I didn't follow this advice.

My Wife likes old trucks as long as they are only decorations.
I don't think that she would enjoy a vintage truck ride to LA.

Instead I took the heavily traveled road. On a quick, down and back, two day drive.

Interstate 5 on the way to Los Angeles.

I was a man on a mission, I found something for sale on CraigsList that I really wanted, and I was determined to buy it. 

I had been looking for it on my local CL for some time, but had been unsuccessful. LA area is a bigger place than the Bay Area, so why not look there? 

This trip called for a big load space, so the truck was the vehicle best suited for the trip. I hadn't been down to the LA area in my truck since I bought the '06 Mustang and towed it back. Most of my truck driving has been local, around the Bay Area.

It's been running fine, though on that last trip south I was a bit concerned over the health of the transmission. Especially since I had just had the transmission rebuilt on the '07 Mustang. However, I haven't had any indications of potential problems so I felt confident using it. I just checked the fluids, and topped them up. Luckily I fixed the rear brakes last Summer. Now it stops like velvet. The tires are nearing replacement time but there was still enough tread to make me feel secure, barring a monsoon! The truck is getting old, it's 17 years old, and I really should change out the belts and hoses. Maybe next year. I just gave them a visual check and they looked fine, no seepage visible on the hose connections. The serpentine belt didn't even have any minute cracks. 

I have done the LA and back, no layover, banzai drives before, but as I get older I don't relish driving all night, if I don't have too. I don't see in the dark as well as I used to.  I knew that the weather was going to be good, with no rain. That was a good sign. I also have to be careful about causing eyestrain by spending a lot of time reading on the computer before driving at night. I use Walmart reading glasses, but I think that next year I'm going to the eye doctor and get a custom set of reading glasses made up. 

My Wife was going to accompany me on the trip, so she booked us a layover in Solvang. 

I had been communicating with the seller since before Thanksgiving, and arranged a meeting for the first week of December. He seemed to be a very nice and helpful guy, but I was hoping that he wouldn't sell the item before I could get down there! 

Although I don't prefer driving on I-5, primarily because it's so boring, it is the fastest route. The meeting with the seller was to take place after 12:00, so I figured on an early start. I would like to hit the road by 6:00 am, and we did mange to make it by 6:30, a pretty good start.

We ran into some fog crossing the Pacheco Pass on 152 and I became concerned that we would be engulfed in Tule fog on the trip down. I've driven in that stuff and it's no fun and can be very dangerous. Luckily it lightened up once we were driving south on I-5. 

I like to say that I seek a Zen like harmony with the road and traffic conditions while on long drives, and I was able to do that on this trip. Most of the way the speed limit was 70 mph. and I didn't go any faster than that. If a trip is going to take six hours, why rush and blast down there at 85 mph? You might be able to save maybe twenty to thirty minutes. I'll admit that I'd done that many times in the past. Now, I'd rather cruise and relax.

Besides, that's how you get the best gas mileage. 

photos source;kidcas

It might not be the "promised land" but I was glad to get there.

The seller lived only a couple of miles off the 405 freeway in West LA. Having worked in LA, and lived in the area for a few years, I have a familiarity and good feeling about the area. We made the meeting right as I anticipated at 12:15. After the deal was made, we headed for US101 for the trip home. This was where my Wife was going to get what she wanted out of this trip. She wanted to check out various stores on the way back. The first stop was the Camarillo Costco where I filled up the truck. We had covered 390 miles and after gassing up I calculated the fuel economy was 19.55 mpg. That's about as good as it gets, and shows that the truck is in fine tune. 

Then we stopped at the Cracker Barrel gift store where my Wife found a couple of things that she wanted. Right across the parking lot was a Pottery Barn outlet store, so that was her next stop.

The weather was beautiful, clear and warm. Typical December weather in the middle Coast. After that we continued on to Solvang where we would spend the night. 

I've spent a LOT of time waiting in these parking lots!

The next day we stopped at an antique store in Orcutt, then on to the Hobby Lobby in Santa Maria. Hobby Lobby would be the destination in San Luis Obispo, and finally in Morgan Hill. I probably spent three or four hours waiting outside of stores that day, but I didn't mind, I was enjoying the drive and I had obtained my prize. Besides, when I volunteer to take my Wife someplace, I never try to hurry her up, I want her to take her time and enjoy herself. She always does her part in planning the lay overs.

The truck ran fine and was comfortable, but I sometimes wish that it had cruise control, The door ajar sensor in the door started acting up again, sounding the chime and lighting the message in the odometer read out screen. It was annoying, but finally it stopped chiming and just lit up the message continually. Oh well, the important thing is that the truck ran fine and that we had an uneventful trip. 

What was I so fired up about buying that I was willing to drive over 750 miles to get it?  I'll share that in a future post. 

 Ride or Die.

The Boozefighters Hollister Ca. 1948
photo source: TEARA the encyclopedia of New Zealand.

This is a term that I have started becoming aware of lately. It's not a term that I'd ever heard of, or used in my own life, up 'til now. I picked up the meaning through context; it means someone that is completely loyal to you, and will always have your back. I would imagine/hope that this relationship goes both ways! 

I googled the meaning, just to be sure. Nothing worse than when some old guy starts using a popular slang term while not quite understanding the nuance of what it really means. That's just embarrassing.

