For the record, killing is bad and should be avoided, along with Brussels sprouts and flip-flops in the workplace. Still, I call this one Kill the Car Guy. It's a phrase I've just had enough of. Everybody's a car guy these days; just ask them.
You used to have real credentials to call yourself a car guy. Grated knuckle skin. Greasy fingernails. R Compound tires. A racing trophy. Proof you've been to some racetrack somewhere at sometime. A basic understanding of the internal combustion engine. Knowing how to heel-and-toe downshift. Knowing how to do a proper burnout. Knowing the GT-R is not the new Skyline. Knowing which one is Bo and which is Luke. Something.
Relax. I'm not saying you need to know all this stuff to qualify. It's not that simple. There's no litmus test here. You just need to invest in cars. What you choose to invest is up to you: could be your time, your brain power, your garage space, your weekends, your marriage, or of course all of the above. I don't care what it is, but I know this; being a car guy should not be free.
There was a time when it wasn't. As little as a decade ago, car guy status still had to be earned. Earned through your knowledge and your actions. You had to have real passion for this stuff; you weren't in the club just because you wanted to be. You had to truly care and you had to make the sacrifices that come along with the commitment. It wasn't enough for cars to be just a passing interest, they had to be a high priority, an very important part of your life.
And now that every knit shirt knows Ol' Shel tuned up some Mustangs 100 years ago, that's not enough to qualify you anymore. Mrs. The Mechanic knows that much. If you're going to use your Shelby knowledge to substantiate your car guy qualifications, you better know what year he won Le Mans and what he was driving.
If not, get off my lawn.
http://blogs.edmunds.com/straightline/2008/10/kill-the-car-guy.html
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The "Team Sprite" car gets auctioned again, and still gathers compliments
The Oct. Barrett Jackson auction had the Team Sprite car auctioned and Automobile Magazine in the Feb 2009 issue spotlighted it, page 93. It was only driven 34 miles since the restoration, so the first owner must have kept it as a showpiece is my guess. It sold the first time for 24 thou, this time for 20 thou. That first owner should have enjoyed it more, and kept it longer.
http://www.livingwisdom.org/highschool/latest_news/High_articles/AHMag-YouGoGirls.pdf for a 6 page magazine pdf that cover the story really well.
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/12/in-favorite-all-time-car-stories-is.html
http://www.livingwisdom.org/highschool/latest_news/High_articles/AHMag-YouGoGirls.pdf for a 6 page magazine pdf that cover the story really well.
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/12/in-favorite-all-time-car-stories-is.html
Friday, January 9, 2009
Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
Mitsubishi will launch a new supercar to compete to the five-door Subaru Impreza,The Lancer Sportback engine line-up in Europe is reported to be 1.5 to 1.8-liter petrol engines along with a 2-liter turbodiesel. The daddy of them all is a Sportback Ralliart version powered by the same turbocharged 2-liter MIVEC engine powering the Evo X. The Sportback Ralliart will be putting out 237hp and 253lb-ft of torque to all fours via Mitsubishi’s highly acclaimed Twin-Clutch SST four wheel drive system and its Active Center Differential. Considering the Evo X officially made it to our shores without keeping us waiting for too long, don’t be suprised to see the Ralliart Lancer Sportback storming down our highways soon after its launch. 
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