Saturday, October 12, 2024

Ratan Tata, a car enthusiast, has died aged 86, was India’s most celebrated industrialist. In 2008, he bought the troubled Jaguar Land Rover business for £1.75bn.



Tata produced what was called “the first Indian car”, designed by and for Indians, in 1998. Ratan did some of the first drawings himself. The Tata Indica was a success. 

He went further a decade later, and the company conceived the Nano, a tiny saloon described as the world’s most affordable car at a price of about £2,000

In 1999 Tata had travelled to Detroit to discuss the sale of the motor business to Ford, only to be asked why his firm had gone into the passenger car business when it clearly knew nothing about it. Later he would turn the tables, buying underperforming Jaguar Land Rover from Ford and reviving it.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Oct 3rd announced the seizure of 265 packages / 2,686 pounds / $3.2 million worth of methamphetamine found inside a single tractor-trailer at the California-Mexico border.


Looks like they installed a fake floor to hide all that meth

2009 Vette pulled off 263.93 miles per hour in the standing mile

 https://www.autoevolution.com/news/2200-rwhp-c6-corvette-makes-world-record-standing-mile-pass-at-264-mph-lsx-is-not-happy-241176.html#

interesting choice of vehicles for a guy that can own anything, Ashton Kutcher

 I would have guessed a classic Porsche, or Mustang, but not a late 50s or early 60s Vette

https://www.tmz.com/2024/10/10/ashton-kutcher-corvette-breaks-down/

a basket case in pieces in a box, a 1955 Vincent 998cc Black Prince project broke the world record sale at auction, at $153,000, about 4x the estimate


the photographer got lucky to find such a cool variety in close proximity



1933 Sunbeam 346cc Model 8 with Launch sidecar





1896 Hammacher Schlemmer. 46" x 18" and 37" tall, oak workbench toolbench




an EXCEPTIONAL collection of tools is being auctioned off, the collector was selecting the very best examples of point of sale countertop sales, etc.


This is a Stanley model 951,oak with roll-top front

if you are in the market for a really nice Gerstner tool chest, and it's proper base, you might get this pair cheaper at auction than for sale some other time in the future



does anyone believe the production Tesla robotaxi is really going to be a 2 door? I'm guessing it's going to be a Model X instead


Friday, October 11, 2024

a standing ovation please, for Hank Ameen, who at 92 years old, as of October 8, celebrated 62 years at The Walt Disney Company, making him the current longest standing employee. Retired firefighter of 35 years, USAF vet, and once a bartender.


Ameen's love for Disney started when he and his wife visited Disneyland on their honeymoon in 1955. He became an official cast member three years later after serving in the Air Force. He landed the job as a Jungle Cruise skipper in 1958 because of his previous experience as a bartender.

The hiring manager figured he could tell a joke, and he was right. Hank quickly mastered the art of making guests laugh. “I picked it up, and then lo and behold, people were clapping, and they liked my spiel,” says Hank while chuckling. “I felt pretty good about that.”  

 After a few seasons, Ameen wanted to try something new and joined the Garden Grove Fire Department, fulfilling a 35-year career as a city firefighter. 

But he missed Disneyland. He ended up working as a Disneyland Resort firefighter on his days off, monitoring the pyrotechnic safety for the firework spectaculars.

When cast members think of Hank, they think of a man who relishes every opportunity that life offers. He certainly has, from hosting Olympians at Disneyland in 1964, to watching iconic attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean be built right before his eyes, to enjoying cast picnics with Walt Disney and his family, to winning the bronze, silver and gold medal in the Disneyland 10k Marathons, he has embraced life wholeheartedly.  

Last August, the Disneyland Resort firefighters de-throned the years-long reign of the Davy Crockett team, winning the fastest time in the cast member Canoe Races. For years, the firefighters vowed they would win one for Hank, which they finally did. The team honored Hank by having him join their triumphant victory lap while the cast cheered uproariously. 

a rare 1991 Skyline GT-R was stolen from Nissan headquarters in Melbourne, It's completely stock and was one of the first cars sold in the region. Nissan purchased it in 2015 and used it regularly for promotional events. It's valued at around $170,000 USD








I might be wrong, but it appears that the Nissan GT-R and the Juke, both got the same Recaro seats.