The internet stated that it comes from an old '50's biker saying. That a true rider would only stop riding at their death. Also that they would die if they were forced to stop. According to this source it was picked  up by hip hop culture and entered mainstream usage by that channel. 

Not a Booze Fighter, but I did my share of riding.

I was heavily into bikes in the mid 1970's, not only owning and riding, but also reading many different motorcycle magazines. Straight John mags like Cycle World and Cycle, more off beat mags like Street chopper, even more off beat mags like Big Bike, Choppers and finally a decades plus subscription to Easy Riders. Which was as hardcore biker as it got.

I don't recall ever hearing that term. Our saying was; Ride to live, Live to ride. I even wrote that on the back of my helmet when I was in high school. 

Whatever, culture is ever changing, especially popular culture.

What does any of this have to do with the old car hobby as interpreted by yours truly?

It all seemed easier back then, it was all looking forward.

I got to thinking, my bikes were my main transportation back then. Not only that, they were an important part of my self perceived identity. They exemplified my personality. I really identified with them.

So what about my four wheeled machines, has there been one that I would say was me?

I get the feeling that the last time that I felt that way about a car, was with my '66 Buick Riviera. I drove that car everywhere, all the time. It may not have been pristine, but I loved it anyway. 

A rough beauty.

Fast forward to today, and what do I own now that generates those same kind of feelings?

Can I still even harbor any feelings like that? Now that I'm an old man, I don't really care about "things" that way anymore. There have been a lot of cars that I've owned, that have gone down the road. I even cut myself off completely from motorcycles and riding. That was hard for some of my family and friends to accept and believe. 

Sometimes, just to kill time, I will start at the beginning of the CraigsList car listings and just scroll through them from the first page. Not using any filters or searches. Just going through each page. 

Why would I do that?

I'm looking to see if anything jumps out at me and grabs my eye. Grabs my attention, and especially my imagination. 

Most of the vehicles listed are just mundane generic stuff. Toyotas, Kias, Hondas, Chevys and Fords. European luxury and sporty cars roll by under my gaze, but I seldom click on them to check them out further. I've been down that road before, and I'm not going back. Who needs the heartbreak?

Camaros, Mustangs, Challengers, Chargers and even Corvettes. High performance stuff doesn't get my attention anymore.

There are always some vintage projects that require a closer scrutiny before I dismiss the idea!

Do I currently own something that I could consider as my "ride or die?"

Oddly enough, it may be the vehicle that I have owned the longest, and the one that I even bought brand new.

My '07 F150 has always been one of my favorite machines. 

It's not a fancy model, it doesn't even have a V8 engine. But it has what I wanted then, and is still very useful to me. It's a long bed, I just never wanted a short bed truck, what's the use of that?

It's a standard cab, but the standard wasn't ordinary that year. The access cab has little clam shell doors that open to an 18 in. inside storage area. That has made it even more useful. It has a split bench with a big fold down arm rest. Those seats are so comfortable, they remind me of the seats in my '70 Coupe de Ville. 

It's the lowest trim and equipment package, an XL  work truck, but that's exactly what I wanted. Rubber floor mats and hand crank windows. A V6 engine.

The truck is quiet, rides and handles really great, The V6 has adequate performance and can even return 20 mpg. with careful driving. Under normal driving conditions I never feel that I'm suffering any penalty. I lucked out and found a green work truck. Most are white, but this shipment had a red, blue, and especially my Forest Green truck. The dark gray bumpers, black grille and light gray interior, make it look like a more expensive model. The color scheme really flatters this truck. It really was love at first sight.

I liked it when I bought it, and 17 years later, I still like it and drive it with pride. I might be surrounded by shiny new, dolled up, crew cab luxury trucks, and big Ford Super Duty F250s, 2500 Silverados, and 3/4 ton Rams, but that doesn't matter to me at all. This my truck, and it's all that I need and want. 

My truck and I have shared some road adventures.

The second candidate would have to be my '96 Mustang. It's funny that a car that I initially "settled for" won me over and became a favorite. That's why I still own it almost fifteen years later! At one time, I said that if I had to settle for only owning one hobby car, if it was my Mustang, then I could be satisfied.  

It looks even better to me after 14 years of ownership.

Of course, I couldn't keep that promise, and there have been many cars that have come and gone in those almost fifteen years! But the Mustang is still here, and again, I really enjoy driving it. Yeah, it's not that fast, and there are lots of regular family cars that are quicker. But it is fast enough, handles well, and is still fun and relaxing to drive. While it is not a model that is vaunted by enthusiasts, like the earlier 94 and '95 GTs which carried the 5.0 Windsor motor, it doesn't matter, That Mustang is my car.

It's a good feeling to own something that you really enjoy and appreciate. Maybe it's a bad habit to constantly peruse CL, looking to see if anything catches my eyes. Will this make me dissatisfied with these two vehicles? 

Maybe, but I just don't find many other vehicles that compelling. As much as I talk about getting an old car, I just can't get that excited about it. I have owned quite a few older cars through the 70's, 80's, and even up to the 1990's. Kind of been there, done that. I won't completely dismiss the idea, but I would have to simplify my situation before that can happen.

