Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David P. on February 25, 2013 at 10:06am

Gabe,

Was that POR, or the Thousand Acre Wood rally? I'm aware one of the other was last weekend, but I don't know which. Looks like a lot of fun. Makes me think to propose a Chainlink LeMons team! :)

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Permalink Reply by David P. on February 25, 2013 at 10:21am

OK, since this thread came back from the dead I'll raise my hand. To the OP: no, you're not the only one here (obviously); no, you're not schizophrenic; no, you're not J&H; no, you're not sleeping with the enemy; and yes you can support Palestinian and Israeli statehood :)

Cars have been my biggest passion for my entire life. I was that way by the time I was 2 or 3, by which time I could name all the cars in the parking lot, etc. Lord knows where it came from, as no one in my family has ever had any interest in cars, and I was born in a city and country with no particular car culture, albeit with American-style car-centric habits (nearly-free gas will do that.) All I ever wanted to do was 'design cars', which I knew by late in elementary school. I went to engineering school in Atlanta and spent my time helping design and build race cars, moved to Detroit to go to art school to draw cars, then worked in the auto industry until a layoff and a girlfriend brought me to Chicago. And as much as I love living in Chicago, not working with cars the way I used to kinda kills me a bit more every year. I really want to have it all. As it is, I've got four-ish rideable bikes and three cars, and do my own work on all of them. I ride everywhere year-round but I just can't, or won't, give up my cars. Aside from my vanilla-mobile transportation appliance (nice but plain, and too good to pass up when it came around) I've got a '93 Sentra SE-R that I got new, and a Fiat Spider that my dad and I got as a project when I was 14.

Like Michael B, I not only don't hate driving, I love it. But not driving in the city - that sucks. Cycling in the city is fun, so that's what I do, and I drive for trips or to take the Fiat out for drives, etc. I do miss nice environments and roads to drive on, though. Used to do driving schools from age 18 through my late 20s or so, until it fell too far down the budget priority list (and autocrossing, well, the driving-to-sitting-around ratio is too low.) but I miss that, too, and want to get back into it. Or crewing on someone's rally team (see Gabe's post). Or putting together a LeMons effort.

Noah is right - people who take care of their own machines tend to be people who love machines.

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Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on February 25, 2013 at 10:21am

No worries; even bike-friendly transportation commissioner Gabe Klein is a car guy. From my biographical article about him:

Although a November 27  Tribune opinion piece by John McCarron trashed CDOT’s bike and bus rapid transit plans as being part of a new “war on cars,” as we pedal by a sleek orange Lotus Esprit sports car Klein says, “Wow, beautiful car.”

The commissioner traces his not-so-secret love of classic automobiles back to his father. When Gabe Klein was three the family moved from Hartford to Putnam, Connecticut, and his dad opened the Silver Bike Shop where Gabe helped out as a kid—but autos also fascinated his father. “He got a different car probably every six months,” Klein says. “So the infatuation with transportation runs in the family.” His father also had a keen interest in yoga and meditation, and on weekends he helped maintain the fleet of vintage Cadillacs belonging to his guru, Swami Satchidananda, the holy man who gave the opening benediction at the Woodstock festival.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Wright on February 25, 2013 at 10:27am

David,

I had a '91 SE-R and loved it.  I used to surprise a lot of people in that thing.  As I was riding my bike to work in the Loop today I was thinking how I'd never take my '89 900 Turbo Convertible out in this slop.  Thankfully I have the Gary Fisher for that.

David P. said:

OK, since this thread came back from the dead I'll raise my hand. To the OP: no, you're not the only one here (obviously); no, you're not schizophrenic; no, you're not J&H; no, you're not sleeping with the enemy; and yes you can support Palestinian and Israeli statehood :)

Cars have been my biggest passion for my entire life. I was that way by the time I was 2 or 3, by which time I could name all the cars in the parking lot, etc. Lord knows where it came from, as no one in my family has ever had any interest in cars, and I was born in a city and country with no particular car culture, albeit with American-style car-centric habits (nearly-free gas will do that.) All I ever wanted to do was 'design cars', which I knew by late in elementary school. I went to engineering school in Atlanta and spent my time helping design and build race cars, moved to Detroit to go to art school to draw cars, then worked in the auto industry until a layoff and a girlfriend brought me to Chicago. And as much as I love living in Chicago, not working with cars the way I used to kinda kills me a bit more every year. I really want to have it all. As it is, I've got four-ish rideable bikes and three cars, and do my own work on all of them. I ride everywhere year-round but I just can't, or won't, give up my cars. Aside from my vanilla-mobile transportation appliance (nice but plain, and too good to pass up when it came around) I've got a '93 Sentra SE-R that I got new, and a Fiat Spider that my dad and I got as a project when I was 14.

