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Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts

October 5, 2016

What Make of Car Are You?

You Are a Porsche
You make no apologies for who you are. You are ambitious, aggressive, and and a total Type A.

You love to win in life, and you don't need to break the rules to do it. You are never happier than when you're competing.

You are a very fun person, even though you don't have a lot of free time. When you play, you really go for it.


You secretly love attention and love people being envious of you. You are proud of what hard work has netted you in life. 


 



There's so much wrong with these results, I'm not sure where to begin. In the first place, I'm certainly not a "Type A" person.  I'm also neither ambitious (pretty much the opposite) but I guess I CAN be a little aggressive at times...but not with my driving.

I have LOADS of free time - I have no life.  I also do NOT love attention and if someone is envious of me, then I pity them.

I WOULD love to own a Porsche - a Boxter Spyder, to be exact.

I went back and changed some of my answers several times, and is usually the case there is one of the multiple-choice questions that determines the car you are.  I changed from testing a car on the Autobahn to on a rural road and it said I was a Volkswagon. I didn't read the description for that, but it probably fits me better than this one...although I'd much rather own a Porsche than a VW.

August 2, 2015

1962 Pontiac Tempest

This model was the first legal-to-drive car I ever owned;  mine was maroon with black interior and wasn't in nearly as good shape when I bought it (or sold it).   The flyer on the back glass says it's for sale for $10,400, quite a bit more than the $50 I paid for mine.


As you can see at the first of the video, the gear shifter is on the dashboard and it doesn't have a "Park" option - you put it in neutral and set the parking brake.   Mine got pretty good gas mileage, but even with that, I still sometimes had to burn condensate (drip gas) in it during the winter of the year I drove it. (since I wasn't working)  When I bought my next car, my dad bought it from me for fifty bucks and I believe he turned around and sold it for a hundred.  That was OK;  he had overhauled the transmission for me and repaired some rusted out spots on the front fenders and I'm sure his profit didn't even begin to cover the time he spent fixing it up for me.

July 27, 2015

1967 Ford Fairlane XL

Nearly identical to the one I had, the second car I ever owned.  Mine had a 390 instead of a 289, but I wouldn't have minded having the smaller engine - while mine wasn't a "gas guzzler" with a 2 bbl. carb, it didn't get the best gas mileage.   Then again, at .28 cents/gallon, that wasn't such a big deal back then. Same yellow body and same black vinyl top, though. 

November 8, 2013

1936 Chevy Master Deluxe



This is a beautiful car with an interesting history;  according to the listing on Streetside Classics, it was purchased new by a woman in California who drove it for 29 yrs., then donated it to a local museum where it was on display for another 20 yrs, protected from the elements and not racking up mileage.  In '86, the museum collection was liquidated and the car fully restored.

This is truly one of those "only driven by a little old lady" stories about the sales pitch given by used car dealers

I don't have a clue as to what the value is supposed to be, but the Streetside Classics DFW franchise has it listed for $19,995.  That seems more than reasonable for such a classic car.  Sure, it's no Shelby Mustang or Corvette, but this car would probably be a great investment at that price.

Now, off to check my Mega Millions number for the drawing earlier tonight. If I won it, I know what one of my first purchases will be...IF the car stays for sale that long, that is.  At that price, I doubt it will.

August 20, 2013

Optional: Air Bag

The first consumer car to offer an air bag as an option was the 1974 Oldsmobile Tornado Brougham.



I used to run around with a guy who had a later model Tornado with air bags, the first I had ever seen.  There had been some news stories of them accidentally going off or people being hurt more by them in wrecks than from the wreck itself.  It was hard to relax while in the front seat, not only from worrying about the air bag, but that he was such a lousy driver that I was afraid I'd need the air bag.   I ran into him a few years back while taking some photos by the side of the highway; he stopped to see if I was having car problems and we started shooting the bull.  I decided I'd introduce myself and stuck out my hand and his mouth dropped open and told me who he was.  (*and I'm sure my mouth dropped open, too) He told me I had aged and that he never would've recognized me. (*and HE had gained at least 250lbs and I never would've recognized him)

