BLACK LIMOUSINE

Lim•ou•sine (l m -z n , l m -z n )
n.

1. Any of various large passenger vehicles, especially a luxurious automobile usually driven by a chauffeur and sometimes having a partition separating the passenger compartment from the driver's seat.

2. A van or small bus used to carry passengers on a regular route, as between an airport and a downtown area.


I have always been intrigued by the physics of a limousine’s construction: taking a factory vehicle, inserting a large mid-section, and magically fusing it all together creating a lounge on wheels. Anything can be turned into a limousine. From the traditional Cadillac or Lincoln Town Car, to the non-traditional Hummer or Dodge Charger, anything can be converted. Regardless of the form, nothing displays opulence more than arriving at a destination in a long, black stretch limo. It signifies importance, wealth and influence, as well as decadence, senior proms and weddings. None of this applies to my modest, conservative family.

My family recently needed to travel from suburban New York to Manhattan for a family business meeting. We were faced with the dilemma of how to transport 12 family members, reliably and safely, from Point A to Point B, and back again. Since the tight schedule and convenience were essential, public transportation was discussed and vetoed. Rather than having several vehicles navigate the challenges of New York City traffic, along with the parking hassles and expense, we decided to rent a limousine.

When my two boys heard the word “limousine,” their ears and interest piqued immediately. They envisioned a new experience, a taste of the good life, to live (and drive) like a sports or rock star. They misunderstood. A stretch could only hold 10 passengers, Definition Number 1. You can imagine their disappointment when Definition Number 2 arrived.

I have fantasized of being a limousine driver; of how exciting it would be to meet so many different, successful people, and the interesting experiences and places they would take you (or you take them). I always thought there could be a book in it. But the more I think about it, the more the negatives surface. Is driving a limo actually no more than being a glorified taxi driver? Is it the driver’s problem when there is a mechanical failure, or you get lost despite your GPS, or you are late and your client misses their plane? Of course it is. Most importantly, as a driver, are you responsible for the safety of the party in the back? With lots of sharp objects flying, no seat belts, and who knows what illegal activity is going on out back, is the driver responsible for it all? Of course he is. A look at this video makes me pause:



After barreling down Interstate 95 at 80 mph with the driver speaking some exotic foreign language on his cell phone the whole way, my two boys survived the dictionary Definition Number 2 for limousine. Maybe Definition Number 1 will happen for them some day. My fantasy of being a limo driver comes and goes. Maybe when I retire, I might look into being a limousine driver and write that book. In the meantime, my family and I will continue to be happily modest and conservative, without our black limousine.

"We used to ride, ride, ride, ride
In a long black limousine
Those dreams are gone baby
Locked away and never seen."

Rolling Stones, “Black Limousine”

I Just Love a “Q-Ship”.

As noted in my last posting, my lifelong love affair with cars is rooted in my earliest childhood memories. In that installment I listed a few of the cars which lit the spark of car lust in my youthful heart. On that list there’s one vehicle, which is not like the others. The Ford Country Squire station wagon stands out in sharp contrast to sporty rides like the T-bird and the Jag. At first glance the Ford would seem a mundane choice indeed. Ah, but that’s where the fun starts. That family hauler was in fact my introduction to the notion of a four-wheeled Q-ship.
“Q-ship”? The term is a military reference. In Navy parlance circa WW II, a Q-ship was a retrofitted merchant ship, a freighter or other cargo carrier, which steamed innocently alongside dozens of other similar looking ships in a convoy carrying troops and supplies to war zones in Europe and Asia. To the unsuspecting eyes of Axis sub captains and other baddies of the high seas, the Q-ship looked like an easy target, just another unarmed transport ship. But, as they soon discovered, looks can be deceiving.
Lulled into a false sense of security, the enemy approached the seemingly defenseless convoy for a close-up direct attack. At that point the Q-ships navy crew would shift the false cloth and plywood bulkheads on deck revealing a massive array of firepower and with any luck blow the startled attackers out of the water. Mission accomplished!
The only hint that our Ford wagon was a Q-ship was a small sticker on the glove compartment door, which read “McCullough Supercharger”. That’s right. The wagon, which came from the factory equipped with a V8 and three-on-the-tree manual, had been modified by the addition of a fire breathing supercharger which boosted factory horsepower output by maybe 35-40%. As a result, this bland family hauler could really haul! I’m sure my dad enjoyed blowing the doors off unsuspecting hot rodders at the local “stop light Grand Prix”.
So a Q-ship car is one, which while outwardly appearing bland and uninteresting, is in fact bristling with a whole hidden arsenal of go-fast artillery. Car nut Jay Leno is very hip to the Q-ship idea and has several great examples in his massive collection. These include a rock-stock appearing first generation Olds Toronado coupe ( one of Bill Mitchell’s best designs ) with enough high tech wizardry hidden in the engine bay, drive train and chassis to embarrass the gold-chained Ferrari crowd up and down the P.C.H.
That’s a great car but, in my opinion, not his best Q-ship. That honor should be reserved for the grandma-blue, bland as butter, ’55 Buick sedan, which served as Leno’s home, office and daily transportation when he first arrived in L.A. all those years ago. Leno still has the car and it still looks like even grandma might get bored driving it. But, while outwardly it may look like Clark Kent on a bad hair day, on the serpentine blacktop of Mulholland drive it magically morph’s into Superman on steroids. Just take a look at those four old Buick hubcaps. No, look again, a little closer this time. What appear to be hubcaps are in fact custom built, light alloy billet wheels styled to perfectly mimic the original stock chrome wheel covers. The engine and running gear are highly modified, late model Corvette pieces which all add up to a 500 + hp Q-ship that would leave the “Little Old Lady from Pasadena” choking in its dust.
My dad had more than one of these beasts over the years and I’ll discuss them in more detail in future posts. I’ve also had a few myself. The original Taurus SHO was a fine example of the genre. I had a couple of these sleepers which in the early model years looked pretty much like a million other garden variety Tauri jamming the highways and byways. There was little evidence (mostly a few badges and model specific alloy wheels) to hint that this family sedan had the hot Yamaha sourced 24 valve V6, manual tranny and beefed up suspension and brakes. That was a great car which was more than capable of running with (and even ahead of) the latest German hi-buck sports sedans of the day.
My top Q-ship pick for the 2009 model year is an easy one. Everybody already has a heads up on the Mazda speed 3 hatchback and any one of the various boosted Subies on the road. But how about that nerdy looking, bottom feeder, four door Chevy Cobalt over there? Must be a low-end rental, eh? Um, well no, not really. As it happens that particular boring compact is in fact the SS model which means it’s hood conceals a breathed-on 4 banger eagerly pumping out 260 horses. The Brembos up front will easily haul you down to double digit speeds as you approach Houlton and with the right rubber the tricked out suspension is up to any back road task you can throw at it. I know money is tight but this one has all the right stuff for around $24K. I have to believe that the average Chevy salesperson these days is what the real estate ads refer to as a “highly motivated seller”. If you can remember to point out the four doors and decent gas mileage (and if you can manage to keep your foot out of it on the test drive) your wife may actually believe that you’ve grown up. Good luck! Let me know how you make out.