Who knows? The new year is rapidly approaching, and I have given everything about my involvement in the car hobby a lot of thought. The question is; "Will I actually make any changes?"

 I just can't stay away from online used car lots.

2010 Lincoln MKS AWD
8,950.00

The MKS was one of the final sedans in the Lincoln line up. It was the largest model, their flagship. It was replaced for a short time by the new Continental. This MKS is a platform mate of the Taurus.

I'll have to admit that I wasn't too impressed by it's styling when it debuted. The front end was okay, but it had a very high belt line with a prominent boot. It's a flowing design with a long hood and short deck, but it looks kind of tall. I had checked one out on a car lot in Hayward. I'd gone there to look at a Cadillac XTS. I came away with a much better impression of the XTS.

Parked a couple of  cars away was a white MKS. I knew what it was, though it seems like the MKZ has been a much more common sight. The interior was a combo of black, and a weird black brown leather. I didn't find the interior to be a pleasant color scheme, even by itself. Paired with the white exterior it was less than impressive. 

That's a tall rear end!
The horizontal chrome bar helps, and it does have a nice set of dual exhaust.

The roof line is similar to a fastback, but the way the belt line curves up results in a heavy looking C pillar and quarter panel. Especially since there is not a little triangular window behind the door. The view from directly behind displays a high, somewhat blocky rear deck. The tail lights didn't do anything to improve the appearance in my initial accessment.

I would add a nice double pinstripe along the side,
just above the door handles,

Looking through CL recently, I came across this black specimen. In black, the car started to look better to me. When I looked at the black interior I was even more impressed. I had gone to see a MKZ at another lot in Hayward. The interior of the MKZ was very similar to the MKC that I had test driven in Santa Rosa. It's more modern looking in design and it has the dash mounted transmission control buttons. 

You can call this old fashioned, I'd say that it's more traditional.

The MKS has an interior that reminds me more of my Navigator. This MKS is a 2010 model, so that makes sense. It is a more squared off, straight lined dash design, with a shift lever in the console and a steering wheel hub that is similar to the shield shaped design of my Navigator. This particular car has built in navigation and a big moon roof. That's pretty much all the high tech stuff that I want.

It has a nice big sunroof, a real plus.

The black leather interior looks high quality, and the wood inserts are integrated into the dash and door panels. I have said that I had sworn off black interiors, but I find myself liking this one quite a bit. I had also sworn off black cars, but this car looks pretty good in black, this is probably the best color for it.

The reflection line on the rear quarter is where the pinstripe 
would go.

The exterior is kind of a mixed bag. I like the hood and grille. The upswept belt line results in a modern interpretation of the formal roof. That's not very common. Most cars like the Cadillac and the MKZ have a small triangular widow behind the door. Later model Lincolns come with some very nice wheels, I don'r see any need to upgrade to an aftermarket design.

This car has a "face" that has grown on me over time.

This particular car is powered by a V6 engine. If it's anything like the motor in my Flex, I would imagine that it would have plenty of power. I would also imagine that fuel economy would be similar. The Eco Boost concept hadn't yet been adopted. This car also has AWD, something that I've been curious about. Yes, I'm keeping in mind that the engine has the notorious "water pump in the motor," but the mileage is fairly low at 102,000. So it might hopefully be quite a while before that issue presents itself.

I am kind of curious about the turbo four, especially in regards to fuel economy. This car is rated at 16 City/23 highway, that's okay, but it's below the 21/31 of the MKZ. The MKC lands in the middle, with 29 mpg. highway estimates. 

I have driven an MKC and I liked it, though the power delivery isn't quite as smooth as a V6, it was still very pleasant.

I  find it kind of find it funny that I'm starting to consider cars that I used to reject completely out of hand. But that's what happens when you decide to move up to newer models, this is all that there is. I can't muster up too much enthusiasm for vintage cars at this point, and those prices! They just don't seem worth it to me.  

One of the nice things bout looking at later model cars is that there is a lot of them available, and their prices go down as they age. The trick is to find the right car in the right condition and mileage, at the right price.

Truthfully, that's the fun part.

I hope that everyone had a nice FriendsGiving, or Thanksgiving, and will have a happy Holiday season. 

 

 More on more doors  

The face that only a Mother, or a Cadillac lover could love.

Has it come to this?

I have been wondering a lot about that lately, do I want to own another real vintage car?

I'm always looking through CL for bargains.

Besides that '40 LaSalle that I've been posting about, I just saw this '55 Cadillac a couple of weeks ago.

I have had a thing for mid Fifties Cadillacs for a very long time. I finally got one back in the 1990's, a four door hardtop.

It's not as sleek as the hardtop models, because the roof is
much taller and the tail is not as long.

There aren't any pictures of the right side, but from what I can see, the car looks to be in good shape.  For 1955, the rear window had the "Florentine Curve" bright molding that looks particularly good on the hardtops. It doesn't look as graceful on a sedan, but it's a nice touch.

Certainly an elephant in the 
driveway.

This looks like a nice place to spend time.

That's a real nice interior. It's not done in authentic materials, but so what? Most cars in this price range come with  pretty worn out and stained upholstery. This had to cost a fair amount of bucks. I've never had a car reupholstered.

It looks very inviting, I'd bet that it even smells nice and clean. 

