Stamp Of Approval

Just like every bank holiday here in the UK you can guarantee one thing, bad weather. Easter has been no different I’m sad to say. I was sitting looking out the window waiting for any chance to get my car out. yesterday morning the sun was out and the roads were dry. I guessed that it wouldn’t be long before the rain set in as the sky was looking pretty grey and dismal in the distance. I decided to take some back roads and get some petrol while I was out. The blast through some twisty lanes was amazing and the window was down (even though it was chilly) just so I could hear the angry bark of my V8 exhaust. I “accidentally” managed to engage kickdown a few times as my confidence grows with my own ability to drive the car with respect that it deserves. The petrol station brings me to a smile as people going about their own business fill their own cars up glancing over to my car being filled up. As I was paying at the counter and getting a newspaper, I saw through the shop front window an elderly gentleman walking towards his car via a detour to look at mine. He stood for a few moments looking inside and then walked away. I wondered what he was thinking? I hope it made him smile, maybe brought back some memories maybe. I managed to get home and in the garage before the rain fell down about half an hour later. Now my V8 fix had been attended too, I could relax and read my Mustang Monthly magazine. After only a few trips so far in my car, I can’t imagine life without her now.

During my last visit to Mustang Maniac I just had to get a new part in order to replace something on my car that was driving me mad now. What was that part? The trunk lock, yes it looks fine, it works fine and there is nothing wrong with it, except that the chrome had a very slight crazing to it on close inspection from all the years exposed to the elements. It didn’t bother me before, but now when I pull the car cover off the car now in the garage, I see the tiny craze line where my eye is drawn to them and it just does my head in. So I had to replace it, the process was dead simple in fact. Two bolts on the inside of the trunk and a large nut holds the tumbler in place. Undo that and it all pops right out. Ten minutes (if that) to change it. Now I have a sparkly new one which looks just like the old one! only when you get up close and compare the two side by side could you see any difference. What next can I find to do on my car? I genuinely miss working on my car, but enjoy driving her so MUCH more. Soon it will be the season for car shows and I’m looking forward to that very much where I can take my little lady to them and park her up next to the other proud owners at these shows.

Last week I came home to wonderful surprise that had been posted to me by my blog buddy Debbie Nuessle from the USA, on the other side of the pond (private little joke here). Debbie started her blog hoodscoop03.com in December 2012 and we have been good friends since we started blogging. Debbie is a true petrol head (gear head) which has run in her family ever since her father was racing, you only have to look at her blog, (which I recommend you do), to see her love for Mustangs and all sorts of muscle cars, this is made clearer by buying another new GT to reluctantly replace her 2003 model Mustang. My surprise was that Debbie had kindly joined me into her “Mustang Club of St. Louis” paying for my annual membership, to celebrate my car being officially on the road now. Just how cool is that? What this means is that I have joined my very first Mustang Club, I don’t even belong to one here in the UK, yet. In my pack I had personal messaged card, a couple of blog cards, and a window sticker for the car with the “Club” logo on it and my enrollment confirmation form.

To round of such an awesome surprise was something that I have been after for a while now. My very own full set of Muscle Car stamps.

A little history of the Muscle Car stamps:

They were issued on February 22, 2013. These Muscle Cars stamps celebrate an exciting era in American automotive history. The cars were typically equipped with big, powerful engines, these high-performance vehicles first roared onto our roads in the 1960s. The stamps feature five iconic muscle cars: the 1966 Pontiac GTO, the 1967 Shelby GT-500, the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, the 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda, and the 1970 Chevelle SS. The artist Tom Fritz based his artwork on photographs of the cars, using bright-colored oil paints on hard board to try to “capture the emotive quality” of each one. Growing up in Southern California, Fritz became familiar with the power of muscle cars and calls these paintings “a projection of my memories of the vehicles.” This set of stamps Muscle Cars is the third issuance in the America on the Move series. The stamps were designed by art director Carl T. Herrman. The first two issuances in the series were 50s Sporty Cars (2005) and 50s Fins and Chrome (2008). This latest sheet of stamps were issued as Forever® stamps in self-adhesive sheets of 20 with 4 of each design. My favorite? It’s fairly obvious but I would mind any of these great American Classic cars.

So this is a first for me again, I am now a member of a Mustang Club in America thanks to my first true blog follower, apart from friends and family that is. Thank you very much Debbie, I appreciate it.