In 1912 automobile builders Charron celebrated their 10 year anniversary with a brochure inspired by H G Wells’ ‘The Time Machine', setting their current range of cars in various historical periods. Illustrations by ‘Gus Bofa’.









this version of  'The Time Machine' was credited to a pseudonymous author named 'Curnonsky, in fact a nom de plume for M. E. Sailland (1872-1956), featuring a tale by 'Tom Charron' and his journey through the ages, and enhanced by five color pictures depicting scenes from his fantasy tale by Gus Bofa (1883-1969).


1912 France luxury automobile catalog Charron, illustrated Bofa

La Charron is presented in a past historical context "They all come to La Charron". 

the list of famous customers.

France
Princess of Pea
Princess of Polignac
Duke of Rohan
Duke of Nouailles
Viscount of La Rochefoucauld…

America
William Waldorf Astor
W, Earle Dodge
Frank Jay Gould
W, K Vanderbilt
Louis C. Tiffany
Saloman Guggenheim…

England
Duchess of Manchester
Marquess of Londonderry
Lord Kilmaine
Lord Carrington…

Gustave Henri Émile Blanchot, known as “Gus Bofa” (1883-1968) was a French illustrator.

He intended to pursue a military career but gave it up when he was about to take the Saint-Cyr exam. To earn a little money, in 1900 he began selling drawings to illustrated newspapers such as Le Sourire, Le Rire and La Risette.

Around 1906, he created Affiches Gus-Bofa. Building on his success as a poster artist, he wrote stories for the press, music hall reviews and wrote the theatre column for Le Rire and Le Sourire, newspapers that he briefly directed and where he gave Pierre Mac Orlan his debut. He also designed costumes and sets for the theatre.

Very seriously injured in the legs in December 1914 during the fighting at Bois-le-Prêtre, he refused to have his leg amputated and, from his hospital bed, sent drawings to La Baïonnette.

In the aftermath of this war, which left him crippled, he began, encouraged by Mac Orlan, a career as an illustrator of luxury books.

The cast of "Cats" were in a PSA when seat belts were the newest hot button topic in the 80s, and were trying to raise awareness to buckle your child into a car seat. "Cats have nine lives, children only one." "No one wants a child to become a memory."


Public Service Announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

thank you to Bruce for donating to the new laptop fund! You blew my mind today Bruce, seriously it was the only reason this week of misery and depression ended on a high note

 



thank you to Ray L for donating to the cause!

 

Thursday, October 10, 2024

News on the Las Vegas underground Tesla transportation system...

county commissioners approved a plan last May to expand the tunnels to 65 miles and add 69 passenger stations

The next Boring Co. Vegas Loop offshoot from the Las Vegas Convention Center is nearing completion.

The Westgate’s Vegas Loop station, just north of the convention center, is awaiting approval, Hill said.

One of Boring Co.’s drilling machines, dubbed Prufrock, is now digging from the convention center’s central hall toward the Encore. It will make a stop at the convention center’s Silver Lot first, and then relaunch it at the convention center’s Bronze Lot, where it will cross over Desert Inn and create the second tunnel to Encore, Hill said.

Tunneling work is also occurring from a lot Boring Co. purchased last year, sandwiched between Paradise Road and University Center Drive, across from UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. That line will connect to Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, en route to the convention center. Crews reached Virgin in May and have since continued boring operations toward the convention center.

a Cookie Monster mask wasn't enough to prevent getting caught speeding in Germany last month, because the driver has a rare car, and they simply sent the speeding camera ticket to the registered owner


The car appears to be an Audi RS2 Avant, the first performance wagon and first RS-badged performance car ever made by the brand. The RS2 was a collaboration between Porsche and Audi, one that led to fewer than 3000 total production cars in the mid-1990s. Those numbers make the cult classic wagon a rare sight

Dortmund Police say that the car is registered to is a 57-year-old man from Hagen, and that the registered owner will be receiving a fine in the mail.

just when you think you've had the worst day all year... and things have been real bad all week... Murphy's Law has just gotten started, I may be it's latest favorite pet project

Monday was the worst, Tuesday was not good, yesterday sucked... and today, I found that due to circumstances my landlord set in place (hoarding), rats have gotten into the house, and one at least, got into my room. Ain't here right now, I just spent two hours making damn sure it's not here anymore, and can't get back in. 

Why the hell is there a 2or 3 inch gap under the doors? 

