Paul Walker, RIP

Well by now most of the free world has heard that Paul Walker, from the Fast & Furious movies has died in a car accident, along with the person that was driving the Porsche he was in. Reports are coming in that they may have been street racing. Circumstances aside, it's sad to see any person so full of life, get snuffed out. 

People have started drawing similarities to James Dean already. I'd rather question how? a Porsche, with all it's safety features and computer assisted suspension and steering, can get into such an accident. Look at Carol Shelby, who raced open cockpit cars, with roll cages that make a swing set look heavy duty. Racing with a nitro glycerine pill under his tongue, open faced helmets, no kevlar, no carbon fiber, no traction control. And he died at 89.

I guess we'll never know all the details, it's not like a airplane accident where there are multiple black boxes and transcripts. I'm sure there are alot of accidents out there that mimic this, only no famous people died. 

The point is, there are limits, limits to what the road can handle, limits to what a car can do to be safe, it comes down to the driver. Steve Mcqueen once said A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it... it’s life. Anything that happens before or after... is just waiting. I'll agree but sometimes anticipation is worth more, because it lasts longer, and remember McQueen died of cancer, not behind the wheel. 

Carrol Shelby once said Yesterday's History. Tomorrow's a Mystery. So live for today. I'd probably add, and make sure you can live for another day.

No commentary on these events, it's just sad, The live fast, die young has been done by better legends that will ever come along. I think finding the balance of excitement, and being safe might have to be the new maxim. MG's motto has always been "Safety Fast". Have fun, be sensible. Hopefully there's a young street racer out there, that'll mimic Michael J Fox in Back to the Future 3 when he has his drag race with Flea.

A NEW RECORD, & A NEW RIDE!!

Yes a new world record, two posts in one year, exciting, isn't it?

Anyway.

In my previous post I listed the cars that were contenders in my search for a new ride. So here's the big reveal:

A 2014 Mini Coupe


I became interested in the mini's when they came out about 10 years ago, alas, I had just paid off my Honda, and didn't want to start up another car payment, especially since the civic only had 40K on the clock.

I took one for a test drive back then, and was impressed. BMW is behind them mechanically, so it's built well, and everyone that I know that has one loves it. The test drive was fun and fast, not Mustang Shelby fast, but quick, tight, and spirited. 

So after hemming and hawing, I decided a Mini might be the way to go. I remember specing out my mini on line, all the bits you can add on, union jack details, roof decals, wheels, ect..And I remembered the starting price was ok, not great, but not bad. After adding all the extras..it was a bit much. So I remained with the honda.

I got on line, and again specified out a Mini hardtop (The style that was in the Marky Mark version of "The Italian Job") It could handle my guitar gear hauling needs, and still be fun. This time the price was a bit better, and I didn't have to add all sorts of bits to it, partially because I'm 10 years older (and hopefully wiser), and the fact alot of the items came standard.

The bummer was after visiting MINI of Peabody, I was informed that whatever Mini hardtops that they had would be the last until spring of 2014. A newer version was coming out, slightly larger, with a new 3 cylinder engine and a turbo. Bummer that I didn't think the Honda would last much longer.

So my Dad was with me and he popped the trunk on a Mini Coupe and asked "can you fit your gear in this?" It was a pretty big boot overall for a two seater. Bigger than a Miata, or Audi TT, and the like.

So I put that into consideration, and after a trip to MINI of Peabody, and a slight bit of wheeler dealing I ended up with my mini. The sales guy, Ryan Turner, was easy to deal with. 

I did my research, on the local dealers and every time I saw a negative review,thought, you know, do people think that they should get 10K for a 7 year old VW golf with 80K on the clock? and the answer is yes, they THINK what they have is worth more, but forget, the price for anything is driven by the whatever the buyer thinks it's worth, sad but a true fact. 

