About Punk

Punk

Mine is also a '64, although a drop head. Its late so doesn't have the aluminum dash either although mine even has a console. Jaguar just used whatever they had and when it ran out they used something else. What I disagree with in this splendid story is that the cars seldom get out to drive. Mine is driven all summer. Even to work before I retired. Its been to California from the northwest several times as well as other states east. I probably do about 3 - 4000 miles each year. Otherwise, I probably would sell it. All that work on the drag and stability is wasted otherwise. and yes, its a joy!

Punk

XJ 220 race car? Yes, please!!!

Punk

My thoughts exactly. One of the first things I noticed about these beauties is that the expected prices seem to lack a celebrity tax. I suspect the estimates are conservative...

Punk · ‎11-06-2021

I have been a railman since I was able to walk. Somehow, my son got it too. But worse. While I love my O and HO scale models and of course, the real thing, he got into a group running live steam. When we put an LGB scale railway in the backyard garden and I suggested an electric model he scoffed. Not a chance. Steam. You can't ride ours (his), but it still runs the same way, makes the same sounds, and the same smells. Like my E-Type, its a whole experience...

Punk · ‎03-06-2021

MGA was available as a roadster. But this is Hollywood...

Punk · ‎26-05-2021

IN 1985 when I got married to my starter wife, I was a Japanese car guy driving a Nissan 200SX. My bride was from Dearborn and so insisted her first new car ever be a Ford. A black, aero Tempo with a 5 speed. I scoffed, but I wanted to please her so that's what we got. To my surprise, we used it more than my Nissan because it was completely reliable, fast enough, and comfortable for 4 -5 adults, while the Nissan's back seat was, well, 2 + 2. Sure the Nissan handled more crisply and was more responsive. But the Tempo was a much better car than its rep. She kept it for many years longer than she kept me.

Punk · ‎20-05-2021

Of my cars, my favorite pandemic cars were the Opel GT (sadly sidelined with a bad fuel tank - AGAIN - if you know someone that will make a new tank for the thing, please let me know) or my Sunbeam Harrington. People find them both so cute and non-ostentatious that they can't help but smile, wave, take out their iPhones, or come over for a (masked) chat. This is why we have old cars. At least in part.

Punk · ‎19-05-2021

Well I am not sure the NSX was actually a success in financial terms, unless one is to calculate the halo effect that, possibly, brought customers into the showrooms to buy the sedans. When the NSX came back in 2017, it was selling at a rate of something like 125 per year, and journalists considered it too expensive at around $150k. They complained the interior was built with parts off the shelf from Honda sedans costing about $20k. It supposedly compared unfavorably to the mentioned Nissan GT-R. All things considered, the NSX was a production version of a show car, essentially, that as show cars always do, lost money, but maybe impressed the public to buy the more pedestrian cars.

Punk · ‎10-05-2021

Cars like this are interesting to look at on the internet. But as with a 20 year old car that has only 20 miles on it, the question arises in my mind, what good are they? You can't drive them. You can trailer them to shows and have everyone tell you how lucky you are. But what good are they? To me, just about nothing. I'll keep my vintage driver Jag and Sunbeam from the 1960s. They are fun to DRIVE.

Punk · ‎26-04-2021

I'm no engineer, but it seems to me that electric power is will suited to rock crawling given the low down torque. But. All that heavy battery weight (1500 over a V6!) that high off the ground should make this thing about as stable as a Suzuki Sidekick. Or a three wheeled Reliant Robin. Then there's the other big problem. When you are off roading to get away from it all and wilderness trekking, where are you going to plug it in?

Punk · ‎26-04-2021

I really like this design - in concept. My question is how you drive the 'car' part away after you launch the boat and then bring it back to rejoin the two? Seems like a niggling detail...

Punk · ‎22-04-2021

True. NASCAR holds no interest for me any more. The cookie cutter cars, or should I say, mobile billboards. Pass.

Punk · ‎20-04-2021

While everyone is having a laugh at how unreliable this car is, recall that its nearly 50 years old and sits outside in the miserable weather (see photos). A Volkswagen would likely be the same. I can tell you my first car, a Datsun, fell apart entirely in 5 years of this treatment. Is it any worse than any other car of this vintage?

Punk · ‎20-04-2021

When I was a kid in the 1960s I could never understand why people weren't falling all over the Javelin. They had great performance and great looks. Both the short earlier cars and the later longer cars. I had friends as a teen that had one each and they always impressed with their speed, if not the handling so much. I have always been a fan of the underdog unusual cars. AMC fir the mold. The car listed here are beauties. I especially like the Matador wagon, although the Matador sedan was, uhm, ugly. Other than there Javelin, AMC's cars from the '60s on were just too weird to be big sellers. Its a shame considering the roots of the company included some truly great brands. Too bad we don't have anything like an AMC now.

