Cartography, Part 2 : Alpha

 The first one is always special. It matters not what kind of car it is, the fact that it's yours is what makes it significant. Ideally, it should be something that you've worked for, sweat and tears, scrimping and saving every penny until the day of attainment arrives. If your parents outright buy it for you, it's just not the same and your appreciation is diminished as a result.


Good ole' American Iron

 Powder blue was her color. The engine bay housed a 302 cubic inch V8 mated to a four speed automatic transmission. Not a Ford Mustang, my first baby was a 1977 Ford Granada 2-door coupe, a vehicle that ford touted as a domestic equivalent of a Mercedes-Benz. Ad agency hyperbole aside, she was a sweet ride to this once 16 year old driver.


Click for larger view

 A decade had passed under her tires by the time she resided in my driveway, which in northeast Ohio meant rust. It wasn't too bad, but it did irk the hell out of me. I purchased chrome polish to try and remove the surface corrosion from the bumpers, and it polished so well it removed the chrome itself. It was your typical blue-haired old lady car, never venturing far from the Cleveland area. Never abused, she was broken in gently and thus balked at the heavier right foot of it's new owner. Full throttle produced a plume of black smoke from the exhaust, but damn did that V8 sound sweet.


If only mine looked this good

 I can still remember sweltering summer days spent detailing my precious, caressing the sheetmetal. The vinyl bench seat was splitting in a couple of areas, so my first "mod" was a set of seat covers. My next mod was much more radical, the quintessential late 80's accessory, a suction cup Garfield on the driver's side opera window. I was cruising in style!


Vinyl was king in those days

 Two years of my life were spent with that car, taking me through high school and my formtive driving years. I learned what hydroplaning was, how to get unstuck in snow by using the floormats, the unadulterated joy of donuts on an empty parking lot in winter, and that E really does stand for empty. Never once did she fail me, a miracle for a late 70's domestic model.



 One day I'm going to buy another Granada and restore her to her original glory, reunited once again with my first car.

Cartography, Part 1 : Genesis

 It all has to start somewhere. The spark that ignites a lifelong passion. For me it was my parent's 1981 Toyota Celica. They also owned an inferno orange Ford Pinto, and it was these two cars that shaped the foundation of my automotive enthusiasm.


Mercury Bobcat, sister to the Ford Pinto

 The Pinto was a perfect example of everything that was wrong with Detroit in the late 70's. Being twelve years old meant a lot of backseat time, and the Pinto was as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist. It was cheap, bargain basement cheap, apparently the designers believed that no one would actually ride in the back, that, or someone at the factory forget to install a lot of trim pieces.


Bobcat cockpit, more luxurious than the Pinto

 The occasions where my father let me "drive" while sitting on his lap only highlighted the dreary cockpit. Somehow my dad had purchased this abomination, and I never understood why.


Toyota Celica (It's a 1978, not a 1981, but close enough)

 The Celica was always the preferred method of transportation. The interior was trimmed in black, just like the Pinto, but here the materials and design communicated an attention to detail that the Ford lacked. Thought and regard for the passengers had guided the creation of the cockpit, and even a twleve year old kid could tell. The instrument cluster even contained a tachometer and a clock!


This is more like it

 Riding in the Pinto always came with a dose of shame, the feeling that somehow my parents were duped into the acquisition, whereas the Celica was always a source of pride. That little car was the beginning, an introduction to he world of the automobile and the joys it can bring to life. I owe that car a lot.


Gone but not forgotten

Damned If You Do...

 Showing once again that enviromentalists really don't get it, they're vowing to continue to fight the dual fuel vehicles program. Dual fuel vehicles can run on gasoline and another fuel, usualy ethanol, giving consumers the ability to use gasoline in case they can't find the alternative fuel. Problem is, apparently 99% of the time these cars are using gasoline "due to the lack of availability of other fuels."

 Somehow this is the fault of the automakers. They get a credit for CAFE for every dual fuel vehicle they sell, so they must be oppressing the availability of alternative fuels! The fault, as always happens in a free economy, lies with consumers. If there was a demand for alternative fuels, there would be more places to get the stuff. Logically wouldn't these groups efforts be better spent on educating consumers about the availability of dual fuel vehicles to create a demand for alternative fuels? Nah, it's easier to blame someone else and bitch about it than to actually do something about the problem.

