Bruce Hotchkiss' "Spare Parts"

2013-05-20T10:54:00.002-07:00

HILLSBOROUGH

CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE

Bud Miceli’s maroon 1962 Chevrolet Corvette is just one among several high performance machines in a personal collection reflecting a six-decade dedication to speed and the motoring arts.

The 71-year-old Redwood City, CA, resident has entered his production hardtop two seater in the Sunday, July 21, Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance – longest continuously running concours in the world -- at the verdant Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame, CA,. Miceli’s car will be among an array of Corvettes highlighting the 60-year evolution of this all-American sports cars.

“Our display will showcase the evolution of Corvette design from 1953 to the present,” said Richard Kelaita of Hillsborough, CA, who is organizing the display. “We’ve chosen specific model years to show how designs evolved from generation to generation – as well as within each generation. Concours visitors will also be able to see Corvette stylistic traits that have lasted over the decades.”

The 1962 edition is significant in that it represented a transition year from the company’s smaller 283 cu. in. engine to Chevrolet’s bigger 327 cu. in. block (producing 340 hp). It was also the same year in which noted Corvette driver Dr. Richard Thompson notched SCCA’s A Production championship, winning 12 out of 14 class races in his competition-prepared sports car . . .

Miceli has owned a number of Corvettes and in addition to the 1962 version has a 2013 LS3 edition. A native San Franciscan, Miceli early on exhibited an aptitude for machine skills, working in gas stations and eventually joining the operating engineers as a diesel mechanic.

He also ran with a high speed crowd of seminal San Francisco hot rodders, including the late Jim McLennan, a prime mover in the early Half Moon Bay Drag Strip, the late “Terrible Ted” Gotelli and Andy “The Rodfather” Brizio. He was a regular at McLennan’s celebrated Champion Speed Shop in South San Francisco .

“I was so crazy about racing, I took my dad’s stock ’50 Ford coupe,” Miceli recalls, “hopped it up with a 296 inch flathead and raced the guys out on the Great Highway.”

A succession of hot rods and production American super stock racers followed, including big block Fords, Shelby GTs, and Chevrolets. His 428 cu.in. ’67 Shelby 428 GT ran in the mid-10 second range on quarter-mile competition on drag strips from Fremont, to Half Moon Bay, Salinas and Kingdon (near Stockton). In the ‘60s he was president of the Turner Ford Mustang Drag Club.

His mechanical skills and knowledge of early performance rolling stock have led to a post-retirement career as a restoration expert and he’s done specific work on a number of vehicles, including 1953 – 1955 Corvettes owned by Atherton collector Phil White, some of which will be part of the Hillsborough gathering.

Featured marque at the Concours is the venerable British line Aston Martin, which this year celebrates its 100^th anniversary. There will be a special showing of coachwork cars from Italy’s fabled house of Zagato, a lineup of vintage British motorcycles and a retrospective look at 1957 model cars that made showroom history in October, 1956 – the same date as the first Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance.

Charity beneficiaries of the Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance are Autism Speaks, North America’s largest autism science and advisory organization, the 49ers Foundation, which provides extensive support for at-risk youth in the Bay Area and the Hillsborough Schools Foundation, which provides support for four public schools in Hillsborough.

For further information, go to www.hillsboroughconcours.org.

The Fifth Annual Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

2013-05-18T11:36:00.002-07:00

Come See The Cars Owned By Hollywood Legends

Elizabeth Taylor * Mae West * Steve McQueen

Jean Harlow * Gloria DeHaven

Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance ∗ Sunday, May 19, 2013

Marin Civic Center ∗ San Rafael ∗ 10am - 4 pm

Join the Fifth Annual Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance, as we return to a bygone era when Hollywood set the world's stage; men were men, women were glamorous and the cars they drove were as dazzling and exciting as the lives they led.

Come to the Concours and see the infamous 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud ll Drophead Coupe owned by Elizabeth Taylor and purported to have played a significant role in her blossoming affair with Richard Burton. Picture yourself next to Mae West in her 1934 Duesenberg J-370 sharing a laugh about how "when you're bad, you're better." Take a moment to imagine Jean Harlow driving her 1932 Packard Sport Phaeton, wind in her hair, a winsome smile on her face or Steve McQueen racing his 1961 Cooper T56 Mark ll Formula Junior before his Hollywood bosses forced him to choose between racing and acting.

We invite you to join us Sunday, May 19 to discover the cars that were as fast and seductive as the lives of the Hollywood Legends that drove them. Once you've toured the legendary, be inspired to dream of the future with modern "bespoke" automobiles from avant-garde artist Steve Moal, whose designs will challenge the way you think about automobile form and function. Craving more nostalgia? Visit our wood car and station wagon display and relive memories of your carefree youth of days spent at the beach, surfboard in hand. Add to the mix vintage Italian motorcycles, fine food, wine and fashion, and enjoy a lifetime of experiences in one, singular day.

Click here to purchase general admission tickets.

Purchase VIP Pavilion passes and delight in a catered lunch with dishes from famous vintage Hollywood restaurants. Enjoy Cary Grant's favorite Chicken Charlemagne
Smothered in Mushrooms, Onions and Brandy from Chasens, 1937 or
Clark Gable's favorite "Meat and Potatoes" -
Carved Roasted Baronette of Beef accompanied by Creamed Spinach,
Whipped Horseradish and Petit Baked Potato from Lawrys, 1938.

Enjoy with reserve-tier wines from Clos du Bois

with your meal and forget eating like a King - eat like a Star!

Purchase your VIP Pavilion passes by clicking here.

Featured vehicles for 2013:

Vintage automobiles formerly owned by Hollywood Legends
Bespoke automobiles from avant-garde artist Steve Moal
Corvette Sting Ray in celebration of the 50th Anniversary
Lamborghini in celebration of the 50th Anniversary
Japanese Manufacture
Vintage Italian Motorcycles
Wood Cars and Station Wagons

Strange signs in Las Vegas? Mystery solved.

2013-05-16T16:40:00.000-07:00

A post on Facebook showing this sign -

alleging that it was part of some nefarious government plot to spy on people. Always up for a good mystery I decided to look into the sign.

The sign in the picture is on West Spring Mountain Road near South Frontier Street, Las Vegas, Nevada. On my way to that location I passed first one, then another identical sign on Martin Luther King Blvd. That eased the search.

My first stop was at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. They had no idea what I was talking about and suggested I speak to Clark County.

Next stop the Clark County administration building where a very nice lady said they had no jurisdiction over signs and suggested that maybe the City of Las Vegas or the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, which was across the parking lot, might know. I went to the RTC office where a very helpful man said they didn't do the signs but he'd make some calls.

His second call was to RTC's Freeway & Arterial System of Transportation (FAST) proved fruitful. The signs are theirs. The signs went up in either 2005 or 2006; the signs are Trailblazers Signs. There intent was to help reroute highway traffic around tie-ups, hence the "Interstate" logo.

But there was a problem with the signs. The sign is intended to be lighted and for this purpose it is connected to the street lights. Except the street lights only come on when it is dark, thereby greatly reducing the hours in a day that it might be helpful.

If you look at the sign you will see the Interstate logo, two rectangular areas and one triangle/arrow. The Interstate logo could be lite with the appropriate route number, the rectangular areas would have information and the arrow would show the way. Pretty simple.

The sign I inspected had an antenna so I asked what this was for; FAST told me that the signs are radio controlled (or would be if they were actually used) and they can remotely program the info the signs display. Looking over the sign I saw nothing that resembled a camera or recording device. I asked FAST if they had cameras or recording devices on the signs and the guy laughed, saying basically that they can't even get them to display messages let alone spy on people.

