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...

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the garage
Not a engine was running, not even a Dodge.
The valves were adjusted by the owner with care,
In hopes that internal combustion soon would be there.

The teenagers were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of street racing danced in their heads.
And mamma in her Starchief, and I with my tool chest,
Had just settled our cars for a long winter’s rest.

When out on the driveway there arose a bunch of valve clatter,
I sprang from the garage to see what was the matter.
Away to the roll-up I flew like a flash,
Bolting through the door in one quick dash.

The moon discs were reflected the new-fallen snow,
And gave the lustre of an Earl Scheib paint job to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a hot rod sleigh, with an eight cylinder John Deere.

With an old Nascar driver, so quick and steady,
I knew in a moment it must be Richard Petty.
More rapid than stock cars his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Jimmie! Now, Tony! Now, Jeff and Robby!
On, Clint! On, Casey! On, David and Bobby!
To the top of the race track! To the top of pit wall!
Now drag away! Drag away! Drag race away all!"

Just like the adrenalin rush you get when the green flag drops,
Lest you meet with an obstacle, after the clutch pedal pops.
So up to the top of the track the coursers they flew,
To make way for the sleigh full of parts, and Petty too.

And then with a back fire, I heard in the street,
The cackle and lope of a camshaft beat.
As I was about to go to bed, and was turning around,
Down the driveway Richard Petty came with a bound.

He was dressed in a fire suit, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with rubber and soot.
A bundle of car parts he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a racer, just back from the track.

His eyes covered with sunglasses, his smile how merry!
His mustache so signature, his ride always cherry!
And then when he spoke in his usual southern drawl,
His voice commanded attention, from one and from all.

The crop of a feather he had tight in his hat,
Never to be removed, not even when he sat.
He had a lean face and stood proud and tall,
With more guts then most and true grit most of all!

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the shelves, and then turned with a jerk.
Laying his finger aside of his nose,
Suddenly there appeared a new tool box from Lowes!

He sprang to his sleigh, and to his race team gave a thumbs up,
Away they all raced, like drivers competing for the Sprint cup.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"


An original poem by Frank the Crank
©2009 Amberlight Garage

Wine Me, Dine Me, 1969 Me

OK, I know what you're thinking so get your mind out of the gutter. This blog is G rated and it's all about what I consider to be one of the greatest years in the muscle car era - 1969. To start things off and also make me feel sorry for myself, here are some '69 models that I use to own at one time or another:


1969 Chevelle Malibu (3 total)

1969 Chevelle SS 396, 4-spd

1969 GTO w/400, 4-spd

1969 Firebird Convertible w/400

1969 Grand Prix model SJ w/428

1969 Mustang Grande w/390

1969 Camaro (2 total)


I wish I would have had the hindsight to keep at least one of these, but that's the way the valve spring bounces. You know what they say, if we only knew then what we know now. Well, at least I can write about them. Let's take a trip back to 1969 and see what was offered.

1969 was a banner year for automakers. Believe it or not, only the AMC Ambassador and one model of Cadillac came standard with air-conditioning, even though it was ordered by the majority of buyers that year. This was also the year for major safety developments. Ford designed it's chassis so that its front would crumble at a controlled rate in an accident, protecting the occupants prior to the so-called "second collision". We now refer to this as crumple zones.
GM's safety contribution was guard rails that were imbedded in the sides of their full-size cars which were designed to deflect penetration by another car. Other less known facts from '69: Chevrolet offered an optional headlight washing system along with rear window defrosters on several makes, Pontiac offered the first radio antenna to be embedded in the front windshield, and several nameplates could be ordered with factory electric sunroofs, albeit at a substantial cost.



