Automotive Poetry Part III

Ugly, often overlooked, and loved by a feeble few
Left out to rot, out to die in the withered pains with no protection
No love, no care, not a shred of affection was give to me as a child
The media looked down on me, announced I was a danger
I had anger problems, they said.
I would never amount to shit, they said
But my parent's didn't listen.
Instead they blessed me with brothers and sisters
Ugliness runs in the family, they said
"Good lord, who could love these ugly babies?"
It was almost a chant, but words don't die.
Instead, they fill me inside, making me sadder and sadder.
"I wanna die", I would scream at night, hoping someone would love me
Someone would care, someone would adopt me, someone would give thier support

But I know what being ugly feels like.
Face it, I've lived with this, for so long, I can't escape it
It's part of me that will not die, no matter my age.
And I know what being a midget feels like, trust me.
I've been made fun of by others,
Ridiculed by Bill, hated on by Lee, laughed at by some Japanese guy
Whose name I forget, but still.
Chastised by my own country, my own government, and it hurts
I think my mom and dad took note.
I was killed at age 10, and I think it was my parents doing
At least I lived longer than my brother, who I never really got to know.
But I will say one thing, though.
I appreciate everyone who lets my legacy live on.
I love you, I need you, I want you.
How come you couldn't have been there when I was born.

To feed me, love me, hug me, kiss me.
Oh that's right. I'm ugly. And that's all I will ever be.


Love,

Ford Pinto

Minneapolis Street Sightings: GMC Rally Van STX

Uusally, my quest for old iron leads to me to typical 1960s GM or Ford fare, or classic British roadsters. Seeing old trucks is a rare sight, and vans are even rarer. I still see 1980s vintage vans, but seeing one older caught my attention.
As I got closer, I noticed this wasn't a run of the mill big GM van. First off, the headlights are circle, instead of square, meaning its older than 1982, but that's the only key feature I was able to note. But, unlike most vans I see, this particular version had a 4 speed on the floor. Again, unlike most vans, this one is a passenger model versus the often-seen cargo-van.
The body is great shape for a Minnesota vehicle, with no obvious rust or pitting. Sure the chrome trim is a tad weathered, but hey, it's nearly 40 years old. The trim and badges are not only still intact, but they're all there. Quite amazing, really. The design of these things is timeless; it still looks relatively modern.
Unfortunately, as with most older vehicles, this particular Rally Van is missing its factory hubcaps, but again, I think it looks better without them.
I don't recall much about the interior, save for the stickshift. I didn't get to look inside much, not only because the neighborhood I found this in is kind of seedy, but my height plays a factor too. I am too short to actively see inside without standing on the vehicle. Oh well. Still a good find nonetheless.

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Automotive Poetry Part II

Growing up in suburban cities, yeah it was fun, but time consuming
Always being rushed to do this and that, with no rhyme or reason, just go!
Go get me some coffee, will ya? And when you're done, go grab me the paper.
No hard task, right? It shouldn't be, really.
But do this over and over, and it gets boring, really quickly.

I was born to run, born to scream; I was born to live life to the fullest.
Not to be a servant to someone who doesn't care who I am,
Or what I was born to do, who I was born to see.

I wanted to be like my brother, whose heart was strong and steady.
Bigger, too, of course, but that didn't matter. I wanted to be like him.
Energetic, happy, and let free when wanted.
Instead I was forced into a life of chores.
Day in, day out, it was the same shit, over and over.
Being forced into a life of slavery, of being pushed around, being told what to do.

I wish my life would've been different, and now it is.
Trapped in a graveyard, with my brothers and sisters beside me.
The small ones, the bigger ones, the older ones, the younger ones,
But not the one I aspired to be.
He's nowhere to be found, nowhere to seen.
None of us have heard from us since we got here.
I miss him, and I'll never get to see him again.
I hope he misses me too, because he does know I exist.
We've talked before, but sadly this is the last time.
I love you, man, I really do, I'm gonna miss you, too.
I just want you to know I'll be looking down on you from above.


