So you think your ride is pimped......
Let's hear about that bad boy....let us know what you are styling in or hoping nobody see's you in! C'mon.....here is your big chance so let er rip!

I pimped my Red Ball Jets.

Hey! Only "people of a certain age" know what you're talking about...and unfortunately, I do!

Did you add springs?

In my garage:

1958 Edsel sedan (was my daily driver)
1959 Edsel wagon
1960 Comet

Current daily driver = 1967 Dodge Dart (180K and running strong!)

BTW, I'm looking for a good late '60s or '70s Ford crew cab pickup to haul the family and trailer ('62 Shasta) for camping. Figured it was time to get something a little more modern.

OK....now I am curious...what the heck is it?

No fair talking in old code!

I didn't know either, but the answer is only a Google away:

"Red Ball Jets were made from 1951 to 1971, then the sneakers were discontinued. Red Ball, Inc., continued in the footwear business for many years, but without any sneakers in their product line. They eventually became part of LaCrosse Footwear."

FYI the Portland International Auto Show is happening this weekend (through Sunday) at the Oregon Convention Center.

Andrew

Modern iron. Boooring.

I disagree....modern is just new and different. But there is no substitute for a 1969 428 Super Cobra Jet Mach 1 Mustang now is there? Or a 1970 Boss 429 Mustang!

My first, best and worst car was the same car. Bought a 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix at age 19. (It was ten years old at time of purchase, and supposedly one-owner grandmother previous.) Drove it from Portland east on I-84 (or I-80N as it was called then) and timing belt went out not more than 24 hours after purchase, somewhere between The Dalles and Arlington. But, despite that, what a balls-out, cool powder blue Pontiac that I should have kept and restored. Instead, traded for a '79 Camaro Rally Sport (that I really couldn't afford). Insurance skyrocketed, got pulled over constantly, usually with an officer stating something to the effect of, "these cars tend to get away from you", i.e., the power of the V-8. Have since owned many more boring cars, but always will remember the Grand Prix, and the Camaro. To this day, whenever I see a '69 Prix, which is increasingly becoming more rare, it makes my day!

My ride:

1989 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ62
287,000 miles.
SOA (spring over axle) gives it 7" of lift.
35" Toyo MT tires (adds another 2.5" of lift)
Modified steering to work with added lift.
GPS
Sirius radio
Custom front bumper with winch mount
8500 lb capacity Mile Marker Winch

Planned Mods:
ARB air lockers front and rear
5.29 gears front and rear
Snorkel
Rock sliders

She gets 8 mpg but will go anywhere or over anything I ask it to!

My wife calls it "The Beast"!

I tried posting a picture as described in the Formatting section, but it won't take it. I guess that function must be disabled.

Red Ball Jets are cool, but I'm happy with my Chuck Taylors.

Paul
69 Grand Prix....Timing Belt?
Those two do not fit especially on V-8's.
Timing Chain maybe. But those don't break.....sure it was not something else?

1979 MG Midget
1500CC (Triumph Spitfire Engine)
British Racing Green
30 MPG
Unlimited FPG

Homemade trailer.

http://home.comcast.net/~amusaudio/012-640.jpg

DT,

The Pontiac 215 OHC 6 engine in the late '60s had a innovative (for the time) timing belt.

I want an old school Mini Mayfair.

Red, with the thick racing stripes and some cool lights!

I'm a huge fan of older cars...almost bought a 65 buick wildcat...until I tried finding parts and realized that with my (at the time) minimum wage income, I could not afford a car that got a mile to the gallon...slight exaggeration, but not far off.

Right now I'm looking at mid 90's mid size benz sedans.....any pointers for cool stuff to do to those cars???? I'd love to hear ideas...

I'm sorry, but I can't get my head around the idea of anything post-1980 as being "old". You don't have to convince me that I'm hopelessly out of date - I know I am. It's just that I still think of anything with fuel injection, any kind of airbag system, and/or a mostly plastic interior as being a pretty new car.

And I'm getting better at putting my biases aside when talking to people about their "old" 1995 Toyota, or whatever. Eventually every car will be an antique.

