My Year Of 2019 Here With You

"M.T. Blake" (autohabit) 01/01/2020 at 10:55 • Filed to: 2019 in retrospect, e60 m5, c8 corvette, Ridiculous diesels, e46 m3, kubota, auto habit, happy new year, 2019, see you in 2020, writing is fun, what is stopping you

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Twenty-nineteen brought me to a new house, new toys, and plenty of rants and raves about our shared hobby here with you. I’d like to reflect on some of my more memorable ( or infamous ) posts from this year. Hopefully this place doesn’t burn down anytime soon. So many memories...

Images like this hide the fact getting stuck in the sand, in a rental Jeep, around 15 miles from the nearest town, and far from home, are something you need to consider when traveling. I’ll let some other idiot get bogged down away from resources...

This year brought me to sharing 45 posts, mostly something more than a few words, and hopefully at least one person enjoyed my time spent wordsmithing. I really do enjoy this place, and trying to get the conversation started on a variety of topics. Thus far, I’ve categorized my posts to:

‘Ridiculous Diesels’

‘Automotive Philosophy’

‘This Automotive Habit Of Mine’

‘Travel, Drive Photograph, Write, and Repeat’

There are a great deal of topics I want to talk about, but I’ve found by focusing on a few topics, I can better organize my thoughts. If it didn’t fit into these categories, I wasn’t going to be getting on my soap box about it. I’ll kick back and wait for one of you to post and then try to interject in the comments!

Now, in no particular order. These were my five favorite posts from this year.

#5!!!!!

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That’s right. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It is a glorious piece of automotive machinery. About 90% of its glory being the lump of V10 under the hood. An engine gives us speed, a sound, and a spirit. Everything after that is icing on the cake. You can take any boring car, stuff in an interesting engine, and make a hero. It might not be a classy hero, it might be more of belly dancer with hooves, but regardless - it becomes interesting.

#4!!!!

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If there is one thing I’m good at, it’s pissing people off. I find it is easy to push people away, without trying, and make social enemies because finding someone’s nerve is easy. I don’t want to be a jerk, it isn’t in my DNA, however sometimes stirring the pot can be fun. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

In all seriousness, I am finding that the C8 is growing on me. And the post I wrote was a little tongue in cheek. I couldn’t announce that in the introduction... where’s the fun in that?! I mean it did get 241 comments so I must have done something right? Right?!

#3!!!

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My Ridiculous Diesel posts have become somewhat of a brand image at this point. I first posted about them, not knowing that I’d spark a nerve in myself ( probably others ) about how expensive it is to own an oil burner. As things have progressed it is become harder, and harder to find the best examples of insane sellers to bring to you. I am seeing the newer ( DEF equipped ) trucks coming down in value faster than I anticipated. I wonder how that will affect the pre-2007 trucks...?

#2!!

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We all have a dream job. Mine would be to travel, drive different cars, and write about them. Like Anthony Bourdain , but with cars instead of food. There is nothing more I enjoy to do than see a new part of the world, in someone else’s vehicle. It feels like shedding your old life and transforming into a completely different one. No worries, except where to get fuel, and where the best driving road can be found. This year, I’ll be taking a big trip - Japan - and I’ll be driving a R34 GTR. Dreams, they do come true.

#1!

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Over six months ago I posted about this M3, and it’s still is for sale, with the top of the potential owners being myself and a close friend. We hope to seal the deal sometime this next century, but everyday I lose hope. The car we hope to save is a 2004 BMW M3 with around 87,000 miles. It is a ‘vert, and SMG equipped... so its the bottom rung of desirable E46 M3s, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! someone is going to take it off our hands once we spend many, many hours cleaning, and fixing up this black diamond in the rough.

Honorable Mention...

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You ever want something, but can’t justify it for many lifestyle related reasons? I wanted a tractor for years. I’ve always been a large, and onry child, but without any property how could I own a tractor? We bought a piece of property and that all changed. I bought my baby. Something I won’t ever get rid of. I’ve flipped, sold, and swapped cars for years. The tractor is an extension of my own muscles, and I can’t ever get rid of those. Life is always better, anytime you can fire up a tractor.

Here’s to 2020! Cheers!!

DipodomysDeserti > M.T. Blake 12/30/2019 at 13:39

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I wonder how much it would take to convince one of the dopers holed up on Polihale to help you dig out a rental?

M.T. Blake > DipodomysDeserti 12/30/2019 at 14:36

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Probably not much. But do you want to wander into a camp to find out?

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > M.T. Blake 12/30/2019 at 15:03

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I can go for you with my friend Robert (Kahana). I only go out on that beach with his Toyota that is set up for it. 

Future next gen S2000 owner > M.T. Blake 12/30/2019 at 15:38

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The Napali coast is epic. Did you take a boat ride along it?

M.T. Blake > Future next gen S2000 owner 12/30/2019 at 16:46

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Not this trip but previously I did. Amazing. 

DipodomysDeserti > M.T. Blake 12/30/2019 at 17:59

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Having camped near them, it  depends. Some were pretty cool, others, not so much.

M.T. Blake > DipodomysDeserti 12/30/2019 at 18:04

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A mixed bag of nuts.