SammyHagarplate

Whether you’re ridin’ shotgun or driving solo, if you love cars then you probably love songs about them, especially if it sparks a recollection of a piece of your past, good or bad, reckless or careful.  There are so many great ones out there.  Many of them are sitting dormant in the backs of our dusty minds where only forgotten memories exist.  Once a song is mentioned out loud, then we say, “Oh, yeah, I remember that one!”  This is exactly what happened when I took a survey of my friends on Face Book.  They came up with a great list of songs.  In addition to the ones I already had in mind this collection includes some that are memorable, some that are new, old standards, and even a few that are not about cars, but are more about romance and life’s journeys.

As you can see by the photo one of my all time favorites is Trans Am by Sammy Hagar.  My dad had a ’79 Special Edition that I acquired after he died in 1980.  For four years I felt like a Rock Star driving it back and forth to college, probably not even aware of the power of that 6.6.  It was stolen and used as part of a chop-shop ring in 1984. Stories of the Trans Am will have to wait.  For now, you are welcome to check out the lyrics to Sammy’s song by clicking on the link below.

WPTrans Am by Sammy Hagar

Not to leave out the truck enthusiast we even came up with a few about the rough and rugged off-road way of life.  One of my new favorites is Things You Can’t Do in a Car by Due West.

East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed is actually about 18 wheelers, but you can’t listen to that song without picturing Burt Reynolds behind the wheel of his 1977 Black Pontiac Trans Am.  And speaking of things with more than 4 wheels doesn’t it bring back memories to think of that simple little song by Melanie called Brand New Key from 1971?  I owned it on 45!  This song about roller-skates and love can really take you back.

So here is my list with thanks to my friends for their input.  You are welcome to add your favorite car songs in the comment area.

As always…windows down, heater on, and radio up.  Enjoy!

 

 


Trans Am, I can’t drive 55 -Sammy Hagar

Hot Rod Lincoln – Commander Cody

East Bound and Down – Jerry Reed

One Piece at a Time – Johnny Cash

Low Rider – War

Little Red Corvette – Prince

Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett

Fast Cars and Freedom – Rascal Flatts

James Dean, Life in the Fast Lane – The Eagles

In My Car – Shanai Twain

Cruise-Florida Georgia Line

Take a Back Road – Rodney Atkins

Born to be Wild-Steppenwolf

Hey Porsche-Nellie

Brand new key-Melanie

Beers Ago-Toby Keith

Things You Can’t Do in a Truck-Due West

Truck Yeah-Tim McGraw

Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck-Kip Moore

 

Life is a Highway-Rascal Flats

She Drives me Crazy-Fine Young Cannibals

U Gotta Fast Car-Tracy Chapman

Mercury Blues-Alan Jackson

The One I loved Back Then-George Jones

Mercedes Benz-Janis Joplin

Deuce Coup, Little GTO, and 409-Beach Boys

Pink Cadillac-Bruce Springsteen

 

Baby you Can Drive my Car-The Beatles

Making Thunderbirds-Bob Seger

Sunday Morning – Maroon 5
Next in Line – Walk the moon

Drive-The Cars

I’m in Love with My Car-Queen

Jesus Take the Wheel-Carrie Underwood

All Revved Up, By the Dashboard Lights-Meatloaf

Red Barchetta-Rush

Dead Man’s Curve, Little ol’ Lady from Pasadena-Jan and Dan

Fire-The Pointer Sisters


Posted on January 21, 2013 by Debbie | 5 Comments

Photo: I've got to save a little (lot) more money for these!

American Racing Torque Thrust Wheels

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Debbie | 3 Comments

January 15, 2013

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Debbie

Got the nerve to post my ‘2014 Corvette’ article.  It’s just my opinion.  I’m not a brand hater, and certainly appreciate the creativity of all the members of the design team.  Kudos to Chevy for taking a risk.  I’m just one person and can definitely imagine that I’m part of a minority in my opinion.  But hey cars are cool and so are the people that pick and choose what they like about them.

Posted in Journal | Tagged , | 1 Comment

corvette

While the interior looks like it wraps around the driver, I don’t need my hot rod to hug me. I just need it to hug the road. And what are all of the color changes going on?  The dash looks like something one of my third graders would have detailed with their crayons.

As I was looking forward to seeing a kick-ass 2014 Corvette, I see a stretch of the imagination. A really big stretch. From a grill that looks like the smirk on one of the cars from Disney’s Cars movie to the elongated details, I am disappointed.  The back end looks like a compact version of the Camero and the headlights look like someone is squinting sideways.  In what world of hot rodding are headlights that long and skinny?