Here are some highlights of what was "new" for 1969 mid-size and sport coupes as compared to their previous year models:



1969 Falcon - Smaller fender lights, more spartan interior, and addition of a front disc brake system option. Top engine offered: 302 cid (210 hp)



1969 Nova - A pair of transmissions including the Torque-Drive, simulated fender scoops, instrument cluster, ignition lock, and no more Chevy II moniker. Top engine offered: 350 cid (300 hp)



1969 Rambler - No more convertible, "suspended" accelerator pedal, cable throttle linkage, and no more hard rubber batteries, as the transparent polypropylene battery case makes its debut. A Hurst option was also offered in mid-69, complete with big block power, 4-speed and ram-air induction. A plethora of performance options were available under "Group 19". Top engine offered: 390 cid (315 hp)



1969 Valiant - Full width grill, front disc brake option on all models, single tail lights, and door lock relocation. Top engine offered: 318 cid (230 hp)



1969 Belvedere - A convertible option, longer wagons, 2-way tailgate, a special ram-air package for the Hemi and 440, a "mod-top", 15 inch styled steel wheels, and a redesigned front end. Top engine offered: 426 cid Hemi (425 hp)




1969 Chevelle - Precision molded plastic grill, wider bumpers, ventilation for rocker panels, and power door locks. Top engine offered: 396 cid (350 hp)

1969 Coronet - Driver controlled ram-air, 318 cubic inch V-8, bucket seats that could be adjusted 160 different ways, and automatic speed control; AKA cruise control. Top engine offered: 426 cid Hemi (425 hp)

1969 Fairlane - Long stroke 6 cylinder, vinyl roof, "Cobra" performance package, two styles of wheels, trunk mounted battery, and "comfort weave" interior. Top engine offered: 427 cid (390 hp)

1969 Montego - A new grill, second generation emission control, dual action tailgate on station wagon, torque box on each wheel, 60 pounds of insulation and a locking differential. Top engine offered: 427 cid (390 hp)

1969 Cutlass - Turbo hydra-matic 350 transmission, 4-speed option and 2-way tailgate for station wagons, grills specific to each series, and no exhaust manifold heat valve. Top engine offered: 400 cid (360 hp)

1969 Rebel - New plastic grill, larger tail and back-up light package, "command air" ventilation system, redesigned instrument panel, and America's only overdrive. Top engine offered: 343 cid (280 hp)

1969 Special - Three grills for Special, Skylark and GS, 4-way power seats, GS 350 performance package, no vent windows, and a pedestrian warning light system. Top engine offered: 400 cid (340 hp)

1969 Tempest - A "wider track", new bumper, tail light and grill design, full instrumentation with hood mounted tach, functional ram-air scoops, special "Judge" option, ram-air IV engine available, and Hurst linkage no longer offered. Top engine offered: 400 cid (366 hp)

1969 AMX - Aluminized dual exhaust system, wide oval tires, larger 8000 rpm tachometer, 140 mph speedometer, and 4-speed transmission standard. Top engine offered: 390 cid (315 hp)

1969 Barracuda - Numerous changes in the grill, hood, and rear deck design, rectangular running lights, "Formula S" and "Cuda 340" performance packages, and a yellow flower print vinyl top option. Top engine offered: 383 cid (330 hp)

1969 Camaro - A little longer and wider then previous Camaros, new front grill design, 4-wheel disc brake option, torque drive semi-automatic transmission, engine block heater, rally wheels, simulated rear brake scoops, "endura" front bumper used on RS option, and an all new instrument panel. Top engine offered: 396 cid (350 hp)

1969 Charger - A "non-tunnel" fastback model called the "500" with a Hemi engine, 6-cylinder engine option, wood paneled dash and round gauges, electric sun roof, and a full choice of axle ratios. Top engine offered: 426 cid Hemi (425 hp)

1969 Corvette - Blacked out grilles, restyled tail lights, 4-wheel disc brakes standard, only production engine built that exceeds 1 hp per cubic inch, and a factory installed burglar alarm. Top engine offered: 427 cid (435 hp)

1969 Cougar - All new sheet metal, new grill, larger trunk and gas tank, fail-safe headlight covers, a convertible option, and a special scooped hood with hood pins when you ordered the ram-air option. Top engine offered: 428 cid (335 hp)