Yours Truly

wrecked Prelude SH speaking to Acura NSX

Minneapolis Street Sighting: BMW E30 325ix

Certain cars just have cult followings, for mere reasons ranging from styling, power and performance related to cost, affordability, even factors ranging from how rare a certain color or option is can affect a car's cult following. America has cars such as Model Ts/As, GM F-Bodies, and Ford Mustangs, as well as Corvettes. Japan has their Mazda rotaries, Nissan 240SX/Silivia and Skyline, Toyota has the Celica and Supra, and MR2, and Honda has its CRX. Germany has, Audis, Porsche 911s, and last but not least BMW E30s.
Produced in droves, the E30 was available in almost any bodystyle one could wish for. Coupe? Check. Sedan? Yep. Convertible? Of course. Wagon? Rare, but yes. What is it that makes these cars so popular? A variety of things, really. Clean, simple styling, and a cheap secondhand price for starters. A wealth of aftermarket supports means the possibilities of modifying an tuning an E30 are endless.
You can make em rally cars (as learned from a Polish correspondent on a car website I visit), they make great track cars because of their relatively lightweight and big engine bay, they can tuck 18" wheels with ease, and of course, if you're into the whole "show car" thing, there's plenty of bodykit makers to suit your fancies.
This version, while obviously not the much-acclaimed M3 variant, is nice its own right. Packing a 168 horse 2.5L straight six, this thing is likely pretty quick. I bet it handles nicely, too, especially with stock tires instead of stretched tires, like what's often found here.
Unlike most non-enthusiast owned examples here, this 325 has nice, clean paint, with no serious rust or beater damage. It's not sitting in someone's yard unloved, nor is it rolling around the city clanging and wheezing to life. Unlike the majority of them here, this car doesn't sport the ugly smaller wheels. Instead, it rocks the cleaner BBS-designed wheels. Like the paint and body, the wheels are in nice shape for their age, though I'd clean the brake dust off if I could. The last aspect of this particular car to note is the trim; none of it appears broken, or even damaged. The chrome seems new, and even the oft-faded BMW roundel on the hood seems to be in great shape for its age.

Automotive Poetry Part 1

As you know, I love cars, and obviously, since I have this blog, I love writing about cars, too. I enjoy all forms of writing; stories both fiction and non, short stories, and poetry. I do write poetry (and alot of it, too) and I thought it would be fun to showcase my work. I will try to post one a day as I write them, but currently I have a few on backstock. Here is my first one. I hope you like it.



TAKEN

As I lay here waiting, one wonders what will happen to the rest of us
trapped inside this barricade, finished off with steel girders and barbed wire
blocked off from view of the public, citizens and officials alike

I hear my sisters heartbeart; lively and spirited at first, like she was when young
but as the minutes of torture drag on, her heartbeat gets weaker.
First its a slight cough, then it turns into wheezing, then nothing.
I can't hear her anymore, and my brothers are all dead,
"It's a mercy killing I swear", I try to scream but I can't.
No one will listen, they'll think I'm crazy

They said something about population control, like we need to be regulated?
Please.. there's more important things to worry about,
maybe figuring out who the real terrorists are?
or howbout finally figuring out this world hunger?
But instead they kill us off, by the thousands no less

What did we ever do to hurt anyone?
All we did is helped other people get on with their daily life,
and maybe drank a bit too much, but that's no reason for mass-murder
At least not in my eyes. But I can't speak from the prospective of them.
They're cowardly, government officials who believe that
controlling population means more than dispersing us, it means murder.
And I can't change that.

I dread my days end, for I know it is near.
I did alot in those thirteen years, I went to Colorado, Florida, Maine, Alaska,
I saw the Mississippi, the Boundary waters, and even Niagra Falls,
Hell I even got lost and took my family on a great tour of muddy desolate North Dakota in rainstorms.
I've watched a generation of kids grow up, and the youngest should've taken me to college,
but the President said no. The President said "no, you can't take her, she's too old"
So my caregivers found a replacement, and left me to die like my fallen soldiers.
To the family I cared so much about; it hurts to see you don't cherish me like I did you
I guess some things were never meant to be. At least not in my lifetime.
If you gaze into my eyes, and rip out my innards when I'm dead
maybe you'll began to understand.
If you don't, that's okay. We all have to face death someday. I just died a painful one.
-Cash for Clunkers from the point of view of a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee TSi

Diecast of the Day: ERTL Oldsmobile Cutlass SX

This model is AWESOME. The level of detail at this price point (sub $40) is INDCREDIBLE to say the least. For one, the hood hinges are proper, realistic scissor-type hinges that rival PMA for detail and intricacy. Secondly, the usually good-at-best ERTL paint is extremely well applied, to my surprise, it's deep, rich, and equally applied throughout with no areas of splotchiness.
The interior is nice, too, with accurate looking gauge-binnacles, and the wood dash looks well done as is the steering wheel. While it is good-looking, ERTL unfortunately made the mold a bit huge. The seats are nicely replicated, too, and almost seem real--at first glance anyway. Overall this Olds is one of my favorite models I've gotten this year. It's well-done, great-looking, and it displays beautifully with other Oldsmobile and muscle cars, even from more premium diecast companies. I highly recommend this model to anyone who seeks a good, but budget, muscle car diecast that isn't the garden variety Chevy Camaro.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Datsun 1600 Roadster

