Alpha Male Manley Lectures: The Travel And The Traveler

This year, I traveled to the Petersen's Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. But on my way there, the true treasure that was found had nothing to do with automotive. That's because most of my travels involve encounters with the needy and/or homeless. But as is often the case, they are the ones who I learn the most from.

What my friend, "Claude" recently showed me is that U. S. Marines suffer from an aftershock that only few know. Some of Hollywood's failed actors, someone who might have been sexually assaulted as a child...these characters are those who teach you about suffering more than anybody.

Truth be told, you don't really understand human suffering until you've met a marine. You don't truly understand how jacked another human can be until you've met with that human. Just listen to some of the stories these people tell: "We blew-up foreign cities for fun...there was no reason; we just did!" To many United States Marines, killing for recreation is no more than a simple "act of mercy."

But there was something else that I learned from Claude, and body builder Elliott Hulse reinforces this: It's not so much the travel as it is the traveler. Claude needed me just as much as I needed him. But here's the crazy part: I did more for this person, in one day, then either of us could have ever imagined.

I was craving pizza; coincidentally, there was a Pizza Hut on Wilshire near Fairfax, so Claude and I headed-in. He was hungry and so was I; he was broke and I needed to be fed, and so it worked-out.

Go back to Elliott Hulse: It's not so much the travel as it is the traveler. Truth be told, I wasn't on Wilshire Boulevard to feed the homeless. I wasn't representing the Boy Scouts, and I certainly wasn't trying to win merits from anybody. As an automotive journalist, I was there to capture raw materials.

Again, it's not so much the travel as it is the traveler. I took the Red Line to LA to see the car museum, and I ended up having lunch with a Desert Storm vet. I traveled from the San Fernando Valley to West Los Angeles to see a one-off, oval-windowed Royce, a Buick GNX...feeding a Marine on Wilshire was the last thing on my agenda. But...that Marine fed me in return...and wouldn't you know it: the guy never once took my wallet or any of my belongings.

It's not so much the travel as it is the traveler. Case-in-point, I went to go look at motors, I ended up learning about Desert Storm instead. I wanted to know what number GNX was at the Petersen Vault, and instead I was taught that the military manufactures digital "noses," and that those things can smell for miles.

Again, I went to go look at '57 Chevys, '87 Buicks...next thing I know, I'm capturing the La Brea Tar Pits. I even got to have pizza on Wilshire Boulevard, and anyone who's known me, at least since 2013, knows that nutrition has become an important issue in my day.

I don't smoke, and when I went to visit Wilshire in LA, I found myself smoking tobacco. There were good-looking girls on the scene; I flirted. Someone from the streets offered me tacos al carbon, and my ass ate. Smoking cigarettes, eating street tacos and watching Captain Kangaroo...things that I would normally never do in an afternoon, but on that day I did.

It was totally bad and unhealthy, but it felt damn good. The nicotine, the Pizza Hut...I was ready to fall off of the stupid earth. But the crazy part is that I never once missed Petersen's. And in fact, there were Forza simulators on one of the museum's floors. After so many hours of testing car POVs on YouTube, I was finally able to translate what I had learned by racing on Forza. If you've ever watched Forza online, you already know what it's about.

Here's what you learn: No one really gives a fuck what kind of car you're driving. Last year at Petersen's, someone told me that my Permobil should be in the car museum. They weren't impressed by a dinky-ass power chair. But what was impressive, is that the disabled cat on the power chair happened to be a gear head.

No one cares how much automotive knowledge I have. What Andrew Fillipone and I both have in common, is that we've made an academic study out of turbo Buicks, specifically the Grand National. But who cares?! The guy at Supercar Sunday who owns the Grand National doesn't care how much I know about that car. Truth be told, the turbo Regal crowd are far more impressed by my lust, by the erotic vigor in which I speak when describing a Buick Grand National. But as far as the history and stats are concerned, the G-Body party could care less.

It's not so much the travel as it is the traveler. Because it is the traveler who need be creative. Most people at Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas, California ride Harleys to the spot on a Sunday.

