Beautiful Dreams

      Looking back on the many Mustangs that I’ve owned in the past, some still stand out as the most beautiful. The one on my mind today is the lush red 2013 GT that I had ten years ago. Many features of that car made it a beautiful piece of the long Mustang history.

     The rich red tri-coat paint color was beautiful, and made the many classic Mustang styling features really stand out. The great looking hood vents, the position of the lights in the grill, and the classic position of the headlights gave it a beautiful frontend look. I loved so many things about that car. Every time I see a picture of one of those models, it brings back beautiful memories.

My Book

 My book; “Grab Some Gears - 40 Years of Street Racing”  is a car enthusiasts history of how I got started at an early age, and progressed through the years. It has gotten great reviews from other car enthusiasts who have read it.  They tell me it brings back great memories of their own experiences.

  You can find it on Amazon.com, read sample pages, and several reviews. Just follow this link to amazon.com;   Grab Some Gears

Just a Dream

     Sometimes looking back on my life, it seems like it was all just a dream. Especially when I think back over all the nice performance cars I’ve owned. When I think of the way things are going these days, and the younger generation growing up in these times, there’s not much chance they will ever have the kind of car experiences I had in my lifetime.  Everything is so different now, and the direction things are headed in the future, maybe my life was all just a dream. 

    The best parts of my life story can be found in my book, just follow this link; Grab Some Gears

Mustang Monday

      Follower’s of this blog, or my social media accounts, are well aware that my favorite vehicles are Ford Mustangs.  Today is the start of a new week, so it’s Mustang Monday again.  As I looked through my photos, I realized that I have been sorting through this file for several years now. I keep adding new photos, and deleting out some old ones, trying to save the best collection to use on my social media posts. This is the one I’m selecting for today, hope you like it. 

Ford Friday Favorite

      Being a lifelong Ford fan, and especially Mustangs, I need to include some other Ford models once in awhile. Today I’m posting another great photo of a Ford GT from a few years back. This model, in this color, has always been a favorite of mine.  It’s a perfect example of a “ Ford Friday Favorite “. 

     To find my book, follow this link; Grab Some Gears

Time Travel

      I’m not talking about the version from the movie world, going into the future, or back into the past. Our normal lives sometimes seem like time travel. The years go by so fast, and it gets faster the older we get. Looking through photos to post for “Taillight Tuesday” today, that came to mind again, as I was thinking about how old some of these car models really are, I remember when they were new.  Time travel is an everyday thing for me now, it seems. 

          Ford GT,  from many years ago.

Frontend Friday

      We have made it through another week, it’s time to relax and look forward to a great weekend.  For us car enthusiasts on social media, it’s “ Frontend Friday “.  Like many parts of the world, cooler weather has started to move into our area, and bringing changes to our daily routine. It may be shorter days and cooler weather, but we just need to make the best of it. Find a way to enjoy what we have. 🎃

Taillight Tuesday

      For those of us who follow X on social media, it’s “ Taillight Tuesday “ again.  I always try to find the best Mustang photos from my collection to post on my page, and this one today is a great one.  I hope all my friends approve. Have a great day everyone.

Distractions

      The latest news has informed us of a new war going on in the world today.  People can’t get along anywhere these days.  For those of us who have to avoid stress, for health reasons, we have to avoid even watching the news. When I see a news clip, or political post, on social media, I skip over it as quick as possible. I still manage to see enough to stress me out. 

      The best defense I have is finding pleasant distractions.  Looking for positive images of beautiful landscapes, and pictures of the best performance cars of the world. These things help relieve the stress and anxiety. And going for a drive in my Mustang is the best distraction of all. 

About My Book

      The reason I started using social media over 10 years ago was to let other automotive enthusiasts know about my book. Now I just have to add a reminder post every once in a while to make sure any new followers know about it.  

     Anyone interested can find it, and read sample pages, just follow this link:  Grab Some Gears

Sunday Shelby

      Many of us automotive enthusiasts like to post our favorite car photos on the social media sites we use on a daily basis. For some of us, today is “Shelby Sunday”, time to find our best Shelby photos, and post some on our media page.

     The main reason I started using Twitter and Facebook years ago was to let the automotive community know about my book. As I became more familiar with the car enthusiasts who were on these platforms, I developed a great appreciation of the many excellent car photos that are posted every day. The photo I'm including here today is a great example.

