7/2/12

I haven’t said this in a while so here goes, in reference to a Lotus Seven, “You have got to get one of these!”  I drove it to the Japanese Classic Car event at Freebird’s last night… well, I met Tim the Honda Cub buy from Lewisville at Freebird’s last night, and the thing is just a hoot to drive.  I get the biggest grin every time I hoon in the thing.  Sure, it could STILL use some more tuning because it does sneeze from time to time after a prolonged high-speed run when returning to a part throttle cruise, and it does want to sputter when it hits 5,500 RPM in first, and occasionally at part throttle cruise, but all in all the thing is just a friggin’ hoot!  If I had to, I think I could ditch all the tin-top Datsuns and be relatively happy with just The Seven as my toy car.  Now don’t go thinking I'm thinking about having a fire sale, getting out of the shop in Beenbroke, and just keeping The Seven at the house, ‘cuz I ain't, not that it is a bad idea, but I'm not, ok?  Although…  No, I'm just kidding.  I do want to keep at the very least the Chickenhawk, George, and The Seven.  The Spitfire and Lil' Wiggly are definitely on the short list of keepers as well.  What?  Was there a question at the back?  What about the Miata?  Well, Gregg is still sleeping on the idea and I'm still toying with… wait, have I even mentioned the crazy idea I had regarding the Miata?  Hmm, I don’t really feel like going back to look so I'm just going to reiterate, or just iterate as the case may be, it.  Ok, so I'm thinking that if the Miata, probably to be called Gigi since Gregg’s initials are GG, is a suitable daily driver candidate I might put Fiona up for sale to get out from under that loan and insurance payment.  I do seem to remember mentioning this last week now that I think about it.  Anyhoo, if I don’t sell Fiona, I would probably go ahead and keep the Gigi around for a while as an additional toy.  Dumb?  Yep, 100% weapons grade stupidium, I admit that freely.  THAT car would render the Spitfire totally redundant over and over again… but how cool is a friggin’ Spitfire?  C’mon!  So, unless Gigi becomes the daily driver, I don’t see it being a super long-term keeper.  Then why buy it?  Because shut up.  That’s why.  As for getting out of the Beenbroke shop, now we’re talking good ideas.  John and I discussed the discussion Gregg and I had about building versus renting/leasing.  I think I'd like to find a place which is more convenient and cheaper.  Of course cheaper is going to mean less storage so I will still probably need a place for two or three back-burner and/or “finished” projects.  The problem there is “Out of sight, out of mind.”  Psh, what am I saying?  I see George every time I go to the shop and it is out of my mind.  I see the Chickenhawk just about every time I go to the shop and it is even further from my mind most of the time.  Just about the only truly “out of sight” project, unless I need to go into the paint booth for something, is the Spitfire.  So, I think a shop somewhere equally convenient for me and John, and a storage place near the house for the ones I don’t have there, should work out pretty well.  Will that cost less than what I have now?  Probably not.  Hmm.  Now I don’t know what to think.  Well, now wait.  If the shop is considerably less, and rent is shared with John and possibly others, storage for three or four cars on top of that shouldn’t cost as much as what I'm paying now.  Right?  Let’s say, for instance, the new shop costs $500.00 a month.  If John and I split that we’re talking $250.00 a month each.  That means I could pay up to $350.00 a month for back burner/”finished” car storage and still only be paying what I'm paying now.  That is $87.50 per car for four cars.  Hmm, that makes me wonder if I'm even in the vicinity of the neighborhood where the ballpark is located.  Of course a cheaper shop or more “partners” means I can spend more for storage.  Oh shit, I just remembered the trailer needs a place to live too.  I gotta have a trailer.  I'm not going back to borrowing a trailer.  Besides, if I don’t have a trailer, I really don’t have need for Fifi.  I gotta have a truck… or perhaps a van.  I'm not going back to borrowing a truck.  Besides, if I don’t have a truck or a van, I won't have anything to pull my trailer.  Sure, what makes the most sense is to not buy Gigi, go ahead and sell Fiona to get out from under that loan and insurance payment, and then drive Fifi daily.  But… shut up, that’s what.  Ok, so I need to store Fifi, the trailer, The Seven, the Chickenhawk, the Spit’, George, and Lil' Wiggly somewhere.  Is that all?  Yes, I think it is.  Fifi, The Seven, and one more can live at the house, leaving three cars and the trailer or four cars if the trailer is the “one more.”  Ah, but one of the cars will be at the shop!  So I really only need to store two cars and the trailer somewhere other than the new shop and the house.  Ok, this is getting more and more reasonable… perhaps.  Ok, the motherfucking computer is saying that is a fragment.  The motherfucking computer is about to be in fragments unless I stop now.