appreciate them.

     Drag racing is the only sport I’ll watch on television and even that is not too often. In modern day racing, Funny Cars still ring my bell more than anything, but I prefer nostalgia racing hands down over everything else in that realm. Bracket racing has gotten old for me. Maybe it’s a case of been there, done that. And yes, I still have no interest in modern NASCAR or monster trucks.

    I no longer own (or purchase) cars that do not run, I’m through with trucks and 4x4’s, and for some reason I’m starting to groove on vintage motor-homes (see pic). I wished I hung onto a few of the vehicles I owned in the past. If I sold them all now, I could buy a nice house outright and still have money left over. I really have no marquee loyalty, but if I had to absolutely list them in order it would be Mopar, Buick, Chevy, Ford, Pontiac, Olds.

     I still go to car shows mainly to take photos & notes as well as to appreciate the vehicles. I’d rather do that than talk about them for hours. Showing & talking is another severe been there, done that. I will never stop trying to learn about the mechanics of a vehicle (new or  old), NOS stuff is way over-rated, I love the aftermarket as well as swap meets. I’ll keep my comments to myself in regards to automotive films as well as music.

     So - how about you? Let me kn ow what you think.
     Until next time, peace out.
     Dave

Triumphs, Challenges, and Human Nature - Oh My!

     Numerous people have heard this saying from me on several occasions over the years; “…sometimes it’s embarrassing to be part of this species called humans.” I will admit that I am guilty, on too many occasions to mention, of falling into that category. Last weeks example - my 87 Mustang. I knew it had a blown head gasket. I knew it had to be fixed… and soon. I knew roughly what the cost of the parts and the repairs (that I could not do myself) would be. I knew that the costs could be higher than what I estimated they would be. So when the car was finally finished, why was I still grimacing over the repair bill?

      Call it human nature. Call it having a chance to digest things. Or more likely, because of the “drama driven, never enough” society we live in, call it that we’re never really satisfied. And that last part is a pretty sad state, my friends. It’s been a few days since I stuffed the bill in my pocket and I’ve had time to reflect over what’s on it. First off in reality, I never even should have thought about what the final tally was, despite the fact it was a couple of hundred bucks over the original estimate. In the end, I got a screamin’ deal… plain and simple.

       What drove the bill up was the fact that the AFR aluminum heads were warped and had to be milled. This process is not something my friend nor I could do, so that job had to be farmed out. The guy who did the work, (thanks again Dan) not only did an outstanding job, but did it for dirt cheap. Why? Because he found out that these were going on an antique Mustang that served double duty as a drag car thinly disguised as a street vehicle. He thought the whole package (sleeper image) was “downright righteous”. He also heli-coiled some bolt holes in the heads, so we could install some new (as well as the correct type; ASE not metric) bolts that help keep some steering components in place. He did that part for free. The money I paid, along with a huge dose of thanks (and a 30 rack) just didn’t seem enough.

      While tearing the motor apart, we also found out that the 9 month old serpentine belt was just a whisker too big. The previous owner had to improvise since the A/C and the air pump were long gone by the time he bought it and he couldn‘t get in touch with the guy who built the motor originally. The guy ended up buying a new belt at a NAPA in New Jersey and the part came with a lifetime warranty. Since I had the original receipt, my local NAPA contact took that belt back, (muchas gracias Harley), listed it as defective, and gave me the correct size belt I needed. Again, free of charge.

      Is all this diatribe an attempt in massively gloating my good luck or ego? Far from it. The key point here is, is the power of building an effective network of friends and fellow gear-heads. I didn’t even know Dan before last week, but we shared a deep common thread of the love of performance cars and drag racing. You can also build a network of friends, contacts and fellow gear-heads from the most unlikely places. For example, before I purchased the Mustang, I restored an old Chevy C-10. 90% of the body work & paint was performed by several low security inmates that were due to be released from the local prison. It took way longer than we ever thought it would (about 8 months), but working side by side with these guys was an enlightening experience. Yes, prior to their stay at the prison, they made mistakes. Yes, they paid their debt to society. Yes, the admitted they fucked up. But they were also very real & human - more so than many other people I’ve dealt with “on the outside”. Even though that work was done over 3 years ago & the truck is long gone, I still keep in touch with one of the guys who helped with the work. He’s very down to Earth & probably one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet… tattoos and all.

