The GrubbDawg top 10 Awesome Cars

I was talking about awesomeness with a friend at work. He challenged me to come up with a post about Awesome Cars and I knew I could deliver. I love cars. I love crappy cars, old cars, new cars, busted or cherry cars. I even like stinky cars, big cars, little cars and (thanks to Dr. Seuse) red cars and blue cars. Most of all, I like awesome cars. I like them loud and fast, turning heads when you fly by. I like the rides that people can identify immediately. That is what this list is all about. This is a list of the top 10 Awesome Cars that can be identified almost anywhere.

Disclaimer: These are my own thoughts and oppinions so if you dont agree, I don’t care!

#10 - The Winnebago from Space Balls
How can you not like a rusted out winnebago that can travel through Space. The “Eagle 5″ makes me think of what red neck boys will drive in the future. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well I say “Awesomeness is in the eye of the beholder”. And I behold this blog so it starts off at #10 in the list of Awesome Cars!

#9 - The A Team Van
“I love it when a plan comes together!” Can a van be included in this list of Awesome Cars? If a Winnebago can, then why not. This van had one badd ass look to it. It could corner like a vette and out run cop cars in any situation. Just the thought of this ride puts me back in the 80’s when gun fights would break out with 1,000 shots and no one would get hit. I don’t know anyone who did not like this van.

#8 - 1977 Pontiac Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit
When it comes to Awesome Cars, this one almost made it to the top of the list. For those who don’t know the movie, Bandit plays the ultimate wingman distracting the cops (Smokies) while his buddy transports 400 cases of Coors illegally. I remember watching that flick as a kid and thinking how awesome the car was. Fast, loud and the chicks dig it.

#7 - 2009 Camaro - Bumble Bee from Transformers
I am a Ford man but I have to give some credit to the new 2009 Camaro. I do miss the Mustangs annoying little brother a little bit. The cars came back in amazing style as a Transformer and dropped my jaw. Of coarse I like Baracade better since he was a black Mustang and evil but Bumble Bee has more fan appeal. You also can’t buy the Camaro yet so it adds to the “want one” factor. Besides, owning a car with unlimited ammo and a nack for playing the right tunes is just plain awesome!

#6 - De Lorean DMC-12 from back to the future
Time travel is awesome. I want a car with a flux capacitor and travel back in time to kick my ass. How cool would it be to fight yourself? Not to mention this car was a freekin De Lorean. I think the producers just wanted the budget to buy one for themselves. You can’t have a list of Awesome Cars and not have this car included (even in 1955).

#5 - The Batmobile
I don’t care which one. The Batmobile’s history goes all the way back to 1939 (DC #30). This symbol of dark fury has seen multiple face lifts of awesomness. Of corse growing up watching Batman on the big screen, my favorite was built off of a Chevy Impala chassis. It could shoot missiles and had retractable machine guns, was bullet proof, had a jet engine and plenty of other toys. Sometimes I wish I had this ride in rush hour.

#4 - 1969 Dodge Charger - General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard
When it comes to Awesome Cars, the General Lee ranks pretty high. This american classic is as recognizable as they come. I often wondered what kind of tires they put on that car because I dont think I would ever dive that fast on dirt roads. The body structure of this car was amazing. I always thought that you could jump your car 30 feet over a creek and land it without any damage (until I tried it - it dosent work, trust me).

#3 - 1976 Shelby Mustang GT500 “Eleanor - Gone in 60 seconds
I can’t tell you how many times I have seen this movie. I get goose bumps every time I hear that engine fire up. I am giving this car the credit because of how amazing it is but the real credit for this “Awesome Cars” positioning goes to the movie itself. Here are the ladies and what part they played. These are all AWESOME CARS!

