My friend parted ways with his cherished 1994 Audi RS2 Avant this past summer. It was a bittersweet decision for Dave, but it was made a bit sweeter by the fact that it was purchased by YouTube sensation car reviewer, Doug DeMuro. 

Doug has uploaded his reveal video on his very popular YouTube channel. I'm obviously hoping he will see my wash video from this past summer. I posted a comment on the video about being sure to check out my video and I have already seen a slight uptick in traffic. Who knows? Maybe this will be the break I've been looking for!

Here's the original video from last summer. As you can see, I have already changed the title of the video! 

I noticed a real slice of history was up for auction on "Bring a Trailer" a few months back. This pristine example of a GLH-S sold for just under $15K USD in February. It got me thinking, would I still be as enamoured with this car as I was back in my 20's? At any rate, here is the old auction listing that includes many photos of this remarkable car.

​Link to auction here. 

I dug up some old photos of family cars from the distant and not-so-distant past. I wish we had of taken more photos of cars back in the day. 

I was flipping through some old photos and came across this one from 1987. I remember this day well. I had stayed home from school that day because I wasn't feeling well and a massive package arrived at my door from Porsche Canada. I used to type up letters to car companies requesting literature and mail them off in hopes of getting a response. The box that arrived on this day contained three individual black boxes. Each box contained a die cast of a Porsche model along with the corresponding glossy brochure. I shared photos of these boxes and brochures on my blog a few months ago. This photo harkens back to the days when you needed to read to learn about cars. No YouTube and no Velocity channel on TV. You had to read magazines and brochures to learn about the cars.

Vanguard Motor Sales is a used car dealership down in Plymouth, Michigan that specializes in selling pristine, low mileage vehicles. They have a steady stream of cars from my childhood coming in and out their doors. I have been following them on YouTube for a while now and they never cease to amaze me with the quality survivor cars they find and sell. I honestly don't know where they find them, but here are some of my absolute favorites. As you will see in their videos, they do a wonderful job of showcasing the overall condition of each car.  They take them for test drives as well as put them on the lift to show the condition of the undercarriage. Check them out on YouTube or visit their website to see if they have your dream car for sale!

Leave a comment below telling me which one of their videos brings your childhood memories rushing back! 

I am amazed by the number of amazing supercars that are out there in the world today. When I was a kid, I clamored for recently released books and magazines that featured the radical supercars of the day. I was often disappointed with the cars featured, as there just wasn't much in the way of exotics in the early to mid-80's. In fact, some of the cars publishers tried to pass off as "supercars" were downright hideous. Here's a good sampling of what I had to deal with growing up. As you'll see, there were some cool rides that have definitely stood the test of time, but the list quickly devolves into ridiculousness. What was you favorite "supercar" of the 80's, and what was your least favorite? Comment below: 

In 1987, I was 15 years old and completely obsessed with cars, mostly Porsches. As I explained in an earlier blog post, my parents had purchased an electric typewriter and I spent hours on that thing churning out sophisticated sounding letters to car companies requesting "literature". One day, a delivery guy showed up on the doorstep asking for my father. My dad signed for the big package and then said it was from Porsche. It was three black boxes, each with a die cast of the 1987 model lineup and a fancy brochure. It was sent from Porsche headquarters somewhere out East. I have held on to them all this time, but unfortunately, the 911 model is long gone. That was a great day and it shows how mighty the pen can be (or electric typewriter in this case(!

I have been holding on to a pile of brochures from the 80's, 90's and beyond. I'm not sure what I want to do with them. They are all quite special to me, so today I took some time to take a photo of each cover. I think I'll hold on to the very special ones and let the others go. Either to a collector or maybe even the recycling bin - I'm not sure yet. At any rate, here's a little video along with a photo gallery of the 300+ brochures I have collected over the years. Let me know if any stick out to you.

Here's a gallery of the collection:

I've followed Tyson for a long time. He has a crazy collection of Acura's and he converted his Arizona double garage into a triple tandem to house six of his cars. I was honored to have him visit me and check out the garage over the weekend. We spent a few hours chatting and asking each other questions, and I captured some of that conversation on camera. Here's a video that gives you a good taste of what our visit was like. I hope to one day make it down to Arizona to visit his garage. It's crazy how many cool people I have met through this garage/car/detailing world. 

