Remembering Thomas Murray and Car Collector magazine. 

It was great while it lasted. 

I subscribed to Car Collector magazine back in the 1990's. It was a well produced collectible automobile magazine of high quality. Unfortunately it suffered a downsizing move and a switch to lower quality paper at the end of the decade. I let my subscription run out after that. 

One of their featured authors would contribute a fiction piece every few months. Thomas Murray had worked in advertising, writing the advertising copy that was used for the Chevrolet Corvette back in the 1960's. Murray found a way to connect on an emotional level with me, though his stories were always about an earlier time. His generation of kids growing up during the World War II era. Big Bands, Swing music, and Big, Curvy cars. 

His stories feature a lot of remembrances of life during that period. The kids that he grew up with, the things that they did under the shadow of the impending storm clouds of the coming War. High school longings, waiting impatiently to grow up, later realizing how much was going to be lost in the process. Mostly concerned with unrequited love, or opportunities for romance that were never acted upon. He is always very specific with the names of his friends and would be girlfriends, it gives the writing the appearance of a real memory. He is very detailed in relating the emotions that were being experienced in that episode.

Many of his stories start out with a now middle aged man at an antique car show, inspecting the various cars on display, expressing how cars "just like these" had major roles in his youth. They are usually conflicted in their desire to acquire just the right car. Many times their spouse is along with them and she of course, doesn't get it. This gives him an opportunity to explore and explain the "why" that makes up the soul of the old car community.

His take on old cars is always personal and emotional, it centers on how a specific car is tied to memories of a certain special time in a person's life. Remembrances of certain people that were important to them. Many times it's their parents, but it also can be Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles. Obtaining a collector car from that era is a way to relive the past. To bring those memories back to life, again. 

When I read how he describes the feelings that these individuals experience, it is easy to relate to my own feelings about cars in general. 

My Grandparents never had a car of their own during all the time that I knew them. My Grandfather had quit driving before I can even remember him. My Uncle Fred had a '49 Cadillac fastback that I rode in a few times as a child. My Grandfather had bought it for him in high school. My Aunt Ann had a '56 Oldsmobile four door hardtop that she kept for 13 years. She had it repainted and reupholstered in Tijuana during one of her frequent trips to visit her relatives. At the time it seemed like she had owned that car forever, but I've owned my '96 Mustang almost as long. 

My Dad had bought a new Chevy Impala two door hardtop in 1959. It was black with a red interior. He only kept it for three years, he really didn't like it that much. He said that it was too low and was like sitting on the floor. It seemed pretty jazzy to me though. He then started his relationship with station wagons which continued throughout his entire life. His first was a '64 Pontiac Tempest, white with a red interior. With a 326 V8 I thought it was as cool as a GTO. 

Not my Dad's car, but the same color.

My Dad was never really a car guy as a such, but three things that he insisted on were a V8 engine, automatic transmission, and an AM radio! He couldn't stand a cheapie car with the base Six and three on the tree, like his brother used to buy to save money on gas.

I have a strong recollection about that '59 Chevy. I remember how we would go to visit my Grandparents, my Mom's parents, on the weekends in Berkeley. On the drive home it felt so late to me, as a young child our sense of time is so limited, we have such early bedtimes imposed by our parents. When it becomes dark outside it seems so very late at night to us. My Father would exit the freeway at High Street and we'd wait at the traffic signal waiting to turn left. The turn signal would be flashing and the indicator inside would make a loud ticking sound. It seemed so loud because the car was so quiet inside. Either I or my brother would have been asleep, but we usually woke up as the car came to a stop. That sound seemed so loud as we sat in the car in the dark. The green indicator light in the dash flashed with a steady tock, tock, tock.

After turning left onto High Street we went up a few blocks to East 14th. Street where we turned right to reach our house. Our path took us past the large production bakery building that sported an incongruous tower, reminiscent of Oakland's Tribune building. The smell from the bakery would waft over the entire neighborhood. As kids we would sneak up close enough to peek through the windows, watching the loves of bread travel down the line, like the cars that my Dad and uncles would assemble for General Motors. It always seemed that the streets were so empty as we drove along. This area would experience so much change over the years, unfortunately not for the better. But this was still the period that I felt safe and secure in the backseat with my parents seated up front. It was always a reassuring feeling, seeing them up front.

