It's been a long time coming, but I think my Blazer is right about where I want it to be, aesthetically. It started with the grille, then headlights, door rain guards, wheels and tires, taillight covers, and mudflaps. I've got some stickers, magnets, an antenna ball, a license plate frame on the rear, and my Miami Dolphins plate on the front.

I've done a bunch of personalization on my daily driver, and this most recent addition really ties it all together. With the help of my dad, I installed a roof visor!

I think it looks cool, and it's definitely unique.

So, I wanted to ask, have you done any custom touches to your ride? Or do you prefer to fly under the radar?

A car says something about the person who drives it... what does yours say about you?

Whatever you drive, thanks for listening to 94.9 WQMX!

I caught up with Cherise on Sunday at Valley Motor City in the Falls for some morning-time fun. Not only was it a WQMX Send Me Backstage Ticket Stop with the opportunity to win passes to Neon Nights, but it was also a cars and coffee event with some really cool rides.

Of course, that meant I had to pull up in my El Camino, and it was a perfect summer day for cruising. I talked with some nice folk while I was there and enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere, watching hot rods and classics come and go while sipping on my coffee. 

I came with a mug of some hot homebrew; once that was gone, Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck made me a delicious raspberry lemonade for free! I believe it was courtesy of Valley Motor City, so I'd like to thank them for that, for hosting the event, and for inviting WQMX on out as well. 

Also, a big congratulations goes out to listener Linda. She stopped out to try to win some Neon Nights passes- and she did! It was a good time Sunday morning with thanks to everyone who showed up. 

Since buying my old Blazer, I've been on the lookout for a new set of wheels. There's nothing necessarily wrong with those that were on there, but I wanted something different. 

So, Friday, I picked up these bad boys (pictured). I'm getting mixed reactions to the new look, but I like them! That's all that matters, right?

My only issue is: those tires are SO SMALL. They're pretty old too, and they're currently just on there to test the fitment. I'm going to switch back to the plain black wheels until I can save up for some proper rubber, ideally in the form of some big mud tires. 

It's slowly coming together! 

I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that little steps can lead to great things. There's a lot of daunting challenges we face, but little by little, you've got this! They say anything worth doing takes time, and I believe it. 

Have a great week, and as always, thanks for listening to WQMX! 

Since first seeing The Fast and The Furious as a little kid, I've always thought manual transmissions were cool. Anyone can drive, but it takes a little more to row through the gears. The car and driver share a special connection through that extra pedal and shift knob, and there's lots of good reasons to have them. 

Right off the bat, let's go ahead and put this to rest: yes, a modern automatic transmission shifts faster than any human with a manual. It's proven, and that's why uber-fast cars like Dodge's Challenger SRT Demon only offer the auto. 

Moving past that, there's still many advantages to driving a standard shift. Performance is a big one; from drifting to rock crawling, the added control of being able to pick what gear you're in exactly when you want it gives the manual an edge. As such, there are a lot of cars these days with paddle shifters, which attempt to give this capability without having the burden of a clutch. 

Outside of automotive sport driving, a commuter may enjoy the active engagement in the driving experience a manual brings. Simply put, they're fun! I think so, at least. 

There're practical reasons to buy a manual too. Oftentimes, particularly in older vehicles, a standard shift is more fuel-efficient than an automatic. This largely involves parasitic power loss, but there's also just the difference in how each is driven. Additionally, factors such as maintenace and repair costs come into play. Certain manuals are less prone to breaking than their automatic counterparts, and they're generally easier to fix if they do. What's more, in terms of practicality, knowing how to drive a manual might be the difference between you getting where you need to go or not. This is especially true outside of the U.S. 

Finally, is the reason why I wrote this. Just recently, news broke of a woman in Boulder Colorado who stole a truck and ditched it immediately because she didn't know how to work a clutch. It rolled and crashed into a hydrant, and she was arrested yet again for the same crime she had also committed a day prior. So, that right there is another advantage of owning a stick shift: for theft deterrence. 

Here's that story, and thanks for reading this blog. I respect whatever you choose; I mean, I own both a manual and an automatic and love driving them each. Just be sure the radio is tuned to 94.9 WQMX! 

