Father Of 10

Local Used Car Lot

2012-01-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

I drive by this place every day. The proprietor, Mr. Clarke, is a real car nut. He sells cars that HE likes. As you can see, he has pretty good taste in cars . . . usually. Anyway, if you're looking for something better to drive than your sisters Neon, check this place out.
Tanque Verde Motors

Tucson Cars and Coffee January 2012 Edition

2012-01-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

This time my wife came with me to Cars and Coffee. A few of the same cars from last month and quite a fer new ones. Mother_of_10 likes Corvettes. . . . a lot, so the first one here was her favorite of the show:

Then it was Ferrari Time.

And then my V12 Mercedes found a twin:

Mine on the left and Fred's on the right.

Here's a cute beach bug!

These Corvettes were at the show last month too:

If I Had to Replace My Mercedes

2012-01-11T11:44:00.001-08:00

So, if I had to replace my 1997 Mercedes SL600, what would I get? The other day my wife asked me if I had thought about how long I was going to keep my roadster and I honestly told her that I was so satisfied with it that I hadn't thought about what next. With my previous cars, I was on to thinking about what next fairly quickly. I like the M-B SL600 so much that I am not looking for the next best thing. At least, not yet.

But since she mentioned it, I started to look around just a little. I don't like to buy brand new cars for myself because I find I can get so much more car for the money if I buy used or vintage. That tactic has enabled me to own a 2001 Cadillac STS, a 2001 M-B CLK55 AMG and a 1997 M-B SL600 . . . all together for less than the price of a Cadillac STS. That is over $265,000 worth of cars for less than $60,000.

In response to my looking around, here is what I have come up with as a nice replacement for the Benz:

A 2001 Ferrari 456M (GT)

Here is some info:
The 456M GT is a 2+2 berlinetta coupe, which means it has a snug two-place rear seat in addition to the customary front buckets. As the company puts it, this is “the evolution of a very popular concept amongst Ferrari clients who want a real Ferrari with the practicality of rear seats for two additional passengers.” In contrast to the mid-engine 360 Modena, Ferrari’s least costly model that is equipped with a V-8 behind the seats, the 456M GT has a V-12 engine mounted up front. The list price for the 456M GT is (in 2001) $226,975, while the automatic-transmission GTA goes for $232,170. That makes the 456M Ferrari’s most expensive model in the U.S. market — at least until the 550 Barchetta goes on sale in spring 2001.

MPG City: 10 Highway: 15 – 16
Available Engines
442-hp, 5.5-liter V-12 (premium)

Transmissions
6-speed manual w/OD
4-speed automatic w/OD

0 to 60 time is about 5 seconds, which is about the same as my M-B SL600. The top end is faster and the quarter mile time is close to the same. Maintenance costs are higher than the Mercedes and insurance costs are probably just a little higher, but probably not much.

All in all, I would say it would be a nice upgrade. I think I could stroke my ego just a bit with this car!

Saturday's Airplane Ride

2012-01-06T15:23:00.000-08:00

Last week my son and I went out flying with a friend. He has a couple of biplanes, but his Cessna 337 Super Skymaster was our ride for the day. See this link for info on the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster.Here are pictures of our little event:

My son

Cessna:
Empty weight: 2,655 lb
Powerplant: 2 × Continental IO-360-C air-cooled flat-six piston engine, 210 hp each

Mercedes:
Curb weight 4,455 lb
Powerplant: 6.0 liter DOHC 4 valves per cylinder V12 slightly modified 420 hp

Here are some videos:
Take Off

Landing

Fly By

Taxiing

Tucson Cars and Coffee December Edition

2011-12-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

December 10th was Cars and Coffee at Encantada Mall in Tucson. My son and I drove the SL600 up there. many people commented about cramming a six liter V-12 engine into such a little car. We had a lot of fun. My highlight was the 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. My son was thrilled with the Lotus Elige and the Lamborghini Diablo VT. Here are the pics:

My son thinks he could fit in a Lotus and for sure the Lamborghini Diablo. I have my doubts. He is 6' 4" and about 210 lbs. Not a giant, but a bit over the average. I don't think he can fit . . . at least not comfortably. See:

I think he would be far more comfortable in the next car, but not near as happy!

Or maybe this one:

I'm a MODERATOR! So watch it!

2011-12-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

I was asked to be a moderator on a very cool web forum called Arizona Firearms Forum. So far the forum is doing very well. It is young, but growing daily. Please visit and enjoy the discussions. Peruse the items for sale. There are great deals to be had there. For instance, in the Rifles For Sale section I have a Remington 742BDL in 30.06 with a great scope on it for only $600.

The Worst Car I Ever Had

2011-11-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

A 1981 Chevrolet Citation.