It isn't just an article in a magazine that brings the memories flooding back. Alan Jackson had a very sentimental tribute in his song, Drive, for Daddy Gene. When Alan described how his Dad let him drive the old short bed Ford truck on the dump road and how it made him feel like he was on top of the world. Then he describes how he lets his own girls drive a rusty old Jeep in the pasture by their home. It was the continuation of the circle.

Some witless reviewer criticized the song saying that it glorified under age driving. That person didn't have a clue what the song was about.

My Dad would let us drive that white '64 Pontiac wagon around the parking lot of the dented can store while my Mom was inside shopping.  He'd let my brother and I each take a couple of laps around the mostly empty lot. We'd also get to drive around other deserted lots around the neighborhood. I don't know about you, but for me this was one of my most memorable bonding experiences that I ever shared with my Dad. Working class and blue collar kids don't have ski trips and Summers at the beach house to build memories, we get ours driving down dirt roads and around parking lots. And prowling around third rate used car lots with our Dads.

My interest in old cars doesn't center on memories of the past. At least not those deeply personal ones that Murray describes so well.  

Later on, my Dad let me influence him into the purchase of a '63 Lincoln sedan. It was a powder blue sedan with blue leather upholstery. I got to drive this car while I was in high school. I loved that car, too bad it got wrecked by a drunk driver as it sat at the curb in front of our house. 

If I look at my own cars there weren't many at first. I was primarily a motorcycle guy. I do have some fond memories of those bikes. I wrote about my Honda CB160 a few weeks back. That bike was special to me because it opened up the world of motorcycles and the freedom of riding. 

Besides that '63 Lincoln, there weren't many cars that I've developed an emotional connection to.

If there is any car that has a strong place in my memory it was my '77 Coupe de Ville. I bought that car with all the hopes and dreams that I thought that the future would surely bring. I bought it for myself as a college graduation gift. It was there when I met and married my Wife, and when I started my new job down in LA. 

I've never been one to dwell in the past. I certainly don't want to try and relive it, even if that were possible. I've been fortunate to live a life that has consistently gotten better, or at least I've convinced myself of that! My 50th. high school graduation will be coming up in two years! Pretty hard for me to believe. I'm planning on attending. I went to my 10th. and 20th. reunions. I'm not one of those "rah rah best times of my life" kind of guys. Truth is, high school was tough for me, I wasn't popular with the guys and especially with the girls, and I never felt that I fit in. Like so many kids I just wasn't comfortable and accepting of who I was, but how many kids are? That's a lesson that has to be learned, sooner or later. Luckily I had a few good friends, outcasts like me, and ...motorcycles. Thank God that I'm not of those people that "peaked" in high school and everything afterwards has been a disappointment. I was glad for it to end and to move on to more adult pursuits. 

It's not that I've been super successful, like some nerd who is now the CEO of some software company. I'm not showing up to rub their faces in it. I've had a pretty good life that I'm satisfied with. I'm secure enough to allow myself to enjoy some of those memories of the past. Filtered through the gauze of my achievements and experience. 

So are there any cars that I'd like to own to reconnect with my past? Maybe, but I prefer to think about cars that I never got a chance to own. I think my interest in old cars is about building memories for the future. 

Still worth the read.

Mr. Murray wrote a book entitled "Tire tracks back", an anthology of short stories. I had hoped that they would include his pieces from Car Collector, but they didn't. Maybe we shouldn't try to relive the past, but just grant it a little smile, and sometimes shed a little embarrassed tear at a precious memory. 

In my case it's always tire tracks forward. 

Thinking about old Cadillacs, a little bit more.

My car looked just like this one.

