The Drive

Tonight, at approximately 9:17 p.m., I was in a state of peace. Nothing was on my mind except for the absolute perfection of what I was doing. I was driving. My hand wrapped around the thin blue steering wheel, sun setting, and Elvis on the radio. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. The moment was perfect, in fact, I wish I could have filmed it to watch over and over again. Very rarely do I ever feel this way driving. We drive so much that we become numb to what's around us, we drive to get to a destination, we drive to accomplish a task, we drive to get home. I think we need to drive more just to simply drive. I cannot express how happy I was a half hour ago. 

I have this funny idea that cars have to be mated with certain times of the day and landscape. My 1966 Dodge Coronet is a big blue bomb. She is not fast and does not handle. Sunday I took the car to Rochester and back on the thruway at 65 mph. That speed was too much for the old girl, the wind noise was unbearable, 70 mph felt unsafe, and I felt like I was holding up traffic. On top of these factors the car started overheating so I had to pull off on the side of the thruway and let it cool. I found it to be a stressful ride. 

The car can be driven around town or on a slower thruway but tonight I truly found it's happy place. The crisp evening air keeps the motor cool. Rural areas provide the perfect speed limits coupled with empty open roads. That being said, another car might be better enjoyed running through a complex canyon road or doing huge thruway blasts state to state. The point is, I've been driving this car for over 4 years and I just found now where it's most content. The only way one can find the perfect cruise is by driving their cars, meaningless drives provide relaxation and a good man-to-metal bonding experience. Tonight I was on my own, I didn't have to meet anybody, I didn't have to keep up with other cars, I just picked up my keys and left. Try it sometime.

Design

Let it be known, cars can still look striking. I think people assume that because of Federal safety regulations design isn't much of a choice anymore. You need to have your headlights at a certain height, air bags are necessary, and crumple zones are king. 

I drive a 1966 Coronet for chunk of the year. In the summer I almost always drive it to work. I get a lot of people saying "they don't make them like they used to." The thing is, they do and better.

A lot of people (typically older people) think modern cars are boring. I love classic cars, they have much different lines than today but you have to remember not every car in the 1960's was a '63 Corvette Stingray split window or a series 1 Jaguar E-Type. I think we forget that there were bare-bones everyday cars with just a heater for an option and four plain doors. Those cars were used, abused, and scrapped. Whats left behind are the cool cars people never got rid of.

Cars now, are safer, more efficient, faster, and last longer. There is no doubt about it. On the other hand, they are more expensive to buy and fix and more of a challenge to work on (sometimes). 

Style is not gone. Back in the 1960's (my favorite age of cars from all over the world) the average American car was pretty plain. Once you moved into the muscle car, sports car, or super car segment things got interesting. Colors were in your face, no scoop too large, no hood too long, and definitely no exhaust note too loud. These are the cars that stick in our memory. 

Pictured above is a 1966 Jaguar E-Type, regarded as one of the most beautiful cars of all time, Next to the Jag is a lowly 1967 Plymouth Valiant Signet. See what I mean? That Plymouth is very forgettable.

What cars today are beautiful?

This Maserati GranTurismo is. The Maser is a big 2-door grand touring car . Its got a lovely sounding 4.7 liter V8. You may argue that this car is too expensive, back in the day they made good looking cars cheaper. Well how about this then?

This is the 2016 Mazda 6. For less than $30,000 you can get a pretty stylish sedan (which by the way is still offered with a manual transmission). Its simple and attractive.

I will give classic cars this, modern cars are styled after them. The 911 has looked the first model for like 1,000 years. The Jaguar F-Type, another gorgeous machine, you can see a lot of E-Type in it. Any Aston Martin looks like the Astons of old. The new Fiat 124 Spider looks very similar to the old. The 2005, 2006, and 2017 Ford GT look very much like the 1966 Ford GT.

I think people are unfair to car designers. People love heritage but complain when the car looks too similar to the old. Honestly, there are plenty of modern day boutique manufacturers making masterpieces. Look at Pagani, Ariel, Koenigsegg, Noble, Weisman, etc. I don't think using classic car style on new cars is cheating. The designer is adding a modern flair to a, frankly, outdated design. People say some cars look timeless but really they still look like old cars Maybe the BASIC design is timeless. I'm talking about the long hood on sports cars, the low roof and high haunches on supers, and the square jaw of a muscle car. That isn't saying these classic cars look bad, it just means they need to be updated to capture most people's attention. We often forget that a car is just a product that is meant to make money. Manufacturers need to make money with design. I hate how that sounded. I just think the people that think old cars are the only pretty cars need to open their eyes a little.

