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sethmschroth · 4 years ago

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9 Important Different Types Of Uber Car Requirements

Among the people who want to join Uber as a driver, there are many with questions about the type of vehicles they can use for the job or if they can use their car for this. In this article, we will answer these questions and we try to present a detailed report about Uber car requirements.

What you need to keep in mind is that Uber might have slightly different requirements for cars in each city and it’s only Uber that determines if a vehicle is qualified for being used for service.

Different cities have different vehicle options, but the major categories are the same everywhere. For example, Chicago has Uber Cab while Miami features Uber Lux. Most cities do not offer these categories. You will know what your city offers by going to https://www.uber.com/us/en/drive/miami/vehicle-requirements/ for example.

Substitute your city for Miami to see what your city offers specifically. But make sure to sign up through Ride Sharing It as we will keep you updated on the best of the best for savings and rideshare options, whether you are a driver or rider.

General Uber Vehicle Requirements

The following requirements must be met by every vehicle which is being used by Uber drivers:

all vehicles must be up to 15 years old maximum.

It should be a 4-door vehicle with the possibility of transporting 4 passengers.

The title cannot be salvaged, reconstructed, or rebuild.

If it’s a rental vehicle, it should be approved by a Uber lender. Otherwise its not allowed to be used for Uber services.

Vehicles with commercial brandings, taxi paint jobs, cosmetic damages, or missing pieces are not eligible to be used for Uber ride.

If your using a vehicle that you don’t own it yourself, you must be listed as an insured driver on this vehicle’s insurance policy or Uber won’t approve that vehicle.

However, if your vehicle is missing any of the mentioned requirements above, you can still use it for item deliveries on the Uber app.

Uber Car Requirements By Service

Uber X Requirements

here are the Minimum requirements you need meet to be able to drive with UberX:

Most newer cars qualify to drive with UberX, the most popular vehicle option for riders.

Additional requirements

4-door vehicle with independently opening passenger doors

Have 5 factory-installed seats and seat belts

Working windows and air conditioning

No vans, box trucks, or similar vehicles

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

No aftermarket seating modifications, such as installed seats, seat belts, or BedRyder systems

Uber XL Requirements

Seat extra passengers—and earn higher fares—with your high-capacity vehicle.

Additional requirements

4-door vehicle with independently opening passenger doors

Have 7 factory-installed seats and seat belts

Working windows and air conditioning

No vans, box trucks, or similar vehicles

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

No aftermarket seating modifications, such as installed seats, seat belts, or BedRyder systems

Uber Select Requirements

Mid-tier luxury sedans command higher fares. See our list of eligible vehicle models.

Additional requirements

Leather or vinyl interior with no tears

Seat at least 4 passengers in addition to the driver

Working windows and air conditioning

No full-sized vans or trucks

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

Rating and trip requirements

4.9 rating after 25 trips

4.8 rating after 50 trips

4.7 rating after 100 trips

At this time, Uber is not accepting new Select vehicles in some cities.

Uber Black Requirements

Offer luxury rides in the original Uber black car service. White gloves optional.

Additional requirements

Keep a star rating of 4.85 or higher

5-year-old vehicle or newer

Commercial insurance

Black exterior in excellent condition

Black leather interior with no tears

Seats for at least 4 riders in addition to the driver

Uber Black SUV Requirements

Make room for the whole crew with this high-end vehicle service. Only black SUVs qualify.

Additional requirements

Keep a star rating of 4.85 or higher

5-year-old vehicle or newer

Commercial insurance

Black exterior in excellent condition

Black leather interior with no tears

Seats for at least 6 passengers in addition to the driver

Uber Comfort Requirements

Comfort was designed to maximize possibilities on the Uber platform.

Additional requirements:

Maintain eligibility on a different Uber option such as UberX, Select, UberXL, Uber Black, or Uber Black SUV

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on at least 250 trips

Drive a vehicle with more legroom than smaller, compact cars eligible for UberX and that meet the minimum vehicle year requirement

Uber Premier Requirements

Premium rides with highly-rated drivers.

Additional requirements:

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on 250 completed trips

Drive an eligible luxury vehicle with a leather interior that is 5 years old or newer

Uber Premier SUV Requirements

Premium rides for 6 with highly-rated drivers.

Additional requirements:

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on 250 completed trips

Drive an eligible luxury vehicle with a leather interior that is 5 years old or newer

Check Eligible Vehicle Models In Each Service Category (In addition to the minimum requirements above, each city has its own regulations for vehicles. After you sign up to drive, you’ll get more information.)

You Also Want To Check Out: Uber Car Inspections

Ridesharing It - Ridesharing Help For Riders & Drivers

9 Important Different Types Of Uber Car Requirements published first on https://ridesharingit.blogspot.com

#riders #drivers #ridesharing

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audreypbeatty · 4 years ago

Text

9 Important Different Types Of Uber Car Requirements

What you need to keep in mind is that Uber might have slightly different requirements for cars in each city and it’s only Uber that determines if a vehicle is qualified for being used for service.

General Uber Vehicle Requirements

The following requirements must be met by every vehicle which is being used by Uber drivers:

all vehicles must be up to 15 years old maximum.

It should be a 4-door vehicle with the possibility of transporting 4 passengers.

The title cannot be salvaged, reconstructed, or rebuild.

If it’s a rental vehicle, it should be approved by a Uber lender. Otherwise its not allowed to be used for Uber services.

Vehicles with commercial brandings, taxi paint jobs, cosmetic damages, or missing pieces are not eligible to be used for Uber ride.

If your using a vehicle that you don’t own it yourself, you must be listed as an insured driver on this vehicle’s insurance policy or Uber won’t approve that vehicle.

However, if your vehicle is missing any of the mentioned requirements above, you can still use it for item deliveries on the Uber app.

Uber Car Requirements By Service

Uber X Requirements

here are the Minimum requirements you need meet to be able to drive with UberX:

Most newer cars qualify to drive with UberX, the most popular vehicle option for riders.

Additional requirements

4-door vehicle with independently opening passenger doors

Have 5 factory-installed seats and seat belts

Working windows and air conditioning

No vans, box trucks, or similar vehicles

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

No aftermarket seating modifications, such as installed seats, seat belts, or BedRyder systems

Uber XL Requirements

Seat extra passengers—and earn higher fares—with your high-capacity vehicle.

Additional requirements

4-door vehicle with independently opening passenger doors

Have 7 factory-installed seats and seat belts

Working windows and air conditioning

No vans, box trucks, or similar vehicles

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

No aftermarket seating modifications, such as installed seats, seat belts, or BedRyder systems

Uber Select Requirements

Mid-tier luxury sedans command higher fares. See our list of eligible vehicle models.

