My Detroit Autoshow Rant

Time for me to chime in on the 2014 North American International Auto Show. Honestly, I didn't feel that this year's show made for 'must see TV.'  There were some very significant debuts but I think that the trend of manufactures 'leaking' photos via social media outlets in the days and weeks leading up to the show somewhat takes the fun out of the event itself. Essentially, the overall anticipation is somewhat diminished as cars/concepts are really being debuted rather than revealed.

So lets start with the highlights....

I'm not a huge fan of concept cars. They tend to all look the same and rarely ever translate into something I'd actually want. For instance, this year Kia showed off a cool concept called the GT4 Stinger. As interesting as it is, its hard to get excited about it because at the end of the day you know Kia will never produce anything that remotely resembles the Stinger.

There was one concept car that was fantastic! The Toyota FT-1 Concept is what concept cars should be all about.  It sends a message that Toyota is not all about the Camry and Corolla.  It says that the stunning Lexus LFA is not the epitome of what they are capable of......its just the beginning.  This concept may never go into production but it makes you want to write letters and beg Toyota for the next Supra.

Now onto the debuts of 'real' cars. You know your car show is somewhat dull when the most significant reveal is the new Ford F-150. With that said, it may be the most important vehicle Ford launches this decade. The interesting thing here has been all the talk about the truck's aluminum body....which I think is cool. I actually find it bizarre when I read in blogs and forums filled with so-called truck enthusiasts complaints about the use of aluminum. The implication being that it is a weaker or inferior substitute for tried and true steel.......what a bunch of idiots. The biggest problem with the F-150 reveal was that Ford declined to reveal specific data about the F-150's power, towing or fuel economy...so who cares if you shaved 700 pounds by switching to aluminum if you cannot illustrate what that translates to in specs.

The C7 edition of the Corvette Z06 debuted. I'm not going to delve into the new Z06 since there are only two things you need to know about it:

1. The Corvette Z06 will have a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 producing at least 625 horsepower.

2. It looks like this....

There were other cool performance related cars like the Lexus RC F, the MK7 Volkswagen Golf R, the BMW M3/M4 and the Subaru WRX STI (it still has a big wing, blue paint and gold wheels).

I think the biggest news might be the big misses....

Porsche introduced a 911 Targa which seems way too complex. The way the rear glass lifts and the silver roof portion changes shape to make way for the retracting top just seems to be asking for mechanical problems.  It also seems heavy,appears to take up valuable space and ultimately I'm not even sure if it actually fits the official definition of a targa top. What's wrong with a couple of latches that you turn with your hand?

But the big winner (or loser) and honestly the only reason I wrote this post was the abomination known as the Equus Bass 770.

The Equus Bass 770 is touted as an American-made homage to iconic American muscle cars leveraging today's technology. The Americana motif even went as far as having three Bass 770's on display (a red one, a white one, and a blue one).  The designers claim that the car includes design elements influenced from all the icons such as Camaro, Challenger, Charger, GTO, and even Marlin.

When I look at the Bass I see a blatant act of automotive plagiarism that would be better suited as a Chinese made knock-off. You know what I'm talking about....like the  'high quality' Adadis sneakers and Calvim Klain clothes you find at your local flea market.

The designers can site all sorts of 'influences' but in reality the car is 90 percent 67/68 Mustang. It also features a Charger tail light panel and a Roadrunner grill.

Equus Bass770

67 Mustang in 'Eleanor' body kit

Equus Bass770

Charger

Equus Bass770

Roadrunner

The cheap imitation gets even worse. 

Next there is the 'Bass' name.....and obvious rip off of Ford's 'Boss' moniker.

Then take the contorting horse emblem.....out of the entire wild kingdom they had to pick a horse?

Then there is the 770 in the name.  770 what? It sure hell's ain't cubic inches (since the power plant  is sourced from GM) but rather 770 cubic centimeters per cylinder!  Meaning 770 times 8 = 6160 cc's....meaning 6.16 liters....which rounds up to 6.2 liters

But the real insult is the price! At least when you buy knockoffs at the flea market you are paying a quarter of what the real McCoy would sell for.  Equus plans of selling the Bass for a quarter of a million dollars!!!!!!!!

So let me close with this simple question. You have $250,000.00 burning a whole in your pocket. Do you buy a Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini Gallardo LP640, Audi R8 V10, the newly shown Corvette Z06 or the next ZR1, the next Mustang Cobra, or a Equus Bass 770?  End of rant.

Art of Pursuasion - Gearhead Style

Some guys just know how to write an advertisement....just check out this listing for a '68 C-10 that just sold on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121243741380?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

If it is no longer available all you need to know is this is how the listing opened....