I wanted $2K for my civic, and yes that was a little unrealistic, but I was happy with what I got, and I know that they want to sell a car to make as much profit, and I want to spend as little as possible, so you have to find that happy medium, and yes you don't have to take the deal, but as they say "it is what it is".  Watching shows like "Pawn Stars", Wheeler Dealers" and the like showed me a bit on dealing with sales and the like, realistic, and otherwise. I can say I got a good deal, and have no horror stories to report. If I ever need a new MINI, I'll be calling Ryan. Big bonus was the fact that when I picked up my MINI, he asked if I had a front plate for it, I said no, as I have an older pan style plate. He was relieved, because he told the prep department NOT to drill holes for mounting a front plate. When I got my Honda they drilled out the bumper, and I had an ugly plate on the front for 13 years A small thing, but made me VERY happy. Also they don't have any decals or markings for the dealer on the back of the car. It's the little things, and it's nice to have the car look like a factory brochure.

So what did I get, well the only think I really wanted was heated seats, Kelly has them on the beetle, and I liked that idea. The Audio system was pretty standard, but has bluetooth, and I can put my music on a USB drive, and plug that in, and control it from my steering wheel, no having to plug in a mp3 player, and grab it to scroll around. 

The only gripes are with some design issues, and those fall on MINI, not a dealer:

1: I like the idea of a matching roof to body color. I like my Grey & Black color scheme, but I think it would look better in one color (in every shade they offer) in the past you could only get the hardtop mini with a white or black roof, now they offer this scheme, perhaps in the future on the coupe. 

2: the large speedometer, in the new ones it's been deleted for a multi function display. I recently found out that on the new 2014+ mini's they'll have one, minor gripes.

Ok, yes it's not a Cooper S. Im being realistic, I like to drive, but I don't need that much power in such a little car. besides the money I save, is $ I can put into other project cars, as well as my MGB.

Anyway, that's what I ended up with, and I'm happy. They say mi MG will get jealous, but I took the MG out a week after I bought my MINI. and while it's a shift going from a 6 speed manual to a 4 speed, after 5 minutes, and the MG warmed up, it felt like home..but if i'm not gonna drive my 1974 MGB, this is a very good second choice..

Overdue yet again..

Yes It’s been too long, stuff happens, Lots of stuff.

So in the summer of 2012, I started a new job about 10 minutes from my home. I was happy to burn my MBTA pass, and rejoiced in the fact I could not only drive to work, but I could drive my MGB to work. It was pretty glorious, although the trip was so short, it wasn’t until 75% of the trip the MGB warmed up! During this time I also came to the realization that my daily driver, a 2001 Honda Civic, was nearing the end of it’s journey. I can't complain about the Honda, she's served me well. I learned to drive stick on it. It's done many gigs with my bands, as well as pulling doughnuts in the snow in fanueil hall. It's just at almost 13 years old, she was getting tired, and to the point that very soon I’d need a replacement.

I've matured, as a driver and as a person. I know what I want in a car, and what I really need in one, according to my lifestyle and budget. So far I've done some research and came up with a little list of vehicles on my radar:

1. Fiat 500. yes Italian car, made by an american company, in mexico. the concept alone is wreaking havoc on my mind.  But, it's cute, neat, stylish, compact and it's still sporty. Im not thinking about the Abarth, but the mid-line 500 sport. and to all of those who say, just buy the abarth. I say, just give me the extra $$, because apparently spending money isn't an issue for you. for $23K there are other cars out there. Bigger cars. Sexier cars. more powerful cars. LIke..

2. Dodge Challenger. Now I know what you saying "now you're talking!". Wait for it though. I want the V6. Sorry, but at 300+ HP, and 27 MPG that's still pushing my practicality zone. My friend, Rob, has one, and it looks great, almost like the v8 model. The newer V6 looks even closer to the V8, even down to the retro fuel door. It's sexy, and big. Look at Joe Rogan's Sick fish hemi that he had done in 2004. It's the car he had Foose design, and Rad Rides by Troy build. But this version is a fraction of the cost of Rogan’s ride, and without the issues he had, (apparently the unibody's shock tower sheared itself from the chassis while pulling into the driveway) Anyway it's Chris Brown's problem, I mean car, now.

3. Ford Mustang. Again a V6. Classic looks, modern design and technology. The only downside is the color selections are kind of weak, and to really give it the styling cues I want, I need to re do the grille to something more muscular like: change the wheels. I do enough wrenching on cars already, and buying a new car, and making modifications to just make it appealing aesthetically is kind of a bummer, and can get expensive. thankfully the Dodge doesn't need any mods I can think of.