Additional requirements

Leather or vinyl interior with no tears

Seat at least 4 passengers in addition to the driver

Working windows and air conditioning

No full-sized vans or trucks

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

Rating and trip requirements

4.9 rating after 25 trips

4.8 rating after 50 trips

4.7 rating after 100 trips

At this time, Uber is not accepting new Select vehicles in some cities.

Uber Black Requirements

Offer luxury rides in the original Uber black car service. White gloves optional.

Additional requirements

Keep a star rating of 4.85 or higher

5-year-old vehicle or newer

Commercial insurance

Black exterior in excellent condition

Black leather interior with no tears

Seats for at least 4 riders in addition to the driver

Uber Black SUV Requirements

Make room for the whole crew with this high-end vehicle service. Only black SUVs qualify.

Additional requirements

Keep a star rating of 4.85 or higher

5-year-old vehicle or newer

Commercial insurance

Black exterior in excellent condition

Black leather interior with no tears

Seats for at least 6 passengers in addition to the driver

Uber Comfort Requirements

Comfort was designed to maximize possibilities on the Uber platform.

Additional requirements:

Maintain eligibility on a different Uber option such as UberX, Select, UberXL, Uber Black, or Uber Black SUV

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on at least 250 trips

Drive a vehicle with more legroom than smaller, compact cars eligible for UberX and that meet the minimum vehicle year requirement

Uber Premier Requirements

Premium rides with highly-rated drivers.

Additional requirements:

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on 250 completed trips

Drive an eligible luxury vehicle with a leather interior that is 5 years old or newer

Uber Premier SUV Requirements

Premium rides for 6 with highly-rated drivers.

Additional requirements:

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on 250 completed trips

Drive an eligible luxury vehicle with a leather interior that is 5 years old or newer

You Also Want To Check Out: Uber Car Inspections

Ridesharing It – Ridesharing Help For Riders & Drivers

9 Important Different Types Of Uber Car Requirements published first on https://ridesharingit.wordpress.com

#riders #drivers #ridesharing

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charlesbmoran · 4 years ago

Text

9 Important Different Types Of Uber Car Requirements

What you need to keep in mind is that Uber might have slightly different requirements for cars in each city and it’s only Uber that determines if a vehicle is qualified for being used for service.

General Uber Vehicle Requirements

The following requirements must be met by every vehicle which is being used by Uber drivers:

all vehicles must be up to 15 years old maximum.

It should be a 4-door vehicle with the possibility of transporting 4 passengers.

The title cannot be salvaged, reconstructed, or rebuild.

If it’s a rental vehicle, it should be approved by a Uber lender. Otherwise its not allowed to be used for Uber services.

Vehicles with commercial brandings, taxi paint jobs, cosmetic damages, or missing pieces are not eligible to be used for Uber ride.

If your using a vehicle that you don’t own it yourself, you must be listed as an insured driver on this vehicle’s insurance policy or Uber won’t approve that vehicle.

However, if your vehicle is missing any of the mentioned requirements above, you can still use it for item deliveries on the Uber app.

Uber Car Requirements By Service

Uber X Requirements

here are the Minimum requirements you need meet to be able to drive with UberX:

Most newer cars qualify to drive with UberX, the most popular vehicle option for riders.

Additional requirements

4-door vehicle with independently opening passenger doors

Have 5 factory-installed seats and seat belts

Working windows and air conditioning

No vans, box trucks, or similar vehicles

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

No aftermarket seating modifications, such as installed seats, seat belts, or BedRyder systems

Uber XL Requirements

Seat extra passengers—and earn higher fares—with your high-capacity vehicle.

Additional requirements

4-door vehicle with independently opening passenger doors

Have 7 factory-installed seats and seat belts

Working windows and air conditioning

No vans, box trucks, or similar vehicles

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

No aftermarket seating modifications, such as installed seats, seat belts, or BedRyder systems

Uber Select Requirements

Mid-tier luxury sedans command higher fares. See our list of eligible vehicle models.

Additional requirements

Leather or vinyl interior with no tears

Seat at least 4 passengers in addition to the driver

Working windows and air conditioning

No full-sized vans or trucks

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

Rating and trip requirements

4.9 rating after 25 trips

4.8 rating after 50 trips

4.7 rating after 100 trips

At this time, Uber is not accepting new Select vehicles in some cities.

Uber Black Requirements

Offer luxury rides in the original Uber black car service. White gloves optional.

Additional requirements

Keep a star rating of 4.85 or higher

5-year-old vehicle or newer

Commercial insurance

Black exterior in excellent condition

Black leather interior with no tears

Seats for at least 4 riders in addition to the driver

Uber Black SUV Requirements

Make room for the whole crew with this high-end vehicle service. Only black SUVs qualify.

Additional requirements

Keep a star rating of 4.85 or higher

5-year-old vehicle or newer

Commercial insurance

Black exterior in excellent condition

Black leather interior with no tears

Seats for at least 6 passengers in addition to the driver

Uber Comfort Requirements

Comfort was designed to maximize possibilities on the Uber platform.

Additional requirements:

Maintain eligibility on a different Uber option such as UberX, Select, UberXL, Uber Black, or Uber Black SUV

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on at least 250 trips

Drive a vehicle with more legroom than smaller, compact cars eligible for UberX and that meet the minimum vehicle year requirement

Uber Premier Requirements

Premium rides with highly-rated drivers.

Additional requirements:

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on 250 completed trips

Drive an eligible luxury vehicle with a leather interior that is 5 years old or newer

Uber Premier SUV Requirements

Premium rides for 6 with highly-rated drivers.

Additional requirements:

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on 250 completed trips

Drive an eligible luxury vehicle with a leather interior that is 5 years old or newer

You Also Want To Check Out: Uber Car Inspections

Ridesharing It - Ridesharing Help For Riders & Drivers

9 Important Different Types Of Uber Car Requirements published first on https://ridesharingit.tumblr.com

#riders #drivers #ridesharing

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ridesharingit · 4 years ago

Text

9 Important Different Types Of Uber Car Requirements

What you need to keep in mind is that Uber might have slightly different requirements for cars in each city and it’s only Uber that determines if a vehicle is qualified for being used for service.

General Uber Vehicle Requirements

The following requirements must be met by every vehicle which is being used by Uber drivers:

all vehicles must be up to 15 years old maximum.

It should be a 4-door vehicle with the possibility of transporting 4 passengers.

The title cannot be salvaged, reconstructed, or rebuild.

If it’s a rental vehicle, it should be approved by a Uber lender. Otherwise its not allowed to be used for Uber services.

