One Time Porsche

Justification seen on $60,000 Porsche Cayman S parked near Farragut Square. Sorry for the finger shot. Read More

Jeep: Signs of Spring

Vintage military Jeep spotted at 17th and K in Washington, DC early this week. Top off, windshield folded down -- a sure sign of spring. Read More

Lay off Toyota, says Miss Governor

Mississippi Governor and former Washington lobbyist Haley Barbour has taken to the editorial page of The Washington Post to plead for, um, fair treatment for Toyota. In the editorial, Barbour suggest Toyota has received less than fair dealing from Congress on the runaway Camry issue in order to boost American car manufacturers.
Barbour's argument is silly. Instead of pointing out how Toyota, with Washington's help, succeeded in burying its safety problem, Barbour makes an economic argument for giving Toyota a pass. Barbour argues that Toyota is just as American as Ford and General Motors because it employs many non-union Southerners, particularly in Barbour's state of Mississippi.
Certainly Toyota has been a boon for American workers, particularly in the South. But we fail to see how providing jobs absolves Toyota for selling defective cars.
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Will Camry Be Best Seller in 2010?

As much as we love to hate the ubiquitous Toyota shitbox, it's clear the Toyota folks know how to peddle a lame car. The Toyota Camry has been the best selling car in America for 11 of the past 12 years (the Honda Accord won in 2001), blowing away the competition. But with runaway accelerators, recalls, and hints of further investigations by U.S. safety officials, the car is taking a sales beating. Will a month or two of buyer fears give Toyota's competitors the head start they need to break the streak, or will the original blow them away once again? Read More

Rumblenote Exclusive: Blue Plate Ford Found in Belize

During a recent drive from Belize to Guatemala, my wife and I saw a gaggle of roadside odd balls, but none caught our imagination half a much as this mint 70's-era Ford wagon with California plates. Yes, California plates, the blue ones that the guys at Bring a Trailer dork out about. According to the trusty folks at Wikianswers, the Ford's trip was a 2,400-mile drive, with two border crossings. Should take between one week and two, it says. Can't think of too many cars I'd rather do it in, if I had to take four or five close friends and groceries for the trip.
We're sure there's a fine story that tells how this woody wagon wound up in Belize. We like to think a bunch of teenage surfers set out in it several years back to escape winter (that's why we went).The wagon is immaculate down to the fake wood paneling. Owner is asking the equivalent of $1,500 for the keys. If you're interested, I'll email the GPS coordinates. Better yet, send the cash and I'll drive it back.
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Ice Bike: It's Worth the Frostbite

Pissed over driving lame cars, I gave up petrol power in 2007 and committed to buses, trains and a hard-traveled purple Trek. I'm ferreting away the cash I save to buy a Porsche 911. The idea is to give the finger to cars as transportation in order to say yes to spirited driving. I live in Baltimore, a fine city for cycling, so it no hassle. Rather it's a blast. Or it was, until the earth froze solid a few weeks back.
Since then, I've been envying the heaters in Toyotas, regardless of how hideous they look. Every Saturday, I ride the bike several miles to get groceries. Damn cold. Lessons learned: 1) Ride with your mouth shut so your teeth don't ache. 2) When presented with unseen ice patches at speed in traffic, don't even think about hitting the brakes.
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Cheap Thrills: Beater Willys Jeep

If you're looking for something to smash through snowbanks, you probably can't do much better than this rusted-to-hell beater 1947 Willys Jeep in Harford County, Maryland. Since the body is more rust and metal, we think the seller is still way overpriced at $1,500, but he says it must go this weekend. We say $500 Sunday afternoon, or, better yet, $300 and a six-pack on Sunday night.
The interior is damn near as ratty as the body, with a junkyard three-spoke steering wheel and a 4x4 sticker on the dash, just to remind you of the backwoods capabilities.
It's not pretty, but the Jeep's mechanically sound. Engine has been rebuilt top to bottom. It's got new brakes, gas tank, suspension and exhaust. Despite the looks, the rebuild couldn't have been cheap, as parts for these aren't easy to find. Can't imagine why the owner wanted to put that kind of cash into this bucket, but we're glad he did. "Will go fast at this price," seller says. We think not. But it'd be a ton of fun at $500.
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Powered By Dinasaur Bones

Allen Ginsberg never learned to drive, instead relying on planes, trains, taxis and, we presume, lead-footed friends like Neal Cassady. Ginsberg was a car hater back when gas and horsepower were cheap. Biking through the city, I agree with his sentiment in an essay he wrote on the artist Hiro Yamagata:
"...cars don't belong running around the earth, cars belong in museums along with stuffed dinosaurs, whose ghosts they've devoured." Read More

Paul's BMW 2002: Buy it Now!

