Author: chuck goolsbee

Not really a grand tourer, so seeing a 914 in a Vanishing Point like highway setting is a bit odd, but otherwise I’ve always had a like for these little mongrels from Stuttgart. Or was it Wolfsburg? (will that debate ever end… Porsche people need to lighten up!)

I can think of few better (vintage) weapons for carving up a wildly twisty roads or an autocross course…. beyond perhaps a Lotus 7, but at least you’ll stay relatively warm, dry, and comfy in the 914.

It is a shame that few cars like this are built anymore. Small (in size and displacement), affordable, sporty, fun, raceable and streetable. Yes, there is the Miata, but that is more akin to a modern MG B or other SBC Roadster than a 914. It would be neat if VW put the blue-sport concept thing into production, as that would certainly fit the bill. Diesel too!

In other news, I painlessly completed the WP upgrade of the blog software, so all you folks whining to me behind the scenes about security risks can stop whining and comment on fun stuff now! The deck work is nearing the end so hopefully I can write up the Monte Shelton tale soon. Stay tuned.

OK, not really a bum, but let’s just say it wasn’t highly regarded or well-loved outside of a small group of car enthusiasts. Pretty easy guess, but do you know the car?

Sorry for the lack of updates of late. Since my return from the two recent Jag-trips I’ve been enmeshed in the never-ending deck-rebuild project, work, and visits by relatives. I’ll get back to updating the website (in more ways than one!) soon. I have to write up the Monte Shelton Rally story, and I also need to update WordPress asap. Be patient while I hammer and saw behind the scenes.

This car is a bit pedestrian, especially with that ugly one reflected in the chrome, but it is well-loved and instantly recognizable when seen from other angles. Know what car it is?

By the way, If you’re reading this on facebook you are better off coming over here: chuck.goolsbee.org to comment, as I generally ignore comments on #fb

Which photo do you like better?

Recently there was an editorial posted on The Truth About Cars asking “are new cars ruining old car shows?” It went on to complain in typical “your music is too loud, and get off my lawn” language that the inclusion of new cars (code for “young men”) in car shows was a sign of the apocalypse, the decline of western civilization, or at least really really annoying to old farts.

I decided to write a “rebuttal” of sorts and blasted through it only to find that what I was really arguing against was car museums more than cars shows. The analogy I used was that of dead bugs on pins, and pasty animals suspended in formaldehyde, compared to seeing the real animal, in the flesh, in its natural habitat. Shows are an unnatural habitat for sure, but at least closer to reality than museums. I never finished the editorial, as I had a starter to fix and a rally to run… you know keep MY old car running in ITS natural habitat! Perhaps I’ll revisit it and Mr. Farago will publish once I get the logic sorted out within the 800 word limit. We’ll see. Meanwhile I was perusing my server-stashed stack of old car photos for a CPotD and noted these two photos in close proximity. Two nearly identical cars in two completely different modes of presentation… in a way making my point for me.

The top one is in a museum. The car is buffed to a high sheen, and kept under subdued lighting as if to enhance the shiny condition and leave the viewer in awe. The bottom photo is in a parking lot after a day’s hard running. Bugs, rain, and road grime. I honestly prefer the latter. Even more so when earlier that same day I took these photos of, and from within, the very same car:

Perhaps it was my recent experience at the Blackhawk Collection that has left me feeling this way. Mind you some of those machines are one-offs or things which make no sense to on the road, but seeing them roped off and preserved like dead animals posed by a taxidermist left me cold.

In a way car shows do the same for me. Too much emphasis is placed on cleanliness and untouchability, and not enough on utility, history, and use.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, as perhaps they’ll help me organize mine more coherently.