Tim Sample

CARS ON THE RUN

Everyone enjoys a good movie: a chance to live vicariously through the adventure and romance of a leading character, to experience exotic locales, to be a super hero, or to drive a car in a way that only Hollywood can realize. What is more exciting than gripping the edge of your seat; widescreen visuals fueled by the thunderous sound of roaring engines and screeching tires, taking you on a thrill ride that you could never live on your own. It’s the thrill of the movie car chase. It’s living the thrill of cars.



There is a long history of car chase scenes in film, more than I realized until I started to really think about them. Everyone has their favorites, but at the top of my list, Bond leads the chase. The signature of any (and all) James Bond film(s) is the car chase. They all are exciting and they all take you where no man has gone before, or at least in reality. Since there are too many to critique, it’s better to just sit back, follow the link and enjoy the ride.

JAMES BOND
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=bond+car+chase&aq=1&oq=BOND+CAR




When it comes to movie car chases, the 1968 classic, BULLIT is a must see. Steve McQueen and stunt driver Bud Ekins traverse the hills of San Francisco high revving McQueen’s Mustang in hot pursuit of the Dodge Charger. From the moment you see the menacing grill of the Ford in the Dodge’s rear view mirror; you know what’s coming. The final tip off is the close-up of the seat belt being buckled by the driver of the Charger. Roll ‘em, and action! The rest is history. Topping speeds of over 100 mph, careening up, over and down the hills of San Francisco, the chase takes the viewer on the ultimate thrill ride.

So successful was this 9 minute scene, it overshadowed the rest of the film and it firmly established the Mustang as an icon of Americana. The Mustang’s excitement in this film has led Ford to successfully market limited edition “Bullit” versions of the car for sale to the general public. A dream becomes a reality, thanks to Hollywood.

BULLIT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMc2RdFuOxI


Making of Bullitt


Close on BULLIT’s heels came the ultimate car chase in 1971’s, THE FRENCH CONNECTION. Gene Hackman’s Pontiac zig-zagging through Brooklyn, chasing the elevated train, still thrills to this day. THE FRENCH CONNECTION's director, William Friedkin, successfully captured the essence of New York City traffic; turning fantasy into reality, as to how best to conquer the streets of Brooklyn, and how to live to tell the story. Wouldn’t it be great if you too could tackle rush hour the way he did?

THE FRENCH CONNECTION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu3GmRQ-U9k&feature=PlayList&p=078491C026D4FF96&playnext=1&index=35#




Roy Scheider (who played Gene Hackman’s partner in FC) returned to try to capitalize on the successful formula of the French Connection with a similar chase in the 1973 film, THE SEVEN UPS. While imitation is flattery, the scene does not quite measure up to the thrill of Friedkin’s work. An entertaining ride, but one you’ve taken many times before and since.