She's beauty. She's grace. She's my 1981 Chevrolet El Camino, Eleanor. 

Eleanor found her way to me a few years back, and the moment I saw the truck, I knew I needed it in my driveway. I'm a car guy, simply, and I've always owned something interesting. 

I've had a Monte Carlo SS, a Camaro, and an old Valiant sedan as summer cruisers in the past, but my El Camino takes the cake. Sure, there were things about those cars I really miss: my Camaro had T-Tops, my Monte Carlo was fully optioned with leather heated seats and all sorts of nice features, and a sweet little blinker on the fender would light up when you used a turn signal in the Valiant, for example. 

Still, there's nothing like Eleanor. 

Take a look at this picture I took of her yesterday, and that alone should tell you why. After the first carwash of year, it was photo time, and wow! This might have to be my new screensaver.

I love my old Chevy, and I'm so very excited for car show season to be back around. It's awesome that there is such a strong presence of car enthusiasts here in Northeast Ohio with so many events to go to. I attend as many as I can, but always seem to miss a bunch too! 

Sooooo, if you know of any family-friendly car meets going down in the Akron area this summer, please let me know! Whether it's a one-time deal or a weekly show, send all the info on the WQMX studio text line, sponsored by Toth Buick GMC, at 330-370-2000. Maybe we'll get a list going. 

Whether or not you've got a show-worthy ride, that's okay. Hopefully we'll bump into each other at some show, and I'll let you check out what's under the hood!

So, I woke up before my shift here at the station to a massive headache. It hurt to open my eyes even. With as little light as I could manage I got ready, ate a few ibuprofen, and hit the road. 

Now, I'm normally sensitive to bright headlights, but you can only imagine how badly I wanted to avoid seeing them. When it comes to my review mirror, at least, that's no issue; it fell off a while back. Ha!  

I made that funny realization and figured it would be fun to share with you. Maybe there's an underlying message here: clouds can have a silver lining as such and just because something seems unfortunate doesn't mean it's all bad. Things happen and my best advice would be not to fight the current, generally. 

No matter what, there's no looking back in my old 4x4! Let's turn the music up and put the pedal down- till next time, thanks for choosing Your Country! 94.9 WQMX. 

I'm a big fan of radio station memorabilia, especially when it comes to WQMX. (Go figure!) Old shirts, stickers, and logos are just the coolest things to me. They're remnants of a time past, and I often wonder if the station branded items I keep and the work I do under these call letters will weave into that history as well. To be that guy in those dated photos, to have driven that old WQMX promotions van, to have spun the hit songs of the era, and to have spoken on that same microphone as the local radio icons before me is what it's about. It's an honor to attempt to carry on the legacy, and I've got some huge shoes to grow into still. 

Before we get too far, I can't neglect to mention how cool the Send Me Backstage T-Shirts are in charting WQMX history. I want them all; past, present, and future. Be sure to stay posted for this year's new shirts. I'm really excited for the upcoming big reveal! 

Now, we're far from a young station, but there are some much older too. To put that another way, you won't find any 1970's WQMX Country gear. "Vintage" WQMX as we know it would probably best be a throwback to the 90's and early 2000's, and it was in those years we developed an identity. Our tagline is "Your Country! 94.9 WQMX," but that took some years to settle upon. Looking back, I've seen everything from "Kickin' Country" to "Your Station, Your Country!" 

You can get an estimate for when something was branded with WQMX based on this evolution. The latter slogan appears on our 2010 The Country Fest poster in our studio, for example. With that, I knew this WQMX sticker I came across in the wild the other day was nothing short of a classic. 

I was at the junk yard pulling parts for my Blazer when something bright caught my eye. A yellow Blazer just like mine sat deep in the yard, having seen much better days. The vehicle suffered front end damage from an accident but didn't seem too far from scrap regardless, based on the looks of it. It was all sorts of rusty, crusty, and musty. You could tell it was once a sweet little ride with some custom pinstriping on that vivid paint and some nice factory options to go with. There was hardly anything good left on that old Chevy, but I noticed something that put a big smile across my face. 

