Zach LarkinsCARS
Summer is over. I know, usually we look at Labour Day to signal the end of summer, but we returned from the local Corn Fest today and it's like a countdown for the blast off at Cape Canaviral. You know the grim reaper is waiting around the corner and there's nothing you can do to avoid him.
So I started thinking about the Woodward Ave. Dream Cruise in hopes of hanging on to summer for just a little while longer. The Cruise is 13 years old this year and just keeps getting bigger and better each year. It commemorates the old days of the '50's and '60's when you'd cruise Woodward and race stoplight to stoplight for pink slips. From the foot of Woodward in downtown Detroit to Pontiac, the street is filled, both sides, with cars from an era we'll never see again.
Cars that had their own design and personality. Cars that you could tell from one another a mile away, not like the cookie cut shit they build today. There used to be a big difference between a '59 Chev and a '59 Polara that a blind man could spot. Today, you'd have to be on the guys ass to see what kind of car he's driving. Classics, hot rods, antiques, they're all out there and well worth looking at and admiring. The Cruise attracts people from as far away as California and is a week long party celebrating Detroit iron.
My first car was a 1970 Karmann Ghia done up in pumpkin orange. I loved that car. A 1600 cc engine with EMPI exhaust and wheels on oversized tires. I never saved enough money to put a turbo-charger on it, but it would have fit nicely under the hood without the bulges the regular Bugs required. I could beat TR-6's in gymkanas and regularly wiped MG's and 6's in road rallies.
Next I had a '66 4.2 L E-Type convertible, although that car didn't last too long. I was way too young to be able to afford a car like like that, the insurance was killing me. The dash was laid out with toggle switches and you had to push a button to light it up after you turned the ignition key. On a cold, rainy night, it was like firing up a plane. Turn the key. Hit the starter button. Flip the heat on. Flip the defroster on. Flip the wipers on. (It had 3 wipers, now that was cool) I ran from Kingston back home one year during vacation in 4 hours. This is normally a 6 hour trip so I figure I was doing about 160 mph (MPH!) all the way. Dual overhead cams and triple Stromberg carbs made this car haul. I got pulled over one day and figured I was in deep shit because the speedo didn't work and I had no idea how fast I was going. I was running off the tach and someone had told me me it was a two to one ratio. I was driving too fast to be doing any math at the time and just figured I'd hand over my licence. But all the cop wanted was to see the engine. I obliged him in a hurry. Two twists of the locking pins, undo the safety latch, viola!, we unfold the hood and there it is in all its glory.
I traded the Ghia for a '73 Javelin SST. 360 motor, dual exhaust, black with a white vinyl top and a Pierre Cardin interior. This mother moved! Put your foot to the floor and the ass squatted and you were gone. It came with Goodyear tires that I learned to hate. If it looked like it was going to rain, they'd start spinning. I changed to Goodrich Radial T/A's and found out what hooking up to the pavement was all about. The tape player blasted out The Who's 'Who's Next' at full volume and I was in heaven. I put a lot of miles on that car and it's still too painful to think of its untimely death, so I won't go there.
Next I ended up with a '76 150 Econoline van. Thus was great for hauling the kids around and taking my 175 DT with me wherever I went, but it really wasn't exciting. I felt like a delivery driver every time I got behind the wheel.
The van gave way to a '78 Fairmont wagon, which was no better. It had the woodgrain on the side, but I didn't really care as it was the first car I ever owned that had air and intermittent wipers. I suppose that was worth the price of admission but nothing says 'soccer parents' as loud as a ride like this. I still shudder when I think of that car.
A Plymouth Horizon followed this (a neat little car that ended up burning to a crisp on me) and that was followed by a '79 T-Bird. Both were rather unremarkable although they did achieve the purpose of getting me from point A to point B. 'Nuff sed.
When Chrysler came out with their new Ram pick-up, I thought it reminded me of a '53 Studebaker. I hated the looks of it. I hated it so much, I ended up buying a '94 model. Five gears, 60-40 split seats that reclined, the equivalent of a 318 and a bitchin' stereo system. Yup, this was alright in my books. And it was a true pick-up. It had an 8'-0" bed where I'd stash an air mattress and when I got done visiting the kids, I'd crawl in the back to grab some shut eye. It hauled the boat around without a problem and was great for camping. It would haul anything you wanted to haul without a whimper. It was great. You got to sit up high and see the world while you were driving and just got a general sense of safety when you were in it.
The truck gave way to an '04 Intrepid which I drive today. I have taken to liking this car. At first, it felt like I was sitting in a hole when I drove it (it's pretty low to the ground after the truck) but I got used to it. It doesn't have any cup holders in the back, but I never sit there anyway so I don't really care. The rear seat is huge though, as is the trunk. It doesn't have drip rails which annoys me whenever it rains. I like the window cracked open, come rain or come shine, but come rain and I just about drown. My tough luck I suppose.
What have you driven in the past? What's your latest ride like? Let me know. This could be interesting.
So I started thinking about the Woodward Ave. Dream Cruise in hopes of hanging on to summer for just a little while longer. The Cruise is 13 years old this year and just keeps getting bigger and better each year. It commemorates the old days of the '50's and '60's when you'd cruise Woodward and race stoplight to stoplight for pink slips. From the foot of Woodward in downtown Detroit to Pontiac, the street is filled, both sides, with cars from an era we'll never see again.