Oh, and since Amus brought up trailers, here's a Yahoo group that I moderate about old Shasta trailers. Mine is pictured on the homepage:

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/vintage-shasta-annex/

2005 GMC Envoy Denali
300hp 5.3 V-8 2wd posi-trac w/ traction control
Leather interior w/moon roof
6 speaker Bose stereo system with XM and 6-CD changer
Future modifications:
Pioneer double din DVD in dash audio system with Bluetooth for cell phone
Focal speakers to replace the Bose factory spkrs
Dual 12" Focal subs in the Back
Focal Amps for same
Lower the front end 2" and the Rear 3"
20" chrome wheels
Replace factory muffler with a new Magnaflow unit
Pen Striping

That ought to be enough for now! Now I just need to hit the lottery to do it.
Gonna do the tunes first as it has good tread right now....may as well use them up first!

Copernicus, a friend of mine, his dad has a diesel Mercedes and he also owns Don & Joe's Drive In at 209th street and 10th ave up past the Clark County Fairgrounds.

He burns the used french fry oil in his and has for years. A long time before it was ever called bio-diesel!

It truly does smell like a french fry going down the road!

They have great burgers there! Sounds like a great marketing idea...come on in for a Burger and fill er up with fry oil!

My wheels:
1988 Ford Bronco, painted what I call "bloody red" ;o)
White racing stripes running across top, with a big, white "11" on front hood
Carbuerated gasoline engine
1998 GMC stock radio/tape player pulled from Mom's 1998 Yukon (AM stereo!) and line-in, upon which is usually connected a CD player or Sony ICF36 tuned to Golden Hours
Spare tyre which was removed to make room for bike rack ;o)
Mud tyres for when I go to my folks' vacant property parcel in Goldendale
FMF Factory 4.1 Titanium muffler can on exhaust pipe (for "MX-o-cross" panache!)
Tigershark LCL navicomputer (LORAN-based.....GPS is pure evil!)
1982 Realistic CB (40-channel), which has also done work as a base station at home by simply using a 12V AC adaptor
Muntz under-the-dashboard 8-track player, just for fun
"76" ball on radio aerial
Gigantic silver Fox Fox decal plastered across pretty much the entire back doors
and last (but assuredly not least)
the "racecar" high-back bucket seats in front! (Not sure of the brand, because they came with the rig when I bought her.)

And my rig's name? "Mirth-mobile". Excellent..........

And incidentally Sutton, I have never worn Red Ball Jets (seen them, tho) but I do like my Chucks very well, too!

Darktemper, on your assessment of my old Grand Prix...can't remember if was a belt or chain, but I distinctly remember the word "timing" as the cause of me being stuck on the side of I80N east of The Dalles in 100+ degree heat!

At least that was not as bad as my old boss. He ran over a truck tire tread in the middle of the road in his 90ish Camero somewhere between Salem and Eugene on a sunday morning at 3:00am. It fragged the tranny linkage and locked it into reverse only! He had fun with that one! LOL
Reminds me of that old Burt Reynolds movie "Hooper". Remember the one when he was going 60 down the freeway backwards? LOL

Hey Darktemper......(sigh).....Yes I gotta admit the Yugo is in the shop a lot, BUT thats the price you pay for owning a fine piece of Yugoslavian Craftsmanship! I would sell the girlfriend before I sell the Yugo. Hell...My Yugo is probably more reliable than the girlfriend, and doesn't talk back either! HA! My true baby is my car!

Hey Justin....does this sound like anyone you know?
http://feedback.pdxradio.com/show.cgi?tpc=2186&post=168056#POST168056

Just for the record, I don't consider post 1980 cars as "old."

I mentioned the benz because it is very likely what I will be driving in the very near future...not because I consider them an old car.

Classics, to me, are pre-1970. I just saw a 1940's completely restored rolls royce...amazing.

I also have a soft heart for wood paneling on the outside of older cars. It was cheesy then...but gives it a vintage feel now.

Copernicus, but you have to wonder when '70s, '80s, '90s and newer are going to hit "classic" status. Right now my 1981 Chevy Beauville van (yea, I have a fleet) qualifies for antique auto insurance because it is at least 25 years old.

