tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17116365262996815522024-03-18T22:17:06.294-07:00cardictionSharing my love of carsJohnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-21709175695838684362016-08-11T08:17:00.000-07:002016-08-11T08:17:03.903-07:00Donks of Miami<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJ9SXtxd2GifrWU1R9la9nCtaeJ_vv6EsCXZnPIanc0CDtMW-0iXx1EQWBuz2niRtyTrGBqtJ-Yl6dyrXUen6gjGrm6w1WTtIMfJkB8bSiUj8EjS1bXCsKN-2InLqxYbT2srBKYtAP6Q/s1600/FL-donks-custom-cars-big-rims03.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJ9SXtxd2GifrWU1R9la9nCtaeJ_vv6EsCXZnPIanc0CDtMW-0iXx1EQWBuz2niRtyTrGBqtJ-Yl6dyrXUen6gjGrm6w1WTtIMfJkB8bSiUj8EjS1bXCsKN-2InLqxYbT2srBKYtAP6Q/s320/FL-donks-custom-cars-big-rims03.jpg" width="320" height="213" /></a>
Donks are everywhere in Miami. They are classic Chevy Caprices and Impalas from 1971-76 that have been tricked out with large sparkling rims. Since they always catch my eye, I created <a href="http://www.southflorida.com/sf-donks-chevrolet-impalas-caprices-pictures-photogallery.html">a photo gallery </a>of donks around Miami and Fort Lauderdale for my newspaper Sun Sentinel and SouthFlorida.com
Donks have also been part of pop culture, particularly music videos by Pitbull and OMI. Below is a donk featured in the 2015 summer video Cheerleader by OMI. The video was shot in north Miami-Dade at Haulover Beach.
Secretly, I kinda want one but with standard tires.
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Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-70219525785013524512016-07-18T07:58:00.002-07:002016-07-18T08:41:33.035-07:00Spotted in Miami: 1948 Plymouth Goulds<br />
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I came across this classic 1948 Plymouth Goulds while driving around this weekend in Miami on SW 1st Avenue and 16th Court (near Cassola's Pizza in Miami.)<br />
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As the For Sale sign states, it has six cylinders. It reminds me of a vintage police car from the 1950s.<br />
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<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-38626711068326194842016-07-14T07:53:00.004-07:002016-07-18T13:59:54.542-07:00Five things I love about my Fiat 500<br />
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It's been almost a year since I bought my little Fiat 500 Pop. I thought I'd list some of the things that I enjoy about my Italian hatchback since people often ask me about it on my daily travels.<br />
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<b>1. It's tiny:</b> Big things come in small Italian cars. This little bugger can pretty much squeeze into any parking space (especially in car-congested South Beach and downtown Miami.) <br />
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But when you fold the backseats forward, the car is surprisingly roomy. The car has about the same exterior dimensions as the first Honda Civic hatchback from 1973 but my Fiat feels spacious inside.<br />
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It's big enough to fit my father's wheelchair in the back. I'm five-feet-10-inches tall and weigh about 170 pounds and three of my guy friends who are more or less the same height (okay, maybe an inch taller and thinner that me) fit comfortably in the car with me in the driver's seat. On date night, my boyfriend and I usually take my car because it really fits anywhere. To me, FIAT stands for <b>F</b>ITS<b> I</b>N <b>A</b>LL <b>T</b>INY spaces.<br />
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2. <b>Headturner</b>: Several times a week, curious admirers ask me about my copper colored 500 when I pull into a parking space or pull up to the Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru in Fort Lauderdale. The car literally turns heads. "Beautiful little car,'' one woman said as I hopped into the car outside Publix. "How is your Fiat treating you? I had one in college," a business man asked me as I parked at my work's parking garage in downtown Fort Lauderdale..<br />
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3<b>. Gas-friendly: </b> I commute weekdays from Coral Gables to Fort Lauderdale, which is at least 70 miles a day, sometimes more depending on my assignments. A full-tank costs me $21 and lasts me four and half days. I average about 300 miles on a full-tank what has 10 gallons.<br />
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<b>4. Design: </b> I like to joke to people that I feel like I'm inside a beautifully-detailed Italian purse on four wheels. The dashboard has beige, brown and orange accents. The seats are sewn in espresso brown material. The steering wheel is a cream-hued leather. The head rests are perfectly-shaped ovals. With its egg (or coffee bean) shape, the car sits high, tall.<br />
