Dream Motorcycle Builds. Part One. Exploring my board tracker fantasy.    

This Cyclone provides the template.

All serious car and motorcycle guys have them. They are the stuff of our imaginations. They are what we occupy our idle time musing about. Most will probably never get built, though some may.

Although I currently have six cars, I'm always looking out for something that will scratch that building itch.

While I have a couple of car builds in mind, this motorcycle just keeps popping up in my head.

One of my current mental exercises is building a board track inspired custom.

My motorcycling days have recently been on my mind since my Wife presented me with a box of photos from the 1970's through the 1990's. I found pictures of my Honda 750, my chopped Sportster and my much modified XLCR. There were also photos that documented several of the long tours that I took during this period. Looking at the "twenty something" year old me, I recalled just how much I loved riding.

What also has fired up my imagination was going to the Harley Davidson dealer to check out the latest models in person. I hadn't been there for several years. I thought that I should reacquaint myself with the line up. 

Okay, back to the topic at hand.

The Cyclone pictured above is the real thing. To me, this is the embodiment of the essence of the motorcycling spirit. Elemental. Purposeful and elegant. Beautiful, but definitely not practical as everyday transportation.

Of course this image just supplies the energy, the mojo, the essence, of what I would want to build.

There are certain  design elements that are apparent. The design is purely functional in appearance. There's nothing that does not contribute to moving that machine down a race track. In the interests of simplicity, even the brakes and transmission were omitted!

The wheels are large, narrow, and appear to be identically sized. The bike sits level with the engine nestled close to the ground. The tank is long and low and completely covers the frame top tube. The rider's seat is small. The frame is a rigid hardtail. The front forks are also rigid, and the front wheel is located close to the frame down tube and bottom fork triple clamp. This gives the bike a close coupled appearance.

This is a minimalist machine.

Could something be built with commonly available components that would echo this style?

In the past a builder would start out with the bike of their choice, then start the build by stripping the machine down to it's basic core structure. They would then start to modify that into the direction that they wished. Sometimes this involved cutting and modifying the frame, or removing, modifying, or altering the front and rear suspension members. A lot of this was driven by the builder's basic choice for the final  usage of their machine. What you built depends on how you are planning to use the bike.

There are purely utilitarian choices: adding a luggage rack, or saddle bags in order to carry more stuff. Windshields, valenced fenders, bigger tanks, more comfortable seats, back rests, added to make the bike more suitable for long distance travel.

Motorcycles that are modified for style have a lot more freedom in their design. Utility and even functionality are often compromised in order to achieve a certain look.

In the past, the builder would get his inspiration from his local group of riders, from attending shows, and rallies.

Luckily today we have the luxury of viewing hundreds of different bikes, and the ready made accessories that are available for them by perusing the Net. There are plenty of how to videos demonstrating just how certain modifications are performed.

Currently I don't even have a motorcycle. But I've owned a fair number of them and I have modified most of them to some degree or another.

I'm going to present examples of various bikes that will demonstrate ideas and I'll discuss how I might use them.

I'll also go out in the field and examine how the current crop of bikes might become my blank canvas. I've been away from the bike scene for a decade or more and currently lack the familiarity with the current market. Of course my choices have to be cost effective.

The board track racing bike exerts a strong emotional appeal on me. It is spare. It is powerful. It is the pure function of the motorcycle. The History Channel presentation of Harley and the Davidsons, recreated this exciting period in motoring history. They actually recreated the motorcycles from scratch, using period blueprints.

Scene from the History Channel's Harley and the Davidsons.
One of the Davidson Brothers rides their new bike in a demonstration.

Racing on the board track. A very dangerous sport.
Photo from the TV special.

Here is an actual vintage racer.
Note the low slung engine and lack of a front brake.
A Springer front end replaced the rigid type.

An antique bike ridden in a modern demonstration.
At least the rider gets to wear a real helmet.

Another vintage HD.

I especially like the gas tank that fits closely around the engine.

Here's another look at that Cyclone.

The strongest styling elements are the large equally sized wheels, the low slung big V twin motor, and the very slim silhouette. Some of these elements were adapted to the modern chopper.

Will it be possible to add the necessary street equipment needed for legality and preserve the mojo?

Even trying to minimize the inclusion of necessary equipment to make the bike street legal is a challenge. A small headlamp, tail lamp, and a mirror, wouldn't clutter up the lines too much. But what good is a motorcycle if you can't ride it on the street and highway? 

The Classic early Sportster highlights the wheels
 and concentrates it's mass between them.

Just as a teaser here's a picture of Ol' Bronson's Sportster. This might be a good foundation to build on. More discussion will follow with my next installment. 

 Thinking about Excaliburs,

Can a replica "be" the real thing?

and other "Neo Classic" kit cars.

