The bottom license plate is "Valiant" backwards to reflect the right hand drive. Saturday, March 28, 2009
Hemi Valiant, straight 6, 235 cu in, Australian... and in San Diego after years of keeping an eye open for one for sale
The bottom license plate is "Valiant" backwards to reflect the right hand drive. 
Friday, March 27, 2009
1922 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost of Japan's former emperor, Hirohito
Discovered after many years in obscurity, even the experts did not know the whereabout of Emperor's Hirohito's first Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.Until now.The chance glimpse of the hand-written words 'Prince Regent' on one of 13 pages of original Rolls Royce build sheets, was the starting point in the remarkable discovery of this historically significant 'Lost Rolls'.
The flamboyant 'Maharajah-style' coachwork it sports today provided no clue to the real identity of this car, but accounts of the time and photographs found in the archive of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club, put the identity beyond doubt. This was Hirohito's first Rolls Royce.Chassis Number 58 YG started life as a 1922 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, with a touring body by Hooper. The build sheets record the presence of a high ratio back axle for touring coachwork. It was believed to have been ordered by Emperor Hirohito, then the young Prince Regent, while on his first overseas state tour, which culminated with a stay in England with the Royal Family, in 1921. Delivered in the following year, a contemporary advert in Japanese for Rolls Royce Agent Sales & Frazer proudly announced that they had delivered a Silver Ghost Tourer to the Imperial Household for the (return) visit of the Prince of Wales in 1922.
The condition of the car is remarkable, suggesting little use, perhaps only for state occasions. It still retains its original exhaust, for example, with the 'straight- through' exhaust valve still working. After-market 19in Alpine Eagles Brakes have been fitted, but otherwise, mechanically, the car is as described in the build sheets.
1966 Jaguar XJ13
XJ13 was developed by Jaguar during the 1960's with the final prototype being finished in 1967, and carried Jaguar's first V12. The engine was remarkable in that it had twin overhead cams and mechanical fuel injection. Unfortunately, it was developed too late to be competitive and by late 1966 Jaguar was taken over by the British Motor Corporation (BMC).
According to http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z7339/Jaguar-XJ13.aspx the rules changed on the displacement of concept cars put the engine size down to 3 liters again.
The project was shelved and the XJ13 was put into storage. The next time the car was seen was in 1971 when it was taken to the MIRA circuit to make a promotional film for the official release of the V12 engine.
Unfortunately, a tyre blew on the steep banking of the MIRA track and on its first public appearance, the XJ13 was virtually destroyed.
Although the damage was extensive, Jaguar decided to have the car completely rebuilt. In the following years, the company's Heritage department showed the unique machine at various events both stationary and driving. At some point the healthier of the two engines was over-revved and destroyed. The second engine used a welded piston and could only be driven slowly. It was later rebuilt and is now on display in the Jaguar Museum in England.
Primarily developed to compete against the Ford GT 40's (which had won its first Le Mans in 1966 and went onto win the 1967 and 1969 races.) it had a top speed of 200 mph with more than 500 horsepower from a 5.0 liter V12, and high speed stability without wings.
Congratulations to http://stipistop.com , They beat my ratings!
To celebrate, Mishi is selling the Piaggio Ape... and buying me a ticket to visit Budapest so I can applaud him in person. (just kidding !)
He is selling his freshly renovated, 1969 Piaggio Ape 175cc original delivery box version, so if you want to be happier, drive a more enjoyable vehicle...
If you know anybody, who might be interested in buying one of the best ever marketing or promo vehicles ever, I’d be very grateful, if you’d put me in contact with him. Or (to be politically fair: with HER)I’d take care of shipping, and stuff.
Here is the link: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C72861
Thanks, and best regards from Budapest.
He is selling his freshly renovated, 1969 Piaggio Ape 175cc original delivery box version, so if you want to be happier, drive a more enjoyable vehicle...If you know anybody, who might be interested in buying one of the best ever marketing or promo vehicles ever, I’d be very grateful, if you’d put me in contact with him. Or (to be politically fair: with HER)I’d take care of shipping, and stuff.
Here is the link: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C72861
Thanks, and best regards from Budapest.