It's hard to believe now, but twenty year old Caddys were once commonly found on used car lots. I had my eye on a particularly nice '58 Coupe de Ville, but it was sold just before I unloaded, ahem, sold the Pontiac.  I was disappointed, but I just kept cruising by the used car lots that lined E. 14th. St. from San Leandro to Hayward.  As luck would have it I found a very clean Sedan De Ville hardtop. Yes, I would have preferred a coupe, but four door hard tops are pretty cool, and I'd lusted after that '56. 

Again it was a straight, tidy, good running car. I broke out the rubbing compound, wax, chrome polish, and cleaned it all up. It was a light beige with a white top. This was the oldest Cadillac that I had owned so far. I believe that this was back in 1977 because I bought the XLCR that year, and I used to make a big thing about how the OHV Sportster came out in 1957 as if the two vehicles were somehow related and I had bought the Caddy to commemorate this.  That doesn't really make any sense, but it was a good story.

I drove this car through the last two years of college, while I attended San Jose State. I drove it all the time that I wasn't riding my XLCR which I had converted into a road style bike. It never gave me a lot of problems but I did have to pull the heads once and do a valve job. I found that it only had compression in four cylinders! I got a chance to find out what burned valves looked like.  Another time the windshield wipers broke while I was visiting my Grandmother up in Richmond on a rainy weekend. I left the car at her house and took BART home. I returned on Bart the next weekend to retrieve the car. The cable had snapped on the wiper motor. I fixed that and I was back in business.

I was quite happy with the car and drove it those three years. In 1980 I was finally going to graduate, and I decided to buy myself a graduation present.

Not my car, but the same color.

I was out looking at various car lots and found my next car, a '77 Coupe de Ville at a consignment car lot in Santa Clara.  Actually the lot owner wanted my '57 and told me that he could make me a deal on any car on the lot. There was an Alfa Romeo coupe which caught my eye initially. I made another visit and found my '77 on the lot. The owner had been using it as his own car. The trade was made and this was the first car that I ever made payments on.

I kept the '77 after I got married and moved to Los Angeles for my new job. The '77 gave me good service but I decided that I could benefit from having a new car for the next phase of my life. It was traded in on my first new car, an '84 Mercury Cougar. 

The Cougar eventually gave way to a new Dodge Caravan. The time for a real family car had finally arrived.

It was then that I bought my first old car as a hobby car. A '75 Honda Civic coupe. Of course, the story doesn't end here.

Ten years passed and I finally got my '56 hardtop Sedan de Ville. White over Aqua. 

Again, not my car but identical color. 

It seems that time had marched on. While I delighted in the 1950's design, I just couldn't get into the driving. It felt like piloting a small bus, such a change from my Rivieras. As much as I liked the idea of owning the '56, the reality was a bit of a disappointment. I'd even managed to fit it into my garage, which didn't leave much room for anything else. So it was sold. Do I miss it? Sometimes, but it was time to move on.

 Later model Mustangs. A design analysis. Part Two.

A very successful retro design.
I do love fastbacks.

The 2005 Mustang was much anticipated by enthusiasts. Truthfully it was overdue. The SN 97 models  spanned a lot of Mustang fans youthful years. 1994 to 2004. Eleven years is a long time, but not as long as the previous Fox bodies. Their run spanned from 1979 to 1993,  15 years, a surprisingly long run. For many Mustang enthusiasts, the Fox body and and SN 97 "are" the real Classic Mustangs. These are the only ones that they had ever known in their youth.

Of course the era of Classic Mustangs only lasted nine years. This encompassed only four body styles. 1965-66, 67-68, 69-70, 71-73.

The 2005 Mustang was very retro in it's design. It channels the design cues of the entire 1960's line of Mustangs. It was bigger all around. Longer, and wider, There was a welcome increase in wheelbase, track and especially a more spacious interior and trunk. I was very excited because the standard model was an attractive fastback coupe. Fastbacks have been the most sought after and the most expensive of Classic Mustangs. Now everyone that wants a fastback, can finally afford to have one. 

There was also an improved convertible model. The top now folded in a way the simulated a tonneau cover, instead of the front section flipping back, upside down. 

The convertible sports an attractive roof line.

