Musclecars and Motorcycles

I have had the privelege of owning and driving several beautiful pieces of machinery, each with of a soul of its own. I got my motorcycle license in August 2002, and it was the best thing I've done in years. Lately I have been trying to be more considerate to the planet and others, riding my motorcycle or driving more fuel-efficient vehicles.

2001 Suzuki SV650 Motorcycle

A picture of my shiny red motorcycle

Hot lil' thing, ain't she? She is great for squirting around San Francisco, and then parking really close to your destination (virtually impossible with truck). But the most fun I've had with her is on longer trips. I've been to Ukiah up the coast and Pacific Grove through the Santa Cruz mountains. I bought it with some great modifications already done - which covered most of what other riders recommend. I have added few more upgrades too.

1991 Toyota Pickup

A picture of my Toyota Truck

Bought this in 2006 to commute to SFSU and my student teaching position in San Francisco on those numerous rainy days. Thank goodness I did because March 2006 had only two days without rain. This truck has virtually no options. I wanted the simplest and most reliable pickup for the best price. It has 134K miles, a 2.4L four cylinder, and the only luxury accessories are power brakes and a sunroof. This truck is fun to drive, bumping down the road with the cassette player squawking. Just don't be in a hurry!

1991 Ford Ranger XLT

A picture of my Ford Truck

I bought this before entering the Ford ASSET program at CRC in Sacramento. I wanted A/C, and a way to haul my stuff back and forth from my folks' house in the bay area to Sacramento every nine weeks. I bought it with 64000 miles on it, and it looked brand new. The previous owner was an Air Conditioning repairman who garaged it because his wife didn't want to put the kids in the extended-cab jumpseats. Unable to leave it completely original, I added a few modifications:

The wheels greatly improved the looks and the tires enhanced handling. It has hauled cement, several different boats, and a 19ft. house trailer near Sacramento. Getting stuck in mud up to the bearings during El Nino '98 (not one of my prouder moments), and a 12hr 80mph+ return trip in a blizzard from Seattle to San Francisco are among the pains it has endured. The Ranger still gets compliments - people can't believe it is a '91! Sold in 2004.

1971 Pontiac Fire Am

A picture of my Fire Am musclecar

I had no idea what Fire-Am meant, but it looked just like a 1971 Trans Am, white with an "arrest me" blue stripe up over the hood and roof. It had gorgeous lines, a mean stance, and a shaker-style scoop that protruded through the hood. Jeremy and I would just stare at that impressive cold air intake, quaking with delight. I bought the car for a song, from a Japanese contract lawyer who needed something a little less threatening when he drove up to client meetings. He had built from a bare chassis himself. This car has an interesting history: It started life as a 1971 Pontiac Firebird Esprit with a Pontiac 350 V8 in it. The Esprit was an optional trim package (for old ladies, I guess) to compete with the Ford Mustang's models. Anyone wanting to learn more about Firebirds should read The Fabulous Firebird by Michael Lamm. Numerous pictures of all years of Firebirds can be found at the Firebird Gallery. (more to come on this piece of history) Sold in 2002 right after acquiring motorcycle license.

Engine Transmission/Drivetrain Suspension Interior

1977 Chevy Concours

It was a beige four-door with the second-most impotent V8 GM had developed that decade. There was nothing beautiful about this car (see above description); but it ran and it cost me $200 after helping a friend tidy his father's estate. A 1977 advertisement makes it sound and look a lot better than mine. It was mostly driven to after school golf practice three days a week in my senior year. I can still smell the freshly Armor-All'd vinyl seats and see the salt spray blowing over Great Highway at Ocean Beach as I would drive home from Lake Merced. What I originally thought was just my clubs bouncing around in the trunk later turned out to be a broken rear axle. About the time my 18th birthday came rolling around, I had already completed most of a year of Auto Shop, and was completely infected with muscle cars. At that time, smog laws were still in effect for those cars, and most owners replaced their smog equipment every two years to pass then removing it again. After trying a few Camaros and Firebirds, we finally followed up on a strange entry in the Auto Trader for the Fire-Am.

©2003 James Zucchi