Whatever Happened To... Off-Center Hood Bulges?

 In 1989 The Ford Probe debuted, and in the minds of many there was a blemish on an otherwise sleek design. On the hood were two small bulges, giving clearance for the shock towers , apparently the design team wanted a lower hood than was possible and decided it was easier to fit the bulges rather than redesign the suspension.

 The next year the trio from Normal, Illinois arrived, the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, and PLymouth Laser. If you opted for a turbocharged version, you received a car with a prominent bulge on the driver's side of the hood, again a measure to allow clearance, this time for the turbo. Strangely, this "Power Bulge" ended up being a standar feature on every model of the Diamond Star coupes, with or without the turbo. The blemish had become a performance statement. Was the bulge here to stay? Not quite.

 It was used on a few more cars, like the Chrsyler P-Bodies, but was soon to fade. Probably viewed as the automotive eqivalent of acne by designers, the bulge quickly died away, a shame too. People really seemed to like 'em.

P Is For Possibilities

 V-6, an alphanumeric combination that promises speed an smoothness, especially compared to the lowly I-4 (inline four). In the automotive kingdom, V-6 is almost never associated with economy models, but Chrysler did exactly that with the Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance Duster, the P-Bodies.



 For the enthusiast there's only two models that need to be considered, the SHadow ES and Sundance Duster. Equipped with Mitsubishi's 3.0 Liter V-6, and a stiffer suspension with upgraded tires, they're not the most stylish sedans available, but make very good pocket rockets.



 The Duster usually came in darker colors, making it Plymouth's version of the Stealth fighter, a sneaky package that can keep up with Mustangs and Camaro's if handled correctly, all without the go-go graphics and looks that cause a policeman's hand to reflexively go for his ticketbook. P is definitely for possibilities when it comes to the P-Bodies.

Related Links

Allpar's Page on The Shadow/Sundance

P-Body Enthusiast Page

Obscure Ford Marques

 You would think that Canada would have the same brands as the United States when it comes to cars, but that's not been the case. Ford had three marques that were not available in the US, the Meteor, the Monarch, and the Frontenac. They were all dead by the 1970's, and you never hear about them today. Weird, eh?

SIze Does Matter

 Here at RIDE we believe cars should be fun. Our version of fun follows the less is more theory. The Mazda Miata is the classic example, fun because it handles well, not because it uses brute force to overcome inertia.

 It's not a very popular theme in America, where no replacement for displacement seems to be the 11th commandment. Being a student at NADC (Nashville Auto Diesel College), I run into this all the time. My classmates and I were talking about cars, and I mentioned the Mada MX-3 with the 1.8 liter V6. Lithe and light, it's a car that lives for the corners. The reaction I received was that the car sucked, when you hit the gas pedal it didn't push you back into your seat. They're the type of car nuts who would stuff a domestic V8 into a Mazda RX7, destroying the near 50/50 weight distribution in favor of horsepower.

 They have no idea what fun is to be had by taking a car near it's handling limits. Fast in a straight line is fun, for a little while, but like life itelf, there's always a curve up ahead. A two ton muscle car is subject to the same laws of physics that a Mazda Miata is, no matter how many ponies are under the hood.

Si Habla Scion?

 In a move to counter Toyota's Scion division, Nissan announced two new models coming in 2007. A hatchback based off the Sport Concept concept car, and a sedan. Two Japanese models were considered, the Cube and the Tiida, but were rejected. The new models will be built in Mexico.

 The Tiida was rejected as being too Japanese, but it's more likely it's too boring. Looks like a melted Toyota Matrix.



 The Cube is the model they should bring over. Even funkier than the Scion xB, I think it would sell well, but apparently Nissan thinks it's too small.



 I think it would be a winner!

Going Where No Satellite Has Gone Before

 Harley-Davidson announced it's new Sreamin' Eagle Ultra Classic Electra Glide (that's a mouthful!) model will come standard with XM satellite radio. Owner's get three months of service free. No more listening to the local AM stations while you're cruising in the middle of nowhere.

The Future's So Bright, Again

 Hella, the light manufacturer, has won an award for it's LED headlamp. Expect to see this on cars before the decade is out. Due to the durability of LED's, you may never have to change your headlight again!