So let's see the article, dated May 15, 2013, alleges the signs "are being installed" which implies they are something new. They have been up for about eight years. My investigation, and yes I am a retired investigator, showed no nefarious federal government plot as alleged in the article. Just another semi-good idea screwed up by someone who didn't think the whole thing through.

“You Were Robbed”: NBC4 I-Team Exposes New “Tricks and Tactics” at Jiffy Lube Stores

2013-05-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

Check out this NBC Los Angeles investigative report. Yes that is me, Bruce Hotchkiss, offering Joel Grover opinions and insight.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/You-Were-Robbed-NBC4-I-Team-Exposes-New-Tricks-and-Tactics-at-Jiffy-Lube-Stores-207304771.html

Should Automotive Magazines Be Part of An Automakers Ad Campaign?

2013-05-10T18:40:00.002-07:00

Have you seen the TV ads, MotorTrend Ask People Who Don't Drive A Ford ...? Here's one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7mU3MX5LjA

I have a problem with this. I know MotorTrend is not the only magazine to partner with an automaker in an advertisement. And there are legitimate times when an automaker will quote a magazine's review, much like a movie review. But to blatantly sell one brand over another, well that seems to cross a line to me.

I'm not accusing MotorTrend of bias in their reviews of Ford products. I don't routinely read MotorTrend (unless I'm at the dentist). It does give me pause though. If they are being paid by Ford for these advertisements maybe ...? I don't know but it makes me uneasy.

I review new cars. I try to be positive in my reviews but if I get a dog I'll say so (thankfully there are no real dogs anymore). I am not paid by any car company though, not for anything. Yes sometimes I get a meal from one or the other at some event and I try to make sure I say so in print.

How would my readers feel if they saw Bruce on TV hawking a particular brand? Would they wonder if I glossed over any faults in a review of their cars? I would. Now if someone wants to take something nice I say and use it that's fine by me. But you won't see me selling cars.

So tell me, how do you feel about an impartial car magazine trying to sell you a Ford?

2013 Western Automotive Journalists Media Days

2013-04-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

WAJ's 2013 Media Days are behind us now. I missed the past two years so I am very glad I went this year.

When I first joined WAJ, actually before I became a member, I attended my first Media Day Event at what was then Sears Point Raceway and is now Sonoma Raceway. That was in 1999, and I had just started writing for the Pacifica Tribune. Terry Page suggested it would be beneficial for me come up to the track. Terry was right.

This year, as in the past few years, Media Days are held in and around Monterey, CA, with Track Day at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. In a break from the past this year it was headquartered at the Hyatt Regency Hotel & Spa.

As in previous years Media Days are two and a half days of cars and camaraderie. Monday, Day One, was for registration and what is called "Show and Shine" where some of the offerings were shown off.

Tuesday, Day Two is the "Ride and Drive" portion, a more relaxed way to get to know most of the cars available and the car company people who are there. The morning's drive was on a route through some of the prettiest parts of Monterey County, switching off between cars at predetermined stops. More than a few of us got off route but managed to find our way to the Quail Lodge Golf Club for a very nice lunch sponsored by Chevrolet.

After lunch we drove over Laureles Grade back to the Hyatt. All the cars were gathered and we could take them out for a 10-15 minute drive until 4:00 pm.

Below are cars I drove on Tuesday in no particular order:

Fiat Abarth Cabrio

Fiat Abarth

Cadillac ATS

MazdaSpeed 3

Scion FR-S

Lexus iq

BMW M6 Coupe

Volvo C30 Polestar

Dodge Challenger SRT8

Volvo S60 T6 AWD Polestar

Tuesday evening started off with a wonderful reception sponsored by Fiat and SRT. Very good hors d'oeuvres and a display of some of their cars.

After the reception we went to the Banquet sponsored by Toyota. I can't speak for anyone else but my meal - flat iron steak - was excellent. After dinner Toyota made a presentation of a check for $1,500, to the Cordell Koland Scholarship Fund.

We had something new this year thanks to Ron Harrison, some after dinner entertainment. Toyota sponsored what was called WAJ Club 21 (it is WAJ's 21st Media Days) Casino Night. There were blackjack tables and a roulette table as well as a darn good lounge act, Vinnie, a singer. All proceeds from our night of gambling went to the Cordell Koland Scholarship Fund as well.

Wednesday was Track Day sponsored by Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, one of the world's truly great road courses. I did not participate in Track Day this year (I was there but didn't drive) because, and I hate to admit this, I just didn't feel like a driver. Something was off, maybe it was the two year layoff, I don't know but my head and body just were not in the right place.

So I took some pictures, talked with some friends, and had a nice lunch courtesy of Mazda. I left the track around 2:00 pm.

BMW M6 Coupe

Fiat 500e

M-B SLS AMG GT

Electrics - Fiat 500e and Smart

All in all it was a very good year for Media Days and me. As far as I know none of our members did anything terribly stupid while driving and the weather was excellent (people who live in Monterey were complaining because it was "hot" although it probably wasn't over 75).

There are so many people to thank for a successful Media Days - the Page One Automotive staff and Stuart Langager, STI Fleet Services, Hooked On Driving for keeping us all safe on the track, our gracious sponsors, the prize donors, the Lone Oak Lodge for providing quality, inexpensive alternate lodging, and the car companies who participated. To those auto makers who were not present, you missed a terrific event and I hope you all make it next year.

I'd like to give a special thanks to the two Rons, Harrison and Posey, who made Media Days special. If I had realized in advance what a great base the Hyatt was (I've been there but just for lunch and the Mecum Auctions) I might have brought Nadine along. I know some people miss the old hotel because of the large breakfast buffet but I thought the Hyatt added some much needed class to the event.

Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

2013-04-26T08:59:00.002-07:00

The Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance, longest continuously- running concours d’elegance in the world, has named the celebrated British luxury sports car line Aston Martin as the featured marque at its 57^th gathering, Sunday, July 21, on the verdant expanses of Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame, CA.

Hours of the Hillsborough Concourse d’Elegance are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $30 for adults and children 13 and under are free.

“We are extremely excited to be featuring the world-renowned cars of Aston Martin this year,” said Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance Chairman Rob Fisher, “and while we may identify the brand most directly with the magnificent cars of Sir James Bond, Aston Martin is now celebrating its 100^th year, making it one of the elite car manufacturers of the world.

“Aston Martin has proven to be an enduring automotive icon that has built luxurious cars for the road and highly competitive cars for the track – not a simple task. I look forward to seeing the finest examples gracing our field in July.”

Among early Aston Martin entries in the Hillsborough line-up of more than 220 classic, vintage, distinctive and collectible cars is a silver 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Coupe presented by the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. More than two dozen fine and rare examples of this legendary brand are expected for showing on the Crystal Springs greens.

The Concours has also announced a special showing coachwork cars from Italy’s fabled house of Zagato, a lineup of vintage British motorcycles, a panorama of Chevrolet Corvettes ecompassing the evolution of this all-American sports car and a retrospective look at the cars that were making showroom history in October, 1956 – the same date as the first Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance.

Charity beneficiaries of the Hillsborough event are Autism Speaks, North America’s largest autism science and advisory organization, the 49ers Foundation, which provides extensive support for at-risk youth in the Bay Area and the Hillsborough Schools Foundation, which provides support for four public schools in Hillsborough.

For further information, go to www.hillsboroughconcours.org.

Dream Machines and more!

2013-04-26T08:52:00.003-07:00

Don't forget that tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday, April 27 & 28, 2013, is the Pacific Coast Dream Machines at the Half Moon Bay Airport - one of the best, if not the best, car, airplane and more shows in the West. Be there! www.miramarevents.com/dreammachines

And coming up May 5, 2013, at Sequoia High School, @ El Camino and Broadway in Redwood City is the All American Truck Show. Check it out at www.LetsTalkEvents.com

Dealerships - Good or Bad?

2013-04-18T09:44:00.002-07:00

Recently Tesla Motors has been in the news because they want to establish factory stores instead of franchised dealerships. This made me think about franchised dealerships and whether they are good or bad. They can be both.

A short time ago I talked, well actually listened, to a youngish man (30s?) talk about his experiences trying to get his new vehicle repaired under warranty. What was worse than the five trips to the dealer to fix what should have been something simple was the dealers seemingly "who gives a shit" attitude. Five visits to the dealer and this guy had a friend diagnose the problem that the dealer should have found on the first visit.

I believe that most dealers are honest and do good work. But a fairly large minority tarnish the rest. Let's face it, when it comes to sales most people would probably rate the experience right up there with having a tooth pulled. About the only thing worse in my mind is going into an appliance store where hordes of sales people descend on you like a swarm of locusts. Very few people come out of buying a car thinking they got a great deal, especially after the closer works you over.

Service departments are seen as only slightly less slimy. There are no more service writers or service advisers, they are service sales people. Their job is to sell you extras not solve your problem. And everyone knows that dealers' service departments are so much more expensive (not always true but that's the perception). Dealers aren't alone in this, almost every auto service place tries to up-sell you regardless of what you came in for.

One of the things that really irks me about service departments is how they set their own maintenance intervals. If your car's service schedule calls for oil changes every 5,000 miles, or spark plugs every 100,000 miles, the dealer may recommend maintenance much sooner, posting their own schedules. And they use high pressure to convince you to use their schedule. My recommendation has always been that if you aren't sure which schedule to follow use the "severe service schedule" in your manual.

I particularly dislike the dealers that try to sell you all kinds of additives or flushes. I used to deal with this on a regular basis during my years with the Bureau of Automotive Repair. Heck I ran into dealers that sold additives and services the manufacturer recommended against. If the service schedule provided by the auto maker doesn't recommend it don't do it.

All of this makes me wonder if the current franchise system really works. One of the biggest problems is that auto companies are loathe to discipline a dealer that sells cars. When I worked for Honda Canada years ago we had one dealer that accounted for something like 90% of the warranty sales of a certain part; it was obvious that they were overselling an expensive yet simple repair. But the sales side of Honda refused to allow discipline. Why? They were the number one selling dealer in Canada.

I'm not sure why franchise laws are so lax for auto dealers. Imagine if one of the many hamburg chains let their franchisees do whatever they wanted. Imagine if the franchisee decided the secret sauce was too pricey and substituted plain mayo. Now imagine that state law prevented the chain from terminating the franchise. That's how it seems to work with auto dealers.

I'll admit I hate buying cars from dealers. I haven't done it very often but when I have I've gone in knowing I'd get screwed. You never know what the real price is of a car, new or used (even with all the price sources available you don't know everything). And I hate the time after you've agreed to buy the car when they try to sell you everything except the kitchen sink. Paint protection, rust protection, how about a service contract, blah, blah, blah.

New car sales have to be confusing to the auto makers too. No two dealers pay exactly the same price for the same car. All kinds of costs and rebates go into what a dealer pays the auto maker and they can change at any time.

Years ago when Saturn first came on the scene they had the "no dicker sticker" and people liked it. Maybe if the auto makers set a firm price with a fair markup - the same price for everyone - people would like it. It might also remove one complaint that many dealers have - when someone goes out of their area to buy a car but expects the local dealer to perform any warranty work.

I don't know if having factory stores would work. I know non-franchise stores seem to work just fine. When you go into Costco or Walmart you don't expect to dicker and you know that generally the prices in California are the same as in New York. But some franchises work just fine. I'm no fan of fast food but you know that the Big Mac you buy in New York will taste just like the Big Mac anywhere else. The price may vary a little but not by much (unless you're in an airport). They may ask you if you want a shake or fries with your Big Mac but they won't send you off to the side to consult with the closer or treat you like you're some degenerate because you don't want fries.

My conclusion is that dealerships are the auto makers' weak links. The few bad ones give all a bad name and they don't change, often because of individual state laws that make it extremely difficult for an auto maker to discipline a dealer. I think the time is right for a change. We don't live in a horse and buggy era anymore so we should have to deal with horse traders.

Cadillacs, Nothing But Cadillacs

2013-04-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

There was a nice car show just for Cadillacs last weekend here in Vegas at the Town Square. Nothing but Cadillacs. Although the newer Cads are nice my favorites tend to be from the later '40s through the '60s. Here are the pictures I took on my visit; I think you can tell my likes.

Cars I've owned

2013-04-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried to remember all the cars you've owned over your life? If you're only about 25 I guess it wouldn't be that hard. And if you've only ever owned a few it wouldn't be hard either. I'm 64 and I've owned a number of cars. So I'm going to try an list them as close to chronological order as my feeble memory allows. It's kind of confusing.

1949 Chevrolet 4-door Torpedo Back - I'm pretty sure this was the first car I ever bought. Probably paid about $20 for it and never really drove it. I think I was 14 when I got it. Bought it from someone who had it parked in the garage in the alley behind the Rankin's place. It never looked this good.

It was pretty much a piece of crap but it kept me busy for a few months until the first freeze with water in the block - split that block almost the whole length just a couple of inches beneath the cylinder head.

1953 Ford convertible

I never did actually drive this although I got it started a number of times. I think I did in the flat-head V8 by running it on lighter fluid dumped down the carb. For some reason I had a whole case of lighter fluid.

1959 Ford Convertible

Bought this from a used car lot in Willimantic, somewhere near McDonalds. Can't remember how much I paid or why I wanted it so badly. I drove it for a while but something must have happened to the engine (either a 332 or 352, can't remember) because I remember trying to take the heads off with a 3/8 ratchet set. Didn't work. I think it was "sold" to Sanborn's.

1957 Ford 2-door sedan

I can't remember where this came from. It wasn't a very good car. I remember my Uncle Gibby telling me I should "jack up the radiator cap and drive a new car under it." That was cold but probably true. This is the car Doug Fraser and I ran away in.

1962 Ford ex-Connecticut State Police unmarked car

There was a time when ex-State Police cars were the least expensive performance cars available. Connecticut always drove Fords. Can't remember who I bought this from but what a beast! 390 four barrel, 3-speed manual transmission, cop everything. Had the cast iron "headers", cross-bolted mains and solid lifters. Everything on it was super sized - the front brakes were 11" by 3", alternator was 100 amp, exhaust was about 1/2" larger diameter than normal - everything was special order. I wish I had this now.

1957 Ford Ranch Wagon

I bought this from some guy on Rte 44 in the Twin Hills area. It had a 292 with automatic. It was this car that made me realize how difficult a Ford Y-block was to tune up. Distributor at the back of the engine tilted over, plug wires running down the back of the cylinder heads through looms to the plugs. And then I found one spark plug seized in the head so I changed seven. Traded it in on the next car. Owned this car when I started work at Sloan's Garage in Vernon.

1961 Ford Sunliner

This car was on a used car lot down the road from Sloan's. I originally stopped in because they had this '61 Corvette. I test drove the Vette, a two-four barrel 283 with a 4-speed but I couldn't afford it (I think they were asking $1,100!). The Sunliner called to me. It was a 390 with a 3-speed manual and floor shifter. I loved this car but it really was a piece of crap. It never started in the winter. But damn I looked good in it.

