Hi, I'm Brian the resident Old Fart

"Brian, The Life of" (familycar)
12/12/2013 at 12:36 • Filed to: None

Serious Intro this time. I live in San Diego, Point Loma to be exact. I've lived in other parts of the country/world and have traveled a lot in life but I have yet to find a better place to live. Thus, I'll probably be paying off my mortgage until I retire. The price of paradise is worth it when I see the winter photos you all post. I work "in the collision industry" but not for a shop or insurance carrier. They are my customers. If you know anything about this business, you know that I work for one of two companies. I leave it at that. I have four kids. My 18 year-old son, whose car I have written about quite a lot here, and my triplet 17 year-old daughters.

Something you probably do not know about me, before I when to grad school so I could get a grown-up job I was in the restaurant industry from the age of 14. I was a sommelier (wine captain) and am a certified Master of Wine, which is kind of a big deal in the wine world. In grad school, I "regressed" and became a beer guy. My school, a small private grad school in Monterey, was fool kind enough to fund a homebrewer's club that ended up being the most popular, therefore best funded, club on campus. We founders drank very well for the duration.

Lost loves, I've had a few. My cars, in order of possession have been:

1954 F-100 – bought for $500 when I was 15. I spent 8 months getting it roadworthy before I could drive it on my 16th birthday.

1967 Alfa Giulia Super – traded my truck for it. A good friend of my sister came down for a visit and fell in love with my truck. He was a huge Alfa guy in the Santa Cruz area and spent the next six months pestering me to make a deal via my sister. He final offer was my choice of a very pretty boat tail that had an immaculate exterior, bone stock running gear and dogeared interior or the Giulia. The Giulia won because I had never seen anything like it and it came with dual side-draught Webber 40s and Alfa race cams. My dad told me I would regret the decision and he was wrong, then right, then wrong, then right, then wrong … it was a love/hate relationship that I look back upon with rose-colored glasses. I love to have a second chance with that car.

1966 Mustang GT Fastback – After warping my third head on the Alfa, I sent up the white flag and changed countries of origin to something more … local. My Mustang was a Shelby clone, or at least as close as my high school budget allowed me to make it. I replaced the louver vents with Shelby quarter glass and installed a Shelby racing front apron. I completely redid the interior and installed new Minilites before selling it to the little bro of a good friend. Two weeks later, it caught fire in his driveway and burned t a crisp. That sucked.

1963 VW Bug – Red with a white interior and a ragtop sunroof. I was getting ready to move from Lancaster (where I grew up) to San Diego for college and wanted something easier to park/cheaper to run. I got a good deal on this car and swapped the original anemic mill for a dual-port 1600. I loved the bug while I had it. Unfortunately my asshole roommate "borrowed it" while I was home for Christmas and rear-ended someone while trying to chat up chicks as he was cruising Mission Beach. Fucker.

1982 Toyota SR5 Hilux – Indestructible. I drove this truck until I got married some 8 years later. The only thing I had to do to it was replace the water pump twice. Twice because the replacement unit I first used was defective and failed a week after I installed it. I lived at the beach for most of these years and the truck was so rusty when I sold it that I think the added lightness was yielding improved gas mileage.

1994 Ford Thunderbird – My first NEW car. Great car, great value. The modular 4.5L V8 was terrific while the tranny was not. That car sure did handle well.

1982 Mercedes 240D – The slowest motorized device I have ever owned. This was my Mom's car and I "inherited" it when she finally bought a new one after driving it for over 20 years.

2010 Ford Fusion – My second new car and current whip. 60K+ miles in, zero regrets. Great car.

I am a "5X Loser" LeMons racer. I started a team at my old company that has since disbanded (sadly) and am looking to start or join another one. Apart from motocross as a kid, LeMons is the only true wheel-to-wheel racing I've ever done and, gawtdamn, did that bug ever bite hard. I need back in badly so, if you know anyone …

Oh yeah, I'm one of the Oppomods so if you ever need anything, ask Gamecat (I'M KIDDING). Seriously though, this is the finest community I have ever encountered on the 'Tubes. You guys rock and, while I may never get to meet you in the flesh, you have become an important part of my life.

Peace, kids!