2 Swift, 2 Furious

 Brought to you by the guys at RedlineGTI.com comes a parody of 2 Fast 2 Furious, called 2 Swift, 2 Furious, something to give you a little chuckle on a Sunday.

Enthusiast

 The '71-'74 Toyota Corolla, lovingly known as the mango body because of it's shape, is the subject of Tom Carter's website. This is probably one of the cleanest examples on the road.



 Tom has plenty of information on what he's done to his Corollas, with links to sites for parts, a handy reference. I also love the section on Performance Driving and Safety On The Road.



 Now that's a clean engine bay!

Stylish SUV

  Fiat is introducing an SUV, developed with help from Suzuki. Based on the new Swift, which has received good reviews, it's a shame we won't see it here in the USA.

Dennis Deferrals

  Ford and Mazda credit are offering customers in eleven counties declared as federal disaster areas due to hurricane Dennis two month deferrals. It's not much if your house has been blown away, but it will definitely help.

New Models

  Buell announced two new models for 2006, the Ulysses and the Lightning Long. The Ulysses is an adventure style bike along the lines of the Triumph Tiger, new territory for Buell. The Lightning Long is an extended version of the Lightning, stretched to improve comfort. This brings Buell up to eight models for 2006. After all the bad news about the domestic auto industry, it's nice to see one of the home team being successful.

Sales Figures

 The effect of the Employee Discount programs is turning out to be increased market share for the Big 3, with sales for the month of July up dramatically, but this is a silver cloud with a dark lining. GM is up 42%, Ford 27%, and Chrysler up 11%, but instead of hurting the sales of the Japanese Big 3, their sales are also up, Toyota at 17%, Nissan at 16%, and Honda at 22%.

 What thi means is that people who were originally going to buy a domestic model anyways bought their car earlier than they originally planned, but conquest sales didn't happen. Look for a big drop in August sales when the discount programs end. As Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!"

Glass Menagerie

 The Volkwagen Phaeton may not be the most successful vehicleever, but the factory where it is assembled has to be seen to be believed.



Click for large view

 There's an article about it in the latest issue of Autospeed, a weekly web publication ($34.26 for 50 Issues), so you have to pay to read the full article, but I find it a good magazine worth the subscription.



 The building is mostly glass, the floors ar wooden, and the cars are individually hand assembled.



 The bins that you see in the pictures are automated, moving to different stations around the car, guided by magnetic sensors under the floor. The factory is located in Dresden, Germany, though the article doesn't state if you have to be purchasing a Phaeton to take a tour. Let's hope not.

Pulse In Volts

 Your turn the key in the ignition, but nothing happens. No click, no idiots lights are illuminated, nothing. Chances are it's a dead battery. Of course, you get out, flip open the hood, and fiddle with some stuff. Maybe it will magically start working again, but you know better. If you're lucky, it's only the battery that's dead, and not a failed alternator that's caused the problem.

 As you return to the driver's seat, you run your hand along the front fender. The steel (or maybe plastic, depending on your car) feels strangely cold, lifeless. The spark of life is missing, and that's closer to the truth than is often realized.

 On most cars the frame and sometimes the sheetmetal itself acts as a wire, completing the circuit for the electronics. With your battery dead, billions of tiny little electrons have stopped travelling through the frame and sheetmetal. Like a terminal patient in the hospital, there is no pulse.

 Fortunately for us car nuts, all it takes is a new battery to bring our baby back to life.

The Future's So LED Bright

 LED tail-lights are showing up on more cars and motorcycles, and there's a simple reason why, but probably not the reason you think.



 It's not cost,as they are more expensive than regular lights, although they do last a great deal longer than conventional lights. It's because of the plethora of electronic devices showing up in our vehicles. Navigation systems, tracton control, stability control, ABS brakes, all of this plus the more sophisticated computers runnig cars are taxing the electrical systems of modern vehicles. Today vehicles operate on 12 volt electrical systems, which are rated at 800 to 1500 watts, but it's estimated that future cars will require 3,00 to 7,000 watts, something a 12 V system just can't handle.