Vehicles with commercial brandings, taxi paint jobs, cosmetic damages, or missing pieces are not eligible to be used for Uber ride.

If your using a vehicle that you don’t own it yourself, you must be listed as an insured driver on this vehicle’s insurance policy or Uber won’t approve that vehicle.

However, if your vehicle is missing any of the mentioned requirements above, you can still use it for item deliveries on the Uber app.

Uber Car Requirements By Service

Uber X Requirements

here are the Minimum requirements you need meet to be able to drive with UberX:

Most newer cars qualify to drive with UberX, the most popular vehicle option for riders.

Additional requirements

4-door vehicle with independently opening passenger doors

Have 5 factory-installed seats and seat belts

Working windows and air conditioning

No vans, box trucks, or similar vehicles

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

No aftermarket seating modifications, such as installed seats, seat belts, or BedRyder systems

Uber XL Requirements

Seat extra passengers—and earn higher fares—with your high-capacity vehicle.

Additional requirements

4-door vehicle with independently opening passenger doors

Have 7 factory-installed seats and seat belts

Working windows and air conditioning

No vans, box trucks, or similar vehicles

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

No aftermarket seating modifications, such as installed seats, seat belts, or BedRyder systems

Uber Select Requirements

Mid-tier luxury sedans command higher fares. See our list of eligible vehicle models.

Additional requirements

Leather or vinyl interior with no tears

Seat at least 4 passengers in addition to the driver

Working windows and air conditioning

No full-sized vans or trucks

No taxi cabs, government cars, or other marked vehicles

No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles

Rating and trip requirements

4.9 rating after 25 trips

4.8 rating after 50 trips

4.7 rating after 100 trips

At this time, Uber is not accepting new Select vehicles in some cities.

Uber Black Requirements

Offer luxury rides in the original Uber black car service. White gloves optional.

Additional requirements

Keep a star rating of 4.85 or higher

5-year-old vehicle or newer

Commercial insurance

Black exterior in excellent condition

Black leather interior with no tears

Seats for at least 4 riders in addition to the driver

Uber Black SUV Requirements

Make room for the whole crew with this high-end vehicle service. Only black SUVs qualify.

Additional requirements

Keep a star rating of 4.85 or higher

5-year-old vehicle or newer

Commercial insurance

Black exterior in excellent condition

Black leather interior with no tears

Seats for at least 6 passengers in addition to the driver

Uber Comfort Requirements

Comfort was designed to maximize possibilities on the Uber platform.

Additional requirements:

Maintain eligibility on a different Uber option such as UberX, Select, UberXL, Uber Black, or Uber Black SUV

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on at least 250 trips

Drive a vehicle with more legroom than smaller, compact cars eligible for UberX and that meet the minimum vehicle year requirement

Uber Premier Requirements

Premium rides with highly-rated drivers.

Additional requirements:

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on 250 completed trips

Drive an eligible luxury vehicle with a leather interior that is 5 years old or newer

Uber Premier SUV Requirements

Premium rides for 6 with highly-rated drivers.

Additional requirements:

Have a minimum star rating of 4.85 based on 250 completed trips

Drive an eligible luxury vehicle with a leather interior that is 5 years old or newer

You Also Want To Check Out: Uber Car Inspections

Ridesharing It - Ridesharing Help For Riders & Drivers

#riders #drivers #ridesharing

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themusiciantraveler · 6 years ago

Text

Vienna in the Rain

Friday. 6:05am. May 25, 2018.

Though I was certainly not a happy camper when my body woke me up as early as it did, we packed up once again as we have every morning thus far and went down to breakfast. Two cups of tea and plenty of wonderful pastries later, it was soon out the door and into the pouring rain with the promise of a marvelous adventure through the old city with Eric (TMU alumnus) as our trusty guide. Michael dropped us off on a street corner just a few blocks from the well-known St. Stephen’s Cathedral and we began our trek through a rain-soaked old-town Vienna.

Construction began on the Stephansdom during the 12th century, and the cathedral is a must see when traveling through Vienna. The infamous cathedral boasts the second-largest free-swinging chimed church bell in all of Europe, and its roof is comprised of colorful tiles that were laid to create the Royal and Imperial double-headed eagle coat of arms of the city of Vienna. The interior of St. Stephen's Cathedral has been changed time and again throughout the centuries, helping to seamlessly transition the place of worship through the varying style periods and eras. Numerous important figures chose St. Stephen's Cathedral as their final resting place, including Emperor Friedrich III who was buried in an impressive marble sarcophagus at the back of the cathedral. Many others were buried in the catacombs under St. Stephen's including Habsburg Duke Rudolph IV, who laid the foundation stone for the Gothic reconstruction of the cathedral in 1359. Additionally, the graves of many of Vienna’s prominent archbishops and cardinals can be found in the catacombs.

St. Stephen’s was absolutely picturesque in the pouring rain, the perfect blend of Gothic and Baroque architecture once more made to sparkle by the falling mist — like it was new again. After walking around the entirety of the cathedral, we finally located the entrance and made our way through the throngs that filled the stained-glass halls. And as quickly as we had entered, were back out into the downpour after reverently passing through the ancient place of worship. Unless you are willing to pay the 14-Euro fee, it will suffice to see the outside and look around a bit – you can clearly see the entire venue without needing to walk all the way through the richly decorated halls.

We walked up and down streets, through the steady rainfall, learning about the first coffee shops to come to Europe from Spain, the old walls that once protected the still infamous city, various Reformation history, and several of the original German street names until we reached Stadt Park and the iconic Johann Strauss Statue. After posing for several photographs to send home to the university to let them know of our travels, we headed further into the heart of the city toward the Beethoven Platz and a statue of one of my favorite composers. We continued on, through the rain, walking past the Vienna Concert and Opera Houses — highlights of the city’s stunning architecture. Next, we passed the Bosendorfer and Steinway piano factories and walked past several old ballrooms and music houses that once were filled with the colorful tones of the centuries. If you have the chance, take the time to travel cities by foot – the views are well worth the extra steps and provide wonderful surprises around every street corner.

After our adventure around the heart of the city, we eventually found Michael and dashed across the busy streets before finally heading to the Haydn Haus, where Haydn resided for the last twelve years of his life. It was surreal walking where the practical joker and amazing Classical composer had lived out the last of his days. I almost started to well up as I thought of the man whose pieces has brought me so much joy throughout my musical studies. Copies of the Classical composer’s Creation and Seasons manuscripts resided in the house as well as a handful of stories detailing his philanthropic tendencies and tales of his concerts and love of his craft. But perhaps my favorite story that we learned in our time in his home was a shocking story about his head being stolen from his grave and dissected just three days post-mortem! Eventually, the head was returned to the estate with little consequence for the thieves.

