Moved to a New Spot!

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New format and a different take on things. I will not be posting here any more.

Fast cars and cool guns? They will be a thing of the past if . . .

My blog can now b found at http://fatherof10.com

New format and a different take on things. I will not be posting here any more.

Fast cars are hated by certain elements of our society. Interestingly enough, the same kind of people that hate fast cars also hate cool guns. In fact, I am pretty sure they hate all guns in the hands of the common people.

P. J. O'Rourke said it best in his book Driving Like Crazy: Watch out for the Fun-suckers. No, the American car industry was not destroyed by its cars. The American car industry was destroyed by the Fun-Suckers. You know the Fun-Suckers. You may be married to one. The Fun-Suckers go around saying how unsafe this fun thing is and how unhealthy that fun thing is and how unfair, unjust, uncaring, insensitive, divisive, contagious, and fattening every other thing that's fun is.The Fun-Suckers are a bit too careful, a bit too concerned, a bit too scrupulous. That's bullshit. They're evil and they hate us. The motive behind spoiling things for others and then throwing a wet blanket over the rained-on parade is a matter of neither caution nor morals. The Fun-Suckers suck the fun out of life in order to gain control. They've found a way to achieve power without merit. Nothing requires less information, education, or accomplishment than saying that everything's wrong. It's wrong to risk lives, wrong to use up earth's resources, wrong to pollute air, wrong to support an economic system that heightens income inequalities, wrong to own a big, expensive car, drive it fast, and vote Republican. The Fun-Suckers have been around forever. But they didn't used to have the influence they have now. The ruling class of yore was too fond of its dangerous fun. The nobility was having a ball (and PETA be damned) chasing game animals through the serfs' standing corn and chasing serfs as well if any buxom serf lasses were spied. Dukes and princes spent their days warring with infidels and each other and their nights feasting themselves into oblivion. The Fun-Suckers had to rely on religious zealotry to make others miserable and themselves important. Fun-Suckers were reduced to burning a few books and witches, pestering Copernicus and Galileo, and making everyone eat carp pie on Fridays.

Make Money with your Blog!

My blog can now b found at http://fatherof10.com

New format and a different take on things. I will not be posting here any more.

When you find out how to do it, be sure and let me know!

Guns and money.

More guns and money.

Guns and money and fast cars!
What could be better?

The Smart Car in my Parking Lot!

My blog can now b found at http://fatherof10.com

New format and a different take on things. I will not be posting here any more.

It's there. Almost everyday. Small, Silver and Short. Really Short.

Yup, it is a Smart Car!

When I drive my suburban to work I seek out the Smart Car to park next to it. I'm hoping I can hide it so the owner can't find it and then buys a real car. Last week I parked my SL600 next to it, hoping some of the SL's horsepower would leak off and give itty-bitty a little boost. Maybe I could loan it a cylinder since my SL600 has plenty of them.



WHY would someone want a car like this? Seriously? Because it is cheap and cutesy. No other reason. You can get a new Smart For Two for a measely MSRP $12,490 - $17,690. In 1967 you could've got a new Corvette for half of that. I guess a dollar doesn't go very far these days when it takes $15K to buy the modern version of Citroen 2CV, and the 2CV has a back seat. Both are ugly. Both are cheap.



Here are the performance stats:
0-60 mph acceleration at 12.8 seconds;
70 horsepower
1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine
5-speed paddle-shift automatic

Gas mileage isn't really that spectacular with results of 33 city and 41 highway.

Chick Magnet Factor? I guess it depends on the kind of chick you're after. My chick was all over me and my Corvette back in the day, and now we have 10 kids and have had a plethora of cool cars. A Smart Car is not in the works. I think it should be reserved for granola-crunching hairy arm-pitted commie pinko liberal girls that can't get dates on Sadie-Hawkins Day.

Tell your date that you have the convertible out at the curb, she steps out the door and sees these three. which one do you want to be yours?

For Sale Ferrari F355 Spider

My blog can now b found at http://fatherof10.com

New format and a different take on things. I will not be posting here any more.



For Sale!
Ferrari F355 Spider
Black
Approximately 28,000 miles.

Meticulously maintained in Tucson, AZ so there has been NO bad weather driving.
Price is firm at $49,950.00 or will consider trade for the right 911.










3.5 liter V8
5 vales per cylinder

Performance

Max power @ rpm: 380 hp (283 kW) @ 8250 rpm
HP/liter: 109 hp/l
Torque @ rpm: 268 lb·ft @ 6000 rpm
0-60 mp/h: 4.6 sec
0–100 km/h: 4.7 sec
0–160 km/h: 10.8 sec
Quarter Mile: 12.9 sec
0–1000 m: 23.7 sec
Top speed: 183 mph (295 km/h)


Email Father of 10 for details and a look-see. No joy-rides, no tire-kickers and no low-ballers.

NewTopic!

