Just some cars that I've had, some that I remember fondly...

Up front is my roommate's Grand Am. (Strippo model, 5-speed 2.4l DOHC with no A/C) Dominating the picture is his '73 S&S Superior hearse. It's a BIG mutha. Next to it on the left, you can just barely make out the roof of "White Trash" for size contrast. We used to joke that we should just open up the "container door" of the hearse, set up ramps, and drive the RX-7 in there. Hearses make excellent hauling vehicles thanks to the rollers and adjustable bier pins in the cargo area, and there is a lot of storage space beneath the deck and behind the seats, too. Plus, and let's be honest, they look killer. The rotating amber light is still operational. I keep telling him to take it out to Norwalk and make passes with funeral flags on and the light flashing. He keeps saying no though. (They'd probably allow it - I know someone who is a vollie fireman with lights on his Dodge turbodiesel (runs 15.5 - YOW) and the track officials keep asking him to make runs with the lights on. Norwalk is a really cool track) To the right you can see my '76 T-bird and BARELY make out the Isuzu.

Here's a closer look. The green car in the back is - was - "Big Bird", my first car. Lumpy cammed 429 in a 4800lb cruising missile. I drove this car everywhere except a drag strip. It was quite fast at any speed except below 20mph, thanks to the 2.77 gears in the 9". I eventually flattened the cam lobes which sent crud through the engine, eventually winging a rod out the block. It would still get up past 100mph easily with the blown engine. I bought the silver '76 ("Bass-o-Matic '76") for $300 for the engine, but the body turned out to be in better shape so I drove it instead. It was an electrical nightmare (hence the name "Bass-o-Matic '76" - watch the Saturday Night Live skit and you'll understand) though, and a month after I bought it I found the '80 for $750 so the T-bird got parked. To the right is a very rare beast - an '85 1/2 Isuzu Impulse Turbo. Automatic. ("Suzi" aka "The Bitch") The Turbo was introduced in the second half of the '85 model year, (Suzi was born in May) and only 1908 Turbos were imported to the US in '85, dunno how many were automatic. It was in good shape body-wise until some jerk rearended it in the shop parking lot. With a snowplow. That pretty much sealed the car's fate. I bought the car for $100 with a blown timing belt. Replaced the belt (hey it ran, so much for the 4ZC1-T being an interference engine, eh?) and it overheated within 5 minutes. Pressurizing the cooling system. Tried various types of block sealer to no avail. Pulled the head and found deep cracks between the #2 and #3 exhaust ports and the cooling system. (As well as 2 bent intake valves and 4 dented pistons - but it ran great!) Got another head, had it pressure-tested, crack inspected, and milled to make everything perfect. New head bolts, new radiator, the works. Ran great. Drove it up to get it E-checked, passed with flying colors, drove it back to the shop, a week later went to drive it home. Overheated within 5 minutes. Yanked the head - deep cracks in the exhaust ports for #2 and #3 cylinder. Much cursing. It's a beautiful car and is a born drift machine (I never experienced it understeering, just very controllable oversteer) but JEEZ, the cylinder heads are crap. (Rather difficult to remove, too, unless you do like me and throw away the P/S pump) #2 and #3 exhaust ports are next to each other like on a small-block Chevy head and I figure that the close proximity, combined with the TINY turbo (IHI RHB5, more suited to a 1.3-1.6l) results in thermal overload and cracking. Maybe a larger turbo would help head life - I'll never know. All three of these cars went to the junkyard in Feb. 2001, thanks to some city ordinance that cars can't be parked on grass long-term. I grabbed the carbs and some speed parts off of the T-birds, and the turbo and intercooler from the Isuzu. The turbo would be great for a small front-driver (4-cyl Metro/Swift, Festiva, etc.) or maybe even a 1.6l Miata.

This isn't a car, but it's important too. My trusty Schwinn. S[9 six].40. Steel front triangle, aluminum swingarm. The only stock components on the bike are the cranks, front derailleur, frame, and the AD-4 shock. Everything else has been upgraded, and the bike, while still a tank, is trnsformed. Biggest upgrade was the wheels - contrary to what Jobst Brandt claims, light wheels DO make an incredible difference. Anymore this bike has 1.5" slicks and I use it as a road bike, since the local roads make quick work of a true road bike's rims, tires, and tubes. I hate walking home with a backpack full of groceries. Also seen is "Cthulhu", He Who Sleeps - the '87 RX-7 GXL. (Also automatic - hey SOMEBODY has to buy 'em)

The first RX-7 I've had. $500 car, thought it was flooded. WRONG. Blown rear apex seal. The owner only put 78,000 miles on it in 10 years of ownership - no wonder the engine died. Rotaries do not like infrequent driving. The owner also said she likes her new Saturn SC2 much better. Now, granted, I like Saturns too, but this tells me she drives lightly. Rotaries do not like to be driven lightly. The paint's a little eggshelled and the brakes have gone down, and the radio's electronics are futzed, but everything is there and, for the most part, is in great shape. It will be a nice cruiser... someday. It's been sitting in the garage for the past 3-4 years, just gathering dust.