After Haydn Haus, we said goodbye to Eric and headed on our way to Central Cemetery — the resting place of at least a dozen well-known composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss, and Liszt. We somehow ended up at the wrong end of the expansive cemetery – there are 14 gates surrounding the several square mile graveyard – but eventually, we wound our way around to the correct entrance. Once we located the correct section in the cemetery, we were greeted with miniature monuments to the lives of Brahms, Strauss, Beethoven, Wolf, Schubert, Mozart, and many others. I thought Forest lawn in California was big, but this place was huge! And the tombs and monuments were so exceedingly over the top. But yet still, as I stood before the graves of men who had not loved God, but were still blessed beyond belief, I found myself contemplating the frailty of life and the fleetingness of earthly fame and fortune. These men had done great things, but here they lay with every other common man, nothing special and still long gone like the rest of the world.

After the cemetery, we headed towards the idyllic Prague — a 6+ hour drive away from the glittering heart of Austria. After snagging lunch from a Hoffer’s, the German (and original) version of an Aldi’s supermarket, we were finally on the road for the long haul with pastries, pretzels, fruits, and Topfin streusels in tow. Many of us fell asleep again on the ride until we were gently awakened in a sunny little village with the promise of a surprise from an old acquaintance of Michael’s. We parked the van and entered an adorable cafe where we were fed ice cream with real, homemade whipped cream and the best coffee I’ve ever had. I honestly have no idea where we stopped, or what city we were in, but I wish I had gathered these precious bits of information so that someday I could return to the idyllic little shop and enjoy afternoon ice cream and coffee with the gentle man and his fiery grandchildren.

After our brief stop, we got on the road again toward the heart of the Czech Republic. I fell asleep again only to be woken at a gas station where we were attempting to get a new toll tag box for the dash, this time for the Czech Republic. The country formerly known as Czechoslovakia has just recently implemented the toll system and has yet to iron out the kinks so be warned, it is not an easy trip if you are traveling with more than ten people in your party. Long story short, we essentially ended up WAY off the map due to highway construction, detours, and one impossible to find toll tag. Three hours behind schedule and four different gas stations later, and Michael was attempting to contact someone who could translate German to Czech and vice versa so we could finally get our hands on the toll tag that we needed to travel through the country.

It was finally around 8:30pm and almost nothing was open for dinner except for a sketchy European McDonalds and a random steakhouse called “Jack’s” that we convinced ourselves looked rather promising. To our surprise, this little-known steakhouse, far off the beaten path and just over the Austria-Czech Republic border, ended up being one of our best meals yet! The quaint restaurant and pub offers huge serving sizes and excellently grilled protein – but be warned, they only take cash, and they only take coronas (the national currency). But all things aside, the service was wonderful and some kind strangers at the neighboring table helped us order off the completely Czech menu (which involved a hilarious game of charades involving an attempt at pantomiming a deer, complete with antlers). After dinner, we drove an additional two and a half hours to our hotel where we finally stumbled sleepily up the stairs and into bed. It was certainly an adventure and I am quite glad everyone was given an extra measure of patience for our day full of exciting escapades.

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projectalbum · 6 years ago

Photo

R U Talkin’ I.R.S. R.E.M. RE: ME? 183. “Murmur - Deluxe Edition,” 184. “Reckoning,” 185. “Fables of the Reconstruction,” 186. “Lifes Rich Pageant,” 187. “Dead Letter Office," 188. “Document” by R.E.M.

If you’ve been following this blog with any regularity, you may have noticed how often references to R.E.M. weave their way into my appraisals of other artists. That’s because the band has become a bit of a Rosetta Stone for my musical taste: eclectic, ever-evolving, beautifully melodic, with evocative (or downright inscrutable) lyrics. I delved into their decades-long catalogue- piecemeal and out of chronology in the pre-Spotify days- at the exact point in my adolescence when I was forming what that taste would be. And now I must ask the question that has so ignited the public's curiosity: When did I first hear of the band R.E.M.?

My answer, at long last, is… "Hmm, not sure." As recounted in my entry on Barenaked Ladies (or “BNL,” as befitting such an essential band): during a high school trip through Europe, a bus ride from Ireland to Wales was scored by an all-over-the-map mixtape.* I was definitely already familiar with “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” when it popped up. And I remember, sitting there as misty green hills moved past the window, that it sparked a web of associations: I likely thought of “Losing My Religion,” probably “The One I Love.” After watching a Comedy Central documentary on Andy Kaufman, I became briefly obsessed, and my mom helpfully told me that there was a song written about him, titled “Man on the Moon.” She pulled Automatic for the People, the only R.E.M. release she owned, off the shelf and played that track for me. I think I liked it, but I didn’t go further than that.

So, sitting on that tour bus, I figured that when we reached the London leg of our whirlwind trip, I would use my personal pilgrimage to Virgin Megastore (remember those?) to pick up a greatest hits collection. And I did, getting the recently released In Time: The Best of R.E.M. I loved it so much, I barely noticed that half the songs I knew, including the one that had inspired the purchase, were nowhere to be found.

As I later learned, that compilation was put out by Warner Bros Records, and as such was solely focused on the songs the band recorded while under contract to that label. And it’s true, several of their biggest hits came out of those first few WB releases. But wither “The One I Love?” Well, before they signed that lucrative deal, R.E.M. made their bones putting out arty, jangly, pastorally pretty rock music under the banner of I.R.S. Records.

It’s been awhile since I first heard their debut full-length Murmur (#183), but after the slicker, weirder, string-flavored tunes I was used to, hearing the upfront immediacy of the young-and-hungry band, playing as a tight group over a chasm of reverb, was a bit revelatory. Recorded at the now-defunct Reflection Sound Studios in Charlotte, NC (a liner note discovery that filled me with no small amount of regional pride), Don Dixon and Mitch Easter's production makes the jangle rock dreamy and beguiling while avoiding cheesy 80’s pitfalls. It’s all killer, no filler (I even love “We Walk,” all bouncy repetition and ever-climbing arpeggios)— right now, I’d say the earnest “Talk About The Passion” and the almost hiccupy hook of “Catapult” rank as my favorite moments, but that changes and shifts unpredictably.