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<b>5. Peppy engine:</b> The car has a 1.4 litre engine that hums at 101 horsepower. That doesn't sound like much but the engine is zippy, peppy. I can easily maneuver inbetween cars on Interstate 95 when I switch lanes although I have to punch the pedal and give it gas.<br />
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(that's me below sitting in the backseat.)<br />
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<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-51456694166221806012016-02-26T08:35:00.000-08:002016-02-26T08:35:36.646-08:00Carting around<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Golf carts are as common in South Florida as the palm trees and courses they navigate around. But these carts are getting pimped out and morphing into mini cars that are hitting city streets for everyday errands.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Some people have customized these vehicles into classic cars while others lift them with big rims making them look like carts on steroids.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I wrote a<a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/fl-golf-cart-culture-20151230-story.html"> </a></span><span style="color: #55aaa8; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/fl-golf-cart-culture-20151230-story.html">fun story</a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/fl-golf-cart-culture-20151230-story.html"> </a>for the Sun Sentinel hat looks at South Florida's love for golf carts.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Above is a golf cart modeled after a Rolls Royce as it zips around Fort Lauderdale.</span>Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-10781760937426275432015-04-16T09:49:00.001-07:002015-04-16T09:49:34.212-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Herbie The Love Bug rolled into West Palm Beach this week for the annual Barrett-Jackson car auction at the South Florida Fairgrounds.<br />
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This version of Herbie was used in two movies, Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo and Herbie Goes Bananas.<br />
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Folks snapped selfies with the car at CityPlace in West Palm Beach Wednesday afternoon. I got to take a fun (and bouncy ride) in the little Beetlem which can still squirt oil (or now water) from its rear right wheel.<br />
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Here's my <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/fl-herbie-love-bug-auction-20150415-story.html">Sun Sentinel article</a> on Herbie.<br />
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<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-60345976116650486372015-02-26T14:41:00.002-08:002015-02-26T14:41:47.604-08:0050 Shades of Beetle<i>50 Shades of Grey</i> had two beautiful actors, lots of grey ties, rope, handcuffs and a lot of huffing and puffing.<br />
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But that's not what revved up my engine after catching a screening last Saturday afternoon.<br />
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There was a small uncredited role and it belonged to Wanda, Anastasia Steele's light blue classic Volkswagen Beetle.<br />
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Yes, I loved the car in the movie. To me, it was a scene stealer, diverting my eyes to its Lady Bug body in the few scenes it appeared.<br />
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In one early scene as Anastasia and longtime buddy Jose talk in the parking lot at their university, they do so in front of this little bug before she climbs in. When she cranks it up, the Beetle carried its traditional rear-engine puttering sound.<br />
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In another scene after she sees Christians' lavish sports and luxury car collection, she tells him something along the lines, "What, you didn't know I was a collector of classic cars?" referring to her VW.<br />
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When Anastasia renegotiates Christen's S&amp;M contract at his office, she decides to leave and head back home and she does all this in front of her VW as if making a statement - <i>you can't change me, I'm an original</i>.<br />
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I think the car says a lot about Anastasia. Both are independent, reliable, determined, down-to-earth and of course, curvy. (They're also loud in their own way but I won't get into that here. Go see the movie or check out the book at your local library.)<br />
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Although there are newer car models out there, she prefers this little tough Beetle to dart around to and from school, her hardware store job and the so-called "Grey House." After he has her car sold (without her permission) to surprise her with a red Audi, she later demands Wanda back (which his driver sold.)<br />