    Anyone who may be interested can find my book by following this link; Grab Some Gears

                         Sunday Shelby    ( X - Twitter photo) 

Fading Fast

     The title of this post sounds like it may be referring to the personalized license plate on my car, but it’s more about the car itself. The happenings of the last few years make it seem like the type of performance cars we have enjoyed in the past are coming to an end. Everything is going electric or hybrid, it seems, with the vehicles some of us love fading fast.

     My wife and I have a hybrid sport utility vehicle ourselves, as a daily driver. It’s okay, and the 40 mpg around town gas mileage is great, but it’s not the kind of vehicle that has my heart. That would be the yellow Mustang parked next to it in the garage. I’m not looking forward to the day that we can’t buy a traditional performance car anymore. And I feel that day may be coming sooner than we think. Better enjoy them while we still have them.

      My 2015 Mustang GT , near my home in Southern Utah.

Arches National Park

      Road trips are something I’ve always liked to do, especially in my performance cars. But, sometimes the destination is more important than the mode of transportation you take to get there. The place I have in mind today is Arches National Park, near Moab in Eastern Utah . 

     I’ve been there several times over the years, but not very recently. The area is filled with spectacular scenery, and great views in any direction you look, but the park is world famous for the awesome rock arches.  There are many, some small, and some very huge, you could put your house under them with room to spare. If you’re ever in this part of the world, check it out.

    Arches National Park in Eastern Utah  ( X - Twitter photo )

Zion National Park

      Zion National Park is a beautiful place, not far from my home in Southern Utah. It is a great place to visit, and one of my favorite places for photo shoots of my cars. I haven’t been there for a few years now, because of the Covid stuff, and some other issues that had me very busy, and not much time to myself. Zion has great hiking trails, beautiful canyon views, and lots of other things to explore. Sometimes it’s pretty crowded with tourists, it’s a very popular place.  Something to put on your list, if you’re in this part of the country. 

             My 2015 Mustang GT in Zion National Park. 

Mustang Fast

      Many of us have always enjoyed fast cars, and for some of us, it’s been a big part of our lives. The picture I’m posting here today follows that idea perfectly. But, it’s not just the fast cars that are on my mind now, it’s how fast the time goes by these days. 

     I guess it’s the same for all of us, as we get older, the time just goes by faster and faster every year.  It seems there is not much we can do to slow down this life, we just have to do the best we can to enjoy every day we have left.

     That’s what I plan on doing, and if fast cars are part of my life, I plan on enjoying them for as long as possible.  Hopefully for many more years. 

              ( Twitter - X  photo) 

Automotive Masterpiece

      Cars have been around for over a century now, and they have come a long way in that time. Every car enthusiast can point out a few that are among their favorites.  We all can name many that we find exceptional, in one way or another. Many are a beautiful work of art, or a top performance icon, and some a combination of both.  I spend a lot of time enjoying my automotive obsession, reading about cars, and enjoying all the great pictures available on social media these days. 

    Any time I’m put on the spot to name my all time favorite, there’s always one waiting in the back of my mind, that rises above all the rest. That would be the iconic Shelby 427 Cobra roadster.  My favorite of all time is an “Automotive Masterpiece “. 

     Anyone interested can find my book, just follow this link: Grab Some Gears

Mustang Monday Memories

      For some of us automotive enthusiasts, we have been Mustang fans since they first came on the market in the spring of 1964. I was just a teenager at the time, and Mustangs made a big impression on me, from the very beginning. One of my friends was lucky enough to have one in the first year they were available, and my mom got her first one in 1966. They have been a part of my life for all these years.

    I have owned many great Mustangs over the last 50+ years, and many of them were very great performance models. Only one was a Shelby.  My 2007 Shelby GT 500 will always hold a special place in my heart. I had it for six years, but only put 12,000 miles on it in that time, then I sold it to a collector.  It will always be one of my greatest Mustang memories. 

Future Frontend Friday

      The future is always uncertain, and especially for us car enthusiasts who continue to wonder what kind of choices we might have in the next few years.  We continue to hope that there will still be a car available that we would like to own, and be fun to drive. In our near future, I still see a few exciting choices that will be available, but out ten years, I just don’t know. Hopefully the smart people have some good ideas for the type of vehicles that can be produced in the next few decades. 

     Anyone interested can find my book at this link:  Grab Some Gears

                       2024 Mustang   ( Twitter photo ) 

Seriously Summer

      When you live in the northern regions, with long cold winters, summer is always a long awaited time of the year. It’s finally time to get out and enjoy some sunshine and outdoor activities. Time to head to the beach, or to the mountains to enjoy some camping. Summer is something everyone is looking forward to for months.  