Hands down the worst car I ever had, and I've had more than a few. It was 1987 and I was in graduate school and desperately needed a car. I was basically broke, which doesn't help car-buying. I found a used car lot that said credit was no problem and I could make the payments right at the lot. $50 a week and only $200 down. I scraped up the money and made the deal. The citation had the venerable Iron Duke 4 cylinder set transversly with a 3 speed front wheel drive automatic transmission. It had Throttle-body injection and was as gutless as just about anything you could get in 1987. But the price was right.

I drove it for a few months, made my payments, was only left stranded by it twice until . . . the crank broke. Literally, the crank broke in two. I was only a mile or so away from home, so I had a buddy help me get it home. I popped the hood open and had him turn the key while I was looking at the motor. The starter was turning and the engince was turning over, but the fan and the pulleys were not moving. I drug the car into the garage and popped the valve cover off and saw that the valves were not moving either, yet 3 of the 4 cylinders were moving up and down. So I pulled the motor and tore it down to the block. the crank had boken between cylinders one and two and so the timing gear was not moving either. I replaced the crank, replaced the con rod and piston on #1 and honed out the rest fo the motor and replaced all of the rings. I put it back together and stuck it back in to the car and fired it up. I set the timing and had it back on the road. Total time about 5 days. Not bad.

I drove it another week or so and then the motor went POP! I kinda knew what it was. I figured I had the timing set too far advanced and I just blew a hole in the new cylinder. I pulled it back into the garage, pulled ol' Iron Duke out again and replaced the piston, slapped it all back together, started it up and was a bit more careful in setting the timing . . . then I drove it right down to the car lot where I was making those pesky weekly payments. I parked the car in the lot and took the keys in to the manager and dropped them on his desk and told him it was his again. I took the verbal harrassment from him as I walked to the street and sat down on the bus bench waiting to be acquainted with public transportation. All the time I was waiting for the bus, about 10 or 15 minutes, the car lot manager was telling me what a jerk I was, that he would sue me, that I was irresponsible and that I couldn't do that. The thing is, though, I had read the contract. The bus came, I left, he had his car and I was hoofing it and using the bus for a few more weeks until I bought another really cheap car . . . but it lasted a bit longer.

Latest Cool Car Spotting

2011-10-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

I flew up to Denver early Tuesday morning for a meeting. I'm on the advisory board of a big insurance company . . . lucky me. We took a break and I was scanning the parking lot and I spotted this:

A Jaguar XKR - Super Charged

Here is the rundown on this very nice looking Jag:
420 HP
6 speed paddle shift auto
0 to 60 under 5 seconds

5.0L V8 engine
Automatic transmission
Up to 15 cty/22 hwy mpg
Navigation System
Bluetooth
MP3 Player
Satellite radio
Side/Curtain Airbags
Stability Control
Traction Control

Base MSRP for the 2011 model year: $102,125

I have seen gently used examples available in the mid $20k to Low $40k, depending on mileage.

I would give these a Chick Magnet Factor of 8.7. Slightly above the Maserati because the brand is a bit better known. Jaguar wanted to compete with BMW, M-B, Corvette and Ferrari with this model and I think they did a very good job.

The next morning in Denver I woke to 3 inches of snow and the Jag was not to be found in the parking lot. And that is why I love living in Southern Arizona. Every month is Hot Rod Month down here!

My Stock Broker Stopped by this Evening

2011-10-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

My stock broker and good friend, Dubya, stopped this evening on his way home from his office. He lives a couple of blocks the south of me. Dubya drives a cool little M-B SLK 230. Here is a picture of it parked in my driveway

Isn't yellow a cool color? Ignore the yellow Vette. It is such a monster compared to my M-B SL600 and his M-B SLK 230 Kompressor. Stock tip from Dubya a few weeks ago was to buy Caterpillar at about $70 a share. This morning it was over $90. Thanks Dubya!

Latest Cool Car Spotting

2011-10-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday I was driving past Udall Park on Tanque Verde and noticed this emblem on the grill of a car out of the corner of my eye:

Naturally, I pulled in to the parking lot to take a look at the Maserati Gran Sport V8 that was sporting the Trident Emblem. I didn't have a camera with me, but here is an image I lifted from the 'net:

My buddy Ted was with me and he asked how I was able to notice that car in the parking lot as we were driving past at 45 MPH. It's a skill, Ted.
The Maserati Gran Sport V8 retailed new for about $130,000. Excellent 2006 examples can be had on the used market now for as low as $29,900. They are 4 seaters and sport a 4.2 liter V8 with 390 to 405 HP. They look good and are a great change from the ugly and gutless BiTurbo Maserati of the 1980's!
Here are the Performance stats:
0 to 60 4.8 sec (I think more like 5.2, considering the weight and engine)
0 to 100 11.3 sec
1/4 mile 13.2 sec at 110 MPH
Top Speed 177 MPH
10 MPG
Understated Chick Magnet Factor of 8.5

New Firearms site for Arizona!

2011-10-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a brand new forum called Arizona Firearms Forum. It is in it's infancy and needs support. We can make it like we want it! FREE!