1961 Falcon wagon

Don't remember where this came from but I do remember that I had it when I went to the private school in West Hartford (after I quit high school the first time my mom got me into this "special" school for "troubled" kids- I think I stayed for about a month before getting a full-time job at Moriarty's). The Falcon was another in a long line of pieces of crap. It has so much blow-by and so little power. Two things stand out in my mind though. The first was I out-ran the Coventry PD's '67 Ford cruiser down a dirt road (taking out a mailbox in the process) and coming downhill on Buena Vista Rd after being at my sisters and realizing the road was glare ice. The bald tires wouldn't stop; I put the car in reverse and tried to slow it down that way and it just kept sliding downhill. So I put it in drive, floored it and hoped no one would hit me as I entered Main St/Hwy 31. No one did.

1956 Ford

Mine was black and white almost like a cop car (I don't think it was). It was a 272 with a 3-speed manual. My mom used to try and keep me from driving it as punishment. She'd take the plates off but I'd just make some cardboard plates (in Connecticut at that time if you lost your plates you could make paper ones until your new ones came in). Next she took my keys including my spare keys. I had a spare ignition switch with keys. Later on, after we moved to Avery Shore I was going to install a done up 352 I had into it but I sold that. Instead I bought a used 332 with a 3-speed manual. Had some run ins with the local cops with the '56 - just after putting the engine in I got stopped for driving without a hood. The cop was going to cite me but he couldn't find the section. As he flipped though his book I saw the section and pointed it out to him. He let me go. Later my friend Stan and I were out driving around at about 1 am in the summer. The cop (my arch enemy Ballard) asked what I was doing. "Driving." He turned to Stan and asked him. "Driving with Bruce." He also let us go.

1967 Fairlane GT 390

The great love of my car life. I was working at Moriarty's when it was traded in. Some farmer must have used it because I remember looking it over before I bought it and it was full of straw or hay. I think I paid $1,400 for the Fairlane. It wasn't this blue but a Robin's Egg blue. I love that car - 390 GT engine (335 hp) with a 4-speed. Like many kids I tried to make the car "better." I changed the 4-speed for a close ratio one, which meant the driveshaft would fit but I actually had one that worked. Changed the shifter to a Hurst. And then I made the fatal mistake of taking out the original, tiny tachometer that was mounted on the dash (ended up with a wiring fire). But the Fairlane was quick in a straight line and I loved it. I traded it for the Mustang because I had to get out from under the payments due to a youthful indiscretion.

1965 Mustang

Somewhere I actually have a picture or two of my first Mustang. It was this style, gold in color with a black vinyl roof. It had a solid lifter 289 with 3-twos, Mallory dual-point distributor, headers and curiously a 3-speed manual transmission. I later put in the close ration 4-speed from the Fairlane (a top-loader) which didn't work out as I hoped because the top-loader was physically much larger. In order for the shifter arms to work without jamming on the transmission tunnel I had to flow the 3/4 one upside down. Ended up with a very odd shift pattern with 4th and 3rd being reversed on the H. Took this car to Canada. Eventually sent it back to CT to be sold.

1963 Volkswagen

The first car I bought in Canada. Bought it in Ottawa. VW's were darn good in the snow and it snowed a ton in Ottawa that year. But VW's are that good in the cold unless they had a gas heater (a little blast furnace mounted almost on top of the gas tank). Drove the VW from Ottawa to Manitoulin Island (over 800 miles round trip) where we camped on the shore of Lake Huron, taking a road that wasn't meant for non-4WDs. On return to Ottawa I decided to go to the Can-Am race at Mont Tremblent. The road to the track was dirt part of the way and on the way out my rusty VW's body collapsed onto the accelerator cable severing it. One hundred miles from home with no working gas pedal! I wedged a piece of wood between the throttle lever and stop on the carb and drove home. Sold the engine to some kids from the US for their VW bus.

Mini

Then I bought a Mini. Great design, lousy car. It had the hydrolastic suspension. Like most it leaked. But that's okay because Mini's were not meant for winter no matter how well they did in the Monte Carlo Rally. First they were too low to the ground and with the 10" tires they were easily high-centered. Second a monocoque body with zero rust protection is not all that great where they salt the roads.

1949 Chevy Panel Truck

This was the last vehicle I bought while in Ottawa. Got it from some guy who had worked on the engine but never got it running. I brought it to life but should have taken the engine completely apart and gone through it. Some bearings were tight so it never cranked over like it should have and the rings were shot. I drove it around Ottawa for a few months before we moved to Toronto. We actually moved in the truck (about 270 miles) and probably went through 4 or 5 quarts of oil. By this time it wouldn't start without bump starting so we had to park on a slope whenever we stopped. But we made it. Sold it for a bit more than I had into it.

1971 Toyota Corolla Sprinter

Originally this was "our" car but I drove it most of the time. It had that little 1200cc "slant" four and a 4-speed transmission. Over the years I owned it I think it blew the head gasket four times - twice I had the head machined and twice I sanded the head. By the time I sold it I had to put premium fuel in it to keep it from pinging. I had it painted bright yellow by a friend, tricked out the carb (altered it so that the secondary opened quicker), built a front spoiler, and hand made a "performance" exhaust. It was fairly quick, often beating out 1600cc cars.

1976 Toyota Hilux

We had two other Toyota Corollas before I bought this truck but they were ours, not mine. This was the first new vehicle I ever bought. I had a lot of good times in this, took it on a few vacations including Cape Cod. It was also in a couple of accidents (not while I was driving it) and the paint never matched after.

1962 Mercury Breezeway

I bought this when I worked for Woolco, a department store chain. It belonged to one of the assistant store managers from Winnipeg. It did not have the retractable rear window; it was fixed. It was a 352 two-barrel with automatic. Nice old tank that just ran and ran. I gave it to my brother when he was in Chicago but there was something weird about the VIN and he never could get it registered.

1964 Dodge

I don't remember why I bought this car, must have been a good deal. It was a 4-door sedan, 225 slant six and Torgueflite. I adjusted the valves, changed the oil and filter, did a tune up and drove it for a few months. I gave it to my sister in Upstate New York.

1972 Volkswagen

Another car I can't remember where I got it. I'm pretty sure it needed a clutch when I bought it and ball joints. I did the clutch but had to sub out the front end. Drove it for a few months until we bought a new Honda Accord and I got the next car to drive.

1974 Toyota Corolla SR5

Probably my favorite Toyota. It was pretty well used when it became "mine", I think it had about 110,000 on it then. Like many cars of its era rust was a big problem. By the time I gave it to my brother it had well over 130,000 miles. I'd replaced the two front fenders with fiberglass ones, welded patches all over the place, and replaced the exhaust a couple of times. It still had two of its original tires and original rear brake shoes. These cars are collectible now.

1956 Ford Ranch Wagon

My friend Mike Thomas brought this back from Colorado. It was two-tone, red and white roof. I had wanted a 2-door but I got a 4-door. It didn't have an engine or transmission when I got it. I bought a rusted out '66 Fairlane 390 GT automatic for the engine and transmission. "Rebuilt" the engine (rings and bearings on the garage floor), changed the trans valve body to a later style that allowed manual shifts and installed them into the '56. I had the car painted a merlot in place of the red. It ran fine except for a vibration I could never chase down. I sold the car to someone in Connecticut for about $1500.

1974 Volvo

My mom gave me this car. It was pale green. It had over 100,000 miles on it when I got it. Fuel injected, 4-speed manual with overdrive. Nice car but when things go wrong - The heater fan motor seized and I had to take half the dash apart to get to it. In the middle of the night about 30 miles from my destination the fuel injection went full rich and filled the crankcase with gas. But you know in a cold, snowy Canadian winter there was almost nothing better.

