Flip This Car: 1989 Ford Taurus SHO part three

Did he really back up a half mile down a twisting forest trail? The smell of hot clutch says "yes, he did."

No differentials were harmed in the making of this photo. That's right, both wheels were spinning.

A seasonal road is still a road, right?

Even I'm not crazy enough to try this descent. I've learned over the years that oil pans work best when not punctured, or worse yet, torn off.

Fight fire with fire...I tried to offer high-speed shuttle services to and from a recent forest fire in these parts, but oddly enough the authorities weren't interested.

The Soundracer--these items plug into the cigarette lighter and measure engine rpm based on alternator signal. They won't fool anyone (especially the V-10, which sounds like a 1980's video game), but these little gadgets do a surprisingly good job of matching sound with what your right foot does. Aside from going up and down with revs, the devices also vary sound levels; louder when accelerating, quieter at even speed or deceleration. They only offer sound to around 5500 rpm, and with the SHO's 7000-rpm redline, well, you get the idea. Still, they're quite addicting, especially the V-8 model. Note to self--get a better stereo in this car.

$150 to repaint the hood, or $35 for a hood protector. Hard to go wrong there.

Winding Road Captain Seyth Miersma will remember this little jewel, rescued from the Winding Road warehouse (okay, the back closet) during our move to the new digs in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The compass always points north, and the forecast is always for clouds and rain. I thought it was broken, but then I realized that's just life in Michigan.

This particular neon light plugs into the cigarette lighter, and has a vibration setting which causes the light to flicker in time with bass on the stereo. I was going to take this photo outside, but it was just too embarrassing.