[Shotimes] "Soul"

[George Fourchy]

On Fri, 06 Dec 2002 08:13:01 -0800, Mark Kelley wrote:

>No, it isn't familiarity.

Actually, I think it is all these things.  I think that "Soul" in a car is one of
those abstract things that has a different meaning for everyone who tries to define
it.

I believe we could all agree that a SHO has that something that makes it
special...we feel instantly comfortable with it...everything that connects us to it
(hands and feet) feels just right....and after a very short 'get aquainted' period
with a new/different one, we feel just as confident with it as we do our own.   That
is, it is very easy to become familiar with it.

I know the Plus from Hell and the other two '90s I have feel almost the same as the
Lowrider when I sit in them, and I think if they had the same brakes, struts,
steering wheel, exhaust, and tires that it has they would drive close enough to be
'the same car', and be able to give me the same feeling as I described earlier in
this thread.  In itself, this fact would be considered 'familiarity', but since I
have never been able to make another car feel as connected to me as these cars do
[and I have tried...'65 Mustang with springs, Konis, lowered, disc brakes, best
tires for the time (won every NCMC autocross I entered), etc....'69 Boss 302 with
similar upgrades, plus wide radials...'87 Turbo Coupe with lowered springs, very
good stiff struts, 4 wheel discs (quite good from the factory), and Gatorbacks],
combined with the fact that despite the inevitable aging associated with 253K miles,
I prefer the Lowrider over any other car in its class, then or now.  Since all 4 of
these cars have (or have the potential to have) that same level of comfort, car to
person communication, and 'familiarity', I'd say they have something
more.....'soul'.  I'd say I was definitely familiar with those other cars...I drove
the three of them a total of over 490,000 miles.

To me, feeling as one with the 'soul' of a SHO is a great step higher than just
being 'familiar' with it.

George