 The next step up will be 42 Volts, which is the equivalent of three 12V (12*3=36) batteries, since todays batteries are actually 14V (14*3=42), even though it's stated as 12V. Bigger batteries are on he way, and during the transition you might see cars with two batteries, one to provide power to the systems that require 42V (power steering, traction control,brake, and engine cooling systems) and a regular 14V battery to provide the spark to power low-load systems (lights, power door locks, radios).

 Imagins trying to jump-start a car with two batteries!

The Forgotten Mustang

 It was only made for a few years, and is the antithesis of what a muscle car should be, but the Mustang SVO showed that Ford could think differently.



 My Ford Dreams has a link to a story about the SVO. It's worth a read, and check out the saga of the Wankel rotary powered Stang, too!!

Umm, Wow

 Volkswagen has updated the new Beetle. Ta da...



 Wow, look at all the differences from the old new Beetle...



 If you can't really tell, why do it?

New Additions

 There's been several additions to the link list lately, and it seems almost every month I find a new automotive or motorcycle related blog. When I started RIDE on September 1st, 2002, most blogs were of the "geek" variety. The bloggong avalanche was just starting, and I blogged about cars and motorcycles alone. There was only 14 websites that I linked to that were even remotely associated with motor vehicles.

 It's nice not to be alone anymore!

Sobering Numbers

 Read an article that sums up GM's problems quite nicely. This part puts it all in a nutshell...

 GM execs doled out $7 billion for capital spending and research and development last year, vs. $15.3 billion for Toyota. The portion of that spent in North America gets spread over GM's 89 auto models and eight divisions, compared with Toyota's 26 nameplates in three divisions. Toyota models average sales of 80,000 units a year in the U.S., whereas GM squeezes out just 52,000 sales per model on average. And Toyota models stay on the market for an average of three years before their next redesign, compared with nearly four for GM's cars.

 The basic point is that GM is just too big, and needs to shrink. I've seen reports that killing off Oldsmobile has not helped GM, but looking at the numbers it now seems that the death of Oldsmobile was just a drop in the bucket, and keeping the division around would have only diluted the R&D dollars even thinner. To truly reach parity it looks like GM would have to kill off several divisions, not just one or two.

 Every month the news about GM seems to grimmer and grimmer. It's looking more likely that the automotive industry in America is going to be changing, massively, and that's without considering the impact of a Chinese invasion of cheap cars.

Car Wars

 With the release of the final Star Wars just around the corner, here's a bit of car related Star Wars memorabilia, the Star Wars Celica.



 Created by a Southern California dealership as the grand prize for a "Space Fantasy Sweepstakes", current whereabouts are unknown. There's now legions of wannabe Jedi's who are going to search all over for this thing.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

 Look at this picture, and tell me if it looks like a Miata that t-boned a VW Jetta square in the driver's side.



Bigger pictures here...
Pic 1, Pic 2, Pic 3, Pic 4, Pic 5

 You can check out the story here. Looks more like a Miata that hit something cylindrical, like maybe a tree? What do you think?

Being Nosey

 Finally saw one of GM's new minivans on the street a couple of days ago. The main styling feature is the nose, long and extended more than it has to be to simulate the look of an SUV, it doesn't work.



 I can understand the motive behind this, trying to ride the SUV bandwagon to increase sales, but this is not the direction I thought GM was going to go. Instead of looking like an SUV, they look like minivans with swollen noses. In fact, they remind me more of GM's first attempt at FWD minivans than new SUV's.



 I'm probably one of the fe who actually like the look of the original Trans Sport. They never lit the sales charts on fire, but it was a bold styling decision, a different route than the competition was taking, just like the current models. GM does not lack innovation, it's just the follow through that seems to fall short. Pushing the minivan mold to look more like an SUV is a smart move, but just a nose job does not get it done. The rest of the body just screams minivan, and the SUV look is lost before it even begins.

Good News Is Bad News

 ...if you are a safety advocate. The safer our highways get, the more likely that your job is no longer required. Take this article, titled SUV Deaths Rose In 2004. Yes, more people died in SUV accidents in 2004 than in 2003, but the real headline should be this line...

 the nation's overall highway fatality rate -- deaths per miles traveled -- fell to its lowest point ever

 That's the lowest it has been since the NHTSA started collecting data, alomst 40 years ago! That's great news. 1.48 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles travelled, which means you have a better chance of winning a pick-4 lottery (1 in 211876.00 if there are 49 nubers to choose from) than dying in your car. Are the safety groups cheering though? No, we get statements like this...