How do I know this?! Because it's the traveler and not the travel. Motorcycles honk at me, in my power chair, on the way to Sagebrush Cantina on a Sunday morning. I'm not asking these people to do this; that's just what they do.

I'm not asking anyone to buy me shots; I'm responsible for my own alcohol, but because we're all in good company, guys-and-girls my age want to throw shots at me anyway.

Women my age want to dance with me at the Cantina. Because I'm a good-looking guy, because I have a body?! Or is it because the land is as Elliott Hulse describes, and so the traveler continues to take precedence over the travel?

Let's assume that Hulse is telling the truth. Let's continue to argue that it's all about the traveler. What does that even mean?! Is there anything impressive about me going to the speedway at Fontana? Not really, but it is impressive that a guy on a power chair would ride Cherry Avenue to that speedway...on a power chair, and from a Metrolink station.

Is there anything impressive about me riding my chair, via public transportation, to a small bar in Downey from the San Fernando Valley?! Usually no, but isn't that crazy that some disabled fucker on a power chair would travel across Los Angeles to hit a bar, all just to find an actress?!

Isn't it crazy, that I went to church on a Sunday with my grandmother and nephew, just so I could meet a member of the Damaco Motors family? Isn't that just bonkers, that a nice Sicilian kid who was lusting after a young actress, went to Downey, California to find her and ended-up smoking pot, in a parking lot, with an old spaghetti-eater from Back East?!

The traveler does take precedence over the travel. But it took me a few practice runs to get this. It's just crazy how as a traveler, you go in search for something, which you still haven't found. But then you end-up finding other shit along the way.

It's about the traveler and not the travel. And so what I would ask my audience is to do as I have, and get creative with your mode of travel. It's in your best interest to do this at any level of income. Because at the end, the amount of money that you spend will be the same. But when you keep spending the same cash on the same 'ol shit, you inevitably get the same daily results. In that moment, you are a traveler who still needs a lot of help!

Lake Balboa Hill Run: 2015 Permobil C500 K-Code

My recent findings on the Permobil C500 suggest that it's an overall, well-built frame. Truthfully, it's the performance that's my biggest complaint about the C500, and I say that carefully, because I just don't feel like Permobil of North America could have stretched their resources any further. That's just in the construction of the C500, but if there's one thing that Permobil's products have proven over the years, it's that they really do go the extra mile to build the most top-end power chair.

Not because the thing's super fast or anything, but let's face it: any vehicle that you drive is going to have to back up its performance with suspension, and it seems like that's why Permobil is the most capable of building a power chair like a car.

Yesterday afternoon, I tested my C500 at our Valley's beloved Balboa Park, in Lake Balboa, California. This is also an afternoon where I've pressure-tested the bike on our equally-famed Reseda Boulevard, and over several miles from the Orange Line station, at the corner of Oxnard, to CORE Centers on Superior.

Here's why it's lacking in performance: in every uphill test that I tried at Balboa, the 500 cruised at an average speed of 1.4-2.1 miles per hour. This is with the understanding, of course, that the decked-out Permobil, with its most base electric motor, is capable of lifting 5.1 miles per hour, and as the Beach Boys have sang, that was at the top-end floored!

Problematic no less, because with the "top-end floored," Permobil's C500, when off-road, stays inside of that 1.4-2.1 mile-per-hour bracket, and that's even regardless of how much of an incline the chair is facing.

Again, this is mostly under an off-road context, and even on hard-packed dirt, the C500 is capable of doing 5 miles per hour, which was my recorded top-end in my last road test.

Permobil fanatics should not fret, however. Because part # 1823394 and 1823395, which refer to the manufacturer's left-to-right motor upgrade, can easily make Permobil's C500 equal in performance to their flagship power chair, the "F5."

For me, I want to be working with Permobil and Sherman Oaks Medical Supply to get the power package for the 500. Because apart from having Westside Collision in Lancaster, California paint the "K-Code" decals on the thing, a higher-output motor seems to be necessary for getting out of others' way, and if there's any argument that can be made for why performance is a medical necessity, then that would clearly be it.

