Porsche 928

I remember reading the figures for the Porsche 928 when I was a car-stat obsessed kid and always remember thinking 'look at that top ffing speed.' Depending on the model year it was rated anywhere from about 150mph to 184mph in its final GTS production spec. A seriously fast car, even by today's standards.

Front-engined Porsches definitely split opinion in the general car media. But all bias aside, who the hell is going to argue with a 5L V8 in a Porsche? Now a lame 924 or an underpowered 944 is another story altogether.

Two other things that make the 928 attractive to my old memories are: One, and this could be complete bullshit, Richard Pryor the comedian had one and used to keep it in Ireland and it was parked outside Sweet News in Killybegs one day and we all got to touch it. Secondly, it was featured in the computer game Chase HQ and that game was pretty nutz in its day, but looks like complete crap today.

This 928 is not perfect close up, looks like a daily driver rather than a garage queen. But sitting there on a small side street in candy apple red it draws you in like a moth to a flame. One hell of a sexy car and look at that big ol' butt! Makes you wanna spank it.

I asked about it and was told that a local fella who had worked in the oil business bought it in Texas and brought it back with him when he moved. Whatever the story, seeing a car like this makes you wonder if Porsche will truncate the current Panamera and give birth to a modern 928. Seeing this car made my day.

1982 Mini

Here's the perfect way to follow up the post about Linh's Mini. I saw this great looking little Mini in the gravel parking lot at the back of O'Malley's Pub in Weston. I saw it out of the corner of my eye from the road. Not a big fan of the color, some BRG would be much nicer.

Standing beside this car makes you realize how big the New Mini is compared to its forebearers. This was one of those cars that made you feel like you could have picked it up and taken it with you, like when you see a Smart Car today.

My brother went through a phase of grass-track racing Minis in Northern Ireland and for a few years our driveway looked like a Mini graveyard. With mad young fellas like that around, it's a wonder  there are any old Minis left on the road.

This is the perfect cheeky little Mini in this video to go with these images:

Mini Me - 2008 Mini Cooper

Linh's blue and white Mini Cooper fits her perfectly; small and tons of fun. We ordered this car new from Baron and got to go through the whole Mini delivery experience. They make it so you feel like you are having a child. They give you updates like "Your Mini just rolled off the line in Oxford," "Your Mini just arrived at Customs in Baltimore and we changed its diaper."

Our previous two cars had been Nissans and the customer service difference between them and Mini is just not even comparable. We've had a few minor problems with the Mini since it arrived, but for the most part it has been a wonderful experience being in the Mini family. 

You often get that wink and nod from other Mini drivers and once when driving over the Pig Trail in northern Arkansas we got the full flashing lights, horn honk, hand out the window and yell from a fellow Mini driver. Put a big grin on our faces.

Our dog Apollo gives his sniff of approval

See, the Mini is huge, the guy on the left is 6' 2"

I love taking the Mini out and making it remember its Rally Heritage

Rambler - "The Kenosha Cadillac"

I was on my way to Weston, about to head over the Broadway Bridge, when I saw this Rambler. I am far from an expert on older American cars, so out of curiosity I had to snap a few pictures to look it up when I got home. 

Turns out that what I spotted was a (or close to) a 1965 Rambler Classic 770 Convertible. You don't see many on the roads in and around KC making it something of a rarity. I imagine the owner was pretty pleased with himself driving this super cool car, the kind you could imagine Don Draper driving in Madmen.

When I googled the name of the car the first entry that turned up were the lyrics to a funny song about a Cadillac and a Nash Rambler. Which made me think of the video I shot here when I caught the Rambler further up the road. I listened to the song on Youtube and it was so bad that I can't post it here out of consideration for your ears. Look it up at your peril.

I love seeing cars like this being driven out on the road. They don't want to be kept in a garage under a cover, they want to breath air on the open road and show-off their stuff. So to you Mr. Rambler driver, I salute you. Happy Motoring.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Pontiac Firebird

When I was down at the car wash the other day I saw this neglected Pontiac poking out between some metal girders. It was rusted to crap and looked like sh*t, but the gold race wheels gave a glimpse into what was at one time a very desirable American dream. 

Growing up in Ireland, where a souped-up Ford Escort was a hot car in the 1980s, to see a car like this on the A-Team, Knight Rider or the Fall Guy, just sent your heart pumping for an ostentatious American car with its growling V8 and screeching tires. These cars were like playmates, to the supermodels of European car makers; desire Vs lust.

It looks like a third generation Firebird/Trans Am, but from behind the fence it was hard to tell exactly what year. Maybe a Firebird Formula or a GTA?

The forgotten and abused car made me think of a broken dream, a lost promise. Perhaps, back in the summer of '86 some young couple went cruising around KC in this car feeling like royalty, not a care in the world. But as all dreams end, something must have happened for this car to end up in such bad shape. It made me think of that Journey song...you know the one "Just a small town girl..."

1976 AMC Matador - Tim's Work in Progress

Tim got the Matador (Maddy) a little over a year ago and has been patiently bringing her back to life. He's been scouring Internet forums for advice, asking old-guy mechanics what they think he should do for this and that part and Maddy has been into a garage or two for more than a little TLC. To watch Tim nurture the Matador is to see the ultimate example of; a labor of love.

I drove him down to KCK when he had a new exhaust put on her last Spring. Cornetto was on blocker duty, playing Smoky to Tim's Bandit, when he was trying to taker her up the road without the old Po-Po catching up with him. People see the 70s relic and smile, instantly seduced and just can't help offering to help. Maddy's like a Siren singing us to our death upon the automotive-rocks in a sea of thick motor-oil.

Maddy has become a permanent fixture now and we love seeing that sun-burnt orange boat at the side of their house when we pull up for some good BBQ at chez Klein-Roy. I catch myself staring at her, looking at those lines and they amaze me every time. In comparison to their 70s ancestors, modern cars have become numb and desynthesized. Apart from Bangle when he was at BMW, who is going to put their design career on the line and produce a body with such lines and textures? There is something we car people love about impracticability and the 1976 AMC Matador hits a lot of those points. 

When helping Tim's lady friend clean up some crud for the estate sale this week, I actually found the original set of keys for the Matador and gave them to Tim. He looked like a kid who got exactly what he wanted for Christmas when I gave him that old set of keys.

The Matador has been in the family since new and with the care and attention Tim lashed upon her, I'd say it will be in the family for years to come. We can't wait to see Maddy when she's all finished and on the road and I know I'll want to go for a ride, sitting up front, three abreast in the giant bench seat.

In the meantime here's a quick video and some pic's of the old girl.

 

Jeep Gets a Hummer

I was down in the City Market last week and I parked behind this cool looking Jeep Wrangler. Then I nearly shit my pants laughing when I read what was on the side of it.

I know most H2s are bought more for the bling and rappersque attributes, but you just know this Wrangler owner loves driving around town, with his trail rated machine, giving the middle finger to their owners.