 "We are in the midst of a national epidemic," U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said. "If this many people were to die from any one disease in a single year, Americans would demand a vaccine."

 Consumer advocates say additional safety requirements under consideration are justified since the overall number of deaths has remained steady for a decade.

 "The cold, hard reality is we are stuck in neutral," said Judith Lee Stone, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a Washington consumer group.

 It's getting safer to drive your vehicle, but we're stuck in neutral? Sounds like the safety advocates are running out of things to improve, and need to generate fear and loathing to justify their continued existence.

Caveat Emptor

 Living in an apartment, car maintenace in the parking lot is frowned on upon by the management. Not having a garage also makes it difficult, so most of the time I usually end up getting oil changes at one of the many "quick change" stores in the area.

 For many of us our car is more than just an appliance. No one spends a sunday afternoon washing and waxing their dishwasher, but their car is another matter. When you have maintenance performed on your "baby", you hope whomever is performing the task has at least a shred of respect for your automobile. Such was not the case where I went recently. I was a little annoyed when the tech took the dipstick and was poking another tech with it. Maybe he thought since the hood was up that I couldn't see him, I don't know, but I belive he really didn't care. That was my property that he was playing around with, and I knew had no respect for my car. It may not seem like much, but that carefree attitude towards customer's automobiles makes it much more likely that mistakes will happen, expensive ones.

 One of the wiper blades I had installed last week had worked it's way loose, an error on my part. The tech slid it back into place, no big deal. At leadt I thought it wasn't. The service manager came up and explained what was being done. She showed me the air filter (recently replaced) and said it was good, "but the wiper blades, not so good. They need to be replaced." A quick look at the blades would have prevented her from making the error, and it was then that I realized what I actually represented in her view.

 I was not a customer, I was a rolling wallet that she was trying to get as much out of as possible. Since she couldn't get the extra dough with a new air filter, the wiper blades became the next target. If she had really cared about my car, and me as a customer, she would have noticed that the wiper blades were new and noticed that my two front tires were going bald (checking tire pressure is part of the basic service), instead of trying to sell me something I didn't need.

 I've worked at a lube express before, and I could only take it for three months. If an oil filter was in a location that was difficult to reach (1st Gen Pontiac Transport minivan, for example), it was nothing for many techs to just leave the old filter on, or to "change" the filter on an automatic tranny by cleaning the bottom of the transmission so it looked like it had been changed. It was the same thing when I worked for a dealer delivering parts to bodyshops. Parts would be ordered that were not really needed, then returned because the shop had repaired the damage instead of replacing the part, adding to the estimate and the amount the insurance company paid for.

 Caveat emptor (buyer beware) still applies to just about everything you do with your automobile, from the initial purchase to all the maintenance needs. Most businesses have moved away from predatory practices against their customers, as it is ultimately self defeating when your competitors stop the practice. Unfortunately it still hasn't happened in the automotive industry.

Saying Goodbye

 Relegated mainly to fleet sales now, the Ford Taurus is nearing the end of it's production life. 6.7 million in sales is something Ford can be proud of. Too bad the replacement (the 500) is such a disappointment.

 The car that proved America can build a stylish, reliable sedan, the Taurus achieved best-selling car in the US for four years. The style was way ahead of it's time, and like the Chrysler 300 of today proved that design is one of the major factors in sales success. Literally the car that saved Ford, there looks to be no final "special edition" planned. Sad for such a historically important vehicle. Goodbye Taurus, you were a friend to both families and enthusiasts (in SHO form) alike. Not many cars can say that.

Dynamic Duos

 Batman and Robin, Bonnie and Clyde, some of history's most dynamic duos. To this list I would add the Toyota Camry and Corolla, and the Honda Accord and Civic. These four cars have caused more headaches for Detroit than any other vehicles ever made. What has Detroit offered as competition to these perennial best-sellers? Let's take Chevrolet from 1983 to 2005 for example.