His Tornado had one of those long, sloping rear windows and even though he tried to put it in the garage when a hail storm hit, it still was destroyed when he was caught out on the road during a storm that, oddly enough, contained a tornado.  (although I never heard the name of the car pronounced the same, but rather Tor-nah-do)

Note:  I'm not positive that's a Brougham, but it's the trivia fact that's important, not the graphic.  If you want to - in a polite manner - correct me, then please feel free to do so in the comments section.  If you want be rude and tell me I'm stupid, then feel free to email me at kissmybutt@gotohell.com

July 22, 2013

Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be

Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry
.
 - Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 75–77

I really hate borrowing money;  the hassle of going to a bank diminishes the excitement of buying a car and I never have liked borrowing money for other reasons, even a few dollars, from a friend.  I've loaned money to people and found out they'd avoid me afterwards.  There's something about being beholden to someone that makes for resentment from some folks. As evidenced by the above verse, Shakespeare realized it, too.

Flashback:  It was a weekend during the school year;  I was barely sixteen and hadn't had a car or my license for very long and had a date for that Saturday night.  Since it wasn't the summer, I didn't have a job and consequently didn't have much money, only a couple of lonely dollar bills in my wallet.  Even though gas was about .32 cents/gallon and the cost of admission to the movies was only a fraction of what it is today, I still didn't have enough money...oh, I could probably pay to get in the theater, but popcorn would have been beyond my budget, forget about a pizza or burger afterwards. 

So, I swallowed my pride and asked my dad for a loan.  "Sure, how much do you need, son?" he asked, getting out his wallet.  I had in mind about five bucks, but thought I'd ask for more and would settle for five if I had to. "Uh...how about ten dollars?" I tentatively asked.  "Sure." said my dad, pulling the bill out and holding it out towards me.  I reached for it, then he pulled it back a little.  "Of course, there's the interest."

Great, I thought.  What the heck, I asked what the terms were. "100% interest." said pop.  Sheesh, even though bank loans were fairly expensive, that seemed outrageous, more what a Mafia loan shark would charge.  Still, I was in a bind and needed the money, maybe I could renegotiate the interest later or maybe he was just kidding.  I nodded my head and reached for the ten-spot.

"Well..." said my father.  "The interest is due right now." and he put the bill back in his wallet.  "You can pay the principal back anytime."

My mother had been listening and after I had cleaned up and was changing clothes, resigned to the fact that I was going to have to tell my girlfriend that I couldn't afford to take her out when I saw a five dollar bill sticking out of my wallet.  As I was leaving, my momma winked at me, so I knew she had given me the money behind dad's back...or at least talked him into giving me some.

Still, seven dollars total wasn't going to go all that far, but at least I could buy a couple of gallons of gasoline and get into the movie and afford some refreshments, although I would have to let her eat all the popcorn so she'd fill up on that and not want a candy bar, too. I'd also have to make sure she only got the medium size cup of the Dr Pepper she so loved.  Before picking her up, I stopped at the family-owned service station I traded at.  Waving off the old man coming out the door when I pulled into the drive, I pumped a dollar's worth of regular into my little Tempest

As I got a one-dollar bill out to pay, he said "That all the gas ya gonna get? On a Saturday night?"  I sheepishly admitted I couldn't afford any more and related the attempt at borrowing money from dad.  The old man laughed and shuffled out to my vehicle and filled it up.  "We'll just open you up a charge account." he declared.  "You can pay it off when you work this summer."  I was flabbergasted, but was nearly floored when his son opened up the cash register and handed me a five dollar bill. " Here's some money for your date." he said. "We'll just put that on your bill, too."