1969 Firebird - Redesigned front end, simulated air exhausts on front fenders, new instrument panel, full ignition locking system, "Sprint" option with an SOHC 6-cylinder engine, first year for "Trans Am" option, and a rubberized "endura" front bumper with a chrome center section. Top engine offered: 400 cid (340 hp)

1969 Javelin - Trans-Am inspired suspension, cable throttle linkage, Hurst transmission linkage, bigger V-8 available, and factory speed equipment available at the dealerships. Top engine offered: 390 cid (315 hp)

1969 Mustang - All new exterior sheet metal, dual headlights, ventless side glass, "Mach I" and "Grande" options offered, 3 inch wider interior, trunk mounted battery option, and new "traction-Lok" differential available. Top engine offered: 428 cid (335 hp)

That about wraps up my trip down memory lane. I know I left out the full size cars but I thought my list was pretty extensive as-is. Besides, I didn't want to bore you to death. Next up, you can look forward to my latest article titled "1979 - The last year of non-computerized cars" Just kidding, it's actually called "Front wheel drive performance machines of the 80's - Why you can't do a Rockford in a Citation" LOL!

If We Only Knew Then What We Know Now

Wouldn't it be cool to go back to High School knowing what you know now? Kind of like Michael J Fox did in Back To The Future. Street racing? I would have taken it to the tracks. (back then there were plenty) Auto shop? I would have paid more attention to my teacher, Mr. Love. Sports? I would have actually played some to remedy my dislike for them today. Cruising on Saturday night? I would have stayed out later and had more fun. Friends? I would have made more, lot's more. Heck, anyone got a Delorean they want to sell?



Sad to say I have only stayed in contact with a few friends that I knew when I was in High School. Ironically, most of them did not even go to my High School. One of my best friends was a fellow gear head like myself, and also a Pontiac lover. I have owned almost every make of car but my favorite by far has always been Pontiac. Many, many years ago my dad owned a '58 Starchief and I have a picture floating around somewhere of me sitting on the rear quarter when I was about 7 years old. Right after the picture was taken I actually remember breaking off the antenna! Boy was my dad mad!





In my youth, my life was void of Pontiacs until my friend Duane showed me his dad's '67 GTO. It had been stored in his Grandfather's garage for upteen years just waiting for when he turned 16. Can you imagine giving a 1967 Pontiac GTO, 400 V-8 with a 4-speed to a 16 year old? Yea right, ain't gonna happen today. We lived in a different world back then and things were just different. (they were, weren't they?) If my memory serves me right, I don't think the original motor lasted very long after Duane took possession of it. I'm sure it was old and wore out and had nothing to do with the fact the the driver was 16 years old. Really... honest... it could happen. Anyways, the motor needed rebuilding and we needed the experience, so out came the motor.



Back then rebuilding motors did not seem like that big of a deal. I remember putting every paycheck into my motors. You know what? They would get done real quick. Maybe it was the fact that we didn't have any real bills so most of our money could go right into our projects. When Duane's motor was done I was there to help install it. Putting in a new motor always brought everyone together. The more hands the merrier, especially if you were dealing with headers.















Believe it or not, that's me circa 1980 standing on the fender of my friend's GTO! Oops, I don't think any of us would do that today.















Live and learn. These cars were almost a dime a dozen back then. We use to see literally dozens of them in the local junkyards. Imagine running across junked GTOs, engines intact, some still sporting their tri-powers! Yes, we removed quite a few tri-powers from junk yard cars. You don't even want to know about the '69 Judge that got turned into a dirt track car, or the '69 GTO that I scrapped out just because I got tired of seeing it in the yard... My '67 factory 400, 4-speed Firebird that I traded for a Plymouth... My '68 GTO 400, 4-speed car that I sold to a friend on payments... all the tri-powers... Ram Air motors... 421 Super Duty factory cast iron headers... excuse me, I think I'm going to be sick.













We finally got the motor all in and hooked up. Awww, there is nothing like your first rebuilt motor. Believe it or not, my friend still has this GTO.















