My Automotive Passion

We all have our passions in life, some more important than others, but passions none the less. Number one of the important passions in my life is my beautiful, loving wife of over 45 years, Jackie. My life would not be much without her. Also, we have great kids, and grand children who are an important part of our world.
There is another passion in my life, different than family and loved ones, but a passion almost as strong and enduring. For well over 50 years, I have had a fascination and love of cars, performance cars in particular.
Over the years, time spent working on, cleaning, restoring, modifying, pampering, racing, and just everyday driving of my cars, I count as some of the most enjoyable, quality time of my life. One of the main reasons I wrote my book, was to try to explain these things to my friends and family, and to share those experiences with other like minded enthusiasts, and anyone who just may be curious about our hobby.
It is sad to think that many people go through life without ever having an opportunity to find and enjoy a passion they would really find rewarding. I feel very lucky to have found mine.
To check out my book, follow this link; "Grab Some Gears" .

My 2015 Mustang GT, my current passion.

The Automotive Legend, 427 Cobra

I've been a "car guy" for over 50 years. From about the age of 14, I really started to notice the cool cars I would see on the roads, and especially those I would read about when ever I got a hold of a car magazine. Growing up in a small, rural, mid-west farming town, the cars pictured in those magazines were way more exotic than anything I would see on the streets. I would see the occasional GTO, Mustang, Camero, and the like around town, but nothing like what I saw in the magazines. But none would ever steal my attention like when I got my first look at a 427 Cobra.
Legends were created when Carroll Shelby gave us the Cobras, and first Shelby Mustangs, but, the legend of all time was created when he brought us the 427 Cobra roadster. Who else would ever have the guts to put a 427 Ford V8 in a small aluminum sports car, and make it available to the public?
Somewhere in my wildest dreams, I hoped I could someday own one. As the years went by, it became obvious that I would never own a real 427 Cobra, but the arrival of the kit car industry made it possible that I could own a clone. Eventually, I enjoyed many high performance cars, but the Cobra never seemed a practical option. I can look back with pride at my automotive history, but there will always be a place in my heart for the 427 Cobra.
For more of my story, check out my book at; Grab Some Gears

The Legendary 427 Cobra, in Polished Aluminum. (internet photo).

The Dodge Side of the Garage.

Readers of my blog are well aware that I am a long time Mustang fan, however, there is another side of Darwin's Garage. The Dodge side.
In the past few years, in addition to the Mustangs,  we have also owner two Dodge Chargers, a dark gray 2013, and our present white 2014. These are nice size cars, especially when you need to carry passengers, and they are comfortable to travel in. They are one of the only 4-door sedans that can still pull off the "muscle car" persona on the streets. And, they have about the coolest taillights of any car on the road at night.
Readers of my book may also remember that a couple Dodge Chargers played a big part of my street race history from the beginning. Two of my sons are Dodge Charger owners as well.
New comers to my blog may want to check out my book; "Grab Some Gears  - 40 Years of Street Racing"  just follow this link; Grab Some Gears .

Our 2014 Dodge Charger in the red rocks of Southern Utah.