1. Alma: 1964 Bentley Continental
2. Angelina: 1999 Ferrari 550 Maranello
3. Anne: 2000 Ford F350 4×4 modified pick-up
4. Ashley: 1966 Shelby AC Cobra
5. Barbara: 1962 Aston Martin DB1
6. Bernadene: 1994 Jaguar XJ 220
7. Carol: 1999 Cadillac Escalade
8. Cathy: 2000 Toyota Landcruiser
9. Daniela: 2000 Cadillac El Dorado ETC (El Dorado Touring Coupe)
10. Deborah: 1999 Jaguar XK8 Coupe
11. Denise: 1998 Dodge Viper Coupe GTS
12. Diane: 1995 Ferrari 355 B
13. Donna: 1999 Mercedes Benz CL 500
14. Dorothy: 1957 Mercedes Benz 300 SL/Gullwing
15. Eleanor: 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500
16. Ellen: 1998 Mercedes Benz SL 600
17. Erin: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
18. Gabriela: 1950 Mercury Custom
19. Gina: 1990 Lamborghini Diablo
20. Grace: 2000 Rolls Royce Stretch Limousine
21. Hillary: 1999 Lexus LS 400
22. Iris: 1997 Ferrari 355 F1
23. Jessica: 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner
24. Kate: 1971 DeTomaso Pantera
25. Kimberley: 1999 Lincoln Navigator
26. Laura: 1999 Bentley Azure
27. Lindsey: 1999 Bentley Arnage
28. Lisa: 2000 Volvo Turbo Wagon R
29. Lynn: 1998 Toyota Supra Turbo
30. Madeline: 1959 Cadillac El Dorado
31. Marsha: 2000 Porsche Boxster
32. Mary: 1999 Aston Martin DB7
33. Megan: 2000 GMC Yukon
34. Nadine: 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB4
35. Natalie: 1961 Porsche Speedster
36. Pamela: 1953 Chevrolet Corvette
37. Patricia: 1958 Cadillac El Dorado Brougham
38. Rachel: 1999 Infiniti Q45
39. Rose: 1987 Ferrari Testarosa
40. Samantha: 1999 Mercedes Benz S 600
41. Shannon: 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda
42. Sharon: 1965 Pontiac GTO
43. Stacey: 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Big Block
44. Stefanie: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible
45. Susan: 1956 Ford T-Bird
46. Tanya: 1997 Porsche 911 Twin Turbo
47. Tina: 1999 Porsche 996
48. Tracy: 1999 HumVee 2-Door Pickup
49. Vanessa: 1969 Dodge Daytona
50. Virginia: 1988 Porsche 959

#2 - 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – KITT - Knight Rider
Give me a car that can talk to me, drive for me, is bullet proof, can see through walls (or drive through them without a scratch) and I will be a happy man. People may think I am a little weird when they see me talking into my watch all day but who cares. Believe it or not, there was a point in time when David Hasselhoff was kinda cool. I put this at #2 because KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) is not only a classic muscle car but also the leading edge of artificial intelligence. A new series of Knight Rider airs this February and is a much cooler car though (a new Shelby Mustang).

#1 Black Sunshine

When it comes to AWESOME CARS, Black Sunshine takes them all. Why? Because she is mine and I say so. 2006 Black Mustang convertible with Roush stage 1 conversion, 4.10 gears, CAI with flash programming, custom rims, shaker 1000 and red leather interion. When it comes to Awesome Cars, I wouldnt want to be driving anything else. Not even any of the cars listed above.

Dale Jarrett Ford Warranty Service
Ford Service Adviser Dominick Santevecchi

I took my baby in for her first check up last week. When she dropped her top,all I heard was a squeaky hinge noise unless I cranked up that shaker 1000. I love the sound of the Roush Exhaust to mush to listen to music 100% of the time. Besides, I never know if the Shaker 1000 head unit is going to sound like a broken record or not. That being said, I had to bite the bullet and turn my keys over to a complete stranger for the first time. The most important thing for me was knowing it would be serviced at a high end dealership that is used to taking care of high performance machines. I have been to many Ford dealerships in NC and SC and had no problems driving just over an hour if needed.

I first visited the dealership on my way to the beach many years ago. The last time I stepped into the showroom at Dale Jarrett Ford, I was in staring in the grille of multiple high end mustangs including a new 2007 Shelby and a couple custom eXtreme conversions. The people there were real nice and the showroom was more impressive then any I had seen. I knew at that moment that when I got my Mustang, I would make the trip to Indian Trail, NC for my maintenance. Heck, I drive 70 miles for new tires because I like the tire service (a blog post for another day). You can all call me crazy for driving any distance just for basic maintenance, but why the hell do you think I bought this car in the first place? I bought it to chill out and enjoy the open road.

