Howdy all, long time no blog...

Well, like everyone else these days I have been humping it, trying to make enough money to keep the wife and kids in shoes and Moon Pies. As anyone who lives down south can tell you, keeping a house well stocked with Moon Pies is way more important that the shoes, but since Moon Pies don't grow on trees (do they?) I've had to keep plugging away at work. Which, means that I haven't had much time to tinker with old cars or spread the wealth of my knowledge to my online friends.

Since I am always looking for a way to save a buck or two, I was surfing the ol' National Internet late last night looking for new ways to stretch my pennies farther (and chatting with somone named SweetThang32 who claims to be a hot blonde from Mississippi...but I have my doubts!), when I ran across the following article from the guys over at Popular Mechanics.

The article is kinda like an episode of MythBusters. They take a look at seven common auto related myths and put them to the test.

CLICK HERE to check out the article.

Once you've perused the article, please take a moment and respond to this post with a few auto related "Myths" of your own. I'm sure that the guys and gals here in the OldCarsWeekly Community will be more than happy to try and poke a few holes in 'em for you.

The first myth that I'd like to get your thoughts on is one that my Daddy told me a long time ago: Driving at 56 mph will give you the best fuel economy.

What do ya'll think: Fact or Fiction?

Well, I for one was shocked to read that as part of the governement assistance program that will eventually funnel more than $18 billion into troubled General Motors Co., the govnerment has pushed out CEO Rick Wagoner.

In essence, the American public is now the largest shareholder in this troubled company and the man that ran up billions of dollars of debt while mishandling the company has now, for all practical puropses, been replaced by a man that is running up Trillions of dollars of debt for our nation.

You can read more about the announcement HERE.

Wagoner said in a statement early Monday that he was asked to "step aside" during a meeting with Obama administration officials on Friday, and he consented.

So, what do y'all think?

Has the government finally crossed the line, and...do you think that this will be the end of GM?

Over the years there have been a number of cars and trucks that I swore at the time that I would never part with. These were vehicles that I felt defined who I was, or at least who I thought that I wanted to be.

The first was my mold green 1952 Studebaker Land Cruiser. It was the first car that I ever owned and the day my dad and I pulled it out of the ol' horsebarn where it had been parked, I instantly fell in love with that rusty heap. Even after I embarassed myself by screaming like a little girl after reaching in to see if the throtle was stuck and grabbing a handful of a 6-foot long black snake...I vowed that I would keep that car until the very end.

While I strive to always be a man of my word, I have to admit that I broke the promise I made that day to the old Stude. A few years and a wife and child later I sold the car to a friend when I was trying to scrape up enough money to buy a business.

It is a decision that I still regret to this day.

Despite my short-comings and failure to keep my word to my Studebaker, while surfing the ol' worldwide web today I ran across a guy who was true to his word, right up till the very end.

Albert Dancy Jr., of Charleston, WV, was buried earlier this month in the back of his beloved 1967 Chevy truck. Yep, you read that last sentence right, they buried him and his truck in a hole 19-feet wide. An avid truck lover and hunter, his son made sure that his dad went on to the promised land in style...in the bed of his Jaguar Green truck with his trusty Old Timer pocketknife and Remington .243-caliber deer rifle at his side in a field near the very land where he hunted and lived.

Despite the interesting burial arrangements, I have a feeling that we won't see Mr. Dancy rolling through the pearly gates anytime soon. You see, in order to keep everything legal, the family had to remove the engine and tires from the truck so that his final resting place wouldn't polute the land.

According to his son, he didn't mean for it to be an Egyptian burial ritual or anything. If he had, the truck and gun aren't going to be much use.

"We gave him a truck with no tires. We gave him a gun with no shells," Dancy said. "He'll be s-t out of luck."

You can check out Mr. Dancy's obit here.

Well, this touching story got me to thinking. What car/truck would you like to be buried in?

Crane Cams, one of the original hot rodding companies that has been supplying the world with wonderful go-fast parts for 56 years, this week closed their New Jersey plant and laid off their remaining employees.

According to an article in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the company founded in 1953 by Harvey J. Crane Jr., seems to have been unable to survive the recent downturn in teh economy.

As I am sure that you are all aware, the conpany is well known in the high-performance and racing worlds for their line of camshafts and engine valve train components.

From what I have been able to find, the company was started in the coner of a bustling garage before expanding into larger digs after a major success at teh 1961 NHRA nationals when a dragster using Vrane roller cams was driven to the Top Eliminator award by "Sneaky" Pete Robinson. The run broke records and propelled the company into the national speed scene.

Alright guys, I really appreciate good ol' American Ingenuity and car lovers that know precisely what they like.

Steve Heller of NY is one of those guys. If you take a look at his Marquis DeSoto, you will see what I am talking about. Be sure to check out the photo below.

Apparently the New York Times agreed and selected his car as their collector car of the year.

Since there is little that I can add to their article, CLICK HERE to find out more about the history behind this interesting ride. Don't forget to check out the slideshow link that is posted along the left-hand side of the page. Mr. Heller tells you all about his car and some of his other interesting projects.

What do ya'll think?