Kevin Gosselin

Those Crazy People in The Netherlands

2012-02-02T09:04:00.002-07:00

So, these guys have been around for a while. The Huet Brothers that is. The HB in HB coupe. But this is the first I have seen of a new coupe they would like to produce.

It is simply stunning.

Check out more here.

Best. Sports Car. Documentary. Ever. 1965 Targa Florio

2012-01-26T10:10:00.005-07:00

That you can watch this gorgeous 40 minute documentary about the 1965 Targa Florio for free is one of the bonuses of the internet. This is spectacular stuff with which to while away the post-NFL time.

In it you see up close, unvarnished racing action. Interviews with drivers. In car footage of dogs scampering across the roads. Why were these types of races outlawed again?

All the racing legends are here. Graham Hill, Paddy Hopkirk, Vacarella(sp?). The latter the Sicilian born schoolmaster who wins the Targa. A school teacher driving a factory Ferrari! Only in 1965.

Love it. Love it. Love it.

And that sign I screen grabbed - does that mean that mom's should hold onto their babies or watch out so the driver's don't sully their daughters?

Watch it here.

2012-01-19T09:24:00.002-07:00

So, the official review from Octane came out. And it was good. They liked it. Which is saying something because they usually eviscerate fiction.

BUT, man are they picky about the Brit vs. UK thing. This is a car book and they pick on what they thought was an error. I did mean 'sauce' not 'sausage'. The dish is from a high-end hotel and is a modern interpretation of a traditional breakfast. Come on guys. Comment on the cars, not the food. Which was as I wanted it anyway.

And, for any one who doubts there is a 'black pudding sauce' just google it. Or check out the menu here or the recipe here. And anyone who has been to Blumenthal's restaurant has probably had a 'black pudding sauce' as well.

We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers

2012-01-07T15:03:00.005-07:00

May be it is a corruption to use a speech from a play about a battle of the few against the many to describe the cold Cars & Coffee this morning, but hey, sometimes I feel a bit dramatic.

We wheeled the MK2 out of hibernation at 7am and rolled up to Boulder/Lafayette. A gorgeous sunrise of pinks and purples over the Rockies and no traffic. We arrived to find no one else. But soon about twenty hardy souls brought out their cars.

A nice 80SC in arrow blue was present. Love the color. I should have painted my race car that shade. Also a cool driver GTV and even a brace of Ferrari's. I don't know which models. They were new ones.

Do check out the pic of the rear of the 996 GT3 and the 928. Similar proportions.

Finally, a pic of my son hamming it up in the back of the MK2. We have to take off his shoes as he likes banging his feet on the small, wood seat-back tables. If only he knew...

My P!g Works for a Living.

2011-12-30T14:26:00.002-07:00

The truth is, I love my Cayenne.

I really do.

And the nastier the weather or the harder the towing and work, the more I like it.

On a sunny day, with no traffic and open road it is at its worst. It is just a fast truck. But on days you actually use it as a hard-working SUV, it shines.

And I love the looks I get from people when I load up the P!g with sheetrock at the Home-D. A week off has me knocking out a long list of small jobs.

I do admit, my right-side view was a bit compromised with this load. But oh, well.

And, for those who don't go to Rennlist forums. There is a brilliant nickname for the Cayenne.

P!g.

It is the word pig with the i spelled with an exclamation point. A reference to the codes that the early Cayennes often threw, very often.

Help...I Am Stuck in My Jaguar

2011-12-20T16:20:00.003-07:00

Nothing quite as embarrassing as having to climb out the passenger seat of your classic car in a crowded area.

'Ah, look at that poncy fellow over there, not so show boaty now!' You can imagine the crowd saying.

But, that was the situation I was in when my MK2 driver's side door didn't want to release from the inside. So, take it apart.

Removing the wood door caps was simple. Messing with the spring-loaded roll pins of the window winder and door handle less so. But, after a few nicked fingers, it all came off.

Inside, the mechanism looked fine, but it was 'hanging up' and grating. With no obvious broken parts I slathered the device in WD40 and went to go look for a replacement online.

After a few weeks of searching I could only find mediocre used items. No one reproduces the item. Oh, well. I went to go take off the release mechanism when lo and behold it worked. I guess the old part just needed some lube. So, I greased it up proper and buttoned the door back up.

Got to love free repairs.

AC/DC's Brian Johnson a Fan of Faston

2011-12-07T09:23:00.002-07:00

I nearly fell out of my bed last night when I was reading through the newest issue of Octane when I came across Brian Johnson's column.

In it, he launches into a discussion of high-end automotive recreations by praising my book, Hunt for the Blower Bentley.

I am usually nonplussed about such things. I've had commercials run during prime time sports and television. Seen a billboard of mine in Times Square. Even had dozens of articles published in magazines. But something about unsolicited praise from a true automotive enthusiast was just so awesome. Don't tell my wife, but no Christmas present could top this.

Well, maybe a 993 C4 in white would.

But, if you are on the fence about picking up or downloading a copy, don't hesitate now. A man who races a Lola loves it. You will too.

Whoa, baby baby Thunderstruck...

A Bigger Blower Bentley

2011-11-30T05:18:00.004-07:00

This crazy 27 litre contraption by British creative heir to the likes of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bob Peterson is quite the machine. And you do need to see more of this guy Bob's work at his site.

The Telegraph newspaper had an article about it a few days ago here. But some of the larger numbers are the aforementioned 27 litres. 660HP. 12 exhausts and 24 spark plugs. Giddy-up we would say in Denver.

The original Blowers cast a long shadow. And the desire to own one, or something better/faster than one is strong. Although a replica in spirit, at least they are forthright about it. Not something that can be said of the shenanigans around fakes in my Blower novel (a great gift, cough, cough)- Hunt for the Blower Bentley..

In Defense of Car Wreaths or Happy Holidays Post

2011-11-26T08:20:00.004-07:00

Happy Holidays. Hope you can all squeeze into your vintage cars after the Thanksgiving feasting.

Now, I have for a few years, enjoyed the personality switch that comes with putting a cheery wreath on my classics. I have put them on my 911, Wagoneer and now my MK2.

Some people may scoff and say that the McMansion prowling SUV crowd has ruined the wreath on the car and made it seem more Pottery Barn art direction than grassroots celebration of the season. I disagree.

Anytime you are driving your classic in the winter months is a commitment to the joy of classic motoring. And, to add a bit of holiday polish on top of that is well worth it. My straw pole of looking whiling driving says that I get more smiles and looks with the wreath than without. Many more.

So, source an appropriate wreath for your car, zip-tie it on and get out there.

A final note, check out Jim Clark in 1967, now that is a wreath that is worn well by both car and man.

While Cadillac owners get a pass as they have wreath's on their cars at all times.

Photo from http://www.gp-world.net/pages/en/1967season/photo14.htm

Warning Light Overload. B5 A6.

2011-11-13T18:43:00.003-07:00

One of the main reasons I like older cars more than newer cars is that the new ones boss you. Especially with warning lights.

On our 2002 A6, a rare 2.7T 6 speed manual MT6 model, when it is low on windshield washer fluid you would think that it was about to explode. It flashes a light and beeps more than a Cameroonian taxi driver.

So, the car was recently throwing an ABS light. A quick scan showed it to be the rear ABS sensor. With a quote of $100 to install the sensor, I decided to save the money and install myself.

It was super easy. The only hard part was trying to lift up the bottom of the rear seat. I could not get it dislodged. I managed to pull the corner up enough to clip and thread in the new harness. A tip here is to 'fish' in the sensor with a stiff wire taped to the end.

One hiccup was that the allen head bolt that fixed the sensor to the caliper did not fit the thicker mounting of the new Bosch piece. Odd, as it was an OEM fitment. So, a quick dig in the old metric bolt pile had me back in action right quick.

Start to finish in under an hour. And that includes some leaf pile jumping with my son.

'Upgrades' are for Video Games & 'Investments' are for Wall Street.

2011-11-08T18:44:00.008-07:00

UPGRADES and INVESTED. These words are tossed around in for sale ads by car owners far too often. Because owners rarely upgrade or invest in their cars. Hey, if you are having your Bugatti prepped for vintage racing by High Mountain Classics you are upgrading.

And if you have a minimum of $500,000 to spend in Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason's IGA-backed automobile fund you might be investing in cars.

But short of that. I question your grammar.

Instead of upgrading and investing, owners are modifying and spending

And there is a big difference between the two. The power of words is in their proper use. And using the word upgrade to define adding blue light bulbs to your civic is incorrect. Or using the word invested to describe spending $9,000 on a candy-flake-pearl paint job on your 68 Chevy is another misuse.

Top Five Misnamed Upgrades:

Cold Air Intakes
+2 or larger Rims
Aforementioned light bulbs
Anything from KYB
Exhaust components

Top Five Misnamed Investments:

Tires
Stereos
Custom upholstery
Detailing
Tint

And let me say it first - I've never invested or upgraded my cars. But as sure as syrup in Vermont I've done a lot of spending and modifying.

Simeone Foundation Founder Loves Hunt for the Blower Bentley

2011-11-03T19:25:00.003-06:00

My Dad, like all parents, is an unrepentant promoter of his kid's activities. So, he mailed a copy of my novel to Dr. Frederick Simeone, the collector of some of the world's most impressive cars. Including a Blower Bentley. My Dad had previously met him delivering some cars to his museum. You can view his jaw-dropping, jealousy-inducing collection here.

In the above letter, he states he enjoyed the book. But also, did his own fact checking on my Bentley history and found it to be impeccable. Thanks for the support. It means a lot to get a positive review from someone who owns one of these incredible machines.

Vintage Car Wallpaper

2011-10-25T17:02:00.003-06:00

I was at my in-laws home this past weekend and made my way up into the attic for the first time. It is this huge home in New London, CT.

And, up there, in an old boy's room I found it covered in this vintage wallpaper. I don't think it is too old. Maybe late 60's? Early 70's?

But, what an odd collection of cars to feature; Avanti, Jaguar, 32 Ford Hot Rod, some Coopers and Ferraris. Cool.

Wish I could buy the same paper now.

A Fox in the Barn

2011-10-20T11:42:00.001-06:00

Keep your eyes peeled when you are in South Dakota. You just might find this Fox hiding out.

Thanks for the pic!

Prius as Barn Find.

2011-10-16T11:37:00.003-06:00

One of my readers sent in the first of the 'Future Barn Find' decals. On his Prius.

I love it.

How long before we see an ad on Craigslist hard-selling a 'one-owner barn find Prius with original battery pack'?

911 in Scotland. Archive Pics.

2011-10-13T19:31:00.003-06:00

Clearing out my images on my computer, I came across these which I thought I posted but didn't.

