Category Archives: Random Cool Stuff

This stuff isn’t our own work, but we found it cool so we wanted to share it with you

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Janis Joplin’s Porsche 356 at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

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Janis Joplin Porsche 356C Rear

Of all cars at the Amelia Island Concours, celebrity-owned cars get a good share of attention. However, a hippie-themed old Porsche was grabbing more attention than other cars it sat among. This 1964 356C was custom-painted and themed by Joplin over the years to describe better her artistic style within her own life as well as within her music. After her death due to a heroin overdose in 1970, the car was passed between a few different individuals, before ending up in the posession of her manager. The car spent a period of time at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in recent years, and was sold to a private collection late last year. Out on the show field, this particular 356 had onlookers gaing at its incredible detailing and one-of-a-kind finish. I don’t expect to ever see anything like this car again for some time, and people asked questions about it non-stop. Enjoy the photos of this timeless legend. Continue reading Janis Joplin’s Porsche 356 at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Tony Angelo and Lucky show us all how to make a fast Camaro on the cheap!

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When it comes to cheap speed, I’m all ears. I may not have the right tools or all of the necessary mechanical know-how (and I know in that regard I’m not alone), but I find myself to be a fast learner. Hot Rod Garage is now in a new season, and host Tony Angelo and new co-host Lucky take thsi episode to show us all what you need to look for and what some of the good ideas are to pick up a cheap car and make it fast on the dragstrip. All it took was a very straight late-Seventies Camaro coupe, an iron-block LS engine out of an Avalanche, and plenty of hop-up parts. Take the time to watch this video–it’s quite a good little crash course.

-Albert S. Davis

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1947 Delahaye 135M Narval “Cover Girl” at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

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47 Delahaye 135M Amelia Island 5

Only automobile aficionados know about Delahayes. But when anyone asks me who made the most beautiful cars of all time, I usually drop the Delahaye name. They are gorgeous, they are elegant, they are as French as French can be.

Any connoisseur of pre-war automobiles will know of all the stunning machines that came out of France in the early-mid 1900s. Many might argue that Bugatti or Talbot should hold the crown of  beauty instead, but Delahayes have always dropped my jaw in a way that no other marque ever has. They are magical machines with the power to make everything around them disappear.

The 1947 Delahaye 135M you see here turned many heads at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. It is one of a few hundred 135Ms produced in the difficult post-war era. France was ruined and there wasn’t much room for ostentatious luxury cars as the country was being rebuilt. As a result, most post-war Delahayes were exported to wealthy buyers outside of France. Delahaye’s larger military contracting business kept them afloat until they lost a major contract with the French government, and went bust in 1954.

This beautiful black Delahaye 135M Narval was built for a wealthy industrialist in Ohio. It’s design was inspired by the elegant motion of aquatic mammals, specifically the Narwal. It was built for the President of The Prima Company Ohio, and was showcased in a magazine ad for “Covergirl Dress Flats by Prima,” hence the car’s nickname “Cover Girl.”

This Delahaye stands as a masterpiece of art on wheels. Enjoy the gallery.

Continue reading 1947 Delahaye 135M Narval “Cover Girl” at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Motor Trend pits the Mercedes AMG GT S against the Jaguar F-Type

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Which six-figure sports coupe is better, the Mercedes AMG GT S or the Jaguar F-Type R?

Motor Trend finds out which is the winner, but honestly I’d recommend each of them to anyone.

Enjoy!

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Jay Leno Drives This Custom JDM Datsun Sunny

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This is a classic Datsun Sunny 1200 pickup and it is a JDM wet dream.

It has a custom front clip, made to look like an original Skyline GT-R, and it has an SR20DET engine under the hood with a big ass turbo on it. In terms of “cool,” this Datsun is just dripping with it, and once again, Jay Leno proves he’s probably the luckiest guy on Earth.

Enjoy!

-Nick

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

The Thunderbolt, a Custom Rolls Royce with a WWII Tank Engine

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Rolls Royce Thunderbolt V12 Custom Amelia Island 6

Some things just need to be built. Even without a practical purpose, some things must exist because they will make the world a better place. Inspiration is a powerful force in our world, and things that are born out of passion serve to inspire further passion in others. If that isn’t a worthy cause, then I don’t know what is.

This is the Thunderbolt, a custom built Rolls Royce Boat Tail Speedster with a fire-breathing WWII tank engine under its massive hood. It is the embodiment of childhood dreams, and an homage to a more elegant time, when cars were truly works of art and craftsmanship.

The Thunderbolt’s mighty engine is a 27 liter Rolls Royce Meteor V12. It produces 600-700hp and over 1,600 ft/lbs of torque. The Meteor engine was the tank derivative of the famous Merlin engine used in the Spitfire fighter plane. And when the owner says to be careful when starting the car, he means because it literally shoots 5 foot flames out the side exhausts (See the video).

Continue reading The Thunderbolt, a Custom Rolls Royce with a WWII Tank Engine →

Auto Idolatry

Autocar Drives the New Ford Focus RS

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And so it begins! The reviews of the Ford Focus RS have begun!

And what a nasty color!

Enjoy!

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Is the McLaren 570S the McLaren to have?

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A lot of you may think the mighty McLaren P1 is the ultimate McLaren to have, if money were no object. Maybe you’d be right, but maybe you’d be wrong. You see, driver satisfaction goes a lot deeper than just raw speed and lap times. Is it possible that the “baby” McLaren 570S may be more fun than it’s faster siblings?

See what you think after watching this video from Motor Trend. For my money, an afternoon out driving is usually more fun in a more playful car.

-Nick

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1970 Plymouth Superbird at the 2015 Concours of America at St John’s

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1970 Plymouth Superbird Front Right//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Feast your eyes on the king of Plymouth stock cars. Back in 1970, Plymouth was racing in NASCAR, and the Dodge Charger Daytona was winning big the previous season. Of course, they wanted in on all the fun, and the top brass was only more than happy to oblige, gifting them the Superbird. The nose cone, massive rear wing, and flush rear window all contributed to a massive aerodynamic advantage at the time–allowing these cars to break to nearly 200 MPH on the oval tracks of the day when equipped with the 426 Hemi. They were so dominant that NASCAR got sick of seeing Mother Mopar basically destroy everybody every Sunday afternoon, so 1971 brought in a rule change that forced Plymouth and Dodge to either ditch the aero body or ditch the Hemi–effectively dumping cold water on the party. Continue reading 1970 Plymouth Superbird at the 2015 Concours of America at St John’s →