Although my first car was nothing to brag about, my second car was the one I wish I still had. I went from a 4 cylinder Triumph motor to a small block Chevy. The first time I mashed the pedal down on that 307 V-8 I was hooked. Talk about a cream puff, the car only had 28k original miles on it when I bought it. I literally bought it from a little old lady, only she wasn't from Pasadena, she was from down the street. I remember it still had the original spark plug wires, cap and rotor. This car was so grandma stock it was sick. After years of extracting as much horse power as possible from the 307, I decided to put a big block and a Muncie 4-speed in it. The engine of choice was a .030 over 396, better known as a 402. This was one wicked sounding big block. I'll never forget the night I got it running. In my haste to make it to the local cruise spot, I left the hood off and just bolted the mufflers directly to the headers. Man was this thing loud! I had also managed to tuck P295/50/15 BFG Radial T/A's under the rear on special offset Weld Racing wheels. These were the largest radial tire made at the time and it made the car look like it was mini-tubbed. I don't know what got more attention, the engine or the rear tires.

As I pulled into the Gemco parking lot it seemed like everybody turned to look at my car. (in reality there was probably a car load of half-naked chicks behind me) I had 90/10 shocks on the front and Moroso springs so all I had to do was goose the throttle a few times. With the big tires and all that available torque, it didn't take much for the front end to lift. No air but it sure looked good. I'll never forget the song that was playing on the stereo either. It was Loverboy's Working For The Weekend. Funny how we can relate songs to certain times in our lives.



Other cars that I wish I still had and could kick myself in the ass for selling include:

1970 Plymouth Road Runner, 440 with a 727 torque flight.

1969 Camaro, factory Hugger Orange with hocky stripes, 350 with a TH350.

1969 Chevelle SS396 with a 4-speed.

1968 Chevy II Nova SS 350 with a 4-speed

1967 Chevelle L-79 car, 327 with a 4-speed

1967 Chevelle 396 with a powerglide.

1969 GTO, 400 with a TH400 and his and hers shifter.

1968 GTO, 400 with a 4-speed.

1967 Firebird, 400 with a 4-speed

1967 Mustang, 390 with a 4-speed and a 9 inch rearend with a detroit locker.

1957 Chevy Belair hardtop, 327 with a 4-speed.

1955 Chevy Belair post, 396 with a Hooker conversion kit and a Muncie 4-speed.



Gosh, I never realized how many it was until I saw them all listed, and this doesn't even include all the varients of these cars that I owned. The last count was well over the hundred mark. Now I really am going to be sick. It's just like the title says: If we only knew then what we know now.









Here is my friend's car today. Still intact and recently running again with a fresh motor. Time has not been to kind on the exterior but the Pontiac is still wearing it's original paint. Duane suggested we recreate the original photo of us putting the motor in. I told him that I didn't want to crush his fender!















The car is safely tucked away from the damaging rays of the sun, rain, and prying eyes in a private hanger. Like all projects, time and money will determine when it's completed. As far as selling it, forget it. If it one thing we have learned it is the value of these muscle cars, and perhaps even more the value of our memories in them, which just might be priceless.

Hell Freezes Over!

No, this is not a blog about the Eagles album from 1994. Nor is it about Van Halen reuniting with front man Sammy Hagar or GM changing it's mind about axing Pontiac. It is about the fact that my '72 Cutlass, Number 1, actually made it into a magazine! No, it was not Classic Car Trader either!

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Here is the photo the magazine used, complete with their official moniker.
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Grab the August issue of Popular Hot Rodding and check it out. I bought like a hundred copies. Just kidding, I only bought fifty. You know, that reminds me of the movie Splash when Freddie Bauer (John Candy) buys a zillion copies of Penthouse because his letter got printed in it. Real movie buffs will connect the hammer in the above photo with Splash also. Remember when Allen Bauer (Tom Hanks) is in the motor boat with Fat Jack (Al Chesney)? The engine dies suddenly and Hank's character starts to panic. Fat Jack tells him "Don't worry, I'm a mechanic, I can fix anything" and picks up this hammer and starts beating the crap out of the engine. I laughed so hard the first time I saw that I think I missed the next five minutes of the movie!