They are from 2007 when my wife and I went to Scotland and had the use of 1975 911 for the week as I was writing an article for 911 & Porsche World about renting Porsches.

If you read any of the UK magazines, they are always hyping the roads in Scotland. And, after being there, rightly so. Spend a night in London on your next trip to the islands, then head straight north.

Future Barn Find Decals Gone.

2011-10-13T14:14:00.002-06:00

The stickers are in the mail. Looking forward to getting the photos back.

That is all.

Free 'Future Barn Find' Bumper Stickers if...

2011-10-07T19:28:00.003-06:00

Pretty much about one year ago I made this post where I designed the above featured 'Future Barn Find' graphic.

I think it makes a nice sarcastic statement about the whole Barn Find thing in today's collector world. Anyone who reads BaT or Hemmings or eBay would think every car over 30 years old is a barn find. What a crock.

But, to celebrate, I am giving away 15 bumper stickers. But it comes with one condition, you have to put it on your car and take a picture of it and send it to me to post.

So, if you want to get in on these limited edition stickers, just email me at fastonhanks@gmail.com I will send it anywhere in the world, free, but just one sticker per person.

I will post one out and hold you to a gentleman's agreement that you will send me a photo.

Now, that's a fair deal.

Barn Finds You Can Afford.

2011-09-29T15:06:00.002-06:00

While searching for Jaguar MK2 parts on ebay, I came across the work of middleton models.

They seem to do some cheeky, barn-find style model dioramas. Really nice stuff, and fairly priced, not off the charts.

Some of the details I really love are the brick through the MK2's window. The tight GTI badges. And finally, the fact that they did a model of Kit from Knight Rider. Now, that last one would be a spectacular barn find.

French Car Spotting in Godard's Weekend

2011-09-27T15:45:00.005-06:00

So, thinking of Goddard's famous(in film circles) 7:30 one take dolly shot, I always wanted to slow it down even more. Check out the cars and the detail of it all. So, I screen grabbed about fifty images that cover the full length of the shot, which must be a half mile. Enjoy. Click to make the mosaic large - blogger doesn't let it get really large. It is actually 12x40 inches.

Craigslist Ad for an Airbrushed Masterpiece

2011-09-26T15:39:00.002-06:00

Above are the pics and below is the copy for an ad I did with a friend to sell his Saturn that he had had a Pegasus airbrushed onto the hood. Guess the ad-background worked, he sold the car in less than one day and had dozens of calls:

The first thing you should know about this Saturn is that it features a very rare, one-of-a-kind, custom hood painting. This painting makes the lame bird on the hood of Pontiac Firebirds look like something you would put on the wall of your daughters bedroom to help her fall asleep faster. This hood paint was done by a Greek Muse. Wanting to show a fast and powerful animal, the artist chose to paint a virile Pegasus rearing up on its hindquarters, wings spread, ready for battle. You can see how manly this Pegasus is. How could it not be when it's father was Poseidon, now that was a man. Also, this painting has lots of details including a beautiful golden shower cascading down the driver's side. This painting alone is awesome. It should be hung on a wall instead of a car. The Denver Art Museum is considering acquiring this piece. So is the Uffizi.

Also on the exterior are the fantastic Saturn plastic body panels that don't show dents. Seriously, a bear when I was car-camping came and rammed its bear head into the door and didn't even leave a mark. The mirror on the passenger side was modified by my robot mechanic to be more aerodynamic.

As you can imagine, women find the painting decidedly erotic. It just comes with owning a piece of art like this. Often this artwork is compared to the sensual flower paintings of Georgia O'keeffe.

Hipsters are also drawn to this painting. They can't believe that there is something hipper than they are. Well, there is hipsters on razr scooters. This hood mural is hipper than you.

A final note on the painting. This is not a Unicorn. Unicorns are easily tamed by virgins. The Pegasus is not easily tamed, it does its bidding only to help Greek gods. Unicorns have a narwhal tusk-like tumor. Pegasus can fly. Leonardo da Vinci wrote how 'loving' Unicorns were. He did not write about Pegasus because he knew Pegasus would not want this and would fly over to his lame ass art studio and stomp him to death, leaving behind only a fresh spring from which you could drink water.

Yes, I mentioned my robot mechanic earlier. While some people prefer to have their cars dealer maintained I prefer to have mine looked after by a robot. Robots are by their nature disinclined to lie to you about your car needing work that it doesn't. My robot followed the factory specs when doing all sorts of maintenance on this car like enhancing the side view mirror, putting air in the tires, adding factory-style coolant. If you wish to speak to my robot mechanic that is fine. But know that he only speaks digital, he kinda sounds like a dial up modem. So, if you can understand that, you can chat with him.

Engine wise, I had my robot mechanic ensure that the 116 cubic inch inline 4 cylinder was always functioning at its best. This way, I knew that all 100 horsepower that this car was delivered with from the factory are still available to be called upon today when the need arises to run from a crazed roadside wild game jerky seller or to pass a truck. The healthy 114ftlbs or torque spins out at a low 2400RPMs for a sporty character. This engine has only covered XXX,XXX miles. It is in great shape. It has just completed a two week trip from DENVER to your mom's and back.

Robot mechanic said this car was a hybrid before there were hybrids. It gets 28MPG in the city and 39 on the highway. Take that Qatar. Take that Canada. This mileage allows me to rarely visit my NASCAR fueler. I only have my fuel put in by a disgraced NASCAR gasman because I am super busy. Factor this in when trying to respond to this ad. It may take me from one minute to one year to respond.

So I have covered the exterior and mechanics. Now on to the interior. This is the type of car that you will want if the world becomes like it is in Walking Dead. You can sleep in this car. It will come with the bed which includes a cotton-batting pillow cushion and comforter. Tempurpedic engineers have studied this bed and were blown away with how comfortable it is. Sleep Number engineers refused to come view it because they knew they could not rival the comfort of this bed. There is enough room to take care of all your body needs. Thunder mug not included.

Now for the asking price. If you've read the whole ad, you now are probably willing to pay whatever it takes. Some of you have probably already cashed out your 401ks. But do not fret. I am looking to get $800.

Trades. I like trading. And I would really like an El Camino. Not a Ford Ranchero. Rancheros are like Unicorns. I like El Caminos because they are half car, half truck. They are like Pegasus. Totally serious. If it has a 4-speed even better. As nothing lays down pavement tattoos like an El Camino with a manual gearbox.

I might also trade for a motorcycle. Not a scooter. A motorcycle. The difference is a motorcycle you shift gears. A scooter you do not.

So, give me a ring at XXX-XXX-XXXX

1967 British Racing in Color. A Dozen Pics and a Video

2011-09-22T10:40:00.006-06:00

This 1967 documentary on the British racing scene is auto-tastic. Really shows how un-polished it was back then. I watched it back to back this morning it is so deliciously filled with the cars we all lust after today.

Incredible machines captured on the grainy film are Terry Sanger's V8 Cortina.The first winged Chapparal and what might be the first ricer car in the paddock - look for the high-winged Morris or some such family car.

There is a five-barrel roll crash by a female Sprite racer alongside lots of sliding Hillmans and Minis.

The drivers look the part too with the suave Graham Hill and tragic Bandini.

You really do owe yourself the 23 minutes needed to watch this film. Might I suggest you do so with the volume up and a Fuller's Vintage Ale or Avery Old Jubilation?

British Car Show Photo Essay - Colorado Conclave 2011

2011-09-18T13:22:00.005-06:00

A conclave is a private meeting, or a meeting of Catholic Cardinals, so I really have no idea what a conclave has to do with an open meeting of British cars besides alliteration. But, all you need to know is that the Colorado Conclave is a great gathering of all that is British.

From 3 Deloreans(assembled in the UK), to a delicate Lotus Elite, the show had a wonderful selection of cars. I was there showing the MK2 and promoting my new novel, and trying to keep my son from ruining someone else's car.

Enjoy the photos. From the Marcos that makes the MG look big. The rusty hips of a Triumph. And even an MGA bodyshell waiting for you.

6 Vehicles a Friend Should Own But You Never Should

2011-09-14T13:07:00.018-06:00

In no particular order.

There are lots and lots of motorized vehicles that seem like good ideas. Like it would be great to own them. We think of the upside, but not the downside. These are the vehicles that just weigh us down. Give us a bit of utility a few times a year. They, like Ralph Waldo said, are the "things in the saddle that ride mankind." Because for every vehicle we buy it means more responsibility, more expense, more time.

That is why it is best to have a great friend who has them. Because you get all the upside of enjoying, but none of the downside. All you have to do is bring the beer or buy dinner after a days enjoyment or work. Nefarious? Yes. Smart? Yesser.

1. ANYTHING REQUIRING KNOBBY TIRES. This means ATVs, dirt bikes, side by sides, etc. Because you also now need a trailer. A larger shed. A closet of extra safety gear. Permitting hassles. You will even have to buy two so you always aren't riding by yourself. Finally, raise your hand if you like mixing gas and oil. Yes, it is fun to bomb along some tight forested roads, enjoying nature while at the same time mechanically attacking it but how often will you go? Forget your visions of clearing the doubles, you'll most likely be pressed up against another chubby male either trying not to fall over or to help him restart his rig. While the utter lack of potential asset appreciation is the nail in the tire making owning one of these a flat idea.
EXCEPTION - You own a working ranch.

2. ANY VEHICLE MOSTLY CONSTRUCTED OF WOOD. Boat or car or plane. Tools are great. I love them. But now, you will need an entire other set of tools to work and shape and repair(and you will be repairing) your wooden toy. The aged ash won't be the only thing getting shellacked, your wallet will also as you try to keep the elements at bay. It is the smart man's play to not buy a machine that a winged-bug or swimming worm can eviscerate. If Pappy has say a Morgan and a Lotus in his will, always fight for the Lotus.
EXCEPTION - You are stranded on an island and need to construct a boat.

3. RIDING MOWERS. I shall never understand how owning a riding mower is something a lot of men strive to achieve. What is admirable about them? They are ugly. They are slow. They are acoustically unattractive. And, you look like either the help or a toddler trying to ride a sheep while seated upon one. If your yard is large enough to need a riding mower(in my book this means it takes more than 60 minutes to push mow) you either pay a service or pay your neighbor. Don't even get me started on riding mower racing...
EXCEPTION - You have arthritis and can't afford a Lark.

4. STANLEY STEAMER. They are fast. Brassy. Bold. Clever. And a complete hassle to own and drive. Hey, how much does that thing get to the gallon? Your answer, gallon of water or kerosene. While driving, you have more levers and pumps to constantly manually manipulate than starlet in a film I once saw entitled, 'Inga and the Three Humpeteers'.
EXCEPTION - You are Jay Leno.

