Adding Another Horse to the Stable

The Amberlight Garage is getting full! I went ahead and picked up another ride. The following video might give you a hint as to what it is. Notice the ample use of seatbelts!







Here is a classic radio ad that is actually the year of the vehicle I have. Where were you in '62? Snap on your AM radio and lets go back to a much simpler time...

A Rare Look: Chrysler's Turbo Encabulator

Ok fellow gear heads, here is today's lesson in automotive technology. Surely you remember the following video from your high school auto shop class. There was even a section on this in my ASE certification test!











Word on the street is that Fiat will be incorporating this shelved technology in a future Chrysler model to show case the merged companies combined technological efforts. Along with the launch of this new vehicle the company will also announce their new name, which is purported to be FIYSLER. Stay tuned for more details.

Foghat, War and The Super

Who remembers the song "Slow Ride" by Foghat? When I was growing up it was my neighbor's favorite song. He even had custom license plates that read "SLO RYD" on his lowered '73 Monte Carlo. Another car related song I remember is "Low Rider" by War. Almost everyone knows this song now because of the George Lopez Show. Who else but this comedian would use this classic as the shows theme song? Odelay Esse!



So now that you know a little something about slow and low riders, you're probably wondering what the heck brought this subject up. When I said in my earlier post that I was shifting gears, I wasn't exactly talking about a manual trans, I was referring to my brain, and right now my brain feels like a 4 speed Hydromatic. You see, my latest project had to be low and slow, chopped and channeled, louvered and raked, shaved and frenched, and ooze coolness where ever it went. I'm talking total custom, lead sled, cruiser, bomb, rat rod, rock-a-billy, James Dean, and Hirohata Merc all wrapped up in one car. What kind of car could possibly meet all of that criteria? How about a 1952 Oldsmobile Super 88 four door with a 303 cubic inch Rocket V-8 and a Hydromatic transmission? In a word, no, but it has the potential to be all that... maybe. At least I think so. That, or I've completely lost my marbles and should be reprimanded to the proper authorities. Hey, don't put me in a straight jacket and padded room yet. You haven't checked out my new ride. Welcome to the left turn in the road...

Behold the mighty behemoth know as a Super 88

What I love most about this Olds is the acres of chrome that adorn it's front end. Once polished, you pretty much need welders helmet to look at it. I better start buying stock in Meguiars, as it looks like it will take a case just to do the front. The car has a lot of features that really surprised me. First off, it's a factory 4 barrel V-8 with a Hydromatic transmission and power steering. I was fully expecting a hydraulic ram for the power unit but was shocked to see a recirculating ball power steering box. Who knew they were so high tech in 1952? Other factory oddities include front and rear sway bars, interior hood release lever, hood and trunk lights, 15 inch wheels on a truck bolt pattern, open drive shaft, and a Autronic Eye headlight dimming system. It also has an in-dash tube radio that is the size of a small suitcase and a optional clock that looks like something that should be on a nightstand. 

Now that the Super 88 is resting comfortably in the Amberlight Garage, all that I have to do now is work on it! So much for buying turn-key cars. First up is a water pump replacement and then a complete assessment to determine the car's needs versus my wants. I also registered it for the yearly car show in my town called Show & Go. For those who have never heard of Show & Go, you can read more about this terrific car show here. That doesn't leave me a whole lot of time to get this sled cruise ready, so I better get crankin. There is nothing like a new project to get the old automotive juices flowing again and to use as an excuse to come up with a new project name. After a large dinner of pot beans, ham hocks and a couple of beers I decided on calling it The Super, just because it looks like the type of car that that goofy clay cartoon character played by Eddie Murphy would drive! The fact that "super" is part of the car's name is purely coincidental... I think.

Shifting Gears

I have come to a cross roads in my life and change is in the air, that or I'm just going through an early mid-life crisis. Nothing mechanical stays the same with me, although I recently shattered all personal records by managing to keep my '72 Cutlass for over 10 years. That's huge for me. It's like the equivalent of Charlie Sheen being married for 3 years. The Cutlass, recently dubbed "Project H2Olds", was in need of a major overhaul. My daily driver for many of those 10 years, it had seen better days. I was in the early stages of planning the restoration, trying to decide what direction to go with my Olds, when just like that, a solution presented itself. Before you could throw a rod through the side of a block I was heading in a new direction.