THE SEVEN UPS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vACWV5sRcY




A car chase has proven to be compelling enough to carry an entire film, as well as launch the career of the unknown director, Steven Spielberg. The 1971 made for TV thriller, DUEL, pitted Dennis Weaver against a faceless trucker for the entire film. One of the few chases of truck vs. car, and the car wins.

DUEL
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1003em-pDM8&feature=related


Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7TixHbC3rw




The George Lucas 1973 classic, AMERICAN GRAFFITI, captures the automobile as a signature of California dreamin’, along with the nostalgia of a bygone era, but as far as chase scenes? It only provides a short, disappointing street drag with an unknown actor (Harrison Ford) at the wheel.

AMERICAN GRAFFITI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFgTMYEaWlc




By 1977, car chase films progressed to the point of dominating the entire plot of a full length feature film in the form of Hal Needham’s, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. Needham, as a former Hollywood stuntman, turned a full length movie into one long chase scene, crash after crash. The formula worked. Many Smokey sequels and clones (CANNONBALL RUN) followed.

SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnRwQjTYfGI&feature=related




Many other films come to mind, some good, and some bad:

CORVETTE SUMMER, 1978
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U5NBCRdPFw&feature=related


THE BLUES BROS., 1980
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1636761881/

THE BLUES BROS. 2000, 1998
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1471873305/

THE FAST & FURIOUS, 2001
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2508980505/



The list of car chase films is endless. While my favorites are the Bond films, BULLIT and THE FRENCH CONNECTION, your list may start with the more contemporary FAST & FURIOUS, and grow from there. Regardless of the price of gas, or the state of the economy, car chases in film will continue. It will be fun to see what Hollywood delivers next. Get some popcorn, fasten your seat belt, and let’s ride.

A Maine Car Guy is Born

If you’re reading this you can thank my wife and my brother-in-law Charlie for making it happen. For years they’ve been telling me, “You should have a ( fill in the blank ) “show”, “column” “blog” about cars.” A few years back my wife claimed that for my next birthday she was getting me a couple of rolls of those ubiquitous bright colored triangle flags which flutter across the “front line” at used car lots across America. It would have looked perfectly appropriate given the half dozen vehicles, which at any particular moment call our driveway “home”.
I can’t help it. It’s just the way I was raised. Some of my earliest and fondest memories of my childhood in the 1950’s are of cars. My dad was a “car guy” and my older sisters had obviously followed in his tire tracks. Here’s a partial list of vehicles parked in our driveway when I was 7 years old in 1958. A green ’57 Ford Country Squire station wagon complete with acres of plastic wood, a silver 1957 Thunderbird (with the porthole removable hard top), a Jaguar XK 120 Roadster, a British Racing Green 1953 TD MG and a 1940-something Singer roadster.
I fell in love with cars that summer and I’ve never fallen back out.
I remember when my sister Sue was a teenager her first car was a massive burgundy red Buick convertible. I’m not certain of the year, ’54? ’55? But, man that was a car! The grill, a gaping chromium maw, looked as if it could easily swallow a VW or two on the way back from the drive-in. Huge chrome “venti-ports” adorned the front quarter panels and the seats were overstuffed leather lounge chairs. Here’s what I remember most vividly about that Buick. My sister let me sit in the driver’s seat and pretend to drive. As I settled in behind the wheel I noticed that the entire interior was slathered in big chrome badges indicating the great features available to the lucky motorist (That’s me!). The family pizza sized steering wheel itself screamed POWER STEERING in big shiny block letters, a brace of chrome Chiclets on the armrest proudly announced POWER WINDOWS and nestled on the red carpeted floor a few inches beyond the reach of my scrawny little kid legs lay a brick of shiny metal with soft rubber inlays promising a young speed demon the immense security of POWER BRAKES. Who wouldn’t be hooked?
The years flew by and the carousel of great cars continued to turn. By the time I entered adolescence I was reading every car magazine I could get my hands on. I wasn’t picky as long as the topic was cars. I read “Uncle Tom McCahill’s colorful reviews in Popular mechanics, learned about Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s latest creation in Car Craft and Hot Rod and breathlessly followed a young Richard Petty and his faithful blue #43 Plymouth as he battled Fred Lorenzen’s 427 Ford around Darlington and Daytona Speedways.
So I’m the right guy for a car guy blog, I figure. If you check in regularly I’ll give you my two cents worth on the great and not so great cars of the past, present and future. If you’re wondering about the car in the photo accompanying this blog, that’s the first car I ever owned. Pop bought it for me when I graduated from Boothbay Region High School in 1969. It’s a 1956 Chevy Bel Air “Sport Sedan” which was what they called the 4 door without the B-pillar that year. Equipped with a stock 265 small block and two speed power glide transmission it was no drag strip demon but, WOW, what a fantastic first car. If you want to know the true story behind how it came to be painted like an American flag (and what happened after that) it’s on my 1999 CD, Aint Life Grand available on my website, timsample.com. Meanwhile, thanks a whole lot for stopping by. Leave a comment and check in when you can. This is gonna be fun!

Keep the sticky side down,

Tim Sample