Lars-Erik Fisk, artist with a vision of what things would be like if they were round, one of my favorite posts revisited and upgraded
the barn ball
so far all mentions of this VW Bus Ball are just copying the photos from http://oblique.csail.mit.edu/Album/Shellenbarger/Shellenbarger_Summer_2001/Volkswagen2.jpg.html but without giving credit to the photographer, nice guy named Thouis, who told me I can use his photos, and only requested that I "Mark them as creative commons licensed, and please attribute Lars-Erik Fisk as the sculptor"
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The last known 1942-47 Ford Skyview known to exist of the 44 produced Glass-Top bus of Brewster transport in Banff, Alberta Canada
Before and after
Above: the try at recreating the below 1946 photo of the whole fleet
For more of the story of it's being found, restored, and tv time: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2563951Back in 1942, Western Truck and Auto out of Winnipeg Manitoba Canada built a couple of Glass-Top busses for Brewster transport in Banff, they were well recieved and in 1946, 42 more were built.
These busses were used for a few years before they were "retired" from service and sold to the government, after the government was done with them they were all destroyed (as was the customary thing to do back then) But somehow this bus (#27) was not destined to that fate
15 reasons why cars are less trouble than women
1. Go means go, stop means stop, left means left, right means right. Nothing is implied.
2. It’s perfectly fine to have more than one.
3. The tyre bill is considerably less than a woman’s shoe bill.
4. Aside from the fuel tank, its weight does not change.
5. If you don’t like it anymore, you can sell it and get another. (Without going through hell)
6. If you take good care of it, it’ll look the same as the day you got it.
7. Too change it, you don’t have to talk to it, you just MODIFY it.
8. Even a LARGE heavy one like the Pontiac G8 GT, can look sexy. You can have fun inside it and no one will think you’re weird.
9. You can redress it with a new body kit for less than the cost of a wedding dress.
10. You can give it accessories whenever you feel like it, irrespective of birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
11. It never asks questions about it’s rear.
12. The airbags are not just for decoration, they save your life.
13. Regardless of the time of day, season, day of the month, it is ready to give you a ride when you want it.
14. Every year, it only asks for new oil, not jewellery.
15. Ever now and then, you’ll be able to drive a friend’s one, without any guilt.
Via: http://attuworld.com/
2. It’s perfectly fine to have more than one.
3. The tyre bill is considerably less than a woman’s shoe bill.
4. Aside from the fuel tank, its weight does not change.
5. If you don’t like it anymore, you can sell it and get another. (Without going through hell)
6. If you take good care of it, it’ll look the same as the day you got it.
7. Too change it, you don’t have to talk to it, you just MODIFY it.
8. Even a LARGE heavy one like the Pontiac G8 GT, can look sexy. You can have fun inside it and no one will think you’re weird.
9. You can redress it with a new body kit for less than the cost of a wedding dress.
10. You can give it accessories whenever you feel like it, irrespective of birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
11. It never asks questions about it’s rear.
12. The airbags are not just for decoration, they save your life.
13. Regardless of the time of day, season, day of the month, it is ready to give you a ride when you want it.
14. Every year, it only asks for new oil, not jewellery.
15. Ever now and then, you’ll be able to drive a friend’s one, without any guilt.
Via: http://attuworld.com/
Want your car in a photo shoot on the Bonneville Salt Flats? Filiz is looking to pay for a cool custom to be at his photo shoot!
We are looking for a cool custom built prop car and driver to go to the Bonneville Salt Flats and drive around in the background for a photo shoot. Shoot date is: April 13th 2009.
It is a low budget photo shoot, but will pay $500 plus mileage. Please send us a photo of the car and the best contact info.
filiz@erikalmas.com
or see http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/wan/1069252474.html
It is a low budget photo shoot, but will pay $500 plus mileage. Please send us a photo of the car and the best contact info.
filiz@erikalmas.com
or see http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/wan/1069252474.html
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
“Motorcycle racing makes heroin look like a vague craving for salt”
My heroine, and Pirate Monkey Cult founder and grand poohbah for life: Zina.
Herb Gordon's 1965 2+2 Mustang
Herb's dad placed an order for this 2+2, optioning it with the solid-lifter 289 High Performance and the accompanying mandatory (at extra cost) four-speed manual gearbox. He finished off the drivetrain with a 3.50:1 ratio in the 9-inch axle that was exclusive to the Hi-Po.Then he never titled it, only drove it 2,847 miles, then parked it...
in a shed.
in a shed.
He never titled it because he was a used car dealer and just put dealer plates on it.
Herb's dad Bob also did careful shopping in the dealer-option Cobra Kit catalog. In the looks department, Bob opted for the Cobra Engine Dress-Up Kit, comprising finned-aluminum valve covers, a chrome radiator cap, dipstick, master-cylinder cap, oil filler cap, and air-cleaner assembly.
