July 19 Weekly Open Thread
As always, this is the place for the conversation that ... oh, never mind, everybody's probably already looking at the picture of the gentleman with the horns.
I don't have much in the way of suggested topics this week, but I did want to bring this news item to your attention. The young man pictured to the right allegedly tried to run his landlord down with his vehicle and now stands accused of assault with a deadly weapon. The weapon, in this case, was a 1996 Ford Windstar minivan.
There's a lot to say about this particular case, most of it based on the accused's rather peculiar body modifications. I'll let most of that go but will say in passing that I think he really needed a good hug when he was younger. If you're in the mood for some of the really good jokes on the subject, check out the article and comments on Gawker.
No, what I'd like to focus on here is the accused's use of a Ford Windstar as his weapon of choice. For the last several years, we at Car Lust have been advancing the argument that minivans are more useful than just about any other vehicle on the road. Just for the record, we think extending that versatility into the realm of attempted assault is pushing things just a bit.
However, I am feeling a little more comfortable with my 2008 assertion that driving a minivan is "so counter-culture ... that it's almost punk rock." I'm not sure exactly what drew this young man to the Windstar, but if he isn't counter-culture, I'm not sure exactly who is.
--Chris H.
Rob the Audi Guy on July 19, 2010 at 08:07 AM
Woah. Looks like that guy is going to have a fun time in prison.
Anthony Cagle on July 19, 2010 at 08:20 AM
I was at the Mustang Club of America's Grand National this weekend showing my M-II. The first day was all (judged) Mustangs and the second was anyone and their Ford. Besides the usual array of Mach 1s, Shelbys, Boss 302s, etc., there were 7 Mustang IIs and a lot of assorted oddments. I was happy that there were quite a few who had left their 1960s-era cars as the factory color (even when repainting). Some of them would be considered a bit odd for a muscle car, such as. . . .pink. Actually, "Dusky Rose" Ford called it. There were even a few base models thrown in, which I made sure to check out.
Sadly, the non-Mustang contingent wasn't huge, but there were some really Car Lust-worth models there, which I hope to create a post for this week.
John B on July 19, 2010 at 09:46 AM
His parents must be proud.
Yes, minivans will be getting weird.
Not so much due to making a counter-culture statement as price.
And the fact you can haul all kinds of weird stuff in them. And, you can live in them while you're waiting to get into Harvard Law like the gentleman pictured above.
Anyway, back to Mustangs...Anthony, there are so many of them out there that it's no harm, no foul with non-factory paint.
But I saw a 69 Mach One this weekend (air scoops in the quarter panel so it wasn't just a sportsroof) with a really tacky baby blue paint scheme witth a really weired lightning bolt-sorta thing on the side.
tigerstrypes on July 19, 2010 at 09:48 AM
Wonder how the guy got those side-burn impressions on his head...
Anyways, I'm gonna post this link... again. It's too cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj6B5KFokaY
Tommy's Dad on July 19, 2010 at 10:51 PM
Creepy, one of my college roommates looked a lot like that guy. Minus all the body modification crap, mind you, since he was in Air Force ROTC, but similar face.
Anyhow, re: the 1996 Windstar, my one and only experience with a 2-car crash came courtesy of one. I pulled out directly in front of one going to school on a half-day and took a direct hit on my 89 Nissan truck's driver door. Tipped my truck over on its side, spilled gas all over the road (apparently like the dumbass I was, I'd forgot to put the cap back on after gassing up) and basically caused a 3 block traffic jam on the single busiest road in town at that time of day. Go me! The Nissan was a total loss (I was lucky many times over that I walked away without a single injury, not even scratches) but the Windstar looked driveable, or at least like it could have been salvaged. *sigh*
Maybe it wasn't the kid's fault, maybe the Windstar made him do it. Just like the one that compelled me to jump out of a parking lot into a left turn without, you know, looking left first. Or maybe kids will do stupid things until they get some sense knocked into them.
...m... on July 20, 2010 at 05:35 AM
...anthony, did you happen to see any fox-body capris at the mustang show?..my first car was an '81 white lightning, so i'm always keenly alert hoping to spy a survivor, but it seems that the only examples i ever find these days have either been converted to mustang hot rods or stripped, gutted, and made into drag racers...
...it's interesting the contemplate the critical mass of age and popularity a car must achieve before owners begin respecting its original design intent, particularly the reverse-bell-curve below that critical mass where the same factors actually makes owners *more* likely to radically modify it...
Anthony Cagle on July 20, 2010 at 08:19 AM
"...anthony, did you happen to see any fox-body capris at the mustang show?."
Not a one. I don't recall seeing too many 1979-1989s either. Gobs and gobs of the new ones though; whether that's due to them being more recent or just obscenely popular, I don't know. Oddly, even the, ohhhh, 1970-73 models weren't in abundance.
"the critical mass of age and popularity a car must achieve before owners begin respecting its original design intent"
Yeah, that's happened with the II and I expect more and more '79-'89s will start showing up. A LOT of attention was given to a couple of basic Ghia models, one completely unrestored and one that was being restored to original colors.
I'm really bummed that I didn't get a picture of some guy's 1963 Ranchero. It was definitely an "everyday iron" vehicle, not restored or anything. Apparently, the original owner -- *the* original owner -- had passed away in the last month or so, and it was for sale.
That Car Guy on July 26, 2010 at 11:41 AM
Tygerstripes: "Wonder how the guy got those side-burn impressions on his head..."
I believe he got branded/burned. Not my way of enjoying an afternoon.