Punk · ‎16-04-2021

I agree! I would gladly put either of those rare beauties in the garage. I have a thing for limited production vehicles that have guts form more mainstream cars so that you can actually keep them running. (thus, my Sunbeam Harrington). The Inter-State is such an interesting story. There are so many start-ups like that which seemed to have to potential to change the industry, only to flare-out after a few years. Someone's dream crashed. Sad. But interesting.

Punk · ‎15-04-2021

Well the issue here is that enthusiasts really are not big money makers to a mass market, huge numbers of cars company. Enthusiasts are by definition a niche. If a company plans carefully, and studies the markets, money can be made there. Not as much as selling refrigerators such as a Ford Explorer or a Honda Accord with an automatic. As the author points out, those sell themselves to people who see a car as an expensive appliance. There are small companies that have been making a living selling to enthusiasts. Just not enough for Ford and company. SO they will stick with refrigerators. Of course, this completely ignores the halo effect of making a cool car in smaller numbers like a Viper...

Punk · ‎15-04-2021

My brother is a Supra guy. He currently has two - one of the last as well as one of the middle series that he is restoring. He doesn't much like the early Celica-based models. Anyway, he was so thrilled he couldn't wait when he heard a 'new' Supra was on the way. He liked the looks. Then the saw two things: engine from BMW (whom he hates for making ugly sedans at huge prices and not Japanese), and no manual transmission. No sale. He never even went to look at them. What a marketing blunder. Who was this thing targeted at?

Punk · ‎13-04-2021

No doubt! Luckily a part that is common to a TR6 and others doesn't have to be ordered from the UK. There are a couple of different places in the states to get one.

Punk · ‎09-04-2021

My dad went out in 1973 to buy a Porsche. One look at the stickers and he bought a 240Z series IV. I wasn't old enough to drive but instantly fell in love. I never had a Ferrari on my wall, always an E-Type so the appeal of the Z was obvious. Dad's car was a dream to drive and toss around. Until it got hot outside. Then the damn thing wouldn't run. Vapor Lock. Multiple trips to the dealership and multiple supposed fixes never helped at all. After about three years he threw in the towel and traded it in. Very sad day for me. So the 1973 240s and the 1974 260s (which were even worse!) should be avoided. Either go with the '71 - '72, or get the 280.

Punk · ‎09-04-2021

Exactly right! If it isn't set up to make you happy then what's the point? To have something just to say you have it? Waste of money. Although I don't care for the heavy mods/improvements personally, that's just my taste. Everyone gets the ones that make them happy. That's what the hobby is all about. Then go drive them!

Punk · ‎05-04-2021

I loved this! Also, it was like looking at my one and only son! After two girls, 'the boy' as he is affectionately known, came along and immediately fell in love with all things moving. The bigger the better. Trips to ride tourist steam railways were frequent, and he has constructed a model steam powered garden railway in my garden. And cars? Like his dad, he loves old sports cars. Its as if nothing has been built since 1990. His first love was an MG TF. He was crushed when I, like Lucas' mom, told him that was not an ideal first car. He currently is 21 and has an RX7 convertible and an Opel GT. OH, and he still loves trains. And typewriters, and all that same stuff that Lucas loves. I wonder where he got that?

Punk · ‎02-04-2021

The Jag is a classic! And a really beautiful example. The Toronado is an interesting car for it being ahead of its time. The T-Bird, same. The rest of these are basically Craigs list fodder...

Punk · ‎01-04-2021

If by worst in the country, you mean the surface, then I think you need to visit Detroit! But seriously, those of us who don't live in California are always amazed when we visit at the roadway system present there. It is the envy of the world in terms of there miles of wide freeways everywhere. I guess those frills cost money.

Punk · ‎30-03-2021

There are two sorts of old car people. The ones who like originality and those who like massive stereos, air con, TV screens etc. in a 60 year old car. Despite which gets more ooooh and ahhhhs from people because a given car is so unique, I am squarely in the original camp. Other than a more efficient radiator, so I can drive in the summer, my classics are all stock. Right down to the generator. I agree that people should buy what makes them happy, but when there's nothing left of a classic except most of the body, its no longer a classic.

Punk · ‎24-03-2021

Agreed; even doing it yourself will likely cost you more in parts and pain than the finished product would be worth. Maybe that's why they've sat for so long?