I recently came across an Excalibur offered for sale on CL.  There was a link from the AACA forum, "Cars for sale. Not mine." This is a 1968 model offered at 25,000 dollars.

Excaliburs were designed by Brook Stevens, they are a recreation of the classic 1928 Supercharged Merecedes SSK roadsters. The fiberglass body was initially plunked down on a Studebaker convertible chassis and powered by a Studebaker engine. The prototype was built in 1963.

Brook Stevens was a legendary car designer. He was famous for restyling and updating older models for independent American Automakers, most notably Studebaker. For example, he took the finned Hawk of the 1950's and streamlined it into the elegant Studebaker GT. Quite an improvement.

From this.

To this.
This was the third restyling of this body.

Brook Stevens was a kind of "sow's ear to silk purse" miracle worker who helped the independents survive for a few more years. It's no wonder that he wanted to bring out his own concept. After the prototype was built for Studebaker, Stevens founded Excalibur Motor company. These cars were built in Milwaukee Wisconsin. 

Note how the body color painted cross member
does not appear out of place.

When Studebaker went out of business, Corvette engines were used. These cars were strong performers. The bodywork was of high quality and a fair reproduction of the Mercedes. The side exit exhaust system is a well built functioning component.

There wasn't much effort spent on trying to give it a true vintage looking front suspension. That would have required a solid beam, leaf sprung axle, like those commonly seen on Hot Rods. The modern cross member and independent suspension arms are in plain view. But the real design genius is displayed in that the radiator was located just aft of the cross member, giving it the proper Classic proportions.

 Classic Era cars had the radiator placed directly over, or slightly behind the front axle. 

For me, this front wheel placement instantly registers as an attractive classic cue. I've seen home made efforts to place a hot rod type body on a modern chassis that fall short because the front axle is located too far back. This is a powerful design cue, my '06 Mustang also has the front wheels located quite a bit ahead of the cowl, it gives the car great proportions. 

The central driving light is another nice touch. Also 
note the high quality grille texture.

Note that the underside of the cross member is filled in.

This is what the suspension of the original looks like.
photo source: getty images

The Excalibur also has the cross member smoothed out with metal panels welded on underneath giving a smooth finish to the chassis. By painting the cross member body color, your eye accepts it as the splash and gravel guards found on vintage cars. If you are not familiar with automotive construction it might not even raise an eyebrow. 

The frame has also received this smooth treatment. It has been filled in, so that it does not look like a modern open channel frame, likewise the suspension arms.

Enough about the chassis, how does it look overall? Pretty darn cool, or even Boss as we might have said back in '68!

You can live out your Great Gatsby fantasies.

These cars are big and substantial, and look quite impressive.

You're not going to be too comfortable.

This is a '68 model Excalibur, which makes it a contemporary of the muscle cars of it's era. It is powered by a Corvette engine which gives it instant credibility. I was in the seventh grade back then. My lunch periods were filled with discussions about the cool cars that we'd seen or heard about, during the week. 

I made a comment on the AACA thread, that this was the "Uber Gazelle." The Gazelle being one of the most popular neo classic kits cars of the 70's and '80's. These were usually VW powered.

This is an MG repro, but the Gazelle and it's 
siblings are very similar. 

This particular MG fiberglass body was used as the basis for reproductions of several different vintage cars: The MG, the Jaguar SS, the pre war Mercedes, there were probably more. There wasn't that much differentiation. Certain details were used to give them a marque specific feel. Most of the earlier kits were plopped down on a VW floor pan, so that was the power train. Later on, a ladder type frame was an option and these were usually powered by a four cylinder Pinto engine. 

One of my biggest gripes is that so many builders used the cheapest wire spoke wheel covers that they could buy. Extremely unconvincing, and it really makes the cars look low buck. This Excalibur sports genuine knock off wires for more sports car cred. 

Comparing the "factory built" Excalibur against the kit car Gazelles shows their differences. The kit  cars are a bit smaller but they can be easily mistaken by most folks. Of course, the Excalibur was expensive and cost more than a Cadillac when it was new.

Neither of these cars could be described as comfortable, lacking most of the amenities that a modern driver is accustomed to. Neither has even the most basic convenience of roll up windows. Forget heating and a/c, or an easily erected convertible top. The seats on the smaller cars and even the Excalibur, don't look that comfortable. I won't go into the lack of operator safety features. Effective seat belts? Nope. Collision survival features really can't be built into these kinds of platforms. Both could benefit from a roll bar.

Could cars of this kind be considered as a fun hobby car? 

They can, but you always have to be aware of their limitations. In many ways they are similar to traditional hot rods built from 1920's to '30's cars. 