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Perhaps I'm reading way too much into this fictional story but you don't see many of these old Beetles on the roads these days, at least not in Miami. So while moviegoers gushed and giggled about the sex scenes and this sex toy thing called flogger, I sat in my seat and smiled whenever Wanda the Beetle rolled on the screen.<br />
<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-32143999178888258512015-01-14T08:26:00.003-08:002015-01-14T08:26:44.372-08:00Mobile businesses on a roll<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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South Florida's car culture is driving more businesses to take to the wheel. Besides food trucks, we now have mobile boutiques, hair salons on wheels, even door to door gyms in a truck.<br />
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Here's my Sun Sentinel <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/fl-mobile-businesses-south-florida-20141231-story.html#page=1">story on the mobile trend. </a><br />
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<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-47255070987921650182014-12-09T15:09:00.001-08:002014-12-09T15:09:30.608-08:00Rare bug : the VW Beetle Red Rock edition<br />
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Found in downtown Fort Lauderdale: the 2010 Volkswagen Beetle Red Rock edition. What makes it a special edition is the color, which has a brownish-reddish tint, almost like an autumn-orange.<br />
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But the color<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/+RonWoodhead/albums/5531407690558918289?banner=pwa"> looks different,</a> depending on the lighting (or how dirty the car is.) It reminds me an orange Jelly Bean with four wheels.<br />
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The German car maker reportedly only produced 750 of sweet potato-colored bugs in the US for that model year. This version also has a black sunroof and interior.<br />
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So if you see one of these Red Rockers in your city, take notice because there are only 749 others on the road. </div>
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Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-83418704978386864972014-11-18T08:49:00.001-08:002014-11-18T12:42:02.378-08:00Classic BugI've seen this classic Volkswagen Beetle during my lunchtime travels in Fort Lauderdale. The car stops me in my tracks and I had to take some photos. It's been parked in front of a home in the Victoria Park neighborhood off NE 15th Ave and NE Sixth Street. The plates say Alabama, '66, Heart of Dixie.<br />
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The Bug strikes me as car art, something to marvel at during my commutes.<br />
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If this is your car, feel free to contact me. I'd love to know the year and the story behind it.<br />
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<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-54883598152305617832014-01-02T09:53:00.001-08:002014-01-02T09:53:37.070-08:00Fort Lauderdale's crazy rat rod<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This car turns people's heads in South Florida so much that people stop and shoot the car with their smartphones and then upload the footage on Youtube. <a href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/fl-weird-car-youtube-video-20131219,0,5217653.story?track=rss-topicgallery#axzz2pGRK2wlb">Here's my Sun Sentinel story</a> on the online fame that follows this customized 1949 Ford which looks like something that rolled out of one of those Mel Gibson <i>Mad Max</i> movies.<br />
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Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-49383364429287243942013-10-18T13:55:00.000-07:002013-10-18T13:55:31.351-07:00Back to the Accord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Beep beep! AOL AUTO published <a href="http://autos.aol.com/article/my-first-car-two-month-love-affair-honda-accord/?fb_action_ids=10152290757898206&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_ref=article&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map={%2210152290757898206%22:249185835234271}&action_type_map={%2210152290757898206%22:%22og.likes%22}&action_ref_map={%2210152290757898206%22:%22article%22}&a_dgi=aolshare_twitter">my first-car story </a>which is a tribute to my clunky former Honda Accord which I really loved and still think about. (Yes, I used to have New Kids on The Block hair.)
The photo to the left with my shaggy curly hair was taken outside my friend Aime's apartment building in South Beach across from Fienberg Fisher Elementary on Pennsylvania Ave. I was by default the designated driver (because I had a car.)