     For those who live in the hotter climates, summer can be something a little more intense. Almost too hot to handle. For these areas, when summer comes around, it’s “ seriously summer “ . Something to be endured carefully, with caution to stay safe during the hottest part of the day. That time has arrived again for us living here in the American Southwest. Keep cool everyone.

The Road of Life

      “ The Road of Life “ usually refers to our journey through life, all the ups and downs along the way, and the many challenges we all face as we make our way through the years. For those of us who are lifelong car enthusiasts, there have been many actual roads that have left an impression on us along the way. As any readers of my book, or longtime followers of this blog will remember, I’ve had some interesting experiences on the streets and highways over the years.

     A few 150 mile-per-hour runs are permanently etched in my memories, along with some side by side racing experiences that I will never forget.  But many of the memories I cherish the most are the countless road trips I have made over the years. I have always loved my cars, my wife and family, and the many road trips we have made in this lifetime. Everyone should do their best to enjoy The Road of Life . 

     Anyone can find my book, just follow this link; Grab Some Gears

              ( Twitter photo )

      

Dare to Dream

      This advice is mostly for the younger car enthusiasts who are still looking toward the future, and wondering what they could possibly own that would be their dream car. Even us older people,  who have had many great cars in our lives,  can still dream of the next great car that would be fun to own.  

    Sometimes the future looks pretty uncertain, especially when it comes to the type of cars that will be available.  We may sometimes wonder if there will be anything that great in the automotive future, that will be exciting to own, and fun to drive.  Things may change, but I still believe we can all keep our hopes up, and “ Dare to Dream “. 

                          ( Twitter photo  )

The Love of My Life

      When I first saw this photo on a Twitter post, a few weeks ago, it had an instant impression on me. Maybe it was the pretty blonde girl who reminded me of my beautiful wife, or the young boy dressed as a pilot, who reminded me of my many years associated with the Air Force, but this photo really had an impression on me. 

     We were not quite that young when Jackie and I first met, but the US Air Force was a major part of our married life from the very beginning.  After I completed my active military service, I did many other things for a few years, then went back to work for the Air Force for many years.  All of those things make that photo seem like it could have represented the start of our own life. It reminds me that Jackie is “ The Love of My Life “  and our story could have started that way.

     ( Twitter photo )

Picture Perfect

      If we all had our way, everything in this life would be perfect. Nothing out of place, everything running smoothly, and nothing to disturb our perfect existence. But, that’s not the world we live in. Every day there is something out of place, not going the way we would like it, and adding more stress to our lives.

     My obsessive, compulsive nature, makes this fact very apparent to me, and adds more stress to my daily life experiences. Though I do the best I can to keep my life in order, there is always something new coming up that needs to be worked on to correct some stressful situation.  The least I can do is keep my car nice and clean, at least something in my life can be “ picture perfect “.

Sunday Best

      Sunday has a tradition of bringing out the best in all of us, including our choice of favorite cars. Based on the popularity of the car photos that appear on Twitter in recent months, it would appear to me that the new Shelby Mustangs are well loved. In past years, it was the older Mustang models that were the most popular.

     My own personal favorite has always been the 1967 Shelby GT 500 models, but I do have to admit, the newest Shelby Mustangs are very good looking cars. Times have changed, and maybe the younger generation of car enthusiasts prefer the newer models.

      Late model Shelby Mustang  ( Twitter photo ).

My Home Town

      Of all the things I post on my blog, my favorites are the things that highlight my love of cars, and my appreciation of where I live.  I have mentioned many times before, that I feel very lucky to live in a very beautiful area of Southern Utah. A perfect place to enjoy my love of driving my car in beautiful country.

     Also, anyone interested in my automotive history should check out my book. You can find it, and read sample pages, just follow this link: Grab Some Gears

Way to Travel

      We just returned from a road trip to a wedding and back, about 1800 miles, in a SUV.  You do what you have to do for your life and family.  But, being a life-long “car guy” , it was not my preferred choice of transportation.  I thought about it over and over again on the drive , what fun that would have been in a great performance car.  I can imagine what it would have been like making that trip in a sharp new Shelby GT 500.  Great interstate highway, through miles of beautiful mountains and countryside, in a cool car ???   The Shelby would have plenty of room for my wife and me, and some luggage.  It would have been perfect.  Still in my dreams.   😎

                      Perfect travel transportation. (Twitter photo).

