Looking Out From the Garage

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Trans-Am...  For most people, they think of Pontiac Trans-Ams…  Some think about the SCCA racing series.  I think about both… but the cars I think about are the Trans-Am racing cars from the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were pure race cars, but they started life as production cars.  Rather than being tube structures wrapped with a body that resembled a real car, they were real cars that were modified to be racers.

When one starts talking about muscle cars, the year 1969 pops up pretty frequently… but the era from 1968-1972 has to be one of the coolest for Trans-Am junkies.  The street cars that came from that era were the stuff of dreams.

• Ford competed with Boss 302 Mustangs…  The 1969 street version was raw and didn’t like low-rpm cruising.  But it rewarded the driver when it was pushed…
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  Chevy rolled out the Z28 Camaros as their weapon of choice.  It had a unique 302 that was also kind of a temperamental beast.  Overshadowed by the 350 and some of the larger motors, the 302 Chevy was a high revving racer… built to the 5 liter SCCA spec.

• Chrysler brought out the Plymouth AAR Cudas and Dodge Challenger T/As
• Of course, AMC had their Javelins and AMXs.  Mercury did battle with the Cougars and Pontiac brought the Firebird into the fray.

Any muscle car fan has to respect that sort of line-up…  The stars certainly aligned.

My Concept…

Several of the key players are back. Dodge has a Challenger.  Cevy has a Camaro.  Ford has never let the Mustang go away.  So, why not build a trio of these retro-muscle beasts…  And then race them.

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I’m not talking about tube-frame race cars that are all but identical under the skin, with just a different engine and body template, but real production based racers with limited aftermarket parts.  Limit them to normally aspirated 6.0L engines… no turbos or superchargers.  Require that the engines be ‘stock’… and that the company has to sell 1000 of the model (Mustang, Camaro or Challenger) wit hthe same engine.  Transmissions and other drivetrain parts have to be similar to stock… And the suspension would have to be ‘bolt-on’ changes only.

Interiors for the race cars could be stripped, fenders flared a little and the ride height would have to be within a couple of inches of stock.

The REAL concept cars would be the factory built racers that would be for sale at the dealerships…

And I think it is safe to say that the manufacturers could have a line for the 1000 cars.  AND a line for the races.  Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.

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I like a little minimalism…  Back when I was a youngster, I had a few cars that were very bad at compromise.  They were fast… but less than comfortable.  I didn’t care… I wanted the performance.  I drove my autocross car as a daily driver.  Race on Sunday, Drive to Work on Monday.  For a long time, my Jeep was a trail rig and it was what I had to drive home.

Back when Panoz was introducing their first car, the Panoz Roadster, I photographed the first one while doing an assignment for the SCCA.  Loved it… cycle fenders and a big engine.  The Lotus 7 has been a favorite of mine from the time I was a teenager.  And when I caught on to the Ariel Atom, I was hooked.  OK, not hooked enough to talk my wife into it… but I really want one.

And it is high time that a major manufacturer took one of their sport offerings and amped it up in a MASSIVE way.  This would be a step beyond Dodge Viper or Chevy Corvette ZR1… and even more than the incredible Ford GT.

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Since it looks like Dodge has axed the Viper program… and the Corvette ZR1 is already a world beating beast, Ford should be the company to make a move… kind of a GT, without all of the extra junk like a windshield, doors, bodywork.

Can you imagine a 600hp street-legal sports racer than weighs less than 2000lbs?  The Ariel Atom, with a 2L 4 cylinder can go 0-60 in 2.7 seconds…  It weighs in at 1100lbs, and develops 300hp in supercharged form.

A little steel, some carbon fiber, a touch of aluminum and some seriously sticky tires… it might be able to hit 0-60 times faster than superbikes.  And 0-100, too.  I don’t think that a properly sorted vehicle like this would have too many issues getting close to 2.2 seconds to 60 and 9 seconds to 100mph.  And the braking would be incredible with some good technology and a complete lack of weight…

It would be really fun…

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Last year I was in the midst of writing about some of the local businesses I try to frequent.  One of those was Millennium Cycle Works.  I dropped in one day (without my 4′ co-pilot) and talked for a minute with Ken, the owner.  After a moment to gather his thoughts, I shot a video of him talking about his business.  He is a great guy with a cool cycle dealership.

My wife still won’t let me talk her into me getting a bike… but I still have managed to get up there for a few things here and there.  My 6 year old has some gloves made for riding a dirt bike.  They are very similar to Mechanic’s Gloves… which are REALLY hard to find in sizes that small.

Here is a link to the original post and video.

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I’m surprised I didn’t get to this one sooner…

I have been a fan of surf music since I was a kid…  I love the guitar riff and the drums.  And, as a car guy, there are a LOT of great car songs from surf bands.  So, if only for the cool music, it is time to build a cool surf wagon.