And the photo to the right is how the model looked from the rear. (Note: this car below wasn't mine. Just a clone.)<br />
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<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-29577343600751039792013-09-23T13:10:00.001-07:002013-09-23T13:21:28.016-07:00Small cars with big attitudes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJblkEBFWnw/UkCijV8xAhI/AAAAAAAADpw/-lZWiYWY4G0/s1600/soupedupsmartcars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJblkEBFWnw/UkCijV8xAhI/AAAAAAAADpw/-lZWiYWY4G0/s320/soupedupsmartcars.jpg" /></a></div>
They want to save gas but they don't want to necessarily look like they do.<a href="http://www.southflorida.com/fl-souped-up-small-cars-20130905,0,3621495.story"> Here's an article </a>I wrote on how the owners of small eco-friendly cars from the Smart cars to Toyota Prius are customizing them like their bigger muscle car counterparts.Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-66178398002564286042013-07-26T13:54:00.002-07:002013-07-26T13:54:36.223-07:00Impala impresses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RNiEdQ_w4mU/UfLhToorXPI/AAAAAAAADkM/S-ri2O-qj-4/s1600/2014chevyimpala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RNiEdQ_w4mU/UfLhToorXPI/AAAAAAAADkM/S-ri2O-qj-4/s320/2014chevyimpala.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Consumer Reports recently lauded the new 2014 Chevy Impala, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-consumer-reports-impala-review-20130724,0,4246048.story">calling it</a> one of the best cars it has ever tested. The vehicle had top honors among all sedans, capturing a ranking owned by Japanese and Euro models for the past 20 years.<br />
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In South Florida, classic Impala, those from the early 1970s, remain popular. They've been retrofitted, raised and splashed with cool colors. Down here, they're known as donks <a href="http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-04-27/news/fl-donks-custom-cars-big-rims-20120426_1_rims-vintage-cars-caprices">and I wrote an article about the donk culture.</a> I wonder if the new Impala will become a classic in the spirit of the donks one day.<br />
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Some donks spotted just outside Fort Lauderdale.<br />
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<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-25532990767812159262013-06-13T14:46:00.001-07:002013-06-13T14:50:16.501-07:00Computer, where am I?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XIiYDqMm_ek/UYfFrQz4saI/AAAAAAAADck/Eqkltxk254k/s1600/fl-cars-navigation-directions-talk-back-201305-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XIiYDqMm_ek/UYfFrQz4saI/AAAAAAAADck/Eqkltxk254k/s320/fl-cars-navigation-directions-talk-back-201305-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Has your car's GPS sent you to a wrong address? Car navigations can help us get somewhere or get us lost. <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-cars-navigation-directions-talk-back-20130503,0,2793996.story">Here's my story</a> on how some drivers found themselves off the beaten track in SOMEWHERE, Florida.<br />
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<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-6897233996941302292013-05-01T07:57:00.003-07:002013-05-01T08:00:06.958-07:00Roll like a Miami Heat player<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-25fE512poic/UYErnCZYE5I/AAAAAAAADb0/6AcWZQgHYms/s1600/lebronjamescar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-25fE512poic/UYErnCZYE5I/AAAAAAAADb0/6AcWZQgHYms/s320/lebronjamescar.jpg" /></a></div>
Miami Heat players are best known for their moves on the court but they also like to hit the town in their swanky cool rides. SouthFlorida.com posted a <a href="http://www.southflorida.com/events/on-the-list-blog/sf-drive-like-miami-heat-20130430,0,2035114.photogallery">gallery</a> of Heat wheels including some of the cars that Lebron James and Norris Cole owned or currently drive.<br />
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To the left, James purchased a gleaming white Chevy Camaro when he first moved to Miami from Ohio. <br />
