Torque

A little something I created with photoshop

Classic Cars and Winter Driving

Some of you don’t know how good you really have it. I am envious of those who live in the warmer states where if you chose could drive your “special ride” year round. I’m sure there are those of you who are envious of us in the northeast where we can drive our cars at least 6 to 8 months of the year. (I’m looking at our Canadian friends).

It’s February in Connecticut and I have been driving my car on the nice weekends just to diagnose various issues. Recently I had replaced the stock 25 year old coil and went for a drive testing the improved performance and trying to figure out where a vibration was that I have. I had just balanced the wheels and pulled out on the road when it started to snow a little. I figured it was just passing flurries as the weather guy wasn’t calling for anything.

As I pulled on the highway for a 1 exit blast, the flurries turned to snow showers. I’m thinking “This Sucks!” as I get the car up to 75, 80 MPH and feel the vibration I was looking for. I get to the off ramp ready for the return trip and the snow got worse.

At this point I have to turn on the wipers and what is the one thing I did not replace yet? Yup, the wiper blades! I took the return trip back at the safer 65 MPH, the snow blowing over the car as I drove. I get the car home safely and as I was pulling into the garage the snow turned to rain.

Right now I’m in “Carlisle” mode. I’m doing whatever I can do to get my car ready to drive to the All-Chrysler Nationals for the first time and good ol’ Mother Nature is playing the spoiler.
So yeah, I’m envious of you who have better weather year round. Enjoy it, relish it and feel for us in the cooler climes that can only look out the window and wait for Spring or even Summer to take the Hot Rod for a weekend blast.

Second coming of the Muscle Car era

Driving to work the other day I found myself letting a new Mustang GT pass, then sped up just to get a look at it. On the way home I drove past a side street and srtetched my neck to get a look at the new Yellow Charger with black stripes come down the road.

With the new Challenger coming out soon as well as the Camaro and other retro projects, it feels good to look around and see some interesting cars on the road, changing the driving landscape from the boring everyday "jelly bean" cars we see day in and day out to an exciting sea of bright colored, high horsepower metal.

I was about six years old at the height of the Muscle Car era and don't remember much, but I'm told that when these cars were new, it was sort of the same attitude we have about todays cars. Normal. Everyday. Same old stuff.

In 1970 my 1966 Barracuda was four years old and two models behind. Fairly run of the mill, not exciting and relagated to daily transportation. It was only as I entered High School that I saw value in these older cars. Oh yea, the 1978 Mustang II was "real cool" and the gaudy 5 mph bumpers on the new Camaro was a real design statement, these cars never got my interest.

Flash forward to 2008. What was old is new again. The styles of the late 60's and early 70's is in vogue and we have more to look at on the highways than the lackluster styles of today. I'm a Mopar guy and the New challenger excites me as does the pictures of the 2008 Barracuda designed by the same company that did the Challenger. Ford has the new Mustang that I feel is so well done that I do a double take whenver I see one. Chevrolet is releasing the Camaro in a remake of the 1969 model, one can only hope they release a Pontiac Firebird as well since their GTO was so ill recieved.

With so much new retro tin rolling the highways and byways soon, I hope to experience what I missed as a child and witness the coming of the modern Muscle Car era.