The original Cadillac V8 was long lived
and reliable.

The seller states that the car runs really well, and all the windows work. Miraculously it still has the original air cleaner in place. The seller states that all the lights are in good shape and work. It doesn't have a/c which is just as well, as it likely wouldn't work anyway.

It looks like it's challenging the buyer,
"Let's do it Bro!."

This reminds me quite a bit of my '56 Sedan de Ville hardtop. I sure do love the face of this car! The '54's and '55's have smooth flat quarter panels without the jet pod shape. This is much cleaner.

A very basic four door sedan, nothing glamorous. 

For most of my enthusiast lifetime, these were the bottom of the barrel in my mind's eye. Though this model was the best seller that year. 

This car however looks pretty good, straight, complete, reportedly currently running well with a nice redone interior. 

The car had been posted without any pictures of the interior, which was a mistake. The price has been pretty reasonable, it started at 4,900 bucks then the seller amended it to 3,900 firm, Now it's dropped again to 3,698. 

It just gets better.

If I bought this car I would immediately have it painted, a medium dark blue, like my '97 Explorer, with a white top. I would not remove all the trim, that would be likely to break old clips and studs. I'd just have the trim masked and left in place. 

A good running car, with a redone interior and a new paint job, Wow! This would be a finished car, wouldn't that be nice. 

In earlier postings the seller asked for cash plus a good running car. I get the idea that they may have inherited the car, or bought it at a really low price, They don't want to keep it and complete it, they just want to move it on. 

This is my '56, which I owned almost 30 years ago.

A car like this really hits me in the heart, I wanted a mid 50's Cadillac for years, since I was a grade school kid. Sure, I'd prefer a coupe or a two door hardtop, but this car is available, affordable, and in good condition. Sedans are really solid, and a Cadillac never really suffers for having four doors. 

This is a Series 62 sedan, and these are seven inches shorter in length than the hardtop models, that makes them look a bit stubby, but it should fit better in my garage. The '55 has a cleaner rear design than the '56 and the hood has a narrower more prominent center section.

A '55 would be more conducive to everyday driving, as it would be much more modern than the '40 LaSalle. It has power steering and brakes, as well as an automatic transmission. It would be easier to fit it with radial tires.

Though it's more of  a "Godfather Part Two" kind of car, instead of an early Noir car, it's still very cool and "fedora and pinstriped suit "ready. Film Noir actually came into prominence after the War, from 1950 to 1955 or so. So it actually has real cred in that area.

So, would this satisfy my itch for a real vintage car? 

Maybe.

Currently I've just been following the car on CL. I would like to go check it out, but it's in the Sacramento area. 

 More comparison shopping.

2013 Cadillac XTS 13,000.00

Because looking at cars is just fun.

This one caught my eye because of the nice color combo.

The light grey interior compliments the white exterior.
It reminds me of my old Jaguar XJ6.

This is another late model car that I've started considering.

My attention has become focused on later model used cars. My anticipated price range has accordingly crept up to the 10-15,000 dollar level. At this price I would expect to find a lower mileage, very well kept example. This is more than I have ever spent on a "hobby car." Although it wouldn't actually be considered a hobby car, it would be something that I would regularly drive.

From what I've read and seen online, the XTS would be very similar to my current Riviera. Very smooth, solid and quiet riding. The XTS is the final Cadillac front wheel drive sedan. There is still a FWD Cadillac cross over. 

I like the large headlamps as well as the chromed grille.
It shares the current Cadillac front end appearance.

On closer inspection you'll notice that the tail lights
stand slightly taller as 'mini fins." A nice touch.

The styling of the XTS is modern and on first glance, is maybe just somewhat generic. However on  closer inspection, it still has plenty of Cadillac heritage Art and Science design cues. It even has some classic Cadillac design cues that reveal themselves. The large chrome grille, The lettering style on the chrome deck lid panel, it even has "fin like" vertical tail lamps. Cadillac has played up the tall vertical tail light theme on several current models.

The backseat is spacious enough, wide enough to accommodate
 an occasional center passenger.

The XTS is no longer in production. The period that it was built spanned 2013 to 2019. It was the flagship of the line for many years, though many derided it because it was FWD, and in their minds, it was not competitive with other luxury marques. This might be true, but a lot depends on what you are comparing it to.

The door panel displays a fine design.

Modern Cadillacs don't compare or compete with the top models from Mercedes and BMW, and especially the Uber marques like Bentley and Rolls Royce. Cadillacs are much less expensive.

It's also true that the imported competition is primarily RWD or AWD. Cadillac made this model available in all wheel drive also.

The most popular models from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes are the smaller sedans and CUVs. That's also the case for the Japanese and Korean marques. The Lincoln line is now exclusively SUV/CUV. I believe that the largest selling Cadillac is the XT5 crossover. 

The CT6 was a larger RWD model that supplanted the XTS. Unfortunately it's production life was short, only from 2016 to 2020. It's odd that the CT6, with a bespoke RWD platform, as well as a bespoke V8 engine option, did not meet with the approval of the buying public. I found that particularly sad, since this car was configured the way that all the pundits said that they wanted.

Lately my preferences have turned almost completely towards luxury type vehicles. I don't find myself currently attracted to performance oriented cars.