Somewhere along the line, the old owner slapped a WQMX sticker on the banana-colored SUV! It's still there, after all these years. The Blazer I found was a 2004 and the dated tagline reads "Akron's Own Country," so it has seemingly lived most of its life with that badge upon the side window. Let me just say... that's awesome. I eat that up. 

I love to see it. 

If you're rocking a WQMX sticker or magnet on your ride, thank you! 

Driving... It's one of the most fun and rewarding things to do for a car lover like me, but at times, it can be the worst. There's those drivers out there that make us scratch our heads as to how exactly they acquired a license. Road rage, accidents, and traffic all stem from these careless, negligent people behind the wheel and the situations they create. It can make you want to rip your hair out! 

So, maybe you'll find some comfort in knowing you're not alone on some of these things. Or maybe I just need to take a chill pill. Either way, here's my top ten driving pet peeves!

10. Tailgating

9. Full stopping before an empty roundabout (or worse, stopping in the roundabout)

8. Distracted driving

7. Poking about in the fast lane then moving over only after I pass on the right

6. Cars pacing one another ahead of me blocking any chance to pass

5. Dangerously pulling out into traffic

4. Blinding bright headlights 

3. Littering the roadside

2. Coming up as close as possible behind me at a stop

1. Failure to use a turn signal

Most of these are self-explanatory, but let me give a little context on those that may not be. 

#7 happens to me so often. I drive like I've got somewhere to be, so I'm no stranger to overtaking. Out of courtesy, I always try to pass on the left. When I come up on a lone vehicle in the leftmost lane, I give them a moment to throw their blinker on and move over, and usually they will. Sometimes, though, they stubbornly remain in the lane, which prompts me to pass on the right before coming back into the fast lane. Now, that's all fine, but what happens next makes me want to scream: it's at this point that the car I just passed decides to move over. After I overtook them from the right, like I want not to do. 

#6 is a bad one for me too. If you've ever been out to the Dusty Armadillo past Kent on 76, you've probably experienced something similar. When a highway is two lanes, the left one should always be moving faster. When a vehicle in that passing lane wants to go the same speed as the car to its right for an extended distance, it frustrates me to no end. Somebody either speed up or slow down, and let me by!

#4 used to bother me a lot more than it does now. I got nicer anti-glare lenses in my glasses this past time and I think it's really helped. I also feel like cars have better low beams, so less drivers may be using their brights regularly. Who knows? 

Lastly, #2 has always annoyed me, and its only worse now that I drive a manual. Why do people feel the need to be as close as possible behind me at a stop? Whether it's a red light or a fast-food drive-through, give me a little space please. I don't need you to keep back 100 feet like I'm driving a dump truck or anything, but you shouldn't be so close I can't even see your hood. 

That's that! It feels good to air out some of these pet peeves of mine when it comes to driving. If you have anything to add, something that really get under your skin when you're behind the wheel, I'd love to hear about it. The best way to connect with me is by dropping a message any time on the WQMX Studio Text Line (sponsored by Toth Buick GMC) at 330-370-2000.

Till next time, safe travels!

On my way into the station here this evening, the old Blazer hit a milestone. I've been looking forward to catching this moment. We just crossed over to two hundred twenty-two thousand, two hundred twenty-two miles. She's still just getting broken in! 

High mileage isn't uncommon in these S-10 platform vehicles and I'm fortunate to have some of the best options for longevity with the 4.3 V6 and 5-Speed manual transmission. According to the guy I got it from, the engine in it is not original to the vehicle. I'm not sure whether that's true, but it runs great. 

My ride is a testament to a few things. First and foremost, road salt is a vehicle killer. The main reason my '98 is still in good shape is because it came from out west. Secondly, mileage (not unlike age), is just a number. Sure, it means something, just not everything. What really matters is how the car has been taken care of. Even though I'm the fourteenth person to hold the title for my Blazer, I can tell it's been loved. Car washes and oil changes are paramount, minimally. It all boils down to having pride in what you drive, and although it's not the newest or nicest, I sure do. 

So, cheers to the Blazer for making it all these miles, and here's to the next 222,222!