Car culture - Getting out and about

Lately it's come to my attention that I spend entirely too much of my free time hanging around my house.  A condition I decided to rectify a couple of weeks ago.

I ventured out to (or more correctly went BACK to) one of Arizona's best known weekly car meetups.  The McDonald's Car show at the Scottsdale Pavilions.  I hadn't been out there in about 10 years so I didn't know what to expect.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a strong representation of the Phoenix car culture.


For over 20 years people have been coming from all over the metro Phoenix area to show off rides of every conceivable permutation of the car hobby.

I was there back when it started as an informal event in a relatively unused parking lot in a far corner of Scottsdale.  A friend of mine actually grew a thriving auto body and paint business from customers met there that exists to this day.  That's the power of the community this event fosters.

From 57 Chevy's to Teslas and even bikes you're bound to find something that meets your fancy and someone to trade tall tales and memories.

You never know what you're going to find but be sure to show up early (starts at 4PM every Saturday) and wear your most comfortable shoes because there's usually 250 to 400 cars to see not counting the periphery of late comers and motorcycles.

Check out the video below for a taste of the action.  If you love cars, do yourself a favor and check it out yourself every Saturday from 4PM to 11PM at the McDonalds at the Scottsdale Pavilions ( also known as Talking Stick) off the 101 Freeway and Indian Bend Road.  Admission is free and parking is abundant.

Barrett Jackson 2015

Been awhile since I've posted.  That's because I don't believe in posting junk.  Recently a special event came to my town but unfortunately I couldn't make it but somebody else did.  Here's a few great videos from the 2015 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction.

November's Interesting car videos.

This month I'm introducing a new regular feature to this blog.  I haven't come up with a cool name so for right now we're kind of stuck with, "Interesting Car Videos."  Still, we need some regular content in here and why not start off with a few cool rides that I happen to be personally acquainted with.

The First one is also the newest one.  My friend recently achieved his dream of ordering a brand new car exactly the way he wanted it.  The result, a 2014 Mustang V6 with more options and cool bits than most GT's.

Check it out....

The next is a sentimental favorite.  This video was actually taken the last day I owned this car and friends, that was a tough day for me.  Still I have the video and the memories.  It's a 2008 Mustang GT and my first and only Ford.  I'm pretty much a GM guy but for my money Ford never made a better Mustang than this car and I did't want it forgotten.  I actually have Greenlight Die Cast versions of this car.  Imagine owning a car that was immortalized in Die Cast!.

The next up is an old friend and constant companion....even if I can't always trust it.  It's my 1974 Chevrolet El Camino Classic and it's been with me for half of my life.  I've put a lot of blood, sweat and coin into this car and never regretted any of it even if I was occasionally riding in a tow truck.

Finally, my newest acquisition is actually an old family friend.  I bought this 1995 Formula from my mother who was the original owner.  In fact I was there the day she bought it new.  It's a cantankerous car that's less reliable than I'd like but when it works it works beautifully.  I've only owned it a year now so my restoration plans are still in the early stages. Meaning I'm still just trying to keep it running after living a life of commuter duty for over 150K miles.  So far it's needed a new radiator, distributor, ignition coil, ignition module, intake elbow, tires, hoses, some interior bits.... You get the picture, it's a project car.

 You'll see this car again, in fact you've already seen it as it's been the topic of a few articles on this blog already!

Chameleon cruiser.

Check out this video I found.  It's a Dodge Challenger painted with Paramagnetic paint.  Apparently the process allows the paint to change color when an electric current is passed through it.  Just think, your car's color could match your mood.

Ok, it's probably fake but you know it'll happen...

Lke from this article here...

This Blog's got a YouTube Channel now!

Hey guys!

Just like the title says, this blog's got it's own YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/user/GearheadGarden

Below is a video playlist of my most recent uploads.  You'll find videos about cars, auto repair and car themed games just to mention a few.  

If you want to really know what this blog is about watch a few of the videos.