"RUST, DINGS, SMALL DENTS, OFFENSIVE, SMELLS, LOUD, NOT socially acceptable, girls DON'T like it! etc... This is NOT the truck for you if wear skinny jeans or the one's with the scrolly crap on the back pockets. They cant hear you in the drive through at starbucks, and nobody will make eye contact with you at you kids soccer practice. That said.....this truck is AWESOME!!!!"

Night of the Comet

Previously on this blog I explained how I backed into my Mercury Cougar from my ownership of my Ford Mustang. I also explained how I love old Ford Falcons (especially the round body models).....so if I remember my least favorite portion of the SATs (which was analogies)....Ford Mustang is to Mercury Cougar as Ford Falcon is to....Mercury Comet! Enough with the nonsense.......I just bought a '62 Mercury Comet.  

Unfortunately, there is no need to get excited. Its crappy, rusty, a 4 door, and a 6 cylinder. It was destined for the junk yard and I felt that I couldn't let it go to the crusher without at least trying to salvage the car or at least some of its parts. So now it sits in the garage. I'm going to clean it up a tad bit, adjust the points and clean the carb so it runs.  I will vacuum out the filth the mice and God knows what have left in it and take some pics and list it for sale......if I don't get any takers, I will part it out and sell whatever I can and hopefully help out some other Comet owners out there. So if you're interested in a clapped out '62 Comet let me know.  It would make a sweet rat rod cruiser (can't fake the patina).  If you were really badass you'd slap some Gulf Racing colors on it and go LeMons racing.

So if you need some inspiration...

Pics coming soon

Honda's not so subtle return to F1

Honda has published a video called The Challenging Spirit of Honda which highlights the company's jump from motorcycles to the  first RA270 F1 chassis in 1962, to the RA272 chassis that won the 1965 Grand Prix to the current state of the F1 program in order to set the table for Honda's return to Formula One......even though it is still more than a year away.

Unfortunately the video is only in Japanese, but the footage if great and is capped off with the the 2015 engine screaming on a test stand....which  needs no translation.

Snowkhana Two

Ford has again spoofed Ken Block's Ford Fiesta ST rampage film Gymkhana (latest is number 6) in order to create an awesome Christmas card.  Enjoy Snowkhana Two....

And just in case you missed Snowkhana One last year...

Craigslist is the best!

I just felt the need to highlight an advertisement that is currently on my local craigslist....


1989 BUZZ BOMB V1 POWERED SPEED VAN-SPEEDIE DELIVERY (SOMERS CT)

WE HAVE FOR SALE A JET POWERED FORD E350 VAN....LAND SPEED BONNEVILLE SALTFLATS RECORD HOLDER...SUPER SEXY CHICK MAGNET TOO!..ASK ANY SMELLY-HOOKER-PIRATE...LOOM LARGE IN YOUR OWN LEGEND!....EASY SPRINGTIME FAMILY FUN RESTO PROJECT....DAILY DRIVER IS CHEAP TO INSURE...PILOT THIS BOMB DOWN TO THE LOCAL CAR SHOW!....SAVE THIS HISTORIC SLED FROM THE SCREAMING FRYING PAN OF SMELTER DEATH...TIRES MAY HAVE AIR. THINK OF THE AWSOME NEUTRAL DROPS!...PULSEJET V-1 FLYING BOMB MOTOR WITH DUAL EXHAUST...ANGRY WIFE APPROVED!...SHE WOULD BE LUVVIN YOU BIGTIME WITH THIS SITTIN IN THE DRIVEWAY....TOM JONES SANG "SHES A WEINER"..HONEST...CONN DEATH CERTIFICATE INCLUDED WITH POST MORTIM MARTI REPORT..GONNA WIN THIS RACE SANG ELVIS AS HE STUFFED HIS FACE EATING DONUTS AS HE FELL OF THE TOILET...LETS GO PILEHUNTING!.jOHNSON! CATCH IT ON TUESDAY NIGHTS AT 8PM ON COX CABLE 15..TOAST CITY HERE WE COME ...MARCIA BRADY MOANED IN EXTACY AS SAM REPLIED TO ALICE'I AM NOT SAM I AM A BUTCHER'...QUESTIONS-SURE1.. I PROMISE TO GIVE YOU A DUMB LOOK AND SCRATCH MY HEAD AND MUMBLE SOMETHING THAT NUTHIN TO DO WITH CHECKERS...FRANCO IS STILL DEAD.JEFF CLARK PICKIN AT HIS TOOTIE... CHOKE WAGON-DOGS LOVE IT!...ALWAYS FANCIED BEING A ELECTRICION BUT KEPT BLOWING UP TOASTERS...QUINCY SAYS I AM DETERMINED.....call 1-860-749-3705..ASK FOR NU-NU-PORKEY...thanks..