Punk · ‎23-03-2021

But a spare what! LOL

Punk · ‎23-03-2021

I suppose this is what the Corair was (mostly) falsely alleged to be. A look at the hind axle in the corners sent shivers up my spine. It does support one of my long held theories regarding tires for vintage cars. For my two '60s cars I use radials but vintage ones. Think Dunlop SP or Michelin XV. Many folks I know with similar cars insist that modern tires increase grip and improve handling. I always insist the don't improve handling, only change it. And not always in a good way. I also like the way those taller tires look! I guess I'm a ludite.

Punk · ‎17-03-2021

I might pay to have NYYanks. But not millions. Besides, the plate already says 'New York' on it! Now the Volvo says New York New York. I wanted the plate in my state that said E Type. Not surprised someone had it. I saw the car. It was a basket case that couldn't be driven. Had a nice plate, tho...

Punk · ‎16-03-2021

Exactly. Its Ferrari-esq tail is excellent, its supercar front, as well. But from the side? It looks like a van.

Punk · ‎16-03-2021

I used to, and my son does now, but I have passed from doing such things in my garage or in a parking lot. At my "advanced" age, those days are gone. I still take my vintage cars on long trips. Its part of the adventure! I have had to replace components such as a worn out generator 900 miles form home, but its been a while. Mostly it comes from doing the regular stuff to prevent the bigger stuff, which has become unheard of by younger people with newer cars. We with vintage metal have no such luxury.

Punk · ‎16-03-2021

The 1960s was the greatest decade for British motorcars. And the E-Type is the star of that show. Probably always will be. Everywhere I go in my '64 drophead people recognize it after 60 years and are still blown away by it. As spring begins here in the northwest, I was able to take it out last Saturday. It never fails to thrill. Its so low, so fast The sound from the 3.8 so exciting in every regard. Unlike so many posters here, I will never sell my car. I have owned it since 1990, and my son anxiously waits for me to die...

Punk · ‎15-03-2021

What a sweet story and what a sweet ride!

Punk · ‎10-03-2021

EV packaging reminds me of the packaging of Quadraphonic records in the 1970s. When Quad was first rolled out, the labels announced it with gold frames around the covers and the word QUADRAPHONIC in big capital letters. After several years, they discovered they would sell better if they made people think they were just like stereo records that also playing in quad. And so the cover announcement of this new capability became hard to see. When Tesla came out with their first EV they put it in a Lotus body. They wanted to make a statement. Now the goal is to make it impossible to tell an EV from any other car. Nothing to see here. The one exception is - sometimes - still Tesla, who makes some of the ugliest cars ever made. Oh well. Not every Quad LP had a great mix either.

Punk · ‎08-03-2021

Well I don't agree with the opening comments about Land Rovers as I had them for years and loved them, and they were extremely rugged (until someone on their phone plowed into there back of my last one). Can't justify the expense any more as I am retired, but I have a 2012 Frontier with a five speed. I use it for one thing: towing my 19 foot trailer int e summer to camp grounds. If only it had about 40 more horses...

Punk · ‎05-03-2021

Happily since I am in my 60s, my son has inherited my love of old cars and working on same. And his job at a car dealership gives him access to a lift. Which means he does the heavy stuff for me, although I still work on the dash, wiring and assorted 'lighter' jobs for fun. Just rebuilding the engine in my Jag recently took nearly 2 years. It almost cost a friendship with the guy doing it with me, but all's well now, once I understood the simple concept that Jay talks about here!

Punk · ‎04-03-2021

Let me say that I am a HUGE fan of the lovely art deco french designs of the '30s and '40s, but would be afraid to drive one much less own one, as they are so valuable and fragile. Then there's these over-priced oddities. All Dee Ess look like a 1950s spaceship from a serial, and that's not a compliment. Then there's the '38 Peugot that looks like an XK-120 after way too much pot. Ahhh France...

Punk · ‎26-02-2021

My second wife loved the XJS. Since I had an E Type I was forced to buy her a red 1990 coupe aft erat wedding. When the second child arrived we still shoehorned the family into the thing until she totaled it. She hit a 911. That was a scene on the highway. Anyways, she moved on to an XJ6 (XJ-400) but always wanted the Eventer instead. Alas, all are right hand drive. She had enough trouble without being on the wrong side of the car! I really miss that a XJS...

Punk · ‎23-02-2021

Yikes. I know BMW has a reputation for making somewhat dull designs but good lord, these have to be the most unappealing cars this side of the Pontiac Aztec.