4. Chevy Camaro. It's probably the most aggressive looking one, in my mind. It looks like it wants to rape the road ahead of it. No wonder it was used as a model for the transformers movie. No mods needed, again I'm looking at a v6. I’m thinking in Silver or even better in Bumblbee Yellow.

5. The Hyundai Genesis Coupe. it's got some good lines. Some. It's like if someone described an Aston Martin to a police sketch artist. It's close, but not quite. However, it is available as a base model at $25k, with a 2.0L 4 cylinder turbo charged at 274HP and 31 MPG. Oh yeah and it's rear wheel drive. The interior looks very sporty too. The only mods I could think of would be a set of wheels that don't have the "H" logo on it.

Wanna see what I ended up with? Tune in next time, which I promise will happen before 2014 ends!

Top Gear

I’ll admit my faults; one of them is I’m a late bloomer in many ways, when I do come around, I can get obsessed. I didn’t learn to drive stick until 2001, and it was shortly after I was starting my first car restoration. Another thing I am a “Johnny come lately” on is the BBC show “Top Gear”. Even when BBC America was available on cable, I’d pass right by it. Now I can’t get enough of it. Thankfully Netflix has most of the seasons available on instant watch.  It’s filmed quite well, with very high production values, and while taking lovingly looks at beautiful cars, it’s quite to the point. I don’t think I’ll ever own a Lamborghini, so I won’t be able to compare it’s braking to a Porsche 911, but it’s interesting to see such an in depth look at the machinery. 
It delves into the culture that also surrounds cars. So far my fave moment’s is when they make fun of an MG branded smoker’s pouch. “They’ll throw you out of the pub if you have that, not because of the fact that you’re a smoker, but the fact you’ll want to talk about MG’s” . James May discussing classics, Richard Hammond driving modern sports cars, and Jeremy Clarkson bashing everything for not being as good as he’d like them to be. It pokes fun at the things that deserve it, and praises the things that are worthy.  Clarkson whipping a Corvette into a corner and yelling out “WELL DONE FAT MAN FROM KENTUCKY!” is one of the notable quotes.

The episode when they take 3 classic British sports cars to Blackpool; James May in a TVR, Richard Hammond in a Lotus, and Jeremy Clarkson in a Jensen Healey. It’s comical seeing even them take on 30 year old British sports cars, that have their vintage issues. But while they compare their cars to the ones that replaced them in the market place, specifically hatchbacks, Jeremy Clarkson laments the state of the British auto industry; “It’s not that we don’t make cars anymore, it’s the fact that we don’t make ANYTHING these days” So true. The Episodes when they revisit the glory days, such as Eagle’s E type Jaguar reproduction, the Re-vamped Jensen Interceptor (at $150K) really excite me when they put on the rose colored glasses of days past, realizing that revisiting is far more practical than actually using a vintage Triumph as a day to day driver. And while they put a celebrity in a cheap car to do a lap each episode, they’re given mid priced cars. It's an interesting show, well done and extremely opinionated. But if I'm not behind the wheel, it's one of those shows that makes me forget I'm on the couch.

I’ve caught the US version, and while I like the idea, at this point, I really haven’t come around to go out of my way to watch it. But who knows, maybe I’ll come around.

Cars & Coffee

Cars and Coffee. the concept is simple; car enthusiasts gather early on a weekend morning, before the soccer moms & the honey do-er’s hit the road. Bring your car to a desiginated location, usually an out of the way place, hang out, and then be gone. No “civilians”, no kids dripping ice cream over that freshly waxed paint, no little dogs running about like at a cruise night or a regular car show. Start at 7:00 and be done by 10:00 and home by 11:00.

Lars Anderson’s Museum of transportation, in Brookline, MA, started one in recent years, and I went to a few this past summer. It was a blast. The first one Dad & I went to, I don't think he was really psyched about it when we got  there. Not alot of vintage cars, at least at that weekend. The funny thing was watching people with $50K+ of new automobile, not being able to parallel park, or back up into a spot without 5+ gear changes.

