The Expo has moved on to my daughters garage. It has been replaced by a 2008 Lincoln Navigator L. The L stands for LONG. This baby has some extra storage space in the back and a longer wheel base. Rides like a dream. The 4X4 AUTO option is very nice. Getting a little snow on the road. No problem-o. Just push the button and driving is sure footed.

Going from a '99 to an '08 was quite a treat. The changes are big. Ride, options, seating an the list goes on and on.

Received a call from the new owner of Big Red. Wanted to talk about fuel to feed the 428 CJ. He said that the car was better than he expected and was very happy with Big Red. He commented on the whole package. It felt good to hear that. His being happy made me happy. I still miss it but it was time to move on.

Talked to some folks on the Falcon's. Looks like they may be leaving the barn soon.

Gibbs has been selling very briskly. I got a call from a California supply company that services the off shore drilling rigs. They had a request to provide some Gibbs to a rig. I asked him how he heard about Gibbs. Seems a rig worker from the Gulf transferred to the Pacific rigs and brought his can of Gibbs with him. When he found out that they didn't have Gibbs he wanted some right now. Funny how things work out. I have been supplying the Gulf for a year now. The word travels.

The empty spot in the garage

With Big Red on the left coast the empty spot in the garage will need filling. A 2008 Lincoln Navigator L will fill the void. With 240,000 on the clock the Expedition is going to move on. My daughter is in need of an updated vehicle. She will be taking over the EXPO. One of the nice features of the new truck is that I can haul all the grand kids and attending adults. Rather than taking two cars to a movie we can all pile in and motor down the road.

The Falcons are still on the market. Had some interesting conversations with some folks. I was told once that the 1970 1/2 Falcon with 429 SCJ drag pack is more rare than the Hemi Cudas. Remember, I was told that. Folks keep thinking of the econo box Falcon. They had some very sweet models. My fave has to be anything Sprint.

I guess the problem is that when you have a rare car it is so rare that people don't know what it is. Let alone know of it's historic significance in the scheme of things. With only 90 cars made with the 429 SCJ option I feel that it is pretty rare.

Big Red Has a New Home

Big Red has left the building. It is now enjoying the warmth of it's home state of California. Being a Cali car it is only fitting that it return home to it's new owner. He called to tell me how thrilled he is with the Galaxie. It exceeded his expectatins. That is a good feeling to know that it is being appreciated.

The Michigan Terror is put away for the season. There have been plenty of good driving days but with Michigan weather you never know. The next outing is the Shelby Fest in Herman MO. It is held in April. Will get some good seat time in the Shelby for sure. The Fest is all things Shelby with the focus on the later models. Not to say the originals aren't there. Laid back with good cars, people and stories to beat the band.

Attended the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in Rosemont Illinois in November. Plenty of eye candy for the car nut. Every current late model hop up shop was there. Nickey, Berger, Mr. Norm's Garage and on and on. They are doing some very wild things with the current offerings for the big three. Supercharges and bigger supercharges seems to be the order of the day. Fantastic paint and graphics is also the order of the day for these shops. Some were more suttle then others. They are doing a great job of capturing the spirit and mood of the 60's and early 70's when these beasts were unleashed on the streets.

Michigan Terror is in the garage

Took delivery of the 2011 Shelby GT500 this evening. What a ride it is. Nailed it in first gear and within a split second it was on the rev limiter and my heart was bouncing off my spine.

Protest as I may, stepping into the new age is a real treat. Now I have to make room for the new stead. I have listed the 64 Galaxie and the yellow Falcon on cars on line. I will be listing the white Falcon next week. It is with a heavy heart that I list them. I just can't find enough excuses as to why I need four cars and two trucks.

It was a hard decision but it has to be done

With the 2011 GT500 on order and expected to arrive any day this decade, I felt it is time to make room for it's arrival. I have decided to sell my two 1970 1/2 Falcons and 1964 Galaxie 500XL. It was not an easy decision to make. I have had the Galaxie over eleven years and it has been done for nine. No matter how hard I try I can only drive one at a time. It is not like I woke up one morning and said it's time to have three cars. It is something that kind of sneaks up on you. One day you look and there is more than one car. How did that happen?

I have the yellow Falcon and the Galaxie listed on carsonline.com. They are also available on my web site www.ostalecki.com. Stop by and take a look.

Gibbs sales have been brisk. Recently the folks in the aerospace industry have found Gibbs. I wonder if Gibbs is going on the space shuttle?

Take a moment to look at what is some of the most rare pieces from the Ford Performance era.

Stepping up to the future - it is not fun

I sometimes feel like the world is spinning faster than I would like. My kids are grown, grand kids keep getting bigger and I am not getting younger. I have complained like most everyone about the new line ups coming out of Detroit. Mega watt stereo, automatic cabin temperature control, electric power steering, glass roofs. Where does it stop?

I got out the little red scooter and I have rolled into the sunset. Gibbs helped make the ride easier. I found that it is lonely out there in the sun set. There are not many who want to debate the benefits of dual points in a curved distributor. Not when they can open the laptop and input advance data with finite precision and control. Control that was completely impossible with the old spinning rub block and bouncing points.

I have taken the plunge that I have dreaded. I am stepping up to the future. I have ordered a 2011 Mustang Shelby GT500. Like the one at the top of this posting. I have followed the car since they came on the scene. I was part of the focus group at the Flat Rock Plant. I always felt that as the blood line continued it would get better.

Remember the Impala SS. The last model was the best of the entire run. Why didn't they do that at the first run and not wait till the end. They probably would have sold more cars. Or how about the Corvair. Now I am really dating myself. The last models in the last year were some real nice looking, good performing cars. I am not picking on GM. What happened to the Mercury Marauder?

Along that line I have been watching the GT500 line up make it's changes and shifts over the years. Always waiting for the new model to introduce some new magical option or performance upgrade. Well, waiting is over. I placed an order for the 2011 model. I ordered the car in Race Red with white stripes. I also sprung for the SVT Package which puts some real wild tires on the car along with some healthy suspension changes. The big buzz was the aluminum 5.4 block in the new model. I guess I can put off going on that diet since Ford has shaved some weight out of the GT500.

I resisted and found that resistance is futile. I have taken the plunge. Now to put a drop of Gibbs on the hinges of the lap top so I can set injector curves and plug firings per cycle. I will now be an electronic shade tree performance buff. I guess I can sit under a plastic palm tree and call it a day.

I have received a couple questions about using Gibbs to preserve bare metal. Use it to prevent flash rusting on recently stripped parts. When the time comes to paint just follow the prep and paint instructions for the product you are using.

I have to plug in my lap top so I'll be ready to join the tuning group. Don't want to leave home with a low battery in my magic box.