5. VINTAGE MOTOR COACH. Art deco decadence and streamline style all rendered in steel, mahogany and linoleum. Fantastic. Some of the most sensational designs this side of a Bugatti Atlantique are to be found in these finned and two-toned roadies. Really, you can live out your Lucille Ball dreams from The Long, Long Trailer in one of these with the panache of Desi. What's not to like? Storage hassles. Leaky windows. Slooooooowwwww. Parts harder to find than good Mexican food in Vermont.
EXCEPTION - You run a Big Band Revival Tour.

6. WORK TRUCK. This I would consider to be any full size domestic pickup from 1968 to 1979. They are cheap, plentiful and durable. They are too new to be collectible(please don't try to convince me) and too old to be used daily. They are really like owning a motorized wheel barrow. Best that a friend own it, and you just have to pull the tarp off it and the key out from under the mat to use it. No need to try to get it to pass emissions, or deal with trying to keep the rust at bay. It's even better to rent the Home Depot truck for a half hour than be burdened by one of these. Even though a 390 4-speed F-250 two-wheel drive lays a nice set of strips down.
EXCEPTION - You are a freelance roadkill collector.

New Windshield for the 901

2011-09-13T13:41:00.002-06:00

A few weeks back at my last(only) race of the season my windshield had a rock chip, that spread to a small crack. Then, on the last lap and clipping an apex which always results in a pretty good shock to the car, it cracked to about 2 feet in length.

Not good.

The reason being, that your car won't pass tech inspection with a large crack that is in the line of vision. So, until I replaced it, the car was illegal to run.

Side benefit, the original glass was super rock-chipped and sandblasted. Contributing in no small part to me missing a turn in the last race due to sun glare.

Calling around I was getting prices, installed, of between $290-$400. Ouch. Lexan would be near $400 and need $50 tear-offs to protect it.

Finally, I got in touch with Preferred Auto Glass in Denver and had them come to my house and install the windshield for $236. The lucky gentleman did a fine install in my well-stocked raceshop(street). Perfect.

Digital Ink Version of Hunt for the Blower Bentley Dropping. Kindle Readers Say Hey.

2011-09-07T10:53:00.003-06:00

Yesterday the Kindle version of my newest automotive archaeology novel went live. Now you can Hunt for the Blower Bentley for less. Download it here.

It takes a bit of time to get the formatting correct and proofs done. But, voila. There it is in soothing digital ink.

The cover image still looks nice, but not as great as it does in color. For that, you'll need a better Kindle or Nook than I have.

Currently I am 50/50 paper vs. ebook. For new books I buy digital. For older books and travel I still use trusty paperbacks. One less thing to charge or worry about breaking.

Blower Spotted at Lime Rock Vintage Festival

2011-09-04T14:41:00.003-06:00

Whether real or recreated, this VDP bodied Blower Bentley is the business.

A bit too polished and clean for my taste, but I would not kick it out of the garage for leaving spots on the floor.

My brother, who can be blamed for me liking European cars, spotted this at the Lime Rock Park vintage festival yesterday. Jealous.

Jaguar MK2 Model Pictures

2011-09-02T09:00:00.004-06:00

I dig in situ model images. And these snaps from oldirishracing.com are really great. He has dozens more images of MK2 models and other jaguars here.

Of course I am partial to the Tamiya model in the same blue as my MK2. Now, he has me searcing the web for this model.

Blowers Not Just for Boys

2011-08-31T09:06:00.004-06:00

No other car is so associated with men as the Blower Bentley. The phrase "Bentley Boys" is used in almost every mention of these cars. But is should be known that there was a female member of this boys club. A Mrs. Mary Victor Bruce.

Some highlights of hers include motorboat records for crossing the channel. And setting a record for lapping at Montlhery in a Blower Bentley and other auto records, mostly in ACs.

For more detailed history of Mrs. Victor Bruce. Check out this site.

And you should read more because any lady who says, "”Speed has always fascinated me since my first pony bolted. Going slowly always made me tired.” deserves a bit of respect.

In car and portrait image from Female Racing Drivers by Jean Francois Bouzanquet, cig card image from Flikr mando maniac.

Fancy Yourself A Bentley Historian?

2011-08-28T18:48:00.005-06:00

Vintagebentleys.org is the web-based resource for tracking down your desired vintage Bentley.

I used it often while writing Hunt for the Blower Bentley. And visit it often for pure entertainment.

There you can search every W.O. Bentley by chassis number. Find reference materials. Get information on how to repair your early beast. Or even help others identify their own Bentley mysteries.

All in all, a fantastic enthusiast run site. And the place to start to see if you can do better than I or others in finding out what happened to supercharged Bentley SM 3912.

Another option is the Bentley Driver's club itself. Here you can contact the club historian and get all the info you need. Or want. Or that they have.

Happy car hunting.

Wings & Wheels Concours Photo Essay

2011-08-28T08:04:00.006-06:00

I don't know my biplanes from my bombers or my trainers, but add a squadron of planes to a grouping of classics and you have a beautiful display.

This was held at Centennial Airport and was an event to benefit childhood brain cancers, an worthy cause for sure.

Enjoy the photos with prototype MGs, Vignale Cadillacs, Nashs, Gullwings and McLarens and more.

944 Active Aero or Cheeky Wink?

2011-08-27T11:58:00.003-06:00

There I am, leading the 944 national champ and my engine builder Dave Dirks, into the almost 90 degree left-hander at the end of High Plains Raceway's short straight. Or starting straight. The corner highlighted by the red circle in the above track map.

Now, I removed my headlight motors and armature, but left the wiring and bulbs in place in case ever needed. And, my car is already at legal minimum weight.

But I never did affix the headlights in place. But should I.

I always noticed both headlights popped up on hard braking. And finally got an image to prove it. This snap was taken by Mitchell Taylor, the son of a fellow racer, Chuck Taylor. Click the photo for a much larger image.

Gives the car a bit of McLaren style active aero on a shoestring budget.

That is how I like to think of it. Not that it is just winking at the corners with my dodgy bodywork.

Blower Bentley Racing Prowess

2011-08-26T14:17:00.003-06:00

I don't think I ever really get into the history of why Bentley developed a Blower in the first place. Not important to the story. Besides, the missing Blower SM 3912 was not fitted with a racing body. It had a two-seater Phillips drop head coupe body fitted. But, besides the point. Even in the '30s the consumer buyers of cars wanted to have as close to the racing version of a car as possible.

So, with that in mind, I've got a link to a bit of history on the characters who started the whole supercharged Bentley thing. Lots of it do with a Tim Birkin, who loved the Blown cars and used one to raise the Brooklands lap record to nearly 138MPH in 1932! Egads it must have been a ride going near to the top speed of a Porsche 944 in fancy tractor.

Check out the story at www.bentleygreenpower.com.

SPEC 944 Race Video

2011-08-23T11:17:00.002-06:00

Just finished up a long, hot, crowded and incredible weekend of racing at High Plains Raceway.

Yes, this writer actually races. Not many of us do.

I had a very good weekend for being rusty from not racing all season. But the car ran great even in 95-plus degree heat. Thanks to the mocal oil cooler.

My rustyness really showed up in qualifying where I was a second and a half off my race pace. In the races I consistently put in a top five lap time. But couldn't qualify in the top five. Ugh.

The video above shows me running in 4th, that is my green car, until 10:20 or so in the video where the sunglare had me miss my braking point at the end of the long straight. Things happen fast at 120MPH but luckily I was able to keep it straight but fell back to 7th. As one of my co-races put it, you had "6 wheels off at turn 4 and 5".

That was Saturday, on Sunday I had my best racing, moving up from 9th to finish 5th. And avoiding quite a bit of contact.

How Does a Blower Bentley Work

2011-08-18T13:04:00.002-06:00

So, what made the Blower Bentley's so special? Well, the blower hung off the front which upped the horsepower, and halved the gas mileage.

No matter, here is a link to a video from the show Massive Engines which explains how the supercharged 4 1/2 litre Bentley worked. Love the sounds!

My New Faston Hanks Novel. Free Sample. We're Going After A Blower.

2011-08-13T16:01:00.005-06:00

It's been 8 years since I wrote my first novel, Hunt for 901. I took some time off from writing books, but picked it up again 18 months ago when I found out about the perfect missing car to be the star of the new novel.

A missing Blower Bentley.

I'll tell more, but here are the links to pre-order it. Or, at the very least, do go ahead and 'like' it. It would mean a lot. Links for around the world:

USA - http://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Blower-Bentley-Kevin-Gosselin/dp/1780920180

Germany - http://www.amazon.de/Hunt-Blower-Bentley-Kevin-Gosselin/dp/1780920180

Japan - http://www.amazon.co.jp/Hunt-Blower-Bentley-Kevin-Gosselin/dp/1780920180

UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunt-Blower-Bentley-Kevin-Gosselin/dp/tags-on-product/1780920180

Canada - http://www.amazon.ca/Hunt-Blower-Bentley-Kevin-Gosselin/dp/1780920180

France - http://www.amazon.fr/Hunt-Blower-Bentley-Kevin-Gosselin/dp/1780920180

There were 50 Blower Bentley's produced. That is a fact. Of which, 49 are accounted for. That doesn't mean 49 still exist as some were wrecked or rebuilt into other cars, but there was one. Serial number SM 3912 that was last heard of in 1939.

I've pulled many of my Bentley facts from the work of Michael Hay.

So, this new novel builds on the limited facts around SM 3912's previous owners and the modern day hunt for it.

With alternating chapters between WWII and the present day hunt by automotive archaeologist Faston Hanks, Hunt for the Blower Bentley is a page turning thriller.

If you like WWII history or novels, you'll like this book. If you like cars, I think you will love it.

I've listened to my readers and upped the pacing and left behind a lot, but not all, of Faston's love of food.

It is without a doubt, many, many times better a book than 901.

Hope you enjoyed the prologue.

Mk Jaguar Differential Fluid Change. Stinky.

2011-08-07T19:52:00.001-06:00

The 62 Jaguar was leaking fluid from the rear differential at a decent rate. Especially after a long run when the gear oil would get nice and warm.

I suspected, and still do, that the culprit was the drain plug.

So, with unknown oil in the diff, I set about draining and then filling it with new oil.

I choose valvoline 80/90 as it is ok'd for hypoid style gears, exactly the type of gears that the MK2 puts the power to the ground with.

It was not a bad job. Except for being careful not to strip the male-end soft-metal drain plugs. I used a new crescent wrench to get them off. When replacing I used a thread sealant, this has helped me stop pesky oil leaks in the past.

The filling is always a bit messy, but a 6-inch length of clear house made it a bit easier to get the fluid in.

How'd it work? Don't know. It is too hot in Denver to be driving that thing. Like wearing a wool suit with a leather vest is how it feels on summer days.