There are many traditional hot rods built off of new repop frames and suspensions with fiberglass copies of early Ford bodies. The low buck kit car, the repop hot rod, and even the Excalibur all spring from the same concept. However their partisans will argue vociferously over that statement! 

The attraction to these cars is that they are basic automobiles, open top roadsters.  The driver and passenger are quite exposed, much like a classic 20's Speedster. Open top cars are fun, I've had many convertibles. When the weather is right, top down driving can't be beat. 

I once got a ride in a dune buggy and I will admit that it is quite different than riding in my Mustang convertible. As a passenger you are more exposed to the elements, and the pavement rushes past you so close, that you can almost reach down and touch it.

In many ways, it feels a lot like riding a motorcycle, it's raw and visceral.

I think that these early, basic Excaliburs are the "real thing."  Then there's that name, Excalibur. That was the name of fabled King Arthur's sword, pulled from a stone! What a romantic and evocative name! 

Sure beats Gazelle!

Unfortunately, when the company was revived, most of the designs were of larger closed cars, that look more like a parody, than an original. 

In my next segment I'll compare the VW based neo classic kit cars against the Excalibur.

 Trying to slip a cover over an enormous egg.

Not this one.

But I read and enjoyed this book as a kid. 

Now I've got my own enormous egg.

Putting the cover on is not that easy!

Covering it is the foundation of the preserve, protect, maintain, and improve mantra.

It's important to keep your car covered if you park it outside. You've got to protect it from UV rays that will fade the paint and the interior. It's important to keep things like tree sap, bird droppings, and leaves from damaging the original paint. By keeping the car cleaner, you avoid having to wash it too frequently. The best way to preserve your car is to keep it in the garage when you are not driving it.

This cover was a bear to get on for the first time. This car is nothing but smooth curves. The new cover was  shrink wrapped for shipping, and is full of stubborn wrinkles. Pull on one side, and the cover would slip off, pull from the back or the front, same thing. 

There is nothing anchoring the cover in place. That's why I tied a lanyard to the rear of the cover. I secure that in the trunk latch, and it gives me something to pull against. The cover came with a fabric ribbon that encircled it, I used that. First I made sure that I was satisfied with the fit and coverage, because I would be poking a hole into it, making it un-returnable. Then I threaded the lanyard through the hole tying it loosely to determine the length it would need to be. 

Can't send this back now!

I left a bit longer than I thought it needed to be.

It has a strap at each end to secure it to the car. 

This has been a very wet Winter, leading into the Spring. The Riviera is spending a lot of time in the garage, until the weather improves. I don't see any reason to get it dirty using it in the rain. Besides, the inoperative defroster HVAC system is a problem in heavy rain. I drove it in the rain once, and had to keep the windows partially open, as well as constantly wipe the windshield. Since I've got plenty of other cars it's not an issue. I'm still concentrating on paying down that credit card bill. Hopefully later on this year I can have the system diagnosed and repaired. 

Once the weather dries out, I plan to keep the Riv in the driveway and use it as my daily driver. 

Lately, I have been attending a lot of local Cars and Coffee events. I have been trying to raise interest in local members of the Riviera Owners Association. Hopefully I could find a group that wants to get together for ROA specific activities. I've reached out to them, and told them that I would be attending these events and to come by and say hello. I also made contact with a few through my email outreach. I've never done this kind of organizing before, but I'm willing to give it a try. Those C&C events start awful early in the morning. Ever since I've retired, I usually don't get up that early anymore!

There has been really good turnout, now that the weather has improved. There seems to be a lot of guys that are very involved in taking their cars to these events. They will attend month after month. I've spoken with one participant that told me that he no longer goes to any shows like Good Guys. He said "Why should I have to pay money to let other people look at my car? For what, a trophy? I've got plenty of trophies."

The C&C events that I've attended seem pretty low key, and drama free. Groups of friends and club members will get there early and save spaces so that they can park as a group. The owners are pretty open and welcoming to those that are interested in their cars. The atmosphere reminds me of the Friendship Day event that I used to attend.

These are face to face events, in contrast to the on line forum activities that are more popular. I will admit that I spend a lot of time and energy on line.

There is a good cross section of cars, some are quite rare and expensive. The Exotic CC in Morgan Hill has a larger concentration of high end cars, but they don't restrict more common cars, even those that are in somewhat rough condition.

I quit going to Good Guy events because I thought that they were too expensive for what I got from them. Parking alone is ten dollars, the gate was almost twenty dollars per person. For the most part, I don't have a lot of interest in the show cars. I used to spend my time at the Car Corral and the swap meet. 

I often tell people that my current Riviera has been the best investment in "interest per dollar" of any car that I've owned. These Rivieras are pretty rare now, they weren't particularly popular when new, and now that they are getting close to thirty years old, they are even more scarce. The "concept car" styling really stands out, even Today. At each event there has been at least one person that has displayed a lot of interest in my car. 

