Don Purdhomme visits the Jay Leno Garage...

Funny...

As long as it does't happen to me.

Merry Christmas everyone...

Here is a li'l something I wrote a few years ago and posted before. Hope your holiday is a good one!

‘T was the night before a car guy Christmas

‘T was the night before a car guy Christmas,
when all around the house

Not an engine was revving,
not even my small block Chevy - a.k.a. “the mouse”.

The wrenches were hung
on the peg board with care,

In hope that St. Nicholas
soon would be there.

The children were nestled
All snug in their beds,

While visions of Weber side draft carburetors
danced in their heads.

My wife in her Victoria’s Secret,
and I in a So Cal Speed Shop cap,

Had just settled our brains
for a long winter’s nap,

When out by the garage
there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed
to see what was the matter.

Down to the driveway
I flew like a flash,

Threw open the door
to check on my car stash.

The moon on the breast
of the new fallen snow

Gave a luster of midday
to all my hot rods below.

When what to my wondering eyes
should appear

But a candy apple red sleigh
and eight high octane reindeer.

With a little old hot rodder,
so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment
it must be St. Nick!

More rapid than Nascars
his coursers they came,

And he whistled and shouted
and called them by name:

“Now, Duece! Now, DeSoto!
Now, Plymouth and Bel Air!

On, Comet! On, Fairlane!
On, Corvette and Corvair!

Like a top fuel dragster
Stay out of the wall!

Now peel out! Burn out!
Lay rubber and all!”

As belly tankers
on dry lake beds do fly,

They meet with an obstacle,
and launched toward the sky,

So up to the rooftop
The coursers they flew,

With that sleigh full of power tools –
Oh yeah and St. Nicholas, too.

And then, in a twinkling,
I heard on my roof

The prancing and pawing
of each reindeer hoof.

As I gathered my head
and was turning around,

Down my old chimney St. Nicholas
came with a bound.

He was dressed in Levis and Dickies
From his head to his feets,

His clothes were all soiled
with oil and grease.

A bundle of vintage speed parts
he had flung on his back,

Like a Pomona Swap Meet vendor
just opening his pack.

His eyes, how they twinkled!
His dimples, so merry!

He had a tattoo of a heart,
in it the name Cherry!

And the beard on his chin was
like one worn by Bo,

It was long, wavy, curly
the color of snow.

A cigar like Bill Hines
he held tight in his mouth,

smoke encircled his head,
like a big ol’ burnout.

He had a old face
and a little beer belly

It shook, when he laughed,
like a bowl full of jelly.


He was one of a kind,
the true O.G. hot rod elf,

I should give him a thumbs up,
I thought to myself.

I knew at that moment
I had nothing to dread

St Nick was a hip cat
he probably drove a flathead.

He ported and polished,
just kept to his engine work,

not until he had balanced and blueprinted,
did he turn with a jerk,

And laying a finger
alongside his nose,

While giving a nod
up my chimney he rose.

He sprang to his sleigh,
to his team gave a whistle,

And away they flew
like a new fangled missile.

But I heard him exclaim,
As he raced out of sight,

“Merry Christmas to all,
and to all a hot rod built right!”

Dream car of the week...

This week's dream car is George Poteet's Bonneville prepped 'Cuda nicknamed Blowfish.

Iron Man 2 trailer...

Rat poison...

With the announcement by GM today that they are discontinuing the Saab name I can't help but feel this has been overlooked...

GM Tonawanda pulls plug on V-8

The end of the line — and end of an era — has arrived for what has been a staple product for more than 50 years at the General Motors Tonawanda engine plant.

On Friday, Dec. 18 the last variation of the “big block” class of V-8 engines that were made since 1959, is scheduled to roll off the line.

A late morning ceremony is planned to primarily honor those of the plant’s more than 800 employees who worked on the latest version, which has been produced since 1999.

The big engine was developed in the U.S. during the 1950s and 1960s and was used to power millions of Chevrolet vehicles over the years.

“As American automobiles grew in size and weight the engines powering them had to keep pace,” said Nina Price, a spokeswoman for the local plant.

The first big block V-8 engine, the W-Series, was first produced in 1958 with the next version, the Mark IV series, being introduced in 1965.

“Following this was the Mark V series big block V-8, which started production in 1989, and finally the L18 V-8 (Vortec 8100) engine started production in 1999,” Price said.

The plant’s current V-8 production equipment was installed for the Mark V series, Price said.

The V-8 was the plant’s longest-running engine line, but new trends in the auto industry made GM’s trademark automotive engine obsolete.

Currently the plant's main engine line is the L850. It also makes inline 4- and 5-cylinder engines.

Dream car of the week...

I don't know much about this highly customized '57 - '60 Ford F100 other than I like it. These once orphaned Fords have really gained popularity in the last few years, but I have always liked them since the first time I saw a black one with white interior as a kid.

There are so many changes to this one from the custom '56 grill, chopped top, shortened wheelbase, rolled pans, belly-burners - just to name a few.

All it needs is some candy coating, metal flake, or panel paint!

I always had a thing for a girl named Alice...

I want one of these...

This is a factory option Ford hood scoop that was offered on the "Big Job" Ford trucks. If anyone out there knows of one please let me know. Thanks.

Sometimes it's cool to be flakey...

Dream car of the week...

Red paint, nerf bars, and polished Halibrands - what a great li'l Ford:

It finally happened...

After an unbelievably long "Fall" I finally awoke to something like this:

I just solved my parking problem...

Dream car of the week...

1955 is by far my favorite year of the "tri-5" chevys and this one is a great example why. It looks great with stock trim, the mismatched "racer" wheel package, and sans hood. The white firewall, black vinyl interior, and dash mounted tach really help drive the message home.

Yeah, what he said...

So tonight as we pulled into our neighborhood Shannon tells me she thinks we need to put up Christmas lights. Now keep in mind a couple of weeks ago it was 60 degrees and now it is 15. Why didn't she have this revelation a month ago?

Hunny, I am more than willing to put up the lights. Keep in mind though at this point I feel more like the guy on the right:

I can't wait...

Deep down - I'm just a big kid!