Cavalier

Citation

Celebrity

Corsica

Lumina

Malibu

Impala

Cobalt

 Eight nameplates in comparison to two each from the Japanese. Only the last three are around today, the rest having faded into obscurity. If you owned a Celebrity or Corsica,and liked the car, what does Chevy offer you today? My mother has owned three Corolla's, she doesn't even bother to test drive 'em anymore. When it's time for a new car she goes to the Toyota dealer and picks the color and options she wants. There's no wondering if new model will meet her needs, no trying to decipher what name is the equivalent of the last car.

 The reason the Camry and Corolla, Accord and Civic are still around is that the manufacturers never stop improving them on a timely basis. Each generation has been better than the last (although the loss of the double-wishbone suspension on the Civic is really a downgrade), instead of leaving the cars the same to get as much profit from the design as possible.

 In other words, the profit comes from the continual advancement of the product, not a continous focus on the profit. Letting a vehicle get stale in the marketplace, and redisigning only when profits start to fall (a la Ford Taurus) or bringing out the next model while keeping the old in production ( Celebrity to Lumina) only diminishes the value of the name. GM has been smart by bringing back the Malibu and Impala names, but the Citation, Celebrity, and Lumina names should never have existed in the first place. The new Cavalier has to be called the Cobalt to avoid the negative association with the previous version. A car's name should be timeless, not a flash in the pan.

Curing Symptoms Does Not Cure The Disease

 Superbike Blog has an article about a new law in Arkansas that bans the use of nitrous in vehicles. This is supposed to stop street racing. OK. I didn't know you had to have Nos to street race. I thought all it took was a vehicle and a lack of intelligence.

 One more case of lawmakers curing the symptom, but not the disease. And we pay them for this....

 It makes a great headline, GM Hit by Chapter 11 Rumors, and it's just what the General does not need right now. These rumors are just that, rumors. Things will have to get drastically worse for GM to declare bankruptcy.

Finally, Some Good News

 The Pontiac Solstice is looking to be a hit. One thousand people have preordered the fist batch. It took only 41 minutes to sell out of this special edition model.



 For once I am enthused about a GM product. From all accounts the Solstice looks to be a winner, a vehicle Pontiac desperately needs to polish it's performance image. Unlike the Fiero, which was half-baked at the start, the Solstice is ready from the word go. It's an actual roadster, Frpm GM of all places!

 Unfortunately, I'm not convinced this will be a catalyst for the rest of the Pontiac line. It would be one thing if Pontiac was it's own seperate company, but being part of the conglomerate GM makes the chances slim that the spirit of the Solstice will infuse with Pontiac's other models. The shared platforms are all designed at the same time, instead of having Pontiac designers taking a platform and tweaking it to their needs, with no contact whatsoever with the Chevrolet or Buick teams. GM should have individual design centers for each brand, where the teams get the same basic platform but are free to go their own way. Then you would have people who work for the division, not GM.

 It'll never happen if GM's past is any indicator.

B-Different

 While the resurgance in the popularity in chopper-style motorcycles is providing plenty of good coverage of motorcycles, they're not the most practical of machines. Fortunately, there's another design style that's gaining in popularity, the Streetfighters.



 Suzuki is the latest to join in with supposed production plans for the B-King concept bike. Taking cues from the cruiser and sport genres, it meshes both styles together to make something completely different. While the chances of the B-King (the name is supposed to be changed, thankfully!) coming to the U.S are slim, like Yamaha's MT-01 it signals a new direction in styling, a bike with eye candy and performance. I want one!

Add Another Brand To The Mix

 By 2006, each of GM's eight brands sold in the US will carry a GM logo in addition to the division logo. Since GM is marketing OnStar and StabiliTrak under the GM brand instead of each division marketing the features on their own, this makes sense.

 "The GM corporate name has a stronger public image than some of the brands that make up the company," said Joe Barker, with CSM Worldwide in Farmington Hills. "It tells consumers GM is backing this vehicle."

 I don't totally agree with that statement, I believe consumers will equate the GM logo as a maker of the features associated with it, not as a parent company that is "backing" that vehicle, kinda like the stickers Ricers put on their cars to let the world know who makes their exhaust, suspensions, and tires. Is that a good, or bad thing?