My little nephew, Gionni, often quotes Lightening McQueen: "Packa-Pow!!!" I've been using that a lot myself lately, and now I know why. The body lines are there, the electric running gear is intact. Really, with the right looks and performance tune, Permobil's C500 is set-and-ready for "Radiator Springs'" worse!

Turbocharging The C500: Why The Names "Shelby," "Permobil" And "Sherman Oaks" May Soon Become Synonymous...

While identifying my own physical challenge, I also identified a cultural barrier: Disabled community members are motoring enthusiasts, just as much as any abled hot-rodder, but they have no actual outlet!

That's probably because we're not speaking-up. But the time for writing our genuine, heart-felt love letter to the power chair market is definitely ripe, and while that industry's equipment has simply skyrocketed over the last 35 years, there's still an empty chasm, where a performance department should exist.

I don't think anyone blames the power chair market; it's just that people and things are changing, and the active body of disabled motor heads has arrived, just in time for 2016, with a whole new parts-and-price list.

It's not a hard one, but do make sure to call Permobil directly, if you're looking to buy the factory performance upgrade on their independently-coiled, C500 power chair. And if technicalities are what they say, then this factory upgrade, parts # 1823394 (Right motor), and 1823395 (left motor) should bring Permobil's current, C500 unit to a top speed of around 6.5mph, with a sustainable battery range of 24-25 miles per charge.

As for myself, I am satisfied with the C500 platform, though I must admit that I am ready for any performance boost that I can get. The performance pack for the C500, as described above, may be nearly impossible to get through insurance, but as an insider, I'm willing to test it. Consequently, I am in the process of trying to get my insurance to sponsor the Permobil, motor upgrade, based on my inability to use public transportation.

In analogy, Permobil's controller/motor upgrade should be, to the C-frame, what the "turbo" option is to the Kia Optima. That's a bit optimistic, but let's try it on for fun and see anyway, shall we?!

Permobil And The Challenged Community: How the C500 Became The Disabled Enthusiasts' First One-Off

I am one who was born, like a lot of small kids have been, with a physical challenge. In this case, arthrogryposis, and what that is is a condition with a Greek root, "Arthrogryposis"= "Fixed/hooked joints." That's problematic, because having your fingers, elbows and other bodily joints fixed into place keeps you from developing a grip.

Literally, depending on what degree of "AMC" one has, the condition can allow you to be better than any of your able-bodied friends, socially or otherwise. You can work out, go to the races...but then, when it comes to the more simplified tasks, using the restroom independently, taking a shower, self-feeding...these are the physical challenges that arthrogryposis brings about.

So that doesn't mean that I can't walk or bear weight, but I have to use a power chair anyway, because without it, I can only bear weight on my feet for so long. But there's a twist: because I depend on the chair to access my community, each and every one I've ever owned has become my ride.

Ask either of my parents, ask Aaron Baker...ask any of them. As I've said before, my parents' cars were extensions of their personalities; I always felt the same about my power chair. This is why every single power chair I've ever had has resembled the "Kustom" culture, if that's really what that was.

The idea was this: if you can't drive an actual vehicle, then use the one that you already have. For each person, that "vehicle" differs. But when you really start to look into ideologies, you find that there is a saying that's absolutely true: the vehicle is irrelevant. Each person, able-bodied or not, has needs, and those needs are personalized ones. While I needed the Permobil C500, disabled friends like Aaron and our mutual friend, Russel Burke, may have needed a different platform from the same manufacturer.

For me, I went with the power chair that I wanted, because it had the right suspension and battery range. But let's be honest: I also did it, because I was a car guy. I did it, because I knew that between the Permobil 300 and 500, the first was just a stock Malibu, while the latter was a Super Sport.