The interior of the XTS looks suitably upscale. I like the design of the instrument panel and door panels. The seat upholstery is nice. I also like that it has a console mounted shift lever. Though I have finally made peace with the Lincoln push button, dash mounted shifter set up. The presentation of the interior is somewhat flashy, especially in comparison to the Lincoln MKZ and MKS, which are more understated. But Cadillacs have been flashy for quite a long time.

The V6 engine provides plenty of performance and highway fuel economy is in the high 20's. I've seen some reviews where the driver stated that they saw 30 mpg. on highway trips. That's pretty good for a relatively large luxury vehicle. I prefer the simplicity of a N/A V6 engine, and would avoid the turbo V6s. The other newer Cadillac sedans have the turbo four as a base engine. I've read of problems with that engine, especially in the smaller ATS models. Maybe that  is related to the availability of a manual transmission, which results in the car being driven harder. Which is also related to the driver demographic.

Initially I was pretty turned off by the XTS, I didn't want another FWD car. I also wasn't knocked out by the styling. It's funny that after researching all these later models that I began to find them all more attractive than I did initially. These are the cars that are available. They are very nice driving, quite good performing vehicles.

What about a vintage model? Do I still think about those?

I saw a pretty nice, affordable '55 Cadillac sedan on CraigsList. It looked to be in good condition,  reportdly running well, with all the accessories in fine shape. It also had a reupholstered and finished interior, a major point in it's favor.  Something rare for a low priced car. Though it definitely needs a paint job. 

It's not a glamorous model like a hardtop coupe or convertible, it is the plain Jane posted sedan, though it was Cadillac's best selling model that year. These are a bit shorter than the hardtop coupe, the rear deck is seven inches shorter, with a total length of 217 inches. I kept my longer '56 Sedan de Ville in the same garage.

I've been taking a lot of time to think about a possible purchase, but the prospects don't look promising.

Once you decide that you're not going to buy a car from the '50's or '60's,  you will find yourself becoming more accepting of modern designs.

Compared to earlier Cadillacs, and I'm referring to pre 2000 models, the XTS is quite compact. I've sat in the newer series CTS sedans, and they are noticeably narrower, with a tighter rear seat. Realistically, I only need something that is comfortable for four occupants, so the CTS is as suitable as the XTS. It really comes down to the driving experience that I want, RWD or FWD. It seems that the RWD Cadillacs have caught up the BMW in driving dynamics.

The other choice is whether or not I want a sedan or an SUV. 

I have to admit that I no longer find any penalty with an SUV. I think that they are more practical and useful. Since I'm not considering any sporty coupes, I don't see a styling penalty either. Most are pretty handsome looking in my eyes. 

I would like something smaller than my Navigator and Flex, which is why I have been leaning towards the Lincoln MKC. Since I took one out for a test drive, I'm pretty familiar with the look and feel of these cars. I liked the one that I drove.

Thinking and looking is cheaper than buying. Since I still need to slim down the herd  before I buy, there's no real hurry. 

I haven't fixed the Riviera or the garage door ...yet.

 Maybe I'm not really a Car Guy. Part Three?

I knew that I'd have to confront the issue someday.

But, I was hoping that someday would be a bit later!

Or maybe I've just realized that in a few days, I'm going to be a septuagenarian with a stable of older cars and a busted garage door!

Or, maybe I'm just not the kind of guy that loves any particular car.

Actually, I'm trying to find out where I am currently in the hobby car thing, and where do I see myself going?

I've written on this subject over the years.

Many enthusiasts have very strong connections with a particular model car. This can be built from real, lived experiences with that certain car. They grew up with it as the family car, it may have been a car that belonged to them at a certain period of their life, and they eventually sold the car and moved on. But they never forgot it.

Or, it was something that they lusted after for years. They might have been just a young kid and unable to buy any car for themselves, or they might have been a young adult without the means to purchase a special car. Or it wouldn't fit into their current life requirements. You can't get by with an Austin Healey if you've got three kids. Either way, it was something that they wanted to own quite badly, at least at the time. 

Many of these enthusiasts harbor that desire for many, many, years. Usually until the time is right for them to acquire that car. They are now in a place in their lives when they can afford to indulge themselves and buy THAT car. 

This type of relationship always makes for a nice ownership story. I have never been the kind of guy that obsessed about a particular model car. 

I just have never had strong emotional ties to any car. There were never strong familial bonds forged with a particular car through family relationships or experiences. I was also never going to inherit a cherished family car.

Thomas Murray has his viewpoint.

I'm not a car fan in the Thomas Murray kind of way. I don't use them to try to relive the past. 

Murray saw old cars as a way to connect to, and make the past real. He wrote that he could see the faces of friends and relatives from the past, reflected in the shine of the paint and chrome. Driving down a lonely stretch of road, he could imagine himself being transported back to the special times in his past.

Egan's outlook is closer to mine.

I'm more of the Peter Egan type. He's kind of a serial car owner. He gets very interested in a particular car, and learns all he can about it. He puts a lot of work into his cars restoring them, but he doesn't mind moving on. He realizes that he has to sell his cars to acquire new and different ones. 

I've been involved with cars for quite a long time, I've been driving for almost 55 years. I have been interested in cars and motorcycles since I was a kid, but lately something has kinda faded out.