It's interesting to me to try and peg what makes certain eras of cars desirable. I think a lot of it has to do with the way we interact with the cars originally. For example, a station wagon was used by Mom and Dad to haul me and my sisters around, so I don't get excited about owning a station wagon until I have a family of my own. The car-collecting generation is in the "family way" right about now, and this is likely why wagons have become one of the hottest collectibles, and why car manufacturers are starting to bring back station wagons - though now they are called "crossovers."

Some cars fall out of favor as collectibles as the next generation doesn't see the charm of them. Model T's were the childhood cars of the '50s and '60s restorers, and good ones brought good prices. Now Model T prices are waning because today's generation of collectors don't have the emotional attachment to them.

Some cars defy this pattern. Model A's were affordable cars during the depression, and would normally have been used and discarded pretty quickly. But the Depression necessitated keeping them on the road for a longer time, then WWII comes and they need to be kept alive even longer. When the war ended, these cars (now 15+ years old) hade zero market value, so were just pushed into barns and forgotten. The teenagers of the '50s discovered them, restored or rodded them out, and generally had fun with them. Because these A's played an important role in the automotive history of so many generations, they have a kind of universal collectability all their own.

And on and on and on. I love this kind of stuff.

OMG....you just described today's radio Edselehr!

Let me SPLAIN:
You Said:
"Some cars fall out of favor as collectibles as the next generation doesn't see the charm of them. Model T's were the childhood cars of the '50s and '60s restorers, and good ones brought good prices. Now Model T prices are waning because today's generation of collectors don't have the emotional attachment to them."


Change up a few words and:

Some things fall out of favor with radio listeners as the next generation doesn't see the charm of them. DJ's were the childhood stars of the '50s and '60s, and good ones got paid good wages. Now DJ wages are waning because today's generation of listeners don't have the emotional attachment to them.

Thanks Dt - in fact, I've found that any situation can be clarified with an automotive analogy.

For example: The Supreme Court is like a Jiffy Lube. Discuss.

LOL!!!

That's a keeper!

OR

If politicians had to go through emmissions testing they would fail and find out that their bullshit really does stink! LOL

Or a career in DUByah's cabinet is like changing a tire and not putting the lug nuts back on....it's gonna come appart on you and you will crash and burn!

"Or a career in DUByah's cabinet ... "

Talk about a dead-end job! The Vega of jobs!

Hey! Don't smear the Vega!


(Former Vegamatic owner)

Le Car.

LeCar - The French Yugo.

I pine for a Citroen. So ugly it's cute. And it comes pre-pimped from the factory with hydraulic shocks at all four wheels.

Speaking French makes me all squishy and warm inside!

Did anyone go to the car, excuse me, AUTO show? We went yestday, I just wanted to get a look at the new Saturn Outlook, which they had up on a platform, so no touchy, no sit in.

Dumbass, stupid move on Saturn's part.

So the salesman said, "check out the GMC Acadia, which is built on a similar/same frame" around the corner. So I fell in love with that one! 12 cup holders!

I have never had a new-to-me car ever, and probably never will, but it was fun to "scratch & sniff" and imagine what it would feel like to slap that "Merkins against Bush" sticker to that beautiful bumper. A girl can dream, can't she?

(And I loved the trailer trash jerk-off parents who were letting their kids put their grimy sticky paws all over the Ferrari's. Unbelievable!)

My real dream car is a fully restored Karmann Ghia convertible! A big BMW engine in it would be nice as well.

Or the fine '57(?) red Caddy with the big fins that was also at the car show. Some teen manchild doofus was wondering where the CD player was...he asked his girlfriend "who listens to AM radio?".

Merkin
I drive the Envoy Denali and the Acadia is going to replace it. Not as big as the Yukon but slightly larger than the Envoy. Has really great leather fully heated "WIDE" seats in it. YOU WOULD LOVE IT!

Edit Add:

Way, Way beyond putting foot in mouth....now digging 6'X3'X6' hole in the ground for my funeral! LOL
Anyone got a Backhoe I can borrow?

I've been pining for a Karmann Ghia as well Mrs. M - I damn near bought one a couple of years ago, but my wife put the kibash (sp) on that. Maybe it's the old Volkswagen fiend in me, I also would LOVE a little Porsche 914 ... and trust me, I can get plenty of power out of it!

