Smithology: I was taught that a dream might partake of the miraculous

[Hagerty]

In case you haven't noticed, it is now officially February. Way too late in the year to make New Year's resolutions. Doesn't matter. I made some. I am occasionally late to this sort of thing. Those resolutions are shared below. To break up the text, I have illustrated those resolutions with various and sundry photographs [...]
https://www.hagerty.com/media/opinion/smithology/smithology-i-was-taught-that-a-dream-might-partake-...

[MRFIXIT1599]

Those pizza burgers are the best! Now that I've moved to Oklahoma, I need to see if I can find some.

[DesertDuck]

is this Cory who just moved to OK?

[MWL]

Ahh, what would Wednesday Nights be without those infernal Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace rabbit holes?

[MeJ]

"...becoming so distracted by those albums that I end up sitting in a chair for 20 minutes to drink an adult soda pop and admire some nearby machine..."
I think that sounds like a piece of heaven right there!

[danhise]

Primo Smith.
I can't stop thinking about those Krispy Kreme doughnut holes.

[fueledbymetal]

Michter’s Rye, excellent choice! Definitely one of the best revived-brand ryes I’ve sampled 🥃

[DUB6]

You know, Sam, I think you have managed to break some of the very best resolutions a man could make. Good on ya, pal. 👍

[topside]

Exquisite, yet again. Laughed out loud at the T-shirt. Gotta agree on the race-camping @ Laguna Seca, which stirred a memory: the Real Rubber Chickens were yellow or white, as the one that Paul Newman & Bob Tullius were stealing from each other's trunks - proper usage required head & neck sticking out of said compartments - for qualifying there long ago.

[Geoff]

Ah, those lost nights kicking around the garage, remembering all that's not yet "organized".

Loved the not-so-sheepish admission about the Rye finding it's way into the cup of coffee.

Not as romantic in phraseology as your French flyer, but Sage Joe Walsh had this:

"Tomorrow, makin a list of things to do
And when I wake up, uh oh uh oh,
Gonna cross off a few..."

Looks like a good chance you're going to succeed in completing at least a few of
your lofty resolutions.

Enjoyed your musings thoroughly.

[MCoupe1]

Well Sam, at least you had the good sense to drive an '02 in a direction to warmth. The February 2, 2002 trip from STL to Spartanburg for the '02, '02 ,'02 meet which you were unfortunately unable to attend took our little band of '02s through the Smokies in February and some 'weather' on the return trip. Accompanied by intrepid Kansas '02 man, Clement Schmidt and others we had some issues in Nashville but overcame them. The seasonable weather meant the heater of my one owner '76 was needed most of the trip but the design of the '02 ducts, over time yields a blazing hot throttle foot and a rather cool left foot. Upon return to the Lou I vowed never to drive that far in a car that old ever again. At least in winter. Perhaps had you been able to make that trip you you would have been cured of that affliction earlier in life. Great work here. I always enjoy what you create.

[Flashman]

You take me on a magic carpet ride every time I read you.

[DullTool]

Regarding the tuchis incident. I find it less than credible that one could write so eloquently about such an incident without having personally experienced it. Just saying.

[Bmike]

My parents had a Dauphine (later an R12 or R14?) back in the sixties, and hauled us 3 kids around in it. No seatbelts or crumble zones, but we survived. Loved the article, and I need that rubber chicken.

[Gary_Bechtold]

The T-shirt is great. I hope you got one.

How could you pass on a giant rubber chicken?  Big mistake.

The "Deep Creep penetrant" incident sounds horrible but is probably funny for others to have watched. Sounds a bit like a Three Stooges level chain of events. Also it feels uncomfortable to type "Deep Creep penetrant". I resolve not to type that again.

[M2Pilot]

My first car, shared with my Mother, was a '61 Dauphine. The girls thought it was cute & it had a floor shifter (3 spd?), so there's that.
Otherwise it was the absolute worst car I've ever had. And I've owned a few not so great cars. When it stopped running on a railroad crossing and wouldn't restart with my Mom driving is when Dad decided we'd had enough punishment.
IIRC the clutch was made of some sort of phenolic material that may have been better for that purpose than cardboard.

[SJ]

Oh the good old days.

[Donpinkal]

Sam you reminded me of simpler times. In 1967, at 15 years of age I wanted a GT40. My father being more realistic found a 1959 Renault Dauphine for $87.50. That’s all the money I had from mowing lawns. Understanding my need for speed we looked in the JC Whitney catalog and ordered the “big bore” kit which went from the original 845cc to an astronomical 905cc. Then dad lit up the torch and using 1 inch conduit fabricated 4 into 1 headers and an intake topped by a big one barrel carb from a Corvair. Not quite a bundle of snakes and four webers but I now had a sport sedan. Now in my 70’s I have worked my way up to an old VW kit car and with a little fiberglass and bondo it’s starting to resemble that GT40! Amazing what that lowly Dauphine started.

[Maestro1]

Sam, here's the story:
You, Jack Baruth and Sajeev Mehta get together and publish a book of your articles for Hagerty. Projected sales: 50,000 TO 100,000 units. Use amazon or whomever.
This piece was another winner for you. Many Blessings.

[Swamibob]

For a second there I was thinking this the opening to a joke or a racing team... 🙂

[Billthecat707]

Another wonderfully entertaining article. Thanks Sam.

[DesertDuck]

great article. Loved the short story in issue #72 of the Hagerty magazine. Great writin, Sam!

[DesertDuck]

"Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges - Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!" (from Kipling's The Explorer)

[DUB6]

I once lost a butter knife down behind the Range - my wife made me pull that danged stove out from the wall and retrieve the knife.  Found 2 toothpicks, a bottle cap, and fifteen dust bunnies back there too!  😃

[CitationMan]

I found a golf ball under the gas furnace in my house.

[DUB6]

Dave Lennox was a golfer?

[CitationMan]

My first thought was, at least it wasn’t flammable. 

[DUB6]

Are you sure?  I know the clubs aren't (I tried to burn a few that I had that were obviously defective), but it would seem to me that the balls are made from plastic and rubber stuff that would ignite.  Oh, but that crazy guidance gizmo inside them that makes them go every which direction and distance but the one you want them to might be made of some sort of material that won't burn - and it might even be radioactive...   🤔