1972 Dodge Duster

I bought the Duster on my first foray to California. 225 slant six automatic. Drove it back to Toronto from San Jose. Just after stopping for gas on the eastern side of Lincoln, Nebraska the alternator went out. It was January. I limped it to a motel, found an auto parts store, bought an alternator and two wrenches, and I was on my way. It served me well for about six months and then I sold it for a profit.

1989 Mustang 5.0

I bought my 5.0 while I worked for Honda Canada. 5.0s were bargain cars back then. I think the total price for mine was about $16,000. Towed a trailer to California when we moved back in December 1990. I kept it until about '95. This might be the favorite car I've owned.

1965 Mustang

I am really sorry I let this one get away. I had it for probably 5 years and put a lot of work into it. My hope was to fashion it like a FIA coupe. It was a 289 automatic when I bought it. I got a nice 5.0 from the SFPD for free (theft recovery), bought a T-5, found a '59 Ford 9" rear end (bolts right in), redid the whole suspension front and rear. It ran but I never got it finished and eventually sold it to someone with the money and will to finish it. I rue the day he took it away.

1965 Ford Ranchero

Bought this for cheap from a shop owner in SF. He'd liened it. It had a 289 2-barrel and 4-speed. I have no idea what transmission it was - it looked like a BW T-10 but just a little different. Needed way too much work, mostly rust repair. I drove it off and one for about three years and then sold it for a small profit.

1965 Ford Galaxie 4-door sedan

Bought this one from a tow yard - salvage title. It had a 352 four barrel and was pretty ratty although solid. Let my brother use it for a bit and the brakes went out. Thankfully he didn't hit anyone. Eventually sold it to a guy who was going to run it in the Double 500 (a 500 km rally for cars that cost no more than $500) painted in Gulf-Wyer colors.

1987 Toyota truck

This is my actual truck. I bought this in 2001 I think from a girl in San Francisco for $900. It was running on 3 cylinders and she lived on one of SF's hills. Wasn't sure I'd get it home. It had one burnt valve. I replaced the valve, lapped in all the valves, put in a new timing chain, guides and tensioners and it's run like a champ since (I still have it). It had around 180,000 when I got it, the odometer stopped working three years ago at 209,000. The original 4-speed trans has been replaced with a 5-speed. It got some rust from it's time in Pacifica and the sun is taking its toll here in Vegas but I think I'll keep it. Was offered $1,500 for it last year.

1971 Ranchero

Bought this from a then friend of mine. 351 Cleveland, 2-barrel, automatic. Nice car but not a California original and the Pacifica salt air got to it. Like this year Ranchero about the best though.

1972 Ranchero

Bought my '72 from a guy in San Bruno. Nice solid car but the engine was weak. Blew the right head gasket once and about a year later I severely overheated the engine (temp gauge/warning light didn't work but no excuse). I had a really nice 351C 4-barrel engine with a C6 to put in it but by that time I was hurting financially. Sold it to another guy in San Bruno who screwed me by never transferring the title and DMV lost the release of liability.

1987 Toyota Celica

Bought this in a time of need - I was almost carless (at least drivers) - paid $400 for it. Kept it for about four years. Pretty good little car. Someone stole the intake hose once and that pissed me off. It had a/c, power windows, cruise - the works. Sold it to some guy who wanted a safe car for his daughter.

I'm sure I've missed one or two cars. If I remember them I'll add them in.

Roy Brizio & Bob Dron River Ranch Run

2013-04-11T13:28:00.003-07:00

Hot rod designer-builder-entrepreneur Roy Brizio will lead a procession of Brizio-built Ford roadsters, coupes and sedans headed for the May 18 River Ranch Run at Bob Dron’s historic Delta Diamond Farm near Isleton.

Dron will throw open the grounds of his 25-acre Delta Diamond estate for a gathering of hot rods and custom cars and motorcycles at the riverside facility.

Admission is $10 per vehicle, and with any number of occupants. Hours for the River Ranch Run are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Refreshments and entertainment will be available along with auto and motorcycle-related booths.

“I can’t say at this point which of his sweet-running street rods Roy will be bringing,” Dron says, “but we know that dozens of his customers are going to make the River Ranch Run in all manner of Brizio rides.”

Dron and his wife Tracey are staging the 125-year-old Sacramento River cherry orchard and Victorian homesite as a center for weddings, car shows, corporate gatherings, retreats and picnics. Located right in the center of the vast and untrammeled Delta, the Farm includes renovated and new buildings for catering, on-property work centers and meeting facilities.

Dron is an Isleton native and motoring enthusiast who’s been building and riding custom motorcycles and hot rods for more than four decades. For some 30 years, the Drons set national benchmarks for Harley-Davidson motorcycle sales, marketing and merchandising at their Oakland, CA, dealership. He is a member of the Oakland Roadster Show Hall of Fame.

For information on the River Ranch Run, contact the Delta Diamond Ranch at (916)777-5800. For information about events and bookings at the Events Center, go to www.deltadiamondranch.com.

The Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance and the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival partner to form the Wine Country Classics

2013-04-11T13:27:00.001-07:00

San Rafael, Calif. (April 10, 2013) - Sonoma Raceway and the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance have teamed up to bring car enthusiasts a complete weekend of historic motorsports and classic cars. Car enthusiasts will enjoy car-centric activities in multiple North Bay venues as the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival at Sonoma Raceway and the Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance share the stage during the Wine Country Classics weekend, May 18-19.

The Historics, which will honor Corvette as its featured marque, will host nearly 400 historic machines on the twisting road course both Saturday and Sunday, as well as the popular Wine Country Pavilion, with samples of fine food and wine from the Sonoma and Napa valleys. Fans will also enjoy car club displays and an open garage area to get an up-close look at the historic machines. For more information, visit www.racesonoma.com/historics orwww.generalracing.com.

The Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance held at the Marin Civic Center, just 15 miles from Sonoma Raceway, will feature vintage automobiles owned by Hollywood Legends, including Elizabeth Taylor’s 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud ll Drop Head Coupe, Jean Harlow's 1932 Packard Phaeton and Mae West’s 1934 Duesenberg J-370. The Concours will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lamborghini and will also feature vintage Italian motorcycles, Wood cars and station wagons and a vintage camper and trailer display. For more information on the Concours on Sunday, May 19, please visit www.marinsonomaconcours.org.

To celebrate the inaugural year of this partnership, the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival and the Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance have created the Wine Country Classics Flex Pass, which allows attendees to attend both events for just $45. It’s the perfect chance to enjoy the power of historic racing machines on track, plus the incomparable beauty of some of the finest vintage automobiles in the country.

For more information on these events or to purchase your Wine Country Classics Flex Pass, visitwww.marinsonomaconcours.org.

2014 Corvette To Be Limited

2013-04-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

According to Automotive News, General Motors will limit initial sales of the 2014 Corvette Stingray to about 900 of its Chevrolet dealers out of the total of about 3,000. It doesn't seem fair to me.

I understand GM's reasoning; they think the new Stingray will be so hot that it's best to give it to those dealers who sell the most Corvettes. On a strictly logical path I guess that makes sense. But we're talking about a brand new Corvette here, not something logical.

People all over this country, and not just car fiends, men or Chevy lovers, get weak in the knees at the mention of a Corvette. Somewhere out in the wilds of one of our less populated state there are people who would travel a hundred miles to see a brand new Stingray sitting on the showroom floor of their "local" dealership. Or they would have except that dealership probably won't have one until six or nine months after the Stingray goes on sale.

Perhaps General Motors just doesn't understand the value or meaning of a "halo" car, a car that draws people to a dealer. People really do buy a Malibu or Impala because they love the Corvette.

GM says those 900 dealers account for 80% of Corvette sales in 2012. So what? To be eligible to sell the Stingray a dealer has to have sold at lest four Corvettes in 2012. So what? GM's bread and butter has been the heartland and they shouldn't cut them off. But that is exactly what they are doing.