Now, what really surprised me about their generosity was that this family was known for their "frugal" ways. I once wrestled their huge Coke machine away from the wall because the old lady said she had dropped some money under it.  It was a nickel. They were open on Sundays, even though I bet they didn't average a half-dozen customers during the day.  I know they used a bank, but since the old man and his wife had lived through the Depression, they kept a goodly amount of money on hand.  Later, when I started roughnecking, they often cashed my entire crew's paychecks for them if it looked like we weren't going to get back before the banks closed, several thousand dollars, without even blinking.  (I always worried that some of the less reputable guys I worked with would come back and rob them, but it never happened)

That charge account really helped me out;  from then on I didn't have to always use "drip gas" and especially burn it in my next car, a Ford Fairlane with a much bigger engine than the Tempest, one that didn't run too well on the unrefined fuel.  They helped me out in other ways, letting me use their tire machine to fix flats w/out charging me for anything other than the materials I used. (a valve core was five cents, a patch was a dime and a valve stem was a whoppin' .25 cents!) I could also wash my car for free and in return, I would sweep their drive or clean out the wash bay sump pit and take their trash out to the dump for them. (In a sweet old '55 Chevy pickup which I'd LOVE to have now)  I later helped out with the business when the son got cancer. 

I've had others help me since then, friends have offered help w/out me asking (bless you!), my banker has approved loans without embarrassing me, even my dad grudgingly gave me money when I was in a bind, but what happened on that long-ago Saturday afternoon still warms my heart.  I got to take my date to the "picture show", bought her the biggest bucket of popcorn, a big box of Junior Mints and one of those tanker-sized soda pops PLUS a pizza afterwards along with a pitcher of Dr Pepper!  I even had more than enough money for the Elton John tunes on the pizza place jukebox. (I think my "big spending ways" were what made her so "grateful" later, if you get my drift. I got my first charge account that day and managed to lose *something* else later that night I really didn't want at all.)

But, since that time, I've over-extended myself with credit, especially with credit cards, particularly gas credit cards.  It was too easy to be able to fill up without spending "real money" and then be overwhelmed when the monthly bill hit.  Even though my pop could be a cruel jokester, he also passed along some nuggets of wisdom: "Don't ever charge gas, groceries or booze and you'll do all right in this world." he would tell me. I later understood exactly what he meant;  borrowing money for a car or home was different because you still had the thing, even though it might not be paid off yet, but with gas, groceries and liquor, those things were gone fairly quickly and all you were left with was debt.

July 20, 2013

Streetside Classics



I've found a new favorite website;  it's Streetside Classics. According to the site, they're the "nation's top consignment dealer of classic and collectible cars" and they wouldn't get an argument from me. With dealers in Charlotte, Atlanta and Dallas/Fort Worth, they have a huge selection to peruse. They also have a YouTube channel, but most of their listing's videos can also be viewed on the site. Each listing also has a full set of detailed photos.

Navigation is fairly easy on the website;  personally, I click on "New Arrivals" because I've pretty much explored every other listing.  If you're wanting to see if there's a particular model, the Quick Search drop-down menu has plenty of options.  If you're looking for - say - a '57 Chevy, that's easy enough to find. (and they're really expensive now- when I was a kid, you could buy one of those for a few hundred bucks.  One fully restored now can set you back in the neighborhood of $80k+) You can also input any range of years, which showroom and price from high to low and vice versa.

While they have all types of cars for sale at their three locations, the videos are similar and all that I've seen have been in HD. The soundtracks differ, from an appropriate generic heavy metal tune for the muscle cars, to a jazz accompaniment for the really slick and sexy vehicles, to a more "bluesy" type sound for the classics. (although I have heard some mainstream tunes used in the videos, such as AC/DC for this older listing of a  1954 Chevrolet Pickup) The format for the videos is basically the same, with a pan and scan of all sides, the trunk,  then shots of the interior from different angles and of the engine compartment. All the ones I've viewed end with the music stopping, someone starting the vehicle and revving the motor, then slowly driving by the camera and away to be parked with other great looking vehicles.