And, if anyone can explain why gear oil stinks like burnt hair mixed with old french fry oil, I would love to hear it.

Cars & Coffee Boulder / Lafayette, CO 8/6/11 From Electric to Elite

2011-08-06T15:48:00.004-06:00

I chose to trailer up my race car and put a sign in to try and recruit some folks to join, or at least look in to, 944 SPEC racing. I saw a few laughs from the people who prefer to polish their cars, but no real serious interest.

The highlights to me at this gathering were the electric Beck Porsche Speedster. Usually I am a small fan of replicas. But, this to me has all the right things about a replica going on. Pure electric power in the light and stylish Speedster body. Well done.

The other highlight was the lovely Lotus Elite. Just take a gander at that narrowing roofline and tidy Coventry Climax. So delicate. So fragile. Like the lead actress in the Black Swan.

Oh, and I threw in the Pagoda Benz because they are often overlooked but make a very practical classic. And in maroon it is especially fetching.

Actually. It is Creepy. & This is 300th Post.

2011-08-05T08:57:00.004-06:00

Actually, your van, sir, was not creepy. Until you went and put this message on the back. I caught this at a stoplight in Lakewood, CO.

And, I have a bit of a problem with the sentence anyway. The word 'just' is an unnecessary modifier. Better to say, "It's not creepy, it's European."

Finally, no van can be a 'creeper van' unless it is a windowless panel van. Geez.

Helping a Fellow Racer

2011-07-31T08:08:00.003-06:00

Try this on for size - you just buy a new-to-you racecar and take it to the track to run her. And, as you are letting the car idle and cool down after your last session you hear an unmistakable knocking sound.

You feel your stomach get tight.

You get dizzy.

Yep, you just spun a rod bearing.

What a way to get into racing. So, in the spirit of our series where a lot of people helped me get on track I've been helping another racer get the blown motor out and swap in a new-ish one. Just with refreshed bearings and baffled oil pan.

Somehow, working on others cars is so much more enjoyable. I guess it is that you can just drive away and not have to look at the broken heap.

M3 Hood Bulge Vulgar Show of Virility?

2011-07-28T09:29:00.003-06:00

I kept the photos B&W to give them a perverse bit of Mapelthorpe arty-ness.

I walked past a BMW M3 with the ridiculous hood bulge and it just struck me as gross. Vulgar. Showy. Like a male animal puffing and grunting to gain attention of a female partner. Really, was there no other solution?

So, it struck me that the M3 bulge is really like a man in too tight of a pair of pants. Like Beckham above, or John McEnroe in the '70s. The bulge is the automotive equivalent of strutting around in a speedo, thrusting your ugly bits out for the world to see. 'Lookee here, I have parts that you can make sex with.'

Give me a car without a bulge any day of the week.

Race Car Motto

2011-07-23T13:32:00.002-06:00

Every race car/team needs a motto. Something to rally around.

And the Hunt for 901 Writer Racing 944 has a motto. And now that it is in vinyl, it is official.

Really, if you don't finish last it is a successful weekend. So, "If you're not last, you're first!" is the motto. It is a little rejiggering of a Ricky Bobby quote. Listen to Ricky explain it to you here. He didn't trademark my version of it.

This won out over "Press on Regardless" and "Fast. Cheap. Reliable. Pick Two."

And the placement on the rear valance I think may be a nice distraction as other racers try to figure out what it means.

Cayenne in Action. Desktop Quality Pic.

2011-07-18T16:50:00.004-06:00

This is the follow up email to last week pics. A friend of mine who drove his Focus SVT at the open track day grabbed this shot of the Cayenne towing, or is it 944 drafting, on the deserted HIghway 36.

Deserted except for cops who make sure you don't speed on the way to the track.

I do need to tell my friend to clean his lens though. Geez.

New Race Program vs. Old Race Program

2011-07-16T07:48:00.002-06:00

Finally put all my stuff together and got the 'new old' race program hooked up and took her to the track.

Pretty fun comparison shot. Wow! The Cayenne makes towing sooooooo much easier than the Wagoneer. The Waggy got the job done for sure, but it swayed and groaned around the road. Wagging more than Ulysses' dog.

I believe I've lost some of my grassroots cred with this setup, but the 901 looks great. I have more pride of ownership of it now. And being 1" lower, it handled easier(not faster though) than last year. But ease of driving means more consistent lap times and better tire wear.

Out of pocket additional expenses(those not covered by selling other cars and parts) to upgrade the tow car and paint the race car as well as get new tires and alignment and decals? Near as I can figure $1,000. No one is cheaper than a Connecticut Yankee.

Corner Balancing the SPEC Car

2011-07-10T15:07:00.003-06:00

The last item on my list to get my SPEC 944 ready for a test day was to corner balance it.

Ideally, I should have done this before I got my alignment, but the timing didn't work out. And I knew the car would be close to balanced as it was sitting level at 4 3/4 inches at all four corners as measured from the rockers.

So, having borrowed some scales from 944 SPEC director locally, I set them up in my garage and got to work. The number I was really concerned about was my cross-weight.

Now, I won't explain, but you can find out all about corner balancing here.

Right from the get go, my cross-weight was 49.81%. Which is about perfect.

But wait, I didn't check how level my garage floor was. Checking, it was 2 inches lower in the back than the front. Oops. After leveling the scales my cross weight was 48.1%. Not good enough.

So, with some minor,(less than a quarter turn of my coil overs) on both front corners I was able to get the cross-weight to 49.51%. Ahh, good enough.

The above chart is courtesy of here. My numbers are on the left. I was not about to try and get to their perfect numbers as it is a bit of waste of time. I mean fuel load, tire wear all effect the corner balancing.

But, I am in the sweet spot and can't wait to get out on track.

How to Save $5 but Waste 4 Hours Making a Racecar Safe

2011-07-04T14:51:00.004-06:00

Most racing sanctioning bodies require that the cars on track have the fire extinguisher and the tow hooks clearly labeled.

I could simply have ordered some decals up to add to the car, but since it was a long weekend I thought I would paint them on. Painted lettering on a racecar always classes it up a bit.

So, I made the decals in photoshop, the less scrupulous could simply print them out, and then cut out the stencils.

For the E, it was a simple one-piece stencil.

For the tow arrows I made a background stencil in the shape of the arrow(black part), then a stencil for the word 'tow'.

Simple. I used paint I had on hand or this would have been foolish to purchase paint for this.

For a tacky glue, I used Elmer's spray adhesive as it is easily cleaned off but did a good enough job to stick down the paper.

A couple of the lettering edges are not perfectly straight, but, that is what makes the proper.

WTF Deaver? Bond in a Subie.

2011-06-29T08:59:00.004-06:00

Seriously Jeffrey Deaver? Really. James Bond driving a new Subaru STI, blue no less, in Carte Blanche the newest continuation Bond novel. And you have him "becoming quite fond of it."

NO -F-N-WAY.

Not for all the flat-brimmed DC hats in the world would James Bond be happy to drive such a Bro vehicle as the STI. He is all about subtle style. Panache. Not peacocking. James looks ridiculous in that DC hat right? Well, he looks just as odd in an STI.

Sure James has been put in some questionable cars by continuation authors(Flemming never put him in anything but the classics) including a Z3 and Saab turbo. Why, oh why do continuation authors insist on tweeking Bond's character. Write a story with Fleming's Bond, not your idea of Bond.

But no one has made as egregious Bondian automotive error as you Jeffrey Deaver. You should be ashamed.

For the rest of the book, you should be ashamed as well. Yawn. Really, your plot for a Bond novel is based on someone locking up food donations to Africa? Bond caring about a potential loss of life of a few people? Really? Ugh. And, making Bond quit smoking. Guilt over women. And dress in loose fitting clothes. FAIL. You have removed all of his Savoir Faire. I love American Chardonnay's, but Bond would not. He would choose a white Burgundy.

And if you look at the reviews on Amazon you will see I am not alone in being shocked how Deaver f'd with Bond.

A Subaru? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH(he says screaming as he hurls his kindle against the wall.)

Thanks to Subaru and DC for photos. I did the hack PS job.

Four Hour Paint Job Video. In 30 Seconds.

2011-06-27T10:03:00.003-06:00

This saturday the 901 Brown Bomber became the 901 Li'l Leprechaun.

Seriously, it only took four hours to wash, tape, prime and paint the car.

Before that I had probably 20 hours in sanding and prep.

Material costs, including misc. supplies was $408. And that was with single-stage urethane. There is no such thing as a cheap paint job with shortcuts.

It came out really well. Can't wait to buff it out and reassemble. And then, place my new decals on.

Almost too nice to race. Almost.

New Race Number Design

2011-06-24T14:12:00.002-06:00

I love old racecar numbers. To me, this is what transforms a car into a racecar.

And there are many looks available. But I wanted something classic, but with a twist.

So I had an art director friend I work with put these together. It solves the problem most three-number rondels have of lots of white space in the middle. Me likey.

Here is more inspiration at this design website.

500E Photos

2011-06-17T12:50:00.004-06:00

Just had to share these pics of my neighbors' beefy 500e that I snapped.

That is all.

Happy Friday.

A Murder of Crows for Cars. Naming Car Congregations..

2011-06-16T08:43:00.009-06:00

First, thanks to rodcollins.com for the pic. Spooky.

Now, I always thought those animal congregation names are so evocative. I mean, murder of crows, it is perfect. But how about a Troop of Apes, a Charm of Finches, a Kettle of Hawks, Cackle of Hyenas or Bloat of Hippopotami? All are great. Many more here.

But no car equivalent exists. Until now.

So, for future reference to gatherings of three or more of a single marque I suggest:

A Fetch of Ferraris

I mean, Ferraris are fetching. And they fetch quite a bit of cash. So, perfect. Start using it.

A Miasma of Lotuses

Lotuses are light. Airy. Their design is fleeting and so is their durability.

A Yoke of Porsches

Porsches are the hardest working exotics. Period. They are also rather brutal cars, especially the turbo variants.

A Club of Bentleys

Obvious. Clubby British car. Clubby owners. Just plain Clubby.

A Bonfire of Corvettes

Polarizing. Just like Corvettes. Some would like to see them burn in a bonfire. Others would like to use theirs to turn their tires into bonfires.

A Jury of Jaguars

The whole JCNA 100 point scale and condescension of many owners has this one going down a more serious, as opposed athletic, path. Remember, I own a MK2 so I mock myself.

An Obstacle of Rovers

They can go over most obstacles. As well as most turn into an obstacle in the owner's driveway with their repetitive breakdowns.

More to come. Please send me your suggestions.

Porsche Ring Anyone?

2011-06-10T11:05:00.003-06:00

I was checking out Etsy the other day and came across this Porsche ring.