The sonic muscle of Reckoning (#184) is cleaner, with opener “Harborcoat” immediately shaking loose the spooky cobwebs of Murmur. Again, the immediacy surprised me when I first heard it: I was hearing the version of the band that tore the roof off of tiny venues in sleepy college towns throughout the South. For a time, it was the comparative lack of the fussy arrangements and earnest, soaring melodies I’d come to expect from my R.E.M. that dismissed this album to a dusty gray corner in my mind. But the mark of a Favorite Band means that you can return to their work at different times in your life and find that while the music stayed the same, you’re hearing it with different ears. There’s not a weak link in 10 tracks, and songs that I’d once had trouble even recalling became new favorites: "So. Central Rain,” with its ringing Rickenbacker guitar line, melodic bass, and keening chorus (“I’m sorry”) is a fan favorite for a reason, and “Camera,” which recalls a departed friend of the band’s, builds to a shattering chorus. And of course, the one straight-up, tear-in-your-beer country rocker in their catalogue, “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville."

I remember driving to night classes in my first year of community college, listening to my newly-purchased disc of Fables of the Reconstruction (#185). Now this was immediately my speed, with the spooky, menacing, string quartet-inflected “Feeling Gravity’s Pull” and incantatory “Maps and Legends" leading the pack. The band had a lousy experience recording it, and they badmouth the way the songs were mixed, but to me the thick-as-kudzu production is a big part of this album’s hallucinatory power. I love the surreal, umber and burnished gold and chartreuse cover art as well: though the layout looks a little too cluttered on the CD, I bought the vinyl record from a second-hand store just to frame it, with the “Reconstruction of the Fables” ear-box side facing out from my wall.

Not every track does it for me. “Can’t Get There from Here” is fun but a little too affected in its whimsy, and “Auctioneer (Another Engine),” already a bit monotone, is the track most hampered by sludgy sound. But sandwiched in-between are “Green Grow the Rushes” and “Kohoutek,” glimpses of the environmentally-conscious, culturally-sensitive side of Michael Stripe and Co that led directly into their follow-up, Lifes Rich Pageant (#186). They expand the promise of those two tracks with “Fall On Me” and “Cuyahoga,” to devastatingly pretty effect.

Where Fables was a nighttime drive down an inky-dark American highway, Pageant is a wide-eyed survey of virgin prairie, a longing to return to unspoiled harmonic existence. “Let’s put our heads together / Let’s start a new country up,” the natives of “Cuyahoga” resolve over the ashy remains of the river bend. "What you want and what you need, there's the key / Your adventure for today, what do you do / Between the horns of the day?” Stipe exhorts his listeners in “I Believe,” and the Southern beach rock behind the words pushes you to make your move. “We are young despite the years / We are concern / We are hope despite the times,” he belts out over furious riffs and annihilated drums in “These Days," Mike Mills calling out affirmation in his backup vocal.

Right down to the absurdist sea shanty “Swan Swan H” and infectiously fun cover “Superman” that close it out, it’s hard to find a more consistent document of the band’s strengths. And now, damn, I want that to be a crackerjack segue to discussion of their next studio album, but months before that final I.R.S. release, there was Dead Letter Office (#187). A collection of occasionally rather sloppy outtakes and covers of varying reverence, the main draw here is the inclusion of their debut EP Chronic Town (on the CD, anyway. I notice that Spotify separates those songs from the DLO tracks). The angular menace of “Wolves, Lower” and the subtle, melodic magic of “Gardening At Night” (Stripe’s almost unintelligible lyrics are Exhibit A for his early-years shyness) are justifiable fan favorites to this day— not bad for the first batch of songs from such a prolific group. A must.

Buying Document (#188) finally gave me easy access to “It’s The End of the World...” and “The One I Love” (rather than, you know, waiting to hear one or the other on the radio). It also meant first experiencing one of my favorite opening salvos on record: “Finest Worksong.” It sounds HUGE, to borrow an oft-accurate phrase from notable actor/R.E.M. podcaster Adam Scott. Bill Berry’s thundercrack drums echo as if recorded in a cavernous factory where the overlords have been overthrown, while Peter Buck’s guitar chugs and drones, a dramatic change from the nimble arpeggios that made up previous records. It, and the songs that follow— “Welcome to the Occupation” ("Listen to the buyer still / Listen to the Congress / Where we propagate confusion”), “Exhuming McCarthy” ("Vested interest, united ties / Landed gentry, rationalize / Look who bought the myth / By Jingo, buy America”), “Disturbance at the Heron House”— make the album, at 31 years old, feel like a queasy reflection of our current milieu. No one feels fine right now.

Luckily, the music is still driving, fun, singable, varied in its grooves and moods. “Fireplace,” coming right after the twofer of the most famous singles, provided me such an unexpected thrill with a rare appearance by sinuous be-bop saxophone, such a different color for this band. Sax in 80’s songs is usually an utterly cheeseball affair, but this is a dark, weird tune, and is nowhere near that register of power balladry. “Lightnin’ Hopkins” is just as unique, with a metalhead rolling drum beat and Stipe acting like a throat-shredded street preacher over echoey chain-gang backup howls.

This band takes up a whole shelf in my house, so hold on tight for several more comprehensive and encyclopedic write-ups.

*It’s been over a year since I wrote that entry, and I recently realized my memory is jumbled up. I now have a clear recollection that the songs from BNL’s Everything For Everyone were repeating in my head ON THAT VERY TRIP! So I was already a fan.

#michael stipe #peter buck #mike mills #bill berry #murmur #the one i love #lifes rich pageant #rock #music blog #album art #album cover #cd cover #cd collection #cd #document #r.e.m.

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flauntpage · 7 years ago

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The Day I Quit Baseball, Then Came Back

I could breathe again. I could smile and mean it. That thing on my shoulders and in my neck, that heavy and dark and relentless burden that in four and a half years had grown with my ERA, it was gone. My head was clear. So clear, I had to laugh. By giving up what I'd thought was my life, I knew I'd gotten my life back. I knew it in that moment. I'd traded baseball for me. I'd miss it, sure. But it wasn't for me. Not anymore.

I didn't turn on the TV. I didn't turn on the radio. I sat on my old brown couch, happy to be happy, happy for the silence in my head, happy to be free, at twenty-five, of the only thing I had ever really wanted.

In Asheville, North Carolina, a phone rang, and Harvey Dorfman picked up. Years later, Harvey, a sports psychologist I worked with for years, recounted the conversation to me.

"Scott," he said.

"Well, he did it," Scott Boras said. Scott was my agent. "He told the Cardinals. He's not going back."

"I know," Harvey said. "How's he seem to you?"

"He said he's fine."

"What do you think?"

"He said he's fine."

"I'll call Walt," Scott said, meaning Walt Jocketty, the Cardinals' general manager.

"You better be right," Harvey said.

"There's no more monster," Scott said. "We killed it. It's gone."

"All I'm saying is, this better work."