I keep asking myself, "Is there some particular car that I really wanted to own, one that I have dreamed about owning for years?" Maybe the time has come.

That's a hard question for me to answer.

I've had a wide variety of cars over the years. At first they were used for regular transportation, they were just my car.

Later I started to buy "hobby cars" just for the experience of owning them. Those have numbered up to twenty vehicles so far.

Maybe part of my problem is that I was willing to settle for something that was close enough to what I wanted, something that was currently attainable. You know, the "low hanging fruit."

There's a lot to be said for this approach. At least you currently have something that more or less satisfies you. You are also "doing" instead of "dreaming."  

You might not have exactly what you think that you want, but at least you've got "something."

For example, I wanted a Big Twin Harley Davidson since I was in high school. Realistically they were out of reach for me at the time. But I was able to buy several big Japanese motorcycles that satisfied my craving, and provided me with years of motorcycling experiences. And sure enough, the time finally arrived when I could afford to buy a Big Twin. Though I found that the Sportster model better fit my preferences, so I took that route. 

Wouldn't you know it, when I finally did buy that Big Twin, I found that it wasn't that impressive, and I actually didn't like it that much. I ended up selling it, and keeping my Sportster! 

I met an old guy at a Car show last Summer, who was displaying an immaculate '55 Chevy hardtop coupe. I was admiring the car and asked him how long he had owned it. I expected the usual response, that he'd owned it for years. Struggled to hold onto it, then finally had the money to really cherry it out. He surprised me by saying that he had owned it less than a year! I asked if he had owned other vintage cars and he said no, he hadn't ever owned an older car until this one. Which he purchased at the age of 80!

That's a long time to wait.

At least he was smart enough to buy a nice one.

I keep asking myself these questions.  

I think that part of it is just my age. I've reached an age where I don't really want anything that much.

I don't really need anything that much. I don't care about anything that much. I should clarify by saying that I'm talking about things, material objects. I do care very strongly about certain things in my personal life, but stuff, nah, not that important. 

Honestly, I'm lucky enough to have what I need, and that includes reliable running vehicles that serve as transportation.

I still enjoy driving and taking trips in a car. I still amuse myself by looking at cars online. I still own a bunch of hobby cars. I'm still active on a couple of forums, and still producing this blog.

About a year ago, I started going to local C&Cs and small shows, but I'm starting to lose interest.

My Wife once asked me why I thought that I needed to own a vintage car, couldn't I just go to shows and events and enjoy other people's cars? Why did I have to have one of my own?

Leave it to a woman to ask a sensible, honest question! 

I told her that I really do have an actual interest in owning an old car, but I also want to attend these events as a participant. Going to these events in my own hobby car makes me a part of the action. It doesn't matter if my car is something that the other guys would think is that special or desirable. It is special and desirable to me. I've found that the interests of the show attendees are actually pretty varied, they aren't just interested in '57 Chevys, Camaros, or early Mustangs.

Is part of the attractions of owning a hobby car sharing it with others at shows? Is that one of the main reasons? I have an older friend who bought a Model A hot rod when he was in his mid 70's. He's regularly at numerous local C&Cs and shows. It's one way to get out and socialize and interact with other people. 

I've met a lot of guys that have put years of work and effort in their cars, and they are enthusiastic about talking about them.

While I appreciate that, and respect their efforts, I'm just not that guy. 

What I've been trying to do is to evaluate where 'I" currently stand in the car hobby. "Where am I now?"

What do I want, where do I go from here? I've still got some energy and gumption left. But realistically, at my age, I'm not that enthused about getting my hands dirty.

After all, I did crawl around under my Mustang to replace the oxygen sensors. But, I don't want to be having to do that all the time.  

I'm going to turn 70 in a few days. How much time do I have left as an active "hands on" car guy?

How much do I want to remain as an active DIY car guy? If there is something that I want, newer or older, maybe I should really think about getting it, I've only got a limited time left. 

I also don't want to leave my Wife with a mess of old cars to dispose of. 

Which of the cars that I own today, do I see holding onto into the future?

What do I think that I would "want " to have, and why. 

Am I still having fun, and if not, why? 

That's probably the most important question.

As I mentioned, I've touched on these subjects lately.

Who are we keeping our cars for? I don't own anything that is valuable, or is likely to become valuable in the foreseeable future. Realistically, my kids aren't going to want any of my vehicles. Well, my Son might want my truck.

Do I have some kind of Holy Grail car that I've dreamed of owning?

Is there some kind of late model car that I want?

Would I really want another project car?

Shouldn't I streamline my hobby car affairs and simplify my life?

I have had some health issues and luckily I've been able to work through them, and am currently feeling pretty good. But how long will that last?

I'm far from an affluent guy, but I have a reasonable amount of funds available to dabble around with my lower level hobby cars.

So, where do I go from here? 

I apologize that this is going to be all about me. There will be a lot of sentences that will start with the letter "I."

My hope will be that there will also be other enthusiasts that are going through a similar period of soul searching, and they can benefit from this period of introspection. It's going to be a prolonged period of thinking out loud. 

I'm going to run this series along with my day to day car stuff to keep things from getting too boring!

