Track Day Vid - How Many Effects Can You Spot

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

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.

Family Fun Car - What is it?

My lack of posting as of late has been a result me being completely and utterly sucked into looking for a replacement for my sold 911SC. Not a replacement actually, but a family car.

And after several weeks of probably four hours a day trolling the US and UK for a car, I have come to the conclusion that a parent with sporting persuasions and a $20k budget does not have too many options. 

There are the beautiful Rolls Royce Mulliner Coupes from the late 60's but they are a bit slow. Then there are the Astons, too expensive. Bristol's, too elusive. Interceptor's, too fussy. 

Really, there are Jaguars. They kind of sum it up with the maxim, "grace, space and pace.' No other cars fit the bill.

So, I think I found my car. It is a Jaguar. 4.2 litre. Four speed with overdrive. Four doors. Wire Wheels. Lots of leather and wood. My brother will go look at in a couple of weeks and if as advertised, it will be mine. I already put a small down payment on it to hold it.

A hearty harrumph to anyone who can guess what model it is from the above interior shot.

Well Begun IS NOT Half Done

The saying, "well begun is half done" was posited by a hard-working fellow lost in time. But many Porsches come to us with "half done" jobs. A half done job on my recently acquired 82 Targa was the A/C delete.

In reality, the job was 10% done. The compressor and evaporator were removed from the engine compartment, Oh, you can also add in the compressor belt.

So, I had the task of removing all the other parts listed in the four above diagrams. That is a lot of stuff. I have, I am not afraid to admit it, smallish hands. But even my diminutive mitts got scared and scraped digging into the smuggler's box and recesses of the engine compartment.

So, a "half done" job on your Porsche is not great to leave as is. It is not something to stand idly by and abide. If you work on those stuttering jobs in fits and starts, that is OK. You are in great company. I remind myself of Gaudi's Sagrada Church, still not done. But they are working on it....

And, if you sell a car with a "half done" job. Shame on you.

German 911 Gets Scottish Interior

After being so completely thrilled with the way my new Grand Wagoneer headliner came out I knew I wanted to do some interior work on my 82 Targa. Add to that the Targa is black on black on black and you get for a very boring interior. And note, I am a huge fan of funky clothes, interiors, etc. And so is Alois Ruf, so I think I am in good company.

I could not afford to pay for this work, so was limited to redoing the door panels and rear package shelf. A project hastened along when I went ahead and removed the monstrous stereo system whose speakers left Crater Lake-sized holes in my door panels. And left me without a rear shelf.

First thing I did was remove the interior door panels. This takes about five minutes aside. Take a photo of the window switches so you know how the wires go when you put the switches back in. As you can see, the original fiberboard was well stained and warped from moisture exposure over the years. I would use these as a template. 

The material I used for my backer is called Coroplast and can be found in many colors and cheaply at any decent art store. Coroplast is easy to trim with scissors or knife, has a smooth surface that accepts adhesive well, will not be damaged by water, weighs less than a Korean ice skater and is bendable. The final benefit being needed for the rear parcel shelf. To ensure a good facsimile, you can see I clipped the original to the coroplast before cutting. I marked all holes with whiteout to cut out later. 

But back to the doors, you can see the original doors had foam on the back in varying depths, something I recreated with my door panels. I did put a thin headliner foam on the door panels, you could also use felt like I did on the parcel shelf. Both worked easily and provided the soft curves you need. But if I had to do it again, I would use the foam on all the pieces as it is easier to trim and glue on without wrinkles.

I used 3M trim adhesive. You really need to use an automotive adhesive, not Super 77. The stuff sits on the fabric and does not stain it and has a long, 20 minute work time. Something good for rookies. Once I wrapped the fabric around the back, making lots of relief cuts to the fabric did not bunch up on the corners, I also duct taped them for overkill. The glue held really well, but why not go one step further. Staples, the normal way to secure the fabric are hard to find in the shallow depth and do not stick well in the coroplast.

As for the rear deck, since I had none, I first made a template out of cardboard and then transferred that to the coroplast. 

The only trick worth passing on is you cannot have a big enough space to work on for this. A kitchen table is a bit small. Might want to put two tables next to each other. I am luck enough to work in an ad agency that has huge cutting tables. Total project including glue, fabric and coroplast cost me about $50. 

Porsche Radio Blanking Plate. Trompe L'oeil.

After removing about 60lbs of high-end stereo equipment from Schwartzie, I was not in the mood to replace it. Besides, with the M&K muffler, it is not the most sonically pleasant environment to listen to NPR or Coldplay or Lady Ga Ga or anything.

So, left with a gaping whole where the headunit used to reside, I needed to find a solution. Often, people just put in a metal plate with a Porsche badge. Boring. I thought I could do a little Trompe L'oeil magic though. Dropping some mad art terms here. But, basically it means fool the eye. 

So, I printed out a photo of a Blaupunkt face plate. Cleaned up the display in photoshop and then added the station call letters, "Flat Six", because that is what is always playing.

I've gone ahead and attached the properly sized files so you can replicate this idea yourself. I've included a blank one as well so you could add in your own text. Even if you don't have Photoshop, you could drop in some text in any number of programs including MS Word. Just click on the photo to get the full size image.

I then printed out the file. Shaped a piece of modeling pine to friction fit in the opening. I then used Mod Podge to decoupage the printout onto the opening. This also makes the print super durable and cleanable. I did eight coats of Mod Podge.

Hit me with any questions, enjoy and the raucous sounds of WSTT, Flat Six radio.

Miraculous(for the price) Porsche 901 Diecast

I am not one who usually goes in for diecast models, or models of any kind. A bit of clutter. A male knick knack of sorts. Something that collects dusts and does not get used or admired after the first week of ownership. Like a waffle maker in that regard.

Now. That being said, I want this CMC 1:18 scale model of the 901. It is that nice. That accurate. The wheels come off. The interior is real leather. The suspension works. On and on. This guy has a video that shows how in depth this thing is. It will be at the top of my Christmas list. Or maybe I should contact CMC and see if we could work out some sort of deal with my book. 

Pictures from and model available at legacydiecast.com.