      It also proved the benefits of documentation. One of the big selling points of this car was the fact the owner had a notebook that contained every receipt, part manuals, dyno sheets - anything that was installed, worked on, or done to the car over the past 15 years. That can be almost invaluable. Coupled with the fact that three different owners managed to hang on to all this paperwork before I got it, this is an absolute miracle- especially in this day in age.

      We still have some minor things to do on the 'Stang over the next few weeks. One of them is numerous oil changes. I’ll probably be performing about one a week for at least the next month to make sure all that crap (coolant & oil mix) is out of every crevasse in that engine. 

     In the end, a co-worker of mine put it best. After all the work was finished, the Mustang was fired up for the 1st time in 3 weeks & she ran like a Swiss watch. He said, "was it worth it?" The thoughts of listening to the V-8 roar, the aggressive cam, and the loud exhaust, made me smile and respond, "yeah... no question." Looking back on all the people who helped in any way on this major project also left me (and I still have it) with a deep sense of awesome and gratitude.

     Until next time, peace out.
     Dave

   

Old Meets New or The Value of Tribal Knowledge

     ^{I must admit - I'm starting to get annoyed. As I write this, it's 6am in the morning, it's raining for the 5th straight day, and the weather geeks who have predicted incorrectly for at least half the week, say it's going to rain for another day... if not two. Replacing the head gaskets (and all the other ones as well) on my 87 Mustang 5.0 is taking longer than I thought. Also adding insult to injury is the fact I can't wait to drive the car again and truly bang-shift some gears.}      
     However, this down time has given me a chance to check out some other aspects of the performance world. I’m not sure what drugs Ford is on, but they must be damn good. I receive a Mustang publication on a monthly

basis and in the June issue, it highlighted the 2013 Shelby Mustang Super Snake. Ford has blessed this rig with two power options, one with over 850 rear wheel horsepower. With the proper traction & gearing, as well as some practice time behind the wheel, this car has the capability of running high 9’s and almost 150mph in the quarter mile… and it runs on pump gas. I’ve owned cars that have gone that quick and I’ll tell you first hand - that’s cookin’ no matter what you’re driving. Alright, when all is said & done with the cost of the car plus options costs around $95,000 - but when you‘re running that quick, it’s going to run some serious coin to begin with. By the way, this car is already being built.

     Now, if that weren’t enough, in the July issue I received, Ford teamed up with Shelby Enterprises yet again and proceeded not only to turn up the wick, but basically torched everything else in it’s path. For an additional $45,000 or so, (hey - who’s counting right?) and to be built in limited numbers (the exact figure hasn‘t been determined yet) , is the Shelby Super Snake 1000... with 1200 rear wheel horsepower. Again, this ride cruises (if it’s capable of even doing that) on pump gas. That’s not just fast, that’s freakin’ sick. If I win the Powerball this week, I’m placing my order for one. Screw conventionalism.

     Before you send off a flaming diatribe, I’m not a Ford fan by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I’ve owned the fewest of them (a total of 3) when compared to Mopar or GM… and I’ve owned over two dozen antique, classic, and/or muscle cars in my 30 year automotive… umm… sickness. In fact, more than half my rides have been either Dodge’s or Plymouths. 

I’ve also haven’t forgotten that Chevy is releasing a Z/28 option on the Camaro for 2014. It will be the 1st Z/28 option since 1970 and unlike the small block V-8’s it was blessed with back then, will have a 7-litre 427 LS7 under the hood, with 505 horsepower - which is still nothing to sneeze at. The car will also have some unique styling cues that will differentiate it from a "regular" Camaro. I’ll shoot myself now by saying that GM has always had a distinctive way of inserting their feet into their mouths. Now you can send off the flaming diatribe…

      The bottom line here is I’m glad the manufacturers are not turning away performance in a corporate, robotic way, even during difficult economic times. If you look closely, a number of manufacturers still have their performance irons in the fire, domestic as well as foreign, to some degree. And that’s a good thing.
And while all this modern coolness is good for the psyche & soul, there is nothing like tribal knowledge. Say what? A college professor of mine once said, "You can’t appreciate the present unless you respect the past." As I grow older - never mind how old I am - this statement rings more true than ever before. I’ve heard some people in the automotive journalism profession state that they have grown tired of the "retro" styling of numerous performance vehicles. As for myself, I’m glad some of the auto manufacturers are still paying respectable homage to the muscle cars of yesteryear (the Dodge Dart not withstanding).

