Cars

Cars are more than just transportation for me. When I was a teenager, I enjoyed working on my own car. Then Anne-Lise and I bought a cherry red 1991 Honda Prelude, and we both enjoyed it immensely. It was very fun to drive, and practical for our needs at the time. We now drive a very nice dark green 1997 Acura Integra GS-R 4 door. It lacks the handling finess of the 'Lude, but has a more comfortable ride, a high revving VTEC engine, much appreciated air conditioning, a CD player, and, last but not least, four doors, making it much more practical.

Click on any picture to see a larger one.

Our 'Lude back when we lived in Ottawa. Miserable conditions for any car, especially one you care about. Still, with Nokia winter tires, handling was quite good in the snow. The only thing that really didn't and doesn't work well in the winter is the power antenna. Now that my father owns 'Lude, it's once again living in conditions like this during the winter. I miss driving 'Lude, but I still get a chance when visiting my parents in Plantagenet.

Taking delivery of our Integra. Anne-Lise named her Nein, after the old Acura advertisement. She names just about everything. Of course, Acura is really the same thing as Honda. I advised Danny to get a Honda as soon as we got the 'Lude, so he got a white 1993 Honda Accord coupe. White is the most durable paint color, but Anne-Lise wouldn't have anything to do with a white Integra. She said it looked like a tooth. I can understand her point, as the hood lines do have a toothy look to them :-)

Danny's new Acura RSX Type S. Anne-Lise has yet to name this one, and we're not even sure what sex it is ;-) Of course, Acura is really the same thing as Honda, and RSX is really the same thing as Integra, so this is really the new version of our car. That said, it actually has more in common with Lude. The engine is even fancier than Nein's, and it slows the car down well, like Lude's engine does. Then there's the much stiffer suspension with nice fast dampers for a very sporty ride. Definitely a blast to drive at any speed, and the engine isn't even broken in yet :-)

Eric's new toy! Eric has always wanted a motorcycle, and as soon as it became a real possibility, he bought a used Honda Ascot. It really wasn't a safe bike because of the crash it had been in, but he rode it until he saw someone riding a Honda Nighthawk 750S. This bike was no longer being made, so he convinced the guy to sell it. This bike was big and powerful enough, but Eric had the need for speed. It was obvious he'd eventually get a true sport-bike. That day arrived, and here is Eric on his new speed demon, named Taz. Needless to say, it's another Honda, this time a CBR-900 RR.

Kotty as she drives off, continuing her cross-country trek. You can tell she's comfortable in her truck the way most people are comfortable on the sofa in their living room! This isn't the most reliable vehicle, but Kotty likes it, and its served her well.

The person who most affected my attitude about cars would have to be my cousin Malcolm, seen here arriving at a camping spot in his old Dodge with a slant 6 engine taken out of some other car. Back in the days when my brother Danny and I drove a 1974 Dodge Dart, we'd often leave it for Malcolm to drive during the Boston winter, then return to use it during the summer in Washington D.C. The Dart had a 318 cubic inch V8, power brakes and steering, and air conditioning. It was the 2 door coupe called a Swinger, but it was hardly a sporty looking machine. Sorry, no pictures of the Dart. Malcolm's most modern car is currently a vintage Datsun/Nissan 300Z, but he's still got this Coronet in his stable.

As promised, here's a shot of Ken and Katie's new Volvo cross-country all-wheel-drive station wagon, just after Ken and I finished washing it. Ken has already installed a tandem topper rack for their pink pig recumbent tandem. This is the rack where you clamp the fork down while the rear wheel rests on the ground, then pivot the bike up and over to clamp the rear wheel. Very impressive.

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	Our 'Lude back when we lived in Ottawa. Miserable conditions for any car, especially one you care about. Still, with Nokia winter tires, handling was quite good in the snow. The only thing that really didn't and doesn't work well in the winter is the power antenna. Now that my father owns 'Lude, it's once again living in conditions like this during the winter. I miss driving 'Lude, but I still get a chance when visiting my parents in Plantagenet.
	Taking delivery of our Integra. Anne-Lise named her Nein, after the old Acura advertisement. She names just about everything. Of course, Acura is really the same thing as Honda. I advised Danny to get a Honda as soon as we got the 'Lude, so he got a white 1993 Honda Accord coupe. White is the most durable paint color, but Anne-Lise wouldn't have anything to do with a white Integra. She said it looked like a tooth. I can understand her point, as the hood lines do have a toothy look to them :-)
	Danny's new Acura RSX Type S. Anne-Lise has yet to name this one, and we're not even sure what sex it is ;-) Of course, Acura is really the same thing as Honda, and RSX is really the same thing as Integra, so this is really the new version of our car. That said, it actually has more in common with Lude. The engine is even fancier than Nein's, and it slows the car down well, like Lude's engine does. Then there's the much stiffer suspension with nice fast dampers for a very sporty ride. Definitely a blast to drive at any speed, and the engine isn't even broken in yet :-)
	Eric's new toy! Eric has always wanted a motorcycle, and as soon as it became a real possibility, he bought a used Honda Ascot. It really wasn't a safe bike because of the crash it had been in, but he rode it until he saw someone riding a Honda Nighthawk 750S. This bike was no longer being made, so he convinced the guy to sell it. This bike was big and powerful enough, but Eric had the need for speed. It was obvious he'd eventually get a true sport-bike. That day arrived, and here is Eric on his new speed demon, named Taz. Needless to say, it's another Honda, this time a CBR-900 RR.
	Kotty as she drives off, continuing her cross-country trek. You can tell she's comfortable in her truck the way most people are comfortable on the sofa in their living room! This isn't the most reliable vehicle, but Kotty likes it, and its served her well.
	The person who most affected my attitude about cars would have to be my cousin Malcolm, seen here arriving at a camping spot in his old Dodge with a slant 6 engine taken out of some other car. Back in the days when my brother Danny and I drove a 1974 Dodge Dart, we'd often leave it for Malcolm to drive during the Boston winter, then return to use it during the summer in Washington D.C. The Dart had a 318 cubic inch V8, power brakes and steering, and air conditioning. It was the 2 door coupe called a Swinger, but it was hardly a sporty looking machine. Sorry, no pictures of the Dart. Malcolm's most modern car is currently a vintage Datsun/Nissan 300Z, but he's still got this Coronet in his stable.
	As promised, here's a shot of Ken and Katie's new Volvo cross-country all-wheel-drive station wagon, just after Ken and I finished washing it. Ken has already installed a tandem topper rack for their pink pig recumbent tandem. This is the rack where you clamp the fork down while the rear wheel rests on the ground, then pivot the bike up and over to clamp the rear wheel. Very impressive.