have always been a roadster fan. Sure, I like coupes and sedans, but I seem to have a real affinity for open hot rods—especially roadsters, roadster pickups, and phaetons … wait I think that makes up all the styles of roadsters? Among the multitude of roadsters out there I do have a real fascination with the ’28-29 Ford roadsters, but the fact is I would drive any year roadster as they are all cool. Oh well, you get the idea; I am a roadster fan.

Technically my first hot rod event that I covered with a camera in hand for a magazine was the Roadster Roundup (the L.A. Roadsters and the Bay Area Roadsters gathering) from back in the early ’70s–I think it was 1971. Maybe that was the catalyst required to get my interest going in that direction or a passion for all things “roadster.” No question I was also influenced by my mentor at the time Tex Smith who had a real passion for roadsters himself. At the time he and I began working together, he was in the process of building a ’34 Ford roadster.

It didn’t take long before I found myself liking all Model A roadsters and truth be told I wanted to build a ’28 Ford roadster pickup. Tex put me in touch with the proper sheetmetal out of his Montana stash and the late Joe Mayall (magazine guy and NSRA StreetScene editor) brought it down to my home back in the day. It was also around this time that I began hanging around Dick “Magoo” Megugorac’s shop, Magoo’s. At the time no one built Model A roadsters, especially A/V-8 style the way Magoo did. He built several famous magazine feature cars as well as many great-looking hot rods that one could see running around the streets of SoCal.

OK, we have established that I like roadsters, particularly the ’28-29 version. What does this have to do with my editorial title this month?

I was leaving the office this past week when I noticed my roadster sitting in the corner of our tech center. It has been there for a year, and I have driven it only once. That is a sad commentary on so many levels.

I thought about my dilemma on my drive home. “Why was this happening to me?”

The best I could come up with is, “It’s too cold.”

This photo was taken at the 2005 SEMA Show showing my ’29 Ford highboy roadster on display. It was here PPG introduced its PPG Vibrance Collection, Liquid Crystal. The roadster was painted in a “Cabernet,” reminiscent of a Candy Apple color.

There was a time when I would drive my roadster on the coldest of mornings or nights. It was fun to bundle up and enjoy the drive. You were guaranteed to have a “ready-to-eat” appetite upon arrival at your destination. Of course, warming up a bit does help.

The more and more I thought about my predicament the more I realized there could be only one of two answers. It must be “climate change” and the weather is now colder—a biting cold that just goes through your warm and fuzzy jacket and gets right to the core of your body. You know the cold, the kind that has you shivering, teeth chattering, and it doesn’t matter how many layers of clothing you are wearing, you are still chilled to the bone.

Or it could be that I am getting older and just a wuss. I prefer not to give any legitimacy to answer number two, however, I must say that I do enjoy cruising around in cool coupes. I seem to enjoy this more than in the past, but hey, maybe my hot rod palate is ever-expanding.

I will have to give this quandary I find myself in some additional attention and develop a resolution. Although I am a true “he-man.” (When I was very young, I was a member of the “He-Man Woman-Haters Club.” There could be no denying how “tough” one was being a member. You must be very old to understand this meaning.) I consider myself made of the toughest of hot rod fiber. I am convinced that “global warming” is real, as there is no chance that I am a wuss.