And why are there so many gashes in this car? Car is one color and then you put lots of black plastic stuff on it.  What ever happened to a hood scoop that says, “look at me I’m hiding some bad-ass carburetor under here.”

What are those slots behind the doors?  Is air being sucked in to the driver to keep him awake?  Yeah, you put a lot of technology on the inside, but way too much future on the outside.

I have to say that the side mirrors look like golf club covers. And they are so big and bulky that they look like they should fold in when parking.

Why didn’t you just make a Corvette?  We would have recognized it.  And we would have loved it.  The Corvette is resting somewhere waiting to be awakened.  So many enthusiasts will applaud Chevrolet when they sense, hear, feel it coming down the road in a uniquely recognizable and appreciated version of its famous and historic self.

Don’t be afraid to really flash back.  There are more of us waiting for it than you think.

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Debbie | Leave a comment

Another successful night working through how to actually use WordPress.  Came up with a great topic to blog about using my new Canon and spent time with son, Jon.  He makes me help myself in this techno world and that makes me better at it!

Be sure to check out the cars in my garage!

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Debbie | 2 Comments

January 14-Wrote a reflection on the ’14 Corvette Stingray. A bit uneasy about posting it.

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Debbie | Leave a comment

January 12 7:00pm-My husband told told me it would rain today, but washed my car anyway. 3 hours of clean was worth it.

January 13 11:00am- Going out to buy a new camera to take awesome car pictures. 3:30pm- Great day out with Jon. Canon Power Shot 110 secured. Ready to take some pics. 8:30pm- Now to read the manual. 9:00pm- 20 pages were not quite enough for me. Saved 100 page manual to desktop from the internet. Tomorrow’s another day to learn how to point and shoot.

January 14 12:45am- Who would have thought that learning how to be a blogger would be so time intensive. No worries…I’m enjoying each and every minute of it. (PS thank goodness P!nk is playing in the background).

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Debbie | Leave a comment

Wait for it…

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Debbie

My next posts will include Growing up Hot Rodding which will be a look into the life of a tiny me loving a dad who drove a ’63 Corvette.  Hot Rod Music will display a list of songs that all Hot Rodders can appreciate.  Just to name a few…….

Posted in The Burnoff Area | Leave a comment

While nothing can replace standing side-by-side with your son next to a hot rod, or the feeling of accomplishment after showing a little one how to calibrate a spark plug… the following is a list of a few books that might further inspire your younger motor heads. As a teacher and car enthusiast I totally recommend any of these books. Besides, you may even learn something new while sharing these with your hot rod wannabes.

  • Hot Rod Hamster

    • by Cynthia Lord
    Grade 1, Fiction
    This is a cleverly written story about a tiny fellow who makes lots of choices with the reader’s help. It also includes real life situations. For example the junkyard owner insists that the main character wears a helmet while racing. Later the hamster is bullied because his car doesn’t look quite like the other racers. But the good guy wins in the end. The author interweaves important car terms such as: burn rubber, roar, and flames. Your six-year-old reader may even ask to visit a junkyard so the two of you can build a car of your own.

  • Cars

    • by Nancy Smiler Levinson
    Grades 1-2, Non-fiction
    With the use of lifelike watercolors this book illustrates cars from their beginning including their impact on society. You will also find a glossary, time-line, and illustrations of engines. This would be a great book report book for any primary student.

  • Cool Cars

    • by Tony Mitton
    Grades 1-2, Realistic fiction
    As this book describes the general uses of cars and how to take care of them, it does so with the help of appealing illustrations and animals living in a busy and colorful city. This is any excellent book for your younger reader to learn sight words as it is written in poetry format.

  • The Story of the Ford Mustang

    • by Jim Mezzanotte
    Grades 3-4, Non-fiction
    This is a chapter book with each chapter containing one easy-to-read page with a photograph on the facing page. It traces the history of the Mustang until 2005 and includes information on Lee Iacocca and Carroll Shelby. In each chapter there are boldface words that can be found later in the glossary. The book also offers several websites along with places to write and visit. This should be an easy read for most 3rd graders, but would be more meaningful when read together, especially if you’re a Mustang lover like I am.

  • Racecars: Start you Engines!

    • by Molly Aloian
    Grade 3, Non-fiction
    This is a chapter book jam packed with labeled and captioned pictures. The reader will speed through the pages and at the same time gain an understanding of the different types of professional cars from the Indy 500 to solar cars. The pictures taken while the cars are in motion will definitely inspire your young reader to want to one day get behind the wheel of a fast moving machine.