Oh, that broken garage door leaves me with two of my cars trapped inside. My '06 Mustang and Riviera. I still need to change out the water pump in the Riv. Luckily I had positioned the Riv, just right, to provide me with enough room to work on it. 

I'll do that first, then deal with the garage door later, probably after Christmas. 

I guess that I'll be getting a new sectional garage door as a late Christmas present.

It is always something!

 What is going on here?

Why do I like stuff like this?

 7,000 dollars.

This '41 Cadillac Series 60 sedan showed up recently on CraigsList. It is not that far from me, as it's located just south of Gilroy, about a one hour drive. This is a model that I have admired for a very long time. I had gone to look at a '40 LaSalle sedan earlier this Spring, and I thought that it would be a good idea to take a look at this car. These don't turn up that often, so I didn't want to miss the opportunity. 

The car had not been misrepresented by the seller, it had been stored in a barn for over 15 years. It was a car that had been continuously used for a long time, and it was pretty worn out. 

The story was that this car belonged to the seller's Wife's Grandfather, who drove it for decades. At one time the engine was rebuilt before the owner passed away. The seller had inherited the car, which had been stored for over fifteen years. At one time the seller had wanted to completely restore the car, but he had lost interest in the idea and thought it was best to sell it. Talking with the seller, I felt he was in that stage of life where he wanted to simplify his life.

Although the seller was younger than me, I can't fault that sentiment.

Bill Mitchell's styling triumph established trends that lasted into the 1970's.

It is a pretty neat car, but it is pretty worn out. The body is straight with only a few noticeable dents. The paint is faded, the chrome work is pitted and rusted. The interior is worn down and dirty. The trunk is locked and since the seller couldn't find the key, he removed the rear seat back to access the parts that are stored inside.    

Oh, it smells like an old car.

You can see the added gauges and the added speakers for the 8 track stereo that the previous owner installed. In many ways this car reminds me of my '51 Jaguar Mark VII, it was a car that was in steady usage for decades, but was not restored or cosmetically maintained by the end of that time. Then the car was moth balled, for a couple of more decades. Luckily this Cadillac was stored in a barn.

I don't think that my Wife would want to go for a ride.

The front seat looked pretty rough, that battery was used to start the engine when I was there. It fired right up and settled into a smooth idle. 

The back seat area looked even worse. The floorboards looked to be quite solid.

It would take a lot of cleaning to make the inside of this car bearable to use without a feeling of disgust. All the door panels are there and mostly dirty, but intact. I saw the missing window and door cranks in a box on the floor. Maybe the panels could be steam cleaned and stained a darker color?

Perhaps a set of sturdy seat covers could be sewn up using some Army surplus woolen blankets? 

Dynamat and generic auto carpet could be used to recover the floor.

The bottom edge of the trunk lid has the most obvious rust. This could be fixed properly, or I could use POR 15. I know that it works.

The rusty areas of the bumper could be scrubbed and polished with Simichrome, and the worst areas could be sprayed with silver  paint. I'd done that before and it goes along way to making a car look presentable. I read on a forum that the bumpers can be wrapped with a chrome looking vinyl. Certainly something to think about. 

It is a handsome car.

I told the seller that I would be interested in making the car into a driver, and would never attempt to restore it. While all the trim is there, it is in very poor shape. The die cast parts are pitted badly. It would cost a fortune to replace all that bright work. The head liner is gone, and the seats are toast. Of course the car would need the braking system and other mechanical systems gone through completely, the wiring would also probably have to be redone. But the engine appears to be in good shape.

I went to Kanter's online parts catalog and found that most common parts like water and fuel pumps. starters, generators, and brake master and wheel cylinders were available and fairly reasonably priced. I've done a lot of auto rewiring, so there's no need to pop for an expensive aftermarket wire loom. Still it would take a lot of work, and a bit of money.

Is this car just a sad piece of junk?

No, but it would be a foolish mistake to buy a car in this condition and then decide to do a full restoration.

The guys on the ACCA forum would call this a parts car, they don't think that any car warrants a full restoration anymore. It would probably cost around 100,000 dollars, over twice what the car could be worth. 

When I got home, I told my Wife that I liked the car, and if it was selling for 500 dollars, I would have bought it right then, but not for 7,000 bucks. I didn't make an offer at the time, it doesn't make any sense to throw out an offer unless I'm seriously interested in it. 

I'm going to follow this car on CL, I'm pretty sure that the seller will be reducing his price over time. I don't think that there will be a long line of buyers queuing up for their chance to own this car. 

The '40 LaSalle that I'd gone to see, earlier this year, had originally been listed for 10,000 dollars. By the time I went to see it, the asking price had been reduced to 7,000 bucks. It was still listed on CL for another month or two, before it disappeared. I don't know if it was sold, or if the seller had just pulled it and will relist it at a later date. And that was a nice car, running well with a redone interior and nice trim. My issue was really whether or not I wanted such an old car.

I've still got that guy's phone number.

There is a very nice '41 Cadillac coupe listed currently on CL for 24.5K/offer. This is a restored, show level car. Truthfully that 60 Special could not be brought up to this level for just 25K. 

Wouldn't it make more sense to buy something like this?
The hard truth is that it would end up cheaper in the long run.