Money talks, B.S. walks. That's a phrase I have heard many times. It especially applies to cars, where a lot of folks just like to B.S. In the past I have had numerous offers on my Cutlass, usually in the form of a business card or note left on the windshield. A few times I had actually contacted the person and decided to call their bluff. It always ended up being B.S. In person inquires where the bozo actually follows you is a little more rare, and a little daunting. Nothing like scaring off a potential buyer by greeting them with a Walking Tall stick. Hey, it's either that or do my best Billy Jack impersonation!





By now you are probably wondering what this new direction is. It's sort of a two part direction, like a fork in the road. I'll tell you about the left turn later, because right now I'm going to reveal what the "right" turn was. The new direction I was heading in was... the bank! That's right, I sold my '72 Cutlass. Project H2Olds is now in the hands of a happy new owner. Truth be told, I am feeling the effects of this bad economy just like everyone else, so when someone thrusts five large in your face you tend to make up your mind real quick. So much for the B.S.





As the '72 drives off into the sunset I am already contemplating what to buy next. Most of the money is already spoken for but I will have a little left over to fund my next project, which was found on that left turn that I mentioned earlier. Stay tuned to see what a little money and a lot of B.S. can buy.

The Garage Mahal

Most of us guys, and a few select gals, like garages, right? It's like our own private Idaho, a place with no dress code, no polished tile, a comfy chair or couch, and maybe even a TV. If you're real lucky it will be equipped with a kegerator and a commode. My blogs home, The Amberlight Garage, is a real garage, and a darn nice one at that. But it pales in comparison to the following garages, if you can even call them that. Feast your eyes on these "garage mahals"...













Yes, a full kitchen in the garage!

































No, this is not a dining room. The Ferraris and Maserati just need their personal space.





























Definitely a case of Corvette fever.



























Five car garage anyone?































Making the most of a small space. Need a lift?



























Strange, I don't see a tool box.

















I'll take the GT40, you can have the rest.



































Is this a garage or a library?



























If you guessed a garage you would be right. I wonder if these cars even have fluids in them?























Either there is a water leak in this garage or that floor is really that shiny.

































When the back of the house looks like this who needs to go in the front?

























What's with the horse bust and elephant figurine?

























Ok, now this is a little more modest.























Reminds me of Cameron's dads garage in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.



























Either this garage has really high ceilings or it is 3 stories... T-H-R-E-E stories!!































I wonder if they got those pavers at Lowes?























A bar in the garage. What will they think of next? DUI anyone?























This owner must like storage facilities or they live in a really bad neighborhood.





















Decisions, decisions, decisions...





























Are these garages or villas?





















You just knew it was going to end sooner or later. I think I'll go buy a lottery ticket now...

Project H2Olds

For years I wanted a drag race or street/strip type of car, but there are just no more decent 1/4 mile race tracks around in Southern California anymore. There is one local track... but it is a dump and is so overcrowded you are lucky to get 2 or 3 runs in MAX if you are patient and wait at least 8 hours! The legendary Pomona Raceway only has 3 major events per year, other then that the track remains unused, unless you can cough up enough money to rent the track. Given the limited amount of events held there, decreased attendance and sky rocketing insurance premiums, this venue is pushing up daiseys and I wouldn't be suprised to see it bulldozed in a few years just like OCIR. LACR (Palmdale) closed it's doors in '07 and Drag City in Banning never materialized, much to the disappointment of investors and race fans alike. If you like shortened tracks there is one lone Southern California 1/8 mile race track located in Irwindale. Toyota Drag Strip at Irwindale, billed as "the fastest 1/8 mile dragstrip in the country", is open to all types of racing and street legal vehicles. You are allowed to run approved racing slicks but no "dragster type vehicles" are allowed.

The number of motorsport activities that a person can do with their car around So Cal is pretty limited. Basically, the way I see it there are 3 choices: Drag Race, Drifting, or Autocross. Anything else, like dirt track or paved oval, requires a dedicated race car and an even more dedicated racing budget. Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside features weekly drifting competitions and Willow Springs out in Rosemond also has club sanctioned drifting events. That's all great if you like drifting but I've never seen very many muscle cars at these events, as it seems to be geared toward the imports. I want to be able to have a car that not only looks good but can perform as well, and a venue to bring it to that caters to that type of "show and go".

Good Guys Rod and Custom Association have been putting on car shows for years but recently have started to feature autocross events at their shows that really draw in the Pro-Touring cars. They have a couple of events in So Cal at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and the Orange County Fairgrounds and seem to be adding more venues every year. These guys have their act together and know how to put on an event. I checked out a few of the autocross events and they are pretty cool. The Pro-Touring cars remind me of what I use to refer to back in High School as the "NASCAR look". Big, huge meats on all four corners and slightly lowered. Of course now-a-days everything is high tech with four piston calipers, drilled and slotted rotors, tubular control arms and four link rear suspensions.