I grew up in a small town in Connecticut. There were dealers all over the place but back when I was a kid you didn't travel that far to buy, or even see a car. I can remember the excitement when a local dealer got a new, hot model. Word spread like wildfire, sometimes before the car was even delivered, "hey did you hear that so-and-so Ford is getting a Shelby next week? Let's go and watch them take it off the truck." I remember first hearing a Z28 rumble off a truck in Manchester. It was a big deal.

So GM lighten up. Everyone deserves the opportunity to drool over the 2014 Stingray. And who knows maybe one of the kids in mid-Montana will be the first in line for a 2024 Vette just because he remembers that beautiful one he saw at that tiny dealer when he was a kid.

HALF MOON BAY’S AWE-INSPIRING FESTIVAL OF MAGNIFICENT MACHINE

2013-04-05T09:49:00.002-07:00

A Mesmerizing Array Of Motorized Mechanical Marvels, Jaw-Dropping Military Flyovers,

Supersonic Land Speed Record Streamliners, Ultra-Thrilling Aircraft Rides,

Military Vehicle Blank Gun Firings and Mock Battle Re-enactments

Headline “The Coolest Show On Earth”

BONUS: THE NEW DEVIL’S SLIDE TUNNEL MAKES THE DRIVE EASIER THAN EVER

HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA –– There are car shows, air shows, motorcycle shows, tractor shows, county fairs, music festivals, food festivals and living history festivals galore. Mix them all together in one venue on one weekend and you’ve got Half Moon Bay’s beloved, one and only Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show, coming up April 27-28, running both days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Half Moon Bay Airport. An added bonus this year: with the opening of the brand new Devil’s Slide Tunnels on Highway 1, driving to the show will be easier and more interesting than ever!

Whimsical, fascinating, amusing, educational, curious, and utterly unique are a few words that folks use to describe this massive annual celebration of mechanical ingenuity, power and style known as“The Coolest Show on Earth”. It’s a remarkable show-and-tell spectacle, an outdoor museum-for-a-weekend, featuring 2,000 magnificent driving, flying and working machines from the 20th and 21st centuries. In short, a feast for the senses for motorheads!

World-class cars of every era and style, Model T fire engines, vintage buses, custom motorcycles, tricked-out trucks, supersonic World Land Speed Record streamliners, state-of-the-art SWAT vehicles, one-of-a-kind antique engines and tractors and historic military aircraft will be among the mesmerizing displays.

Proud owners show off cars in all shapes, colors and sizes. Spectators will get a rare up-close look at antique horseless carriages and Ford Model T’s, fanciful touring and luxury cars, powerful sports cars, custom cars and street rods, muscle cars, vintage and modern-era high-performance race cars, quirky art and pedal cars, modified street machines with cutting edge styles, exotic high-performance cars, stylish European cars, ultra cool low-riders, sporty compacts, modified imports with flashy graphics, fashionable hip-hop urban show cars, homebuilt kit cars, super-charged turbo cars and trucks, “green” technology vehicles, streamliners, dragsters, funny cars, gassers, and jet cars.

Hundreds of aviation wonders are expected to be on display –– stylish homebuilts, classics from the ‘40s and ‘50s, vintage warbirds, sport and ultralight aircraft. Highlights include jaw-dropping, shock and awe flyovers by historic military aircraft; the massive Douglas DC-4, a World War II humanitarian aircraft now used for U.S. government disaster relief missions, which will do a special take-off and landing at 3 pm both days; “Mustang Madness,” a spectacular display of America’s premier World War II fighter; the Estrella Warbird Museum's historic Douglas C-47 (regarded as the World's Greatest Aircraft of its time), YAK Russian fighters and an impressive array of T-6 and T-28 military fighters and trainers. Thrilling rides will be offered in helicopters, vintage bi-planes, along with Beech 18 and T-6 military trainers.

The Military Vehicle Technology Foundation (MVTF) brings a piece of “living history” to this year’s show. The MVTF will have a large display of rare military vehicles, including including two Joint Light Tactical Combat Vehicles making their first public appearance, and also plan to conduct blank firings of their vehicle mounted machine guns. MVTF tour guides, dressed in military garb, will be on hand to talk about their historic machinery providing excellent photo opportunities. The MVTF in association with the West Coast Armor Association also plan to perform mock battle re-enactments during the show titled “Rescue of a Downed Pilot.” These staged battles will be performed by professional re-enactors trained in “presentation stunt combat” and regularly used in television and movies.

The attractions for kids are amazing and endless: a super-cool new zip line, a bungee jump, a mechanical bull ride, a climbing wall, carnival rides, walk-on-waterballs, henna tattoos, face painting, and a remote-controlled NASCAR race track. There will be plenty of festive food and delicious drink with the special Motorhead Ale from Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, Sauza margaritas and Barefoot Wine & Bubbly.

The sensational lineup of music includes Bill Kirchen, The Inciters, Big Cat Tolefree & His Hipnotic Band, Pel & The Pelicans, plus Robert Powell, Charlie Powell & Grant Walters performing throughout the weekend. Plus, there’s enchanting storytelling by the Gypsy Time Travelers backdropped by their quirky traveling rig, Florence

This year’s Pilots Association Saturday Night Hangar Dinner (April 27) will feature a special tribute to Ray Martini, a decorated World War II veteran and treasured Coastsider. The dinner is at Eddie Andreini’s hangar at the airport. Tickets are $30 per person, available at the door. Parking is on the airport field; enter off Capistrano Road.

Spectator admission to the show is $20 ($30 for 2-day pass) for adults, $10 ($15 for 2-day pass) for ages 11-17 and 65+, and free for kids age 10 and under. Tickets are available at the gate only. Half Moon Bay Airport, at 9850 N. Cabrillo Highway, is located on Highway 1, about 20 miles south of San Francisco and five miles north of Highway 92. For information, call 650-726-2328 or visitwww.miramarevents.com

Headline attractions scheduled to appear include:

•Jaw-dropping, shock and awe flyovers by historic military aircraft throughout the event.

•Riveting military vehicle blank gun firings and mock battle re-enactments by the West Coast Armor Association.

•Super sleek speed machines in “World Record Wonderland” including legendary builder Jack Costella’s Nebulous Theorem streamliners that have set more than 100 land speed records.

•Spine-tingling take-off and landing by the massive, Douglas DC-4 at 3 pm both days.

•A special display of nostalgia dragsters to honor the former Half Moon Bay Drag Strip.

•Magnificent military aircraft including the Estrella Warbird Museum's Douglas C-47 (regarded as the World's Greatest Aircraft of its time), YAK Russian fighters and an impressive array of T-6 and T-28 military fighters and trainers.

•World land speed record holders, the “Ack Attack” motorcycle streamliner, Lightning Motorcycles solar-powered SB2 Super Bike, and the world’s second fastest “Dirtboat” landsailer.

•“Mustang Madness”, a spectacular display of America’s Premier World War II Fighter.

•The one-of-a-kind Blastolene Brothers extreme, mega-modified machines.

•Aerobatics great Eddie Andreini doing fly-overs in his bi-plane, YAK Russian fighter and P-51.

•”El Diablo”, an astonishing jet-powered flame-effects device designed for “Burning Man”.

•Ultra thrilling rides in helicopters, bi-planes, Beech 18 and T-6 military trainers.

•Rare, meticulously restored vehicles from the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation including two Joint Light Tactical Combat Vehicles making their first public appearance.

•1904 Holsman Hi-Wheeler, antique automobile part of Coastsider’s family tree.

•Refurbished fly-wheel engines from the Early Days Gas Engine & Tractor Association.

