Chet Parsons, Car Guy

While I would have eagerly watched the "American" Top Gear series. I was quite relieved to find out it was stillborn. "American-izing" Top Gear is completely contrary and would probably have done nothing but to dilute the brand. Top Gear has a great following in the USA, it's true. But its popularity stems largely, I believe, from the un-accessible nature of the show itself. I know that I relish seeing Pagani's, Weismann's, and Koenigsegg's in the hands of the Stig on the TG test track because of the pure fantasy of it all. I mean, a private track, ridiculously fast and expensive cars, and Oscar-worthy cinematography? All on one show? Then they top it off with smart, witty commentary by three intelligent chaps (all three of whom can actually write as well). And for good measure, the comedic challenges have me in tears, laughing harder than I would at any comedian. I downloaded a program for my Mac specifically so I could download episodes of...

My M3 had been sitting in the garage for two weeks.  I felt guilty.  This guilt came on top of my existing guilt for not only had it been sitting, but it was filthy and in need of some TLC.  So what was I to do?  I took it out for a nice drive on a cool Sunday morning, that's what I was to do. And then I put it away and drove my wife's car back to Dallas.  My poor car.

I may have bitched and moaned quite a bit about the car business, but being around some spectacular machines over all those years did leave me with some fond memories as well. One such fond memory is that of starting up a row of 5 or 6 new 993's on a Saturday morning.  Standing behind those cars and not only hearing them, but feeling the ground rumble beneath my feet was magnificent.  A symphony of flat-sixes, as it was. These days, I still love the sound of an air-cooled 911, but since then, there have been a number of noises that have stuck with me as well.  The rumble of a Morgan Aero 8 with side pipes stands out in particular, that BMW V8 under the bonnet growling and popping only inches it seems from your ears. But lately, I've come to recognize one certain engine / exhaust note with which I have become particularly enamored.  It comes not from an exotic sports car, but from, of all things, a Ford.  And not the Ford you might be thinking.  How does a F250 or F350 with the ...

A friend of mine has a '74 Dino.  I sat next to him at the auction when it went across the block, and all but held up his hand to bid on it.  He bought the car at a very fair price, and it has since appreciated pretty significantly.  This was the only time in my illustrious career in the auto industry that I was right about a market trend. Of course, the classic car market is in just as much turmoil as every other industry right now, so things are a little different than they were 5 years ago.  This may be the time to buy, though, as there may be some fire-sale deals out there this year.  But what to buy?   Here's my take on things: Ferrari - 12-cylinder Ferraris are now, and may always be, unobtanium.  So unless you're THAT wealthy, forget it.  "Other" Ferraris aren't really that exciting, with the exception of the Dino, which I still think is a good buy.  I think the Dino will hold and even steadily increase over time. Lamborghinis - Old Lambos (Miuras and 4...

As it turns out, the state of Texas doesn't care for rusted out, 21-yr old exhaust systems. The factory original exhaust on my '88 M3 was in just such a state, with some additional outlets that came about through the miracle of oxidation. When I took it to get a state inspection, surprise surprise, it didn't pass. I didn't realize how bad the damage was until we took the old muffler off to replace it. There are only a few off-the-shelf aftermarket back sections available, and being on a budget, I did some research and found out that I could have a "custom" system installed for a good bit less.  Using a Magnaflow universal muffler (Part # 12468) and with the skilled welding of Joe's Muffler in Addison, TX, I was back in business.  Now the Magnaflow piece is a little smaller than the factory piece, and where the original muffler was a 2" core, this one is a 2.5".  So the new system was bound to be a little more vocal...  and indeed it is.  There...

New exhaust for the M3 - good, bad, or ugly? Future collectibles - my take on cars that might be worth something someday Diesels rock - and clatter, but I why do I have a thing for oil burners? Of course at the rate I update this thing, it might be a while before I get these posted.  Stay tuned.

I attended the annual DFW Toy Run with members of the local Ferrari, Lotus, Porsche, and Italian car clubs as well as a few Saabs and Bimmers. This event grew from 35 cars last year to over 80 cars this year and with each car bringing toys and / or donations for a local children's charity, much good comes with this little run. Here are a few photos I grabbed from the event: Lots of Porsches, including this '89 Speedster. Some vintage and Japanese metal, a RUF, and a brick. An old Lancia, more Porsches, and some Italian stuff. A subtle Lamborghini. I think I can lose him.