  • Muscle Cars

    • by Katharine Bailey
    Grade Level 4-6, Non-fiction
    In this day and age of too many video games this fast paced, upper level chapter book will challenge your reader and motivate him to learn more about the world of cars. (We can all agree it is better to drive a real one than one on a screen.) The first chapter is certainly worth top mention. It shows and explains a diagram of a 426 Hemi. On the facing page there is an excellent diagram of the four-stroke cycle of a piston. Chargers, Chevelles, GTOs, and Roadrunners are just a few of the many cars included in this book of muscle madness. The final chapter highlights the lives of such greats as DeLorean, Hoover, France and Shelby. What I like most is the fact that the reader can pick it up, turn to any page, and find out something new and interesting.

    Posted on December 31, 2012 by Debbie | 1 Comment

    100_1063

    1. Towels on the seat are a must. This is a rule for so many reasons.
    2. Original floor mats are stored in the garage.
    3. If you put one visor down, they both must be down.
    4. If you drive a convertible, the top cannot be put down if your car is dirty.
    5. OMG if you drive a convertible you cannot drive around with the top down and windows up… you big nerd. (Sorry, but not sorry!)
    6. You cannot race in a dirty car unless it is absolutely necessary. The order is: eye contact, slight smile, then license plate. If you do it right, they’ll never notice the dirt. (Side note: guys might not smile right before they kick someone’s ass, but this girl does. It seems to soften the sting a bit.)
    7. I never take my car to the shop unless it’s clean. But if I have to the guys at my Ford dealership will wash my car before I get it back. Thanks Dave Sinclair Ford!
    8. After receiving a speeding ticket wait the proper amount of time before ignoring the 35 MPH signs again. In our house we keep a lawyer on retainer.
    9. After washing, dry off every inch including inside the trunk and inside the gas cap door. No rust for the weary! And it just plain looks cool if you dry your windshield off with the wipers up.
    10. Never share the coveted car drying towels with others, even members of your own family. I use a well-worn, very soft Lion King beach towel. It went missing once until I finally figured out I had hidden it. Oh, my!
    11. Carry plenty of small, clean towels with you along with a squirt bottle filled with water. I found this out the hard way. One of my first cruises in the Mustang I was bombed by a bird that had eaten purple berries. I had to pull into a Penn Station Sub lot and ask to borrow a cup of water and some napkins.
    12. Back into your parking spot whenever possible. You’ll just look cooler that way. It is so “off the line” to be facing the right direction when pulling away.
    13. Never park next to other cars. There are a lot of people out there who just don’t understand.
    14. When eating at a restaurant sit near the window so you can see your car.
    15. Don’t let anyone else wash your car. When passing by those high school band/athletic fund raising car washes I will stop and hand them a few dollars, then politely say “there is no way you’re washing my car!” No I don’t really say that. What I do say is, “my husband has only driven it 5 times in the last 9 years, so no thanks.”
    16. Don’t carpool with anyone who drinks open cups of coffee, carries large sets of keys. To be on the safe side, don’t carpool. After all, you knowingly chose to drive something that isn’t fuel-efficient. I always laugh at the question: “How many miles to the gallon does it get?” Really?!
    17. Windows down, heat on, and music up in the coldest temperature you can stand. My personal limit is 40 degrees.
    18. There should be a limit on how many times someone sees the make of your car on your car. Do you really need a Subaru license plate frame to tell everyone you are driving a Subaru? Seriously, why are you driving a Subaru anyway?
    19. Absolutely NO reindeer antlers. While I’m at it…no wreaths, antenna balls, family sticky decals…
    20. You’re just goofy if you don’t wear your seatbelt. There is nothing cool about trying to look cool if your safety is at risk. After all you’ll need it to lock into place at the end of your mini stoplight-to-stoplight drag with the cocky little Camaro next to you. (Side note: What! How can the word Camaro not be in the dictionary? Time to write someone about that.)
    21. “Don’t you dare touch my windows,” says my car enthusiast son!
    22. Don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself. Ha! Just kidding.
    23. Dancing in your car is absolutely acceptable. After all you’re car makes you happy.
    24. It isn’t speeding just because you reach the speed limit after getting second gear scratch.
    25. Never, ever lean on your car or anyone else’s. EVER!
    26. It’s not the car that makes the driver; it’s the driver that makes the car.
    27. Hey! You are way too close to my bumper!
    28. Don’t do anything that wouldn’t make Robert Peterson proud.
    29. Do everything that would make your own father proud.
    30. If you love your car there are never too many rules.

    Posted on December 24, 2012 by Debbie | Leave a comment