The GT power train was improved with greater output and a new five speed automatic besides the traditional five speed. The 4.6 motor developed 300 hp.

That rear bumper took quite a bit of getting used too. 
Some of us never warmed up to it.

The design remained the same for the first few years, until 2009. Then the design underwent a gradual evolution. The fastback roof remained a constant until this model was replaced by the 2015 model. The Shelby type quarter windows were standard and contributed to the outward visibility and ease of use of the vehicle. The rear end morphed into  a design with a very deep bumper. It was not as well received as the updated front end designs. It seemed as though Ford was running out of ideas, and was just calling it in for the last few years. 

If you are a fan of the classic Mustangs of the 1960's you might prefer the 2005 to 2009 editions. Personally, I also prefer those models as they really channel the Mustangs that I yearned for in my Youth.

Ford wasn't standing still though, with the release of the fabulous Coyote 5.0 engine in 2011. The standard V6 was also upgraded to a full 300 hp, stealing the thunder from the earlier GT models. It even received an attractive standard dual exhaust system.  

The S197 not only was a bit bigger, it looked a lot bigger, in some ways it's a repeat of the 1971 -73 models. Compare it to the SN 97 and it's obviously bigger. Compare it to an earlier Fox body and it seems huge. It's about the same as the new Camaro, and just a bit smaller than the Challenger. 

The market had changed a lot since the 1970's. Moving into the new Millennium there was a dearth of  Personal Luxury Cars. Ford was no longer offering the Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar. 

In many ways the Mustang and the Challenger especially, fulfill this market need. 

This model Mustang is a very effective muscle car. It's also a very good handling car. It's big enough to be more practical and versatile.

We used a 2007 Mustang as our family car for years. We had two children, pre and teen, both not too tall,   5' 6'' and shorter. We used the car for family trips to Los Angeles, Lake Tahoe and lots of other  places. The large trunk with the pass through came in handy for packing different types of cargo. Fuel economy with our V6 model was quite good 27-28 mpg. at freeway speeds. 

Performance with the V6 is also more than adequate, it's actually pretty quick. It's capable of easily cruising at high speeds. After I got the '07 I gave my Son and a friend a ride down to the San Diego area. I dropped them off at their respective schools then drove the Mustang home via US 101. I was impressed by the handling, and the power, I cruised at speeds of up to 90 mph. Top speed is electronically limited to 110 mph. which is plenty. Lighting is very good at night, and I like that it has round headlights.

I have to honestly admit that I don't find myself suffering from the lack of a V8. The 200 hp, plus the 5 speed automatic gives performance that is almost a match for my '96 GT. I wish that the 2005 to 2009 V6 models had come with factory dual exhaust. I'm not interested in changing exhaust systems anymore. I'd rather run the stock equipment. I heard many V6 models that have been modified to aftermarket duals and I don't find the exhaust note to be pleasant.

Driving around town in my '07 it sure seems bigger than all those little compact cars. It's actually almost five inches shorter than a new Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. Of course it's much smaller than all those full size trucks and SUVs.

I prefer the utility and flexibility of the four passenger Mustang over a two seat car like a Nissan 370Z or Corvette. Not only can you carry more people you can carry a lot more luggage.

Still, the size and the styling give it more presence than most other cars. It gives me a feeling similar to my '66 Riviera.  The design with the straight upper body line and squared off front and rear fascias would take well to a little lowering. There are scads of customization parts available for this model.

As much as I love my '96, it can never project that big car vibe. It is sporty but a bit stubby. I can compare them both, back to back. Maybe I'll make the change. I'm going to keep my eyes open for when the right 2005-2009 Mustang becomes available.

 Later Model Mustangs. A design analysis. Part One.

Have it your way, Broghammy or

Sporty, Or at least a little bit.