Here is the link... http://hartford.craigslist.org/ptd/4224084170.html

Happy Mustang Day

Autumn in New England

So things have been pretty hectic around here and I think its obvious with the lack of posts I've been generating.  November is here and the car scene in New England is about to shutter up for the winter......so this last weekend featured a final flurry of activity.

First off,  before the weekend even started I had an interesting week leading into it.  On Tuesday, I took my Cougar for a quick blast on a curvy road near my house in order to play with my GoPro....or should I say what was supposed to be a quick blast. At the end of the run there is a large parking lot (which happens to be where the state's Department of Public Safety is housed).  I turned into the lot and went to perform a 'K' turn in order to head back home.  While making the turn and turning the wheel lock to lock I heard a pop and then the steering wheel spun freely!  The aluminum u-joint that connects my column to my aftermarket rack and pinion setup broke! My car lost the ability to steer and I was in the middle of a crowded parking lot at an awkward angle. My mind jumped into problem solving mode as I had to figure out how to straighten the car out in order to park it in one of the lot spaces.  Then the realization of what would have happened if the u-joint broke 2 minutes earlier or later while I was driving like a madman on a sinuous tree-lined back road. Then I went back to problem solving mode. To get the wheels of the car to turn I employed a hunk of asphalt curb I found and placed it under one of the front tires and drove forward a tiny bit to force the wheels to turn to full lock.  Once the wheels turned I moved forward to the desired angle lined up with a parking spot and then re-used the curb chunk to force my wheels back into the straight position......and finished pulling into the space (a little before dark).

I happened that on Friday (November 1st) I was moving into a large storage unit which I was going to be converting into a  shop and storing the Cougar and Mustang.  I already had plans to rent a trailer Friday morning so I could tow my engine-less Mustang to the unit......I simply modified my plans to also tow the Cougar there.  So I left the Cougar in the lot for a couple days and hoped for the best (I think it may have helped that I was parked next to a couple state police cruisers).

On Friday I took my Discovery to get the Cougar......and of course it was pouring rain.  I used by curb chunk trick to back the Cougar our of its spot and turn it perpendicular to the parking spot and facing the trailer.  It was so easy I thought I'd have it loaded in minutes......then came my lesson on how hard it really is to load a steering-less car onto a trailer alone in the rain!  The amount of finagling it took to line up the trailer perfectly since I had to be able to drive the car up one-shot without any steering correction was ridiculous. Add in the fact that my Hankook Ventus R-S3's hated the wet steel ramps and I must have put on an entertaining display for the state workers in their cubicles.  Eventually, I persevered.

Round two was the opposite story.  The Mustang had steering.....just no drive train. This was much less of an ordeal...just some pushing and the creative use of a come-along to winch the car into the trailer and we were on our way.   

Cougar in its new home.....more to come.

Onto the weekend....

The weekend featured two of the area's biggest swap meets.  On Sunday my brother and I went to a semi-annual event organized by a local club and held in the parking lot of an amusement park.  The turn-out was fantastic.  There were all sorts of odd and interesting cars there. There were even more odd and interesting people.  With regards to deals, there were some to be had, but in general the prices on the cars in the car corral were inflated compared to other years.  There was a really nice Comet convertible for sale that was a deal.....there was also a beat 80's Monte Carlo with a built V8 in it that could have been had for about a grand that would have been fun to beat on.  We had quite a few conversations about what specific cars/trucks we owned in the past would be worth based on the asking prices we were seeing.  In general, the event wasn't productive from a great find point of view....it was just a nice time to get outside on a sunny day before the snow comes and look at cars and people-watch.

One event I missed on Sunday that I wish I attended (and will attend in the Spring when it starts up again) was the final gathering of Caffeine & Carburetors....check out their website.  Info on our new shop coming soon.    

Still have some fall foliage

This needs to be hanging on a wall in my house

A Day at the Park

Every Labor Day weekend I like to take the family to the park......Lime Rock Park that is.  In previous posts I've touched on my jealously of automotive enthusiasts who live in regions of the country that have thriving car scenes and/or rich rodding and racing histories like SoCal.  However, as much as I complain about being a car guy in snowy, salty New England there is one thing we have that should be on every American car guy's bucket list.