So I hold my breath and call some stranger and tell him I want to give him my keys. I was connected with Dominick Santevecchi, a Ford Service Adviser at Dale Jarrett Ford. Dominick’s team has seen plenty of high performance cars go down their line, including a Ford GT just a week before. I explained my situation and he was more then happy to help even though he was potentially going to have to test drive the car with the top down in 40 degree weather. I left the house early and got there right when the service department opened. Dominick knew he was taking my baby and had one of the technicians park it in the garage instead of outside. I guess you can say he had me at hello. Mr. Santevecchi put up with my multiple concerns with a friendly jab or two that left me feeling perfectly comfortable that my car was in good hands. He also followed up with me throughout the day on the status.

Knowing that I had just bought the car, he had his team give my baby a once over to see if anything was in need of some maintenance. Usually, you would think this is a dealerships way of finding a few hundred dollars worth of quickies to do for some extra cash. As that was my expectations, I was quite surprised to find out that all I needed was a new fuel filter (no big deal) and suggested that I clean my cold air intake. The filter was nasty - I should have been so embarrassed. Dominick went into great detail on what I needed to do in order to clean it. I went straight to the auto parts store after picking her up to get the kit (explained in my next post). Jim Lewis, one of Dominick’s service technicians, handled my care with the utmost care. I will definately continue to say good things about these two and the dealership.

At the end of the day, the service team at Dale Jarrett Ford exceeded my expectations and was well worth the drive to be serviced by the best. I cannot emphasize enough on how amazing everyone there was to work with. From Dominick all the way to the people at Enterprise and the nice lady who checked me out when I picked my baby up. If you ever need service to your ride make sure to call Dominick Santevecchi, Ford Service Adviser at Dale Jarrett Ford. Tell him “Big Dawg” sent you!

Dominick Santevecchi
Ford Service Adviser
Dale Jarrett Ford
88 Dale Jarrett Boulevard
Indian Trail, NC 28079
704.261.8822
800.849.8521

I would love to hear about your experience with Dale Jarrett Ford.  Please comment.

2006 Mustang - Roush Exhaust

Here is my baby. I dont know what else to say other then I love the way the 2006 Roush Exhaust sounds. Each gear sings it’s own note.  I have to apologize personally for Roush Performance for waking up my neighbors every morning.  Most of the time when the top is down, I keep the radio of so the 2006 Roush Exhaust can sing me its song.  I must have personally played this clip a hundred times.

So my wife likes to surprise me with a video game once a year.  This Christmas she wows me with Rock Band for the PS3.  I have never played a musical instrument (successfully) in my life but I can play a mean air guitar and air drums when jamming to tunes.  I have hear about the whole Guitar Hero craze and couldn’t wait to tear into the box.  Rock Band for the PS3 cam with the game, a wireless PS3 Guitar, a PS3 Drum Kit (wired / USB) and a PS3 Microphone (wired / USB).  I tossed in the game and grabbed the sticks and slowly began to jam.  The only way I can describe this game is viral.  When people come over and try it out, they can’t play just one game.  Now my wife has never been a gamer.  She did play Crash Bandicoot Warped for the PS2 one very cold NY winter.  You should see her now when she grabs the PS3 Guitar a couple times a week.  For a couple brief moments each week, she transforms into a rock star (a hot one at that).  The best part of Rock Band is the fact that my wife and I have another outlet to laugh and have fun while the kids are sleeping.

I am still getting my butt kicked fairly hard online when trying to battle people.  I guess that is one aspect of the game I may never master.   I do know that when my nephew comes over we have to continue touring the globe with K-Rox and GrubbDawg.  He keeps asking me if I unlocked any Metallica.  I just found out that I can download a Metallica 3 song pack to add on to the game.  The extra songs are a bit steep (2 bucks a piece) but I can understand the amount of development time behind putting them together.  That being said, I will be only be buying a few add-ons (well only the ones necessary for me to rock it old school).

