Archive for August, 2011
"Hey Honey, I’m heading to the mall to get some shirts, some soft pretzels, and a new car!"
So, after reading the title of this post, you’re probably thinking one of few things:
- There must be a toy store, and this hypothetical mall shopper is going to pick up a Hot Wheels car or something.
- This hypothetical mall shopper is Jeremy Clarkson and he finally wrecked that lime green Fiesta in an anchor department store.
- Soft pretzels sound good, I’ll be right back, must stop by Auntie Anne’s…
Actually, you might be thinking two of these things. One thing that you probably aren’t thinking is that this mall shopper is really picking up a new full size car at the mall. You may think that’s absurd, but it’s something that’s being tried at the Fashion Mall in Indianapolis, IN.
(P.S. This may be the last post for awhile, as I’m starting class tomorrow, and may be busy, but I will try to post as much as I can)
The Unfortunate Demise of the Car Design Yearbook
Posted by stocjoe in car design yearbook unfortunate demise annual critique year style styling designer edition on August 23, 2011
Packing up my books for college, I knew there was one set of books I should have along. I’m not sure how they will help in my studies, if at all, but I believe that they are indispensable for the car enthusiast. The books I write of are the Car Design Yearbooks. These books were published annually for eight years and are notable because every book consisted of a number of full color images and design evaluations for every car released in that book’s respective year.
Yeah, you read that right. Every car released in a year. Every unveiling, every mid-cycle refresh, every manufacturer, every car, is given its approximately two pages of immortality in each edition of the Car Design Yearbook. And it’s not just the notable cars like exotics that get attention, the utterly forgettable get equal billing in each book as well. Remember the Ford Freestar? The warmed over Windstar minivan? No, of course you don’t, not until I reminded you (ok, maybe you did remember, but just barely). That’s not to say they get the same accolades, though. Every car is scrutinized, and the good designs get the praise they deserve, and the bad designs get the derision they deserve.
Mr. Stocksdale: Or Why I Never Worried and Loved the Bug
A while back, I had been contemplating on the things that have influenced my unstoppable enthusiasm for cars. While I think it’s something I was born with, considering my parents’ stories about me identifying car emblems before I could really talk (that’s their word not mine, feel free to ask them about it). Of course, it’s important to nurture a child’s interests, and mine certainly were. Over the years, I accumulated a massive collection of Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Micro Machines, and various other miniaturized cars. Naturally, they were all opened and played with, since a good car should be driven (see my post about mint condition cars). It didn’t stop with toys though, as movies and games played a large role, and all three happened to build up an early passion for the weird looking but cheap, honest transportation affectionately known as the Volkswagen Beetle.
My early passion for the quirky little car I’m sure started when I first saw The Love Bug. Immediately, I was in love with Herbie, the little car that could. He was cute, lovable, and at least in the movie, fast; elements that seem to have manifested themselves in my current daily driver, a ’99 Mazda Miata. I would watch that movie over and over and over again. Even today, I love the movie, perhaps even more now because now I notice the other classic race cars like Triumphs, Austin-Healeys, Jaguars, and more unusual cars like the Apollo GT (the “celebrated Thorndyke Special”) and a Bizzarrini GT Strada (also noted in Motor Trend Classic Fall 2011). I’ve watched the movie so many times that I can probably recite around 50% of the movie off the top of my head.
A Day at the Dragstrip
Posted by stocjoe in edgewater sports park idling a car blog racing drag quarter mile imports domestics bikes burnt rubber cars on August 12, 2011
Finally, after over two weeks of unbearable heat, the weather has finally turned pleasant again. No more 100+ degree heat indexes, no more air conditioning cranked up, just pleasant, warm, dry weather. Cool breezes, clear skies, what summer, and start of fall, weather is supposed to feel like. In weather like this, most people would probably go for a picnic, a walk in the park, or some other peaceful, quiet day in the sunshine. However, car people aren’t most people, and while we won’t object to one of those tranquil activities, we also like to get a little excitement and a healthy dose of horsepower and sheet metal. And what better way to get that, than to spend a day at the drag strip.
Last night, I and two of my friends did just that as we trekked down to Edgewater Sports Park just outside Cincinnati, OH. All summer long, Edgewater has been running a “Thursday Night Lightz” program of heads up drag racing and “King/Knight of the Streets” competitions every week. And, while I’ve only gone twice this summer, each time has been a great event for auto enthusiasts from all walks of life.
Now skeptics may write off drag racing as boring or only for rednecks and middle aged guys in muscle cars, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. While yes, it does lack a bit of the technical driving skill found in autocross, time attack, or other motorsports involving left and right turns, drag racing is nevertheless a fun event that attracts all sorts of cars, with Edgewater getting the full range.