I have been going through some old car related photos, and I stumbled upon this beauty. This photo features a red Dodge Viper belonging to Tim Horton's co-founder, Ron Joyce. I was working as a counselor at Tim Horton's Children's Ranch during the summer of '96 when Ron and Bobby Hull came out to visit and drove this sweet Viper. Imagine my delight when Ron threw me the keys and let Steve and I take it for a quick rip up Highway 40 in Kananaskis Country. It is still one of the most insane cars I have ever had the pleasure of driving. The boss of the camp had a fit, but I didn't care then, and I definitely don't care now. When someone lets you drive a Viper, you drive it. 

Lately, I've been obsessed with watching Retro Reviews on Motorweek. It is like traveling back in time to when all I did was read Motor Trend, Road & Track and Car and Driver magazines. Here are some incredible reviews of classic Audis: 

Back in junior high school, I had a buddy whose dad loved European cars. This was in the late-80's when most dads in the neighborhood were rocking big American luxury sedans. The first real experience I had with Audis was when his dad traded in his Volvo for an Audi 5000 CD Quattro. I lost my favorite car magazine to a bet because I didn't believe him when he told me his dad's car had a 5-cylinder engine. I thought all 4-door sedans had high displacement V8's, like any red-blooded Canadian kid in the 80's thought. 

Recently, I stumbled upon this MotorWeek Retro Review of the quirky and awkward Audi V8 Quattro. I was curious why it wasn't dubbed a "5000" model. I enjoyed this retro review and it got me thinking more about the history of the Audi 5000/100 model. 

At the beginning of the piece, Jon mentions that Audi is back on track after, "Years of negative publicity". This comment piqued my interest. I don't have any first-hand memories of dark times regarding Audis, but after some digging I quickly learned that, starting in the early-80's, the company became shrouded in controversy involving claims of unintended acceleration linked to a number of injury accidents. It's still not quite exactly clear what caused these incidents, or to what extent Audi was libel, but from what I have read it seems there was nothing actually wrong with the Audi 5000. That didn't stop CBS's 60 Minutes from airing a damning episode which devastated the company's North American sales numbers. It later became known that 60 Minutes falsely demonstrated the unintentional acceleration by having some "expert" pump air into the transmission. This, and a pile of class-action lawsuits, was enough to cause sales numbers to plummet from 75,000 units in 1984 to 12,000 in 1991. I'm still reading about this scandal, but here's a pretty decent summary of the story. One commenter on the Reddit forum claims the phrase, "I'm Audi 5000" meaning "I'm outta here", stems from this controversy. 

There's some companies that I just love to support, and Tunerworks is one of them. My first experience dealing with Tunerworks was back in 2008. I ordered some chrome wheels off the Internet for my 2006 Cadillac STS-V. Yes, I know chrome is no longer cool, but this was 2008 and I was all about the bling! I didn't want to take a chance and have some hack at the local tire shop scuff the wheels so I decided to take them to Tunerworks thinking they must go to great lengths to avoid such disasters since they work on a variety of exotic cars. Having seen the Lambos and Porsches outside their shop, I prepared myself for the pretentiousness that would surely accompany an outfit that caters to the upper crust of car society. It turned out, I couldn't have been more wrong. The staff was completely down to earth and I have been dealing with them ever since. Here's a historical break down of the work I have had completed by Tunerworks: 

Back in 2010 or 2011, I can't remember, I saw a commercial for the newly introduced Kia Optima SX. That commercial kickstarted my appreciation for the new design language of the company. I ended up purchasing a 2011 Optima SX and drove it for a year and a half before we became a one-car family. I just saw a new commercial for the Stinger GT starring Steven Tyler and I have to give Kia kudos. They definitely know how to design and market cars. Check it out: 

This SQ5 is getting about the same mileage as my old one. 11.6 l/100km roughly equates to 20 mpg, which is decent considering the 8700 kms are predominantly city. I estimate I'm getting 25 mpg on the highway. 