I bought this car specifically with the intent of getting involved in ROA activities. While it's not a requirement for membership, I'd feel kind of silly if I didn't own one, or plan to buy one.

I don't know how this ROA thing will turn out. There has not been a regional coordinator in our area for several years. Do members really want to get together in person and do stuff? I've never been in a real club. I've always just done my thing, mostly by myself. A lot of the members are pretty old, myself included, they might not want, or need the hassle of getting their cars out. 

I have been a member of the ROA for over twenty five years, on and off. Though I haven't owned a Riviera since around 2007. I had attended a ROA convention in Klamath Falls with my family. I also dropped by one that was taking place while I was in South lake Tahoe 

As a member of the Antique Automobile Club of America, AACA, I receive their excellent magazine. The events pictured inside, show tons of participants at those events! However there doesn't seem to be a lot of AACA activity on the West Coast.

Do I need to be active in a club to enjoy my car hobby? I've never had any friends that liked cars in the same way that I did. 

Probably not. I enjoy my cars by using and working on them. But I'm willing to keep an open mind.

The death of the sedan, what does that really mean?

"Death of an Era" 1980
Artist: Dustin Shuler, photo from the web.

It may not be extinct, but like the bison, they will be less likely to be seen in the wild.

Ford, GM and Chrysler/Stellantis will all be reducing the number of sedan offerings in the coming years. This is going to thin out the ranks of what was at one time the "volume series."

The domestic brands have been losing ground in sales for years, to the Japanese makes, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan.

These have become the preferred cars of the middle range customers.

If you want a small or medium size sedan these are your chief picks. Now, they are your only choices.

Slightly lower on the scale are the Korean brands which have really been ratcheting up their game, penetrating the Japanese stronghold.

Not to mention the heavy downmarket excursion by the celebrated European makes: Mercedes, BMW, and Audi

These manufacturers have launched a plethora of models aimed at the American middle class buyer. Sure they may be smaller, but they can still (currently at least) boast of their trendy upscale cachet. I mean, would you rather have a tiny new Mercedes or a new Ford Taurus? Obviously most are voting for the Benz.

It seems that most American buyers are choosing SUV and crossover designs instead of three box sedans. This has been going on for quite some time. There didn't seem to be a future in maintaining sedan production. Ford admitted that they can't make enough money with current or predicted sales. If you cannot sell it, why would you build It?

Sales of the big uber sedans from Mercedes, BMW, Audi. Cadillac et al. have seen a catastrophic drop in sales. Being a Lincoln fan, it's somewhat sad that there aren't any actual cars available from this company anymore. Even though they were platform mates with regular Ford products. The reintroduction of the Continental couldn't change that direction.

I give Cadillac a lot of credit for launching this model.

Cadillac still has a couple of sedan models available, and they went all in, with a bespoke platform and engine for their CT6, but buyers still stayed away. The Lyric has been described as an SUV, but they are bringing out the Celestique, which looks more like a sedan/shooting brake to me. I like that it will be a very limited production, owner specified build. The owner will be able to select from a selection of fabrics, colors, wheels and other configurations resulting in an individualized vehicle. They will only be built to order, which is a very good idea, as there won't be unsold units cluttering up dealers lots. 

I found this somewhat amusing, as back in the '70's you could personalize a vehicle as humble as a Chevy Monte Carlo with a large number of exterior colors, some two tone, in combination with different vinyl top options, and wheel designs. The interior could be outfitted in several different trim levels, with a lot of color and fabric combinations. It was possible to have the factory build you an individualized vehicle at less than 300,000 dollars!

It's the big SUVs that the people want. If the rich folk choose the SUV, then the masses will follow.

How, or why did this happen? Sedans were the biggest sellers since after WWII.

Sedans had become less boxy and less practical since the 1940's. Then the longer, lower, wider, design language ran amuck.

They had evolved into over sized displays boasting terrible space utilization.

Compact cars are most useful in a four door or hatch back configuration

Hatchbacks, Minivans, SUVs, Crew cab pick ups

These are all more flexible, no matter the size range of the vehicle, compact, mid size, or full size.

Once the status concerns had been addressed, there was little reason to choose the less practical sedan.

Has this happened before?

Remember how common station wagons once were?

How about convertibles?

What about two doors and coupes?

Most painful to me, what happened to the Personal Luxury Coupe?

The station wagon was the darling of the newly arrived suburban set. It was a lot more flexible than a sedan. It could carry a bunch of kids in the rear cargo area in less safety concerned times. It also had a large carrying space for materials that DIY homeowners needed for the projects they were involved with. It also sent out the right social signals: We have arrived.

