The Beach Boys had a Capitol Records promo gifted to them of 5 matching Mini Mokes by Barris Kustoms, and it looks like Barris used the publicity to try and sell a lot more to the public

Commissioned by Capitol Records and made by George Barris in 1966.  Supposedly 5 were built for the boys themselves and they were called 'Mini Surfers'.

These special Mokes came with candy stripes both in and outside, a special fringed canopy, golden record wheel discs, 8-track sound systems with removable speakers, chromed bumpers and fake air intakes on the bonnet.

The seats were made of red and white fur fabric, and the surfboard on top was a Dewey Weber

Supposedly another 20 were built to give away to radio stations throughout the US to be raffled in special Beach Boys competitions.

A May issue of  Classic & Sports Car magazine had an article about Barris and mentioned these

http://www.smileysmile.net/uncanny/index.php/beach-boys-with-george-barris-kustom-buggies
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/75/8d/e7/758de7b323314fd42d74be39c3465881.jpg
http://stiffspeed.co.uk/post/162723444754#notes
http://maximummini.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-beach-boys-and-their-mini-surfers.html

at least one is sitting in a garage gathering dust

https://www.facebook.com/groups/140112802865265/permalink/724249964451543/

in Nov 1966, on Monday the 7th

The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage

and at the 4:18 minute mark

the Oscar Meyer ice delivery van, designed by Brooks Stevens

thanks to Steve who had this, and the net van, in his file on Brooks Stevens designs

https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/ihc/id/28831/rec/10

I don't think I've seen a streamlined art deco coal truck before, designed by Brooks Stevens of course

https://swarfs.tumblr.com/

but Steve had! He had a file of this truck, and it's sister the ice truck.

1938 International Harvester D300 

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM89047

Thanks Steve!

hard to believe this happens

https://swarfs.tumblr.com/image/163584738454

look out, this guy is onto something

https://swarfs.tumblr.com/

don't take a photo of idiots like this, call 911, and get them some police intervention before they kill themselves or innocent people. this is a catastrophe in the making

http://davidjones78j.tumblr.com/post/163622140691/absolutely-nothing-could-go-wrong-lol

Ford has a small problem. 1.33 million Ford Explorers, primarily police fleet vehicles, are under scrutiny for making the inhabitants sick from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. That's serious shit.

When the fleet level installation of police equipment occurred in Explorers, the holes in the floor weren't sealed right. That lets in engine exhaust.

Plus, U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it recently learned that the police version of the 2011-2017 Ford Explorer was experiencing exhaust manifold cracks.

The city of Austin, Texas said Friday it was removing all 400 of the city’s Ford Explorer SUVs from use.

More than 60 Austin officers filed workers compensation claims in the last five months, citing exposure to carbon monoxide.

 Several Texas media outlets cited a city memo that said 20 police officers have been found with elevated levels of carbon monoxide and three have not returned to work.

Police have reported two crashes that may be linked to carbon monoxide exposure and a third incident involving injuries related to carbon monoxide exposure.

The auto safety agency said it was also aware of more than 2,700 complaints that may be linked to exhaust orders and possible exposure to carbon monoxide and 41 injuries among police and civilian vehicles in the probe covering 2011-2017 model year Ford Explorer sport utility vehicles.

NHTSA upgraded its probe from an investigation to an engineering analysis, which is one step away from forcing Ford to a recall.

If you smell exhaust inside a vehicle, that's a problem, get a dealership to figure out why, and prevent that from happening.

But keep this in mind, you CAN NOT smell carbon monoxide. It IS an exhaust gas from the engine's burning gas and creating vapors and exhaust emissions of the atmospheric kind. Carbon Monoxide has no smell, no color, and no taste.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ford-recall-idUSKBN1AE029
http://www.wcnc.com/life/automotive/ford-explorer-carbon-leak-hits-cmpd-fleet/460371874
http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local-news/271007264-story

Margaret Reese challenged her husband, TJ, to ‘create something’ to stop travel trailers from rocking when people walked through them in the 1940s.

A few years later, Mr. Reese invented the first pair of stabilizing jacks.

65 years of leading the camper trailer industry, and heavy duty towing, all began with a simple problem, and inventing these simple jacks was the solution.

 Reese has been one of the world’s leading manufacturers of branded towing and trailering equipment since that time when hitting the road for a camping vacation was a nationwide fad.