Like Michael B, I not only don't hate driving, I love it. But not driving in the city - that sucks. Cycling in the city is fun, so that's what I do, and I drive for trips or to take the Fiat out for drives, etc. I do miss nice environments and roads to drive on, though. Used to do driving schools from age 18 through my late 20s or so, until it fell too far down the budget priority list (and autocrossing, well, the driving-to-sitting-around ratio is too low.) but I miss that, too, and want to get back into it. Or crewing on someone's rally team (see Gabe's post). Or putting together a LeMons effort.

Noah is right - people who take care of their own machines tend to be people who love machines.

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Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on February 25, 2013 at 12:13pm

This sounds very funny to me, and yet not so surprising when it comes to "holy men":).

” His father also had a keen interest in yoga and meditation, and on weekends he helped maintain the fleet of vintage Cadillacs belonging to his guru, Swami Satchidananda, the holy man who gave the opening benediction at the Woodstock festival."

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Permalink Reply by David P. on February 25, 2013 at 1:37pm

Kevin,

I lovelovelove my SE-R. I haven't driven it in a while, and it is currently on jack stands in the early stages of getting new rod bearings and then a big pile of little things. I certainly don't need it but I have a tremendous attachment to it (it's the only new car I've had) and it is piles of fun, and I'd regret it forever if I ever sold it.

Kevin Wright said:

David,

I had a '91 SE-R and loved it.  I used to surprise a lot of people in that thing.  As I was riding my bike to work in the Loop today I was thinking how I'd never take my '89 900 Turbo Convertible out in this slop.  Thankfully I have the Gary Fisher for that.

David P. said:

OK, since this thread came back from the dead I'll raise my hand. To the OP: no, you're not the only one here (obviously); no, you're not schizophrenic; no, you're not J&H; no, you're not sleeping with the enemy; and yes you can support Palestinian and Israeli statehood :)

Cars have been my biggest passion for my entire life. I was that way by the time I was 2 or 3, by which time I could name all the cars in the parking lot, etc. Lord knows where it came from, as no one in my family has ever had any interest in cars, and I was born in a city and country with no particular car culture, albeit with American-style car-centric habits (nearly-free gas will do that.) All I ever wanted to do was 'design cars', which I knew by late in elementary school. I went to engineering school in Atlanta and spent my time helping design and build race cars, moved to Detroit to go to art school to draw cars, then worked in the auto industry until a layoff and a girlfriend brought me to Chicago. And as much as I love living in Chicago, not working with cars the way I used to kinda kills me a bit more every year. I really want to have it all. As it is, I've got four-ish rideable bikes and three cars, and do my own work on all of them. I ride everywhere year-round but I just can't, or won't, give up my cars. Aside from my vanilla-mobile transportation appliance (nice but plain, and too good to pass up when it came around) I've got a '93 Sentra SE-R that I got new, and a Fiat Spider that my dad and I got as a project when I was 14.

Like Michael B, I not only don't hate driving, I love it. But not driving in the city - that sucks. Cycling in the city is fun, so that's what I do, and I drive for trips or to take the Fiat out for drives, etc. I do miss nice environments and roads to drive on, though. Used to do driving schools from age 18 through my late 20s or so, until it fell too far down the budget priority list (and autocrossing, well, the driving-to-sitting-around ratio is too low.) but I miss that, too, and want to get back into it. Or crewing on someone's rally team (see Gabe's post). Or putting together a LeMons effort.

Noah is right - people who take care of their own machines tend to be people who love machines.

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Permalink Reply by GabeW (not the other Gabe) on February 26, 2013 at 10:12am

Don't sell the SE-R. EVER. Especially since you are the original owner.  Those are the equivalent of a "musician's musician" - Not popular outside of those in the know, but damn they're good.

And that was the 100 acre wood rally (yes, like pooh and piglet).  I started going to it 4 years ago shortly after I discovered there were actually rallys in the US.  We spectated the first year.  Volunteered to marshal the closed road stages and work a finish control checkpoint the next year, and I've been crewing for the legacy team ever since.  A chainlink lemons team would be a hilariously good time, and funny you mention it, the guy that was going to buy a bike (middle legs) just did a chumpcar race.