However the station wagon was hobbled by its relationship to the over styled passenger car. 

Convertibles could offer a refreshing driving experience, at least during the Spring and Fall. Driving with the top down during the height of Summer was not as pleasant. Eventually they almost became extinct, but have returned within a narrow niche. Besides, almost every new car is equipped with a/c. All children of the '50's know that cold air inside, beats hot air blowing in through the windows!

Coupes, convertibles, and PLCs all suffered from the same problem. Sports cars aside, they were two door vehicles that offered cramped rear quarters only suitable for small children or occasional passenger use. As cars became smaller, it got to be too uncomfortable to squeeze into the rear seat. In the past there were two door sedans, which were just that. Lots of room in the back, and the kids couldn't accidentally open the door and fall, or leap out of the vehicle. Their upright sedan like profile left fashion conscious buyers cold. 

There are many current vehicles that are four door hatchbacks, a configuration that has always found favor in Europe. It's the most accommodating configuration for a smaller car. Americans have never taken to the name, but hatchback crossovers are usually referred to as SUVs, even if they aren't wagons. The Ford Mach E is a hatchback, so is the Tesla Y. The popular little Lexus GX350 is a hatchback, along with the Honda CRV. The new Chevy Trax and Buick Envista are referred to as SUVs. The Trax is a bit more wagon like, while the Buick is definitely a four door hatchback. 

Of course, the SUV is King. It all comes down to semantics, and personal definitions and preferences. After all, an SUV is just a truck based station wagon. That's the way that I see it. 

When I was looking at new Lincolns awhile back, I noticed that the current Nautilus had more of a hatchback roof line, while the Corsair is more wagon like in profile. When I mentioned that to the salesman, he was kind of surprised that I noticed that. Most of his buyers don't make that distinction. 

Back in the Day, which actually lasted two decades, the '60's and the '70's of my youth. Car guys did not want four doors, which they derided as "more doors" OR  station wagons. But being broke young guys we would often settle for what we could find and afford. In my case, a Sedan deVille was not my preferred choice, but it was still a Cadillac, so I would be generally okay with it. I'd see unfortunate Chevy lovers driving a four door '55-'57, often a four door post! The shame! But at least it was a Tri Five Chevy. We all had to compromise back then, until we found the coupe or convertible that we really wanted. Then the poor more door became a parts donor!

I remember one poor young guy in my neighborhood, that got stuck with a '62 Ford station wagon. He made the best of it. He jacked it up, and bolted on some cheap Grand Auto mag wheels. Emblazoned on the rear tailgate glass was the hopeful phrase, "Party Wagon!"

Last week my post referred to older enthusiasts that only have a real interest in older cars, the current crop of new cars leaves them cold. I have only had one sedan during my family years, my Cadillac Seville. While I found the four doors useful, I would have preferred an El Dorado! But I did drive two minivans, as that was what was needed at the time. I found them useful, but I couldn't say that I loved them.

You know, I almost forgot about these damn things!
They're everywhere!

I will admit that I grew up with an anti sedan bias, which I adopted. I've noticed that younger guys don't really feel that way. They have grown up with many high performing sport sedans, lots of Accords and Camrys, and fewer and fewer coupes of any kind. So, of course they can't miss what they have never known. 

While I personally miss the availability of American made sedans a bit, since two door door versions are often constructed off their platforms, there will still be plenty available from other manufacturers.

And, used alphabet soup named Lincoln sedans sell at pretty low prices, maybe I should get one.

 I told my Wife that I might like to get a "real" old car.

Here's a '40 LaSalle, the price has been lowered to 10,000.00
Not free, but good.

Her response was pretty much what I anticipated.

Not to say that she is wrong.   

We had taken a weekend trip down to Monterey and as is my custom, I pointed out various cars that we saw on the drive down. With the usual running commentary. 

I'd see something like a new Corvette, talk a bit about it, and finish by saying, that I wouldn't want one.  

Then I'd see a late model Porsche, and say nice, but I don't have any desire to own one. The fact that I can't afford one doesn't and shouldn't even come up in my thinking. Dreaming about cars used to be about wanting them, not a serious financial planning session. I'm not getting into the weeds of finance etc. But you have to actually want a car before you start scheming on how to get one. After all, when we were kids we were crazy about almost every car that we'd see, and double crazy about something sporty or exotic! Of course, we couldn't afford any of them!

After this had gone on for a while, I kind of added that I'm just not excited by new cars.

Not that I won't buy something newer if I needed it, like we did with our Flex. 

Then I made the comment that now I know why a lot of old guys decide to buy a vintage classic instead. It used to be a trope that an old guy buys something that he wanted when he was younger, but couldn't afford, or live with at the time. 