Overall, there is so much that I absolutely love about the second generation SQ5. The exterior styling, performance and interior are all beyond reproach. That said, there are a few things that irritate me. They aren't major, but they just don't sit right with me considering the amount of money this thing cost. I have a feeling a few of these shortcomings are due to the highly expensive settlement the Volkswagen Group made with various world governments. Regardless, here is a list of five things I love and five things I don't. 

Heated steering wheel
At first, I thought it was gimmicky, but I don't think I could own a vehicle that doesn't have one. It's such a luxury on a cold winter day.  

Directional rear indicators
Overall, I am very impressed with the exterior and interior lighting packages on the SQ5. I particularly like the directional rear indicators. Watching them flash when I lock the car never seems to get old.

Heated/cooled cup holder
Another unnecessary option, but I'm amazed how many times I have used it. I mostly use the heating function since I like my travel coffee mug hot. They could have made both cup holders heated/cooled. My wife and I sometimes compete for the only heated/cooled cup holder. 

Hands-free tailgate
Yeah, I know the Ford Escape comes with this option, but it doesn't take away from the fact that it is convenient. There have been many occasions in which I have used it. Usually when I'm loaded up with the little guy's hockey equipment.

Interior lighting
I really enjoy the ambient lighting throughout the SQ5's cabin. It makes driving at night more visually dramatic and interesting. I keep it set on "Audi Sport" so the color scheme changes day to day. The family and I get a kick out of it and it lends the cabin a more sophisticated appeal.  

Lack of flat-bottom steering wheel
When you equip your SQ5 with the winter package, which is standard on all SQ5's destined for Canada, Audi deletes the flat-bottom steering wheel. Apparently they haven't figured out how to add the heating option to the flat-bottom wheel. The round wheel is very nice and I love the way it looks and feels, but as much as I have tried to convince myself it is as cool as the flat-bottom one, it just isn't. Sad. 

Cheap wheel maintenance kit
The maintenance kit that they threw in the trunk is a collection of the cheapest tools I have ever set eyes on. The plastic case they come in is even more embarrassing. The wheel anchor on the first generation SQ5 had a quality feel to it, but the new one is made out of pathetic plastic. I wish I would have kept the kit from my old one. Honestly, I would be surprised if Audi's cost on this bag of junk is more than 5 euros.

Blank buttons
The two blank buttons on my console are a constant reminder that some other SQ5 drivers are driving around their countries with more things than me. It's an insult. I'm still trying to figure out what goes in these two spaces. I think one is the on/off button for the auto-park feature which isn't available to Canadian buyers, which takes me to my next point...

Unavailable features for Canada
Where are my front directional indicators? Where is my auto-park function? Where is my dynamic steering option? These, and a few other features, were available to buyers from other countries. Apparently, the Audi Canada brass decided we didn't need such features. 

No exhaust tips
​Sure, it was a chore keeping my exhaust tips clean on my previous SQ5, but is eliminating them altogether the best solution Audi designers and engineers could come up with? There's no getting around the fact that the faux exhaust idea is lame. 

The plan has changed somewhat since my last post. A buyer has come forward for my current SQ5 and that has put pressure on my original timeline. Because the new Q5 factory in Mexico is not clear on when they will be able to fill custom colour orders, I have cancelled my "Nardo Grey" order. As much as I loved the idea of having a Nardo SQ5, the timing just won't work. I contacted my dealer and they tracked down a Daytona Grey model that is currently in transit and it should be here mid-September. It is the identical spec as the one I was going to build, except it has black instead of red leather interior and it has the 21"s that I was going to avoid this time around. I still have my current SQ5 until the end of the month, when the buyer and I will finalize the deal. In the meantime, I have been watching every video I can find on the 2018 SQ5. I plan on taking delivery of the new one with as much of the factory coverings still in tact, and I will perform the "new car prep" myself. 

As a kid, I would spend a portion of my summer holidays at my Grandparents' place in Red Deer, AB.  My Grandpa owned an Auto Body shop on the Southern edge of the city.  In the early '80's, he purchased a Suzuki Samurai and gave it a flashy red paint job.  I dreamt of one day inheriting it.  On a few occasions, my Grandpa would let me drive it around his acreage.  Then, disaster struck.  A fire claimed the shop and many cars along with it - including the Samurai.   I have fond memories of spending the summers up there, and I will always feel an affinity for these cool little jeeps.  