Let me say, I never wear rings, not even my wedding band. But if I was say of a certain generation or demographic, I might wear this.

I love the rugged tooling of it. Like a university class ring. Of sorts. Maybe the horse looks more like a urinating Poodle, but who cares. Check out more Porsche stuff at Etsy here.

Sanding. Sanding. Sanding for...

2011-06-06T10:11:00.003-06:00

A 944 doesn't look too big until you start to sand it.

I am sanding down the 944 in preparation for a new coat of paint. Scheme is a secret, but I think all my readers will be pleased. I am only going to tell that it will not be a respray in Sable Brown Metallic.

Lots of excellent inspiration out in the world, that is for sure. So, this is exciting. And arm-numbing preparing the car.

Cayenne Gets Hitched

2011-05-31T11:41:00.003-06:00

So, I installed a Curt Hitch on my Cayenne a few days back. I got mine from Extreme Hitch because they are local to me.

Now, this topic has been covered a lot on rennlist and 6speed.

But, my one twist was mounting the plug directly into the rear valance. This allowed me to cut a much smaller hole than is usual in the valance. It also makes hooking the wires up much easier than reaching up under the dirty valance.

To install it this way I took the adapter(the piece with the flap and mounting flange) and placed it on the valance and traced around the circumference. I then dremeled a hole in the valance and slid it through and hooked up the trailer wiring harness to it.

It then used stainless self-tapping screws to affix the mount to the rugged plastic of the valance. After I took the pics I touched up the screw heads with matte black paint.

Done. Just another option. Looking forward to maybe getting the 944 SPEC on track in August.

Labor Day Gift. 1973 Champions Forever Documentary

2011-05-28T10:22:00.005-06:00

My gift to you is a link to an hour and a half glorious documentary about the 1973 Formula 1 season and racing.

Narrated by Stacey Keach, this is a raw and gritty look. Of interest to anyone who likes dramatic documentaries, even non car fans.

But for car fans, this is magic. How about Jackie Stewart showing you the Nurburgring line in a Corniche Convertible Rolls? Yeah, this documentary is filled with stuff like that. So, to fill the time after Monaco and before Indy 500, watch this. You'll thank me.

Or, rebuilding a gearbox on a Shadow. Or, driver's prepping for racing by putting a bandana around their face a la Graham Hill.

It is hosted by one of my fav sites, streetfire.net. You can always find something about a car you are into there.

Enjoy, and remember those who gave all for us.

http://www.streetfire.net/video/1970s-f1-champions-forever-part-1-of-2_647105.htm

http://www.streetfire.net/video/1970s-f1-champions-forever-part-2-of-2_647285.htm

New To Me Cayenne. From Texas with Love.

2011-05-21T14:17:00.003-06:00

It didn't take me long to locate the Cayenne for me. There are lots out there, so I limited my search to V8s that were within 12 hour drives of me and WERE NOT gray or silver. And that one criteria eliminate quite a few cars.

But I found my ride at Park Place Porsche in Dallas. They have a massive used Porsche operation, and have lots of cars to choose from. They also price their cars quite competitively compared to most. So I was thrilled to find an 04 S in one of my favorite colors, deep sea blue, with only 62k miles and a new cardan shaft and aluminum coolant tubes. It is lightly optioned with only classic grey soft-look leather, sunroof, 18 inch wheels and a basic electric comfort package. All for well under $20k.

I worked with Jeff Clairmont with an assist from Michael Ferris when Jeff was away from the office. Both were laid-back, no pressure at all times. Seriously, I bought the by-far least expensive Porsche on their lot and they treated me fairly and honestly. Michael even picked me up at the airport in a Panamera S. Nice. I bought and sold lots of Porsches. But all from individuals. This was soooo much easier and more comfortable than a private party deal. I believe it has spoiled me for the future when I have to go back to slogging it out in a stranger's driveway.

My impressions of the Pepper? Love it. Power, handling and even a little comfort. Even the MPGs were not that bad, averaging 19MPG on the nose for the 11+ hour drive at speeds from 45 - 88. A lot of that with cruise control on.

I will be installing a tow bar, Park Place installed the towing electronics as part of my deal, so I can tow the race car with it. Looking forward to towing to races at more than 55MPH.

Rainy Day Rarities

2011-05-19T09:13:00.003-06:00

I am now on day-car duty because my wife cannot drive for three months. But, it gives me more time with my son, and a whole new crop of cars to spot outside of my normal commute.

Take the past two days. A Rolls Royce Corniche. Yes, they are a bit stodgy, but I like the understated style. Almost bought a hardtop version instead of my MK2. This creamy yellowy tany color was nice.

While this AM, caught sight of an Aston Martin Virage. And with Aston just announcing the rebirth of the Virage nameplate, it was a timely spotting. I like these early 90s Astons. And, they are a real value I think. You can still get them for $30-$40K. Not for long is my call.

The Plaid Waggy Is Gone.

2011-05-14T19:07:00.003-06:00

My beloved Wagoneer has found a new owner in the north. From Colorado it is going to Michigan. It served me well for two years of snow driving and race car towing.

But I was feeling the pinch of too many cars. So I sold my 82 911 Targa to Germany about a month ago. And, just sold the Wagoneer on eBay. I was shocked at how enthusiastic the bidding was. There were 4 bidders over the $9,000 mark. Wow.

But, the transport guy who picked it up said he was moving a lot of Grand Wagoneers recently. I believe they are on the cusp of becoming expensive collectibles.

So, with the 911 and Wagoneer gone, I am on the hunt for a Cayenne. I guess it is the best there is at combining the two together.

I'm looking forward to it. The MK2 and racecar and family just have me too busy to mess around with so many needy beasts.

Cars & Coffee Boulder / Lafayette, CO 5/7/11

2011-05-07T09:51:00.004-06:00

From a stunningly simple AC Bristol to an over-the-top rally Renault, this Saturday's C&C did not disappoint.

I have to say the RZ 350 is a bike I always wanted.

While the summer yellow 951 is a rare sight indeed.

Everyone Loves Before & After Pics

2011-05-06T14:39:00.004-06:00

My wife's surgery was a terrific success.

The above image shows her brain before and after surgery. That tumor was the size of a lemon!

She is home and walking, talking, eating. Really remarkable. She will make a full recovery with no deficits.

If you have any call for a neurosurgeon, I can recommend Dr. J.P. Elliot in Denver. Nice work.

So, I may get back to posting about cars as our life returns to normal after 1 wild month

Cars Are Taking a Backseat

2011-04-18T08:53:00.002-06:00

Not that I get a lot of readers, but I do get a few hundred some days, a few dozen others.

But, I will not have much to report on cars for a couple of months as I am taking care of my wife who was diagnosed with a brain tumor and will have an operation this Wednesday.

Wish us well.

Hopefully I will be back racing and wrenching by August!

Front Bushing Refresh. Slight Differences. Slight Pain.

2011-04-10T13:23:00.005-06:00

So, I went to get an alignment and the race shop said my bushings were compromised and I should replace them before wasting $150 on an alignment.

OK. Well then, those bushings only lasted about 7 race weekends. It was the front of the arm bushings that were particularly shot. The arm moves backwards and severely mangles them. There is no good aftermarket bushing for the front of the arm(Weltmeister discontinued their ineffective solution). The red Weltmeister bushings in the rear of the arm were in fine shape, but I figured why not spend the $17 and put in new ones of those as well.

Getting out the old front bushings is tedious. But installing them was a breeze using this threaded rod technique. Worked a charm.

It was when I replaced the driver side a-arm, I had an inkling it was bent a bit, that I noticed the new one was not the exact same shape as the old(original) arm. The Weltmeister sway mounts with hard plastic pieces that distribute the load and mark where to drill the arm. They fit the original arms perfectly. They did not fit the new arms perfectly, so I had dremel them down a bit to get them to sit in the same part of the a-arm. All new bushings should sharpen up that handling again and was what was probably responsible for the wheel wobble I was experiencing at the end of the season.

Cars & Coffee Boulder / Lafayette, CO 4/2/11

2011-04-02T13:02:00.003-06:00

With near record high-temps of almost 75 degrees forecast, the turnout at the Boulder Cars & Coffee was of course going to be high.

I love these events because they are so casual. You pop in for an hour, check out some cars and leave. My favs this morning had to be the Aston 2/4 convertible. And the Citroen wagon.

If you're ever in Colorado on the first Saturday of the month, I am sure you will catch me here.

Worst Porsche Classified Picture. Ever.

2011-04-01T20:13:00.003-06:00

You were expecting a 924 with flames. Or a 928 with a Chevy in it. Right? That would be too easy. Too expected.

Not for this guy. Ok. This seller is hawking a pretty desirable, or on the rise, collectible Porsche. A 1978 930. That is a 911 Turbo for the non-Porsche lunatics. I noticed this ad on the Porsche mecca pelicanparts.com.

Now what in the world would make you think, 'Hey, my shift knob is a little chaffed. I know, I'll just toss this Crown Royal bag over it and call it good."? You know what would make you think that? Having just drunk a bottle of Crown Royal with your most solid drinking buddy, probably after blasting up through 4th at a 140MPH. That sort of experience would give you the clarity to see how the faux velvet packaging of this mass-produced spirit would make a superlative shift knob. Momo? OEM Porsche? OMP? Pshhh. All bow to the power of a purple whiskey bag.

Besides the obvious drunk driving overtones, this reeks of over-moneyed, under-classed gad-a-bout.

911 Sold Like the Latest $60 T-Shirt

2011-03-24T13:51:00.004-06:00

I've always felt that you don't just drive a vintage car, but you also, in a sense, wear it. You may not think like this, but people looking at you do judge you by your vintage car just as surely as they do about your cheap sneakers or pleated pants.

So, it was not that much of a surprise when the fashion site Gilt.com announced this sale. They choose a reputable partner in Dawydiak to get a car. It should be interesting to see if this car sells. The way Gilt works is they offer top notch fashion at a steep discount. Think Paul Smith shoes for $100 instead of $450.

Has this meant vintage 911s have jumped into the mainstream?

First Day NASA Instructing

2011-03-24T12:28:00.005-06:00

That's me in the passenger seat of a 2000 Corvette instructing at High Plains Raceway this past Sunday. NASA has been good to me, so I wanted to help out and instructing offered a great opportunity.

We had a two day class. Including one day of on track exercises. And let me say, our teachers were nuts. But, I guess it does happen when a student goes into crisis mode and just stops on track!

Then Sunday was super rewarding helping my student progress as a driver. Getting much smoother and beginning to understand how to find the proper line around a turn. And yes, the Corvette has a touch more straight line speed than my SPEC car.

Photo is thanks to Rupert who has lots of awesome track shots here.