Cars that had their own design and personality. Cars that you could tell from one another a mile away, not like the cookie cut shit they build today. There used to be a big difference between a '59 Chev and a '59 Polara that a blind man could spot. Today, you'd have to be on the guys ass to see what kind of car he's driving. Classics, hot rods, antiques, they're all out there and well worth looking at and admiring. The Cruise attracts people from as far away as California and is a week long party celebrating Detroit iron.
My first car was a 1970 Karmann Ghia done up in pumpkin orange. I loved that car. A 1600 cc engine with EMPI exhaust and wheels on oversized tires. I never saved enough money to put a turbo-charger on it, but it would have fit nicely under the hood without the bulges the regular Bugs required. I could beat TR-6's in gymkanas and regularly wiped MG's and 6's in road rallies.
Next I had a '66 4.2 L E-Type convertible, although that car didn't last too long. I was way too young to be able to afford a car like like that, the insurance was killing me. The dash was laid out with toggle switches and you had to push a button to light it up after you turned the ignition key. On a cold, rainy night, it was like firing up a plane. Turn the key. Hit the starter button. Flip the heat on. Flip the defroster on. Flip the wipers on. (It had 3 wipers, now that was cool) I ran from Kingston back home one year during vacation in 4 hours. This is normally a 6 hour trip so I figure I was doing about 160 mph (MPH!) all the way. Dual overhead cams and triple Stromberg carbs made this car haul. I got pulled over one day and figured I was in deep shit because the speedo didn't work and I had no idea how fast I was going. I was running off the tach and someone had told me me it was a two to one ratio. I was driving too fast to be doing any math at the time and just figured I'd hand over my licence. But all the cop wanted was to see the engine. I obliged him in a hurry. Two twists of the locking pins, undo the safety latch, viola!, we unfold the hood and there it is in all its glory.
I traded the Ghia for a '73 Javelin SST. 360 motor, dual exhaust, black with a white vinyl top and a Pierre Cardin interior. This mother moved! Put your foot to the floor and the ass squatted and you were gone. It came with Goodyear tires that I learned to hate. If it looked like it was going to rain, they'd start spinning. I changed to Goodrich Radial T/A's and found out what hooking up to the pavement was all about. The tape player blasted out The Who's 'Who's Next' at full volume and I was in heaven. I put a lot of miles on that car and it's still too painful to think of its untimely death, so I won't go there.
Next I ended up with a '76 150 Econoline van. Thus was great for hauling the kids around and taking my 175 DT with me wherever I went, but it really wasn't exciting. I felt like a delivery driver every time I got behind the wheel.
The van gave way to a '78 Fairmont wagon, which was no better. It had the woodgrain on the side, but I didn't really care as it was the first car I ever owned that had air and intermittent wipers. I suppose that was worth the price of admission but nothing says 'soccer parents' as loud as a ride like this. I still shudder when I think of that car.
A Plymouth Horizon followed this (a neat little car that ended up burning to a crisp on me) and that was followed by a '79 T-Bird. Both were rather unremarkable although they did achieve the purpose of getting me from point A to point B. 'Nuff sed.
When Chrysler came out with their new Ram pick-up, I thought it reminded me of a '53 Studebaker. I hated the looks of it. I hated it so much, I ended up buying a '94 model. Five gears, 60-40 split seats that reclined, the equivalent of a 318 and a bitchin' stereo system. Yup, this was alright in my books. And it was a true pick-up. It had an 8'-0" bed where I'd stash an air mattress and when I got done visiting the kids, I'd crawl in the back to grab some shut eye. It hauled the boat around without a problem and was great for camping. It would haul anything you wanted to haul without a whimper. It was great. You got to sit up high and see the world while you were driving and just got a general sense of safety when you were in it.
The truck gave way to an '04 Intrepid which I drive today. I have taken to liking this car. At first, it felt like I was sitting in a hole when I drove it (it's pretty low to the ground after the truck) but I got used to it. It doesn't have any cup holders in the back, but I never sit there anyway so I don't really care. The rear seat is huge though, as is the trunk. It doesn't have drip rails which annoys me whenever it rains. I like the window cracked open, come rain or come shine, but come rain and I just about drown. My tough luck I suppose.
What have you driven in the past? What's your latest ride like? Let me know. This could be interesting.
Lmao.
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern
Omfg, I had a van too! All done up with rainbow shag carpeting over "everything", including the ceiling!
Rotflmfao!
And Feisty? Uh, Hon, a Morgan is a breed of American Horse, sorry...
*Snicker*
My personal feeling is, if I saw a "blue" Morgan? I'd be calling in a backhoe company to bury the poor thing, not wanting to re-upholster the front seats...
*Chuckle*
Take care you two!
Nick
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern
*rolls eyes*
Ok I am NOT gettin into the middle of a bickering match between you two over the color of a car!
Lmfao!
MY choice is fire engine red with as much chrome as can possibly fit on an automobile and it still be operational!
Hahahahaha!
Take care both of you!
Nick
About the blue Morgan... well, that really a horse of a different color! lol
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern
The blue Morgan is ticking TBH off. Ya gotta love that!
Thanks for stopping in.
I can live with a Red Morgan. But this has to be a girly, girly colour 'Tan body with chocolate (dark) brown fenders.' Lmao.
I have a picture of a Royal Blue one, just gotta figure out how to get it on here.
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern