You often hear people talk about the blockbuster movie “American Graffiti,” almost as if they were there. Well, Larry “Butch” Leal was one of those who actually lived the part.

 Let’s face it. A real car guy remembers his firsts. The first car that inspired him. The first car he owned. Even the first car he built from scratch.

Fuel injection has come a long way in the last 50-plus years, from the primitive mechanical fuel injection first available on 1957 Chevrolet cars equipped with the 283ci “Fuelie” V-8 to today’s modern electronically controlled fuel injected engines capable of making adjustments hundreds of times per second.

“When I was a kid, my dad had a ’65 Impala SS with a 327 and a four-speed; it had a yellow exterior and a black interior.” He continued, “We used to have fun doing burnouts and donuts in the local grocery store parking lot, with my sister and I screaming our heads off in joy!”

As a major focal point of a vehicle’s interior, a shift knob undoubtedly makes a statement of ownership and represents the owner’s tastes. Whether it is a modern billet aluminum piece, a traditional tiki head, or a menacing figure, it serves as not only a piece of artwork, but also as a connection between the driver and the drivetrain.

A Club Member recently e-mailed us and asked, “What exactly causes a strut or shock absorber to fail?” We were set to reply then realized there are likely many others who would also like to know the answer. With that in mind, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to delve into shock absorber technology and explain how the different types work and what causes a shock to fail.

This year’s AMBR award winner was a gorgeous black ’32 Ford roadster owned and built by Harry Willett of Orland Park, IL. The car features a Dodge Viper V-10 equipped with a fuel injection system from a LeMans Viper race car as well as a number of other race-inspired features that really helped it stand out from the other top-notch competitors.

Dodge Vipers draw attention, but when driving the 2008 Viper SRT10 in Snakeskin Green, be prepared for other drivers to hustle up beside you. No, they aren’t about to challenge you, but the guys in the other car want to shoot a cell-phone-camera shot, and salute you with a wave, a thumbs-up, or a big grin, or, all of the above.

When you crack the throttle of a 425-horsepower Hemi, the rumble goes right through your fingertips on the steering wheel and reverberates directly into your soul. It doesn’t matter if those fingertips are at a stoplight or at a dragstrip, but when they are commanding a Dodge Challenger SRT8, it’s important to pay homage to the car’s road-racing heritage.

The recent upheaval in the auto industry perhaps has hit the domestic “Big Three” hardest of all. Of the three, Chrysler was left in a most-precarious position, getting a lifeline in the form of a government loan, but still faces an uncertain future. General Motors and Ford are in a tough spot as well, and all three are realistically looking at curtailing their line-up as well as their expenditures.