I went one on my own a few weeks later, and it was ok. But I felt out of sorts. It's tough to relate I’m too young for the old guys with vintage Porsche’s and too poor for the investment bankers that have the new Ford GT. I’m too old for the young crowd that brings a whacked out Subaru STI that has more horsepower than all of my cars combined. But later on I found my speed. The older guys are psyched to see and talk to a younger guy that likes that 68 Jaguar, and the young guys like hearing stories about the days when your first car was 20 years old.

The last one I went to was with my brother in law. Bringing an MGB to one of these events is pretty wild. Your intentions don’t get questioned, you know your cars, you respect what everyone brought. My Brother in law was suprized at how I’d get into a conversation with a total stranger about a Lotus Elise, and shift into the merits of a vintage Chevelle vs a 442.

As this year’s car season winds down, I’m already looking foreward to an early dew covered morning, and unleashing all 60HP of my MGB down the Jamacia way to next year’s cars and coffee.

CD

OK I'm Back...

First off, as usual, I have to apologize for not posting in forever. I've had a lot of things happen in the past year or so. Getting married, searching for, and finally getting a new job. Life changing events aside, I've had some great car related activities; many fantastic car shows, tons of cool people I've met, and lots of little and big projects underway. But this post is to bring you all up to speed.

As I said before I started a new job and it's close by where I live, a 9 mile commute to be exact, with an average commuting time of 15 minutes. As well as a regular parking lot. Which means that I get to drive my MGB to work on most days. The only downside is that it takes about 8 minutes to really warm up the MGB, even on a summer morning, So the ride is a little rough for about half of the way. But the weather was so nice this year, I was able to drive the ragtop to work 80% of the time. Even better was the fact that we were able to get the blue 1977 MGB on the road, and drive that one to work too! Having both MGB's out here was pretty wild...

Here's how we got there!

Well, remember that parts car we had? We used the front fenders and hood for my Dad’s 1970 MGB GT. And the rest of the car we pretty much butchered for parts. One thing that was also good was the engine.

My cousin and Dad ran the engine, and realized that it sounded quite good overall. So they threw the blue car’s engine in the scrap heap, and placed the parts car’s engine in the Blue 1977 MGB convertible. The blue car had a Weber 45dcoe Carb on it. Back in the day, my cousin had a mechanic that told him that the SU carbs he was having a hard time tuning were junk, and told him to go with a weber. Apparently he was also a Weber re-seller, go figure. So this 1969 MGB GT engine with it’s lack of smog pumps and higher compression now has a Weber carb on it, which gives it a pretty strong performance.

There was some damage during storage though. During one of the winters, snow banks were pushed up against it, more specifically under it, denting the gas tank. So a new one was procured from Victoria British. The rear deck lid was damaged, so I replaced it with one from a 1970 MGB, It didn’’t quite fit right, but It’ll get sorted. In the meantime it looked badass in flat black primer.

After all that work The car was sorted out wiring wise, and during the one day off between jobs, I went and registered and insured it, Driving it to work at the new place, and around town. The only Issue the car had was a throttle cable breaking. A quick trip to a bike shop and I was all set, as it’s the same as a brake cable. Go figure, what stops a Schwinn, makes an MGB go.

A soda blaster was purchased, and the fenders were blasted, revealing pinholes in the lower sections. My Dad had purchased all the replacement sheet metal, rocker panels, doglegs, and lower fender sections. The guys at AB Fab in Woburn, did the metal work for a great price, and the work went well. re fitting the fenders went well, although they still need a bit of fitting.

The next step is paint. and this is where things are going to get complicated. but that's for another blog post, that will not be 13+ months in the making.

Happy Motoring.

CD

Parts car update:

When you get into restoring an old car, a parts car can be a huge resource. Usually they're beyond restoring for one reason or another, and for that reason can be picked up real cheap! We bought this one for the hood and fenders, but so far we've scabbed the following off of it:

Hood
Fenders
Seats
Seatbelts
Switches
Engine
Wheels

We’ve sold some stuff and between that and the money we saved buying an individual part (new or used) has worked out well for us! We've also sold the seatbelts and I've heard from a guy that has interest in the glass, so I think she'll live on in other cars.

There are some parts we're checking into seeing if they can be restored, like the wheels, but between the engine, fenders and hood, we're doing ok..

Things have a way of cycling around, it seems l live between the music world and car world, right now I’m in orbit around the car world..

CD