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Last year, The Collection dealership in Miami gave Dywane Wade a big birthday gift - a McLaren MP4-12C.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M-4X0jnagIc/UYEtOrSRqkI/AAAAAAAADcI/NkQmjC0vL2A/s1600/dwyanewademclaren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M-4X0jnagIc/UYEtOrSRqkI/AAAAAAAADcI/NkQmjC0vL2A/s320/dwyanewademclaren.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-35531698821786469312013-04-29T09:22:00.002-07:002013-04-29T09:25:20.129-07:00Strange car spotted on AIA <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7svGxPC1dzM/UX6ddkEdZ5I/AAAAAAAADbY/FjTDD7EGa6M/s1600/carstopper4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7svGxPC1dzM/UX6ddkEdZ5I/AAAAAAAADbY/FjTDD7EGa6M/s320/carstopper4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A co-worker of mine, Rod Hagwood, spotted this customized car rolling along AIA in Fort Lauderdale Sunday afternoon. Does anyone know what car this is? It's dropped really low to the ground. The car, which turned heads along the beach, reminds me of a classic Volkswagen Carmenghia but this one seems bigger.<br />
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<object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TOXWLai0zng?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TOXWLai0zng?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-57419461965660000062013-04-16T10:09:00.002-07:002013-04-16T10:09:34.203-07:00Where do food trucks come from? <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j7BtL3DGrTY/UUYi_W9j_AI/AAAAAAAADWE/fKOWShzURv0/s1600/lucillesonwheels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j7BtL3DGrTY/UUYi_W9j_AI/AAAAAAAADWE/fKOWShzURv0/s320/lucillesonwheels.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Where do food trucks come from? Food truck factories, of course, and they're churning out more mobile eateries thanks to the demand in South Florida. <a href="http://www.southflorida.com/news/fl-food-truck-builders-20130306,0,3231810.story">My article on how food truck builders </a>are shifting into high gearJohnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-9091656687132606102013-02-27T13:39:00.000-08:002013-02-27T13:39:13.610-08:00Beep beep! Trendy Trucks pulling into your neighborhood<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rLCt4snwNAw/US587GvPSeI/AAAAAAAADMw/Xa4k8YJFmM8/s1600/mobileboutiques.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rLCt4snwNAw/US587GvPSeI/AAAAAAAADMw/Xa4k8YJFmM8/s320/mobileboutiques.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Boutique on Wheels in South Beach</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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First came the food trucks. Now mobile boutiques. These stores on wheels are popping up in South Florida as well as NYC, Boston, and Los Angeles. Some of these trucks are former Chevy Step Vans from the 1970s. Others are library bookmobiles transformed into clothing stores. <a href="http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-02-15/news/fl-mobile-boutique-trucks-20130214_1_mobile-store-boutiques-fashions">Here is my Sun Sentinel article </a>on the trend.<br />
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<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-51368711777742951142013-02-19T07:16:00.002-08:002013-02-19T07:16:28.530-08:00South Florida's hot (used) car market<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p_7Ese6F5yo/USOXEK_YO-I/AAAAAAAADHs/P8_DIjowYiI/s1600/usedcars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" mea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p_7Ese6F5yo/USOXEK_YO-I/AAAAAAAADHs/P8_DIjowYiI/s320/usedcars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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South Florida tops the list of the most affordable places to buy a used car. Vehicles sold in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties go for about 7 percent less than the national average, according to an <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-used-cars-20130216,0,6200199.story">article </a>in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. In addition, there are a lot of used cars for sale in SoFla that family members sell after their elderly loved one passes away.Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-15781700237544051182013-01-06T08:42:00.001-08:002013-01-06T08:46:25.023-08:00what's in a car name?<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1soUaMYsX8/UOmpTH_bFCI/AAAAAAAAC5M/AFk4ursHY_A/s1600/turtle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1soUaMYsX8/UOmpTH_bFCI/AAAAAAAAC5M/AFk4ursHY_A/s320/turtle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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South Floridians love to name their cars from Frank Sonata to Wanda the Honda. <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/pictures/sfl-whats-in-a-car-name-20130104,0,1296968.photogallery">Here's an article </a>I wrote on some of the more colorful and meaningful car names in the tropics<br />