There aren’t that many late model cars that could be surf wagons.  The Dodge Magnum comes to mind, as does the Subaru Outback.  But I have to go classic here…  I’m thinking a 1961 Chrysler Newport Wagon.  The ‘hardtop’ version doesn’t have a ‘B’ pillar, the post between the front and rear doors.  So, with the windows down, the space is open from the vent window all of the way to the back of the back door.  And a 413 could fit in there…

Remember, surf wagons usually weren’t the coolest rides (then), they were what surfers could afford without getting a job.  They had to have a lot of space (boards, friends, stuff).  The cool came later.

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So, in order to make this a Cool Concept, we would need to bring it…

• the previously mentioned 413ci engine with a push button automatic transmission…
• several yards of chrome in the interior… like most of the dash (in this case, that just means stock)
• air-bag the suspension to be able to drop it to the ground…
• 60s vintage mag wheels…
• I’m kind of liking this tan and black… but teal and white might be cool, too…
• maybe the door handles should be shaved…
• gotta have a board rack on the roof, too.

And just to get you in the mood…

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I like strippers…  That is going to make Google go nuts.  But before you rapidly click away, hear me out for a moment.

Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the ‘Big 3′ used to produce a few cars that were heavy on the performance options and light on everything else.  Sometimes they were hard to find, and at other times they were sitting on the dealer lots in big numbers…  They were kind of like the ‘cop car’ versions of 2 door hardtops.

Dodge turned it into an art…  There were Hemi Challengers and Coronets with rubber floor mats and no radio or AC.

I’d love to see some of those come back… and the PERFECT car to make a concept from would be a new Challenger SRT-8. This is what I would do…

• Non-descript color.  Those cars weren’t Sub Lime, Plum Loco or Hemi Orange… they were dark blue or maroon.  I’d go with dark blue.
• Dog Dish hubcaps on steel wheels.  You know the look… think cop car.  They are the little hub caps on the black steel wheel.
• I might be willing to keep the A/C, but we could dump the power seats, power windows, power door locks and even the radio.
• OK, I’m not too hip with vinyl seats… leather would be better, but that is because cloth would look wrong.
• There would HAVE to be a shaker hood…
• No chrome badges… and no badges at all on the sides.  In fact, minimal brightwork inside and out.

It wouldn’t be the cheapest Challenger on the lot, but it would be the meanest…

There are a few occupational hazards we real estate agents face… moldy foreclosures, rotted floors that we can fall through, angry undisclosed dogs, getting locked out of a house on the back deck 40′ off the ground (don’t ask).  But there is something even more dangerous…

Houses we really like… really, really like.  Ones that we can afford…

As a real estate agent, I look at a lot of houses.  Some of them are amazingly cool.  But, I’m not dropping half a million bucks on a house.  Those aren’t so dangerous…  Not to say that I don’t love the media rooms, pubs on the terrace level and the 10 car garages… especially the 10 car garages… but those aren’t that dangerous, because they are out of MY operating range.

And then…

So, I was out checking out some new cool garage homes in Gwinnett County, and I ran across this one.  I shot a few videos to use in ‘discussions’ with my wife.  Seriously, I didn’t shoot these to show the world, just one person.

The problem is that we don’t want to change schools yet…  So, unless this house is hanging out on the market in 8 months, the best I can hope for is to find it a good owner.

Not bad for about $160k…

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Mil-Spec.

It is a simple grouping of letters... it means Military Specification.  And it is one that many enthusiasts of different disciplines get excited about.  Aviation hobbyists, off-roaders, campers and others love to have equipment that is 'Mil-Spec'.

What Mil-Spec generally means is 'reliable, tough and simple'.  While there is a lot of military equipment that is very complicated and sophisticated, the components are generally quite proven, reliable and simple.  And anything that is designed for use in a battle zone HAS to be tough.

When we think of Mil-Spec, we think of Jeeps, HMMVs and deuce and a half trucks.  Black-out lights, covered toggle switches and waterproof electronics also come to mind.

Off-road enthusiasts LOVE military hardware.  The entire hobby evolved from the Jeep, built for World War II.  Reliable, tough and simple are perfectly exemplified in the original Jeeps.  One of my favorite vehicles aside from the original Jeeps is the Kaiser-Jeep M-715.  It was loosely based on the Jeep Gladiator pick-up trucks, but WAY tougher.  It was rated at 5/4 tons or 1 1/4 tons.  It came with very beefy running gear (Dana 60s front and rear, for those that are wondering).

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Chrysler actually paid homage to the M-715 by making a custom show truck/concept based on the latest JK Wrangler platform that was influenced by the M-715 from the 1960s (they were only produced from 1967-1969).