That may not be completely accurate, since it was my mid-wheeled Quickie, from back in high school, that was supposed to be the "pro-street" build of power chairs. But by the time I had gotten into the Permobil marque, it was clear to everyone, including myself, that what me and a lot of disabled enthusiasts were looking for, was that perfect balance between performance, looks and luxury. That was the same balance that the muscle car movement, for so many years, tried to achieve, and when we couldn't find any other way to translate that to a power chair, Permobil became the only manufacturer who was able to pull it off.

A Jedi Speaks About Star Tours And Motoring On The Tatooine Planet: How The "Permobil 500" Became A Real Road Car...

By the time 1987 had rolled-around, the battle of Endor was an event, by then nearly five years in the contemporary past, that had changed the very face of intergalactic travel. It was more difficult in those days, to transport everyday people with their luggage, to and from an ecosystem that was mainly forest.

But consumers are who they are, and so most American tourists wanted to be able to travel space; they weren't concerned about intergalactic turbulence! Some inventions of the aircraft and automotive markets proved that, but by this part of the 1980s, Syrinx's temples were in full-swing, and even Disney had been looking toward space as a possible business venture.

Where me and my dad came from, no one had a Maserati or a 911 Turbo; it was a desert planet. Skip ahead to the 1990s; my father had already established our family's land speeder garage on Tatooine, but my parents' business could never meet the demand for Endor travel.

Intergalactic transit was always a hobby of mine, but my parents could only give me so much money toward a craft of my own. After school, the Pizza Pod was my favorite franchise; greasy food, singing animals...Pod's had it all! But then I realized something, if my parents are unable to drive me places, if there's just no way that they can provide me, 24/7 with transportation, then I'll have to learn HoverRail.

Truth be told, HoverRail was Tatooine's transit hub long before Star Tours was even a thought. In fact, HoverRail established a light rail system, from Tatooine to Dagobah, nearly 25 years before the Metro Orange Line.

In a large way, this is how systems like HoverRail were the innovators, because in space, they invented public transit long before the earth!

But then Mr. George Lucas and the Tatooine Tech Committee devised a plan: pressure-test the Star Tours Transit Hub from Disneyland. Of all locations, we thought...Tomorrowland USA, but it worked! By the summer of 1987, Tatooine Tech and Disney made sure that Star Tours was in function. In fact, it became not only George Lucas' contribution to the Magic Kingdom, but it became the first transit hub to repair the Starspeeder 3000, on earth, while housing the "People Mover" transit way.

People Mover soon became HoverRail's "love child," but it was one that served Disneyland commuters, literally till around 1995. After I dropped-out of Jedi Tech, I applied to Disney; that's where I made a couple of unique friends.

C3P0 and R2D2 were a droid team, but they were very fussy together! Even so, they worked well, and when it came to going "Captain EO" on my father and others, these two were always on deck! Like Ziggy Stardust and his spiders, me and my droid friends would build that business, the one that would become Tomorrowland Performance Division.

My dad, a business man from the desert planet, helped me and Mike Eisner to construct the entire, Star Tours Transit Center, along with that Autotopia variant that very few know: Tomorrowland Performance Division.

Actually, my dad helped me to brainstorm my first project car, but I had to go behind his back to build it. That's where the droids came in. C3P0 and R2 helped me to find a pre-existent body, because even space people knew what American muscle was. Oh yes, people from Tatooine were very familiar, even then, with Van Halen, Grand Nationals...and the like!

But who needed those?! I had droids behind me, real ones, and when the old man wasn't looking, they were the ones who helped me, both from Tomorrowland and Tatooine, to construct the galaxy's greatest road car!

Collectively, the droids and I called the car the "CSX500," because Carroll Shelby was a motoring legend in space, as he was on earth in America. The car became "Spanish Castle Magic" at the galaxy's best in pod racing, and truth be told, Buick and GM sold the "Stellar" prototype to Tomorrowland, long before ASC-McLaren even got clearance to build the GNX.

I'm not saying that American muscle failed; it's just that I'm from space, I live and I breathe it, and so while Shelby became the "Ferrari" of America, Stellar--the turbo Buick's predecessor--became the muscle car of the future, and our GM-based, "500" road car became an automotive masterpiece, one that earth just wasn't ready for!