Ride of the Week… Fire-destroyed Ranchero finds new home at Murphy Auto Museum
The Woolsey Fire left many cars in ruin.
Literally hundreds of them litter the ’Bu, and many of them will head to the scrap heap.
But when my friend Thom Panunzio asked me if there was anything we could do with his 1957 Ford Ranchero, I had to take a moment to contemplate. This Ranchero was in Panunzio’s hands for many years and two days before the fire started, it was just completed. His to-do list was done. The next stop for the car was my Wheels and Waves show here in Malibu.
But alas, the fires ripped through the canyon and destroyed his garage, cars and all its contents.
So I made a call to my friend David Neel at The Murphy Auto Museum. What if we could drag the car out of the ash-littered garage, take it to the museum and put in on display as a piece of history? And to no shock at all, Neel was immediately on board.
A few weeks later, I was heading to Panunzio’s again with my wife, Kathie, and friend, Ken Vela, to grab the car. We posted on Facebook that we needed a trailer and up popped Dennis Burnham from Torrance. He had just purchased a trailer and was eager to help. We arrived at the garage to find that the car sat on its belly and was in park. The only way to get it out was to drag it. So, we did.
It took four hours to get the car on the bed — twice as long as we expected.
We had to come back the next day and drive it from Malibu all the way to Oxnard, ash flying out the back. The dismount of the ’57 was slightly easier than getting it on the trailer, albeit it falling a few times. But once we got it cleared using a forklift, we set her down in a prime spot where people could see her.
The Murphy is currently closed for the holidays, but will reopen in January if you want to go up and get a closer look.
But as we settled the car in the space, Panunzio called me to express his gratitude that the car that he once had truly loved was going to have a second life. This made me very happy and gave me perspective in regard to the cars, homes and things that people lost in this fire. The attachments we had are not about the things, but about the feelings behind them.
The emotion that was rattled in this year’s fire was what truly shook us. Most things can be replaced and some things can’t, but the feelings we suffered from hit us to our core. Many of us identify ourselves with what we have instead of who we are. And it’s who we are that truly defines us.
Loss of your possessions is horrible. But loss of yourself is worse. And that can only happen if you give up, which is something Malibu will never do — and that’s why I’m grateful to be here with all of you.
Want to be featured in Ride of the Week? Send Fireball an email at askfireball@fireballtim.com.
A week in the 2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID VAN…
Boy, have Vans come a long way. But that doesn’t necessarily mean better. Although, in the case of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, better is certainly a word I’d choose.
Here on the VlogBlog, it’s not about the tech so much as it is about DESIGN and FUNCTION. Does the Pacifica look cool? Does it fit the lifestyle?
Well, years ago I had a Toyota Previa. I loved that car. Only, it had one sliding door that never worked right, average handling, not a lot of power and a silly purple color.
The improvements for the Pacifica far exceed that, but so does every other Van. So what’s special about this one? Girth.
The Chrysler Pacifica shares the language of Dodge Muscle. The seats, steering wheel and controls are all bulky and thick. I like that. When I turn a knob, it’s a KNOB. When I grab the wheel, I grab the WHEEL. There’s no mistake that you’re holding onto something strong and powerful.
At just over $48K, the Pacifica can hold its own in the Van Market. The Jazz Blue Pearl reflects a cool hue from the sky, although not really sure what Jazz has to to with that exactly. But it rocks, so I’d call it Rock Blue Pearl.
It’s got a 16gl tank to help with the 84mpg Hybrid support. No, that wasn’t a typo. It gets 84 frikkin’ MPGs. It also has so many options including 2 sliding doors that you could write a book. Pretty sure they did that. But… the best part is the POTENTIAL.
The wheels on the car are docile. But you black out the windows and bump those 17inch polished Aluminums to 19… and you’ve got an Academy Awards Killer. It’s at home shindigging around celebs as much as hitting Home Depot for a Table Saw.
It’s ECO meets EGO. Friendly, snappy looking and a quantum level interior that in white… would make your local Guru proud.
You need a Van? It’s simple. The 2018 Chrysler Pacifica is everything a van should be. Although, a big phat wing on the back would be cool too.
PAUL WALKER COBRA AT HILLBANK MOTORSPORTS – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 880
PAUL WALKER COBRA AT HILLBANK MOTORSPORTS – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 880 – Fireball and Ken visit Doug Campbell at Hillbank Motorsports where they build and sell amazing Cobras, Daytonas and other toys. Drooling ensues…
Fireball SKETCH of the Day… DEADLFT
There’s still time to get one of our CUSTOM CAR COLORING BOOKS for Christmas! Head to AMAZON NOW!
HOLIDAY CHEER… from The Daily Driver Project
Comedians joke about it and movies have been made about the chaos and stress of family and general holiday craziness.
We get to this time of year and concern ourselves with what we will get and what we will give each other. The material concerns that define many of our lives.
Sometimes you need to step out of the chaos.
Pick your head up and notice the beauty around you.
A child’s smile at seeing Santa…
The wonderful Christmas lights filling the night sky with beautiful colors…
The family and friends that you do get to see…
A simple meal with a friend…
Find the time that you need.
Go to a Car Show…
See a movie…
Find time to do something that fills your heart and brings a smile to your face.
Even the small things can help.
Find your holiday cheer in whatever form you need. Find that smile, that silly laugh, that thing that adds a little bit of joy.
Then find another and another and soon your day is filled, your week, your month and your year with joy and happiness.
Have a fantastic holidays my friends.
Happy Holidays from FIREBALL PUBLISHING!!
In a time where we are conditioned to think that Christmas GIVING is the focus, let this year be the year where GIVING becomes the yearly norm.
Life changes begin when we stop thinking of ourselves, and start thinking about others. PROSPERITY, LOVE, KINDNESS, JOY and PEACE all exist now and come to those that put others first.
Happy Holidays to all our friends, clients, supporters and watchers of the show. May all your dreams become the norm and may peace have a permanent place in your hearts.
Fireball SKETCH of the Day… BLOBMOBILE!
Fireball SKETCH of the Day… VETTE-DRIFT!
CORVETTE VLOG FLASHBACK! Fast and Furious…
Fireball SKETCH of the Day… Godzilla Blading…
2018 WHEELS AND WAVES CHRISTMAS – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 879
2018 WHEELS AND WAVES CHRISTMAS SHOW – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 879 – Fireball Tim’s Wheels and Waves goes off featuring Classic Hudsons and Edsels, Customs, Santa, Celebrities and more. Then Fireball and Kathie hit DTLA for Christmas…