So what's next with Number 1? Progress is slow not only because of the lack of funds, but also because it is my daily driver. Any work has to be completed over the weekend. Add in a "honey do" list, other vehicle maintenance, home repairs, yard work, eating and sleeping, and... I think you get the idea. Shoot, I'm still trying to put on the ram air hood I bought for it over 2 years ago! I did manage to put the old grills back in. It had been so long I was trying to remember why I removed them in the first place. Then I remembered that I took them out to install a custom transmission oil cooler. (look closely, it's a refrigerator condenser coil) Talk about lazy, I never put them back in. I guess it took seeing the car in a magazine without the grills to get me to reinstall them. Considering most of the plastic mounting tabs were broke off, this was no easy task. I had to get really high tech and use zip ties. I owe Number 1 some body work, so I think that has to be next on the agenda. Now if only hell will freeze over again...

Ode to Jean Jennings

I am a verocious reader. I love almost anything automotive related, including repair manuals! Ok, maybe that's a stretch, but I do enjoy a good wiring diagram now and then. Just like most gear heads, I have my favorite mags, which for the purpose of this article will remain nameless. Suffice to say they are both popular and hot, and if that's not giving away the farm your beyond help and probably never won a game of Clue either. Also like most folks, I enjoy a good read, especially if its in a magazine. In the sea of never ending publications, there is one that stands out among it's peers. The magazine I'm talking about is none other then Automobile.


I'm not like most readers because I also read the masthead just to keep up to date on things (Gavin what's-his-name from across-the-pond never even made it on there, did he?), and I immediately chuck the blow-in cards, but I do think Automobile Magazine is quite possibly the worlds most perfect automotive publication. That's right, The World. Before you go spraying milk through your nose, let me explain why by pointing out the highlights


First and foremost, Jean Jennings column, Vile Gossip, is in the back of the magazine, which is perfect because that is how I read magazines - back to front. Jean is the President and Editor-in-Chief, but should also have titles like Czar, Her Majesty the Queen, Industry Leader Emeritus, and Fortune Teller. Hell, let's make her President and CEO of Chrysler also. She owns a Fiat, doesn't she? Next up is Dave Kinney and his always excellent column, Auctions. One word: Awesome! I figure that I'll never be able to attend a car auction so this is the next best thing. I did watch an auction live on cable once, and to me it was the automotive equivalent of the Playboy Channel; all perfect bodies, lots of bright colors and lights, and it left me wanting more. And just like Playboy, it's not good for the marriage either.


After I'm through salivating on the auction pages, Collectible Classic usually clears my head by making me feel sorry for myself. This is a common occurrence for someone like me who has owned over 150 automobiles. (I knew I shouldn't have sold that AMC Pacer!) The ever entertaining Ezra Dyer is next, with Dyer Consequences. I just love reading his articles. It was through them that I discovered that he does not have a garage. To me this is the equivalent of masculinity genocide. This must be remedied immediately. I will be the first to contribute to the Ezra Dyer Garage Fund. Who else is with me?


When you're flying high, why come down? Up next is Noise, Vibration & Harshness, or NVH. What more can be said about New York Bureau Chief Jamie Kitman? NVH is Jamie Kitman. I love his noise, the vibration it causes, and the harshness that always follows. Readers response columns exist because of writers like him. The final highlight is By Design, by Robert Cumberford. Mr. Cumberford reminds me of my Grandfather, who was a master wood worker. Instead of wood, Cumberford uses steel, by way of paper and pencil. (or computer, pick your poison) Like my Grandfather would look at a piece of furniture and evaluate it, so does Cumberford with an automobile. Plain and simple, they are master craftsmen who are masters in their field, all of them.


So why all the fuss over Automobile Magazine? Am I a paid blogger? (no) A part-time contributing writer? (I wish) Jean Jennings west coast cyber lover? (the jury's still out on that one) LOL JK, for all you texting fanatics. Honestly, if you really feel strongly about something, you should write about it. You should also inform the person in charge, because they don't always see or hear what us little guys, or gals, have to say. And with that I think I have said enough.