Here's a car I drooled over when I was in high school, a 1972 Dodge Challenger. (the closest thing to it I ever considered buying could afford was a '67 Barracuda, but wound up with a '67 Fairlane)  It makes me a little sad to think that a car from my youth is now considered a classic...and more than a little sad to see that it's in a lot better shape than I am. (I'm sure the restoration on it didn't cost as much as the one which would be required to get ME back in tip-top shape)



Not every vehicle is of the high-dollar variety, witnessed by this 1962 Ford Galaxie 500 Mayberry Tribute Replica going for $12,995. I would love to have that car to tool around town in. (although I'm not sure who I would be when I drove it around - Sheriff Andy or Deputy Fife)

The other day I went through the newest listings picking out the cars/trucks I'd love to own.  I kept a "running total" of the cost and then went out and bought a lottery ticket.  I'll have to win the lotto in order to afford the vehicles I want...unless someone wants to loan give me a half-million bucks?


November 10, 2009

1928 Chevrolet Truck

Wish I had $6,000 to spare because I'd love to have this old truck.

Click any pic for larger view.

1928 Chevrolet Truck

No, I wasn't leaning while taking the picture; the lot was sloping down towards the street.

1928 Chevrolet Truck

It's in rough shape, but with some TLC it could look pretty sharp, I bet.

When I first saw it, it reminded me of The Walton's truck, but a bit of research told me that one was a Ford. (One site said it was a '31; another said it was a ' 28-'29 model)

1928 Chevrolet Truck

The inside needs a lot of work, too.

1928 Chevrolet Truck

Then again, there's not a lot to fix up!

1928 Chevrolet Truck

Not sure how large the tank is, but it can't hold more than a few hundred gallons. I would be leery of filling it up because I imagine the old truck would collapse under the weight.

1928 Chevrolet Truck

The tires are pretty much rotted rubber, but the wooden spokes would look really sharp if sanded, stained and sealed.

1928 Chevrolet Truck

Not sure how easy it would be to get parts for it, especially for the old engine.

1928 Chevrolet Truck

Seems to me that it would be worth more than 6 grand, especially if fixed up.

October 30, 2009

Name That Car

"We give you a clue,you guess the car."



Name That Car

May 26, 2009

Ford Crestline Sunliner

EDIT: New post, because some doofus came in and insisted it was a '52 model. He gave no proof or references and didn't even leave a link to compare, which makes me question his self-proclaimed expertise on this vehicle. I will admit my own ignorance as to the year model because I went solely by the license plate. Honest mistake, because I couldn't find the owner to find out more about it.

Whatever, it's still a lovely car.



Photos taken at downtown car show Friday 5/22.

(click any pic for larger view)



Lovely car. If there was anything that detracted, it would've been the yellowing whitewalls.



Note the reflections of a big doofus in all the chrome.



May 24, 2009

'67 Mustang

(click pics for larger view)





May 23, 2009

'50 Chevy Trucks

3100 Model

(click any pic for larger view)



From "How Stuff Works"

(Note: After seeing quite a few hits on this post, I thought I should clarify something: The photographs are mine, the info comes from "How Stuff Works)

1950 Chevrolet Truck

The 1950 model year brought about the end of the postwar seller's market. Now, suddenly, America's insatiable appetite for anything on wheels came to an abrupt halt. Buyers were starting to pick and choose again (though they would make 1950 a record-setting year for car and truck purchases, spurred on to some degree by the start of war in Korea). Trucks had sold well during the previous four years, and Chevrolet had topped the market; total Chevy truck registrations had reached 345,519 by '49. But with buyers now in control, Detroit recognized that the sales race was about to heat up.



Even so, not much changed on 1950 Chev­rolet trucks. Horsepower and torque did increase by two on the Thrift-Master, to 92 horsepower at 3,400 rpm and 176 pound-feet at 1,000-2,000 rpm, thanks mainly to a revised Rochester carburetor and slightly bigger exhaust valves. Tubular rear shocks became standard, and the three-quarter-ton pickup now used eight-leaf front springs.



On panels and canopy expresses, a new single-sheet plywood load floor replaced multiple-board construction for better dust sealing. The Suburban resorted to single-tone standard paint and made available panel-style rear doors, marking the first time since 1946 that customers could choose between side-hinged doors or a top-and-bottom tailgate.