The Puppy Dog

 The engine transplant on the Paseo is coming along nicely, the Probe is well on the way to recovery, and the Corolla SR5 should be ready for the road in a month. That leaves my daily driver, a '94 Ford Escort LX coupe. Once the Paseo is complete my roommate is buying the Escort, and I'm going to miss that car.

 It's far from being a driver's car, but it's an honest vehicle, reliable and always ready for a drive. She reminds me of a puppy, not always the most sure-footed thing, but always enthused for taking a little trip. She's the second Forzda I've owned, the chassis based on the Mazda 323, with Ford's 1.9L engine as the heart. The longest trip I've taken went from Nashville to Lexington, KY to pick up the Paseo, and she handled it superbly.

 She's been a great companion, and has performed well beyond my humble expectations for an Escort.

Probing Questions

 August 2003 was the month my '92 Ford Probe decided to have a break-down. I waqs taking a co-worker home, having just finished third shift at Waffle House. The route I was travelling took me up a steep hill, and that's when it happened. My car suddenly shut off. There was no warning, no sign of impending doom, the car was just dead. zthe road I was on is a four-lane affair with a center turning lane. Caught in the middle when the failure occured, I had to go down the steep hill in reverse to got to an area where I could get off the highway. I had the car towed to a local Pep Boys, where $600.00 dollars later most of the ignition system had been replaced. The only problem was now the transmission did not to assist with forward motion. Pep Boys claimed it was nothing they had done, although I find it suspicious that the ignition system and the transmission would have concurrent failures.

 That was almost two years ago, and the Probe has been sitting in the aprtment complex all that time, immobile. That is, until today. She has been towed to a repair shop, and tranny surgey is being performed as we speak. Total bill is in the neighborhood of $1,300, plus the vehicle needs the CV joints replaced and new suspension bits on all four corners. The car Blue Books at $925, so why in the world would I spend all this money? Good question.

 The answer comes from history, and philosophy on car ownership. The logical thin to have done would have been to sell the Probe, and that's what many people would have done, but that car and I have some history. I purchased her from a co-worker in September of '02, a dark time in my automotive history. My roommate at that time as looking for a new car, and he was offered the Probe for $600. When he declined I purchased her instead. She wasn't perfect by any measure, but I finally felt almost complete again.

 Previously I was driving a '95 Toyota Tacoma until she was repossed, at which time I was forced to acquire a '92 Ford Tempo. I called her the PC(politically correct)mobile, a boring design with boring grey paint. I was so wanting her to be my '85 Toyota Supra, and the poor thing could never hope to live up to the expectations set by that fine vehicle. I never appreciated her until I sold her, but fortunately she belongs to my current roomie so I get to enjoy her company often.

 Besides the lack of a manual tranny, the Probe felt like the Supra. Swift and sure-footed, driving was once again a pleasure. In fact, the Probe was why I started RIDE, the passion of performance driving me to share my thoughts with the world. I hadn't felt that since December of 1995, and it's now an integral part of my soul.

 The Probe is more than just a car, she is the spark that rekindled the flames of automotive passion in my heart. I refuse to abandon her. It's taken almost two years for me to get into the financial position that will allow me to pay back my Probe for everything she has done for me. My baby deserves it.

No Longer Alone

 Ford has recently made some news by refusing to sell Crown Vics to police departments that have sued over alleged safety defects. While i won't begrudge a company for not selling a product to someone who has brought legal action against the product, I do find it interesting that a police department would want a vehicle they have deemed unsafe. It's probably a mute point now, since Dodge has brought out this...



 While a Crown Vic is somewhat menacing in police livery, this thing just blows it out of the water. Brings new meaning to "Does that thing have a Hemi?".

Hope Springs Eternal

 What you see here is Isuzu's new i-series truck, a clone of the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon. It's disappointing that there's not a more marked difference in style from the Chevy and GMC models, and it's clearly a stop-gap measure to give Isuzu dealers something to sell besides the lonely Ascender.

 If Isuzu really wants these new trucks to be successful, they will need to make them standouts. We know Isuzu has the stylists to make them something unique, just look at the Axiom and Vehi-cross. Me-too design is not going to save the brand, it needs an identity, something that would make you choose it, not just happen upon it because the Isuzu dealer was next to the Chevy Dealer and you got a better price on it.