Racing in the Street

      About 40 years ago, singer Bruce Springsteen had a song out titled; "Racing in the Street".  I wasn't aware of it when it first came out, but, the mid 1980's  was a time in my life when I was often involved in street racing.  At the same time, my youngest brother was also involved in street racing of motorcycles. He discovered the song and introduced it to me. It was perfect how that song portrayed the street racing lifestyle.

     About 15 years later, I would publish my book about the years I was involved in that lifestyle. The other day, I brought up the old Bruce Springsteen song on YouTube.  It's amazing how much I still relate to that song after all these years.

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

Catch your attention.

      While setting at a red light the other day, I was watching as the cross traffic came through the intersection. Car after car, SUVs and minivans, and nothing that would attract the attention of a car enthusiast.  Nothing that would inspire a young person watching to become a car enthusiast.  

     What a difference from when I was young. Back in the old days, as young people were getting close to becoming new drivers, the streets were filled with interesting cars.  Many different styles and colors, with plenty of two door hardtops and a few convertibles mixed in. Always something to grab our attention.

     With some of my grandchildren reaching that age now, its sad to think that there is almost nothing on the streets today that would inspire a young person to become a car enthusiast.  With the lack of young people showing up at the car shows, It makes me wonder if we are a dying breed. 

     Follow this link to check out my book: Grab Some Gears

   Kind of cars on the streets when I was young   (Twitter photo )

All Time Favorite

      We never get tired of seeing great photos of our all time favorite cars.  That is a major reason I spend a lot of time on Twitter, and follow some of the best auto enthusiasts pages, especially those who post the best quality photos.  I’m always happy to see a great 67 Shelby GT 500 , still my all time favorite cars.

     Being a car guy all my life, there are many cars I love, some old, and some new. Many models I have owned myself, and many I have admired from a distance. But the 67 Shelby will probably always be at the top of my list. 

     If you want to checkout my book, follow this link: Grab Some Gears

     1967 Shelby GT 500   ( Twitter photo).

How Many Years

      The question has come up several times in the last few weeks, how long have you been a “car guy”? For me, it has been most of my life, well over 60 years.  I had enough experience with many kinds of motor vehicles, well before I was actually old enough to have a drivers license.  One of my first jobs, while still in high school , was detailing cars and doing light mechanic work. Anyone familiar with my book will also know that I was also experienced with some amature racing activities by that time.

    By any definition, I have been a “car guy” for most of my life. Many other car enthusiasts have similar stories of how their lives have gone. The vintage picture below is of me and the 66 Mustang I owned during the first couple years of my married life, while I was still in the Air Force.  That was just one of the long list of great cars I have owned over the last 50+ years. Yes , I am a "car guy".  You can find my book by following this link;  Grab Some Gears

Clean Cars

      About a week ago, we were having a very windy day, and by the afternoon, the air was filled with dust. That continued well into the overnight hours. Sometime in the middle of the night, we had a short rain shower. It was just long enough to mix with the dust in the air, and put down a serious mud bath on any vehicle parked outside, and everybody's house windows. The next morning, as we got out onto the streets, it was easy to tell which vehicles had been parked outside the night before.  Some of the dirtiest cars I've seen in a long time were driving around on the streets. They had used windshield washers and wipers so they could see out the windshield. The car washes around town had long lines waiting to get in. But, it was obvious several days later, that many people had made no attempt to wash their vehicles.

     That was a week ago now, and it's surprising to me to see how many dirty cars are still running around town.  I have wrote about this before in this blog, but, to many people, their vehicle is just a transportation appliance, and they don't care how they look.  Many people have nice garages, but park their vehicles outside, because their garages are filled with stuff. Just a big storage unit.  I have owned four different homes with garages in the last forty years, and they have always been a nice place to park my vehicles. Maybe because I have always been a "car guy" , and I like my vehicles to be kept clean and polished. 

    My 2015 Mustang GT  -    "clean as usual".

Road Trip Ready

      It's been a long, problem filled, couple of years.  We all need a break.  We need a change of pace.  We need to find something to put a smile back on our face.  I'm thinking I need a road trip.

     The Mustang is setting in the garage, clean and polished, ready to go. I'm lucky enough to live in the middle of some very beautiful areas of the country, with plenty of nice little two lane highways, that travel through miles of those beautiful red rock canyons.

     Just as I have mentioned before in this blog, I have also wrote stories about in my book. You can check it out, and even read sample pages. Just follow this link: Grab Some Gears  

    My 2015 Mustang GT  -  along one of the roads I mentioned above. 

Shelby Sunday

      For us Mustang people who post on Twitter, this is “Shelby Sunday”.  We always see plenty of great Shelby photos appearing on these days. I’m one of those people, always the best ones from my files will get posted, of the many different types, almost every day.

     As far as Mustangs go, I have owned many through the years.  A lot of high performance models, but only one Shelby.  The red 2007 Shelby GT 500 pictured below, was my pride and joy for six years. During that time, I only put about 12,000 miles on it. That will probably end up being the greatest car I will ever own.  

     To check out my book, follow this link: Grab Some Gears