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(image of <i>Turtle</i>, a 1952 Ford F-10 pickup truck)<br />
<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-82459859984348406242012-12-24T11:47:00.002-08:002012-12-24T11:47:30.177-08:00Jeep Shifts into Rebrand mode<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/driveon/2012/12/20/jeep-patriot-compass-replacement-italy-fiat/1783049/">An article</a> in today's USA TODAY, explores some of the upcoming name changes and new vehicles in development at Chryster Corp's Jeep brand.<br />
Among them: a single vehicle with replace the Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot sometime in 2014/2015; the company is resurrecting its Grand Wagoneer name plate; and there is speculation that beloved Cherokee name will replace the Liberty. To read more, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/driveon/2012/12/20/jeep-patriot-compass-replacement-italy-fiat/1783049/">click here.</a> Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-89945289230694380812012-12-14T14:21:00.000-08:002012-12-14T19:44:47.426-08:00Review: 2011 Jeep Compass Latitude w/ Attitude<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RW5T8ZO12wyA41rg6toxBBVu5SNqvrmQgzqRIPm4VwncGBYk_KR73yNvW5TpAQaFoWyg6T3fRaeGaki3GVP3jQBO3A_vAM-sO_hLWlrI-xPgObd98OlYVCE4ZulzhcR_zdOSJnMND18/s1600/2011jeepcompass2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RW5T8ZO12wyA41rg6toxBBVu5SNqvrmQgzqRIPm4VwncGBYk_KR73yNvW5TpAQaFoWyg6T3fRaeGaki3GVP3jQBO3A_vAM-sO_hLWlrI-xPgObd98OlYVCE4ZulzhcR_zdOSJnMND18/s320/2011jeepcompass2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Is it a SUV or a car?<br />
That's what I asked myself when I hopped into my silver <a href="http://www.jeep.com/en/#compass">2011 Jeep Compass</a> (its clone is pictured to the left.)<br />
Although the vehicle wears the Jeep badge and has four-wheel drive, it drives as comfy as a passenger car. My sister, who test drove it to haul groceries once and some furniture, said it drove like a truck. So let's call the Compass the Jeep-car. It's what you need it to be.<br />
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The Compass isn't rugged like the Wrangler nor as powerful as its older brother, the Grand Cherokee or Liberty cousin but this sporty wagon with the heartbeat of a Jeep has its own distinct auto personality. To other drivers, it may shout "I'm a suburban youngish professional/parent running errands to Costco, afterschool pickups and soccer practice" yet the Compass also looks right at home ferrying you to the hills to hike or ski.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b><i>The looks </i></b></span><br />
Like a metal rhino, the body is squared off at odd angles and curves that soften toward the rear. It's refreshed front grill, adapted from the Grand Cherokee, looks at you as if grinning and preening, "Yeah, I know I'm different than the Patriot. You like my makeover?" The grill is a step up, a marked departure from the big round T<a href="http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/Thomas.mvc/Home">homas-the-Tank-Engine headlights </a>that seemed to radiate "I'm really really <i>really</i> cute...really!" from the 2007-2010 models. Although it looks beefier and more solid than the Toyota Matrix, the Compass isn't that much wider or longer. The Compass just looks like it would win a wrestling match against the Matrix, err Corolla wagon. Among shoppers, the Compass has been more popular with women because of the vehicle's softer wagon look while men are the predominant buyers of the Compass's fraternal twin, the Jeep Patriot. (I wonder what this says about me as a car buyer?)<br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>The drive </b></i></span></span><br />
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A few months ago, I nervously drove my Compass from Boston to Miami alone. I depended on this safe solid car to drive 1,600 miles for a new life. The ride was smooth while slightly nosy. Although the 2.4 litre, 172-horsepower engine whines when you give it gas to climb uphill or pass another car, that's just the continously variable (CVT) transmission pulling and pushing the car along. Most cars with CVT engines carry a similar sound. You get used to it after a while.<br />