Corvettes usually fall into this category. A young, or not so young man ( hey, it could also be a woman, but I'm speaking from my perspective!) falls in love with a Vette, but needs to spend his money on a kid's braces, a family vacation trip, a repair or upgrade that the house really needs, college expenses, or a minivan.  And if he should buy a Vette, how can he fit the three kids in one? So no Corvette, at least for now. After a while, he will stop even considering them. 

Corvettes and other sports cars fall into that impractical category. Other cars like the original muscle cars and personal luxury cars were specialty cars that could work in a family situation. Especially if it was a two car family. But other financial issues are still present, like cost, insurance and even fuel economy.

Time passes and family situations evolve and if a person is lucky, opportunities for specialty car ownership may occur.

Portrait of the author as a satisfied young man.

A lot of these thoughts have occurred to me since my Wife presented me with a box of old photographs. These weren't family pictures, these were pictures of my old cars and motorcycles. Also photos documenting my frequent road trips. I saw pictures of my first car, a '66 Mustang. And my first Cadillac, my beloved '64 convertible. I was pictured astride my high school motorcycles and standing alongside the cars that I owned after I graduated as a young adult. It's a bit of a shock to see what I looked like fifty years ago. I've always considered myself as having a problem with my weight, but looking back, I don't see a chubby little guy, I see a reasonably svelte young man. Just don't fast forward to my middle aged years!

Who cares about gas mileage
when you can drive something this awesome?

I see quite a diverse display of machinery, two wheeled and four. I noticed that they stopped being sensible and practical after I passed the Honda 305 and early Mustang phase. The motorcycles got bigger, I rode the Japanese Superbikes and Harley Davidson Sportsters and Big Twins. My choice in cars was always in the extra large category, none of those little penalty boxes for me. Give me Cadillacs, lots of Cadillacs!

This was my "gas saver."

I suppose that I was lucky in that my parents were cool with whatever I bought, and wherever I would go with them. My Dad made enough to comfortably support the family in our blue collar lifestyle. I never had to chip in for family expenses and was free to spend my money on my own interests. My Dad taught me how to work on my own machinery and that alone made ownership of my fleet realistic. My Mom believed that young men needed the freedom to roam and explore, so she never tried to curtail my need to travel.

Not to say that I didn't live up to my part. I stayed out of trouble, got along with my folks, worked full time, and did well in school. As long as I was working and attending junior college, they were satisfied. So I was fortunate. I know that a lot of people grow up in families with a lot of drama and turmoil. In that situation playing around with cars and bikes isn't easy to do. 

So I had a lot of fun as a young man. I've even managed to have a bit of fun as a family man, thanks to my Wife!

I've owned a lot of vintage cars when they were "vintage lite," twenty something years or so old. I never owned a real 30's -'40's Hot Rod or a Corvette of any year. I also rode motorcycles, mostly HDs for over 35 years. So it's not like I missed out!

I showed my Wife some pictures of the 1940 Cadillac LaSalle that I found on CL. I was somewhat surprised and relieved that she didn't hate the car, she thought it actually looked pretty neat. Of course this was a car in good shape that was still shiny and in good running condition. I didn't show her pictures of this very clean '55 T Bird, but she might have liked that also. 

My favorite model of little Bird, no fins or spare out back.

 If I bought a vintage car, what would I do with it? 

I would want to drive it, but how often? I can't see myself jumping in it for a late night run to pick up a pizza. However, some of my current cars are sort of "buried" and it takes some planning to make them available for use. 

Would I only use it to go to shows? Maybe, or probably, but not exclusively. I can't see that as too appealing. I could see myself driving it on weekend outings, as long as I stay away from crushing traffic. 

Am I being honest with myself? 

I've been pretty satisfied with my vintage light concept. These are older cars that I was interested in while they were new, but couldn't afford them. ( See, that is true!) They are comfortable to drive in modern traffic conditions. I just discovered that my Riviera has very good head lights, something very important, especially at my age.

These are cars that can actually be daily driven, and they are quite affordable. Many examples can be found in very good shape, not needing restoration. That is satisfying, and most importantly, fun. 

One thing that informs my thinking, is that I've already owned many old cars. Can I think of just one of my previous cars that I would like to own again? 

Thinking is cheaper than buying, and easier than selling.

 Giving myself a treat. Part Two.

A big pile o' cash!
image from the web.

So, would I really buy a 70,000 dollar car if I had the money? 

I suppose that dwelling on the price so much is a good indication that to afford a vehicle like the two year old used Aviator, I would have to make some real sacrifices. Sacrifices to buy a late model used car doesn't seem like something that a car guy like me should be making. 

You could say that it goes against the grain.

One thing that I've noticed over the years is that I don't get very excited as the new model cars are announced. 

