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12 Bonehead Basics of Car Maintenance
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You know, That Guy who thinks that the best way to keep a car from overheating is to roll down the window. That Guy who hires the neighborhood kid to wash his car 'cause he’s allergic to “going outside and doing things.” There are lots of ways to be That Guy, but only one way not

to be: by regaining your self-sufficiency and learning the basics about car care. Using STP® is a good first step. And while we can’t do the rest for you, we'll give you a few pointers. Check out the tutorials. Take a look at the videos. And get under your hood. Good luck, and Don't Be That Guy.

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  • Dec
    14
    5 Comments

    Old School Cool

    Posted in: Who's That Guy?, This Guy Wisdom, Car Culture, Car Knowledge
    Shaq Diesel
    Replica of Kyle Petty’s ‘82 Buick Regal.

    Hola, chief. We recently met a fella named Jim Boyle through our STP Facebook page, and we think he’s all kinds of cool. You see the photo of that car, the one on your left? That’s a detailed replica of the 1982 Buick Regal that Kyle Petty drove back in the ’81-’82 NASCAR seasons. And our friend Jim Boyle restored it from the ground up with his own hands. Here at STP, it’s this kind of creativity and drive that makes us proud, so we’d like to give a shout-out to Jim for all his hard work and dedication to NASCAR and to the Richard Petty family.

    Jim was born in South Dakota, and his love of cars started with the die-cast Hot Wheels toys that he collected as a kid in the 1960s. Jim took auto shop in high school and eventually joined the Air Force where he would become a jet engine mechanic. “Mainly I was a rodeo fan, growing up in South Dakota,” says Jim. “And then I joined the military, and from there, traveling all over, I got the bug for NASCAR.”

    Jim’s first NASCAR race was more than twenty years ago, but he talks about it like it was yesterday:

    “It was the Pontiac Excitement 400 on March 26, 1989, at the Richmond International Raceway, and I went with a bunch of guys from work. We had these really cheap seats down at the bottom, and the cars would be zooming past you, your hair blowing in the breeze as they go by. I remember the roar of the engines and the smell of fuel and burnt rubber. And I was like, ‘Oh man, this is awesome.’ And I was hooked.”

    But Jim wasn’t simply hooked on NASCAR. He would become a lifelong fan of Richard Petty and his family. “I follow anyone who drives for Richard Petty Motor Sports. And it’s because of the Petty family and their way of life,” says Jim.  “The Petty’s are very religious and very loyal to their fans and to their employees. And they’re very family-oriented, very children-oriented. Kyle and Pattie (Petty) started the Victory Junction Gang Camp in honor of their son Adam who died in a crash at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway about ten years ago. It’s a camp for critically ill children, and they do a lot of great work on behalf of sick kids and their families.”

    While Jim is glad he chose to rebuild Kyle Petty’s ’82 Buick Regal, his sights were initially set elsewhere. “My original goal was to build the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard,” says Jim. “But a ’69 Charger is a lot more expensive than a Buick Regal, especially one with a decent body and everything.”

    Jim would eventually meet Kyle Petty and other members of the Petty family, and that’s when he decided to rebuild one of their classic cars. “I started looking at some of the stuff that people had done in the past, and they’ve all done Richard Petty cars. So I said, ‘I want to be different. I’m going to do a Kyle Petty car.’ And I’d become friends with Kyle Petty, and I showed him what I wanted to do. And that’s how it all transpired.”

    Shaq Diesel
    The ‘82 Buick before Jim worked his magic.

    Six years ago, Jim found an ’82 Buick Regal in decent condition and bought it for $1200. “I drove it around for a few months, got the bugs out of it. Then I parked it in the backyard and started saving my money,” says Jim. “And that’s when I started making friends with body shops and painters and worked out good deals with them. It took about a year to get it done — gutting the interior, putting in race seats, a roll bar. There’s no back seat in it any more — it looks just like a racecar.”

    After spending more than $10,000 on the project (the paint job alone was $5000) and countless hours of work, Jim Boyle knows he’s got something special. To date, he’s entered the Buick Regal in four car shows and has taken home three trophies. And even Kyle Petty was impressed. When Jim first showed him the newly restored car, the legendary driver responded, “Holy, sh*t. I drove that car for two years. This is old school cool.” And today, a large decal that reads “Old School Cool” adorns the rear windshield of the vehicle.

    Shaq Diesel
    Jim and King Richard Petty.

    But Jim’s greatest reward for his efforts doesn’t come from the trophies he’s won or even from the praise of Kyle Petty: It’s from the reaction of children who see the car. “Little kids really love it. You can see their eyes open wide,” says Jim. “They drag their moms and dads by the hand saying, ‘Look, it’s a racecar, it’s a racecar!’ And they’ll look inside it, and I’ll let them sit in it and act like they’re driving it. And that’s the best thing about having this car. That’s what it’s all about.”

    Indeed, that really is what it’s all about. And in our book, Jim Boyle is nothing short of old school cool. If you’d like more information about the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the great work they do on behalf of sick kids and their families, you can visit their website at www.victoryjunction.org.

    That’s it for today, amigos. Until next time: Travel safe, live smart, and get your hands dirty.

    —RC, STP® blogger

     

  • 5 COMMENTS Share this via Email Share this on Twitter
  • Donald Morris
    12.14.10

    I can discribe it in two words, BAD ASS!!!!

  • Haslin Chandra
    12.15.10

    Dear,
    I am now @ Semarang i—Indonesia
    Pls send me via email more STP NASCAR CAR.

    tq
    Haslin

  • dad
    12.15.10

    i know is great, is in love his race car. he loves it like his girl friend.

  • Kevin
    12.15.10

    Nice job Jim! smile

  • Michelle
    10.05.11

    Beautiful article Jim!

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