•Roots of Motive Power's collection of restored logging equipment.

•Zip-line, bungee jump, mechanical bull, remote-controlled NASCAR racing, kid’s amusements.

•Fabulous food and drink with Half Moon Bay Brewing Company’s special Motor Head Ale.

•Live music with headliners Bill Kirchen, The Inciters, Big Cat Tolefree & His Hipnotic Band, Pel & The Pelicans, plus Robert Powell, Charlie Powell & Grant Walters.

•Enchanting storytelling by the Gypsy Time Travelers and their quirky traveling rig, Florence

•Pilots Association Saturday Night Hangar Dinner (April 27) at Eddie Andreini’s Hangar. Featuring a special tribute to Ray Martini, Decorated World War II veteran and Treasured Coastsider. Tickets are $30 per person, available at the door. Parking is on the airport field; enter off Capistrano Road.

The All American Truck Show

2013-03-30T14:37:00.002-07:00

This year is the 13th year of the All American Truck Show, on Sunday, May 5, 2013, at Sequoia High School, 1201 Brewster Avenue, Redwood City, CA.

All trucks are welcome including PT Cruisers, Sedan Deliveries, and Panel Trucks. Semis are welcome but please, tractors only.

I've been to some of the car shows at Sequoia High School and they usually draw some of the best cars in the Bay Area. It's always a good time.

For more information including an entry form should you wish to show your truck ($35 entry fee) go to http://letstalkevents.com/, click on "Coming Events" and scroll down to The All American Truck Show where you can download a flyer.

It looks like it's going to be a very good year for car shows. Enjoy!

Bob Dron Ranch River Run

2013-03-30T08:17:00.001-07:00

This just in from Michael Dobrin -

The River Ranch Run and showcase gathering of custom cars and motorcycles, hot rods and vintage trucks will be held Saturday, May 18, at Isleton’s Delta Diamond Farm, the Central Valley’s newest motoring and events center.

Admission is $10 per vehicle – and with any number of occupants. Hours for the River Ranch Run are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Refreshments and entertainment will be available.

Participants will have ample show space on the expansive greens of the historic 25-acre Delta Diamond Ranch estate, which is located on the Sacramento River levee road at 15175 Highway 160, just west of Isleton.

“We’re throwing the Delta Diamond open for all of our custom car and bike friends,” says Farm owner Bob Dron, who with his wife, Tracey, has turned the 125-year-old cherry orchard and Victorian home site into a major events center for weddings, car shows, corporate gatherings, retreats and picnics.

“No stockers, please. We’re looking for two and four-wheeled creations that make a definite styling statement,” says Dron, an Isleton native and one of hot rodding’s shakers and movers for almost five decades. For more than 30 years, the Drons set national benchmarks for Harley-Davidson motorcycle sales, marketing and merchandising in their Oakland, CA, dealership.

A member of the Oakland Roadster Show Hall of Fame, Dron has created such landmark custom motorcycles as his CycleTron in the ‘70s to his early ‘90s masterpiece, the Heritage Royale, winner of the Slonaker Award for Technical Excellence in 1992. By the time he was 20, Dron had owned dozens of custom cars and motorcycles and he still collects, restores and shows a number of his vehicles.

For information, contact the Delta Diamond Ranch at (916)777-5800. For information about events and bookings at the Ranch, see www.deltadiamondranch.com.

Sounds like a heck of a good time to me. Bruce Hotchkiss

Ready or not, here it comes?

2013-03-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

In my 60 plus years on this earth cars have changed drastically. Sure they still have (for the most part) four wheels, a propulsion system, brakes, etc., but they have changed.

Back when I was born taking a long trip in a car was still a risky thing to do. Routine maintenance not only involved oil changes but valve and ring jobs. Gas stations still had signs that said, "We fix flats" because flat tires were commonplace. Cars now run forever without needing anything more than an occasional oil change. Tires are so robust that even if run with improper air pressure they rarely blow out (although when they do the consequences can be horrific).

Over all I support most of the changes we have seen in cars through the years. Cars are simply better than they have ever been.

I do however wonder where cars are going and frankly it scares me. Cars, like so much in our lives now, are being made so we do not have to think. And cars, like so much in our lives now, are being seen as much as entertainment systems as a means of transportation. On board computers take much of the skill out of driving. And that's the rub.

I'm sure you've all heard about cars that drive themselves. Now that scares me and it saddens me. I am not a technophobe but I am definitely not a technophile.

On one hand it might be a good thing. The masses can climb in, plug in all their "smart" electronics and do whatever they do now without endangering the rest of us. What could go wrong?

Personally I wish cars weren't becoming rolling entertainment centers of offices. Do we really need even more distraction while we are driving?

Some people will tell you that they are capable of multi-tasking, of driving their car while they do their hair, shave, sent texts, talk to Siri, or whatever. Really? There have been times when I have talked on my cell phone while driving (I rarely do it now, preferring to pull over to the side if the call seems important). And some of those times when I end the call I realize that I've just driven without being aware of what was going on around me. It scared me.

Now maybe I'm not the norm, maybe most people can multi-task without endangering themselves and others but I doubt it. I think we are all just very lucky.

Multi-tasking while driving is nothing new. Before smart phones, even before cell phones, you'd see people reading while driving, especially during rush hours.

Maybe smart cars are the answer; maybe they will stop those who need to drive but really don't want to from endangering the rest of us. But I don't believe it. I think that the more we let people detach from the world around them the more dangerous they become.

If you own a smart, driver-less car would you even need a license? Who would be responsible if the smart car caused an accident? Can you sue a computer?

I am not against technology; I just want it to serve the greater good. Technology that makes cars safer and more efficient is a good thing. The rest is superfluous. Build me a car that makes me a better driver, that has superior performance, does little to no harm to the environment, gets great fuel economy and leave the entertainment to me.

Boss Wagons

2013-03-20T15:48:00.002-07:00

If you're a long time reader of Car and Driver you remember their "Boss Wagons." I think we may have a new one and it doesn't come from Car and Driver, it comes to you direct from Mercedes-Benz.

The 2014 M-B E63 Wagon has got to be the ultimate (for now) Boss Wagon. It has a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8, 515-hp, 4Matic all wheel drive, 7-speed AMG Speedshift automatic transmission.

I'm a sucker for station wagons. Most people think they are passe but not me. I'd love wagons, wagons with go. And we're talking some serious go here. M-B says it will do 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds and top out at an electronically governed 155 mph. Its downside is that at best it will get 23 mpg on the highway. Who cares?

Oh I guess another downside is I'll never be able to afford one ($92,400) but I can dream can't I?

Bob Lutz, Savior of the World

2013-03-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

To quote Ronald Reagan but applying it to Bob Lutz, "There you go again." If you listen to or read what he writes Bob Lutz must be one hell of a guy. He does have an impressive resume - GM Europe, BMW, Ford, Chrysler, and finally GM USA. The way Lutz talks he must have saved every single one of those companies. Yet the two that were on the ropes survived without him.

His latest gig, besides going around the country telling everyone how great he is, is a blogger for Forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com/sites/boblutz/). And in his most recent blog he attacks Ed Whitacre, the government appointed overseer of GM after their bailout.

Now I have no insight into how important Mr. Whitacre was to GM and I have not read his book, "American Turnaround: Reinventing AT&T and GM and the Way We Do Business in the USA" but at least he has actually headed up some corporations. History will have to judge whether he was a successful businessman.

Reading Lutz's blog he states that Whitacre had little to nothing to do with the resurrection of GM. In fact Lutz says it was really Rick Waggoner, Fritz Henderson, and he who did the trick. How? They are responsible for all the great vehicles GM unveiled after they were let go.