My blog can now b found at http://fatherof10.com

New format and a different take on things. I will not be posting here any more.

OK, I have tried to make this blog exclusively about fast cars and cool guns, but right now I feel absolutely FORCED to make a post or two about PREPPING! Why? Because it has lately become a rage across the country . . and I can even extrapolate a post about the guns and vehicles of preppers! Do preppers have fast cars and cool guns? No. They have Suburbans and school buses and ugly Russian antique guns. Maybe we need to focus on the possibilities that are out there for the preppers. For instance, a good prepper side arm could be a Kimber instead of a Yugoslavian commie POS like the T33:

It's ugly and even looks like it was designed by the central committee. Why not get a really cool personal protection side arm like the previously mentioned Kimber:

Then there is the alternative to the school bus for a bug out vehicle. Seriously? A freakin' SCHOOL BUS? I guess there might be some available real cheap down in New Orleans.

I say get a cool prepper bug out vehicle like this thing:

This outfit screams: Get the h*ll out of my way or I will absolutely CRUSH you.
HERE is another guy's idea on the perfect bug out vehicle.
What say you? Are you PREPARED? Are you on your way to being a prepper?

Really, REALLY Big gun!

My blog can now b found at http://fatherof10.com

New format and a different take on things. I will not be posting here any more.

I just saw this on the Blaze. This is a big gun. when someone says it is time to call out the big guns, this is the one that some from Idaho or Arizona will be hauling out of his Suburban.



From SSK industries .950 JDJ. It’s the biggest centerfire rifle ever made.
With a 2400 grain bullet, propelled by 240 grains of powder, the JDJ is comparable to a World War I-era tank round or a 20mm cannon in terms of kinetic energy.
Estimates are that one of these rounds would easily pass through several human targets– even if each were equipped with full body armor.



Your friend that shoots this thing better be well-heeled too. The rounds are $40 each. That makes a .50 BMG sound like a bargain!



I can't wait to see one at the local gun range. The question is: What is it for? Is it the 21st century opposite of the .22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer?

Ugliest Car in the World!

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New format and a different take on things. I will not be posting here any more.

And I thought the VOLT was ugly.

There are many new cars that are ugly, and then there are a few new cars that are insanely ugly! Take the Mazda RX8: It is an ugly car. My firend Steve has one and I've driven it. It drives a whole lot better than it looks, believe me. In fact, it's pretty sweet when you're behind the wheel, but I wanted to wear a paperbag over my head when I got out because I didn't any seeing me getting out of such an ugly car! What was mazda thinking?

See? It's ugly, but it is not the ugliest of the newer cars. I maintain that the ugliest "new" car is the Nissan Juke.


One review said the Juke was "something out of an animation studio: compact with a unique looking rear and curves that will make you think it has some secret compartment somewhere" and "it’s nothing more than a quirky vehicle looking to make some mark in a highly competitive automobile industry." Well, Nissan, I have news for you: It's ugly. It is the ugliest new car available. It makes the Pontiac Aztec look good and that's no mean feat. It is so ugly that owners of Citroens feel better about themselves!

Hogs vs. Javelina

I drew out on a javelina hunt in AZ area 32. I've hunted deer there quite a bit and have shot a coyote or 2 there also. Area 32 also has one of Arizona's few herds of feral hogs. I ran into a few of them the last time I was out there. Here is some information about hogs v. javelina from Texas Parks and Wildlife:

Feral Hogs vs. Javelina
What's the Difference?
Feral hogs are a real problem in Texas! They destroy habitat and compete with native species and livestock. Javelina are smaller, native species that feed mostly on prickly pear cactus.

Although somewhat similar in appearance and habits, feral hogs and javelinas are not related. While feral hogs are indeed true pigs, javelinas belong to a totally separate family of mammals. Javelinas are smaller, have an unnoticeable tail, only one dew claw on the hind foot, a scent gland near the base of the tail, a grizzled-grayish coat with a white band of hair around the shoulder or "collar," and are more social or herd-like animals. Although feral hogs and javelinas inhabit the same range in South and Central Texas, they are not compatible.

Look for the differences in these tracks of the javelina, white-tailed deer and a feral hog.

This is a mount of a javelina my brother shot in south Texas a few years ago:


So what to shoot hogs and javelinas with? Javelinas can easily be taken with medium caliber weapons, from 5.56 in an AR-15 and pistols from .38 on up. It seems they are made perfect for bow hunting. Hogs, on the other hand, require something a bit heavier. I would not shoot one with a pistol smaller than a .357 Magnum, and I would want a heavier upper on my AR15 than the 5.56. An Ar10 would work, but the ideal upper for your AR15 would be the .450 Bushmaster or the .458 SOCOM.

Here is a site that has various AR15 uppers for sale. It gives an idea of the costs, etc. . . .

Added to my collection? Maybe!

Local Used Car Lot

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

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

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

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