Hot Rod Evolution

The "king of clubs" car show and drags were last week.

It's a perfect deadline for local hot rodders

to finish up their projects.

This coincided with the dire need for rubber on the wife's ride.

A definite "holey chit" moment 

when I noticed the rear tires treadless surface!

Maybe part conscious procrastination,

but really needed to make sure the daily passed smog first.

At the tire shop,

a slew of east county hot rods were getting tuned up.

Always good to see a coupe 

making passes down an open industrial street.

The rear tucks down,

the suspension twists as it loads up...

It got me to thinking.

Were these traditional hot rods?

Nah, not by a long shot.

These were more like power rods,

they would definitely kick my ass off the line.

Each car had a little funkiness going on,

a result of mishmashing old and new parts.

Still ya gotta appreciate a good runner.

TP

lady workhorse

I've called this place the sweat factory many times before,

definitely hasn't changed.

This time I did nothing.

No oil change or tune-up,

just checked the gas cap for cracks.

The numbers were surprisingly low,

passing way below the averages.

Now we may have the lady workhorse 

for another two years!

Time to give her a little attention.

I had mined a clean motorcraft alternator 

at the last junkyard visit.

The battery light was starting to flicker every now and then.

Out of the dozen or so Crown Vic's,

this was the best one.

That is the key to a budget daily driver,

pick a model that has cheap and readily available junked parts.

This custom tension bar is a key tool,

although a breaker bar may have worked.

Even with the late summer daylight,

projects always end up with a single bulb!

If Jaxon's lucky this may be his first car.

Actually that would make his mom the lucky one,

that is if she'd give it up.

TP