The newsletter is a monthly collection of stuff of interest to car hobbyists. If you wish to submit an article or photo please go to the Submissions Page for info.
From Fred
You can {almost} stop complaining about the red hot weather as it is now September and time for fall, football and some cooler cruising in the old car. This month is packed with cruises and shows and you can attend both on any weekend. When it's December and January you'll wish you had attended more of the events while the weather was nice. In fact some of the best attended car events are in September and October. Check out the calendar and have some fun at an event.
Fall is a great time to travel and the prices of motels at some of the "hot" places have come down a couple of bucks. I like nothing better than hitting the road heading off to see some car events and museums I've never been to before. This month I plan to see the AACA Museum in Hershey Pennsylvania. I've heard a lot about it but have never been able to make it there until now. I'm sure it will be very interesting. If you are planning a fall trip then I suggest you include a car event in the planning.
~ Fred
Here's an all steel coupe I spotted at a cruise-in
This is an 80s or 90s Thunderbird with a fiberglass 49 Ford front and rear ends. I think the kit is made in Pennsylvania. This was one of the better looking conversions I've seen.
News You Can't Use ~ 100% True
In Atlanta a guy walked up to the drive-in window at a Wendy’s wearing a ski mask and carrying a gun. He asked for and got the cash drawer. Later he called that same Wendy’s and said "next time there better be more than $586." Police said he called a second time with a similar warning.
A 42 year old married woman with 3 kids was known in the neighborhood as “hummer mom” because she gave kids rides in her Hummer. She is facing 67 sexual assault charges for having sex with 13 and 14 year old boys that she picked up in that Hummer. The sex occurred in the Hummer, a motel and even her home. One of the mothers of the boys learned what was going on and called the cops.
Police in New York State stopped a man for running a stop sign. For some reason the cops decided to check his trunk where they found his cat "marinating" in oil and peppers. The cat was still alive and he claimed he was getting it ready to eat. He also told the cops the cat was pregnant even though it was a neutered male. The guy is facing animal cruelty charges and his cat is up for adoption to a new owner.
A Washington State man went into a Native American collectibles store where he shoplifted items including one worth over $10,000. He was doing OK until he hopped into his car to leave. It was then the store owner realized the guy had stolen stuff. The thief’s car ran out of gas 50 feet from the store. Police are calling him the "Bad Luck Bandit". May be he should fill the tank before going out on his “shopping trips.”
Car thefts have fallen nearly 20% in 2 years because of new technology, aggressive cops and aging crooks, among other reasons. Car insurance has been getting cheaper because of the lower thefts. Laredo, Texas has the highest auto theft rate because it is on the Mexican border. Be glad you don’t have to pay their premiums.
She's looking for her ride.
Do you recall "Melrose Place" original cast member Amy Locane? She lives in New Jersey where she ran into a car and then drove off weaving and knocking down mailboxes. In fact the driver of the car she hit followed her until she ran into another car turning into a driveway. Locane killed the wife of the man driving that car and she has been charged with second-degree vehicular homicide and DUI.
Iowa City police responded to a report of someone being aggressive and punching cars on a Sunday night. When they arrived the guy had punched another guy because he wouldn’t hug him. The guy had just punched and dented the hood of a car – not the kind of guy anyone wants to hug. The police have arrested him and they determined that he was drunk.
Dine-and-dash is the rage at the late night restaurants. Two women – who appeared drunk – ran out on a $39 bill at the Waffle House. Unfortunately for them they left both their purses. One woman returned for the purses but wouldn’t wait for the cops as the manager asked her to do. The police arrested them later. One of the purses even contained a check stub where they had ran out on another Waffle House. Call them “The Waffle House Bandits”
A Pennsylvania man robbed a bank wearing a woman's blond wig, fake breasts under a sweater and clown pants. He used a toy BB gun to pull the robbery. When the police arrived they found him in a car outside the bank sitting there covered in red dye. He had taken the car from a woman but when she left she took the keys so all he could do was sit and wait for the cops.
This happened in Richmond and I’m not sure why. A guy in a SUV was filling it with gas when a mini van driven by a woman ran into it right at the gas pumps. A man got out of the mini van and started beating the SUV owner. The man even pulled a knife and threatened to kill the guy. The woman in the mini van pulled off leaving her buddy there for the police to arrest.