Times change and it changes everything with it.
(By the way the original Ford GT was crazy expensive just like a modern day Zonda)

I want to road trip the Coronet

This entry won't be another "I wish I wasn't here" post, it will be a goal. It will also be a list. The goal is to drive my 50 year old Coronet somewhere far. I want to give the old girl a good birthday present, exercise the old 318 before she gets a heart transplant. I'm all about driving your cars. What is the point to buy these rad rides and storing them away? I love driving the old girl. I look up to those people who drag race their L88 Corvettes or their 1970 HEMI 'Cuda. A few months ago I was on the good old internet and I saw a one of a kind 1962 Ferrari 250 "Breadvan". This car was competing in a vintage race and got its front end a little smacked up. I have all the respect in the world for these people.

I love putting miles on my car, I love getting the looks and the "car enthusiast thumbs up". I drive it to car shows and I don't mind driving it in the rain. There is nothing better than hopping inside the Dodge around 7 P.M. when everything is cooling off and the sun is setting. I turn the radio off and I open my exhaust cutouts. Turn the key pump the pedal quickly and let it rumble. The mild cam gives it just the right idle. Gahhh I can't wait for summer.
So back to the road trip. I want to go somewhere a few hours away and test the car as well as myself to see if I can mend whatever decides to break. So what should I bring?

Fluids: I think you can never be too safe with the extra fluids. Old cars leak and drip all the time. They burn fluid and spit it too.

-1 gallon of coolant
-1 gallon of water
-2 quarts of SAE 30 oil
-1 quart of ATF+4 transmission fluid
-1 quart of power steering fluid
-1 pints of DOT3 brake fluid

Parts: The list could be immense if I was going to go somewhere days away but I'm thinking this trip will be a day at the most, so I'll need just the basics.

-Extra belt: They could blow out of wiggle off at any second.
-Thermostat and gasket: Just in case the current one decides to go, I'll be prepared.
-Distributor cap and rotor: This may seem a little excessive but they are small enough to pack away.
-2 extra spark plugs: Maybe the car fouls one out, but they are tiny so no big deal.
-Extra bulbs and fuses: Just something to toss in the glove box.
-Some extra fuel hose: You never know what a good hose can do for you.

Tools: Without tools, you might as well not even try leaving.

-Basic socket set
-Various screw drivers
-Wrenches in common sizes
-Vise grips
-Big channel-lock pliers
-Needle nose pliers
-snipping pliers
-Lug nut wrench
-2 Ton bottle jack

Extra shit: These are the essentials for any quick fix.

-Duct tape: Obviously.
-Zip ties: Duhhh!
-Gasket shellac: I love that stuff.
-Electrical tape: A useful, cleaner alternative to duct tape.
-Black RTV: The universal goop.
-A variety pack of nuts and bolts: You never know what size you'll need.
-A few large and small hose clamps: Cheap valuable little nuggets of hope.

Now that I look at this list, its pretty obnoxious. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Besides, old cars have big trunks so all of items will only take up about half. I'm ready to go, any suggestions?