I was thinking it would be cool to put either a truck-arm type suspension on the rear of my Olds or an independent rear, aka Corvette, along with an updated front suspension and huge binders on all four wheels. What I can't decide is the wheels. The trend is huge rim sizes, like 20" rear and 18" front, or just 17's all the way around. I never really liked the look of those big ass rims. To me they make the car look like a life-sized Hot Wheels or something. I am leaning towards 15" rims - 10" wide rear and 8" wide front, with huge rubber. Wide-5 rims would look sweet but I don't think they are DOT legal. I have a 403 that would make for a decent powerplant and either a 5-speed manual trans or a overdrive automatic. If I go automatic I was thinking of a TH400 with a Gear Vendors over/under drive, basically a 6-speed automatic. I didn't want to start on my Olds without a plan, but I never knew planning would be so hard!



That being said, my project needed a name, so I came up with "Project H2Olds". The plans are not final yet, but I'm thinking of a twist on a Hurst theme, hence the "H2", that and the car is a '72 model. With the project name decided and plans under way, all I need to do now is come up with some money! Hey, at least I got it in the garage...

Giving Up The Ghost

I have come to the sad conclusion that my '72 Cutlass, Number 1, will not run forever. So what if the engine has over 360 thousand original miles? I have heard stories of Olds-mo-bubble engines living to half a million miles or more. I guess it's more the body and interior that is giving out then the actual engine, as it does still run pretty good. Although I have noticed a deep knock down in her bowels when she first fires up in the morning, but it only lasts a second. Still not a trace of smoke and she only uses about a half quart of oil every 4 thousand miles or so, but all the tell-tail signs are there. More oil leaks - check. More squeaks and rattles - check. More random problems - check. Getting uglier by the day - check. Basically Number 1 is giving up the ghost, throwing in the towel, cashing in her chips, heading out to pasture... I think you get what I'm trying to say.


Of course all of this just did not happen at once, it has been building up over the last couple of decades or so, and has been steadily getting worse. I guess my plan of using an original 37 year old car as a daily driver is coming to an end. I have been down this path before, as I tried to retire Number 1 about 3 years ago. Back then I had plenty of cars to drive so I stopped using the Cutlass as my daily driver and just let it sit. Big mistake. It rotted outside for about two years when all of a sudden I found myself out of cars, cash, and a daily driver. You can find the story of Number 1's resurrection here. There is even a video I made of me firing it up after sitting all that time.

This go around I have a plan. First, I had to find a new daily driver. This was no easy task as my budget to buy another car was almost non-existent. I also wanted to find something that got half way decent gas mileage because we all know that the slightest hiccup in our world (like a hurricane, stock market slump or swine flu) will cause the price of gas to go through the roof again. I can't afford a new vehicle and really don't care for any of the cookie cutter cars (Honda, Toyota, etc), I just can't see myself in them. So I found myself gravitating toward older makes, only the prices of any decent older ride was still out of my league. Although I am a big fan of the carburetor era, I love the reliability of fuel injected vehicles. I really like the late '80s to early '90s GM trucks because they are easy to work on, fuel injected, and last for hundreds of thousands of miles. I also discovered that they are dirt cheap, which is the category where my budget is located.

So what did this finite category lead me to? I found a super clean, single family owned '87 GMC S-15. It is equipped with the "4Tech" fuel injected four cylinder engine and a 4-speed trans. Great gas mileage? Yes. Stump-pulling torque? No. Nice, clean daily driver? Yes. Turns heads wherever it goes? No, unless I filled the bed with bikini clad women in an effort to re-create that famous 80's poster "Haulin' Ass"! As for the rest of the plan that includes my Cutlass, as usual, I don't have a plan. I really like the look of the pro-touring cars, but I also like street/strip cars. Do I build a track car or a drag car? Drifting or drag racing? Ovals or quarter miles? Maybe I should just do a concours level restoration, complete with assembly line chalk marks. Yea right, how much fun would that be to drive? I know, how about a retro NASCAR look, complete with 10 inch wide steelies on all four corners and flared fenders? A low rider with tru spokes and hydraulics? A sled with satin paint, white walls, and an air ride system that can lay the car on it's frame? Decisions, decisions, decisions! I did manage to actually put Number 1 in my garage, and I even disconnected the battery! Damn, I must be getting serious...