Cars and Girls the Way it Should Be

I dislike modern cars, they are on the whole dull boring and lacking in any sense of style and presence. Mere transportation cubicles for an age of fear and self flagellation. It was the pioneering Harley Earl (first GM styling VP) who said getting into a new car should be like taking a holiday,

Earl “wanted to design a car,” he said, “so that every time you get in it, it’s a relief — you have a little vacation for awhile.”

…..oh how far we have fallen.

There are only three cars in production that I would even consider buying new and making budget crippling payments on. The Corvette (ZR1 pretty please with sugar on it), the Dodge Challenger, the Mustang GT and maybe well OK the Camaro SS. No six cylinder “secretaries models" to use the sexist phrase, V8 high performance versions only. I am often asked what new car I would recommend, these are my answers. Odd since I prefer luxury cars but there has not been a personal luxury car since the Lincoln Mark VIII and Eldorado stopped production.

Having spent the last decade in marketing I appreciate a finely crafted advertisement, one that speaks to the viewer on a visceral level and sparks the desire for the new. The commercial for the 2013 Mustang would make Don Draper proud. The ending is what makes it. Each person viewing the Mustang imagines it their way (clever since Mustangs are one of the most heavily modified new cars).

In the last scene a little girl in a pink tutu sees hers in Barbie pink which is then immediately replaced by a black Shelby model, as the bad ass car cruises up to the corner her image is reflected back. Instead of a pink tutu she is a black swan / angel. A sound track from the Features, How it Starts is the icing on the cake.

I think the Mustang is now top of my list, now that is the power of advertising.

Here is the full song:

Hugs,

April

I Don’t Like Disco

Not a handy thing to dislike when first coming out, safe places, LGBT clubs, TO’s gay village have basically one kind of music…let’s just say that you better know Madonna’s discography pretty well.

Any reader of this blog will realize that rockabilly is a passion and with it all related genres (psychobilly, surf, sixties punk, garage, early country, fifties gospel, seventies punk etc). I mean I can appreciate seventies kitsch (look what I drive) and Boney M’s Rasputin and Abba are guilty pleasures.

But today I will make an exception, Miss Amanda Lear. A purposefully mysterious career that begins in late fifties Paris along with April Ashley, Bambi and Coccinelle…the goddesses of transsexuality. With a little help from Salvador Dali and what I would guess is her own ferocious ambition she became the queen of disco in the seventies and continued a vibrant career in television and the arts to this day.

I have tried to like her earlier music but it never really moved me despite recording a version of Elvis’ Trouble as her first 45. Her new album I Don’t Like Disco has at least three great tracks, La Bete et La Belle, Chinese Walk and the euphonious I Don’t Like Disco. Whomever produced the tracts knew best how to use her unique voice, quite hypnotic, can’t help but want to dance. Even a hint of the Ravonettes in the opening guitar work. Now there is a collaboration I would love to see.

Here is my favourite, oh to be so elegant, aloof and blond:

Hugs,

April

Welcome To My World

Created a You Tube Channel, so what is on it, really do you have to ask? Rockabillyboth ancient and modern (plus related genders, I mean genres), cars, and a bit of transsexual history.

So please join me over on the dark side…

http://www.youtube.com/user/MissStutz71

Not much new to report, working late every evening on my contract project.

One of my depressive moods arrived like an unwelcome guest, on the way back from a walk in the snow. I passed a local pub, as I walked by an attractive blond exited on the arm of her boyfriend, husband?

I felt such envy, no that is not right, longing is better, for what I was NOT I began to cry. My therapist would describe that as feeling "less than". He is certainly correct I felt a million times less than her, a pale and laughable imitation. I felt like lying down in the snow and letting the cold carry me away. The dysphoria has lessened since going full time but every so often it bites you in the ass.

How melodramatic and Russian sounding. Well it is nearly 3:00AM again, really I think there is something wrong with me....well besides the obvious one!

Here are the Dahlmanns with Going Down:

A Sad Chore

Monday was a provincial holiday in Ontario, Family Day. Besides sleeping in, I did manage to get some things done especially since the weather has been unseasonably mild. Up on the roof to take down the Christmas lights, removed the faulty alternator from the Seville and started cleaning out the garage to uncover the Stutz. Buried under a car cover and various boxes of parts like an Egyptian chariot in some long forgotten tomb. Appropriate as Stutz' s mascot is the Sun god RA.

It felt good to clear some working space around my dream car.

The Christmas lights were a rather sad task, I don't look forward to it anyway, calling it my annual death wish. The driveway slopes down under the house so at that point I am two stories above the driveway …it looks a long way down from up there.

The bitter sweet feeling was this was likely the last time I would complete this post Christmas early spring ritual. "J" has named a date for our separation, inevitable yes, only fair to let her move on but it is still terribly sad. Once we thought we were soul mates but I was the one that never revealed all of myself.

I would be more confident if I was working at a new career oriented position instead of freelancing.

In the evening both of us and the children shared a bowl of popcorn and instead of watching a movie, enjoyed a couple of episodes of I Love Lucy (Lucille Ball was another 1971 Stutz owner). Pleased to report that the children took to classic sitcom with much laughter.

Was it ever such a beautiful, simpler black and white time. I know it couldn't have been but I felt an overwhelming nostalgia for an era I never experienced first hand.

Failure to Proceed

No I am not talking about my life and transition though it does seem agonizingly slow sometimes.

Sunday evening get together was cut short by the Seville's failure to proceed, luckily I had enough warning, engine spluttering and loss of all instruments both analog and digital. I guided her into a gas station parking lot and shut her down. Nothing when I tried to restart, not even a click from the solenoid.