Wow! The Chevy VOLT!

2011-09-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hey I finally saw one the other day!
It was sitting, unsold, in front of a dealership, but I saw it!!
It was my first, and I’ve been looking.
Beyond the ugliness of the design, it also had HUGE block letters down the entire side of it that said VOLT.
Crappy, yet overstated.

From FOX News:
In August, and for the second month in a row, the Chevy Cruze was the best selling compact car in America, with 21,807 cars sold.

The Chevy Volt? Not so much.

Only 302 of the plug-in hybrids were delivered to customers, up from 125 in July.

So, is the extended range electric car of the future already out of juice?

Read more

Best Gun Dealing Sites on the Internet!

2011-09-27T19:26:00.001-07:00

The internet is a great medium for buying and selling almost everything. I've bought and sold LOTS of stuff through sites on the 'net: cars, computers, clothes, food and even guns. Here is a list of my favorite sites for buying and selling guns and hunting/outdoor sports related items.

Auction Arms

Auction Arms says:

Guns for sale at AuctionArms.com, with gun auctions since 1998! We have thousands of rifles, shotguns, handguns, and revolvers for sale in a safe and secure marketplace. You can sell guns at AuctionArms.com, The Official Online Auction Website of the NRA. Registration is free!

Gun Broker

Gun Broker says:

GunBroker.com - The World's Largest Online Auction of Firearms and Accessories™

The High Road

The High Road is a forum that addresses 2nd amendment issues in a thoughtful and open manner. They take The High Road in the debate. The forum has a good buy and sell section.

The Back Page

Backpage.com looks just like Craigslist. However, it is not as big yet and I don't think it is run by a bunch of tree-hugging pinko commie hippies that are afraid of even the mention of the word GUN. Go to the heading Sports Equipment and you can peruse a large selection of guns and related items for sale.

I have used all four of these sites and have good success with each of them. the High road and Backpage are great for local face to face deals. Auction sites are more formal and not free.

Southern Arizona Camping

2011-09-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

I took the little family down to Parker Canyon for a camping/fishing trip. Great scenery! Beautiful weather!
As we got closer to our destination, Parker Canyon Lake, we encountered this sign:

Here is a closeup of what the sign says.

So naturally, protection was in order. I didn't want to be too obvious, so from my modest arsenal I selected a Smith and Wesson model 642, loaded with my own loads of .38 Special +P,

and a Ruger SP101 with a 3 in. barrel, equipped with Crimson Trace laser sights in .357 magnum loaded with my own loads of .357 Mag hollow points.

Not that I anticipate any trouble, because I don't. But I do like camping and hunting and fishing in southern Arizona and that activity does have the chance of an encounter with possibly unsavory characters.

Here is the family camping rig at the campground at Parker Canyon Lake.

Fishing report: Nibbles, but no fish. The intent was not for ME to catch fish, but for me to continue to teach and provide a good fishing experience for 3 young girls. And THAT was a grand success!

AR15 Problem

2011-09-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I went out shooting with a friend who works for the Border Patrol. We had an enjoyable time shooting several different guns. He told me that the BP has a new rule that they cannot shoot their service weapons leisurely anymore, that it has to be on a certified range. No problem. We have several guns at our disposal that are not BP service weapons.

One of the guns we were shooting was my new Armalite AR15.

After about 50 rounds we have a failure to eject issue. Might be due to the cheap ammo I had. I dropped a cleaning rod down the barrel and popped the spent case out. Tomorrow I will go out and shoot it again and see if the issue repeats itself.
The other gun we were shooting was a Remington 742 in 30.06 that I recently picked up. I put on a Bausch and Lomb 3-9 scope on it. Years ago I borrowed one of these from my uncle and shot several deer with it, so it is nice to get this one. Brings back good memories!

Mitsubishi 3000GT

2011-09-21T11:55:00.001-07:00

Driving down the road the other day I pulled up next to a bright red Mitsubishi 3000GT. My window was down and so was his. I tapped my horn and he looked over at me and I told him that he had one of the coolest cars on the road. I think he liked that.

Prime examples of the VR4 version can be found for under $10,000. See HERE.

It never hurts to pay compliments. The 3000GT is a great car. When it first arrived in 1990 I saw it as a foreshadow of what Japan was going to be sending to the US in the future. I hope to see one at the next car show.

Cars and Coffee - Tucson

2011-09-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

The second Saturday of the month in Tucson is Cars and Coffee at AJ's.
Click here for the Facebook page.

Tucson Mercedes Club Event

2011-09-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

On Septembr 10 the Tucson Mercedes Club had a little drive up to Mount Lemmon. It was great weather and a beautiful drive. Mother_of_10 and I drove our little M-B SL600 up the hill with the group. We stopped at Windy Point for a photo op.
Here are the cars all lined up.

Parked next to my silver SL600 is a new SLS. It is a BEAUTIFUL car and really fast.
Here is a picture of my SL600 at home: