Gotleib Benz created the first real horseless carriage in 1886, and so began mans 120 some year obsession with the automobile. There are many names for it, a horseless carriage, a motor vehicle, a new super whiz bang or even just a zoom-zoom. But they all describe the many ways we have devised for motorized transport.
Anyone who knows me knows I have a passion for cars, trucks and motorcycles. But I also have a disease. It's the "can't leave well enough alone" disease. I seem to be on a never-ending quest to make whatever car, truck or bike I am toying with at the moment, just a bit better. It may be epoxy coating the brake calipers, adding a throaty exhaust, installing a completely different transmission or rebuilding an old corvette using the latest drivetrain technology available. Either way I can't just buy a vehicle and leave it be. When you have my disease, its impossible. A great weekend for me is to spend it entirely in the garage plotting, fabricating and coming up with the perfect design and parts for the project.
Below are pictures of the vehicles I have or currently own. Some are still projects, other get me around on a daily basis. On the left you can click on individual ones and see more pictures and more information. There is also more detailed information on my Projects Page on some of the modifications I have done. Welcome to my madness, feel free to contact me with comments.
2003 Silverado SS
Here is my latest addition tot he fleet. It is my new daily driver, but I though I should have something with some excitment to it. It is a 2003 Silverado SS, very clean and 71k miles on it
Here are the specs on it:
2003 Silverado SS
6.0L V8 (345 HP)
4 Speed automatic transmission (4L65E)
"Arrival Blue" paint color
Full time AWD
Dark grey leather interior
Billet Aluminum Grill
Power/Heated/SS embroidered seats
Alpine 6 disc CD/MP3 Player, DVD Player, Bose Amp
Viper Remote Start/Alarm
Spray in Bedliner
ATC Friberglass Tonneau Cover
This truck so far has been a nice ride. I took quite a bit of time to clean it up and doing a lot of preventative maintenace. It rides nice and gets up and moves quite quickly. I added driving lights behind the ducts on the bottom of the bumper and it gives it a nice look as well as lights up the road in front of the truck. Since I plan on driving it all year I took off the stock 20 inch wheels and replaced them with a set of 18's and a set of Bridgestone Dueler Revo 2 AT's. Also I added a Counteract Rust Control System to try and keep the winter salt and slush from corroding the clean bodywork.
2007 "BOSS 302" Mustang GT
Well here is my "new toy." Its a 2007 Mustang GT. It was used, but with just over 14k miles on it, it's for the most part brand new, and it is a sweet car.
Here are the specs on it:
2007 Mustang GT
4.6L V8 (300 HP, 320 ft-lbs torque)
5 Speed manual transmission
Ford "Grabber Orange" paint color
Forged Aluminum 18" wheels
Black leather interior
Aftermarket "BOSS 302" stripe package
Borla stainless steel mufflers and tailpipes
The car has been a lot of fun so far. It's very noticeable, so I get a lot of comments on it as I drive around. The Borla exhaust is just throaty enough to give it a nice sound without being too loud. The mileage isn't too bad either, 26 mpg on the highway at 75 and 19/20 in the stop and go traffic to work and back. The paint is a neat color, looking more orange in lower light conditions, but giving an almost orange-yellow color in bright sunlight. The "BOSS 302" stripes give it a nice contrast and give it quite a nostalgic look. If you are driving along and see an orange streak going past, it may have been me.
1995 Chevrolet K1500
I've owned this k1500 since 2003. I bought it used with 133k miles and for the most part its been quite reliable. It's made a few trips from NJ to WI and even a trip from NJ to Winnipeg Canada. The most trouble I had with it was when I was experimenting with it. Mental note: when this is the only vehicle you currently have registered and insured to drive, don't experiment with engine modifications. Check out my projects page for more on that! Hah!
Here are the specs on it:
1995 Chevrolet K1500
5.7L V8
4 Speed automatic transmission (4L60E)
Shift on the fly 4WD
Eaton style heavy duty positraction rear differential
15" Aluminum Prime wheels
Grey cloth interior
Tilt/cruise/power windows/door locks
Tonneau cover
I recently turned over 183k miles on it, and its starting to show its age. At 176k miles it needed a new radiator and rear axle. It's on its second transmission and this one is getting sloppy and will probably need a third one (just a fact of life with all modern automatics). There are a few other items that are showing wear and there is rust starting here and there, but for the age and mileage, I can't complain. I sure I can hit 250k without any other major service. As you can see I just had some new shoes installed, a set of Goodyear Wrangler MT's. A fairly aggressive tread, but I got them for a very reasonable price. With gas prices where they are, this only sees service when I need to tow, haul or don't want to use the Mustang. That is my only real complaint about the vehicle, the 11-18 mpg it gets and unfortunately it doesn't seem to like to spend much of that at the 18 mpg mark.
1975 Corvette Stingray
I bought this project Corvette in 2002. Here it is in all its glory as I trailered it home in the pouring rain. My uncle Jim from Colorado's is to blame for this one. He and my aunt Sue have a '77 that they let me drive when I was out there once. Sigh... and I loved it so much I had to get one. But not just any old 70's Corvette would do. Yes, I have plans of heavy modifications in store. If you think my Mustang is a bad car... wait until this one is finished.
