Parallel List

 I am sure that every hot rodder has their own list of nevers in their cars.

Mine is:

1: No Ford, Mercury, Lincoln.  I am three for three in negative experiences with the brand.  I got to drive the '73 Mustang a whole 35 miles before being arrested because I'd bought a stolen car.  Mercury Lynx is an Escort and teh suxxor.  And I had a real Escort too.  Sours one on the brand.

     Exception:  There are a couple of really old Ford bodies I'd own, but they'd have GM engines, transmission and electric in them.

2: No red interiors!  The Rust Monster and Lynx convinced me that it's the most brittle and delicate plastic color in the world.

3: 305 never again.  I have gotten rid of two of those misbegotten emissions compromised engines and replaced them with 350's and I would have been money ahead both times shopping a little harder for a car that came with the larger displacement mill.  It's not like a 4.8L LS motor.  You can get decent performance from a 4.8, not from a 305.

4: Throw away all the wiring in any MOPAR.  Even Ford does better with electrical systems.  Only Lucas does worse.

5: Nothing German.  I like simplicity over "elegant engineering".

6: No carburetors!  It'd have to be special to give up multi-port fuel injection.  My complaints about computer controls is being locked out of making changes and not that there's a computer running the show.

7: Yellow is not a good hot-rod color.

Some strange things appeal to me.

I have a recurring desire to replace an old Chevy inline 6 with a DOHC inline motor.  If only the Atlas engine had a more common transmission bolt pattern.  If only Toyota had not farmed out their latest I-6 to BMW.  If only.