Why is it that fat guys like me drive the smallest cars? I've always wondered that, as I have driven my Bugs and other sub-compacts.

Or tall guys in tiny cars! Remember Hightower in Police Academy? Ripped the front seat out and sat in the BACK SEAT!

I had a leaning to the left GEO Metro at one time....fairly large and in charge myself!
Squirrel had a heart attack though so it breathes no more!

DT, I LOVED the Acadia, it has as much room as a _______ Yukon, I think he said? I put my big fat ass in the lovely wide heated leather driver's seat, the shotgun seat, the second row seat, AND the third row seat. Even that had tons of butt, head and leg room. And air vents for the third row? Yessss! Straps to pull those seats up and down from the rear automatic gate? Awesome, no leaning in!

I will never again have a new-to-me car without heated seats, even if it's another family hand-me-down, like every single car I've ever owned/bought. Leather is a must, due to the dogs and Baby M.

My best friend and her hubby own dealerships in Salem and the W. Valley, I'm going to ask if I can afford one of their demos when they get rid of one. Or ask (OK, beg) her to drive one and then buy hers when she's done with it in 6 months. (Must be nice to drive whatever you want, for free!)

But BrianL, I still want that Ghia as well, hey, maybe we can share one? You can have it from November to April, OK?

Look at the Envoy Denali's. You can get a great loaded used one for 2/3 or better of the price of an Acadia! Love Mine! All Leather, heated seats, electronic everything except NAV system :-(
The uderrated 300HP 5.3 V-8 (327 I believe) is nice as well.

"But BrianL, I still want that Ghia as well, hey, maybe we can share one? You can have it from November to April, OK?"

DEAL!

I have lots of natural insulation, I'll drive around with the top down!

BL, I'm probably "fluffier" than you, so maybe we better go week-by-week...and I've never, never understood why convertible owners seem to have the top up on perfectly dry and moderately nice, let alone, perfect days. Is it a hair issue? Weenies!

DT, I can't afford to feed the Denali. Maybe I better check the Acadia's "appetite" as well? I about pass out when my sis feeds her Suburban! I fill the Merkin Mobile® about every 2.5 weeks.

Hah seeing as I have no hair, I guess that won't be an issue. I'll have my people contact your people over contract terms!

Acadia will be worse. I get 18 gallons per mile! LOL
You know....a good rig for you would be a Chevrolet Equinox with leather interior. They have AWD or 2WD with the V-6 and probably somewhere about 24 miles to gallon. Nice rigs....almost bought one! Probably 1/3 the price of the Acadia!

Saturn VUE more pricey and I beleive the V-6 drivetrain is actually Honda equipment. They also have a 4cyl option that the Equinox does not have.

The Chevrolet HHR was to small for me wide body! Leg room sucked as well for driver and passenger! Nice car though!

Speaking of bad gas mileage, I gotta now go take the Bus full of yard debris to the dump to empty out the yard debris .. at 13-14 mpg.

Too bad it couldn't be fuel efficient ... like the Karmann Ghia!

DT, I need more space! You're forgetting 2 BIG dogs, 1 baby and all her "junk" including a BOB stroller, groceries (uh, wine/beer) and her 2 fatso parent's luggage and gear on a 2.5 hour haul to Central Oregon on a regular basis. I'm so tired of artfully packing the Pacer, dude! And God forbid I wanted to take another baby and Mom there sometime!

Winnebago comes to mind!

Heck just but the stuff in the back seat, dogs in the rear, and parnets in the rooftop carrier! LOL
Would make for a much saner trip I would assume!

LOL

Actually if you have not seen the inside of the Equinox they are pretty roomy.....worth a look and can be found freshly used for a good price and some still with warranty!

OK, I'll look again...Thanks!

Not that I'm anywhere close to getting a new used car, probably just dreaming of say, realistically, oh, 2030.

Oh wait, Baby M will probably still be in college...damn!

(I just went to a seminar on Oregon's "529" college savings plans, is anyone here familiar with those yet?)

