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Miatas, and my 1996 M

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Besides motorcycles, I have a strong passion for automobiles as well.

I've been reading about autos since I was 8, and fooling with them since my teen years.

Engineering, artistic beauty, and performance...lots to enjoy.  I'm no purist, just an enthusiast, so I get similar joy from the elegance and amazing engineering in a Citroen ID-21 or a new Porsche Boxster, even though the target market and performance level couldn't be more contrasting.

My formative years were spent in the midst of muscle-car hey-dey, so I was fully informed at the time about Mopar Hemi's, SS454's, big-block Novas, Cobra Jets, Stage 1 Buicks.  Just after high school, I spent 7 years in the auto parts business: first as a parts counterman at a NAPA shop, then as an order expediter at both full-line and high-performance parts warehouses.  I had the privilege of working for each of the owners of Ronnie's Speed Shop and Arrow Speed Shop in Kansas City.  Spent many great weekends watching and participating in bracket racing at Kansas City International Raceway on Noland Road ("Sundaaay...see the ground-pounding top fuel match races...Sundaaay") as well as SCCA races at Lake Garnett, Ks.  I drove in my first autocross/gymkhana at age 16, then went bracket-racing the next weekend.

So what I'm interested in is...basically anything with an engine.

A list of autos I've owned, in order:

1955 Dodge Royal Lancer, 270 Hemi V-8
1958 Volkswagen Beetle
1967 Volkswagen Beetle
1970 Volkswagen Beetle
1971 Ford Pinto 2 Liter
1973 Ford Pinto 2 Liter
1971 Chevrolet Camaro
1971 Chevrolet Vega
1974 Fiat 124 Spyder
1974 Fiat 128 Coupe
1980 Toyota Corolla SR-5 Liftback
1971 Chevrolet Nova
1973 Volvo 164E
1985 Volkswagen Jetta GLI
1987 Nissan Sentra XE
1989 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.6
1996 Ford Windstar LX 3.8
1996 Mazda Miata M
2000 Toyota Camry CE
2000 Pontiac Trans-Am WS6 (ok, it's actually a "stepcar"!)
2007 Mazda CX-7 Grand Touring

I'm pleased to be able to appreciate drag/street racing, to custom cars at Autorama, to sniffy English sportsters, to high-tech modern equipment.  The beat goes on, and it's all fun to be involved with.