Little Trim

The rear bumper trim and floor mats in my 968 had been bugging me for over a year.

The floor mats were black. In a grey over grey car, I needed a touch of color. So I went grey with orange piping. The orange of the instrument needles being the only color to amplify. Looks classy.

The bumper trim. Oy vey. It had shrunk and pulled out of the channel and looked terrible. Loosen the hard to get at 8mm bolts in trunk. 1 hidden in tail light. Loosen 8mm bolts and two screws at bottom of bumper. Then curse and fiddle for an hour pulling and wedging the new trim in. But, a cheap way to really freshen appearance.

Press Day

Fairfield Living magazine asked a couple of racers about the lime rock fall festival.

They mostly got the quotes right.

Grilling Drums

Out of the last race at Thompson, looking at my rusty drums bugged me. So, some hi heat paint tempered on the grill was in order.

Mach Wet

Spotted in spring street in soho was this rather good driver quality Mach 1 convertible getting soaked in a torrential rain.

Pity.

Country Drive

Admittedly, I have spent no time editing this. But, no time to sweat the details. Or, I choose to replace the pinion seal on my race car instead of editing this video in a smarter fashion.

Rusty B

Spotted in Manhattan. Dear me, this B should not get dragged around. It might fall apart. I only hope it was a movie or theatre prop.

Veggie Power

Or, at least we hope.

Spent the last few weeks building a new garden while the 901 was in the shop getting ready for the new season with a fresh alignment and exhaust.

Hopefully we get some great veg this summer. But at least it looks appropriate even if we get shut out. And, why so big? Anyone who lives in country-ish New England knows the deer can jump rather high.

For those who care about such things, it is 6x6 main posts. 4x4 trim. Copper caps. Cedar and timber raised beds filled with garden compost from Grillo's. And a custom gate with hammered hardware.

The Leaper Under the Lean To Mate?

I actually have no idea what the owner said regarding this S-type. But, my friend Chris Mosera spied it while he winds his way around Australia. Nice catch.

Steel vs. Wire

I received a set of very rusty steel wheels with my MK2 when I bought it about 3 years ago.

Sitting as they were in my basement getting rustier, I decided to do something about it.

So, I had them sand blasted and powder coated. Good thing my Dad works for a sand blaster and powder coater. I went for a semi-gloss navy blue. Which matches the leather and carpets.

Now, for all the BaT fans out there if I ever sell my car they can chuck on the steel wheels. I love BaT but they harp on one style of execution for cars too much and always opting for steel wheels over wires is a bit boring. I actually like the wires on my car. The steel wheels make a standard MK2 look dowdy. If you are going with the Coombs look, steel wheels look cool.

Any way, judge for yourself.

Race Time Zones

I've been wanting a clock for the garage.

And while at Goodwill today in Westport I found this three zone clock. A few moments on the printer and - a really cool racing clock.

Bushed

Just stripped entire front suspension. Getting it powder coated. New brakes. New rotors.

All brought on by need for new bushings and adjustable coil overs. While you're in there...

Rear Tuck

Or, why racing Spitfires need some sort of rear suspension control.

Here is a really nice image of why racing Spitfires need some way to control the rear camber and 'tuck in' tendency of the rear suspension.

Goof for this guy for hanging in there but he is getting awfully close to the full 'jacking effect'. Which is an  uncontrollable snap spin.

Love the vette and healey in the background.

I was thinking about suspension because I just order a full bushing, brake and front shock bits for my 63 Spitfire. As soon as the thaw hits, I can get to work.

NYC 944 De Blasio'd

Ahhh, NYC, already complaining about snow removal with the new mayor. 

I live in CT, so I know my country road will have some snow on it.

But that is why my 968 wears 4 snow tires.

This early 944 did not have snows on and was wisely left on the side of Hudson.

Still, makes me happy to see another 944 earn its keep by being a daily.

My Moto

Moto Lita that is.

I have come across people who dig, downwardly, on Moto Lita wheels. But, after finally receiving (gift to myself) one, I disagree.

The wheel is gorgeous. Heavy. Flawlessly finished. The wheel boss and horn in black crackle finish are period appropriate. Of course, Moto Lita has been making wheels since the MK2 was new.

It is a huge improvement over my OE wheel that was cracked and had a non functioning horn button. Plus electric tape holding horn push on. It fits nicely with the sporting pretensions of a manual shifted 3.8 MK2.

I picked mine up from LBCC. Their website is ponderous, but the service and pricing great.

Overall, a nice way to pass some time while freezing rain and snow pour on down.

Revisiting The Racers

The Racers.

Kirk Douglass.

Oh yeah. I finally saw it. Overall it is still watchable. Much in the melodramatic tradition than the grim pseudo-realism of the much more ballyhoo'd LeMans or Grand Prix.

However, look at these snap shots I took, and you decide if the retro-appeal and car spotting is worth the watch. I do.

Gotta give the driver's street cars props. Lots of Porsches and an Aurelia.

6408 Rare, Quirky, Historical British Auto Photographs

Get ready to spend a delightful hour browsing this photo collection.

The Stilltime Collection here has 6,408 car photographs that are rather fetching. Poorly labeled though, they often don't give details of the car, but still make for fun browsing.

Lorries, transports, racers, auto shows, oh my.

Let me know your favorites.

Influx Flashback.

Some stories just keep on coming back. Like a bit of a dream. They return.

But with my story about the 50 vintage Porsches I found people seek me out and keep fowarding me images I had forgotten about.

Just like this link someone sent me from Influx the other day asking me 'this is you, right?'. What I liked about it is that they did a really nice treatment of one of my photos. 

Moo Welcome

The basement of our home still has the troughs and pens from being a dairy barn. And the exterior is still all barn.

Wanted to pay a bit of homage to that with a piece that brightened the wall on the stairs to the basement. Which also happens to be the first wall you see when you walk in the house.

Thanks to magicmurals.com we located a delightful vintage ad looking piece in a wall decal.

I framed it out with barn siding. And we quickly have a piece that looks like it has been there for ages.

Barn Kept

A little photo essay from the barn. Some nice fall light and the camera was charged up.

The only true barn find in the bunch is the old wrench that I found in the barn we live in and that I used as a stop for the door lock. 

Hatch Capacity

I love a 911. But they do lack true daily usefulness.

Just check out my loaded up 968 fresh with 22 6ft 2x4s easily loaded in. Sure you could stuff them out the Targa or sunroof of a 911 but then the A/C would struggle.