Reuben was nervous about chopping up his rear bumper cover. Once it was done, it was done. He loved the cut-off look of timeless rally cars like the Lancia 037, with its gearbox hanging out like a turbine out of a Batmobile. His current gen Hyundai Genesis isn’t mid-engine like that beast of yore, but it does have an attractive straight-pipe exhaust system he wouldn’t mind showing off. And since that exhaust had required an underbody diffuser removal, the bottom section of the bumper was only catching air, acting as a parachute. Reuben, Collins (first name, not last), Jay, and I stood in Reuben’s garage while he used his Dremel and a specially-ordered plastic cutting bit to slowly carve away the offending section with dental precision. And it was a great time. It’s one of many memories with car friends that will go into the vault until I’m senile and driving something with a CVT. If you’re a gearhead, it’s better to have car friends. Here’s why, and how to find some. Continue reading “How to Make Car Friends”
Andy Sheehan is a blogger, aspiring novelist, and relentless hoon. He plans to will his 2002 Subaru WRX Wagon to his firstborn, plans his daily commute around the swoop of its roads, and doesn’t plan to ever buy an automatic. A cool-car omnipath, he loves the common Mustang or Chevelle, but hunts for the weird and wonderful Velorexes and Cosmos of the autoverse. And when he can afford a garage, he’s going to turn an MX-5 into a race car.