I'd like to go the other way with one... start the build with a vintage M-715, finishing it out with modern running gear from a Dodge 3500 4x4, including a Cummins Turbo-Diesel.  Back it up with the bullet-proof 6 speed manual from the same truck, and that would be the basis for a VERY tough, stout rig.  The interior would be built out with a lot of touches from the current generation Wranglers... but everything would need to be highly water-resistant if not water-proof.  After all, this is a truck with a removable roof.  And since the roof does come off, one of the first additions would have to be a tough roll cage.

What I would avoid would be all of the candy stuff... seats, windows, 10 speaker stereo, etc.  I might not mind air-conditioning... but that is because it gets SO hot here in the south... but it loses its affect when the roof is off. I also wouldn't mind a nice GPS NAV system... it would be in keeping with the 'Go Anywhere' attitude of the truck.

What do you think.

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Arcado Elementary School will be hosting a 'Round-up' on Thursday, August 12th, for boys interested in joining Cub Scouts.  The event will run from 6:30pm until 7:30pm. 

Cub Scouting is a program for boys between 1st and 5th grade.  Pack 551, the Arcado Elementary School Pack, has wonderful opportunities for boys to learn, socialize and gain experiences that they might otherwise not be able to have. 

From the Boy Scouts of America website:

Activities are used to achieve the aims of Scouting—citizenship training, character development, and personal fitness. Many of the activities happen right in the den and pack. The most important are the weekly den meetings and the monthly pack meetings.

Apart from the fun and excitement of Cub Scout activities, the Cub Scout Promise, the Law of the Pack, and the Cub Scout sign, handshake, motto, and salute all teach good citizenship and contribute to a boy's sense of belonging.

Adult volunteers are also needed.  Den Leaders and others to help directly and indirectly support Pack 551 and its Scouts can volunteer on Thursday.  Training is provided by BSA. 

Scouting is a very worthwhile activity for boys and their families.  And Cub Scouting especially, is quite family friendly.  Events are offered that not only allow parents, but also siblings to participate.  Scouts can also earn credits to offset the costs associated with Scouting, including uniforms, trips and supplies. 

We look forward to seeing you there.

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For the last few years, Arcado Elementary School has had Joe Ahrens in the top post.  He has positioned Arcado Elementary School as one of the highest ranked in Gwinnett County.  Excellent school spirit, very high test scores and a sense of community have all been fostered under his leadership. 

This year, Arcado will have a new top administrator, Penny Palmer-Young.  She is committed to continuing the performance excellence of the school. 

She was born and raised here in Gwinnett County, and graduated from Brookwood High School (she can be forgiven...  ;^ ).  Ms. Young has also spent a few years working in other schools in the Parkview Cluster, including Knight Elementary. 

As our kids enjoy their last weekend of "freedom" before school starts on Monday, join me in welcoming Ms. Young as Arcado Elementary School's newest Principal.  We are all looking forward to many more years of Arcado being one of the top performing elementary schools in Gwinnett County under her leadership.

If you haven't already, please feel free to read Ade For Al.  A simple Lemonade Stand at the local Farmer's Market in Lilburn, GA raised over $2500 for Al Real's family in just one evening.  It makes me VERY proud to be part of this community. 

As if the actual injuries little Al suffered weren't enough, now the family is having to fight for his treatment. 

To catch you up, Al Real is an 8 year old boy here in the Lilburn area.  He and another little friend were playing a few weeks ago.  While they were playing, they apparently decided to stage a toy plane crash.  They put some gasoline on a toy plane and lit it on fire.  Al suffered 3rd degree burns over 80% of his body.  He was rushed to Grady Hospital in Atlanta, which has one of the best trauma centers in the country.  After a day, he was airlifted to the Shriner's Hospital in Cincinnati, OH... they have one of the best pediatric burn units in the world. 

The treatment that the doctors want to use involves growing replacement skin for Al.  This is more than just skin grafts, it is new skin.  In effect, the hospital can grow Al's own skin in a lab, and then apply it to him.  The FDA classifies it as an experimental treatment, even though it has been around for a over a decade. 

But it isn't an insurance company denying coverage for the treatment.  It is the FDA.  They 'award' clearance for the treatment on a case by case basis.  In Al's case, they denied treatment... because they didn't feel the paperwork was in order. 

In order to get the treatment that the doctors recommend will require intervention by elected officials.  This is from the journal being kept on Al's behalf by his family. 

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 10:33 PM, EDT

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP!  I am going to work on contacting our senators about the FDAs denial of the procedure to grow Al's own skin.  I would like to have as many letters from their constituent

It is shameful that it has come to this.  This is a clear cut example of the government stepping between a boy and the treatment his doctors... the best doctors in the world... feel is appropriate. 

The good news is that since this was posted, the family has been contacted by both Senators from GA, as well as one of our Congressman and the Governor's Office.  They are pressuring the FDA to reconsider their decision.  Unlike insurance companies, the government gets to decide if they can be subject to a lawsuit.

We have to keep pressure on the government to do the right thing. 

*Just to disclose, Al's mother was one of my older son's Pre-K teachers.  I consider her a friend.