Recognized and revered for its scenic beauty and its place in motorsports history, Lime Rock Park is one of the oldest and continuously operated road racing courses in the country. Since it opened in 1957, Lime Rock Park has played host to nearly every great road racing driver, car and series, establishing a rich tradition as the Road Racing Center of the East.

Lime Rock’s history is inextricably entwined with that of sports car racing’s. In its 55-year existence, almost all of the sport’s greats have raced here: Andretti, Moss, Gurney, Posey, Rodriguez, Hobbs, Hill, Donohue, Ward, Fitch… the list of great drivers who’ve raced here is literally endless, from the drivers in the industry changing Formula Libre race of 1959 through the stars of the 1960s, 70s and 80s in Can-Am, Camel GTP, F5000, Trans-Am and Atlantic.

Lime Rock is not your typical motorsports venue...to call it a 'race track' is a horrible injustice.  Lime Rock Park rests on 350 acres of rolling Berkshire Mountain foothills creating a natural amphitheater, delivering a truly unparalleled experience for viewing world-class racing. Lime Rock Park is just that - a park. Fans are encouraged to bring their picnic blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy the grassy hillside viewing, an attribute unique to Lime Rock. Without being restricted to grandstand seating, fans take full advantage of its complete access.

Labor Day weekend hosts a very special event at Lime Rock Park.....the Lime Rock Historic Festival. With over 300 historic cars and a top-notch concours (with over 1000 cars), the Lime Rock Historic Festival is one of the premier auto events in the country. Noted not just for close racing, the festival brings together a wide variety of cars and historically significant cars.  For instance, a few years ago the event hosted a 1939 W154 Mercedes Silver Arrow that had not seen a track since 1939!!!

Half the fun of going to the Lime Rock Historic Festival is the ride there. Nestled in the northwest corner of Connecticut in the rolling Litchfield hills the venue is surrounded with everything one would associate with the iconic New England countryside. For instance your route may take you over the the picturesque covered bridge in Cornwall a few mile south of the track. What makes the approach to the event so interesting is its pretty typical to come upon (or they may pop up in your mirror) some vintage or exotic sports car as you wind through sinuous roads cutting through colonial era towns and farmland.  I can write for ever about how strongly I feel about Lime Rock Park.....but honestly, one really needs to experience it to appreciate what has been called "the secret valley of racing."

On track action at Lime Rock Park:

Short video discussing the historic festival:

Some of my photos:

Shiny, Fast and Loud!

Historic racing action!

Authentic Smokey Yunick Camaro

No grandstands at this 'track'

open access to the paddock

BMW display in paddock area

Real Corvette Gran Sport (Chassis #004)

The scene walking around the paddock

For all of my photos view my gallery.

A Side Note: The newly released 2014 Corvette Stingray will be available in a hue that Chevrolet has called 'Lime Rock Green Metallic'

 

Where did the summer go?

In the blink of an eye a month has gone by since my last post! And in that same blink, a chunk of prime New England summer has flown by.  Soon enough the days will be getting shorter and the leaves will be changing .  I realized I have spent the bulk of the summer wrestling with the suspension on my Cougar rather than driving it.  I actually had to replace the front coils again since the set I cut (twice) kept unseating themselves on test drives.  I think I eventually traced the issue to the tired 1 inch spring insulators a the top of each coil.

Anyway, the car is just about road worthy again and now the goal is to drive it and attend as many local shows and event as I can while the weather cooperates.  Yesterday was a local event called the 7th Annual Sgt. Jeffrey Boucher Memorial Auto, Bike and Truck Show. This show really has become one of the best in our area for a variety of reasons.

First and foremost, the show is for a great cause and completely backed by the local Police department and as a result the debauchery that ensues is sanctioned by the boys in blue. For instance, the event features a burnout contest, rock crawling course and even mud pit racing.  The venue this year was at our local municipal airport so the event even offered helicopter rides. 

The show is a free for all! Every faction of automotive enthusiast is represented. There is no 'hot rod' club frowning down on every post 1949 vehicle on display. There were vintage muscle cars, new muscle cars, hot hots, low riders, imports, lifted trucks, slammed trucks, sport bikes, choppers, military vehicles, etc!

The organizers of the event did a great job. I hesitate to call it a 'car show' since the rock crawling and mud racing made it feel more like a competitive motorsports event that happened to have a couple hundred cars on display as well.  My 8 year old son, upon entering the gate and looking around, asked me if we just arrived at a fair.  When I said it was a car show he replied to me with certainty 'No, its a fair.'

Irregardless, the event provided the motivation to get the Cougar out to upcoming events.  More to come....and enjoy what's left of the summer.