     I’ve come to grips that we are a country that no longer has a sense of history, or tribal knowledge. Corporate buyouts, budget cutbacks, layoffs, and downsizing (or "consolidation" as it’s now termed), all take a toll on tribal knowledge. Taking that a step further, when all this negativism slides down from the top, it also starts to erode things like ingenuity, taking risks, fresh ideas, and innovation. While some people say, "you can’t live in the past", I also mention that you can’t shut the door on it either. That’s one reason why I still love old vehicles, remembering back when I was a kid riding shotgun in my cousins GTO, and staring in awe of my neighbors Hemi Plymouth Roadrunner.

     Like anything, old cars as well as performance in general is more than just a business or a hobby. It can be good times & memories that can be shared and passed down through your kids & grandkids. We all know change is inevitable. In the automotive world, this should be part of the mission statement. However, we can be open to the gamut of performance, the marriage of new into old (think rat rods), while appreciating the present and respecting the past. Change, like life, is like an ocean wave. If we resist it, we’ll just get knocked on our ass. If we dive into it, we can go through it much easier.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave

The Days Are Long, But The Years Are Short

     Gotta love technology. It’s become an integrated part of our lives and at minimum, is all around us. Even so, with all the modern advances that we see, occasional glitches do appear on the menu. We had some with this blog - but they’ve been ironed out (at least until the next one comes along) and we’re able to power-shift decently. So onward!

     As I write this, numerous things come to mind that have surfaced over the past week. First off, my youngest daughter just turned 25 years old. It just seemed like yesterday, that she got her drivers license as well as her first car - a 1983 Chevy Monte Carlo. It wasn’t a performance car by any stretch of the imagination, but hey, it was damn cool. Everyone in her high school knew it was her car.

     She sold it about a year later to purchase a 1970 Chevy Nova. She could easily digest the fact that it was a 4-door. Remember, this was only 8 years ago - and any 2 door Nova was WAY out of her high school budget (and mine… my oldest daughter was in college at the time and this

daughter was right behind her). Her Nova was in great shape, however, with only 48,000 original miles on the clock. She could even handle the gold color - inside and out! One of the coolest aspects of the car that I liked about it (as did she after a while) was that it was a base model. Bench seat, no power steering or brakes, no radio (the factory radio delete plate was still there), dog dish hubcaps - the works! It didn’t even have carpeting, just rubber floor mats. The only options this car had was the Turbo-Hydromatic 350 and mandatory 10-bolt rear end that went with it.

     We had plans to swap in a small V-8 that I had purchased & pulled from an old Chevy Caprice, but like many things in life, it just didn’t happen. She drove the Nova through college and then sold it to help pay for things when married life & kids came along. Sound familiar?

     Even though she now drives a minivan, some good things did come out of owning “older” vehicles. One, it gave her a simple basic starting point to learn about cars so she won’t get screwed when bringing her present vehicle to be repaired. While the systems on today’s vehicles may have become more technical and complicated, the premise is still the same and in some cases have not changed all that much.

Second, it’s also given me a chance to share one of my passions with her - something that she still carries to this day. She’s a Mom with a degree in graphic design and has a job that has nothing to do with cars. But that doesn’t matter - she still has an appreciation for them. Especially muscle cars, hot rods and old-school VW Bugs.

     My wife and I also shared with her (as well as our other daughter) our love of art, music, writing, and numerous other things that are a big part of this world. Both are daughters are very diverse. And that’s the bottom line people - strength is in diversity. Dare to be different. Share things with your kids; your hobbies, your likes, your appreciations. Get out of the house, away from the television, and for Pete’s sake, lose the iPhone for at least an hour or two. You might be surprised at the difference it makes when we engage with one another.

     Speaking of engaging, as of this writing, I am in the process of tearing down at least half the engine in the Mustang. When it was time to wake it up from it’s long winters nap, I realized it had not only a leaking valve cover gasket on the passenger side, but also a blown head gasket.

D-oh!! I’m unsure if it was due to the expansion rate differences between the aluminum heads and cast iron block, the cold temperatures this winter (unheated storage) or if in fact, it was time for a freshening up. The motor was rebuilt 10 years ago (very well I might add), but has hundreds of 12 second drag strip passes under it’s belt as well as regular street driving time. Also, head gasket technology has leapt by leaps & bounds over the past decade, especially with the incredible popularity of turbo charging. As I said earlier - onward! We’ll keep you posted as to how things are going. The guy I’m working with (who has tons of race engine experience) thinks the heads are fine. Fingers crossed!!