The Racing Season Begins Now. The Prep at Least.

2011-03-13T12:29:00.002-06:00

I just dragged my 944 out of storage this morning and brought it back to my house to prep for the season. On the list are new front pads and rotors. New tires. New alignment. And lots of other small things, like making it safer.

One small, $30, step was installing a fire-proof shift boot in place of my fancy red leather one. The leather looked cool, but would not have protected the cabin from flames. And the shifter opening is often a place fire creeps in. Should give me a few more seconds to get out of the car in an emergency.

Thinking I might replace the zipties with hose clamps for even more protection.

Datsun Fairlady with Appropriate Porthole Top

2011-03-10T14:23:00.004-07:00

Portland keeps showing me her best cars, even though there has been lots of rain recently.

For instance this Datsun Fairlady parked on the street sporting a 'porthole' hardtop. Boats being the original porthole sporting means of transportation, in rainy Portland a car with porthole top struck me as funny. Or ironic. Or neither.

Choke This MK2

2011-03-04T11:43:00.002-07:00

You know a part is being especially recalcitrant if you try to hard-wire bypass it and it still acts up. And that is exactly the case I am in with my MK2. The ASC, or automatic starting choke, had been operating not just at starting time. But at all times. It would not switch off causing an especially rich running condition.

This could be one of two things. A faulty temp switch, which give funky readings at the best of times. Or a faulty solenoid. Mine is the latter. It has a short inside of it so that even with the ground wire removed, it still stayed powered. Ugh.

So, this very cheap modification could not be done without also putting in a new $101.00 solenoid.

Sure, this is not original but it is well known that these chokes stick and that is no good. Mine was sticking to the point of making my oil smell of gas. Not good for bearings and rings. I drive this car a lot, so anything that is easily reversible but helps with drive-ability and reliability it is a good thing.

2558 - 2550

2011-02-28T19:09:00.003-07:00

Adrian Streather's comprehensive 911SC book which I own( and you should too if you own an SC) and refer to often has the SC's weight pegged at 2558lbs. That is not too light. My race prepped 944 weighs in at 2450lbs.

So, I was wondering what my 82 SC Targa weighed. And remember my Targa has a fiberglass ducktail, radio delete, complete A/C delete including all hoses and brackets, lightweight door panels and minimal carpeting.

2550lbs was the weight with a quarter tank of gas. So figure that is about five gallons of gas at 7lbs a gallon for 28lbs of fuel. That puts the car weight at approx. 2525lbs. What the heck! You would have thought my car is 200lbs lighter than a stock SC. I bet it is. Because I bet the weight in Streather's book is a completely dry weight. Whatever. Now I know what it weighs.

But I do have to say that it has put the bug in me to remove even more weight from it...

More Race Wheels. One of These Not Like the Other.

2011-02-27T12:41:00.003-07:00

My budget has taken precedence over my vanity recently. Currently my 944 SPEC race car has a very nice set of Fuchs with it. I use them for my tow rims as the rules only allow you to run Phone Dials or Cookie Cutters.

So, I made the decision to hunt up another cheap set of rims I could use for my tow wheels. And boy, did I come up with a cheap set. $90 for all 4. I bought 4 rims, one dented beyond repair for $40. I then bought one more 'good' rim from another SPEC racer. Thanks a lot for the sweet brush-painted silver rim, Chuck.

I will give them all a quick clean and respray, my vanity has not disappeared. Just been re prioritized.

So, look soon for a set of Fuchs for sale. I should be able to fund my new race tire purchase when I sell the stock 15x7 and 15x8 rims.

Porsche Axle Repair - Diminutive DIY

2011-02-19T18:57:00.005-07:00

My son’s Porsche suffered a rather dramatic front axle failure while undergoing some high-speed, high-stress testing in our living room. Just look at the damage. My wife and I, and Graham as well, are just lucky he was able to walk away unscathed. Our wallet, however, had to bear the brunt of the damage as we attempted a repair.

Looking at the damaged parts in detail I was surprised to see that the front axle was made up of uni-directional pine, milled to less than 1MM diameter. This seemed like a feathery piece of engineering, one I wondered if had been superseded by a new factory part.

Calling the factory in Stuttgart, I was soon forwarded to a member of the competition engineering department. A Dr. Peter Wolfhensler. He was well aware of the front axle failure on my son’s Porsche. “Unfortunately, the pine used for that production run had some core instabilities that showed up under extensive testing. We ourselves experienced a dramatic failure while testing on the Nurburgring. The right front wheel shearing off and the driver being slammed into the Armco at 200 kmh. But overall, we are still pleased with the performance of this equipment. It is within factory failure rates.”

I asked if they had fixed the problem. Here the doctor paused, “Not quite. We are still looking for a suitable pine-based axle assembly as it has the desired weight/cost/performance ratio but have not found an adequate solution. Yet.”

Carbon fiber seemed like a good material for this use, so I asked Dr. Wolfhensler about that as an option. “It is too costly for a customer car. We have learned our lessons from ceramic brakes. Until the costs come down, the customers cars will need to be optioned only with the pine.”

About to hang up the phone, Dr. Wolfhensler tossed another option at me. “I hear The Racer’s Group, TRG.”

“Of endurance racing fame?” I asked.

“Yes, of course. I hear that TRG is developing a fix that uses a ferrous material. They have found the additional weight is not a handicap in their particular type of racing. Maybe they have an option for you.”

So once again, when it comes to my Porsches, I had to turn to a private entity to find a satisfactory repair. The LN engineering fix for the M96 IMS comes to mind. I quickly rang up TRG.

I didn’t even fully explain the problem when the young man on the other end of the line interrupted me. “I know the exact problem. We have developed a kit to upgrade to an extruded, air-rolled, nickel-lined, honeycombed center steel axle.”

“I’ll take it.” I said.

Gulping after the young man quoted me the price, I took a breath and was hit with more bad news. “You are handy right? The kit comes as a you-cut-to-fit and epoxy yourself kit. This allows you to change the track of the car if you wish. We find an extra 2mm track in the rear helps with braking stability.”

The kit arrived and I set to work. First, I had to re-bore the wheels. Thanks Porsche for using an adhesive instead of a center-lock. I used a 1/4 inch bit and made sure to hone it perfectly true. I don’t want my son to suffer any high-speed vibrations.

Next, I leave some things as the factory intended and did not alter the track. I used the stock width of 11.5mm. And with no other alternative, I also used a quick-setting, multi-material epoxy. The fellows at TRG suggesting I ensure thorough coating of the parts because if their steel comes into contact with the wood wheels there would be galvanic corrosion due to minute metal particles in the wood stock. Who knew?

So, did Graham notice any difference in the ride quality of his Porsche after my lengthy repairs? In a word, no. He just grabbed it and pushed it along the floor - on its roof.

Of course the above is fiction. It is the way I handle how poorly this toy was built in the first place. Kinda like Boxster motors.

Portland Still Killing it With Cars to be Spotted

2011-02-09T23:48:00.004-07:00

There is obviously no dearth of car scenesters in Portland. I am back for the third week in a row on business and keep spotting great rides.

For one, a Volvo 142S coupe parked in a downtown lot. Love the mud flaps. Learn more about them at bringatrailer.com

Then at dinner tonight at Park Kitchen, this great screen print was in the men's room. Getcha some gears with an AMX.

And finally. The cherry on top of the evening. The dream of a car to see being actually driven. A Delorean. Sure, I can hear all the reasons not to own one. But at night, on the streets, the car looked downright bad ass. And it still oozed future cool.

X-Wing Fighter Painted Jeep Portland Car Spotting

2011-02-07T08:54:00.003-07:00

This remarkable piece was spotted in the exact same spot as the Baur BMW I snapped a pic of a few days prior. I hope it belongs to the same guy. And I do mean guy, there is no way a woman would own a Baur and this Jeep.

Check out the details of this X-Wing fighter rolling replica. Nice detail on the paneling. The Rebel Alliance symbol is well rendered on the hood. And it looks like it got into a bit of a scrape on the left rear quarter...maybe a run in with a TIE fighter of the Empire?

Car Spotting - Portland Edition

2011-02-02T08:27:00.002-07:00

Apologies for not posting lately. Lots of travel for paying work.

Luckily am in Portland for a week. Incredible beer town. And, a nice patch of weather so some of the quirky cars have come out.

Without pictures I have a seen a pretty Boattail Buick Riviera on its stock wheels. So many have been dubbed out. Also spotted with no pics was an 1800 Volvo wagon looking rather like a hermits house as it had a boot full of junk in it.

But above you can see a very straight and clean Falcon driver. And if the club wouldn't keep you away the suited figure should. While the Baur conversion Beemer looked nice on its minilite wheels. The driver was a bit agressive with top down as it was only 40 degrees at the time.

Digital MK2 Jaguar. What has the Future Wrought...

2011-01-20T23:48:00.003-07:00

Have faith for the future, classic car fanatics. For I believe, if people can render a MK2 Jaguar out of the ether, I feel that we will always some way or somehow be able to get the spares we need to run our classics.

Really, this sort of thing is mind altering to me, to see an artist(yes artist) copy a MK2 on a computer. The power of Blender is surprising.

Note on my own MK2. It is sitting cozy in the garage. Not driven in a few weeks as Denver has suffered a case of snow and cold that is not welcoming to the old girl. But soon, I shall drive her again. That is after I change her oil and grease her nipples.

Yes, I bought a grease gun to grease some nipples. Nipple greasing party anyone?

Shamed by a 912 Driver

2011-01-13T17:42:00.003-07:00

I have nothing against 912s at all. I love them. A 67 912 was my first Porsche and like all aging men I am sure some day I will track down another 912 just like it to relive some memories.

The snow was melting today in Denver but the roads still a bit mushy and soggy and snowy on the side roads so I decided to take my Jeep to work. Well, on the way home I spotted this well-worn SWB 912(you can tell it is a SWB by the position of the torsion bar cover) on I-25. Damn him.

I will drive my 911 tomorrow.

The car seemed to be riding a bit high, and the burble from the exhaust was blowing something fierce but he was still in the fast lane enjoy the drive.

Track Day Vid - How Many Effects Can You Spot

2011-01-09T16:39:00.002-07:00

Nothing against my neighbor who shot this video while riding shotgun, I commend him for not getting motion sick, it was a rather boring day just lapping. Nothing like the usual 944 SPEC scene.

So, on a snowy day I spent some time hacking it together and putting more effects on this than a James Cameron movie.

Hope you enjoy the vid and 'The Horror. The Horror.' Soundtrack.

From Free Track to Fresh Tracks

2011-01-05T10:28:00.002-07:00

I think every state and city claims the old weather saw, 'if you don't like the weather, just wait 10 minutes.'

