Here in The Garage, we’ve always contended that racing builds strong families and equally strong communities. Today we have yet another example of friends helping friends with wonderful car projects.
Back in the early Sixties, John & Sue Beadle raced this 62 MGA. That was back when you drove your grocery getter to the track and hoped you’d be able to drive it to work on Monday. They kept the car all these years and John had hoped to complete a restoration in his retirement. Unfortunately, John’s health did not cooperate and he passed away in the spring of 2006.
Now, a group of friends are pulling together to get the car back on the road. The plan is for John’s daughter Terry to drive the car on the street. In fact, the plan sounds like a pretty good one. They are going to sort things out mechanically and leave the rest of the car in it’s original condition. What a treat it would be to see this rolling piece of automotive history back on the road again.
That’s it folks, Summer is over and Fall has arrived. Though looking outside today you’d never know it was Fall in Ontario. Fear not though, I spoke with a friend in Alberta last night and they already have snow above the tree line. With the onset of Fall means the end of racing soon and the beginning of snowy rally conditions. Today’s Carnival of wheels is a quick one with a bit of fun and a bunch of motorsports. It’s after 12 here in sunny Ontario, so crack open a cold one and join me in a quick hot lap around the blogosphere.
First up, let’s have a bit of fun with the folks at Hello Kitty Hell. This poor guy is living an automotive cartoon nightmare. First there was the Hello Kitty tailpipe and now she wants to install these Hello Kitty wheels. Continue reading →
They say that a rib injury never fully heals. A few years ago, I had a pretty unhealthy bout of pneumonia and during that time I coughed so much that I hurt my ribs on the left side. To this day, sometimes I’ll move just the right wrong way that causes me to double over in pain. It’s like someone is sticking a knife through my rib cage. This little bit of nastiness came to light during my recent visit to Pocono Raceway and made me think about the importance of driving position and proper support. In more than a few cars I tested, the side loads the car generated far exceeded the level of support offered by the seats and I found myself using the steering wheel to keep from flying across the car. The result was a searing pain in my left side as I begged the corner to end. It really was that bad. Continue reading →
It is such a shame that cameras don’t catch the colour orange in all it’s glory cause this MINI Cooper S wears a coat that is eyeball searing shade of dayglo. Fortunately this little shoebox won’t be mistaken for a pylon any time soon. This thing is quick!
I’m somewhat ashamed to say that this was my first ever drive in a modern MINI and it’s already in its’ second generation. Why? Well, the opportunity just never presented itself. Over the past few cars I’ve heard terms like rollerskate, go kart, formula car applied to the MINI and I was eager to get on with MINI experience. Continue reading →
There are so many means of transportation… cars, boats, trains, planes, bikes, motorcycles and many more. I have been asked many times why I love racing and cars so much but the truth is it’s easier to explain which means of transportation I hate the most.
Every driver has his or her own unique style of control and there are many variations but when it comes to getting off a toboggan I respectfuly consider myself an expert even though I have only done it once. Since the normal reaction is to stick your foot in the snow trying to stop the ankles are the first thing to go. That is about the time your ankles get shoved up into your pelvis making the overall length of my legs about four inches long. Continue reading →
Those super sneaky guys at Fast Lane Daily have eyes all over, on the lookout for exciting automotive news and today they’ve scored a big one. Corvette enthusiasts all over have been drooling over spy shots and dribbles of information about the upcoming new ZR-1 Corvette. The FLD guys have managed to spot the beast in action and have happily shared that video with readers of The Garage.
I am always amazed how much the automobile is a part of our lives not to mention how it influences the things we say and do especially when we were young not at all unlike the youth of today. That being said I’d like to share one such automotive memory I have with you but please understand it is not done with any disrespect. It is simply one experience from the 70s that still cracks me up. Continue reading →
Next up on my reawakening as a driver was the gorgeous Acura TL Type-S with a 5 speed automatic transmission with Sequential SportShift. Basically this means that it’s got Formula 1 style paddle shifters. I was a little leery of hitting the track with an autobox, but I’d heard that the Acura shifters were sweet and the transmission actually shifts when you ask it to. Continue reading →
Our guy on the East Coast, Paul Chenard was lucky enough to be tipped off that the Audi R8 Trans-Canada Performance Tour had stopped in Halifax on Monday night. So Paul did what any self respecting car nut would do, he grabbed his camera and headed down to the local Audi store to grab a few shots. Like most of us, Paul was taken by the stunning shape and the throaty rumble from the pipes. Continue reading →