My plan for the '41 Cadillac that I went to see, would never produce an example like this. I would hope to clean it up, redo the seats, and maybe paint it. Would it be a good idea to buy it, even if I could get it for 1,500.00? 

It depends. I would have to be satisfied with a pretty rough car, even after it was rehabilitated. Once it was back in good mechanical condition, the cosmetics could be improved over the years, bit by bit. 

My '66 Riviera was never restored, or even repainted, though I spent quite a few years improving it. I used that car extensively and without apology. Maybe I'm just past the stage where I can, or should be satisfied with a rough driver. It looks a lot less appropriate to an old guy. It just kind of marks him as a bit peculiar and eccentric. 

 If I really want an old car, I'd give the guy with the LaSalle a call and see if it is still available. I told my Wife that perhaps someday, someday, the stars might align and that LaSalle and I might end up together.

She got quite a laugh out of that. It's no wonder that Men don't open up and share their feelings!

 Getting the '96 Mustang ready for sale. Part two.

This was the long section of hose.

This process has been a bit unusual, because these events are happening almost in real time.

I started this job almost two weeks ago. I first posted about the repair last week. I had started the process at the beginning of the week that I posted.  The car has been up on jack stands all this time. A couple of days after I posted, I was still trying to install the passenger side upstream oxygen sensor. 

Without success.

I just could not get my hand far enough up to turn it, and get it started. Working upside down under the car is probably the worst situation. I ended each day with a bunch of familiar aches and pains.

It looked like there was plenty of room on the driver's side, and I was right. I removed and installed the sensor in about fifteen minutes. 

I thought that it was a better idea to concentrate on the most difficult side. Though I was frustrated, I didn't get mad, I just kept plugging away. 

Luckily I could just stop when I got frustrated, since I didn't need to use the car.

This was with the medium section of hose.

First, I tried using a section of fuel line that I taped on the sensor, so that I could turn it. I'd been doing that for years with spark plugs. You don't want to cross thread them. However I couldn't find any success. I spent six hours on one day. I tried a long section, then a medium section, then a short section. Again with no success.  When I was finished for the day, I got cleaned up and told my Wife that I'd spent six hours in what was equivalent to trying to screw in a light bulb! 

ARRRGGGHHH!!!!

The heat shield I spoke about last week wasn't a factor. I'd gotten my orientation mixed up, the heat shield was actually a bracket to hold the sensor connector a safe distance away from the exhaust.

To the right of the green connector is the 
starter, next to that is the bung.

What do you do when you need some ideas? You look it up on YouTube!

I watched a lot of YouTube videos trying to glean some hints.  

It looked like the only way that I was going to be able to do the job would be by removing the starter. There were quite a few videos on that subject, and this was a pretty difficult operation with very limited access,

I went out today, Monday, and thought that I should just button up what I'd removed. So I re-installed all the bolts I'd removed back into the chassis brace. Then I decided to investigate how bad the access was to remove the starter.

It was quite a tight fit.

I saw that in one video, that the repair guy removed the right front wheel on a 2000 model, and found a opening in the body, under the plastic inner fender liner where he could insert a weird, right angle ratchet extension wrench. I couldn't find a similar opening on my car.

I also saw that some guys could access the starter bolts by placing a long extension in from the front, in the space under the exhaust manifold and the cross member. I couldn't get my 3/8 extensions through that space. 

 After that, I figured that I'd do the easier two downstream sensors for now. I raised the rear of the car another three or four inches, which gave me a bit more space to work.  These sensors are right out in the open, and were very easy to remove and replace.

After that success, I thought I'd give another final (?) attempt to replace the passenger side sensor without removing the starter. Which I really did not want to attempt.

 After watching several videos, I realized that the best way to remove the starter is by dropping the exhaust down pipes and the mid pipe unit. I wasn't prepared to do that, so I decided to give it just one more try. I had just gained some practice replacing the downstream sensors, and had familiarized my "touch" at screwing those in. 

This time I decided to try the bare sensor, without any "aids."

The "bare" sensor.

I squeezed my left hand in, over the top of the starter and squeezed three fingers of my right hand through the narrow opening, holding a bare sensor and fed the end into the bung. I held the sensor up with my left fingers, and turned the sensor body with the index finger and thumb of my right hand. I also turned the sensor body by turning the faceted collar with my left index finger. I kept a tight hold of the sensor which would try to unscrew itself, as the wire lead tried to untwist itself. I would stop and let the wires unwind themselves. I could finally feel, and see the threads engaging. I took my time, and worked slowly and steadily and eventually seated it as far it would go by hand.  

This is the shorter 7/8 wrench that worked the best.
The socket was not needed with this car.

I used the smaller of my 7/8 open wrenches to firmly tighten down the sensor. The open jaws are much slimmer than on the longer wrenches. The short length was also a better fit into the cramped available space. 

Success! Finally, and believe me, it was a very hard won victory! 

After this, I decided to call it a day, I could put away tools, lower the car and clean up the garage, ...tomorrow. 

That's just what I did. 

After I finished cleaning up after myself. I took the car out for a test drive. After twenty miles of mixed driving the car ran fine, it seemed better than ever, with no CEL light. 

Success at last!

Now, what's that funny sound coming from under the hood of the Riviera? 

It's always something!