Practically Right In My Backyard

There's a saying that was pretty popular back in the mid to late 60's; "Fall apart in my backyard.", which meant to basically chill out and not worry about anything. I recently had to live that scenario because I cannot control every single aspect in my life - like other people and things like the weather. Over this past weekend, there was the 25th annual Great Falls Hot Air Balloon Festival which was held just northwest of Portland in the twin cities of Lewiston and Auburn here in Maine. To ride in one of these hot air balloons is one item on my wife's and mine bucket list. Unfortunately, Mother Nature and the FAA had the final say with our Saturday morning balloon ride - no go. The cloud ceiling, by Federal law, has to be at least 1000 feet before we can go up. It never got any higher than 800 feet throughout the morning. We were supposed to launch at 6am. By 11am, everyone had given up hope of taking off, so the whole smash was cancelled. We'll be going back next August and we're confident that we'll best Mother Nature at that time.

It's sorta the same scenario sometimes with hot rodding and drag racing. For example, over the past two months, I started scouring the classifieds on Racing Junk as well as Craigslist, looking for my next go-fast ride. I've been searching as far south as the Carolina's and as far west as Illinois. The kicker is, while on our way back from the festival, I stumbled across at least two hot rods that, at minimum, deserve some phone calls and further investigation. One was an old Dodge panel truck rat rod, the other being a 1965 AMC Rambler 330 2-door post car. The Dodge panel rig was in rougher shape than the Rambler and not just because it was a rat rod. The interior consisted of a modern leather Chrysler unit that was in decent shape, but the exterior still needed some finishing work in regards to headlights, turn signals, rear glass, and other minor details. I'm unsure if it ran or not nor did I know what it had for a drive-train, but it was advertised as turn-key and the price wasn't bad at $4000 dollars. It would really turn into a sweet deal if the old school bus parked next to it was part of the deal, even though that rig needed a lot of work. Why? When was the last time you saw a short school bus with a chopped-roof that was a prime candidate to be a drag vehicle or possible pro-street ride?

The Rambler, on the other hand, was a little more civilized. It was a classic el-cheapo 2-door sedan that had (I going to assume) some major upgrades in the speed department. Again, I'm unsure what was under the hood, but I was fairly optimistic that the original 6-cylinder was long gone due to the steering column mounted tach, and the row of after-market gauges that resided ahead of the Hurst 4-speed shifter. The interior was completely redone with new carpet, headliner and bucket seats, but the exterior had a poorly applied flat-black paint job that was starting to come off. However, if a 390 or a 401 engine is between the fenders, then it's definitely worth the $6500 admission price.

Drag racing is full of trial and error, or as they use to say in the sport, "If something didn't work right on that run, maybe you were spared from a greater disaster." I've seen old films of the Dodge Ramcharger racing group where they had a 1964 Polora with the new race Hemi between the fenders and they had a transmission literally grenade at the starting line. You could just see the expressions on their faces and "Oh shit!" doesn't even begin to describe it. However, they burned the midnight oil, swapped in a new transmission and the associated parts, fixed the body damage underneath the vehicle, and went on to win the next days eliminator heats. The same rings true for racing at Bonneville, or Daytona. If you're old enough like me, you might even remember one race where Richard Petty was wailing on the roof of his 1968 Roadrunner because the vinyl roof tore and was coming off the vehicle at speed. The problem was, it was coming down in front and blocking his view as well as distracting him. His team thought the particular roof covering wouldn't make a difference. Well - guess what?

Do you see where I'm going with this? Our hot air balloon ride got canned, but we'll hit it again next year. Maybe there was some reason why we weren't supposed to go that morning. I've been searching far and wide for some cool rides, the two described above came on my radar, and they are less than 90 minutes from my house. And I may not have ever known about them if I didn't make the trek to the festival. In the end, obviously what I need to do is fall apart in my backyard and things will work out for the better if I don't stick my hands into every single solitary detail.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave

Cool Hotrods - Stable But Not Standing Still

Judging from the title of this week's blog, you might think that I'm referring to the performance and speed of vintage Detroit iron. Not entirely. For decades - literally since the birth of modern hot rodding after World War 2 - there has always been that coolness factor. Hot rods in general have always been cool, mostly because, in the grand scheme of the total number of vehicles out there, hot rods represent a very small number of this total. In other words, they are rare. The next logical connecting point is the sense of history and nostalgia they posses. Agreed, for a while, especially back in the late 40's and throughout the 1950's, they were seen as gateways to trouble that ranged from getting arrested to going to Hell. However, since the 1960's, they have been a trip down memory lane, albeit that lane, at times, had no posted speed limit.