My Grandpa was in the Auto Body business and he was always buying and selling cars.  One car that he really took a shine to was the first generation Dodge Charger.  They were under appreciated back then as well as now, but he just adored them.  He had a 1966 with the base 318-cid and a '67 with the 383.  He would let me borrow them for the summers and I have so many fond memories of rolling around the city in them.  Here's a slideshow containing some retro shots from the late-80's.  Check out that teal cummerbund.  

The year was 1993 and my GLH Turbo was gone.  The kid I sold it to totaled it that very weekend.  But, once the dark clouds cleared, I started scouring the local Auto Trader for my next hot ride.  I kicked the tires of numerous Escort GT's, Rabbits, and RX-7's, but I ended up succumbing to the allures of a pristine 1984 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe.  My folks had owned a 1984 FILA Edition T-Bird in the late-80's and I loved it.  This car had a 2.3L turbo with a 5-speed and a host of options rarely seen in cars at that price range.  I ditched the factory rims for a set of meaty 16-inchers and installed a thumping sound system consisting of two 10" JL Audio subs.  I had a blast with that car until the throttle bottle started acting up.  I would be sitting at a light and the engine would just starting revving all on its own.  I took it to a couple of Ford dealers, but they wouldn't touch it.  They told me some story about how there could be ten different throttle bodies for that car and they wouldn't know which one was correct.  It was so bizarre.  One guy offered to do an engine swap with a totalled 5.0 Mustang.  I wasn't having any of that so I limped it to an independent used car dealer and got $1500 for it, wheels included.  End of story. 

I should also add that it was around this time that I developed a fascination with photographing my cars.  I had no qualms when it came to backing up the driveway of a nice house and capturing a few glamour shots with my 35mm Fuji camera.  I only ever had a guy yell at me once.  Rich jerk.  

I took a bit of abuse from people when I bought a 2011 Kia Optima.  It was light hearted, of course.  I am still proud that I owned that car.  My advice is drive what you want to drive.  

In the mid-80's, Dodge collaborated with Carroll Shelby on some performance versions of the popular but pedestrian 2-door and 4-door Omni.  In 1990, I purchased a 1985 Dodge Omni GLH Turbo from a friend.    ​

Like most kids my age, I was enamored with performance hatchbacks, and the GLH, at least in my mind, was the king of the hill.  The GTi was arguably a better car, but the exclusivity of the GLH along with the fact that not many people had any idea what lurked under the hood, made it a really fun car to own.  The turbocharged 2.2 engine produced a whopping 146 bhp, which at the time, was quite impressive.  Especially considering the whole package weighed a tick above 2000 pounds.  It was mated to a 5-speed, which gave it incredible pep.  In addition to these performance upgrades, the GLH-T was fitted with 15" alloys and sported a nifty ground effects package including Bosch driving lamps and blacked out trim and bumpers.  These touches were subtle, which helped the GLH-T remain a "sleeper".  

In time, things deteriorated.  In addition to the body rust that I tried hard to combat, the gearbox and clutch went on me.  I had it to a few different shops, but no one was able to really fix it.  Once these problems hit, I reluctantly listed it in the Auto Trader.  I ended up selling it to a kid who wrecked it the first weekend he took it out.  There is a small part of me that thinks it would be cool to track one down and relive my youth.  If that were to happen, I would probably opt for the even-more-rare GLH-S, which is pictured above.  That one had an intercooler and 175 bhp.  At the time, Dodge claimed the GLH-S out accelerated the Porsche 944 and Ferrari 308 to 60 mph.  Anyway, here's some shots of what was arguably the most fun car I ever had the pleasure of owning.  

Curious to learn more about the GLH?  Here's a link to the wiki page.   And, if this has got you in the mood for 80's-era Chrysler turbos, you could check out this guy's Green Bay, WI garage on the Garage Journal website.  

In the Spring of 2009, my wife and I were driving a 2006 Cadillac STS-V and a 2009 Pontiac G8 GT.  With a combined horsepower of 830, we got where we needed in a hurry, but once winter hit, we realized neither car was very practical.  So, we decided to sell both cars and go with a SUV.  We seriously considered the BMW X5, GMC Yukon, Mercedes ML and Audi Q7.  We ended up going the Q7 route, and it really was the right choice.  We both loved its looks, practicality, and overall driving experience.

