MEETING A ROAD WARRIOR
LASTV8

The black interceptor always had an indescribable aura. To most it’s just the most bad-ass car ever. But to me, it’s something else. To me it’s mostly what the car stands for. In my eyes it is the personification of lifelong wounds, and the will to survive. In a way, the interceptor symbolizes life. The black car was brought to life, experienced love and hardship, and later, death. On January 27th 2007 I was fortunate to meet a Road Warrior for the first time. Standing on a parking lot somewhere in Texas I was waiting for the caretaker to arrive. I was standing there for what seemed like an eternity. But then, in the distance, there was the sound of a rumbling V8. While not uncommon in the USA, this sound was different. It was the sound of a v8 the way it was meant to be, not restricted by any smog equipment. The unmistakable whine of the supercharger took away any doubts in my mind. This had to be the sound of the interceptor. I saw a glimpse as it drove by on a distant road and my heart skipped a beat. Soon I would be face to face to the one vehicle I have dreamt of meeting. Later it came up the road towards the parking lot. It moved slowly at first, and then the front end lunged up as it accelerated hard. It stopped right in front of me and my camera, displaying that token axle hop stop. For a moment I did not know what to say. I talked to Jake Dark (the caretaker). During this time some people pulled out on the parking lot and took pictures of the car. The majority didn’t say a word. They didn’t seem to know what it was, and probably just focused on the side pipes and the supercharger. Like I stated before, “It’s just the most bad-ass car ever” right?!.

There was one man that did stop and talk. He drove by earlier, and we saw him look over in the distance. The reason why we noticed was his wheels. A crème white 1970 ford mustang fastback. The kinship between muscle car owners is truly a unique thing. It draws people together, no mater what race or entity. And while the interceptor is something way more than just a muscle car in my eyes, it is just that to the general public. The man left after a brief conversation including the common misconception “Torino” and asking what the fuel tanks on the back where for. But he came up and talked, asked questions, something the others did not. We took pictures, and I got behind the wheel for some Max styled ones. Sitting in that drivers seat I could only imagine how it would be to start her up and seek the nearest abandoned stretch of road. To drive for hours on end without stopping. To go on that ultimate road trip.

In the end we finished up quickly as dark clouds where forming on the horizon. I told Jake to leave, as he was essentially driving a car with no boot and no rear window. He had expressed earlier that he liked to keep it out of the rain just for that reason. It is a road warrior, but you have to take care of it. Jake drives his car near every weekend, weather permitting. And yes, it still does get into contact with dirt; it just has a different color and origin. Jake looked over at me after I pointed out those clouds on the horizon. “I can’t let you leave before we do something first” was his reply. I left my camera behind and took place in the passenger seat. I didn’t want anything to distract me from the experience. Then he took off. We turned on a main road, and with no one in front of us, Jake pressed on the accelerator hard. The car lunged forward, pressing me back in the seat. Later we turned around and Jake again got on it hard. The car felt solid, undoubtedly helped by the roll cage inside of the car. The sound of the blower whining is thrilling. When he switched off the blower there was something clearly missing. When I think back it still gives me goose bumps. It was an awesome experience, one I hope to repeat in the future. And if I am honest one I hope to repeat in one as its caretaker…

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