Our friend Paul is selling his 1971 ITB spec BMW 2002 race car. Check out the Craigslist ad. Paul is an excellent mechanic with loads of 2002 knowledge and wrenching experience (for a living and a hobby). For the $6,000 he's asking for the car, we think it's not going to take long for someone to help him with the life change he mentions in the ad.The car is well known in East Coast SCCA circles, with podium finishes dating back to the 1990s. It needs little to put it back on the podium. We hate to see Paul let it go, but his loss will be someone's big gain.
To get an idea about this guy and his car obsession check out Paul's Mini adventure in a "cartoon coffin".
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Retiree Lists Two Hot Rod Chevys

Times are tough, especially for guys retiring minus a major portion of their 401-Ks. So this retiree in Laurel is selling a couple of really nice hot rod Chevys for excellent prices. His wife has written the Craigslist ad: "Twice as much husband. Half as much income," she writes. Cars must go.
Hard to go wrong with either of these cars. The touch part is choosing. The 1956 Chevy is listed for $15,000 or best offer. It's got a nothing-special cruiser 350, a bench seat, and a funky cowl-induction hood. A fine looking cruiser hot rod. The 1961 Bel Air has a better build on its 350 with a "full-race cam," an aluminum high-rise manifold, a 650 Holly and a set of headers. Corvette rallys also look nice. And it's less expensive at $13,000 or best. With both painted in perfect hot rod black, it's a tough choice. But I'm going with the Bel Air, since I can't remember the last time I've seen one on the road or even for sale.
Got to wonder about this retiree, though. I'd keep one, sell the other, and get a greeter job at Wall-Mart.
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The Different Differential

Pig, pumpkin, rear end, differential – call it what you like, but even some serious gearheads don’t know how the things work, especially when you throw in qualifiers like “limited-slip,” “posi-traction,” and “locker.”
For a good primer on the traditional and the computer-assisted what’s to come, check out the NYT story on how BMW made the differential a steering booster in its new x-drive all-wheel drive system. Clue: it’s got to do with “yaw torque.”
The traditional differential:

“Its array of gears and shafts makes it possible for the left and right wheels to spin at different speeds even though they are geared together on the same axle.”

The new BMW:

“Dynamic Performance Control pitches in once the hardest-working tires have reached their traction limits. This added yaw torque — essentially an extra nudge to help the vehicle complete the cornering maneuver — is generated at the rear. By forcing the outside rear tire to push forward while the inside-rear tire pulls back a bit, a helpful turning force is generated about the imaginary vertical axis.”

That can’t be cheap.

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55 Chevy Project: Three for Choosing

It's not every day that you find three '55 Chevy projects for sale on your local Craigslist -- in this case in Baltimore. This first one is going for $3,800 firm and is "not for beginners," the seller says.
It's a 2-door sedan with most of the glass and chrome needed to finish. You'll have to provide your own engine and transmission -- and floors, rockers and trunk. Not for beginners, indeed, though it seems like a good price for someone with some hot rod skills.
The second '55 looks much worse for wear, but clocks in at a cheaper $2,200. It's a stalled pro street project with a Camaro subframe and a Ford 9-inch. No mention of engine or trans and seller says this one also isn't "a beginner father/son project." Since we're not much into pro street (even perfect examples are kind of silly) this one is almost as appealing as a Ford Maverick.
The final (and seeming the best) local '55 Chevy will set you back a bit more at $12,500, but it would probably be money better spent -- beginner or no. It's a 210 with a California title that's been stored for many years. Seller says the original floors are mostly good, except for a small hole at the rear. "As close to rust free as you will find," he says. And by the looks of it he's probably right. No engine or trans. And no word on an interior either. But this one's the winner in our book -- especially if the owner can drop the price by a couple thousand.
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Where's Rumblenote?

Yes, we know, it's been a shitty week for posts. First we had the flu. Now we're on a work retreat until the weekend (no those Google ads don't pay the rent). Read More

Mad Science: Turbine T-Bucket

If you've got a Ford T-Bucket and a Boeing turbine laying around in your garage, I guess this match on this car makes sense, sort of. Remember, it's a long cold winter in Three Rivers, Michigan, where this evil bay seller is from. The '32 Ford is sporting Boeing 502-B3, which the seller says likely came out of a mine sweeper. And if that isn't crazy enough for you, check out how you pilot this thing.
The seller gives a full description of how he matched up the turbine to a cyclic stick from a Bell helicopter.So the beast drives like a copter -- push the stick forward for drive, back for reverse, and left and right to corner. Throttles are from Lear jet. Despite all the gadgetry, the '32 tops out at a turtling 60 mph, which must be scary as hell with a hand of the joystick. Legal? Maybe on the Jetsons.With 15 hours to go on in the auction on Sunday evening, the Ford copter had not met the starting bid of $10,900. Boeing turbines are getting pricey, the seller notes. Seller says he'll drive it to the winning sellers home for $2 a mile and a few cheeseburgers. "Once you take it, it's yours," he writes. "No guarantees." If the $10,000 starting price is too rich for you, the seller is also willing to trade; he's looking for something with a hydrogen fuel cell.
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Mercedes Benz: Is This Your Winter Beater?

A fine winter beater is big, comfortable, cheap, and most often, ugly as hell. This $1,000 '71 Mercedes Benz 250 for sale in Baltimore fits the bill -- except for the ugly part, thought the owner says the Easter egg blue body needs some love.
Owner says it runs and drives great and has a perfect interior. By the looks of the interior photo, he's not lying. We love the two gauges, the fake wood on the dash, and the seriously padded wheel. Owner has four matching hubcaps, though we think the uncovered steelies look better. If this car is as good as the owner says it is, we think it's a screaming transport deal for any season.
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