But this shiny breather was soon rendered useless by Bob's second, and more important, addition: the Cobra II 4-V Induction Kit that provided a cast-aluminum intake manifold mounting a pair of 500-cfm carbs topped by individual chromed air cleaners. The $245 carb kit also included a pair of Cobra medallions (as found on the nose of Shelby's AC Cobras), which Bob soon mounted beneath the 289 Hi-Po badges on the front fenders.
As a car dealer, Bob Gordon couldn't afford to lose his driver's license. So he parked his nearly new fastback with only 2,847 miles showing on the odometer and never drove it again. Also, because of his dealer status, he never bothered to have it titled.
Side bar: this Mustang is so low mileage that it's a restoration resource
This is the rare and just being reproduced “Arvinode” exhaust system.
Mustangs built from October, 1964 through March, 1965 with High-Performance 289 "K"-code engines were equipped with a unique dual exhaust system. Originally produced by Arvin, the system did not utilize conventional mufflers; instead, the exhaust note was “tuned” by combining the effects of resonance tubes in the front “mufflers” with conventional resonators integrated into the tailpipes. The sound was unique; low, aggressive and loud. And it increased peak torque and horsepower.
http://www.waldronexhaust.com/arvinodedualexhaust.htm
http://www.waldronexhaust.com/arvinodedualexhaust.htm
If you are wondering like I was, what is the "2+2" about: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/03/ever-wonder-what-mustang-or-pontiac.html
The Schlumph collection, also known as the Malmerspach collection
Over the years nearly 400 items (vehicles, chassis and engines) were acquired, A team of up to 40 carpenters, saddlers, and master mechanics were assembled to carry out the restoration work.They were under a confidentiality agreement to keep their work and the scale of the collection a secret - a singlemindedness often referred to as "The Schlumpf Obsession." Many, including irate members of Bugatti clubs around the world, knew of the collection; although the eventual scale of the enterprise became a surprise to almost everybody.
In 1976 the Schlumpf brothers had begun to sell their factories. In October the Malmerspach plant laid off employees, and a strike broke out, with 400 police holding back the workers from ram sacking the Mulhouse plant.
After a stand-off, on March 7, 1977, textile union activists staged a sit-in strike at the Schlumpf offices, and broke into the Mulhouse "factory" to find the astounding collection of cars. An unrestored Austin 7 was burned and the workers' union representative remarked "There are 600 more where this one came from."
The Schlumpfs fled to their native Switzerland, and spent the rest of their days as permanent residents of the Drei Koenige Hotel. But with wages outstanding, the factory was occupied for the next two years by the textile union and renamed "Workers’ Factory." To recoup some of their lost wages, the union opened the museum to the public, with some 800,000 people viewing the collection in two years.
As the scale of the brothers Schlumpf debt rose, various creditors including the unions eyed the valuable car collection as a way to recover their losses. To save the destruction, break-up or export of the collection, in 1978 the contents were classified as a French historic monument by the Council of State. In 1979, a bankruptcy liquidator ordered the building closed.
The Schlumpfs fled to their native Switzerland, and spent the rest of their days as permanent residents of the Drei Koenige Hotel. But with wages outstanding, the factory was occupied for the next two years by the textile union and renamed "Workers’ Factory." To recoup some of their lost wages, the union opened the museum to the public, with some 800,000 people viewing the collection in two years.
As the scale of the brothers Schlumpf debt rose, various creditors including the unions eyed the valuable car collection as a way to recover their losses. To save the destruction, break-up or export of the collection, in 1978 the contents were classified as a French historic monument by the Council of State. In 1979, a bankruptcy liquidator ordered the building closed.
In 1981 the collection, buildings and residual land were sold to the National Automobile Museum, now the largest automobile museum in the world . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_National_de_l
62 cars of this collection from the Schlumpf collection were bought in 2008, and 12 will now be in the Peter Mullin Collection in Oxnard, in the former Otis Chandler museum, Otis Chandler’s collection is closed but to reopen soon as the “The Vintage Museum of Transportation”
The American Bugatti club is going to stop by the Mullin museum during their 50th Anniversary Celebration of the club and the US International 2010 Bugatti Rally.
Peter Mullin is a founding member of the Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation and served as Foundation Co-Chairman from 1994 to 2004.
If you have a passion for Bugattis: http://www.velocetoday.com/archives/775