In 1949, Edward H. "Crankshaft" Kelley became Chevrolet's chief engineer. He continued to make minor improvements in the division's trucks, but he concentrated on his main areas of expertise, namely economy of manufacture and plant efficiency. Under Kelley's direction, Chevy's 1951 pickups lost some of their previous standard equipment, notably the rear bumper and spare-tire locks. But he did add conventional door-window ventipanes to replace the cowl vent on the driver's side.


3600 Model


I didn't research extensively, but I found a post in a forum that stated the only basic difference between the 3600 and the 3100 models was the bed size (8ft. bed and 6ft. bed respectively) and the heavier duty suspension, as well as the # of lug nuts(8 lugs and 6 lugs repectively)





Both trucks had lovely wooden slat beds.

May 22, 2009

King Midget

There was a car show at a downtown bank's parking lot and I noticed this little gem straightaway.



From a car club website
:

The evolution of King Midget began in 1946 when Claud Dry and Dale Orcutt, who met while civil air patrol pilots during World War II, conceived King Midget as an inexpensive, affordable car that anyone could buy. They developed and sold King Midget as a single passenger kit car in which any single cylinder engine could be installed. The kit contained the frame, axles, springs, steering mechanism, dimensioned patterns for the sheet metal, which could be fabricated by a local metalsmith, and an assembly book. In the late 1940’s, and through 1951, the Model 1 became available from the factory as either a kit or as a fully assembled car with a 6 h.p. Wisconsin engine.

Glancing through the different types, I determined that this was a Model 2.

(NOTE: I've been informed in the comments section that it is a Model 3.  Thanks to the two posters who set me straight...and their courtesy is much appreciated.  I've been corrected several times before on other posts but in a rude manner...and a couple of times they were the wrong ones, not me.  In this case I'll defer to the experts. - Mike)

Note the crown hood ornament.





















By 1951, Dry and Orcutt had developed the second model King Midget, a two passenger convertible offered either fully assembled or as a kit, powered by the 7.5 horsepower Wisconsin AENL engine. This model firmly established King Midget's reputation and incredible ability to perform extraordinary feats. It could carry more than its own weight, it could pull exceptionally heavy loads, it had the agility of a mountain goat; all over arduous terrain with durability and economy for thousands of miles.

It began as the 500 pound car for $500. The Model 2 King Midget was a basic vehicle with a hand start cable on the left, outside behind the seat. It had a black three spoke steering wheel, brown plastic seat upholstery, no speedometer and no reverse.


However, it was this model which first offered the optional automatic transmission, reverse, electric starter, shatter proof safety-glass tinted windshield, top, steel winter doors with sliding Plexiglas windows, hot air heater, speedometer, turn signals, hand operated controls for handicapped persons and the golf model, complete with two golf bag racks, extra wide traction tires on the rear, special low gearing, foot rests on the front fenders and an extra quiet muffler system. The Custom model was introduced in 1955, along with the standard model King Midget. The Custom got a new two spoke white steering wheel, bright red and bone white upholstery, chrome bumper and cowl parking lights. New Philippine mahogany doors and winter enclosures became standard for both models, too.




July 10, 2008

' 62 T-Bird

From the July 04 car show in the United parking lot, Pampa, Texas.



Very clean, inside and out.



Wonder how many speeding tickets this car has had in its lifetime?



Not my fav. T-Bird, but I like it.







I thought something looked odd when I was on the other side, but I didn't realize until I was on the driver's side that the steering wheel was at an odd angle.



EDIT: This car placed first in show.

July 9, 2008

' 68 Chevelle SS

From the July 04 car show in the United parking lot, Pampa Texas.

Click any pic for larger resolution.




July 8, 2008

' 67 Pontiac GTO

From the July 04 car show in the United parking lot, Pampa, Texas.



( guess I was leaning a bit on that one )





July 7, 2008

Chucky's Back!



That thing startles me every time I've seen it and to be honest?

It creeps me out.

From the July 04 car show in the United parking lot, Pampa, Texas.

July 6, 2008

' 73 Jaguar XKE

From the July 4th car show in the United parking lot in Pampa, Texas.