The main point I'm driving at, is the coolness factor of hot rods, muscle cars, street rods, etc., is always changing, always expanding. And that in itself is a very cool thing. I can remember a piece of tribal knowledge that was passed down to me over 30 years ago; "If we all agreed on what was "cool" with antique vehicles, our hobby would be very boring." This statement hit my ears at the time back in the mid-80's when the first wave of popularity hit the public in regards to muscle cars. Muscle cars still contained the same coolness factor they always had, but it was when their prices got stupid expensive, rather quickly, for the first time. It was also during that period when "100% correct restorations" first reared their heads. I'm not saying that restoring a muscle car to factory stock where it looks like it just rolled off the assembly line is a bad thing. I'm saying it can't be the only way, or the "true correct" way to restore these cars - which was a line we almost crossed back then.

If hot rods from the late 20's to the early 40's are any indication of things, we will be seeing more than our fair share of modernism in vintage automobiles. I believe, in the very near future, things like an Chevy LS or Ford 5.0 Coyote motor swap will be yawn city. I've already seen transplants like Duramax diesel swaps into mid 60's Chevy wagons. How about an incredibly modified Ford Eco-boost twin-turbo V-6 in a 1932 Model A? Check. The latest issue of Hot Rod magazine contains a feature vehicle that's a 1964 Pontiac Tempest wagon that was converted from a 4-door to a 2-door and has the drive-train, and a great deal of the interior swapped in from a 2005 GTO. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see an all-electric or hybrid setup between a pair of fenders that used to house a straight-8 motor. Anything is possible - and that's also damn cool.

Drag racing is already there. It's old news that "Big Daddy" Don Garlits has already built and driven an all-electric dragster and I do believe it may have finally broken the 200 mph barrier on batteries. This is unexplored, revolutionary ground, but that's what hot rodding and drag racing is all about - going where no one else has gone before. While there may be more than a few of you out there who will shout that anything electric or hybrid is downright blasphemy, in any kind of vintage automobile - be it street rod, old car, or rat rod. There are even a few who hold fast to the concept that the purest form of vintage street rod roadster is a Model A on Deuce rails. I get it - many of us are old enough to remember a time when there were far fewer vehicles in the hot rod mix. This, and other mindsets, have been passed down through the generations. However, times are moving forward, whether we like to admit it or not. We, as a hobby, as well as an industry, need to keep moving forward with the technology, the fresh ideas, the new concepts, and the unexplored. We need to be stable, but never stand still.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave

It Doesn't Have To Be Mint

I was photographing a car show Friday night and struck up a conversation with a guy from North Carolina who was visiting our area. He had a nicely restored, bright yellow Studebaker pickup that also had some custom touches. For example, I liked the custom speedometer that was in the dash. It was about five inches in diameter with the numbers going clockwise from 0 to 90. The final spot on the speedo normally where 100 would be, was instead the word "zoom". Very cool. But the one aspect about the truck I liked the most (and what I took the most pictures of), was the mostly original engine with it's surface rust, patina, and somewhat faded decals. The owner quickly apologized for not having the time to detail out the engine. As we continued to talk, I told him it was the current condition of the real estate under the hood that captured my interest. To me, that engine told more stories than the rest of the truck put together. He was totally cool with where I was coming from and even thanked me for the different perspective. I, in turn, thanked him for letting me photograph his truck.

I can say, without equivocation, at every car show or event I photograph, I am told almost the exact same thing that the owner of the Studebaker to me, by countless owners of vintage Detroit iron, that one or more particular aspects of their ride is not finished - and they're apologizing for it. The first thing I do is tell each and every one of them not to apologize. The next thing that runs through my mind, but stops at the filter in my mouth is, "Why are you apologizing?" The way I see it, it's your rig. You put the blood, sweat, and tears in owning, modifying, restoring, or whatever you do with it. Even if you stroked a check and purchased a finished ride, it's still your money and your ride. I can remember when I was restoring / modifying an antique Chevy pickup. When it came time to paint it, everyone and their brother told me what color I should paint it. Even after I told them the color scheme I was going lay down, they still told me, "no dude - you need to do it this other way." In the end, I still painted the truck the way I wanted to. Were any of these people who told me different in the body shop for the nine months it took to finish the paint and body work? Nope. My truck, my money, my way.

I gotta admit - that's one thing I still love about car shows, hot rodding in general, and even vintage drag racing. I love the individuality. I love the fact that today's car builders, regardless of who they are - be it the well known builders who's rides are featured in major magazines, or the average Joe or Mary who's building and welding in their garage and don't have access to a lift, or $30,000 in tools, but use their creative talents instead - continue to produce mind-blowing results and new ideas. Even if I don't gel with the finished product, I can still truly appreciate and totally respect the finished work. Ditto with old-school drag racing. Less rules, more fun. Creative experimentation, I like to call it. And if someone totally digs your ride, or hates on it, it doesn't matter. You did the hard part - if you like the outcome, that's all that matters.