"It'll work."

"If it doesn't . . . "

"Harvey," Scott said, "trust me."

"Trust you? You kidding? You're more messed up than any of 'em."

Their usual dance. They shared a laugh. Maybe Scott needed Harvey more than I did, which was saying something.

"Gotta go, Harvey. I'll stay in touch."

They'd been plotting this for months. They'd had a plan for when I couldn't do it anymore. They'd hidden it from me.

Courtesy PublicAffairs

I let my mind drift to the backyard games in Fort Pierce, Florida, to the early ball games at Sportsman's Park and then Port St. Lucie High School, the draft, a couple years in the minor leagues, my big-league debut for the Cardinals in Montreal a month after my twentieth birthday, my first home run, an opposite-field shot on a cold, damp night in St. Louis. The road to the major leagues had seemed wide and empty, without a speed limit. Damn, was that me back there? Had I ever been that fearless? That sure of myself?

Occasionally, as word spread that I'd gone home for good, my teammates—former teammates—would wake my phone with a text message.

"All good," I'd send back. Yeah, all good.

"Good luck," they'd say. "You too."

"We'll get a beer."

"Sounds good."

We probably wouldn't. I wasn't part of that anymore.

I closed my eyes again and considered the path to here, to a couch in Jupiter and a Wednesday morning in March with nothing to do but reassure those kind enough to reassure me. And to say good-bye. They'd go off to their lives, my former life, and I'd get on with mine, which at the moment had nothing to do with baseball and everything to do with a fluffy cushion under my head and, I didn't know, maybe some lunch or something. I could do whatever I wanted, and I'd never have to chase the fastball I'd once had, or stand in the middle of a ballpark in disgrace as my catcher spun and sprinted to the backstop, or fear my next pitch, or live up to the player I had been. I wouldn't have to be the guy who used to be Rick Ankiel anymore. Maybe I'd sleep again. The nightmares could go haunt some other poor schmuck.

On my couch, I was content. The poster on the living room wall behind me was from Scarface, one of my favorite movies. Al Pacino lazed in a huge bathtub, bubbles everywhere. He pulled on a cigar. In a lower corner, the words "Who do I trust? Me." I believed that again. It had been a while.

I'd just spent better than four years trying to trust everyone, anyone but the man on the couch. But I knew where my guy Tony Montana—Pacino's character—was coming from. I'd known that feeling once, forever ago. I'd been untouchable. They'd said I was gifted, that my arm was special. At twenty, I was certain of it too. More than certain. At twenty-one I stood on a pitcher's mound in a full stadium in game one of a playoff series, and from that height I could see the future everyone talked about, that I'd wished for myself. That I'd worked my ass off for.

From a slightly lower vantage point—my feet up, head back, eyes closed, late-morning sun on my face—I understood something similar. I was in control of my future again. So I wasn't going to be a special baseball player. I'd live up to practically no one's expectation of me. I probably wasn't going to be rich. There'd be no yacht, no mansion on the water, no easy life through middle age or for the next generation of Ankiels. There'd be no World Series game seven, me against some big ol' hairy dude, the crowd loud, the moment taut, me knowing I was born for the next pitch. Turned out, it was the next pitch that had run me off. I'd have to get a job, maybe go to school, sort out a life that had melted away on that mound and hadn't stopped bleeding until now. It all sounded so . . . wonderful.

In the beginning, when the monster was in its infancy, Dave Duncan had hope for me. A decent catch-and-throw catcher in the 1960s and '70s, he had become the most respected pitching coach in the game. Duncan turned out Cy Young Award winners and World Series champion pitching staffs, and he had a particular touch with pitchers who'd been successful but had somehow lost their way. He didn't say a lot, but the few words he chose were enough. His reputation was as a coach who'd turn rookies into men, average pitchers into good pitchers, good pitchers into great pitchers. The ones who came along great, he'd keep them great.

Then there was me. He tried. He knew pitching mechanics. He understood the mind of the ballplayer. And he could sort through an opposing lineup, pick it apart, and present the strategy that would work in a few simple, encouraging sentences.

None of which prepared him for the can't-miss prodigy who missed a lot. None of which prepared him for the monster.

"Dunc," La Russa said to him that day, "Rick went home. He's not coming back."

Duncan shook his head and blinked his sad eyes. He'd seen it coming and thought it was for the best. He'd been bothered by the previous four seasons, by his inability to fix me, to set it right. He'd lost sleep himself. He had a pitching staff to deliver by opening day, and there was plenty to do that morning, but he'd allow a few moments for regret. There'd been days along the way, moments, really, a pitch here or there, when Duncan had allowed himself a drop of optimism. But the next day would come and bring another bucket of reality, which inevitably got kicked over, drenching everybody's shoes again.

La Russa knew precisely what Duncan was thinking. They'd spent plenty of nights together considering ways to reconstruct me, and La Russa would wonder when the game might become fun again for me. He'd stand to the side and see me on a mound, watch me start my windup, and remember when he'd allowed himself to believe he was witnessing the next Bob Gibson, the left-handed version. Wasn't that long ago, he'd muse. He would not have said it aloud, not in public, where such reflections would stalk a ballplayer to his grave. But, hell, I'd had as live an arm as La Russa had ever seen. The way I threw a baseball, it was as if the ball itself was alive and couldn't wait to be excused from its temporary place in my hand. From the Rawlings factory, to the box with eleven other balls in it, to the ball bag, to the baseball glove, and then to my hand. These were merely transitional areas for a baseball on the nights I went out there and, a pitch at a time, tried to become something great.

They'd talked themselves out on the subject of me, and so in the brief silence between the manager and his pitching coach in the immediate aftermath of my departure, La Russa chose to accept it. He understood that this thing had ridden me long enough, that my really bad day had become countless worse ones. It was time for me to go, and for the organization to let go.

All things considered, I thought I was pretty well adjusted. I mean, I was screwed up and everything, I couldn't throw a ball sixty feet without practically breaking out in hives, and I'd become expert in medicating my ghosts so at least I could survive the harrowing hours around the ball games. But, hey, fake it till you make it. To the end, I'd shown up every day, and worked to get it right and held on to the hope I'd make it, and now I was in my midtwenties and could think of no reason at the moment to get off the couch.

Harvey believed I was, his words here, that psychological tire. I'd been riding hard miles on that tire for four and a half years, and the tire was worn and road-weary and quite possibly dangerous. He also believed I would know when the journey, that being my career, was done. He'd never said, "Ank, it ain't gonna happen," even if he'd known it. And he did know it. He got me through the day, however, and then went to work on the next day, and he prepared me for what he knew was the inevitable.