Well, Denver does experience some pretty rapid swings in weather. As evidenced by driving in sunny conditions on the track to trying to not slide my 911 into a parked car as I navigate out of my neighborhood on summer performance tires.

But everyday I don't drive the Wagoneer that I don't have to is a good one. The Waggy is fun, but it sure loves gas. And now that I have the heat working in the SC, it is a much comfier place to be.

SC and 500E on Track

2010-12-28T14:45:00.002-07:00

Not many things in life are free. And even fewer things in high performance driving are free. So, it was a huge surprise when our fantastic two-year old track High Plains Raceway offered two free lapping days between Christmas and New Years.

These days were weather dependent and the weather cooperated in spades. The mercury nudged 50 and as you can see in the pictures, it was a clear Colorado day.

I went to the track with my neighbor who swapped his 78 SC for the 92 500E. One Porsche for another part-Porsche. On track, the 500E impressed most on the straights, massive torque pushing you easily into triple digits on High Plain's back straight. The heavy-handed traction control did take some of the fun out of the twisties, but the car still was so flat and poised for a eighteen-year old super sedan.

My SC was a ton of fun. It was the first time I had it on track. Engine wise it is stock except for SSIs and a 2 in 2 out muffler and cat delete. The suspension though is track oriented with 22/28 weltmeisters, Bilsteins and Tarett sway bars. It had a very neutral, composed feeling. What a ton of fun. As it is my DD, I kept the revs under 5500.

So, this cut my track time drought from five months to two and a half. And that is reason enough to give thanks.

Porsche Stocking

2010-12-18T10:30:00.003-07:00

I am super thankful to my neighbor who made this great stocking for my son, Graham. Check it out, it is even an impact bumper model. Love it.

The only thing better than a Porsche on a stocking, would be a Porsche key in a stocking. But I think he will have to wait another fifteen years for that.

And, after my not so great experiences with Porsche Design products, I am glad to have something handcrafted right next door.

Stylish Bullitt Gear

2010-12-15T09:17:00.003-07:00

Steve McQueen has certainly gotten his fair share of coverage in the automotive press recently. Too much, some might say. And Bullitt is certainly a movie that has spawned a bunch of replicas, including a very lame Mustang.

So now to the above pictured item. I do love a clever graphic T-shirt. Heck, working in an ad agency, I am surrounded by dudes wearing them.

So, when I saw this rollneck that was a new item on grandprixlegends.com I just had to share. It is just so clever. A cotton shirt screen printed front and back with a holster. More costume than casual wear to be sure, but it would be fun to wear into a meeting with a blazer over it and just let the graphic peek out. (grandprixlegends also offers a Bullitt replica blazer).

I just wouldn't wear it through the airport anytime soon...

Midcentury Kitchen from KERF - No Car Content

2010-12-13T15:19:00.005-07:00

Note, KERF has discontinued DIY option.

My wife Nicolette and I are fortunate enough to live in Arapahoe Acres in Englewood, CO, one of the most complete mid-century modern neighborhoods in America. The exterior of almost every one of the homes remains close to original. Unfortunately, previous owners had removed almost all of the original fittings inside our home. Only the concrete block walls and exposed beam ceiling were spared the renovators’ removal. Every bit of custom cabinetry, every piece that might have showed the craftsman’s hand had been ditched in the 1970s.

We try to put back as much handcrafted, custom fitted pieces as possible. I’ve recreated pockmarked mahogany walls and rebuilt grass cloth closet doors. But the kitchen, one of the largest opportunities to reinstall custom era-appropriate work was presenting a conundrum.

Pure custom cabinetry was out of our budget. That is if the builders even understood the non-Farmhouse style we were after. And the semi-custom cabinets from IKEA and other manufactures were too limited in their palette and customization. They also have too much of the machine about them. They are too slick. All the mechanics of how they are built are hidden. We wanted a cabinet that was proud of its construction and humble of material. Like an Eames lounge with exposed shock cushions. Or an aluminum Emeco chair with hand-finished welds. Or even the original cabinets that the house came with, simply built of mahogany. We also wanted to be part of a design team. Not just customers picking off a prêt-a-porter rack.

As an advertising professional, I know that a small talented team usually creates stronger work than one talented individual. It is the sharing and multiplying, and ultimately reducing, of ideas that forges strong, vetted ideas. The key is a small, focused team. Too large and the ideas just get watered down and meander towards the middle of the road. I was sure the same philosophy could be applied to furniture and cabinetry if I could find a willing partner to work with our budget of $6,000.

We found this partner in Kerf design. Kerf produces custom plywood cabinets with exposed, get it, kerfs. Their designs also exclude hardware and allow the cabinets to function without a shiny bauble hanging off the front. Pure. Rational. Solid. From the moment you call Kerf, you are speaking with people who will be intimately involved in the design and building of your cabinets. You toss out ideas. They bat them back with some of their own. They push you to think about your space in new ways. Not to be forgotten is the sample kit that Kerf sends customers so you can pick laminate and wood colors, it is a work of art itself.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the process is the rendering that Kerf creates of your project, 3-D pictures that can help you imagine walking around your new cabinets. Able to make tweaks to the design at this stage was key in working to craft a cohesive look. For example, we had a large rounded edge on the bookshelf portion of our island replaced with a right angle to better match the hard edges in the rest of our home.

Once your design is set, you can choose to have the cabinets fully assembled and shipped to your home. Or, sent out as a knocked-down kit. We opted for the latter as it saves money on shipping and raw costs. It also allows you to be a larger part of the project because as anyone knows, installing cabinets takes a lot of time and effort to set straight and true.

Over the course of four weekends I was able to assemble and install our cabinets. The soapstone countertops and Heath tiles took another six weeks. There is no doubt with this process, you are not just ‘hanging boxes’, you are an integral part of building your cabinetry. You shave a bit here, wedge a bit there. Glue. Screw. Set. It is really rewarding to watch it all come together. And even more rewarding to be installing work that is built in the mid-century ethos.

I didn’t have the opportunity sixty years ago to work with Edward Hawkins, the original designer of our home, but I was able to work with equally talented designers. Equally committed modern designers to put something in my home that I, and I am sure, subsequent owners would be proud of. Affordable, custom companies for cabinets, furniture, landscaping and more are out there. For your next project, find one. You and your house will benefit from the process.

Dream Picnic - The Bounty of Wisconsin

2010-12-10T14:44:00.004-07:00

I took my first trip to Wisconsin this year. A business trip. But luckily we make a lot of fun on our trips. Including hitting the local dining scene, high and low, and checking out great places to drink beer. Including, Koz’s Mini Bowl, a remarkable bar where you can bowl on a twenty foot lane while children set the pins at midnight. It’s like partying in your weird Aunt’s basement.

But Wisconsin really struck me with how beautiful it was. And with how seriously they take their cured meats and hearty cheeses. Like this is a surprise coming from a place where the baseball team is named after beer makers?

It is well known that Wisconsinites like to drink beer. And oddly enough, Brandy Old Fashioneds. But what is not all that well known is that Kenosha, Wisconsin was the home of an automotive brand for the first half and then some of the past century. There, the Nash automobiles were cranked out in impressive enough quantities.

Nash was not that trail blazing until 1949-1954 when they introduced the Airfltye series of cars. Commonly known as the bathtub cars, as they look like an inverted bathtub.

More of interest to me as an ad man is that Nash knew they could not be everything to everyone. So they carved out a rather unique niche. Or market positioning we would say today. And that was the idea that Nash was the ‘Travelingest Car’. And this wasn’t just copy. The product backed it up. Good gas mileage. Innovative heating and cooling systems that benefited from technology developed by the owners other business, the Kelvinator Corporation. Add in fold-flat seats that transformed into beds and optional screens for the windows and you had an art deco tent on wheels. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Pontiac Aztec.

So, the car would be a 1952 Nash Airflyte four-door sedan. The food would all be local Wisconsin food. No need to go outside the state borders. For drink, I would have to include the Champagne of beers, Miller High Life. It’s sensuous clear glass bottle and girl in the moon logo perfect beer iconography. And its taste delivers too for a regular beer, good malt and low carbonation. Of course, man cannot live on a beer alone so I would have to gather a cache of the wondrous Bloody Marys that they mix up at Sobelman’s. The spicy mix I could get filled in a thermos, but that is just half the charm of a Sobelman Bloody. You need the fixings. And fixings they are. So many that they come on a skewer on a separate plate. It’s like an entire cruise ship buffet has been pierced on a wooden rod and been expected to fit onto a salad plate. Generosity is a hallmark of the Badger state.

For food. It is cheese and meat. Meat and cheese. A picnic is no place for the other Wisconsin delight, the fish fry. Pick up a loaf or two of rye from Peter Sciortino. Then go to any number of small butchers to stock up on summer sausage, Trega cheddar, Hidden Springs Creamery Honey Lavendar sheep’s milk cheese. Skip the Usinger’s. The award-winning cured products from Nolechek’s or Wenzel Farms are also worth provisioning.

And where to drive? To the coast. Preferably to the north. The farther you can go the better. Enjoy the lazy steering of the Nash. Hold your hand out the window and move it up and down feeling the thick, humid air. Pull off somewhere unmarked and tuck in. And relax, knowing if you need to take a nap to sleep off the Miller and Bloody’s the Nash is up to task of providing a comfy bed.

Images from flickriver.com and vintageadsandstuff.com

Cars & Coffee Boulder / Lafayette, CO 12/4/10

2010-12-04T10:31:00.002-07:00

As my son gets up at 6:15am, making it up to Cars & Coffee in the Boulder area is no problem. This time, just me and little man headed up. So, the first thing I needed to do was put the Recaro child seat in the SC. This takes but a moment. Man, am I jealous of this seat. It has side-impact protection. Cool two-tone fabric. Halo head rest. It's better than my OMP race seat. Spoiled. You can see it in the picture of my black Targa. Kinda nice that the blue matches my blue wheels.

A couple of the more interesting cars that came out in the overcast 35 degree weather were a Bitter 3.9. Opel based, this one had BMW wheels and a bad window tint that precluded a good look at the interior. I did catch a glimpse of some Maserati Bi-turbo type seats though.

A Morgan Aero showed out. I like these. I do not get the regular Morgans. But the new aeros are very nice looking. And powerful. And some of the new Morgans I've seen reported about in Octane are utterly beautiful.

Also in the pics is a row of cars including a classy Ferrari 456 (I think) and an elemental black and white VW.

All in all, a great way to spend a couple of hours with my son.

A Winter Series - Dream Picnics. A Pairing of Alfresco Menus and Cars.

2010-11-27T14:31:00.007-07:00

Painting from Kris Wallace, The Picnic.