That's why I hadn't gotten anything posted yet

Wednesday, October 09, 2024

a kids paper race car cutout in the 1905 supplement to The Boston Globe


https://check_the_oil_promotions_llc.liveauctioneers.com/item/188469534_1905-the-racing-cutout-supplement-to-the-boston-globe-kids-paper-racecar

intriguing... they registered vehicles as Soap Box Derby related, and issued them a license plate!

https://check_the_oil_promotions_llc.liveauctioneers.com/item/186202178_

there is a lot of news that happens at an airport, that would make a great tv show, and about 20 years ago the Discovery, or Learning Channel (TLC) had one. Since then, it's rare to hear news from airports.

 Like the interception by customs, of the things people are trying to smuggle to buyers and collectors. 

Between 2020 and 2021, the US government seized 13 ancient Egyptian artifacts at JFK airport, including a 5,200-year-old vase, according to a legal documents filed earlier this month.

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/ancient-egyptian-artifacts-seized-us-government-homeland-security-customs-jfk-airport-1234720317/

Oilstainlab‘s Half11 stole the show at Goodwood as a magnificent Frankenstein of ’60s and ’70s inspiration.



https://www.speedhunters.com/2024/08/half11-full-vibe

this commercial was so well crafted in it's making, Marc remembered it now, nearly 30 years later! Thanks Marc!

 

the famous classic car chassis designer Art Morrison, was Army infantry in Vietnam! His tour ended in January 1968, less than a week before the Tet Offensive



After his time in the Army, he was approached by a friend, who was recruiting him for his welding skills, and asked him to help restore a Corvette. When the car had a record performance, Morrison started working on other fabrication projects starting in a one car garage in 1971.

Tuesday, October 08, 2024

C-47 Skytrains “Placid Lassie” and “Chalk 40” and a pair of UH-1 Hueys are among the many unique aviation assets helping to deliver supplies and aid in the wake of Hurricane Helene. (thanks George!)


C-47 “Placid Lassie”, is a veteran of Operations Neptune (D-Day), Market Garden, Repulse (the Bulge), and Varsity.

"Chalk 40” is also a World War II veteran, but served with the Royal Air Force as KG395.

The airplane took part in Operation Mallard, towing a glider for the airborne operation in support of D-Day. She later went on to be fitted with skis to support the recovery of the P-38J Lightning “Glacier Girl” in Greenland.

Doing some of the heaviest lifting are Vietnam War veteran UH-1 “Huey” helicopters of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation from Hampton, Georgia. 




Found On Road Dead. Not because it's a Ford, or a Bronco. Nope, it was dead on the road, because Ben Affleck switched it up to run on batteries recharged off the grid (origin of that electrical power is a coal or oil burning power plant, so, not exactly "green", just out of sight pollution so Hollywood types can feel they are saving the planet)

 https://www.tmz.com/2024/10/07/ben-afflecks-electric-ford-bronco-breaks-down/

pretty cool Road Runner that left the factory with a 383, now has mid 600 Hp, supercharged 440, a Dana 60 with a 5.38:1 gear ratio. And it's in Sweden

Yes, two different hoods. One was covering a hemi

sour apples... very clever. The Washington apple specialty license plate, and they chose the vanity plate "sour"


I saw this in traffic this weekend

 

an English car insurance company stating that “having reviewed your current details, we won’t be able to renew your car insurance policy” because an “author”'s occupational career is deemed an “unacceptable risk”.

the reasons for considering authors an “unacceptable risk” are commercially sensitive and the insurance company refused to disclose them, but indicated they were in line with industry practice.

comparison site Quotezone published the professions considered riskiest by car insurers – warehouse workers, healthcare assistants and chefs.

If you want the best deal, become a teacher, civil servant or HGV driver. Quotezone has found they pay up to 41% less than the national average.


https://www.theguardian.com/money/2024/oct/08/i-was-written-off-by-john-lewis-for-car-insurance-because-im-an-author

you can pluck a cheap four-piston Brembo front calipers brake upgrade straight from Cadillac’s ATS and CTS-V parts bin.


Combined with an adapter kit that typically costs less than the calipers, you can upgrade to four-piston Brembo front brakes for as little as $500 all-in on some platforms.

A more popular upgrade, though, is to pull parts off the spicier CTS-V, which the aftermarket will help you fit to a much broader range of chassis. They come in two flavors, with the first-generation CTS-V using four-piston Brembos at all four corners, while the second-gen upgraded its fronts to six-piston units. The latter are pricier, but still on the cheap end for six-piston performance calipers—especially if you’re willing to buy off-brand eBay parts.