My friend Brady sent me an awesome link on how to modify the PS3 drum kit to quiet down the striking noise.  I will post a little write up here soon after I attempt this same upgrade.

Living well and beautifully and justly are all one thing.

-Socrates

Tell me whom you love, and I’ll tell you who you are.
– Creole Proverb

Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love.
– Erich Fromm

PREPARATION

“The foundation of confidence in virtually every field is preparation.”
– Brian Tracy

“You cannot speak that which you do not know. You cannot share that which you do not feel. You cannot translate that which you do not have. And you cannot give that which you do not possess. To give it and to share it, and for it to be effective, you first need to have it. Good communication starts with good preparation.”
– Jim Rohn

“One of life’s most painful moments comes when we must admit that we didn’t do our homework, that we are not prepared.”
– Merlin Olsen

“It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.”
– Whitney Young, Jr.

The wisdom of the day is brought to you by Sam Singh

The easiest way to protect your brand is to provide goods and services that keep your customers and clients happy. Don’t be afraid to ask them for their feedback. We just may give it on a global scale.

I have always been big on positive feedback. I have been know in the past to call customer service, not to make a complaint, but to let management know how much I appreciate the service provided by their company. Now armed with the advantage of the internet, I hope to do this on a larger scale. This all started when I went through the process of buying a Mustang. I was able to find an amazing dealer from out of state who was easy to work with and made the process real easy. I thanked them the best way I knew how. I wrote a quick post about them and optimized it on their brand. Interestingly enough I am currently the #1 result in Google for a few of their brand terms. I actually established that position within 16 hours of publishing the post.

How was this possible? I wrote good quality content about the company and optimized the post around their brand. I did nothing sneaky. Everything was purely white hat. The fast time frame was due to me getting lucky by publishing the post shortly before Google cached my homepage. In theory this positioning should have taken a couple weeks to months. Two other factors that helped me out are that their company website is poorly structured and there is little to no competition to small business brand terms.

The point of doing this was to provide future shoppers a decent write up of my experiences with the company. Hopefully someday someone will read the post and feel a little more comfortable doing business with them. I know I did my research on the company and found very little in terms of feedback from previous customers when I was about to buy. The internet is a powerful tool for acquiring information. My plan is to do what I can to do just that. Inform people on some good quality brands out there.

The longer my positive post stays out there, the more it will age like fine wine and help protect the integrity of a brand. Of course this could go both ways. If I ever feel that I have been taken advantage of, there is no doubt in my mind that I will follow the same process in attacking a brand so people can be informed.

“If the average person realized the power he wields over his life and destiny, he would live in a perpetual state of wonder and thanksgiving.”
– Earl Nightingale

“Power tires only those who do not have it.”
– Giulio Andreotti

“Power is so characteristically calm, that calmness in itself has the aspect of strength.”
– Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

“The power of one is above all things the power to believe in yourself. Often well beyond any latent ability previously demonstrated. The mind is the athlete, The body is simply the means it uses.”
– Bryce Courtenay

The Wisdom of the Day is brought to you by Sam Singh

The Mustang Forums Discussion Board

Like I often do, I want to make mention of a site I consider valuable and an important source of information. The Mustang Forums is a community of thousands of Mustang enthusiasts who openly share their thoughts and experiences with this icon of American Muscle Cars. The forum discussions are broken into sub forums for just about everything you can think of. From frame structure down to audio and electrical modifications. They even have a special discussion group for owners of ROUSH, Saleen and Boss Mustangs as well as breaking up the 6 and 8 cylinder models. There is constant traffic and everyone is real fast to provide feedback. Unlike most discussion groups, the Mustang Forums contains very few egos. There is also no lack of Mustang pictures to droll over for those fanatics as well.

If you have any love for Mustang at all, I would highly suggest checking out these forums. I have been browsing through the Mustang Forums for years while I anxiously waited to get my next Mustang. They are an invaluable resource for me. Thanks guys!

Here is the GrubbDawg profile for anyone interested.