The Winter Beat

As mentioned in my first blog, winter should be a time of automotive reflection and planning.....at least for petrolheads. I've been scheming. How can I waste money on my cars this year?
 I have this far-fetched idea that I can make my little, naturally aspirated Legacy wagon into a sleeper/WRX eater. I start looking for a cheap upgrade to quench my thirst. I do a little research on 2003 Legacy GT brakes. That was it! I could do a simple brake upgrade. It turns out that to do the swap all you need are GT caliper brackets (to incorporate larger rotors) and some larger, aggressive rotors. It would be something I doubt anybody would ever notice or appreciate. I would know they're there and that's all that matters. I haven't done the swap yet because I don't have my rotors, but rest assured 3 people that read this blog, it will be done.
To continue the trend of wagon upgrades I move to my secret weapon, a 2004 WRX long block! It is missing a lot of things, but the essentials are all there and assembled (block, heads, cams, rods, pistons, crank).  When I graduate college and get a real job, I'd love to start building a nice and reliable EJ205. Nothing too crazy, maybe 300 or 320 horsepower. That's plenty for daily driven fun, plus the stock internals can hold that power easily.
Next one the list were tires. My wagon needed new ones, the search on eBay was quick and painless. A set of cheap Mastercraft tires. I probably could have made it through the winter but a drive on an icy road had scared me. My friends at Mercedes-Benz were kind enough to mount and balance them for me. Now the Subaru claws through snow with ease.
By far, my best purchase was my 1978 440 cubic inch V8 for my Coronet. Holy crap is this motor cool. This is just a short block, it comes with a forged crankshaft, connecting rods, water pump housing, flex plate and pistons. Those pistons will need to be beaten out of the engine because it is seized, but that is no big deal because a set of forged pistons will take their place. The plan with this is to build it over the next few years. I'm planning on aluminum heads, mild camshaft, headers, aluminum intake and an 850 cfm carburetor. All said and done I'm hoping for about 9.5 or 10:1 compression and around 500 horsepower with some pretty aggressive torque figures. The block will definitely need a lot of time and money but that will all be worth it once I lay down some serious rubber.
That is really about it. I need to save money now because I'm broke. Hopefully with my tax return I can buy this fiberglass hood for the Coronet. Its styled after the 440-6 pack hood on the A12 Coronet. My goal is to make my '66 look like a "Day 2" modified car meant for street racing.

The Demise of the Station Wagon

The SUV has always been lingering, massive transporters with toothy grills and presence. They have clutched the family car title from the station wagon and even the minivan and is now finishing them off. They slowly crush the throats of the claimed lesser vehicle.

Why oh why? The dawn of the SUV reigns supreme as night falls upon the will-be-missed wagon. It is unfortunate. I loved wagons and I'm sure others are with me.

Station wagons do something great for car enthusiasts.They are great for the person that drives people around or have families. They still feel like cars. Much of the zest of driving a good car is still left when you buy a wagon. It is just a bit longer.

Its too bad.

Maybe SUVs seem more fashionable these days. They are expensive and are bought by famous people to get carted around in, insert Range Rover Sport. Cadillac just unveiled a new CTS and CTS-V and have stated that no wagon will be made. Yet they still produce the lumbering Escalade. C'mon Caddy. Make your Escalade in peace but please offer a CTS-V wagon. Enthusiasts loved having a manual wagon packing the punch of an LSA.

Some could argue that wagons just don't have the space of an SUV. Think back to the Buick Roadmaster wagon, perhaps one of my favorites (white with wood grain please). It had three rows of seating, the farthest row looked out the back. So no excuses, space can be made.

It seems like Europe only makes wagons these days, called estates. They are popular over there. Maybe they're roads are better suited for them instead of huge SUVs. Thank you Germany for the ludicrous Mercedes Benz E63 wagon and Audi for the RS6. Two AWD monsters that could dust most sports cars out there. Volvo has and still do make lovely wagons that prove to be bullet proof and usable. Thank you Jaguar for the XFR-S Sportbrake, a machine that sounds like an F-Type but can carry your family and dog. Subaru has been making the Outback/Legacy wagon/Liberty for a lifetime, keep it going please.

America please. I beg of you. Dodge, bring me back the Magnum but with Hellcat motivation. GM, I need a Caddy wagon with LT4 power. Chevy, take another Australian chassis and build a great driver's wagon now that you have killed the SS.

Wagons end up doing everything that an SUV can. They are faster, better looking, and some can be just as capable off road. SUVs have their place but should not take over, wagons need to be popular again. After all, they carted families everywhere back in the day. From Florida to the drive-in. Chances are you were made in that wagon at the drive-in. Appreciate them.


   

Honda S2000

I'm a die-hard muscle car fiend. I don't think anything can change that. The brute force and noise they deliver is something unique. You already know the shtick-loud, fast in a line, V8 yeahhhh!, America even more yeahhhh!!!, burnouts-that kind of thing. You can't approach a drag strip without hearing fat men mumble about the 8-71 blower on that Camaro's 396. 

Despite my affection for such industrial machines I've always had a passion for other kinds of cars (aka super cars and fast station wagons). When I was younger I loved pick-up trucks, I wanted an orange 1953 Ford F-3. When I was in my younger teens I started to form an vague opinion on cars. I loved 60's muscle cars. I wanted a 1969 Cutlass or a 1979 Camaro Z28 more than anything. I was an idiot though, I actually thought once that a 1970 Charger R/T was faster in every way than a Nissan 300ZX with a VG30DETT (twin turbo V6). I was a typical muscle car douche bag.

