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Dedicated motorhead in MI checking in

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xander18

Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2014
Messages
5
Hey guys,

That banner advised I drop a line here and since I'm always so good at following instructions (aka putting them in a folder on a top shelf that I'll never open again) I thought I'd follow through.

I'm a mechanical engineer in the Detroit area, working on engines. My life has revolved around cars for as long as I can remember (and possibly longer, my parents tell me that my first word was literally 'vroom'). I graduated in May with my mechanical engineering degree and moved out here over the summer from Vermont. This is my first time having a garage of my own and I found a place with an awesome 3.5 bay garage. Beats the hell out of apartment living, even though I'm just renting. I'm having a really good time spending way too much money and getting it outfitted for my projects. Been lurking here a lot looking at tool suggestions and the like.

My current projects are:

1988 Saab 900 SPG, getting restored with some performance upgrades as a daily driver.

1972 Plymouth Duster, my first car and very dear to my heart. Getting a dream-spec, longterm, resto-mod treatment.

1992 Dodge Cummins, right now just fleet service but I'm going to do an extended cab and short bed from the '70s with a mild chop and riding on air. Because I've always wanted to hot rod something and these are easy and cheap.

1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6, because if it was easy then everyone would do it.
 
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xander18

Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2014
Messages
5
Thanks! HOTFR8, I'm a bit jealous; the Australian car scene is really awesome. I would love to come down there on an extended vacation to find a 6 pack 265 Hemi Valiant :)
 
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HOTFR8

Banned
Joined
Mar 2, 2007
Messages
24,498
Location
Castlemaine, Victoria. The Hot Rod Centre of Austr
The Cummins sound like an interesting project but it is not what many call a Hot Rod. A true hot Rod is Pre 1948 to many. Still it sounds like you have great plans to trick out that truck.

xander18 said:
Thanks! I'm a bit jealous, the Australian car scene is really awesome. I would love to come down there on an extended vacation to find a 6 pack 265 Hemi Valiant :)
Click to expand...

Expect more of that sort of thing to become collectible with Ford, Holden and Toyota pulling out of production here. The Aussie built Chrysler Valiants have a big following here.
 
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xander18

Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2014
Messages
5
HOTFR8, well unfortunately the true hotrod movement is a bit expensive these days. I would love to do a very period correct Ford Flathead in a roadster body but the price on a build like that has gone pretty high. I would like to airbag the Dodge because that's very nice for towing and if I can get it low enough it can act as a lift gate, making loading things like engines and motorcycles much easier. The chop kind of went along with that and I like the idea of doing it on this truck because parts are cheap (if I screw up cutting a windshield, for example), and all the pillars but the A-pillar are vertical so the chop would be pretty straightforward. Seems like a really good learning project, definitely lower stakes than starting with a '55 Mercury or something like that.

Also, as a young guy the term 'hot rod' is becoming a bit more flexible. The vintage iteration of that scene is cost prohibitive and in a lot of ways unwelcoming to the young motorheads of today. But I'm really impressed that the same attitudes live on. I may not like the whole stance movement personally but cars like Rusty Slamington are actually a really neat homage to the lead sleds and hot rods of old. It's some of the same artistic impulses as the hot rod scene but applied to a new canvas and that's pretty neat.

Yeah I'm pretty bummed about the Aus car industry these days. That Hemi Valiant will always be on my 'auto hit list' though so hopefully one day when I'm rich (I'm not holding my breath) I'll come down there and find one.
 
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got2boostit2

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Messages
694
Location
West of I275 & I94
Welcome to the "D". Check out Karts & Coffee at Kart2kart Sterling Heights in the Spring. Pastieners Cars & Coffee on Woodward Saturday mornings. That will be a start.

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/cars-coffee-at-pasteiners-on-woodward-6-28-1597448490

Lingenfelter had Cars and Coffee every Saturday out in Wixom, they polled folks on their FB page to determine if it will be weekly next year. Lots of things to do in the "D" for an enthusiast. Check out the Detroit Autorama in late Feb/March for fliers.
 
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xander18

Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2014
Messages
5
Hey got2boostit2, thanks for the warm welcome. I hit Pasteiners C&C a few times over the summer, saw some good stuff there. Hopefully I'll have something good to take out to them in the spring as well.
 
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got2boostit2

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Messages
694
Location
West of I275 & I94
xander18 said:
Hey got2boostit2, thanks for the warm welcome. I hit Pasteiners C&C a few times over the summer, saw some good stuff there. Hopefully I'll have something good to take out to them in the spring as well.
Click to expand...


Great hope to see you. Car & Driver had a couple of good meets in Ann Arbor as well. Check their FB page and forum.
 
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Scooter70

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
52
Location
Southeast Michigan
As another transplanted New Englander to Detroit, welcome. I grew up in central Mass and had family in VT so we spent a ton of time up there, mostly between White River Jct and St Johnsbury.

Where in The D are you living/working?

-Matt
 
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