Despite the fluke of weather that has me out driving with windows down and sleeves rolled up, I know winter is hard upon us in Colorado. As such, I was rolling around a few ideas for articles that would give me a reason to post a few times a month. And I've decided to do a series on picnics.

But not just picnics. Soggy(you do know why they were soggy...) ham sandwiches like the Griswolds ate in Vacation. But proper picnics matched to proper automobiles. Picnics like that featured in To Catch a Thief along with a beautiful Grace Kelly and Sunbeam Alpine.

Maybe I will be able to make a few of the coming picnic pairings a reality someday. Maybe not.

But the fun of just imagining them will be one of my salves, along with Bourbon, to get me through the cold months.

It will also give me an opportunity to write about food and cars together. A joy for me, but according to some of my novel's reviewers a bore. It seems half the people like my book, the other half hate it. Really, some people ought to know if you want the same info about car stats and facts, there are lots of other places to find those out. My writing is not one of them. I respect the facts, but choose to write about the experiences. So much more fulfilling.

So, throughout December, January and February I will put up four 'Picnic Pairings' a month to whet our appetites for cars and good food while most of us are hibernating away. Oh, but don't worry, I am sure my ramshackle collection of cars will give me somethings worth posting about in addition.

Holiday Greetings from Jaguar

2010-11-26T16:14:00.003-07:00

Click on the photo for a large version.

With a too rare for me combination of time off+good weather+no chores to do, I was able to just have a little fun today with the Jaguar. Drove around for a bit, grabbed lunch with my wife and son at Park Burger and then spotted this beautifully deserted aggregate plant and thought it would make a good photo.

This was after I nabbed the wreath we had on our front door and zip-tied it to the MKII's grill. I would never have done this in summer what with the car's penchant to run a bit warm, but now that it is cool out, I had no worries. And the enthusiastic smiles that this adornment elicited from passerby showed it worth the effort.

Hope all you out there who read me have an enjoyable holiday season and are able to get your cars out a bit and exercise them. A perfect excuse to enjoy some time away from family.

Further Adventures in 944 Torsion Bar Adjustment

2010-11-20T18:59:00.004-07:00

Now that the racing season is over, I decided to make some of the larger changes that I refrained from during the season. I wanted to complete the races this year with basically the same set-up so I could work on my driving and get used to the tracks, not different set-ups.

The work today, it was sunny but brisk in Denver this late November Saturday, was to lower the rear of the car. I went out thinking it would be a one hour job. It took three and a half. Why? Me make stupid mistake sometimes.

So, I jack the car up, unhook the shocks and get ready to easily remove the torsion bars. Or so I thought. I had drilled holes in the rockers and affixed tabs to the torsion bars to specifically make this job easier.

But no matter what I did, I could not get the torsion bars to budge. And since they were new and well-greased I knew they should easily slide out when the splines, pressure and planets aligned. But no go.

I used the standard approach of a jack under the trailing arm to move up and down and get the torsion bars to be de-stressed. But still, they would not slide out. Even when asking for my neighbor to come over and help I could not get the bars to move. I was frustrated.

So, after two hours I jacked the car higher and removed the jack stand from under the torsion tube carrier(that is the round end that sticks out into the wheel well). I was about to call it a day. But then I decided to try removing the bar again. And it worked. WTF?

My best guess is the weight of the car on the torsion tube carrier was just enough to tweak the angle of the carrier and wedge the bar in place. Once my idiocy was uncovered I got to lowering the car. I was running at 5.5 to 5.75 inches on the rear measured ground to rocker at the seam. This was WAY HIGH for a leading 944 SPEC car. I wanted to get down to 4.5. A full inch lower. Many of the winners run 4 inches flat.

I got the passenger side in one shot. The drier side took three tries. There is no exact formula to this, just trial and error. But one trick is to make a mark on the shock, and measure form there. So, that is what I did, make a mark and jacked the trailing arm up one inch and then reinserted the torsion bar.

Just take a look at the pictures. Once inch does not sound like much but the look is dramatically different. I hope the handling is dramatically tighter. I think this will make a big difference in quick transition corners and also on the high-speed sweepers on some courses that have a big 'pucker' factor in my car as it wags its tail.

Final height adjustments will be made in the spring with my new race tires when I corner balance at the beginning of the season. There is 3/4 of an inch of adjustment available in the trailing arm set up without reindexing.

Don't clown the photos, it is riding high in front. But that is because I was too tired to lower the front down so that the car, according to Dave Dirks(my engine builder and 2010 944 SPEC national champion), is co-planer. Which in my case means 4.5 inches from ground to rocker at all four corners.

Improving a race car just doesn't happen in the race season. In fact, it is best to make the big changes during downtime so that when the season rolls around, all a racer has to do is worry about tire pressure and showing up.

Now, off to the couch to relax, rest my back and fall asleep warmed by a rather special Imperial Stout.

Back Date 911 = '32 Ford

2010-11-18T11:38:00.003-07:00

It is with sadness that I have come to the conclusion that the early 911 look is as tired and boring as that of the ubiquitous 32 Ford Hot Rod.

Now, so you know I am not just a hater, I have a 911 and my father owns a 32 Hi Boy. But damn, I am just sick of all the hype around both of these cars. Like a new type of wash on denim all the variations. People trying to do something different that in the end, is not different.

And it is pretty obvious at any sort of cruise, gathering, cars & coffee that both the 32 Ford and early 911 have lost their appeal. The only people checking them out are the other owners. "These are the French market driving lights, very rare here..." or "I had the guys at Pete and Jake do a special powder coat color for me..." Ugh.

The cars with the interest are the goofy ones. The rare ones. The odd survivors. Which, is really good. Because the cars that are interesting to the majority of auto hobbyists today are not just the expensive ones.

Anyone agree or disagree?

Photos from brembo on pelican boards and hotrodders.com

Porsche Design Driver's Selection Quality is Horrendous

2010-11-14T08:31:00.012-07:00

How hard is it for a company to disappoint a long-term brand loyalist? Hard. I know, I have been in advertising for over a decade. Your brand loyalists are your strongest asset, but they can also be your strongest adversary.

And Porsche Design/Driver's Selection/Porsche AG whatever you call yourself, you have an adversary in me now.

If Porsche built their cars as shoddily as they do the glasses, watches and toys that bear their name they would not be in business. Period. I thought that their items would be built like their cars in that they were meant to be used. That is what I and so many of you like about Porsche cars, they can be used as intended and not be the worse for it unlike a Lotus or Ferrari. But read below and you will see that is not the case.

Let's recap my passion for Porsche. I have owned three 951s, two 944s, I race a 944 SPEC Car, I have owned two 911SCs, I have owned one 912. I have convinced two of my friends to buy 911s. I have driven across the country for the right car. Oh yeah, I have also written the only Porsche novel. So you could say I am a brand loyalist. Doubt it still, I even defend the Panamera design. I write this blog for no monetary compensation, I hope my readers enjoy the lack of ads. It would be only one click of the button labeled 'monetize' for me to allow them, but I want the site to be unsullied. I do this because I love it.

My opinions and decision to bring this to the world, (OK Porsche world through my blog) is because I do not want anyone else to be disappointed like I am.

WATCHES. I was pretty happy when I bought my 911 To the Core Watch. I even made a post about it. But that was before I even wore it out once. Much to my chagrin, I have worn the watch approximately two dozen times. And each time I do, a new fault seems to appear. Enlarge the pictures and notice the frayed stitching on the band. And the remarkable amount of scratches on the housing. I am not kidding, I can scratch it with my fingernail. Compare this to the Christopher Ward watch I recently won from Octane. I have worn this watch almost daily since then and guess what? It looks as good as the day I pulled it out of the very impressive packaging. The list price on both these watches is around $500. So, apples to apples, Porsche Driver's Selection your watch quality stinks!

TOYS. I have a one year old son and I of course wanted to indoctrinate him into the Porsche brand early. So, I bought him the My First Porsche wooden toy. A friend of ours bought him anAutomoblox. The Porsche was $20, the Automoblox $30. Enlarge the pictures you will the Porsche paint flakes off on a whim. Every edge is scratched remarkably. Guess what, he usually plays with this car in his crib. Compare that to the Automoblox which looks brand new, and this with much abuse from the four year old neighbor who takes it out of my house and plays with it on the driveway. Seriously, I have wooden toys from Target, not cars I admit, that have not flaked off any paint as of yet. Thanks for the junky toy Porsche!

GLASSWARE. This is my favorite. Do you like my set of four, I mean two drink glasses? Pretty nice huh? I have had this set for three years and use it on the rare occasion that I would mix up some Tom Collins. Well, two of the soldiers are down. One cracked on the lip when an ice cube was dropped in. The other broke in half when hand washing. Now, compare this to the complete set of four glasses I was given by my grandparents who purchased them in the 60's. These glasses have been moved countless times, sipped on porches(not in Porsches) and washed in dishwashers yet they all remain intact. The Porsche glasses were $80 for 4, thats $20 a piece. My grandparents were poor so no way did they spend the equivalent funds FORTY YEARS AGO.

NOTE - I have bought all these items new from approved Porsche dealers. Not second hand. Not off a resellers site.

I have gone and sent this posting link to Porsche Driver's Selection, Porsche NA and Porsche Design. I will let you know what I hear back.

But, I cannot recommend any Porsche products besides their cars at this time. It is all too obvious to me that these items and I am sure all the others in their catalog are designed to make money not live up to the Porsche brand promise of excellence. They seem to be designed as gifts to be admired on a shelf, not used and enjoyed. And with the gift giving season just coming on us, that is too bad.

Classic Spotting in NYC

2010-11-13T13:51:00.006-07:00

I was in NYC the past few days on a photoshoot for one of my advertising clients. Yes it involved models in bathing suits. Yes it still feels like work.

Though the work part was lessened because of a great client, staying at the steampunk meets Victorian ACE hotel and meals at Momofuku and Spotted Pig. All fueled by coffees from Stumptown. An Americano from the latter feels more like taking part in a play, than it does in ordering a coffee because of the performance of making your coffee and carefully curated facial hair of the baristas.

On to the car spotting. Just a block away from the Spotted Pig, I saw this late chrome-bumpered MGB. The wheels on these always reminded me of the rims on certain Buicks. Sure the dash is a bit puffy and it rides a bit high, but to see this used as a car, not a collectible was pretty cool.

Then, on the next day I was in Williamsburg and when we pulled up to the studio this very nice Sherwood Green XK150 was parked out front. I thought, 'How f'n cool is that someone is driving this thing and parking it on the street?' But, several hours later I found out it was a prop for a photoshoot at the studio next door. Bummer. Still a nice car, but not anywhere near as cool since it was trailed to the studio. And I heard run, pretty rough. But, look for it to appear in a Saks Fifth Avenue ad soon.