Punk · ‎23-02-2021

I'll buy it. Have you seen what even basket case E Types go for these days? LOL

Punk · ‎23-02-2021

When I bought my current E Type in 1990 it had already been repainted in an awful, non-Jaguar color, so it was a foregone conclusion that it was going to get stripped and painted from the metal up. But what color? Originally it was red. Does the world need another red Jag? I painted it the Jaguar color 'dark blue'. Its almost black but not quite. Then I took the saddle colored interior out and replaced it with light grey. Blue and grey on a roadster is absolutely lovely, gets tons of compliments, is somewhat unusual, and is still correct for how they were sold. Do what makes you happy on color, within reason!

Punk · ‎19-02-2021

If Wheeler Dealers is too rich for you (I love that show) then you should check out another (obviously) British show called Flipping Bangers. The premise is two guys buy a car for 500 - 1000 quid and spend no more than 5 days working on it and turning it for a profit. Very low-end but entertaining to watch fixes on the cheap!

Punk · ‎18-02-2021

Also Highway Star by Deep Purple - No body's gonna take my car I'm gonna race it to the ground, break the speed of sound, killer machine; got everything. Big fat tires, EVERYTHING! I LOVE IT. I NEED IT! Wait you mean this isn't really about a car?

Punk · ‎16-02-2021

This is one of my worst nightmares that - thankfully - has not - yet - come to pass. I have cars mostly with wire wheels, meaning knockoffs. Many years ago I had an MGB and thought I had hit the knockoff with the hammer the right number of times. I headed off down the road and heard an odd grinding noise. Fortunately I was about to get on the freeway and not on the freeway. I walked back and found the tire was rubbing against the inside of the fender. I thought the knockoffs automatically tightened as you drove? I guess that only works if you have them on the correct side! D'oh!

Punk · ‎15-02-2021

Exactly. Given the poor roads at the time it was no doubt a significant improvement over other cars of its day. However when the consume balanced that degree of improvement against the high price, they chose more mundane products. Worth remembering that in Reeves' day, owning a car even in the less costly form was not something many people could manage.

Punk · ‎12-02-2021

Good observations. I had owned a couple of Land Rovers (not Range Rovers) and had gotten used to the capability off road and in the snow. Then someone rear ended me hard enough to shove my beloved LR2 into the car in front of me. With damage to the front and the back, Grundy wrote it off. With the need to buy a new car and no savings as I had not anticipated moving my LR any time soon, I bought a Ford. I loved that thing and my daughter has it now that I have retired which means it never goes off road any more. The Ford is great, but its an all wheel drive car with higher ride height. A LR it ain't. But its not supposed to be. Now that I am retired I am back to two seat sports cars. Three of them. Life is about cycles...

Punk · ‎10-02-2021

This is why I Love my 64 E Type. I can go slow around town and it is perfectly happy. I don't even slow down for speed bumps because the ground clearance and suspension easily absorb them. Or I can go 100 (that's legal, right?) and its happy there too. And on the twisty bits, it loves to slide its tail. Why are modern performance cars so unusable?

Punk · ‎09-02-2021

Never owned one, but I have always liked them, particularly the concept, and with almost 300 horses, I am sure it is fast enough to surprise many young people at a light who assume its a small Fleetwood, or something. The one thing that still puts me off is the interior. It somehow doesn't seem up to the rest of the car in quality, certainly not the match for a Jag or Merc. And how is it to live with that dash that looks a bit like a Hewlett Packard calculator?

Punk · ‎05-02-2021

Correct. Check out the program Vintage Voltage. An English show where they convert vintage cars with thrashed drive trains to electric. They usually leave the transmission for convenience, using two gears plus reverse. Have to get past the fact that these great vintage cars become electrics, though. Not for me. Not ever.

Punk · ‎02-02-2021

This is what happens when there are mergers. Duplication is eliminated. Therefore, most of the operation is being combined with the Comp operation which is in Miss. I don't think it has much to do with taxes or regulation in CA. Its just eliminating duplication. Sort of like when Moss took over, well, almost everything in British car parts last year. Victoria british got shut down. They were in, I think, Kansas? No one said it was because of the oppression of that state's taxes. ITs what happens when companies get together.

Punk · ‎29-01-2021

I'm afraid I must agree. Much as I'd like to think this is another Tucker or DeLorean story of the little guy getting squashed by big car companies, particularly with the trans-angle, which makes the lead character more sympathetic, I think, in the end this was nothing but a con. If there are former execs who thought it was legit, then they had simply been taken in by the con. Or they are still covering their asses to avoid humulation. Whatever the case, there is nothing heroic to see here. Just true crime.