Carmine
Old Man with a Hat
A co-worker from Finland does some freelance writing for a Finnish car magazine. He wanted to do a story on my time here @ Chrysler as well as my old cars. I won't scoop his article, but I'll give you a taste with a photo he took Friday (actually, my cheap cellphone version) and the caption for the pic. He has to translate much more than just this. Poor guy, lol.
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I’ve owned more than one car since I was 17 years old. I admit to “the sickness” and I occasionally wish I had a smaller hobby like coins or stamps. I’ve owned a few Ford and GM vehicles but I’m sure that 90% of the 200+ cars I’ve cycled through in 30 years of driving have been Chrysler products. The oldest car I own is a 1951 Imperial, the first year of the Hemi engine. I also own a ’61 Imperial LeBaron, which is the last year for fins and is the first year with headlights famously in separate pods. My third Imperial is a 1969 model; I love the clean styling which is almost the total opposite of the ’61. I’ve had a few classic musclecars, but their values (and rarity) greatly reduce the fun of driving them. And that’s why I don’t collect stamps… Driving them is the best part for me. The big Mopars of the 60s and 70s, with their firmer torsion-bar suspensions, are most enjoyable on an open highway. The key is finding one that has been well-maintained, and keeping up that maintenance. I’ve owned a few of the new-style (2008+) Challengers which are also excellent highway cars, yet I always have something vintage waiting to run. Most recently it’s been my 1976 Dodge Royal Monaco Brougham… The good-citizen version of the famous ex-police car Bluesmobile. Mine is completely original but unfortunately, even with the big-block engine; 4dr sedans are not worth much money. That works out well because I need occasional treatments for my old-car sickness, especially in the winter. If I needed an extra strong dose of medicine, I wouldn’t think twice of filling the tank, hitting the freeway and rolling towards some winter sunshine in Arizona.
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I’ve owned more than one car since I was 17 years old. I admit to “the sickness” and I occasionally wish I had a smaller hobby like coins or stamps. I’ve owned a few Ford and GM vehicles but I’m sure that 90% of the 200+ cars I’ve cycled through in 30 years of driving have been Chrysler products. The oldest car I own is a 1951 Imperial, the first year of the Hemi engine. I also own a ’61 Imperial LeBaron, which is the last year for fins and is the first year with headlights famously in separate pods. My third Imperial is a 1969 model; I love the clean styling which is almost the total opposite of the ’61. I’ve had a few classic musclecars, but their values (and rarity) greatly reduce the fun of driving them. And that’s why I don’t collect stamps… Driving them is the best part for me. The big Mopars of the 60s and 70s, with their firmer torsion-bar suspensions, are most enjoyable on an open highway. The key is finding one that has been well-maintained, and keeping up that maintenance. I’ve owned a few of the new-style (2008+) Challengers which are also excellent highway cars, yet I always have something vintage waiting to run. Most recently it’s been my 1976 Dodge Royal Monaco Brougham… The good-citizen version of the famous ex-police car Bluesmobile. Mine is completely original but unfortunately, even with the big-block engine; 4dr sedans are not worth much money. That works out well because I need occasional treatments for my old-car sickness, especially in the winter. If I needed an extra strong dose of medicine, I wouldn’t think twice of filling the tank, hitting the freeway and rolling towards some winter sunshine in Arizona.
) Right now, I'm primarily working with a guy who spent a decade on a Dodge NASCAR team. Although I'm not a NASCAR fan, it's undeniable their engine guys are smart, especially in combustion science.