     Until next time - peace out.
     Dave

Driving & Insanity - Can You Relate?

     There is a definition (a loose one anyways - it’s not in the dictionary) of insanity; doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results. Each week, I sit down at my laptop and think, “I’ll just bang out the blog in one shot”. Why I think this, I have no idea - because I know, somewhere in the back of my mind, this is not going to happen… ever. Case in point (again) this week.

     I was reviewing what was written last week as well as some emails. The “you have no idea what you’re talking about” emails were practically non-existent. There were numerous ones containing kudos as well as some great topics to discuss in future blurbs. I’m a strong believer that hate-mail does not exist; simply because it’s either written by people who never leave their name, comes from a somewhat bogus (read:

extremely generic) and not their personal or work email or just goes to the spam folder anyhow because of the junk it contains. So - if you’ve written an email that fits on of these categories & I haven’t replied, it’s your own fault. Tough shit.

     One email I received from Carl out in California thought the section on automotive electronics I can’t stand was rather humorous. He also stated that more cars than not are equipped with those options where he lives and warned me about the perils of driving in his state if I were ever to visit. In his opinion, he feels that many people simply do not know how to drive - never mind the distractions of cell phones, GPS, or whatnot. That got me to thinking about several other comments I’ve heard over the years from family, friends, and other emails. While most were related to city driving - be it Atlanta, the DC area, Boston, or LA - the bottom line was, no matter where you are, people do not drive as well as they used to.

     Those memories reconnected me to a story I read about a group of car enthusiasts who embarked on a trek (a mission in my book) of traveling through India via antique and performance car. While this may not seem like a big deal to most, travel experts will flat out tell anyone not to drive in that country if you are visiting. There are too many people, the roads are “useable” in the city (and horrible in the country), and modern amenities such as traffic lights, marked lanes, speed limits, and road signs are just suggestions and often ignored. Author Rob Kinnan, who not only survived the journey, as did his vintage Shelby Mustang, was noted as saying that driving was actually exhilarating… once you adjust to the initial shock and start going with the flow of things;“Passing a slow moving truck requires a decision making process. There’s more to just “driving” on a highway in India. This is because the marked lanes and the general direction of traffic are merely suggestions. The highways do not have barriers or median strips, and breakdown lanes are few. Half the time, traffic flows in both directions using two lanes apiece. However, at any given moment, as many as all four lanes are used for one direction of driving and vise-versa. It all depends on what is happening at that point in time. You move into an open lane to pass the truck, only to find that another vehicle is coming at you… in your lane… at 50 mph.”

     Rob went on to write that it took him about 30 minutes to get used to this phenomenon, but then was actually able to get into a comfortable groove. He also stated that while cars & trucks are nowhere near as numerous as they are here in the states, you have to mind other things such as rickshaws, mopeds (with as many as 3 people on them) and cows. Apparently the cows are everywhere.

     If you’re a visual person, go onto You Tube and type in “India traffic jam”. While the short film has been sped up a little, it gives you a rough idea of what Mr. Kinnan is referring to. The interesting thing is, is while there are millions of people, and just as many near misses, there are extremely few incidents of actual contact. Why? Because it seems the drivers in India know their limits and boundaries. There are also no distractions - the drivers are focused on one thing - driving! Kinnan noted that if people in his home state of California were subject to the same driving conditions as in the cities of India, about 85% of them would be involved in an accident within 5 minutes. He also commented it may be a decent way to alleviate the traffic gridlock out there as well.

     I can relate somewhat to what the author is referring to; when I drive my antique hot rod I actually become more aware of my surroundings. While the only creature comfort in the Mustang is a radio / CD player, it’s only on half the time. I find myself listening to the motor, the roar of the exhaust, glancing at the

gauges, and checking my surroundings. Even though the deck is equipped with a jack for my MP3 player, I leave that at home. Most of the time I have one hand on the steering wheel, the other on the 5 speed shifter. There isn’t much time to be fiddling with other things, ‘cause the last time I checked, I didn’t have three arms and hands.

     My intention is never to preach (at least directly). I’m never one to say what someone should do or not do. Everyone has a 16 pound computer in their head… it’s called a brain. We just need to use it. Vehicles are wonderful things. Modern performance and technology have come a long way. Let’s not take it for granted.

     Until next time - peace out,
     Dave