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Permalink Reply by David P. on February 26, 2013 at 11:34am

I won't sell it, but I do feel a bit bad for having let it just sit for the last few years.

Perhaps I'll create a group for those of us of a certain mind to help keep each other apprised of things in the area.

A Chainlink Lemons team would have to have some sort of bicycle content:

GabeW (not the other Gabe) said:

Don't sell the SE-R. EVER. Especially since you are the original owner.  Those are the equivalent of a "musician's musician" - Not popular outside of those in the know, but damn they're good.

And that was the 100 acre wood rally (yes, like pooh and piglet).  I started going to it 4 years ago shortly after I discovered there were actually rallys in the US.  We spectated the first year.  Volunteered to marshal the closed road stages and work a finish control checkpoint the next year, and I've been crewing for the legacy team ever since.  A chainlink lemons team would be a hilariously good time, and funny you mention it, the guy that was going to buy a bike (middle legs) just did a chumpcar race.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on February 26, 2013 at 1:05pm

I lived in the Detroit area for jr. high and High school. Love muscle cars,the old ones 60's-70's only.

And if you go to Devon ave. the nationalities seem to be able to live amongst each other.

The problem is people think there is only one way and no other, also called narrow mindendness.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on February 26, 2013 at 2:08pm

My Dad worked for AMC in Kenosha from the mid 50's to just before they closed the doors and shut out the lights in the 80's. Hence, I am a car guy by default. Used to attend the new model year unveilings at County Stadium in Milwaukee when in grade school and used to sneak out of last period as a high school senior to hang with my Dad at the AMC Proving Grounds when he worked out there. I've built two hot rods in the past and will still wrench on stuff that doesn't require a computer to tune. Did a carb rebuild and major tune up on a 1943 Ford GPW (Jeep) for a guy last summer for a cheeseburger and the opportunity to drive it. Hell, I still like dialing in carbs and points.

My Dad is pushing 80 now and has a sweet 68 Ranchero with a mildly built 289/C4 that will probably be residing in my garage in the not too distant future. The garage looks a bit empty since I gave my 52 Ford F2 to my son in law.

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Permalink Reply by Jerry Lee on February 26, 2013 at 3:03pm

I am a 4 car guy (73 dodge dart, 70 plymouth duster, 75 VW bug and a 89 toyota camry) , also a harley owner (08 Nightster) and a bicycle owner (14 of em, 7 are electric powered). Been into cars since 1963, raced slot cars when I was not old enough to drive, got my license at 16 in 1966, and never got a ticket, not that I am an angel, did a lot fast acceleration with my big block Mopar. I enjoy watching car building shows, but didn't have the $$$, so I turned to recumbent and later electric power bikes, and fabricate my own frames. As an aging old fart, I need the added electric power.

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Permalink Reply by Nick on February 26, 2013 at 7:06pm

Yeah i'm into cars but I bike around the city most of the time.  I biked in the snow today and it reminded me of why I choose to commute using a bicycle, it's the fun choice and it saves you a great deal of time in an urban environment.  I own 3 very different cars, a 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo, 1982 Mercedes Diesel and 2000 Camaro SS.  I enjoy wrenching on my cars more than driving them lately.  I've performed extended modifications to the camaro including heads/cam/exhaust manifold and intake manifold.  On the 911 I've been doing mostly suspension/clutch and maintenance and the Mercedes I've done extensive maintenance and restoration.   I'm looking forward to my first bike build.  I currently ride a 2004 Gary Fisher Montare which was a college gift.  I commute to Melrose Park 25 miles round trip to Chicago.  I still wear the clip in shoes I bought when in 2000 when I was in High School.   I don't wear fancy bike clothes usually I wear the same thing every day just wash on Wednesdays.  I typically ride 4 days a week.  I hate city traffic but when I lived in the suburbs, cars make sense and I've been into cars since I was a kid.  I've also been into bikes, but more interested in riding bikes than building them.  I used to ride critical mass but I found that I started disagreeing with the intentions of most riders seem to be anti car.  I didn't like there assumptions knowing that they probably commute less in their day than I do one way to my work and I tend to wear more functional clothing (not skinny jeans on a single speed!)  Anyway I digress.  I find that now that I'm maturing now that I turned 30 and my house is being filled with bicycle parts more than car parts, so I think that is a sign of the times.

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