DISCUSSION (27)

505Turbeaux > Brian, The Life of
12/12/2013 at 12:39

1982 Mercedes 24D...I wish I could set you up in a reverse drag race with my old 407D (240 engine driving a dually van) or my Peugeot 504 diesel, automatique wagon. Bet I would win the slowest!

stuttgartobsessed > Brian, The Life of
12/12/2013 at 12:47

YOU'RE A MW???????? Was it worth it? Is the that test the hardest thing you've ever done in your life? And those first 5 cars. Wow. Much cool.

stuttgartobsessed > 505Turbeaux
12/12/2013 at 12:47

Did you like your 404?

deekster_caddy > Brian, The Life of
12/12/2013 at 12:48

2 questions - 1) why the intro? (did I miss something?) and 2) how many oppo-ites are former/current LeMons racers?

505Turbeaux > stuttgartobsessed
12/12/2013 at 12:49

my 504 is great! Wish I had a 404

Brian, The Life of > stuttgartobsessed
12/12/2013 at 12:52

Yes. I've honestly forgotten more about wine than most know. I studied all over California, France, Germany and Italy when I was thinking about going to UC Davis to do the Oenological program. Went to Monterey for an MBA instead.

The "exams" I did for the MW were more like an academic defense. There was a panel of other MWs that asked TONS questions to test my knowledge. I was so "into it: at the time that I did not find it hard at all ... it was more like a group of wine geeks geeking out about wine together for a couple hours.

Brian, The Life of > deekster_caddy
12/12/2013 at 12:55

1) you must not have been around yesterday - it sort of became a "thing"so I thought I should participate

2) I really don't know the answer to that. I'm sure there are more than a few.

deekster_caddy > Brian, The Life of
12/12/2013 at 12:58

Oh, yeah. I have had a hectic few weeks at work, so my visits are sporadic lately.

It's a "Porch-uh" > Brian, The Life of
12/12/2013 at 13:10

Hey fellow San Diegian!

Are you at a company starting with a "M" and ending in "hell" that does software? If so, were you on their LeMons team with Beau Sullivan?

Also, you are pretty much living my nightmare (no offense to your kids). When my wife was pregnant with our daughter (kid #2), before the first ultrasound we would worry that this time we might have multiples.

Brian, The Life of > It's a "Porch-uh"
12/12/2013 at 13:16

Not any more (I'm with the other one now) and yes, I was the one who started it that e12 adventure ;)

stuttgartobsessed > 505Turbeaux
12/12/2013 at 13:37

Really? you'd rather have had a 404 than a 504? Well regardless, I'd love to have a quirky French wagon, or should I say break .

505Turbeaux > stuttgartobsessed
12/12/2013 at 13:40

not a rather have, wish I had a 404, along with my other 3 Pugs (504 break, 505T break S, 505T S)

stuttgartobsessed > Brian, The Life of
12/12/2013 at 13:41

I've watched SOMM and a couple of other documentaries about it. I'm thinking about going to graduate school for vinology or oenology but not sure about that yet. Though I'd be down to study in France, Germany and Italy haha. I'm currently an Assistant Winemaker (not really but I got the title by default! ha!)

f86sabre > Brian, The Life of
12/12/2013 at 13:42

Fellow LeMons racer! I feel your pain on being hooked.

Triplet 17 year old daughters? You must be a saint.

stuttgartobsessed > 505Turbeaux
12/12/2013 at 13:42

Nice. I'd love a 505 T S. You have a great little collection going!

Brian, The Life of > stuttgartobsessed
12/12/2013 at 13:44

You are? Sweet! Where? Which label? Details, man!

Brian, The Life of > f86sabre
12/12/2013 at 13:46

You must be a saint.

Naw, I'm just adept at self-medicating ;)

stuttgartobsessed > Brian, The Life of
12/12/2013 at 13:51

I work at a super small boutique winery in Tacoma, WA called 21 Cellars. We don't distribute anywhere outside of Tacoma. (I would know because I'm the distributor haha) We put out around 25-300 cases/year and focus on Bordeaux varietals but also do some Temp, Sémillon, and Syrah. Fun wine geek fact: our Sémillon for this year had natural botrytis! Everything is aged in 100% french oak and not filtered. Every bottle is corked and labeled by hand too. Anyway, I don't do much of the winemaking (I drove the grapes back from eastern WA) and helped crush and press). If you're ever up here let me know and I'll show you around.

It's a "Porch-uh" > Brian, The Life of
12/12/2013 at 13:56

Ah yes. Beau's a good friend of mine and often keeps me company at NASA events. When my 944 motor blew at Cal Speedway after 3 laps, he was nice enough to share some seat time in his S2000.

The story of the last motor in the e12 seems to be very similar to my own.