Fast forward a few years. I had been driving my '66 Coronet for some time. I got a good feel for what it lacked and what was perfect about it. It is slow, steering is vague, and the ride is uncontrollably roly. On the other hand it looks terrific, sounds amazing, and is very comfortable. 

Anyways, my eyes were opened to the flaws of old American cars. For some reason I picked up an issue of Import Tuner Magazine at the local grocery store. Inside those lovely pages was a write up on a 1991 Nissan 240SX. It struck me. A lovely deep blue sitting low on gold wheels. It was a typical build with a SR20 motor. Goddamn was it pretty. It peaked my interest in cars from the foreign land of Japan and I read more and more about these cars.

Now, I have friends that both have a Honda S2000. Let me tell you, these cars are something special. I don't want to say they are often overlooked because that would be an insult, but it seems like every time people see them they are surprised.

They are relatively unusual. Not too many were made in their production run. People are always after the massively complicated twin turbo FD RX-7 or unobtainable Supra. What about the perfect little, naturally aspirated Honda? 

After my first ride in one I was sold. It was a black 2004 S2000. The way it revved, the way it shifted was just eye opening. The first S2000 I drove was a silver 2001. I hit 9000rpm......9000rpm. I'm used to my lazy V8 calling it quits at a very diesel-like five grand. This 2.0 essentially revs twice as much and twice as quickly. Fuck all the VTEC jokes on the Internet. Unless you drive this car you don't understand. VTEC in the F20 or F22 is real. You can feel it engage. I was shocked at how good this engine was. Anyone can used forced induction to make their engine powerful but it takes a special sort of science to make a perfect naturally aspirated engine.

When I grabbed the shift lever I was astonished at the lack of play. I'm used to my donkey Subaru five-speed. This was so precise, it was nicely weighted, the gates were close. The ride was firm but comfortable. It was a very reasonable car to drive. The steering is nice and tight. The weight of it, spot on.

The S2000 can hold its own and be even better than the new lot of sports cars. Mazda and Toyota/Subaru make a good product but they're both missing something. The MX-5 Miata is quick but wallows through the corners. The FRS/BRZ has rigid handling but isn't as quick as it's looks would lead you to believe. An S2000 does it all. Plus you're under the Honda reliability umbrella which keeps you dry from the tears of other unreliable sports car owners.

The S2000 is a car I won't soon forget. It is definitely the best car I've ever driven. This car has the power to unleash the inner JDM fanboy in us all. It truly affected me. One day I would love to own a Spa Yellow AP1 S2000. #bahhhh-VTEC-BWAHHHHHHH

The most powerful accessory

WHEELS can make or break your ride. No amount of low can fix these three spoke wheels on this VW Corrado. A car this rare deserves a set of quality wheels. Look to the 1969 Super Bee above. Stock in ride height but look at those jewels in all four corners. American Racing Torq Thrust wheels. Perfectly suited for it. 

Yes, wheels are expensive. They come in and out of style. The Torq Thrusts will always look good as will a set of BBS RS's. Here is a list of perfect wheels for all types of cars:

 American Racing Torq Thrusts: Timeless and will forever look good on and classic piece of American iron.

American Racing AR500: A resized version of classic Magnum 500 wheels. These look good on classic and modern muscle.

 BBS RS: A perfect wheel. These look exquisite on everything, from Civics to 911s. Very pricey because they aren't produced anymore, but an absolute treat of a wheel.

 Wantanabe RS: These wheels will forever look good on any classic JDM vehicle. 

 Rotiform Nue: A simple five spoke design. I love the look on bagged German rides. 

 Volk TE37SL: This is the perfect color combo for this wheel. These are at home on modern JDM machines.

 Vossen VVSCVT: Throw these wheels on any luxury liner and feel confident in your looks, it doesn't get much better than these.

 Enkei RPF1: Another universal choice for any modern car. Good for track use, lightweight and strong. 

 HRE P101: It's hard to top wheels on super cars. They're already good looking. These HREs are an exception. They elevate the style of many super cars attached to them. 

 Detroit Steel Wheels: Over-sized steel wheels that can't be beaten. They look at home on old rods.