Harvey would tell Scott the time was coming when the tire would blow. They had to be ready with an alternative to the lives I'd once had—the one I'd been chasing for four and a half years and the one I'd escaped before that. I thought Harvey was being my shrink, being my friend, being my father figure. He thought he was saving my life.

The phone rang. It was Scott. Geez, I thought, I'm fine. I picked up.

"How's it going?" he asked. This again.

"I'm good, Scott," I said. "You sure?"

"I'm fine."

"Ank," he said, "you ready to go play?"

"Go play what? I'm done." Wasn't he listening? Wasn't anybody?

"Outfield. For the Cardinals. I talked to Walt." Wait. What?

"Jocketty," I said. "You talked to Walt Jocketty, and he wants me to play the outfield. For the Cardinals."

"Yes."

"You're not bullshitting me, are you?"

"You're a big leaguer," Scott said. "You can do this. They'll start you on the minor-league side. You'll work your way up. It'll work. You're good enough."

Scott and Harvey had worked this out. Harvey had advised against it, against inviting more failure, unless Scott was absolutely sure I could return to the major leagues. A five-year minor-league slog, topping out in Double A, sending me back to the couch again at thirty years old, would only put more miles on that same psychological tire.

"When have I ever been anything but up-front with you?" Scott chided.

"I know. I know I know I know."

"You can do this. Go have a good time. Go beat the game. You'd be great."

Damn, I'd just quit baseball. Three hours before, I'd said good-bye. No regrets. I sat up, looked around, found the poster. Who do I trust?

I hit in high school. I hit a little in the big leagues, when pitchers figured there'd be nothing to lose by throwing me fastballs. I did hit some in the minors. That was rookie ball. Against kids. I wasn't an everyday player. I hadn't played the outfield since Port St. Lucie. This was crazy. Beyond crazy. But I was twenty-five. Wasn't that when regular people started their careers? It would never work. But it might.

I tried to clear my head. Was I ready to fall back in love with baseball? Was I going to do this to myself again? Didn't I want to sleep?

"They wanted me?"

"This isn't charity," Scott said. "You can play. You can do this."

"OK, lemme think."

"Ank, I believe in this. I think you should too."

"When?"

"Tomorrow." Well, damn. "Tomorrow, huh?"

Excerpted from "The Phenomenon: Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch that Changed My Life" by Rick Ankiel and Tim Brown Copyright © 2017. Available from PublicAffairs, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

The Day I Quit Baseball, Then Came Back published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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itsworn · 8 years ago

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The Righteous Super Bee You Wish You Had In High School!

High school. For those of us who grew up when muscle was available cheap and hot girls were sometimes not, late Saturday nights spent cruising was part of the fabric of our lives. We lived for the culture of street power, tuning, and tweaking for the next midnight car show and performance clinic, letting the car speak for our loyalties and mechanical ability. Back then, we dealt with all the poseurs, the police, and the popular guys in their Brand X pony cars. Frankly, it was a blast, one that generated fond memories and probably set the standard for why we still read magazines like this one.

For Joe Biro, that cultural outlier obviously took firm root. You see, Joe is not simply a “car guy” today, but the VP of and founding partner for Vision X USA, an aftermarket performance and automotive lighting company based in Auburn, Washington. Like many who chased their performance pursuit from high school into aftermarket careers, Joe has owned his share of rides over the years, but the one that got away was a 1969 Super Bee, his first car in the glory days.

The Super Bee was Dodge’s answer to the Road Runner, though a little more upscale thanks to its podded Charger dash. Road Runner’s instant popularity had taken Detroit by surprise after its late 1967 introduction, and Dodge picked up on a “stinging bee” theme for its iteration of budget muscle in mid 1968. The premise was simple; as opposed to the deluxe features of the R/T line, the Super Bee would use a basic Coronet body and minor options coupled to a reworked 383 and solid driveline layout as standard equipment. Backed by a four-speed or automatic, better suspension parts, and Super Bee graphics, the idea was to make an impression. Until mid 1969, only the Hemi was an option. A special Super Bee coded A12 could be had late in the model year with the new 440 Six Pack, but Joe’s car back then was like most others—a durable 383 Magnum was beating under the hood.

“My first car had been a ’69 Super Bee,” Joe recounts. “So, as an adult I had wanted to restore one. This car was rough; in fact, three shops turned it down, saying it was too far gone, before Restorations by Rob took it on. Rob and his son Robbie put a lot of blood, sweat, and hard work into it.”

Rob Lelakowski has been running his Buckeye, Arizona-based shop for over a quarter-century. Mopars are his specialty, and he and Robbie have a strong following of customers in the Grand Canyon State and beyond. So the project would be in good hands, but this is not to say Joe was hands-off on the rebuild. On the contrary, it would help rekindle the past.

“It was important to me to be a huge part of this project,” says Joe. “I had a lot of memories of it, and wanted it to be 100 percent perfect. We all did. Some people wondered what I was doing. Well, they understand now!”

Starting with the well-used carcass, the process began with soda-blasting the body to bare metal. There was a lot of repair and replace to do, and all new panels were installed. The Bondo fixes of yore were left on the shelf, creating a very solid sheet-steel canvas for Chris Customs in nearby Waddell to cover with PPG F8 Green paint, ready for the factory Super Bee graphics and restored trim. This facet of the progression gave the project its visual basics. The subdued paint color helps mask the changes that went into the driveline and suspension, which was not overly-radical but far more than Mopar could offer back in the last year of the Sixties.

“This particular car I wanted to be stock-appearing, but under the hood I wanted it to be mean,” says Joe. That was not a completely difficult task, as options for stroker powerplants are far more prevalent than they were back in the high-school era. We noted the availability of the 440 Six Pack in mid 1969; this 383-based engine went even further, using a solid 440Source stroker kit with a long crank arm to punch the displacement to 512 cubes. Engine work was given to Jim Basco at Basco Engines in Mesa, who machined and assembled the package with a conservative blend of old-school four-barrel carburation, the factory exhaust manifolds, Flowmaster three-chamber mufflers, an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, and minor chrome touches.

For those of us who remember, power-shifting a four-speed was the way to travel the cruise-in circuits, and Joe’s Super Bee still has the factory’s A833 crash box, rebuilt in a solid fashion by Alger at A&S in Phoenix. The fresh 8.75 differential housing was powder-coated, complete with a get-’er-done highway cog ratio of 3.55 and a SureGrip to leave dual tire marks if desired. Hotchkis shocks in all four corners aid in handling, with Baer front disc brakes stopping about 3,700 pounds of muscle.

