I’d recommend the Midwest League to anyone who loves the game. Pretty amazing to realize every player on both rosters was the best of their high school conference, and probably 10 percent may be playing next season. Our local GM grabbed me one day in 2011 to tell me the kid he’d picked up at the airport the night befor…

Can you get winter tires that size?

A favorite urban-drive pastime for me is, when first in line at a stoplight paying closer attention to drivers making their left turn in front of you. AT LEAST every third one is on the phone (probably even higher given you can’t spot those on hands-free) and a significant number have something (cig, XXX coffee cup,…

Holy crap, that looks awesome.

Can’t imagine the anguish he’s experiencing now. It’s encouraging to note his manager/team’s response - credit them for doing the right thing (staying with him on that horrible trip home), however inadequate it may be in the moment.

Grain Belt is a good American lager! It’s now brewed by Schell’s of New Ulm, Minn., a tiny brewery that dates back to the 1860s.

“...we have other cars for longer trips.”

Hey, it’s not something most people would know/think about unless they lived through it or are some kinda train geek (I’m both). It’s a bit more complex than that (history usually is), but the major railroads invested hundreds of millions (way into the billions in current dollars) on new trains and equipment after…

Those lines were ripped out because people stopped riding on/shipping on them. There have been a few short-sighted abandonments due to perceived redundancy, but the passengers abandoned the railroads, not the other way around.

You could buy one of these at your local Ford dealer - not sure of the side pipes though. They had a few of ‘em with matching graphics, including Broncos and a Pinto sedan delivery/wagon thing. I think GM and Chrysler did something similar.

I’m pretty sure there was a 350 conversion kit sold for these back in the day?

I’ve read a quote from Eisenhower crediting the Allied victory to the Jeep, the C-47, and the bulldozer - none of them military weapons.

Are you remembering Battle of the Bulge, the movie ? Something like that happened in the film, I think.

Yeah, I’ve researched bits of homefront history for articles over the years. It was full-on economic mobilization after a decade-plus of depression. Not just manufacturing but the railroads saw record traffic levels, etc. If you were exempted from service for being “essential,” a guy could do pretty well.

Terrific historical research by everyone on this piece, thanks.

HOW HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF THIS?! This actually looks pretty great, both as a decent-looking car and as superb trolling. I’d never guess GM of the ‘80s (or today) was capable of either.

...but how awesome would a GTI pickup have been?

...if you didn’t get punched in the face. Speaking as one who spent 30 years in newsrooms.

Yeah, I love being lectured on the hard realities of life by someone who’s spending their life in the Toy Department.

These were the affordable used cars during my college and immediate post-college years. They were objectively horrible, and also awesome.