Until next time, more empathy and less hating,
Dave

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

The Influence Of Dad

As I reminisce about Father's Day, it not only gives me the chance to look back at my life in regards to influential people and my relationship with them when it comes to the automobile, but also how on Earth I ended up where I'm at with American classic cars. My Dad, who is now 81 years young, was an odd car buff of sorts. In the heyday of muscle cars in the 60's, he was the poster child for counter-culture automobiles. Throughout my adolescence of 18 years, he rarely owned an American car, save for a Jeep (that's me in my Mom's lap), a Chevy C-10, and an International Scout. Most of the time he dabbled in VW's, Saab's, Volvo's, and Subaru's. He loved their simplicity, good fuel economy,

and ruggedness. The C-10 would've been completely out of character, except it was the only rig he could buy in a half-ton configuration, with a small block V-8, and a heavy duty 3-speed manual transmission - for the sole purpose of hauling a camper that sat atop the truck bed. While my Dad did show me the basic ropes in regards to car care, like where to add engine oil, how to change a flat tire, and jump start a dead battery, I think he still wonders, even with all that foreign influence, how I ended up digging the cars he pretty much avoided and sometimes despised.

Don't get me wrong - I'm grateful my Dad educated me in numerous aspects about cars, but my love for classic Detroit iron came from father-like influences; like uncle's and next door neighbors. Our neighbor Lenny Stevens was probably the most anti-foreign crusader... and the greatest mentor. It all depends on how you look at it. Lenny was older than my Dad, but younger than my grandfather. He had a son that was barely 19 and was killed in Vietnam back in 1969. Lenny was also a dye-in-the-wool drag racer with a yen for going fast - really fast. He purchased new a 1967 Plymouth GTX optioned with the 426 Hemi engine and slowly over the years, he modified it for drag racing. Just before we moved out of the neighborhood in the summer of 1973, Lenny would often let me visit when he wasn't intently working on his GTX. He knew I loved that car. He may have taken pity on me since my Dad owned a string of grossly under-powered European vehicles, but he also mentioned I reminded him of his son. Lenny's wife, Laura made the best chocolate chip cookies I've tasted to date. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens were a little rough around the edges, but they were the nicest people. I can remember when Lenny asked me to add some oil to the Hemi - I didn't know where to start as European vehicles were totally different. For starters, my Dad's V-dub's had their engines in the rear of the vehicle. Lenny took me to heart after he said, "Jesus, kid - we've got to beat all that foreign junk out of you. You're an American - you drive American horsepower... and lots of it. End of story!"

That summer I started on my journey learning about engines - the basics mind you, as I was barely eleven years old. Another mentor was my Uncle Ray, except he was a hardcore Ford fan. You gotta give kudos to guy who drove a 429 cubic inch Torino daily in the summer and who's winter beater was an old 1960 Starliner that had a 406 cubic inch transplant. And while I didn't get up close and personal with either of my Uncle's rides, his greatest influence was taking me to car shows, cruise-in's, and drag races that were held at Englishtown Raceway. Because of that engaging at those events, I had a chance to

meet scores of people and check out the gamut of hot rods, street rods, and muscle cars. The same held true for drag racing, where fans could mingle with the race cars, the drivers, and pit crews in what was then called "thrashing grounds". Over the past 45 to 50 years, things haven't changed a whole lot in the hot rod community, except for that bump in the mid to late 80's when brand bashing was en vogue and the guys who owned Corvette's wanted to be in a league by themselves. Drag racing, however, has totally changed - you can't even think of mingling in the pits anymore, and you're dreaming if you think you could literally watch over the shoulders of some of the top dog drivers and mechanics. Sometimes the good 'ol days were a little better than today.

 If you have the chance to pass along your passion - be it for old hot rods, or muscle cars, or nostalgic drag racing - do it. Take your kids (or your entire family) to a car show, a transportation museum, or some other antique auto event. Some people say, "...it's never too late." I believe you only have so much time, especially when it comes to your kids. Time slips through our hands, kids grow up way too fast, and by the time they're between the ages of 15 and 17, they'll be trying to find their own way, in which you may become the "enemy" for a while. Besides - what better way to get them away from the TV, cell phone, computer games, and give them a chance to witness other vehicles, besides turbo Honda's with LED lights, that are the coolest thing since sliced bread.

Until next time, happy Father's Day and peace out.
Dave