Saturday, June 21, 2025

remember the car chase scene in Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning (2023) at the historical Spanish Steps, in Rome? Some 80 yr old guy may have thought he was recreating that scene, or, he plain had no clue he was driving his Mercedes down these. But he got stuck none the less

Above, without crazy old men or Hollywood car chases in Fiat 500s... below? With the Fiat 500 car chase scene in the most recent Mission Impossible

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds2cHsEgCTE

An 80-year-old man drove a compact luxury Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark Spanish Steps in Rome early on Tuesday before getting stuck part way down, municipal police said in a statement.


The man tested negative for alcohol, and was cited on the spot for driving down the monument in Rome’s historic center, police said. Police said the man, a resident of Rome, was at a loss to explain how he had wound up driving down the famed steps.


A famed background for numerous films, they were built in the 1720s and have long been a popular spot to people watch and hang out. 


Mykale Baker announced he is heading to college this fall to pursue a career in automotive technology




The young guy who hopped in to help his coworkers at the Burger King in Georgia, during a late-night rush while still wearing his high school graduation stole and medals has decided on his next step.

The 18-year-old Mills Creek High School graduate aspires to become an auto mechanic, with the hope of opening his shop one day.

The school, based in Lawrenceville, Ga., is located just miles away from where Baker took the internet by storm when he helped out his fellow workers on his big night on May 21.

Spurred by the heartwarming responses from her viewers – and Baker’s selfless act – Mendoza created a GoFundMe to raise some extra cash for the teen’s college career.

The fundraiser has since raised $231,600, a whopping 386 percent increase from the initial $60,000 goal.

“Some of the money is going to go into fixing my car and the rest is going into a trust fund for school purposes only,” Baker told Today in early June.



If Lawrenceville Georgia sounds familiar, it's because it was just mentioned in the story about the nurse who opened her own garage near Atlanta https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2025/06/after-decade-of-nursing-desiree-hill.html

The Supreme Court revived an industry effort to axe California’s stricter vehicle emissions standards Friday

In a 7-2 decision authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court ruled fuel producers have legal standing to sue over California’s clean car standards approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), allowing the challenge to continue.

"the justiciability of the fuel producers’ challenge to EPA’s approval of the California regulations is evident" said Justice Brett Kavanaugh

“If invalidating the regulations would change nothing in the market, why are EPA and California enforcing and defending the regulations?” Kavanaugh wrote for the majority.

“The whole point of the regulations is to increase the number of electric vehicles in the new automobile market beyond what consumers would otherwise demand and what automakers would otherwise manufacture and sell,” he added.

41 Ford model 85 fire truck in the Iron County Museum (thanks Niki!)



Box art Sean Svendsen created for an all new 1/25th scale 1964 Mercury Comet kit.




(and no one is surprised to learn that) 3 Sheriff's Deputies and a tow truck company owner were busted for bribes, running a scam, collusion, conspiracy, unlawful use of a government computer network, and fraud

According to previous Patch reporting, the brief, Carpenter had been assigned to the Temecula Sheriff's station's Traffic Bureau "years" before Flores and Christolon arrived, and he had developed a reputation for "devoting his time on duty to impounding parked vehicles, as well as for failing to properly enter those impounds into the sheriff's computer system, or complete the paperwork needed to let the vehicle owners know where their vehicles had been towed."

When he came under the supervision of Flores, who became Traffic Bureau director in September 2017, and Christolon, who was the Sheiff's lieutenant's right-hand man, the conspiracy began to take shape.

Court papers said Flores and Close, owner of TJ's Towing in Temecula, developed a relationship after the lieutenant received a favor from his co-defendant in acquiring a classic International pickup truck in early 2018. Soon after, there were lunches and dinners between the men.

Prosecutors said Carpenter was abruptly granted permission to add his name to overtime shifts at the Traffic Bureau whenever he pleased.

"Flores personally informed Carpenter of when overtime was available," the brief said.

The Sheriff's deputy began claiming so many OT shifts "that other deputies started to complain and even scribble over his name on the sign-in sheets," according to the brief.

When the aggrieved deputies took their complaints to Christolon, "he never did anything in response," documents stated.

Prosecutors said Carpenter aggressively sought out street-parked vehicles to impound for little or no reason, and TJ's Towing received virtually all of his calls for service. This occurred even though TJ's Towing wasn't always the company on the sheriff's "rotation list," which is maintained to ensure impound business is equitably distributed, on a weekly basis, to multiple companies, according to the prosecution.

"Towing for the sheriff's department is a lucrative business," the brief said, outlining how there's not only a charge for the tow, but a base charge for the impound and then daily storage fees imposed on owners.

DJ's Towing received dozens of impound calls from Carpenter, and Flores "personally approved" the deputy's OT requests, the brief said.

The lieutenant "exchanged hundreds of text messages" with Close, occasionally telling him, "make that money, homie," the narrative stated.

There was an arrangement for the then-lawman to receive a free stay at Close's mother's $4 million Oceanside home by the sea, which she periodically rented out.

Flores also received free towing services for his personal vehicles, complimentary tickets for him and his family to the Temecula Balloon & Wine Festival, limousine rides and other gratuities, according to the brief.


What? Another corrupt California Sheriff's dept? No! I'm aghast! It can't be! It's unheard of! 