Everyone is pretty familiar with Classic Mustangs. The first generation was produced from 1964 1/2 to 1973.  Then there was the malaise era special, the Mustang II. The are fans and haters, okay, mostly haters,  but it turned out to be the right car for the times. The rebirth of the sporty Mustang was in 1979. Although it was more up to date, there was a loss of heritage. The iconic running horse never graced any of these models. It was supposed to be a kind of Euro flavored design. It became distinctly more American in appearance and attitude as the 1980's progressed. Culminating in the legendary 5.0 GT.  The Boss was Back! Even Vanilla Ice had to give it a shout out!

Everyone has an opinion and here's mine. Of the Classic era the last beautiful Mustang model in my eyes was the 1970 edition. The following three years the Mustang grew in perceived size and market intentions. It is a distinctive and muscular design, but it was reaching into the Personal Luxury Coupe playbook with it's cousin the Mercury Cougar.

As I stated the Mustang II was the right car for the times, smaller and more economical. Just what most of the buying public was looking for. I thought that the design was smoother and well integrated with the color keyed bumpers and flush tail light panel. My Dad bought my brother a very nice Ghia coupe, Bright red with a white vinyl half top. The interior was deep red vinyl with deep shag carpeting that would have done a T Bird Justice. Outside it sported whitewall tires with wire spoke wheel covers. The power train wasn't anything to get anyone's blood boiling, a four cylinder paired with a manual four speed transmission. Overall it was very sharp, a shrunken Thunderbird. I like fancy, Broughammy cars so I thought that it was pretty nice. 

In an issue of Street Rodder magazine they did a design analysis of Detroit's new compact cars. They stated that this would be the one to do a mini- Mark IV treatment on. 

1979 was a good start.

The Fox bodied generation that followed eventually restored the Mustang back to it's roots as a sporty looking and potentially very capable automobile. Besides the choices of engines during this model run, you could also choose between the coupe, fastback, and convertible. Just like the original models. Though they got off to a slow start, they could later be spec'd out as real runners. For most of this period, these were the real American high performance standard bearers. It wasn't until Chevy brought back a more potent 5.7 V8 that they took a back seat. Though nothing could beat a Mustang for Bang for the Buck!

This what I'm talking about, Baby!
Rollin' in my 5.0!

I'm really a fan of these last Fox bodied Mustangs. I was looking for one, but couldn't find a decent one in my desired price range. The next model, the SN95 was introduced in 1994. It mated a new body on a modified Fox platform and used the traditional 5.0 small block Ford V8. 

The ultimate SN95
the Saleen.

The car was improved in many ways. Ford touted it's relationship to the original Classic Mustang of the 1960's. It even reintroduced the running horse emblem. The design was fresh for the time. The wedge shaped profile has also aged well, and it's profile blends in with contemporary traffic. There were many that did not like the new styling. Dave Freiberger, editor of Hot Rod magazine was not impressed. He said that it looked like a Toyota Celica! 

I think that it does harken back to the original Mustang.  The long hood, short deck, in a compact package design was a sales winner. It took a few model years for the modular motor to receive factory power updates, but over the years there was steady progress. As a Pony car it was successful. It looks sporty and purposeful. Some might say that it looked a bit stubby, when compared to the contemporary Camaro and Firebird. While those come off a bit stretched out looking. The seating position of the GM twins is also marred by a floor pan with a huge catalyst converter bulge. And those ridiculously long doors! But the LT 1 made up for a lot of shortcomings.

The flatter body sides are evident in this shot.

The rear end tapers down to the widened rear axle.
Not an unattractive look.

The car did receive steady development. Ford did a mild refresh of the Mustang for 1999 and dubbed it "the New Edge" look. The sides of the body were flattened out, and now sported prominent wheel arches. It was clearly recognizable as a Mustang but a bit sharper and more athletic looking. It was kind of an example of automotive muscular definition. My only real beef with the styling is the fake hood scoop. I much prefer the hood vents on the earlier model. There were subtle chassis improvements and what really mattered was more horsepower.

These SN 95s are quite good, relatively modern, cars. I like them enough to have bought one. I've been quite satisfied with it. It's interesting that my car has lately been attracting attention as a vintage model. 

Like an answer to a prayer, the redesigned S197 model debuted in 2005. Finally, the real Mustang was back!