Reese is known for its innovative products that meet, and often exceed industry standards, making it the brand people know and trust in the marketplace. It all started with a mom n pop small operation, and grew from there.

 thanks to Angela Howard, Media Relations Manager Horizon Global Americas for the photos and info about these pioneers of camper trailers!

I had no idea John Lasseter was a train owner... he bought the steam locomotive that once belonged to Ollie Johnson

this happened because Disneyland restored and re-opened the Disneyland Railroad

Disneyland’s classic attraction was closed in January 2016 so construction could start on Galaxy’s Edge: The “Star Wars” land, which will open in 2019, needed 14 acres, at least some of which was carved out of the Frontierland wilderness.

That meant a new route for the railroad, which re-opened on Friday, July 28. John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Disney Animation and Pixar, was among those happy for its return.



http://www.ocregister.com/2017/07/28/disneyland-railroad-steams-back-into-action/
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Disneyland-Return-Railroad--River-Attractions-436887293.html

through the 1950s and into the 1960s if you wanted to win a saloon car race overall on British soil in effect you had to drive a Jaguar, what broke the Jag winning streak? A Galaxie 500. Strange isn't it?

In 1961 Dan Gurney put Jag on notice by bringing to Silverstone a Chevy Impala. The writing was on the wall as he outran all the Jaguars, piling on the horsepower down the straights and teetering his heeling, tyre-squealing ‘Yank Tank’ on a fine knife-edge round the corners.

He seemed to have the race won, when one of the Chevy’s pressed-steel wheels pulled off over its studs. The Jaguar brigade heaved a sigh of relief, and won yet again – dominance sustained for another year.

In 1962 John Willment and Jeff Urenmade plans for a NASCAR-prepped stock car with sufficient muscle to put the medium-capacity Jaguars very firmly in their place – which would be second, not first.

Working together with Holman and Moody they imported one car in the spring of  1963 and at Silverstone in May, veteran touring car driver Jack Sears whipped the Jaguars. He repeated the trick in June and in July led a 1-2 Ford finish in a preliminary race to the British Grand Prix.

As always when faced with the overwhelming defeat and no hope of competing, Jaguar went for the rules book, and challenged everything about the Galaxie, from roll cage to countersunk lug holes in the rims.

Jaguar's general manager ‘Lofty’ England did his best to get the Royal Automobile Club governing body and race scrutineers to make a great fuss over the Galaxie’s roll-cage, and the design of the pressed-steel wheels on the monster car, with their counter-bored fixing holes. Holman and Moody waded into that one with evidence of FIA-conformity homologation.

Regardless the Willment Galaxie was withdrawn from the Brands Hatch Six Hours, causing disappointment (to say the least) to the entrants, drivers, organizers and – last but not least – the paying public.

https://www.goodwood.com/grrc/columnists/doug-nye/2017/7/doug-nye-jack-sears-galaxie

Auto Club Speedway's Nascar trophy

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/multimedia/Southern-California-Images-in-the-News-2017-409507085.html

Milling a head

Thanks Bruce!

John M. Stephens bought the first Silver Ghost in 1906, and commissioned this 1912 Silver Ghost Double Pullman Limousine, having former royal carriage-maker Barker’s of Mayfair make the body to a level of luxury few cars have ever reached

Recently auctioned for £4,705,500, making it the most expensive Rolls-Royce ever sold at auction,

Possibly the most magnificent Rolls-Royce ever built: Its gleaming interior fittings are made of silver and ivory, while the door panels are embroidered silk, with brocade tassels attached to silk window shades for privacy.

The passenger footrest hides a full picnic set for four, a china tea service, complete with an alcohol-fuelled burner and kettle to heat the water, and a set of six decanters – three in sterling silver and three in leather-wrapped glass.

Unlike most car enthusiasts of his time, Mr Stephens, asked the makers not to include a glass division window between the driver and the passengers as he wanted to drive it himself rather than rely on a chauffeur.

Mr Stephens’s car is believed to be the only one of its kind to survive with its full interior and bodywork, as many Rolls-Royces from the era were converted into ambulances during the First World War.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2168684/Rolls-Royce-sold-1-000-1912-fetches-incredible-5m-auction-rival-bidders-drive-price-sky-high.html
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20143/lot/272/

1911 Silver Ghost owned by the Maharaja of Mysore

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2168684/Rolls-Royce-sold-1-000-1912-fetches-incredible-5m-auction-rival-bidders-drive-price-sky-high.html