Hidden in the corner of my shop is a nearly rust free 88 Chev 1-ton 4x4, 4-sp, 4bbl, dually, solid front drive axle, fake Silverado edition (older body style 80-87). It'll be a dump truck someday.

ps: knapheid flatbed body for sale w/ hitch, freshly painted with stakes, $500

Mrs. M -

I'll loan ya our RV.

It's old, runs well, 26 footer ...

just don't mind the scorch mark up the side, I caught it on fire in Billings driving back from Michigan two summers ago.

(LOOOOONG story, best told at the blind date get-together! hah)

Did you tell that story here a long time ago? If you did, and I remember right, it was hilarious and/or awful.

I might have ... the three week trip from hell. Everyone got food poisoning after we blew a tire ... lost the brakes leaving Mt. Rushmore, flooded the bathroom, the coup de grace was catching the bastard on fire ...

As I told my wife, "Next time, I'm flying."

'01 VW Golf TDI with Upsolute chip and biodiesel.

Diesel power is where it's at - torque rules.

You can fill er up at the drive through at Micky D's. Run it off of used fry grease. Hell they have to pay to have that stuff removed anyway!

Wow....the Ghia. Beautiful car, that (a neighbour down the street had (an '82, I believe....or something of that vintage anyways) a number of years ago, bright red and looked like it was brand-new off the showroom floor. Absolutely pristine condition. Rarely drove it, but mostly kept it as an investment, if not for "status" and to make the other neighbours jealous. (That, and the occasional July "cruise-in" down at Pearson.)

Then one day while neighbour was driving home from work some bastard kid yakking on his cell phone (just as cell phones were barely starting to become really popular) totalled the Ghia, put my neighbour in the hospital for a good, long time and as I am told, himself six feet under. Isn't it odd how something you dearly love seems to be around for only a short while before it becomes no more?

(Last I heard, neighbour is currently working on restoring a vintage-1950s GM XXXXYYYY. I can't remember what the model is but it's the kind you see on old movies and TV shows, maybe like what Perry Mason drove if you see what I am saying. And it's still got the old tube-amp Motorola radio installed on the dash.........)

I'd love one myself but two things: I couldn't possibly afford a Karmann (compare to my used $300 Bronco purchased in 2004!!) and I don't think it would hold up too well off-road! At least not in a nice, rough-and-muddy race of "Truck Supercross" in G-Dale.............

And Skep: How much wouldja want for the Chev??

moto, knowing how rare they're around here (the northwest isn't snowplow country) and how difficult it is to find one of these things not rusted through or beat up (they're usually ex-gov vehicles), I'd want an arm and a leg for it. It took me 2 years to find this one so $10K would make it worth my while. Deal or no deal?

Im a bit surprised VW was still making the Ghia in 1982, especially considering they were producing Sciroccos on the Karmann assembly line.

'67 Chevelle Malibu,Basically stock 327ci and Powerglide tranny. Prolly about 90K original miles now.

'97 Pontiac GTP. 3.8 Liters(231ci) of Supercharged fun!

The Karmann Ghia was discontinued in 1974.

Sad day indeed.

1974 was the DEATH of many great car lines. The Mustang basically died in that year until it was reborn later on. The Mustang II.....bad bad bad!!

Skep~ I was just guessing it was an '82. Been a while and he didn't seem to want to disclose a lot of details about it to a (then) seemingly nosy 15-year old kid on a BMX bike.............

All I remember from the one time I actually rode with him down to the High-School Pharmacy on Mill Plain (and then Freddy's) one summer break, it was a *really cool* car.

Sorry, guess I can't make a deal this time................... :o(

"The Mustang II.....bad bad bad!!"

Actually, you'll find the Mustang II front suspension on many a hot rod these days -- its supposedly the killer set up.

Moto, maybe it actually was a Porsche? They both have the same shape, sort of.

Ya...well..OK...rip the rack and pinion front end out and trash the rest!

Mustang II is a Pinto in disguise.

Coulda been, don't know for certain.

I think this warrants a seemingly nosy 22-year old kid on a BMX bike to pay him a visit tonight!!

(I'll try and report what I find out........)

i believe the pinto comment is correct. also, the original '65 mustang is a falcon in disguise.