Low priced cars like the new Chevy Trax don't grab my interest, though it, and it's Buick sibling are pretty good cars. The proliferation of high priced cars has produced some very impressive luxury, sports, and specialty cars. They aren't targeted to me, or to the masses, but there is nothing new in that. 

A guy down the street from me bought a new Corvette last year. While I can appreciate the engineering and performance, I don't find myself actually "wanting" a car like that. 

To be truthful, they just aren't making the kind of cars that I really want anymore. Sorry if that makes me sound like a crabby old man.

Maybe that's a feeling shared by a lot of old guys. Maybe that's why they are more into vintage cars. It's not trying to recapture their youth, it's trying to recapture their excitement and passion about cars in general 

So, what about those Lincolns?

Do I like the Navigator? Sure I do, I already have one! Yes mine is old, but it's my favorite design. It cleaned up the styling and detailing while maintaining and improving the classic face. It looks big and impressive, but I don't think that it looks as overpowering, as do the new models. The new model would out perform mine, and it would turn in a couple of more mpg. under some conditions. It's even fancier inside too. But is that worth over 100K to me? 

How about the Aviator? I really like that car. It's the right size. I had looked at the earlier models and thought that they were pretty nice, and they did have the benefit of that Cobra engine. When I sat in and drove one, it felt a lot like my old V8 '97 Explorer. I suppose that if I'd already had an Expedition, I might not be as impressed by my Nav! Since they are so similar. Currently it's the vehicle that I most aspire to. They are expensive, and they haven't been out long enough to depreciate to my level of affordability. But they will eventually. 

The Nautilus is the brother to the Ford Edge. I refer to the earlier face lifted MKX as the happy little whale. Not the first model, that one had a plain grille and front end that mimicked the '63 Lincoln Continental. I've sat in an MKX and it's not bad, but I just don't like the C pillar carried over from the Edge. The later models with the split wing grille look better, and the roof was altered a bit. These are probably the best value. The older models have depreciated to affordable pricing and the vehicle has good utility. 

My initial impressions of the smaller MKC have always been more positive. I like the grille and more importantly I like the roof treatment. I think that the new Corsair looks very sharp and it looks bigger than it is. The interior is a little weak in the MKCs, it has been substantially upgraded in the Corsair. But it doesn't approach the Aviator, not to mention the Navigator. The early models were available with a V6 or a turbo four, even a hybrid if that your choice. FWD or AWD. Lots of choices here. Highway mileage is right at 30 mpg. for some combos. 

Really that's the appeal of this car for me. Something that is luxurious and useful, but returns good mileage.

While I don't fret about gas mileage that much, everything depends on an individual's situation. Where I live most of my travel around the area is on our extensive freeway system, there are also many expressways.  My vehicle's gas mileage is generally skewed more towards the highway numbers.

When I bought the Flex I wasn't thinking about getting a Navigator, and I wanted something that returned a bit better mileage. But I was comfortable with mid 20's highway numbers. Of course looking at things in dollars and cents, a paid off vehicle generally saves you money every month. The extra cost of fuel will not upset that balance. As an "enviro conscious" person, I know that some vehicles will emit less CO2. However the total mileage that I drive annually is quite low, so my impact is lessened.  

This entire discussion is just a lot of blah, blah, blah. It is actually just an amusing, if not tiresome, mental exercise. 

As a hobbyist there are plenty of older cars available. When it comes to Lincolns, the smaller models are already pretty affordable. The Navigator is more expensive used, because it starts out so much more expensive. But the last of the V8 models have depreciated quite a bit, and the new styling design will help the later models hold their value for a bit more. 

What I find kind of depressing is that I'm not very excited by many of the new cars. I've actually considered the idea that I might clean out my stable and concentrate on getting one real vintage car. 

More on that subject later.

Or, I could just concentrate on my Riviera. I bought that car because I wanted to get involved with ROA, Riviera Owners Association, activities. Unfortunately, I found that there weren't any activities going on in my area! So I decided to see if I could reach out to local members and maybe we could start something up.

I have gone to a couple of San Jose Mustang Club C&Cs. There seems to be a pretty solid group of members that participate in actual activities like "fun runs" and track days, instead of just online forum interaction. I noted that most of the members were driving late model Mustangs. That makes a lot of sense, you can have a daily car that you can use for club activities. Back when my Riv was new, that was also pretty common. 

So I will be exploring this club thing, and will see what happens.

The AACA, Antique Car Club of America, which I belong to, has numerous regions in Northern Ca, but seldom has local events. They did have a West Coast Tour last year that occurred in the Mid Coast area around the Santa Ynez Valley. I'm pretty familiar with that area, so I even considered signing up. But it's kind of expensive, and I imagine that most of the members would probably be driving cars that would be much older than my '97 Riviera or '96 Mustang. I had considered just "shadowing" the tour to see what was going on! That didn't work out, but maybe next year.