Here are the specs on it:
1975 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
5.7L V8
4 Speed manual transmission (since sold)
Tilt/telescoping steering wheel (this is way cool)
Power windows/manual locks
RemovableT-tops
Air conditioned
Black leather interior
Ugly wheels (since sold)
Somewhat aged paint
Overall its a fairly solid car. The frame is good, and there doesn't seem to be any major body damage (mind you all corvette of this age have spots that were "fixed" at one time and need to be fixed properly). The worst part is the T-tops leaked and it sat outside for 5 years. This caused the top of the windshield frame to rust out and did rust some of the steel cage by the kickpanels. It's in many pieces now and there are no plans of putting it back to original. I've already sold the transmission (6 speed manual is slated as the replacement) and I may as well sell the original engine as a LS1 or newer is what I plan. Yes, I am a glutton for punishment.
1978 Chevrolet Cheyenne K10
I bought this truck at the tender age of 17. I worked that miserable job at that pickle factory all summer to save up for my first set of wheels. Who would have known all these years later... I'd still have them. Being a truck that spent its life in the rustbelt, (and a 70's Chevrolet) this vehicle was prone to rust. It had already been reworked (poorly) once from they guy I bought it from. I took care of it and washed it regularly, but the bodywork continued to rust and hence it became crusty-rusty. So, for lack of a better name, I started calling it Crusty. In 1999 I tore the whole truck apart and replaced all the sheet metal and made it look like new again, but alas... the name stuck. Crusty it was.
Here are the specs on it:
1978 Chevrolet Cheyenne K10
5.7L V8
4 Speed manual transmission SM465 (Scheduled to be replaced)
Part time 4WD (NP205 T-case)
Tilt steering wheel
Power windows/door locks/air conditioning
MegaSquirt V 2.0 EFI Conversion
Jacob's Ignition
Blue interior
15 inch deep dish aluminum wheels
Dual exhaust
Leer fiberglass tonneau cover
What can I say... it's Crusty, always a project. With about 160k miles on the ticker, it's in need of a rear axle rebuild. I also really want to replace the transmission and engine with something more modern. Right now I think a 383 stroker with Vortec heads and a full MegaSquirt V3.0 (EFI and Spark) would be great under the hood. A 4L80E transmission with a TMC valve body and paddle wheel shifters on the steering wheel would make it fun, yet manageable to drive. I'd also like to get fiberglass doors with a one-piece conversion kit for the side windows, Always something else I want to do. Did I mention I have the "can't leave well enough alone disease?"
1994 Toyota 4x4
I bought this as a daily driver right before I finished college. While I did put a few miles on it, I had engine trouble with it most of the time I owned it. It was a basic vehicle, no power anything or air conditioning. The 4WD did work pretty well, but for a 3.0L it never got very good mileage (I don't think it ever broke 20 mpg, usually 17 or lower).
Here are the specs on it:
1994 Toyota 4x4
3.0L V6
5 Speed manual transmission
Manual windows & locks
Tonneau cover
Fiberglass fastback & visor
Nerf bars
Running light all over the place
I should have passed this one up. It was in good shape but I found out soon after I bought it there was a burnt exhaust valve. I had the heads rebuilt and everything was fine for a year, then I started having trouble and eventually the engine started making noise. I pulled it and had it and the heads rebuilt completely. I ran it a while and kept having issues with it running smoothly and found that the intake valves would wear away and eat up the valve clearance. I adjusted one valve almost 0.10 inch and it just kept eating the valve away. These weren't cheap valves either, but high quality Lunati valves. I had the heads rebuilt yet again, and the shop could not find the cause. I had always had intermittent EGR codes, but both the engine shop and I tested and check the EGR valve and it seemed to function properly. After the third set of heads, I drove it a bit and the code came back for the EGR. I replaced it and drove it some more. The code didn't come back, the check engine light went out and it drove fine for the next few months. Tired of working on it and seeing it like the above picture, I bought the 1995 Chevrolet and sold the Toyota.
1996 Dodge Avenger
I bought this as a daily driver to go to and from work for a couple years. It certainly wasn't new when I bought it. It probably wasn't much of a car when it was new, and it certainly didn't get better with age.
Here are the specs on it:
1996 Dodge Avenger
2.0L 4 Cylinder
4 speed automatic transmission (A604)
Power windows & locks
Grey cloth interior
Fantastic flaking Dodge clear coat
25-30 mpg
This car was for the most part a rebadged Mitsubishi. The car was really cheaply made. It was noisy inside as there wasn't enough insulation under the carpet, the engine didn't have enough power to drive the car up a hill and run the air conditioning at the same time. It looks a lot better in the picture than in person. There was a few dents, lots of scratches and the peeling paint that did not help the appearance. It did get almost 30 mpg on the highway, but that was about the only thing I liked about the car. It was a basic beater, but in the end I sold it and got the Mustang.
