Driving is Fun, Biking is Healthy, We Like Both

We're about cars. But I'll be honest, I walk whenever possible and use my bicycle to keep fit. "Way back in...1969" when I arrived in London as an ad agency creative director, despite years away from bicycles and in possession...

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Young Adults Covet Grandpa Cars

KOTV.com reports that some young adults have a keen interest in older vehicles like the '69 Buick Electra and the '83 Buick Regal -- vehicles also known as grandpa cars.

It's called pimpin' or donkin' and no, most of us didn't know what that meant either. But basically, it means restoring, specifically old American cars generally from around 1970. "This is a '69 Buick Electra. Just an old man kinda Grandpa car." Believe it or not, 20-year-old Ian Huber is just the 2nd owner of this car.

He got it from an older gentleman who lived in University Tower. And you can bet car-makers are scratching their heads trying to figure out how it could appeal to both of them. "One thing, they're fairly easy to work on. Modern cars, it's computerized. You've gotta have computers to work on the engines. It's a lot harder to do mechanical upgrades and just modify."

"I kind of wanted to bring it back and keep it around, I didn't want it to die out." 22-year-old Stephen Walker is in the process of donkin' a '83 Buick Regal. "New interior, re-paint a little, new rims, that's about it. Maybe a small-block chevy instead of the V6."

Don't forget the 8 batteries and the hydraulics. Steve Berg: "How much does all of this stuff cost?" Stephen Walker: "Around $4,000, because when you do this, the car has to be taken completely apart." Ian Huber: "I've done power door locks on it." Granted there have been a few changes since grandpa drove it, but the appeal crosses generations. For Huber, it's been a bonding experience with his dad who's in the restoration business.

The young man who bought the '69 Buick Electra has a good point about older cars being easier to work on. Today's cars come with so many computerized components that you almost need a mechanical or computer engineering degree to work on them. The older vehicles are simply the best for pimpin'.

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Welcome to China Bland

It's a Mazda6. No, it's a Ford Fusion. No, really, it's a Chinese FAW Benteng, poised to take on Accord and Camry. Undoubtedly there are any number of Chinese automobile journalists ready to complain, just like their European and North...

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STM weekend racing

I reported last Friday that Swede Team Motor was due to debut its 9-3 Sport Sedan with a new e85 V6 engine. Unfortunately I had to update that post on Saturday morning with the news that the debut had been delayed. Bummer. But STM still managed to get a car in the weekend's competition at Sturup Raceway, racing their diesel-powered 9-3SS all the way to the top of the national championship table for endurance racing!! Congratulations STM!! image: STM /...

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http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2006/05/stm_weekend_rac.html

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