I've never been a team guy or a club guy. I've always pretty much done the Lone Wolf thing. There are now lots of events like C&Cs, informal car shows, and "Cruise Ins" that will be going on weekly this Spring and Summer. I'm going to try to attend some of these in different areas and see what's up. 

The weather will be getting better and I'll try to drive all of my cars more. Like I wrote before; I've the cars, the time, and the money for gas, time to get out there!

  

Musical Cars.

Covering or uncovering the Navigator reminds me
 of tenting a house for termites! That's a lot of canvas to move around!

Moving the cars around so that I can gain access to ones that I have parked in the garage. 

Getting the cars out of the garage requires moving the two cars that are parked behind them in the driveway. That's a hassle for the blue Mustang which is parked in the garage in front of the covered Navigator. Taking the car cover off the Nav, is a bit of a hassle in itself. The Riv sits on the left side of the garage, in front of the Flex, which is one of our daily drivers and is usually uncovered. 

Recent problems that my Daughter had experienced with her car's battery has given me concern about my hobby cars. The last time I helped her, I brought my jump box and hooked up a trickle charger connection. I left her the charger and an extension cord. I also left the jump box with her in the Mustang's trunk. Just in case. 

Most of my cars have been sitting for some time. There is a reason for that. I've been concentrating on my Riviera. I can only drive one car at a time.

With each car, I need to drive it to charge up the battery, get the oil nice and hot, circulate the fluid through the transmission, keep the brakes loose, and burn up some of the gas that's starting to get old. In other words I need to put some miles down. 

I tried to start my '96 Mustang after sitting for a couple of months and the battery was dead. 

This battery is going on four years old so it's on the downward spiral.  

I jumped it off my truck to get it started. Before I went to help my daughter I stopped at Harbor Freight and bought a new charger.

Harbor Freight has a good selection of chargers.
I paid for it with a gift card that my kids had given me for my birthday.

Besides a choice of three charging levels, it also has a recondition function. Push the icon bearing the image of the wrench, and the charger will automatically "recondition" the battery. This will help a battery that has started to sulfate from sitting in a discharged state. I suppose that it varies the amperage and the cycles in a way to break up the deposits. I remember that back in the 70's, there were additives that you could add to the battery electrolyte to accomplish the same thing. It's important to avoid letting the battery run down to a discharged state. This will reduce the battery's life span and as I've noted, batteries have gotten to be quite expensive. 

When the charger is hooked up to the battery it will provide a reading of its current voltage. 

I backed the blue Mustang far enough
to clear the table.

I found that I could just back up the Nav to the sidewalk and have enough space to easily access the battery of my blue Mustang. 

Hooked up and ready to go.

The car started up easily, so I hadn't expected the battery to need the recondition function. It wasn't seriously discharged but it was lower than what I would have liked. I hooked up the charger and let it run for a couple of hours.

80% wasn't that bad.

After several hours the battery was up to snuff.

Now it's at full charge.

Then it was the Navigator's turn.

50% is more concerning.

The Navigator's battery was sitting at a lower charge compared to the blue Mustang. I anticipated having the charger hooked up for a longer time. The Navigator battery is approx. four years old. If I can't drive the car enough to keep it charged I'll have to hook up the charger regularly.

A few hours later it was up to 80%. I left it on until it reached 100%.

I moved the red Mustang into the driveway and hooked it for a bit. I put it in the recondition function as the battery was pretty flat. I've got to keep that battery alive as long as possible. It's easy to keep the jump box in the trunk if I start to lose confidence in the battery.

I took the red Mustang out, intending to add at least fifty miles to the odometer. I also added a few gallons of premium gas. 

Later I took each of the cars out for a lengthy drive. 

The weather has not cooperated as we are finally getting our Winter storm blast. The Riv and the '06 Mustang have been in the garage, and I won't take them out to drive around in the rain and get dirty, The Nav sits under it's canvas canopy and stays pretty clean, so I won't drive it around either yet.

The Flex and the truck handle the daily duties as they should.

I just did some quick math, and if every battery in my four hobby cars went bad at the same time I'd have to cough up 800 dollars! That's a hit that I want to avoid, so I will make every effort to avoid that scenario. 

Luckily the weather has started to break and I have more opportunity to take the cars out. Sure, it's a "First World" problem dealing with multiple vehicles, but I'm no Jay Leno. 

This situation sometimes makes me wonder about the wisdom of having so many hobby cars. Especially if I don't have the time to drive each of them sufficiently. I have started to give consideration to putting a couple of the cars on non op, which would save me the cost of insurance and registration expenses. I sort of missed my "window" to make this decision this year, but I will be keeping it in mind in 2024.