Stories About My Snowdoggies

I saw this cool convertible today while shopping for groceries at Trader Joe’s. Not perfectly restored. Just an old mid-sized General Motors car from the mid-60s. It’s yellow paint is faded and it’s front bumper is twisted. This one is a survivor. Most of it’s brothers and sisters have gone on to the wrecking yard. Somebody is still driving and enjoying this one. It’s not a 442 or a rare muscle car version of the Cutlass, but the top goes down and when you hit the accelerator the high compression V8 still roars. No GPS. No satellite radio. No computer in the dashboard. Fake factory wire wheel covers. But here it sits next to all the suburban SUVs and high tech bubble cars. It’s just nice to know that some of these cars still exist.

There’s always something going on in Downtown Dallas. Especially during the holiday season. One of the most popular stops for downtown Christmas shopping is the display window at Neiman Marcus. Here’s a Quadski. A four wheeled ATV that at a flip of a switch pulls up it’s wheels and turns into a watercraft. James Bond has to have one of these stashed away somewhere. You can order his and hers versions out of the Neiman Marcus catalog.

In the next window they have slot cars. Not like the HO scale Aurora slot cars I used to have as a kid. Being Neiman Marcus, they have upscale slot cars. For $300,000 Neimans will re-create this 1/32nd scale slot car track at your house. They also promise to get Vic Elford and David Hobbs to host the grand opening party of your miniature road course. This is all from the glory days of road racing in the 60s and of course the setup has some cool cars.

Off in the corner sits a classic finback Mercedes Sedan from the early 60s. In the foreground a short wheelbase early Porsche 911 and a modified European Ford Escort. In the paddock sit a couple of Ferrari GTOs as a Mini Cooper flies by on the track. A real Mini, not the BMW made replica the sell at the dealer today.

Towards the back of the paddock sits a Mercedes 300SL, a Ford GT 40 and a race prepared MGB. I, myself, have owned two real MGBs in my lifetime and I want one of the slot car versions. The other end of the track shows elevation and vintage advertising banners. Just like a real road racing course from the good old days of racing. And that isn’t enough for us motorheads, Neimans also put an entire Christmas tree made entirely of car parts right down the street, complete with flashing taillights from many American cars of the 50s. Tis the season. Vrooom!

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