Well I'm sorry to disagree with Big Bob but he is just full of shit. Lutz is the kind of guy that if you don't agree with him he'll cut you down with words until you feel about worthless. Lutz is the guy who defended the Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, another one of GM's world beaters that wasn't. To be sure Lutz had input into some successful vehicles but all in all his record isn't as great as his ego.

GM has made some great cars. Many of its current crop are some of the best they have ever sold. I don't know how much the former leaders had to do with any of them but I do know that designing and building a car in a large corporation is not the product of one man, or even a handful, but of many.

Here's one quote from Wikipedia that I think shows Lutz's true self, "Lutz said that one reason for his decision (to retire) was the increasing regulatory climate in Washington that would force GM to produce what Federal regulators wanted, rather than what customers wanted." Yet Lutz claims it was his products that saved the company! And if the new Corvette is what regulators wanted I say hurrah for the regulators.

General Douglas MacArthur famously said, "old soldiers don't die; they just fade away." I think Lutz prefers Dylan Thomas' "Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light ..." I just wish he'd rave some truth. But then maybe he's just pissed off because he really wasn't that important.

Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance

2013-03-13T13:11:00.001-07:00

The 57^th edition of the Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance will be held at the Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame, CA, Sunday, July 21. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $30. Children under 13 are free.

Don't miss it! Great cars, nice people, good food and all for a good cause.

The NRA Gets It's Name On NASCAR Race

2013-03-05T18:54:00.003-08:00

I have to wonder what NASCAR is thinking allowing the NRA to become the named sponsor of its Sprint Cup Race at Texas Motor Speedway (http://chronicle.augusta.com/sports/nascar/2013-03-04/nra-gets-name-nascar-race?v=1362435043). NASCAR viewership has declined and they are trying (once again) to appeal to a broader base. The introduction of race cars that look more like their street kin is one attempt.

So why hook arms with an organizatin as polarizing as the NRA? I'm sure NASCAR's traditional fan base includes many, many NRA members but if they really wanted to expand beyond the blue collar, white males they now attract maybe they should stay away from sponsors that people either love or hate.

Having the NRA as a named sponsor most likely won't sit well with a large segment of the rest of the country and with a national debate in progress of gun control it definitely looks like NASCAR is taking sides. Not exactly one of the smartest moves going in my opinion.

2013 Ford Ranger - The Truck They Don't Want You To Want

2013-03-05T18:45:00.001-08:00

I'm not the only person who pines for a small(er) pickup. According to March 4, 2013, Automotive News (AN) "Some Ford dealers miss small pickup".

What amazes me is that according to the article it isn't urban Ford dealers but dealers in what AN calls "truck country."

Small trucks just make sense to me. Not everyone needs or wants a full-size pickup that's hard to park and that drives around almost empty most of the time. Now AN has vindicated me.

Ford killed their small pickup, the Ranger, figuring no one would want one and if they did it would be too expensive. This is the Ranger much of the rest of the world can buy -

Not bad huh? The pictures are from Ford of Thailand. Converting the lowest Thai price if you lived in Thailand the base Ranger would set you back about $22,750. Not bad.

2014 Chevrolet SS - Hit or Miss?

2013-03-01T13:48:00.001-08:00

2014 Chevrolet SS @ Daytona

Anyone with an ounce of interest in hot cars has heard about the 2014 Chevrolet SS, the return of rear-wheel-drive to Chevrolet sedans. We've already seen it in action (more or less) at the recent Daytona 500 (let's face it that was no where near what you will be able to buy). It's one of the hits of this winter's auto shows and GM/Chevrolet is betting it will generate showroom traffic and a few sales. But will it be a hit or a miss?

Chevrolet SS Pace Car and Street SS @ Daytona

So far all the auto pundits seem to be raving about the SS. I have not driven one yet and who knows if I ever will (what with the dearth of press cars here in Vegas). It's got all the right stuff doesn't it? Big 6.2-liter, 415 hp, pushrod V8 up front driving through a manual transmission to the rear drive. Road gripping meats are all four corners and all that modern stuff to make sure even the dumbest won't find a telephone pole to wrap it around the first time they nail the pedal. It's got huge Brembo brakes too.

Chevrolet SS, Camaro & Corvette

The SS is coming to us from Australia just like the last Pontiac GTO and G8 (2008/2009). I have driven both the last version GTO and a G8. I know I drove a GTO, either a 2005 or 2006, on the street and once on a race course. It was an awesome street car but not so much on the track. The problem was weight. The GTO weighed around 3,700 lbs; the G8 with the V8 weighed just over two tons. Weight is an enemy when you try to turn corners quickly.

2006 Pontiac GTO

2009 Pontiac G8

As a "halo" car the SS should do okay and I think it will sell to men in my age group but I doubt that it will ever be a volume seller. And I'm not sure what good it does to appeal to us old farts. I hate to say it but this doesn't look good for the "new" General Motors. When you aim a car like this squarely at old white guys it may not be the brightest idea.

From my perspective the SS needs to lose at least 500 pounds. I couldn't find any weight specs for the 2014 SS but I'd expect it to weigh close to the G8, and that is way too much. If it's close to the G8's weight that is fine for cruising or highway travel but not good for anything else, including fuel economy. As the late, great Colin Chapman knew lightness equaled all-round performance.

I'll wait to make my final declaration until I get to drive a SS but for now I have my doubts.

PACIFIC COAST DREAM MACHINES SHOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION MEGA SHOW MARKS ITS 23RD YEAR AS "THE COOLEST SHOW ON EARTH"

2013-03-01T13:01:00.001-08:00

HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA (March 1, 2013) –– Registration is open for the 23rd Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show, one of the west coast's biggest, baddest, most fascinating gatherings of the world's coolest cars, trucks, motorcycles, aircraft and assorted contraptions representing every era and style.

This year's 23rd annual show show will be held on April 27-28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Half Moon Bay Airport.

There's nothing quite like this whimsical, awe-inspiring, amusing, curious and absolutely unique show and tell spectacle featuring 2,000 magnificent driving, flying and working machines from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Proud owners show up in cars that come in all shapes, colors and sizes. Spectators will get a rare up-close look at antique horseless carriages and Ford Model T's, fanciful touring and luxury cars, powerful sports cars, custom cars and street rods, muscle cars, vintage and modern era high-performance race cars, quirky art and pedal cars, modified street machines with cutting edge styles, exotic high-performance cars, stylish European cars, ultra cool low-riders, sporty compacts, modified imports with flashy graphics, fashionable hip-hop urban show cars, homebuilt kit cars, super-charged turbo cars and trucks, “green” technology/alternative fuel vehicles, streamliners, dragsters, funny cars, gassers, and jet cars.

Displays include exceptional vintage warbirds, classics from the 40's and 50's and homebuilt aircraft, tricked out trucks and motorcycles, Model T fire engines, vintage busses, antique engines and tractors, helicopter and bi-plane rides, kinetic art, and rolling sculptures.

To show a car, the registration fee is $30 ($40 for entries postmarked after April 15) and includes a special dash plaque and entitles the driver and one passenger admission to the event. The registration fee is good for one or both days. All vehicles are welcome to be shown.

Spectator admission is $20 ($30 for 2-day pass) for adults, $10 ($15 for 2-day pass) for ages 11-17 and 65+, and free for kids age 10 and under. Tickets are available at the gate only.

Half Moon Bay Airport, at 9850 N. Cabrillo Highway, is located on Highway 1, about 20 miles south of San Francisco and 5 miles north of Highway 92.

The show is the major annual benefit for the Coastside Adult Day Health Center.

For information and registration forms, call 650-726-2328 or http://www.miramarevents.com/dreammachines