Four Wheel Drift-Internet

Volume 3 Number 2

By Don Mallinson, President

It has been a long stretch between magazines, and it is all my fault.  Call it the "mother" of all writers blocks, but that is behind me now, and the new issue mailed to members on Feb 9, 2004.  This issue is officially for 2003 as we catch up on missed issues.

Convention #11

The 11th annual SHO International Convention in Madison WI was a BIG success.  Almost 130 cars attended and again, we raised over $4000 for the American Red Cross.

Another super low mile, pampered, but NOT trailered 1989 SHO won best of SHOw, proving that you can keep a car and use it and still have it be showroom new and concours quality.  These SHOw winners, and many of the other Gold award winning SHO's would be right at home on pebble beach if they would allow our cars in....maybe someday they will.

We had a great day at Blackhawk Farms and went drag racing to boot.  Check out the full review in the next magazine.

Convention #12

Without skipping a beat, we look forward to our first real West Coast convention.  San Francisco is a beautiful town on the ocean and with two huge bays to entertain.  We are having another great track event at a 3.1 mile track called Thunderhill.  Tours of the NAPA valley will be mesmerizing and you should buy some to stock up your wine cellar back home.

Check it all out on the convention pages.

More new "sporty" cars than you can shake a stick at

Really, why do people, including me, use idiotic phrases like that?  I can shake a stick at an almost infinite number of cars!

There are a lot of very good new cars out and planned for the near future.  Forget about the Ford GT, and new Cobra, or the exotics from overseas or even Daimler-Chrysler, I am talking about the new GTO, the Maxima, Acura TL, even the Mazda 6 (clone of the SHO if there ever was one!).  

Talking about these cars does not mean I am getting rid of my SHO's.  The SHO was near the top in performance when new, and STILL is near the top, but it no longer leads.  But the SHO will always remain an entertaining, basically sound and fun vehicle that is super affordable and VERY stealth!

But all of us will have to face the decision soon about what to get so that the SHO can become the fun "part time" car (at least if you are lucky enough to be able to have more than one car in the SHO's category).  For instance, I don't feel bad about hanging onto my trusty '89 even if I have to buy something newer to replace it.  Insurance for a part-time old car is not that much, and old SHO's generally aren't worth much.  So I can keep my '89 and enjoy it on nice days and not feel guilty.  I hope you can do the same.

I remember the days in the late 70's when you I drove past yards filled with Corvairs.  Here was an orphan car like the SHO that people loved and just knew would be something they wanted to enjoy many years down the road.  Several of those people now run businesses based on used and new parts for those cars.  Heck even Ralph Nader attends Corvair conventions (he isn't too "principled" to refuse money for speaking!) nowadays!

We have people collecting SHO's now, and a few have turned it into a good business.  Al Fitz in Nebraska is one example.  He has become THE place to go for recycled parts.  Thanks Al, the SHO's that give up their parts today will keep many others on the road in the future.

Don Mallinson, President
SHO Club