We noted the stock appearance. One standout part of this particular ride is the white vinyl interior. You will note the bench seating. Yes, when the young ladies did dare to ride with us, it was nice to have them close, so no harm there. Rob and Robbie redid them with NOS material, and left the inside appearance quite close to 1969. The Hurst white ball shifter was, shall we say, convenient. The other exception is behind-the-scenes Vision X lighting, VDO gauge upgrades, and modern stereo upgrades thanks to Electo-Tech magic within the original AM Stereo thumb-roller radio.

So far, other than the chrome under the hood and these mild changes inside, this would look like a restoration to basic stock. There is one big exception, though. Joe wanted a wheel design that spoke both to the old and new era, plus a tire size that would allow those 512 cubes to stay glued. The largest OEM wheel on a Super Bee in ’69 was the police-car JJ-code 15×6 steelies offered with the Six Pack. Selected here were even larger examples, using the well-respected Torque-Thrust versions, with 15x7s up front and 15×8.5s out back, all shod in muscle-era profile BF Goodrich rubber.

“I named this car Sweet Lucille after a quote by George Kennedy in one of my favorite movies, Cool Hand Luke,” Joe laughs. “In the movie, he is watching this attractive girl wash a car as he works on the chain gang, and says, ‘anything just as pure and sweet as that just gotta be named Lucille.’ Rob asked if I was going to name the project, and that was how it happened!”

After starting with halogen replacement headlamps, Vision X USA is now focused on cutting-edge LED-based technology for automotive and industrial use, including a headlamp layout that uses a single LED with a well-insulated 15- or 20-watt chip for muscle car applications. (By comparison, a halogen version has 100-watt high beams and 55-watt low-beams.) As a result, the Vision X Super Bee features those LED bulbs in the dash, the brake and taillamps, the headlamps, accessory lighting and more, primarily using the OEM wiring and fixtures. In fact, Joe notes that with everything turned on inside, the draw is still less than a single halogen in the dome fixture. Cool stuff…

The nice thing about being out of high school is that you have a little more time and money for a project like this. Joe admits that before it was done, this no-expense-spared effort and so much NOS material had pushed the cost up into serious territory. Was it worth it?

“You know, if it wasn’t for Rob and Robbie, my old high-school car might have just remained a memory. Today, this car looks amazing. It really is better than new!”

Facts> 1969 Dodge Super Bee | Joe Biro | Scottsdale, AZ

ENGINE Type: 512ci wedge design based on low-deck B block Bore x stroke: 4.310 (OEM bore +.040) x 7.1 (stroke) Block: OEM cast; cleaned and machined at Basco Race Engines for clearance Rotating assembly: 440Source 512ci stroker kit (crank, rods, pistons), Total Seal rings Compression: 9.5:1 Cylinder heads: factory cast design, ported and polished Camshaft: COMP Extreme Energy XR286HR-10 hydraulic, .544-/.541-inch lift, 110-degree centerline Valvetrain: Harland Sharpe rockers, Milodon valves, Mancini dual-coil springs, 440source pushrods Induction: Performer RPM single 4BBL Fuel system: 1x4BBL Edelbrock/Carter AVS 800cfm, rejetted for application Exhaust: factory cast manifolds, Flowmaster mufflers Ignition: MSD Cooling: Griffen aluminum Fuel: high-octane pump gas Other: restoration grade OEM engine fasteners, Hemi-type oil pan Output: not dyno tested Engine built by: Jim Basco/Basco Race Engines, Mesa, AZ Engine tuning: Bob Reem, Imagine Injection

DRIVETRAIN Transmission: 1969 A833 four-speed manual transmission, reworked by Alger at A&S Driveshaft: OEM (new) Rearend: Chrysler 8.75 banjo design, 3.55 center section, SureGrip, powder-coated

CHASSIS Construction: primarily Chrysler assembly line, handmade subframe connectors, modern reconstruction by Restorations by Rob Front suspension: factory layout with Hemi torsion bars, Hotchkis shocks Rear suspension: factory layout, NOS rear springs, Hotchkis shocks Steering: OEM Front brakes: Baer conversion front disc Rear brakes: OEM drum design

WHEELS & TIRES Wheels: Torque-Thurst (bare metal tone with chrome trim rings) 15×7, front; 15×8.5, rear Tires: BFG 235/60R15, front; 275/60R15, rear

INTERIOR Seats: NOS grade white vinyl bench Instruments: NOS with mild changes, VDO gauge, LED lighting by Vision X USA Stereo: 21st century connectivity thanks to Electro-Tech (AM/FM/Bluetooth inside factory AM stereo housing) Steering wheel: OEM black Shifter: Hurst ball-handle, floor mount

The Super Bee was Dodge’s answer to the Road Runner, but never sold in as much quantity. As a result, Dodges like this are not nearly as easy to come by as you might think, and Joe spent real money getting Sweet Lucille back into prime shape.

The optional Ramcharger hood could be had for fresh-air induction, but most Super Bees (and R/Ts) came with this hood treatment. Simply a mild centered hood rise edged in chrome, it denoted that this Coronet was a member of the Scat Pack.

The engine’s external dimensions are still the same as the 1969 383 the car came from the factory with, but a stroker kit from 440source gave it no less than 129 more cubes, to 512. Edelbrock chrome dress-ups hide the 800cfm carb, a descendent of the original Carter AVS model.

The attractive white vinyl interior looks completely stock, but makes use of Vision X USAs replacement LED lighting, which can be used in the OEM wiring harness but greatly reduces draw on the battery. VDO equipment is behind the gauge facings.

The grille separates the quad headlamp package, which also benefits from Vision X USA LED lighting. For 1969, Dodge chose to pinch the center of the grille slightly, creating the bridge between the flush design of 1968 and the paired openings used in 1970.

Using muscle car sidewall correct 15-inch Torque Thrust wheels helps give the car an appropriate “day two” stance. The Baer brake system is barely visible behind this front wheel.

A view from underneath shows the level of detail applied to the car. The powercoated rearend housing, NOS springs, Hotchkis shocks, and fresh BF Goodrich rubber indeed make it “better than factory.”

That Solid State AM outfit looks stock, but actually houses modern stereo internals thanks to a retrofitting by Electo-Tech. AM, FM, or I-phone…

A Griffen radiator layout is far more efficient than some of the old-school designs. Ironically, the exterior touches done to the engine bay are similar to what may have been done in the old school days. Not too much chrome, and a handful of aftermarket parts.

Dodge’s “Bee” was one of several muscle car era characters that helped promote performance in the late 1960s. While it was used to denote all the cars in the Scat Pack, only these cars received this larger example, much as only Plymouth Superbird had a highly-visible Road Runner on the wing.

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