Usually, when I find older Japanese cars, it's something sort of mundane like an older Z-Car or perhaps a Toyota Celica or Supra; I was not in the least bit expecting this! I'm a huge vintage Jap car nut, so you can be assured I was crazy for this cute little roadster.
First off, the paint on this thing had great "patina" if you will. Not shiny at all, but not beat-to-shit either. Like the paint, the chrome had the same finish; all the badging was correct, yet it showed the test of time. Faded, pitted, but still intact.
The fact that this thing survived up here in our hellish winters still amazes me to no end. I don't think I've seen one before, much less one in our salt-hell-hole-of-a-winter state. Honestly, as of late, this has been one of my better sighting, both picture-wise and subject-wise. Here's hoping I can reshoot it with my Nikon!

DIecast of the Day AutoArt Honda Integra Type-R

I have to admit, this was honestly an impulse buy. I wasn't intending to get this, but I was on the fence about doing so, and have been for the last three months or so. I've always loved Honda's/Acura's Integra lineup of coupes and sedans, and I have always kinda wanted one in diecast form. Well, when my AutoArt arrived, I was a happy man.
The paint is FLAWLESS, and the details are amazing. I mean, Honda logos in the wheelcenters, and the correct badging on the side even! Wow! The paint color goes GREAT with the car, too, showing off the lines like no other color can. What impresses me the most though, is although some of my AAs exhibit a slight orange peel effect, this example exhibits none. It truly is, in my eyes, a wonderful example of a wonderful little Honda.
Unfortunately, I didn't get pics of the inside, but trust me, it's every bit as good as the exterior is. I had tremendous fun shooting this little guy, and despite my love for bugeye Imprezas, and my love for small roadsters, this ITR just might be my favorite pickup of 2010 so far.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Austin Healey 3000

It seems this summer I've been on a roll with finding bloggable iron (or fiberglass should I DOTS a Corvette). I think focusing on quality over quantity has honestly helped me step my car-game up. Quite a lot actually.
This Austin Healey, while I'm just now blogging it, has been a daily sighting for a little over a year now. I know where it lives (well where it parks anyway), so I rode my bike down there and grabbed a few shots.
The paint on this thing is gorgeous; there's nothing else like two-toned, classy paint on an old British roadster. Nothing. I mean, sure, one can argue that there are "nicer" cars out there, but really that's subjective. While I like muscle cars, too, there's a certain a flair, a certain sportiness, that comes out with a foreign car. Maybe it's that sense of class versus the brute force you get in a muscle car. Who knows? Anyway, back on subject.
The green and off-white combination looked amazing. Not a scratch, ding or dent. That alone should tell you how much this car is loved; even the badges are in great shape and show no signs of aging or deterioration. While it is driven almost daily, the perfection of the paint and trim sure doesn't show it.
Same can be said for the immaculate wire wheels, and oh-so-awesome other chrome bits. Seeing this car in person is a whole nother level of awesome that photos cannot describe. Even though I likely cannot fit in it, I am stunned every time I see it drive by. It's simply amazing that cars like this were built.
Like a wise person once said, they sure don't make them like they used to. I'd MUCH rather have this little roadster than any convertible made today. That's not saying much per se, but point still stands. I love this little Healey.

Diecast of the Day: Gate Mazda MX-5 Miata

So, being a nut for small, Japanese cars, a Mazda Miata seemed perfect for Colin", thought a friend of mine. He got it for me for my birthday, and what a surprise it was. I opened it with nervousness, and a slight worry that it may have broken, but no. It arrived intact.
I love the first generation MX-5, as do I the second gen. This model is a premature model, so to speak. Made under Gate, this model isn't quite AutoArt level of detail, but I love it none the less. The paint and fit and finish are quite good for a model of this age, and although this casting does show signs of aging, it's nothing major. The red shines under any light, and the painted on Mazda logo is quite a nifty touch. The wheels/tires are nicely replicated, too, and finish off the exterior quite nicely.
The interior isn't bad either, although it lacks the finer details. Inside, all is matte black, from the stuck-up e-brake lever, to the shifter and steering wheel. Honestly, I don't mind that so much, as exterior is my favorite part about models; I love cars with good lines, and this little Roadster has quite nice lines.
My only main "gripes", and if you could calls those gripes, are the lack of license plates (no big deal, I can make my own), and no Mazda logo on the steering wheel, nor on the wheels. Again, no biggie. Overall, I love his decision to get me this. It fits in with my other Japanese roadsters quite well, but now I need to find a couple more, and maybe a second gen to go with it. :)