Cars

Cars: fix them, drive them, love them

I like cars, no maw' I aint' white trash: Ok, I like cars, old cars, muscle cars, classic and sports cars. No I do not own a camaro, no I do not want a trans am. I like weirdness and just sold my 64' Chevy corvair, I own and a 71' Mercury comet. I enjoy restoring old cars and think that getting dirty is fun, I have done all of my own engine work thus far and have assisted my very talented body and paint guy in restorations as well. When I got the above corvair it looked like someone had colored it with a magic marker and it began leaking oil after about a week of mild driving. I promptly had metal welded in where there was bondo and then skim coated, painted, wet sanded, coated and wet sanded more or whatever he did, The point was that it was flawless. Then I went to work on the engine replacing the ever so prone to fail push rod tube o-rings, oil cooler seal and oil pan gasket. At the time I was afraid to even remove the valve covers because I had never worked on a car before, this job turned out to be easy but there were moments of frustration like when I broke off a stuck bolt, then broke off my hardened steel screw extractor, then had to drill it out with a carbide dremmel tool and drill bigger, put in threaded rod, drill that out, tap it and woah! what a bunch of work for a bolt. I sold it after 4 years and regret it but had too many projects and too little room. My 71' Comet is in better shape but needs body and paint work. I have put in a weiand stealth intake and an Edelbrock 650 carb, a bigger split duration cam, new radiator, new lifters and roller timing set, some chrome and performance wires, and of course brought it back to life with the usual much needed maintenance and tlc. (You know, master cylinder, pugs, wires, vac lines etc...) This winter I plan on making the already fast 302 even faster if I can afford a set of performance heads and big tube exhaust. The car is in original condition with a 95% perfect interior, I hope this will all be a good investment like the Corvair was. Strange cars are hard to sell, but the right person, once found will buy what you have for the asking price with no questions.

I love to see old cars that have been restored regardless of their make or model, I prefer Chevy of course. Someday I will have the money to buy more cars and further my hobby. As I restore them I learn about such art forms as rust hole fixin, beer drinkin' and swearing about broken bolts. Many days have been spent scraping my knuckles and trying to figure out why things don't work or why I can't get something to fit where it should go. Machines can not think and therefore can't outsmart me (although they try).

The next cars that I will be buying: When I find one and have money and room I will buy: late 60's/ early 70's Chevy nova, Any AMC amx or javelin (lathough friends don't let friends drive 73's), Chevy corvair corsa or pre 65' convertible spyder, I have always been into Corvair rampside pickups, and maybe a Volkswagon Thing. But I am poor and won't have anything here until I am old and gray. Maybe I will settle for a vespa or Cushman scooter to save on gas.

New cars that I like/ hate: Of course it wouldn't be proper to like old cars without some excitement over new model cars that stand out. I have driven pickup trucks in the past and enjoyed them mostly, I have a Saturn now as a daily driver for my wife, and a GMC sonoma as my junk hauler/ pseudo lowrider. I almost bought a 2000 V.W. beetle a few years back but it seems that mostly bored housewives and spoiled college girls drive them, they are peppy and stylish (the one I looked at was a turbo and had great amenities ), I really like the Mini Cooper, this is a car that I want to own some day when they are proven to be reliable and there are more on the road. I think it is one of the coolest cars to hit the pavement in years. I like the new Ford T-birds but know nothing about them except that they are way overpriced for a car, and a ford at that. The Chevy SSR and HHR are super cool.That sums up my interest in new cars for now. Like most people who care I am tired of the "bubble" cars and the "running shoe" look that is so popular right now and can't wait for something new. I hate the PT looser and it's modified neon frame and motor. I hate the Ford focus and it's nastiness as well as Pontiac's Aztec. I hate the "sport compact" trend with it's plastic crap add on's , tuned mufflers and neon lights. It's not just a foreign car thing I really think those cars are ugly and cheap, But...as a gear head I have to give some little bit of credit to the guys who actually do modifications on their engines to make them faster, not just bolt on a nitrous system or chrome exhaust tip that lights up.