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| OK, I like cars. From the first time I drove
alone in the family station wagon, I knew there was something special about
cars, something more than a tool to get you where you're going. For me,
even in the family wagon (a 1976 Plymouth Volare),
that simple act of driving was special. Maybe it's a control issue - I don't know, it's pointless
to psycho-babble something so simple. All I
know is that I like to drive, and I like to feel connected to my car. This page is my history with cars. |
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 1976 Pontiac Firebird It was 1981, and I was 17 years old. I worked like a dog that summer (at McDonald's), saving money to buy my first car, the Pontiac Firebird. Over the next few years, I had it painted Corvette orange, and adorned it with every car-gadget I could find. I suppose it was a little tacky (or a lot), but my teenage eyes thought it was beautiful. Yes, that old straight-6 was anemic, but that was OK at the time, being more interested in looks than speed. |
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1983 Pontiac Firebird
And "looks" explains my second car -- a brand new '83 Firebird. At 19, I came into some money, and immediately did the responsible thing... I bought a new car! The Firebird and Camaro changed in 1982, and this new model was quite a radical eye-catcher. But again, the V6-automatic was lacking something... |
1982 Pontiac Trans Am ...like the sound of a V8 engine. This was my '82 Trans Am. I drove this T/A through most of my college years, and never a winter. In fact, this picture was taken at 90,000 miles! I rather obsessed over this car, giving it about as much attention as, well, college. Over the course of five years I sunk thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours into the Trans Am. After numerous upgrades, that little Chevy 305 was a sleeper performance car. It surprised a lot of people, because the 3rd Gen wasn't exactly a muscle car in the early 80's... all looks, but no punch. |
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1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme After college, the Trans Am sat on blocks for two years, before getting sold off and (mostly) forgotten. I moved away from home, driving a much more mature-looking '83 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. However, the Cutlass was no wimp, with a 307 4-barrel V8, and looking quite tough with the Keystone Classic wheels taken from the T/A. |
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1988 Honda Civic DX
Two years later, I traded in the Oldsmobile for a '88 Honda Civic. I very much needed a reliable, high-mileage car, and you don't get any more reliable and efficient than a Civic! Still, it was a pretty fun car, with a responsive 5-speed manual. |
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1992 Nissan 240SX In 1992, I got back into performance cars with this brand new Nissan 240SX. It had a strong 140 hp, 2.4 liter 4-cylinder, with a 5-speed transmission, and rear-wheel drive. This car was beautiful and perfect. I drove it hard for 7 years, without a single mechanical problem. In 1997 I installed a Pacesetter Exhaust, and a K&N Pop-Charger, making it quite the sleeper, running faster (and louder) than ever. I still miss that car today. The 240SX is the one car I regret letting go. |
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1999 Nissan Maxima SE In April '99, I traded in the 240SX for something a little more mature - the 1999 Nissan Maxima. This was one of the better luxury sport coupes for its time. It had most all the high-end conveniences you'd expect from Nissan's flagship, as well as a sport suspension, 16" aluminum rims, and a 190 hp engine. Naturally, it was a 5-speed manual. As long as they keep making manual transmissions, I'll be driving one. |
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2000 Volvo S40 Immediately after my first child was born, I went into Protector mode. It became very important to me that my wife and child be safe on the road. So we traded in Gail's 1993 2-door Honda Civic for this new Volvo. The sense of security this car brought us was well worth the investment. And the heated seats were kind of nice, too! All in all, it was a pretty nice ride. |
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2003 Nissan Maxima SE 6MT With the lease up on the ’99, it was perfect timing to snag the best Maxima ever built: the 5.5 Generation Maxima SE (2002-2003). This mid-model refresh was upgraded to the new 3.5 liter V6, with 255 crank HP, Xenon HID headlights, a 6MT gearbox, Tokico struts and 17" rims. After a few years, I started modifying the car, a little more each year. Surprisingly, the Maxima is a kick-ass tuner car. |
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NWP Engineering Phenolic Intake Spacers Progress Engineering Rear Sway Bar Racingline Performance Front Strut Tower Brace Energy Suspension Torque Mount Bushings NWP Engineering Engine Torque Link Connector (Free) Short-Throw Shifter mod w/ES Bushings |
Apexi Pop Charger Frankencar Short Ram Intake Cattman Performance Y-pipe Cattman Performance 2.5" Cat back Unorthodox Racing Crank Pulley NWP Engineering VIAS-delete block plate |
Centric Rotors Tokico HP Blue Struts Hawk HPS Brake Pads Goodyear Eagle F1 Tires MOOG Strut mounts MOOG FSB End-links |
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2003 Mazda MPV
With our second child on the way, and an aversion to owning a Volvo out of warranty, we realized that our growing family could be better served by a minivan. So we traded in Gail's Volvo for the '03 Mazda MPV. In sheer green with a tasteful beige interior, this is an excellent and versatile family vehicle. It also sports a 200 hp, V6 engine, 16" Aluminum wheels with a road-hugging suspension, and a smooth 5-speed automatic transmission. Practical for Mom - fun for Dad. |
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2008 Honda CR-V EX After nearly 5 years of mini-van practicality, Gail called it quits and got back behind the wheel of her first love with cars - Honda. In light, metallic blue, this recently redesigned CR-V finally introduced some style and pizzazz to an otherwise excellent mini-SUV. The EX model comes loaded with lots of welcome features, like a sunroof, 6-CD changer, stability-assist and enough airbags to float a barge with. The 4-cyl engine is plenty strong for confident driving, while providing great gas mileage at the same time. With luck, this Honda may be with the family for a long, long time. |
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2011 Infiniti G37S 6MT
The last Maxima served me exceptionally well, but after nearly 10 years, it was time to move onward and upward. The Infiniti G37S Sedan 6MT is an uncommon car. It's 3.7L V6 has 328 horsepower, matched to a proper RWD drivetrain and a limited slip rear differential, with a sport suspension, sport brakes (that are nothing less than heroic), sport seats, and every luxury feature imaginable in contemporary car. I adore driving this G37S. Best. Car. Ever. |
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1967 Plymouth Fury II This gorgeous hunk of Mopar Iron was my long dead winter car, a 1967 Plymouth Fury II, originally owned by my Grandfather. It had a 318 small block with a 2-barrel carburetor, bench seats, and nothing but wind where there should have been floorboards in the trunk. I kept this thing running on a shoestring budget, with soup cans and wire hangers. |
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Road Trip Animation I got creative with an old digital camera years ago, and did so almost entirely by accident. Afterwards, a friend suggested I could make a really cool animation out of this picture. So I stitched together this homegrown animated GIF. Click here to check it out. |
 Ken Carlson's Jaguar Here's another GIF animation that was a bit more intentional. My buddy Ken and I got together one morning and did a photo-shoot of our cars, all with the intention of creating animated GIF's of the cars traveling down winding roads. (No this cow here is not KC and his Jag, but I thought it was kind of funny.) Click here to check it out. |
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