I did peek under the hood but was not dressed for mucking about with old cars as I had a short black skirt and sweater with three inch heeled boots and my favourite faux snow leopard jacket.

Time to call CAA (AA to you Brits), having shall we say an eclectic collection of motorcars I long ago worked out I would become a gold member, which offers multiple calls and towing services.

Not the battery like I thought but the alternator. The Seville and I retuned home (oh shame of shames) on the hook. I had used her all last week with nary a murmur of protest. I think the Lincoln was jealous and sabotaged the alternator.

Silver lining was that I passed 100% with the tow truck driver. As my CAA card is still in my male name (time to change that too) the driver said he was expecting a guy, "most of the Adrian's I meet are guys but I guess it can be a girls name too".

Interesting to see the different treatment one receives as female, shivering from waiting in a cold car for 45 minutes he says please get in the truck and keep warm ma'am.

Hugs,

April

PS. Already removed the offending alternator and have ordered a new one. The Lincoln was happy to be back on the road today.

Enjoy The Persian Claws

Interview Outfit, Stutz and Gene Vincent

If any of you are wondering how the job search is going, slow is the word. I have taken on some contract work that is taking a lot of my waking hours. Throw children breakfast, lunches and dinner into the mix means that too few resumes are leaving my computer than I would like. I have been burning the candle at both ends and as a result paying for the next day, meaning I am less productive and then have to stay up late to catch up… a vicious circle.

Then trying to fit in exercise and cars, very difficult. Did manage to get the Cadillac Seville rust proofed this morning.

I had an interview recently that was proceeded by two phone interview but so far no call backs. The photo is what I wore, coral jacket from Jones New york with an Anne Klein blouse and skirt from Winners. I am far from happy with my voice but I felt I did well in the interview, positive, enthusiastic etc. The interview was conducted in a boardroom by two women who bothy took copious notes on their laptops while I was talking. Perhaps they were just playing Skyrim. I was going to say Quake or Doom but that would date me even more than my taste in cars.

As to my voice, my work contract work involves a lot of calls to automotive companies. I identify myself as April and still get sir'd on occasion but a few ma'ams as well.

Two articles I wrote a while back under my old male name have been published. the first story is on the Stutz Blackhawk and the second on the Lincoln Mark III. Both can now be seen on line in a digital edition: see pages 34-37

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/digitaleditions.aspx?tab=0&pid=db20915c-ffb5-4c6e-8103-4c207b464780#

The latest two are under April's byline and I will post a link as soon as it is available.

Spoke to an old friend in Switzerland today who runs the Stutz register and web site. I had to tell him about me as I wanted my name changed on the owners list. I will have to sell some of my other cars but I really hope to keep the Stutz as it is still under restoration and I am the only one who can finish it.

So does that make me the first transsexual Stutz owner….now there is an "achievement" to put on a resume.

http://www.madle.org/

I promised some Gene Vincent so here is an uncharacteristic choice for me, Gene singing The Day The World Turned Blue featuring some cool footage of Gene arriving in London in 1969. He would be dead two years later.

What a great song, gives me goosebumps. Stop me if I have posted this before but here is the Gene Vincent movie clip from the recent Telstar bio pic about Joe Meek:

Hugs,

April

Best Make Out Cars, Dead Dictators and Handbags

Wishing all my bad seeds a happy Valentines Day!

OK lots to post, new pictures etc will be coming but first in honour of this day of romance lets talk cars and stuff.

More praise for the Lincoln Mark IV:

MSN had one of those click whore posts about best rides to make out in, I had to look and guess what there as large as life a picture from the 76 Mark IV brochure. OK BMW drivers (you know who you are) I say HAH put that in your pipe and smoke it!

http://autos.ca.msn.com/editors-picks/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=27812525&page=3

Lincolns are theoretically (how would I know) roomy enough for romance but I would vote for the 59 Cadillac. The power bench seat in my convertible is so long and comfy it served as a great place for a power nap been restoration sessions.

Speaking of high praise for seventies era Lincolns, the recent and welcome departure from this mortal coil of Kim Jong Il saw the reappearance of two 1976 Lincoln Town car limousines, perhaps built by Moloney coach builders out of Chicago or Toronto’s own AHA (Andy Hotton Associates). It is thought the cars ended up in the socialist paradise as illegal imports from a Japanese Lincoln Mercury dealer. Note the Japanese style fender mounted wing mirrors. Fascinating, well at least to me. The headlamp doors have also been chromed, a non stock feature.

Read more about AHA here:

http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/a/aha/aha.htm

They are still in business:

http://www.ahalimos.com/

http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2011/12/mystery-of-the-north-korean-lincoln-solved/

Not up to much as exciting as last week but I did hit the Salvation Army store look for vintage handbags to customize like the very cool but expensive ones from Revamp Productions. I found a cool old school black patent leather one for $5.99. I had a great chrome Continental emblem to go on and was going to add some hot rod inspired pin striping. Before I started and modifications I did a little research, the bag was made by Coblentz of New York . A famed high end manufacturer which closed its doors in 1980. I would guesstimate the bag to date from some time between 1955 and 1965. Didn't have the heart to customize it and have been using it as is.

Went great with my black fur coat and black skirt, red sweater combo I wore to the grocery store the other day. Colour co-ordinated to match the black and red Seville's first day on the road.

More car nonsense, my Seville is now legally on the road sporting license plates. She seems so small compared to the Lincoln, but that was Cadillac’s point in introducing the Seville. Smooth and quiet on the road like a new car with digital climate control and all sorts of luxuries, idle still is not quite right though, TPS problem? About double the fuel economy of the Lincoln’s 460 V8.

Listen to this and think of Caril Ann and Charles:

Hugs,

April