Frontend Friday

      Today is Good Friday, and also “Frontend Friday”  to us automotive enthusiasts who regularly post our favorite car photos on Twitter.  The photo I’m posting here on my blog today is of a 427 Cobra , one of the greatest performance cars of all time.  I’ve never actually owned one, but I used to think some day I might have a 427 Cobra “kit car”.  That has never happened, and now seems very unlikely.  I see plenty of them in the car shows I occasionally attend, but they are very impractical for me personally.  I guess they will just have to stay in my dreams.  

             The iconic  427 Cobra   ( Twitter photo ). 

Tell Your Story

      Most people have done some interesting things in their lives. Maybe nothing history making, or things that would make them well known to the general public, but things that you would like future generations of your family to remember about you. That's the reason for my book.

     For a big part of my life, from my teenage years into my 50's, I was involved in racing cars, from the street racing scene to the drag strips, I enjoyed racing my performance cars.  When I got the idea to write a book about my performance cars and racing activities, I thought it would be of interest to other car enthusiasts, and it has been. But in recent years, I wanted to make sure it was something I could leave for future generations of my own family, just to remember who I was.

     Anyone interested can find my book, and read sample pages, just follow this link; Grab Some Gears

Timeless Taillights

      When a car company can use a similar styling feature in a particular model of vehicle, for well over fifty years, it can be considered “Timeless”.  That’s the case with the taillights of most models of the Ford Mustang. 

     This photo I have chosen to post today is of my 2015 Mustang GT, in a nice location over looking my home town, here in this scenic area of southern Utah.  As with many Mustang models over the years, it has the traditional three section taillights, and they blink in sequence when the turn signals are used. 

Mustang Monday

      This is always a great day for most of us Mustang fans, it’s another “ Mustang Monday “.  I like to post the best photo examples I can find on my Twitter page. For many of us long time Ford fans, the BOSS 429 is one of our favorite cars of all time. 

     This beautiful photo is perfect example of the type of car that most of us Mustang enthusiasts dream about.  It’s also the perfect color for a “ Blue Monday “.  

         Beautiful  1970 BOSS 429.   ( Twitter photo ) 

Twitter Changes

      Over the last few weeks, Twitter has been making some changes to the way they track our activities. They are doing a better job of tracking our likes and dislikes, of the kinds of posts we see popping up on our page. When all this first started, I wasn’t sure if I liked what was going on, but over the last few weeks, I can now see that some improvements are being made. With all the technology available today, it’s easy to imagine that with the right people working on it, things can get better. 

      The kind of photo I like seeing pop up on my page.

Taillight Tuesday Tradition

     There are some images from the past that are permanently fixed in our mind. Some of them from as long as 50 years ago. Some of the scenes from the movie American Graffiti are a permanent fixture in my memories from long ago.

     The style of street racing portrayed by that movie, was a part of my life for many years.  I even wrote a book about it. Anyone interested can find it by following this link;  Grab Some Gears

       Scene from the movie "American Graffiti" .

Ford Friday

      Friday is finally here, especially welcome if you’ve had a stressful week like I’ve had. Time to post a few photos of neat cars on Twitter.  It’s “ Ford Friday “ after all, my favorite time of the week. The car I’ve chosen today is this sharp looking Ford GT, that just happens to be in one of my favorite colors.

     I hope everyone has a great weekend. Don’t worry, winter can’t last forever.  Anyone interested can find my book by following this link; Grab Some Gears

Best of Twitter

      It’s time to remember the reasons we started posting our favorite photos of great cars on Facebook and Twitter. There were many reasons that these types of social media became important to us, and many of our friends, for a lot of years now.  Things were going great, and in the last few weeks, things have begun to change, and not for the better.

     In the past few days, I have seen posts from many of my friends, indicating their frustration with the direction things are going on Twitter.  Many of them are ready to end their association with this social media site. I’m still undecided.  We’ll see how things go in the next few weeks. Have we already seen the  " Best of Twitter " ???

The type of car photo I love to post on Twitter.

Mustang Monday Again

      It’s “ Mustang Monday “ again, and finishes off the first week of the new year.  I want to start the new year right by posting one of my favorite photos, and one that I’m very proud of.  It’s one of my best in recent years, from a great photo shoot trip to Zion National Park, from a few years ago. 

      I got a lot of great shots on that trip, many of which I have used many times on Facebook, Twitter, and  here in my blog .  That is a very beautiful area, with great photo background almost any direction you look. The perfect place to showcase my 2015 Mustang GT.