November 2012: Cars & Cigars

Tonight, I ran across a fellow Jalop (commenter on Jalopnik, for the uninitiated), by the name of Jackson, on Google+ and I remembered that he and I live in the same town. Not only that, he attends the university that I work for. This afternoon, I found out that he was going to this meet at the local Jaaaaag dealership tonight, and I decided to come along.

Jackson’s 1964 Oldsmobile Jetstar 88 probably had more character than any other car there. Those other cars may have been at the bleeding edge of technology, but there was one thing they didn’t have… age. This car has been brought back to daily driving duty with a restore of the suspension, engine, and paint. There is a small amount of rust by the gas filler and rear window, but it’s got a straight body and it’s reliable.

Apparently, he picked this up for a song about 7 years ago in Los Angeles, after a leaking brake system caused a piston to seize and throw a rod and has since done the restoration back to functionality. If you think it looks good in pictures, it’s even better in person.

This shot of the nose is probably my favorite of the bunch.

It made for a really interesting juxtaposition against the sharp curves of the Fisker Karma.

I’ve been drooling over the Karma for some time now, and I finally got to sit in one tonight. The seats were a little stiff, but the interior smelled lovely, like a leather boutique. The doors open in an unusual (for me) electronic way that just sort of gives way under your hand’s pressure. And it doesn’t have typical gauges, but round, gauge-shaped screens, which after their opening display sequence, I suspect display in the form of gauges.

I walked up to this, expecting the pleasant face of a 993 convertible, but was surprised to find something custom, called a Strosek. Apparently, some rich people didn’t have great taste in design, even back then. It seems like the love child of a 993 convertible and a the USDM version of the DC2 Integra.

Then there was this! The 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302, which I sadly learned the other day will be going out of production in 2014. This is arguably the best Mustang that money can buy right now, and I got the rare chance to sit in it. Man, were those seats comfortable.

I leave you with this pink Fisker that was a real eye catcher. Don’t worry folks, from the look of the finish, it’s a trap wrap! Nothing was harmed in the making of this. It’s the opposite of that. It’s a message of hope for sufferers and survivors of breast cancer.

That’s all for now. I hope to have more for you to see soon. Until then, stay safe.