This 1968 Camaro only has 42K miles on it
Monthly Rant ~ People Who Don’t Show Up
I put an old rusty farm truck on Richmond Craig’s List in hopes of finding someone who wanted it. The only person who contacted me was a guy in Kentucky. After talking for several minutes about the truck he made me an offer and I made a counter offer that he accepted. He said he was coming with a trailer the next Sunday.
I figured the guy might have been restoring another truck and needed the parts. On Friday I called to make sure he was coming on Sunday but got no answer. On Sunday morning I called and got his wife who informed me he had hooked up the trailer and taken off. I figured he was coming to get it so I sat around the house all day waiting on the guy. Later that afternoon I realized he wasn’t coming. A couple of days later this jerk emails me telling me what a piece of crap the truck is and how it isn’t worth his time to even come and see it.
I didn’t know what was going on with this guy. He was the one who contacted me and made an offer and stated he was coming to get it. All he had to do was say he’d think about it or just wasn’t interested. For some reason not many who answer ads can do that.
Everyone has several tales about people calling about a car or something for sale and saying they are coming over to look at it and they never show. I’ve never understood why someone would do that. If you aren’t interested in it then why say you are coming to look at it and waste the seller’s time?
If I’m not interested I always say I’ll think about it and if I decide I want to see it I will call back. Why can’t everyone be that polite? Why screw with people you don’t even know? Is it some kind of control thing?
I don’t know too much about psychology but some people out there need to get some help. Don’t waste people’s time and don’t give people the impression you’d interested in something they have for sale unless you really are interested.
Even ebay is full of people who bid on stuff with no intention of ever buying it. One thing they don’t know is that a seller on ebay can end an auction at any time and sell to the high bidder. I’ve seen people do that and I’m sure a couple of those people who bid for the “fun” of it have been surprised.
I’m just hoping that those who do this kind of crap will grow up and treat people better.
Nice looking panel
Yes, a hippie van complete with broken windshield, bed inside and check out those beads
Rent A Car - Might Get a Surprise Ticket If you rent a car you could get stung with a surprise red light ticket. Here's a quote: "Since 2008, several of the nation's largest car-rental companies have shared rental and credit card information with a division of American Traffic Solutions, the nation's largest operator of speed-limit and red-light cameras.
As a result, many renters have opened up their credit card statements and been startled to find they've been charged by the company, ATS Processing Services, for a traffic infraction they never knew they'd committed, along with a $30 administrative fee."
Don't park like this on the courthouse steps to pay your speeding ticket
I've seen a lot of things done to SBC engines but this is the first time I've seen a Toyota sticker on one
Brown Technology Powers Truck
Kettering University has equipped a Chevrolet Silverado 2500 heavy duty pickup truck to run on "brown technology". This truck runs on human waste. A second fuel tank has been installed on the truck and it contains the biomethane produced from human waste. The truck needs another set of injectors and some other modifications but it will run on both gasoline and the biomethane. The cost of running on biomethane is about $1.80 per gallon and it gets less MPG than on gasoline.
Looks like a tall T coupe powered by a Ford engine
It's a low down rusty bug
Seat Belts in Buses and ABC Stores For Sale
The Obama administration via Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is proposing a seat belt rule for commercial buses. A couple of years ago a Texas bus crash left 17 dead and apparently researchers have determined that the use of seat belts in that crash could have saved some lives. If you’re wondering about seat belts on school buses wonder no more. The federal government’s new proposed rule would be for commercial buses only and not school buses. May be the government doesn’t care about the children. The reason I’ve always heard for not putting seat belts on school buses is that elementary children wouldn’t be able to ride three to a seat.
Our governor says that soon he will have a plan to put before the General Assembly to privatize liquor sales so that a few million will be raised for road construction. This is like selling the goose that lays the golden eggs for a couple of dollars. My guess is the real reason for this is to sell liquor licenses to those who want them. Last year profits and taxes from liquor sales produced $231 million on gross sales of $675 million. The governor hopes to get $300 to $500 million from the sale. The state estimates it will cost $7.8 billion over the next six years to fix the roads. If the governor gets $500 million that would be 6.4% of what is needed to fix up our roads.