JFCA, is it just another day of the week ending in y? Are there any honest cops? Or just none that raise the flag and get the corrupt ones arrested? Do they EVEN HAVE an internal affairs dept? or are they on the getting paid to look the other way while everyone gets rich and gets kick backs?

Who was it who first said Fuck the Police? They nailed it. Truth to power

compliments to Autopian for it's history of Mack regarding buses and rail buses!



One fascinating bit of Mack history is that it spent much of the early 20th century building vehicles for public transit. Between 1905 and 1930, the company says, it built various railcars and locomotives. One vehicle Mack was known at the time for was its railbuses.

https://www.theautopian.com/mack-once-built-a-bus-that-looked-like-a-giant-version-of-your-favorite-classic-chryslers/

odd choice for a movie car... '69 Grand Prix in the new Josh Duhamel movie London Calling, about an assassin training the next generation of hopeless causes, In theaters September 19


mediocre hit man Tommy Ward (Duhamel) go on the run and get stuck in L.A. after mistakenly killing a relative of London’s biggest crime boss (Gillen). 

To get back to his son on the other side of the pond, Tommy makes a deal with his new employer (Hoffman): teach his socially awkward teenage son Julian (Taylor) to be a man, in exchange for safe passage. 

Tommy is now forced to drag Julian, afraid of his own shadow, along on his latest contract killing of a renowned assassin. 

What starts off as a simple ride-along descends into utter chaos as this down-on-his-luck contract killer and his insecure protégé become each other’s lifelines.


a Macon businessman donates 15 bus shelters, and he knows what it’s like to wait for the bus in the sweltering Georgia heat, or worse, in the pouring rain - in homage to his grandmother, who relied on public transportation in the rain or snow in Ohio

“I think she’d be really proud to see me make this impact in the community that I’m in now… to make sure these men and women who are using public transit are treated with care.”


movie tie ins mean new publicity and marketing, and special edition badging!






After an 18-year-old was arrested for street racing last week, the Sheriff put out a press release statement about the sheriff’s abhorrence for racing cars on public roads.




“I have zero tolerance for street racing in Lee County,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno stated. “Driving an [sic] excessive speed and putting yourself, your passengers, and others on the road at risk is an incredibly selfish decision. My deputies will continue to patrol the roads of Lee County, ensuring drivers make smart choices or they will face the consequences.”

The video, which can be seen here, shows Marceno driving south on six-lane South Tamiami Trail in a black Lamborghini Huracan. Marceno then guns the engine and surges ahead down the highway. As the video ends, a glimpse of his speedometer shows 74 mph while still well behind the sheriff in the Lamborghini. The speed limit on that stretch of road is 50 mph.


Just another piece of shit asshole rich cop talking shit and power tripping on the public like a bully on school kids.

Friday, June 20, 2025

nice set of attention grabbing colors

 

interesting paint scheme, and radiator grill

 


cool station wagon, I can understand why some guys are dedicated long roof fans - so, why aren't women? Things that make me go Hmmmmm


nice upholstery design!
 



This nice simple pinstriping had me realize, a stag, deer, or elk head with horns would be pretty simple with a pinstripe design

eye catching dual Cal Customs bug catchers


Meanwhile, in the news.... NASCAR is trying to make a deal with San Diego to have a street race circuit here (I've lived in San Diego since 1995). Nascar has no Southern California event since Fontana's AAA course went away in 2023

NASCAR is working toward finalizing a deal to race on a street course next year in the San Diego area, multiple industry sources told The Athletic, which would return its premier Cup Series to the Southern California market after a multi-year absence.

NASCAR and the city of San Diego have not yet agreed on a deal, but discussions are ongoing, and it is expected that an agreement will be reached, according to those sources. An announcement is tentatively slated for next month, pending a finalized deal.

A race in San Diego would be NASCAR’s second city street course race in three years after introducing one in downtown Chicago in 2023, the first time in NASCAR’s modern era (1972 to present) that Cup competed on such a track. That race is considered a key development for NASCAR as part of an initiative to bring high-level stock car racing to major metropolitan markets, as opposed to the majority of its tracks, which are located in less populated areas.


https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/19/nascar-street-race-san-diego/  has the stats on the impact the races had there

With the money F1 brought to Las Vegas, I think it's obvious, cities would like to have a major sports event come to their streets, and bring an incredible amount of money and tourists. 

Plus, San Diego (7th largest city in the USA) would probably like to have more positive tourism to add to the Petco Park MLB games downtown, the world famous Zoo, and Comic Con. 

The number of places they could make a course on a parking lot are many (Sea World parking lot, Snapdragon Stadium parking lot, Sports Arena parking lot, the Port District/airport parking lots, and National City's waterfront vehicle import unloading docks off Mile Of Cars Way) 

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Superb hot rod... not only did it race on the salt in the late 50s, but it's got the timing tags that put it's top speed at 202 in 1958. Damn... the 200 club!

 

Anyone else remember the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon, and Wossamotta U?

 

well made!




 

one hell of a cool design for a roof rack. Only the 2 inch clamp in the middle of each side, is holding it on




This is a sweet hot rod... but, the cherry on top, is the silver dollar on the shifter. Did you know those are worth around 50 dollars now? Plus, it's the first time I've seen one on a shifter, it's a cool upgrade!





cool rear deck

from the era, back decades ago, when we bought music accessories, and mounted them under the dash. But this is the 1st time I think I've seen an CB and CD mounted next to each other


what a beauty.... showcased in the truck bed of an Elk, or Ranchero, I can't recall which