Go Like Hell

The Ford-Ferrari War

Ever since I saw the movie Ford vs Ferrari, I had a curiosity about Shelby-American. The more I delved into its history, the more I felt that it was an amazing little company. I made a few posts of it here.

In less than 4 short years, they developed a car – The Cobra – that ended up winning the manufacturer’s world championship, beating the likes of Ferrari and Jaguar. And the Cobra could have gone even further, but for the fact that Shelby was under tremendous pressure from Ford to refine the GT-40 prototype and make the Mustang GT 350 (30,000 ended up being produced). .

Factory efforts to campaign the Cobra ended in 1965, but that is another story.

So I just finished the book Go Like Hell, by A.J. Baime. The movie relied heavily on this book.

80 Years + 2 Days Ago

They are all probably long gone now. It is funny, as a 23 year old stationed in Germany, I considered them at the time, old. And now I am far older – by at least 20 years – than them.

When I wasn’t under the ground in the NATO bunker in Germany, I was more often than not in the photo lab by my barracks. The man who ran it, Willi Schubert, became a friend. Besides teaching me the art of developing and printing my film – and Agfa 8×10 paper was $2! – we talked a lot. If you look at my post Europe in B & W, that was just a small portion of those 8 x 10 prints.

As I have mentioned before, in my travels I remember the people I have met along the way as much as the sights.

COVID-19 and Employment

I just had an interesting experience today. I’ve seen it in regards to others, but this is the first time that it hit me. I managed to hit a traffic cone in the middle of a freeway onramp a few weeks ago, and decided to pay for the damage out of pocket. I knew of this body shop 50 miles south, in Stockton. Over the years they had done some things for various cars of mine – I believe I came to know them through their affiliation (at the time) of the Stockton Mercedes-Benz dealer.

Father’s Day, 2021

Growing up, my father and I had a strained relationship. He was fanatically neat and organized, I was (and am) content to live in “controlled chaos”. We were never close, nor did we do things many sons and fathers do. I can count maybe a half dozen things we did together in all those years from seeing a 49er game to my going with him on a trip to Las Vegas in the early 80s to attend a Mobil Oil Convention.

Happy Birthday, Army!

Posted by lex, on June 14, 2006

Two hundred and thirty one years, and still going strong. I tell you it’s an inspiration to us younger services.

Boots on the ground indeed. All over the place, these days. Good on ‘ya.

 

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Congratulations are in order!

Posted by lex, on June 12, 2006

 

For himself. Alas, for her ladyship: Condolences.

Today marks twenty-four years of married bliss. Well, not minute for minute, but you know: Close enough.

Last night I took the girls out to the bookstore. Which was nothing but a convenient fiction – with the added benefit of being true – enabling me to sneak in my dozen roses, bottle of champagne and anniversary card. The lady at the check out counter smiled approvingly: “Well, you’re on the right track,” she said.

I know, I thought to myself. After nearly a quarter century, I was bound to eventually get it right.

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