From Volkswagens to Hondas, Fords to Nissans, even bikes, all came out for a good time with friends, and a chance to see some great cars, and great cars there were. Both this night and the other night I went to Edgewater, I saw some cars I had not expected to see. Admittedly, the first time I went, there were a few more unusual vehicles lurking about, like a Lamborghini Gallardo, and a Rossion Q1 (the Americanized version of the Noble M12), this time had plenty of unique rides as well. Diesel heavy duty pick ups (that were racing and winning), a trio of Acura NSXs, a roughed up Datsun B210, and, most amazingly, a genuine R33 Nissan Skyline.
Aside from the cars, the racing was good fun too. Cars from bone stock El Caminos and Del Sols to fully built Monte Carlos, RX-7s, Mustangs, the aforementioned diesel trucks, and literally everything else in between lined up for a few passes at the quarter mile. A lack of active timing lights left my friends and I to get rough time estimates from an iPod touch timer, but the racing was fast and close most of the time, and the constant grudge racing meant you could see all your favorite rides square off with their rivals.
Mint Condition Vintage Vehicles
Posted by stocjoe in idling car blog ae86 speedhunters mint toyota corolla gt gt-s hot wheels miles showroom new on August 7, 2011
In this recent posting at one of my favorite blogs, Speedhunters, and reposted at another favorite, Jalopnik, are photos and information concerning a practically brand new, fresh off the lot 1986 Toyota Corolla AE86. The condition it’s in is, well, showroom new. The original owner drove it until the tank was mostly empty, drained the rest and parked it. Every now and then he would manually turn it over to make sure the engine didn’t deteriorate with disuse. And, as amazed and fascinated at the idea of getting to see what a 25 year old car would look like new, it leaves me quite conflicted.
(Photo and Speedhunters article credit: Larry Chen)
You see, I’m torn between the novelty of a mint condition vintage car, and the depressing thought that this car hasn’t even seen its hundredth mile. Especially a car as fun and charming as the AE86 Corolla, and this one is even optioned such that it’s ideal for driving, as it comes with the factory limited slip differential. Coupled with a strong and easily modified 4-AGE Toyota four cylinder and rear wheel drive, it’s not hard to see why these cars are a hoot to drive. And fans of Initial D or drifting in general know this already.
It’s wonderful that a car like this has been preserved of course. In fact, there likely are very few unmodified AE86s driving around at all. Their fun-to-drive nature and easy modification make it hard to resist for tuners. And it’s nice that it isn’t being abused and slid into walls by inexperienced or even experienced drifters and street racers. However, was parking it in a garage for the rest of it’s life the only way to preserve it?
Cars are built to be driven, and it really makes me rather sad to see cars like this. And this isn’t the first one, I’ve ever heard of or seen. I remember once at one of the annual car auctions held in Auburn, IN there was a 70’s Pontiac Trans Am with only 12 miles on it! 12 miles! Who does such a thing? Who could possibly resist driving their brand new sports car more than 12 miles, and then never drive it around again, until it was sold? It even had the paper floor mats from the dealer still in place.
As a matter of fact, it seems like a waste in a lot of ways. Sure, it’s one less car burning dirty fossil fuels and cluttering the highways, but then, what was the purpose of all the energy that went into building it? All the metal and plastic and energy to bring this car into existence, just to sit in someone’s garage for a quarter century? Even, the person that bought the car in the first place. All the money spent, and space taken up for less than 50 miles of driving? And what good does it do? It’s not like these cars are going to shows for people to see, since that would add miles. Instead, they get ferreted away into private garages where they’re painstakingly preserved and maintained to avoid wearing out from disuse.
To anyone considering this sort of car ownership, please reconsider. You won’t be doing yourself or anyone else any favors, unless you’re starting a museum. Cars are built to be driven and enjoyed, not hoarded like Hot Wheels. And it’s perfectly possible to keep a car in tip top shape, while driving it as well. It doesn’t have to be much, but at least let it see 100, 1000, or more miles. You owe it to yourself, your car, and the people that appreciate cars like yours as well. So go out, take a drive, it’s been long enough.
My First Post!
Posted by stocjoe in first post joel cars mcpherson journalism car blog idling on August 7, 2011
Well, today, I’ve stepped into the wide world of blogging. Perhaps it’s a bit unoriginal to title my first post “My First Post!” but hey, every blogger has to start somewhere. And, so I’ve started! My name is Joel, in case you don’t know me, or didn’t bother to look at my name on this blog, and as my description also notes, no, I am not a professional auto scribe, nor do I have encyclopedic knowledge of every nut and bolt in a car. However, both are things I’m working toward. My aspiration in life is to became an auto journalist, and I also am building up my skills in working on cars, as well as driving. In fact, the college that I will be attending this coming fall-McPherson College-will also be preparing me for both goals. But more on that in a future post.
Speaking of future posts, what this blog is going to be about is really what I feel like writing about, and that will cover all sorts of topics. I hope to cover just about everything that I can car related, and I know I’ll leave some things out, but I see a long time to cover things. So keep an eye out for posts on new cars, industry news, video games (car related naturally), projects I may take on, and anything else vehicle related that piques my interest, and hopefully some of them will pique your interest as well!