RideLust

Remember yesterday when I was talking about old vs. new? Well, Jalopnik recently posted this video comparing an old 1980 Ford Escort Mk. II rally car against a new, and thoroughly modern Ford Fiesta rally car. The results themselves are not surprising as the old Escort is no match for the Fiesta. What is interesting though are the impressions from the father and son driving team of Gwyndaf and Elfyn Evans. So, if you could choose, which one would you rather have in your garage?

Source: Jalopnik.com

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It’s good to see that gymkhana guru Ken Block understands that he still needs improvement when it comes to open road and WRC style rallying. I mean there is no question that the guys got some serious skills, but I think he may have bitten off a little more than he could chew when he first entered WRC. This is why I’m finding it pretty cool that he went to Snoqualmie Falls, WA and the Dirt Fish Rally School to get in a little practice in his HVHF Ford Fiesta. Now, for those that don’t know, Snoqualmie Falls, Washington is the same place that the TV series Twin Peaks was filmed back in the early 90′s. Even though it was a good show, it unfortunately didn’t make it past 2 seasons. Regardless though, watching Block slide his Fiesta around a dirt course in the same place the TV series was filmed is just as entertaining as it’s always been.

Source: Autoholics.com

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Thumbs Up: Goes like a V8, drinks gas like a V6.

Thumbs Down: Interior not up to Ford’s usual standards.

Buy This Car If: You want a sporty but (relatively) frugal AWD American sedan.

The American motoring public had never seen anything like the original Ford Taurus SHO, launched in 1989. It was a genuine sport sedan, in family sedan disguise, built and sold by a major U.S. automaker for thousands less than the competition from Germany. It featured a Yamaha-designed, 24-valve, 3.0-liter V-6 good for 220 horsepower and mated only to a five speed manual transmission. Quick for a sedan of its size (by 1989 standards, at least) the SHO could dash from 0 to 60 in just over 6.5 seconds and topped out at 143 miles per hour. The original SHO was a huge hit, and Ford had no trouble selling through its build quantity of 15,519 units. Read More…

It would’ve been so much easier if I was just into video games or something because there are times when being a car guy totally sucks. You see I don’t just like cars, I love them. In fact every aspect of my life revolves around them. I write about them, build them, race them, film them… hell, they encompass everything I do. Who knew that back in the day when I was playing with Matchbox and remote control cars that it would turn into an obsession that has taken over my life. The problem is this; I want everything, but the fatal combination of a writers salary and lack of space prevent this from happening. Sure being in the industry helps, as we get to drive press cars and go to different automotive related events, but still, that doesn’t change the fact that I jones for something different in the garage on a daily basis. Take this near perfect 1972 Ford Galaxie 500 that I spied recently on eBay. Folks, if I had the money this sucker would be in my garage tomorrow. Sure it’s big and cumbersome, but it’s a classic piece of American iron that I would love to use as a daily driver. Maybe it’s because it’s different, or maybe its because cars like this remind me of my childhood growing up in the 1970′s. Whatever the reason though, road yachts like this always get my blood pumping.

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Well it’s official, the Ford Raptor is now the baddest dude on the block. Not only is he big, standing a few feet over his competitors, but he’s as graceful as a ballerina and as capable as a billy goat. Seriously folks, if you are looking for a jack-of-all-trades pickup truck, then this is your boy. Senior Editor of Jalopnik, Mike Spinelli, recently took to the rock lands of MOAB, Utah to test out just how capable the Raptor truly was. He spoke of its new torsen limited-slip front differential, its new grille-mounted camera with a wide-angle lens, and the fact that these two things together helped them get “straight up Oprah’s Butt”, a feet that is, without a doubt, an accomplishment for any man or machine. But hell, don’t take my word on how good this truck is, or Spinelli’s for that matter, just click through for the video and watch for yourselves.

Source: Jalopnik.com

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Say what you will, but from 1975-1985 just about every car built by an American auto manufacturer was a major pile-O-crap. They were underpowered thanks to smog regulations, employed awful materials and at days end, simply didn’t have the quality of our overseas competitors. That didn’t stop the big-3 from trying to sell them to us though. Take this ad for the 1978 Ford Granada ESS for example, a car that back then, was one of the worst offenders. Manufacturers knew that their products were substandard compared to the rest of the world and in an effort to get us interested they tried to take the easy way out by copying the big boys. The Granada for example came with a slick-as-snot vinyl interior, cheap plastic knobs and an engine that was as far from reliable as you could get. I suppose in reality trying to get the public to view them as something that they weren’t was their only hope. Unfortunately though, it didn’t work out to well for them. Click through to see what I’m talking about.

Source: Hemmings.com

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OK, here’s the deal. I’ve been researching and driving just about everything I can get my hands on in the hopes of finding a new daily driver/track car. It’s a tough thing I know, but as it’s really my only hobby, it’s a decision that is not to be taken lightly. The car will probably see anywhere from 10-12 track days per year with a nice 7-day stint running in the 2012 One Lap of America. What that means is that the car in question needs to be comfortable enough for my 6’4″ frame, large enough to carry a weeks worth of luggage and fast enough so that I can potentially keep up with majority of the people that run in the advanced group. Thus far I’ve narrowed it down to two cars; a 2008 or better Chevrolet Corvette or a slightly used BOSS 302 Mustang.

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Honestly, I would love to say that I’m getting sick and tired of watching Ken Block’s videos, but the truth is they’re all really great fun. Whether he’s hooning around playing gymkhana on a closed course, rallying in WRC or simply doing some testing, Block has a way of creating the type of automotive fun that we all wish we were a part of. I’m sure the following video is nothing extraordinary to Block and his team as for them it’s just part of their daily duties. For those of us though who are stuck behind a computer all day, well… let’s just say that Block has a better job then most people.

Source: Youtube.com

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A few years ago American auto manufacturers were all gung-ho on producing crazy muscle-trucks for the performance truck enthusiast. There was the Dodge Ram SRT-10 with a 510 hp V10 mill, the Chevrolet Silverado SS with a 345 hp V8, and finally the Ford SVT Lightning with it’s wicked cool side-exit exhaust and supercharged 340 hp V8. These were not work trucks mind you, however if you wanted to haul some serious ass, then either one of them would’ve fit the bill just fine. As good as they all were on the road though, these titans of high-speed hauling were just plain awful when the tarmac ended. They were all two-wheel drive, had performance based suspension systems and, at days end, came shod with low-profile tires on larger wheels. My following question then is simple; why the hell did this bonehead enter his Ford SVT Lightning in a full-on truck pull? Hell, even the event announcer seems to be confused. I mean I understand that you want to have fun, but Jesus, at least bring the right tool for the job…

Source: Youtube.com

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There is no glory in owning an American car from 1979. They were slow, cheaply made and for the most part, ungodly ugly. Combine that with the fact that the late 1970′s were the age of the automotive add-on and well, you can see where I’m going with this. Stickers, rear window louvers and continental kits were all the rage here in the U.S. and because of this some of the most tasteless vehicles of our time were created. Take for example this 1979 ford Thunderbird that was recently for sale on eBay. To give you an idea of how bad things were back then, just take a look at the following photos. First off you had acres and acres of hideous orange leather interior, 15-inch wheels with faux-spoke hubcaps and an external continental kit with spare tire that added an additional 2-feet to the cars already massive wheelbase. Now don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a part of me that digs this big land yacht, however there is also a part that knows that it should’ve been torpedoed before it ever left the dockyard.

Source: eBay.com

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