Sunday, October 25, 2026
it's remarkable how life can change directions
Dr. Carl Allamby, 53, is an emergency medicine doctor at the Cleveland Clinic, which is especially inspiring once you learn that he only became a doctor when he was 51.
For 25 years, Allamby worked as an automotive technician and a small business owner, a career he tells PEOPLE began out of “desperation," but led to a lot of success.
Still, even after building two additional locations and creating other related business, including a towing service and a used car company, Allamby realized he was searching for a more fulfilling career.
1990 Renault Alpine V6 Turbo, Grand Tourisme Alpine, or GTA (rear mounted engine)
The car debuted in 1985 as Alpine’s first model under Renault ownership, conceived to push avant garde technology into Porsche’s face. It rides on a central backbone chassis derived from Lotus, with a fiberglass and polyester body keeping weight near 1,200 kilograms.
The turbocharged version was named the Grand Tourisme Alpine, or GTA, and glass C pillars cured the old car’s blind spots, and a drag coefficient under .30 helped the 200 HP V6 Turbo reach 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, and hit 150 mph.
Hand assembly limited output to about three cars a day, under 7,500 in total.
https://petrolicious.com/blogs/articles/the-renault-alpine-gta-was-france-s-answer-to-porsches-in-the-80s
Friday, October 23, 2026
Tommy Hann's race cars had some interesting names
“Hoieh-Wayereh-Gointoo” is said to be a phonetic rendering of “Which way are you going?,” chosen by Tommy because of its streamlined contours’ poor outward visibility.
The 1912 2-seater “Brooklands” Lanchester Forty. Its name ‘Winni Praps Praps’ was onomatopoeic, derived from the car’s exhaust note on over-run. Image from the Montagu Motor Museum via Classic Car Profiles No. 1.
He re-bodied a 1911 Coupe de L’Auto Delage and named it ‘Handy Andy’
Hann had a penchant for constructing odd motorcars, including the 1912 ‘Roaring Forty’ and 1923 136hp ‘Shilling Shocker’
“Softly-Catch-Monkey,” taken from the proverb “Softly, softly, catchy monkey.”
In 1934 the Mercedes duly appeared with a crude racing body, while a simply enormous long yellow board erected above the Paddock car shelters proclaimed “Tommy Hann is back” or words to that effect! The new ‘dazzle-painted’ car was, in fact a 1926 16/60 3.2-litre Mercedes with the accelerator-controlled blower boost, practically standard but with cowled radiator.
In 1934 the Mercedes duly appeared with a crude racing body, while a simply enormous long yellow board erected above the Paddock car shelters proclaimed “Tommy Hann is back” or words to that effect! The new ‘dazzle-painted’ car was, in fact a 1926 16/60 3.2-litre Mercedes with the accelerator-controlled blower boost, practically standard but with cowled radiator.
the Beast was featured, and got the cover, of Automobile Quarterly in Spring of 67, volume 5 number 4
When he moved back to New Jersey in 1964, he was employed by the publication Automobile Quarterly. During this time, his daughter Tabitha recalls, Totten would have lunch in New York City with his wife and daughter around four times per week and regale the two with updates on his current projects and the companies for which he worked.
When Totten decided to leave Automobile Quarterly, the publisher of the magazine, L. Scott Bailey, gifted the artist several bound subscription copies with “Dale Weaver Totten” embossed in gold leaf.
From 1965-66, he worked as the art director for True Magazine, a risqué publication targeted at college-aged males. Totten then worked for the Hearst Corporation for several years as a freelance artist, after which his name became recognizable and sought-after in the advertising industry. He attended art school in Maryland, where he met his wife Mary, who worked as a stockbroker during 1960s.
In the late 1970's and 1980's, Totten was the senior artist at The Walt Disney Company in Florida. During his ten-year employment as art director for Walt Disney, Totten was responsible for the design and direction of the books used for the ‘Wonders of Walt Disney’ program, as well as the idea and design for the Mickey Mouse balloon.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/124926067059
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063789033598&sk=photos
In the late 1970's and 1980's, Totten was the senior artist at The Walt Disney Company in Florida. During his ten-year employment as art director for Walt Disney, Totten was responsible for the design and direction of the books used for the ‘Wonders of Walt Disney’ program, as well as the idea and design for the Mickey Mouse balloon.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/124926067059
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063789033598&sk=photos
the Hot Wheels Stunt Show is touring stadiums and arenas
After thrilling sold-out crowds across Europe, the Hot Wheels Stunt Show is crossing the Atlantic for its first-ever United States tour in 2027
The show features 15 vehicles to experience, headlined by life-size, high-performance Hot Wheels favorites including the GT Scorcher, Rodger Dodger, and the legendary Bone Shaker. These fan favorites are supported by a cast of drifting, ramping, two- and four-wheeling cars, motorbikes, quads, custom stunt vehicles, and an RZR — all driven by an elite team of professional stunt performers.
skip the first minute and 17 seconds, because the person recording and posting this was clueless on hot to edit
Thursday, October 22, 2026
I had never heard of Die Sinker's Riffles until this weekend, and then, when looking in my garage for a caliper and micrometer to bring to work, discovered that I have a set!
you can still buy sets of Riffles https://grobetusa.com/product/6-diesinkers-riffler-12-pc-set-cut-2-item-32-021 but they are now known as Rifflers
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