Our Q7 was equipped with the 3.6 litre V6 which put out a mediocre 286 bhp.  Honestly, I always felt like the vehicle was underpowered.  The TDI version would have been our first choice at the time, but there was a huge waiting list in my city.  The 4.2 was substantially more expensive and offered a relatively small power upgrade of 54 bhp.  We chose this car right off the lot because we loved the Garnett Red Pearl paint and it was loaded with all options minus the 3rd row seating.  We enjoyed our four years of relatively trouble-free ownership.  The only problems we had with the vehicle over that time was a malfunctioning door handle, squeaky sun roof, and a "clunk" when engaging the car in drive.  All problems were rectified by our dealer with little to no fuss.  One modification I made to the Q7 was the brakes.  I upgraded the pads and rotors shortly after purchasing it.  The OEM pads produced a merciless amount of brake dust, so I went with a set of Hawk LTS pads that lasted until the car sold almost four years later.  

A fun modification I made was moving to a 22" Porsche Cayenne replica wheel in a gloss black.  I went with 285/35 Yokohama Parada Spec-X A/S performance rubber.  It was a real head turner.  I sold the Q7 with under 60k km's on the clock.  There was some wear on the outer edge of the passenger seat, but the car was otherwise perfect.   I got over 70% of what we paid.  I was quite happy with that.  

This is the car that transported our son home following his birth, so it will always hold a special spot in our hearts.  It served our family well during our time together.  It was dependable, comfortable, and I was proud to drive it.  You can't really ask for much more than that from a family hauler.  

It boggles my mind that 1990 was 25 years ago.  I was in my first year of University and completely obsessed with my car.  Although I loved my 1985 Dodge Omni GLH Turbo, there were a number of other cars I had my eye on.  These are the top ten cars from that era as I remember them now, and then.  

I couldn't believe what pristine condition the 2-year-old car was in.  It was flawless.  Even the wheels.  Not a mark.  After ogling it for a bit, we did the deal and we were on our way.  We spent the next week working our way back to North of the border.  We spent a night in Cleveland, two nights in Chicago, a night in Minneapolis, a night in Bismarck, and a night in Great Falls before heading through the border at Coutts.  It was an epic road trip with lots of fun along the way. 

When my wife and I returned to Canada after a decade of life overseas, we agreed that we were going to get a nice car.  We figured something with heated seats would be nice.  So, I spent months researching what kind of deal I could get on a sweet ride from the States.  I narrowed it down to a Chrysler 300 SRT or Cadillac STS.  Soon after arriving home, a 2006 STS-V popped up in Parma, Ohio and it was irresistible.  I phoned the guy up, made the deal, and booked a flight for the next day.  My friend flew into Cleveland from Vancouver, arriving at the exact same time.  Ten minutes and a chest-bump later, we were standing in front of what appeared to be a brand new STS-V.  

The import process went well despite a slight hiccup.  The Friday we arrived in Great Falls, I realized I had misplaced the original bill of sale.  Luckily, I was able to get ahold of the dealer just before he took off for the weekend.  He was highly cooperative and FED EX'd me a replacement copy that arrived later that day!  (That would never happen in Canada).  I dodged a bullet there.  Once the car was in Canada, it was subjected to two inspections.  All that was required to register it was a few minor modifications performed by the local Cadillac dealer.  I pampered that car for two years, but it saw little action.  It was not cut out for the Canadian winters, plus I couldn't bare the thought of subjecting it to the ravages of our winter roads.  It sat, covered, for too many months of the year in our underground parking facility.  With the factory warranty set to expire in a matter of months, I let her go.  

I really enjoyed that car, and I sometimes yearn to hear that 469 bhp V8 wind itself up.  I added a Borla exhaust which really made a ruckus as it made its way down the boulevard.  Around the time I sold it, I took the second generation CTS-V for a spin.  I was shocked by its power.  Tonight, I was checking out the third gen CTS-V online, and it got me all nostalgic about my rad Cad.  Great car.  Greater road trip.