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When in snow, I've kicked in the optional four-wheel-drive and climbed out of my parking space with the prowess of a Jeep Wrangler. Once I was in the clear, I popped the Compass back into normal drive. Having that four-wheel-drive system on tap comes in handy, especially for winter climates. In South Florida, I've used it when driving through sheets of rain.<br />
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<i><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>Gas</b></span></i><br />
Jeep alleges that the Compass achieves about 21 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway. My model averages somewhere near 24 to 25 mpg in combined city/highway driving. I can travel about 252 miles on a full gas tank, which holds 11 gallons. For my Boston-to-Miami relocation, I only had to fill the tank about six times. I believe that's decent mpg (especially if you hate stopping to get gas which I do.) <br />
<i><b><span style="background-color: #ead1dc;"><br /></span></b></i><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><i><b>The interior</b></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">My model is called the Latitude and comes with the basics and some fun extras: A/C, four-speaker radio with CD and auxiliary jack for an iPod, heated seats, leather-bound steering wheel which has easy-to-use controls for the radio and cruise control. Under the arm rest, there's an electrical outlet for charging up a cell phone or plugging in a laptop. I also have a remote key starter (great for winter but not so much South Florida unless you want to shoo away a loiterer or a stray cat.) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">The seats feel somewhat stiff but become comfortable once you get used to them. Because of the vehicle's body shape (again, a rhino shape) and rear side windows that are angled, parallel parking can be a neck-twister. Vision is limited and awkward especially when one is trying to squeeze into a South Beach parking space, ass first. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYXTlE9Ani-jw7hYCbFev5yVPAMfCdatjXOIdX2reKGKDlihoEXRwKYcrBkpL89lSz38tDgZGSFOHlggOvnf2gXIe2z18Up0AKMATinVODrvPxt7pz53ueNTxTGUCcVEXP2DfXRQZE8A/s1600/jeepcompass6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYXTlE9Ani-jw7hYCbFev5yVPAMfCdatjXOIdX2reKGKDlihoEXRwKYcrBkpL89lSz38tDgZGSFOHlggOvnf2gXIe2z18Up0AKMATinVODrvPxt7pz53ueNTxTGUCcVEXP2DfXRQZE8A/s320/jeepcompass6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">The rear seats fold flat and provide a spacious amount of room (53 cubic feet) to easily store a men's Target adult bicycle or a shopping cart full of groceries from Costco or a former Bostonian's life belongings which included four boxes of novels, three plastic containers of clothes, a 13-inch HD TV set and piles of winter jackets. The vehicle seats five adults comfortably after a late night of bar crawls. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">The front passenger seat also folds forward in case you need to stow a ladder. There are also plenty of hidden storage spaces from a bin in the driver and passenger's side door to storage areas that line the rear of the hatchback.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">Overall, </span>the Compass is a fun although at times sluggish Jeep-car to drive to work, for outdoor adventures in the woods or for bicycling in Coconut Grove. Since college, I've owned Jeep Wranglers and one Liberty and so far, the Compass has been the most reliable and gas-efficient of the Jeep pack. I like the direction that my Compass is taking me in. This Jeep-car helped me safely relocate from my former Boston home back to my hometown Miami Beach.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my Compass</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyc915JJ7m-e3AprvK2WCXUorwEjCshKa4SX5eMt34-2UBFtSYDi4o3y0v3HPjr2yIYw-t3PxBOm446k99M98Zfp7CSrLOw3G43AUZrrqc1-g_rs2bwJrrcSpyWYpSVwRyg58_9HCEJE/s1600/jeepcompass5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #ead1dc;"><br /></span><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="background-color: #ead1dc;"></span></span>Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-63006537091602188002012-09-29T08:34:00.001-07:002012-09-29T08:35:27.658-07:00South Florida, UR SO VAIN<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AybzdGF4muM/UGcU5W4EGNI/AAAAAAAACnI/bJnvy5EXPQY/s1600/vanityplates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" kea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AybzdGF4muM/UGcU5W4EGNI/AAAAAAAACnI/bJnvy5EXPQY/s320/vanityplates.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/fl-vanity-plates-south-florida-20120928,0,4815330.story">MY STORY</a> on Y VANITY PLATES R POPULAR N FLAJohnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-51041130649165514102012-08-27T14:52:00.002-07:002012-08-27T14:52:34.745-07:00The fast and fabulous<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Members of the F.A.G.S. from sunsentinel.com</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/sf-ppl-flamingo-gay-car-club-082612-20120824,0,7207502.story">My Sun Sentinel article</a> on South Florida's only gay car club - Flamingo Auto Group South (F.A.G.S)<br />
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Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711636526299681552.post-33672545226746982592012-08-20T08:55:00.000-07:002012-08-20T14:10:00.548-07:00Worst cars...ever!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijO1WSiWu441jxeMraPxZnYthVYw_qZYLZu3vQiXWzqC8UDKKpTuFdnbnlZ9KoestZqvs8_ZQdYOwoWUg6XwFU51vnhryNkhccYk5y6MBn4pSoGwzDWj6uafB_vT3jkfsGRMjsLDY8cWk/s1600/fordpinto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijO1WSiWu441jxeMraPxZnYthVYw_qZYLZu3vQiXWzqC8UDKKpTuFdnbnlZ9KoestZqvs8_ZQdYOwoWUg6XwFU51vnhryNkhccYk5y6MBn4pSoGwzDWj6uafB_vT3jkfsGRMjsLDY8cWk/s320/fordpinto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The LA Times <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-top-ten-worst-cars-pictures,0,6577113.photogallery">has a photo gallery</a> featuring the 10 worst US cars. Among them: the 1974 Ford Mustang and the 1971 Ford Pinto. (pictured at the left)<br />
By coincidence, those two cars were driven by Sabrina (Kate Jackson) and Kelly (Jaclyn Smith) in the former ABC primetime detective series "Charlie's Angels." (As Jill Monroe, Farrah Fawcett drove the white Ford Mustang Cobra (sportier Mustang.)<br />
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I'd like to add the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Aspen">1979 Dodge Aspen</a> to the list.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Ku-Zlr9UKo/UDJhhHWTFhI/AAAAAAAACb4/hI61lDUru28/s1600/dodge+aspen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" mda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Ku-Zlr9UKo/UDJhhHWTFhI/AAAAAAAACb4/hI61lDUru28/s320/dodge+aspen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This was my parent's second new-car purchase in the United States after emigrating from Cuba in 1968. My dad was so proud of having bought this car spic-and-span new. With its dark green hue and white-toned top, the car at it's time was a stunner. But it was also a lemon. I was in first grade when we bought it and yet, I remember all the break-downs vividly. The engine belt snapping off at an intersection in Miami's Little Havana. The car's chronic stalls. (Will I make it to school?) The catalyic converter malfunction. The spark plugs had to regularly be replaced. (Which is probably why the car wouldn't start at times.) The muffler blow-out. The slipperty transmission. Battery died every other year.<br />
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While the car was comfortable and spacious (the backseat was large enough to easily fit my dirt bike) and the car offered a smooth nice ride, it wasn't reliable. We never knew whether my dad would arrive atwork each day or whether I would make it back home in Miami Beach after my driving lessons.<br />
And finally, in 1988 after nine long-years, the car finally croaked. We tried to resuscitate it (I don't why) and it crossed-over to car heaven. R.I.P Dodge Aspen.<br />
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It's replacement: a new 1989 light-blue Honda Civic sedan LX which was one of the best cars my father ever bought. We still reminisce about that car (which we owned for 10 years and 100,000 miles but that's another future blog post.) And since that Honda purchase, my father has never bought American-made cars again. Ironically, I've been loyal to the Jeep brand (whose parent company owns Dodge.)<br />
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<br />Johnny Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933784057511490249noreply@blogger.com4