Just a quick post this morning, because I just came across this picture on my hard drive and I don't want to lose it before I get around to my long post about Deloreans coming later when I have proper time to devote!
Somebody in town is a VERY lucky individual, because they own one of my dream cars! I was grocery shopping with the family, and as we pulled into the Albertson's parking lot, there she was in all of her brushed stainless glory!
No idea who the owner is, but I couldn't resist a quick picture next to it. Someday, you will be mine... Oh, yes, you WILL be mine...
My buddy Dan has owned some very cool rides over the years, but this one was, in my opinion, his best. It's a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac- not the first vehicle that comes to mind when you think of building a custom! But over the course of about five years Dan built a wild custom truck that earned him a lot of trophies and a few magazine features, including the cover of Minitruckin Magazine!
Although it went through a few "generations" of customization, my favorite is the final version, after being body dropped:
It's laid out on 22" Sinister Devine wheels, with fully custom air suspension front and rear (nobody makes ANYTHING to drop these trucks, so Dan had to figure just about everything out for himself!).
The graphics were painted by Cashman Customs in Concord, CA, and they extend into the interior panels- everything from the dash to the pillar trim was sanded, smoothed, and airbrushed! Custom two-tone leather replaced the stock cloth seat fabric and allowed for the deletion of the front headrests. Before the giant sliding ragtop, Dan had a flip-down video monitor in the headliner, but after cutting that giant hole in the roof the front monitor provided the video entertainment, with two 10" subs and a host of separates filling the sound duties.
Sadly, every project comes to an end. And like me, when Dan finishes a project, he gets bored... and sells it! The Sport Trac was sold to a local guy, who drove it for a while and actually worked near our old shop- which sucked when new damage showed up on it! After about a year everyone lost track of it, and the last I heard it was in pretty bad shape. Unfortunately, custom trucks live a hard life after their original builder lets them go- the subsequent owners don't respect the work that went into them, and have no idea how to fix them when something breaks.
Dan is on to other projects, though- he's currently building a '53 Ford that is chopped, 'bagged, and has a lot of neat "traditional" custom touches- I'll post up on it when he gets it back together!
For those of you that know me, you may be wondering why I would make an entry about Volkswagens before I show Datsuns any love (I've owned two VWs, but dozens of Datsun cars and trucks). Well, I'm still deciding how many pictures I want to post of my beloved Datsuns, so lay off me for a few more days!!
Anyway, I was a fan of air-cooled Volkswagens before I got into minitrucks- I used to read Hot VWs Magazine cover to cover, and even though I'd never turned a wrench on one I felt I knew them inside and out! There was a guy at my high school named Dave McGhee- he was a senior when I was a sophomore, and he had a bitchin' '64 (I think) Bug. Light turquoise with cream-colored panels on the side, lowered down on stock steelies with Porsche hubcaps, plaid interior... and Dave was just as cool as his Bug. He was a teacher's assistant in my German class, and I think I may have gotten more than a little assistance from his access to the grade book through the year!
In any case, although my Volkswagen ownership history is limited to water-cooled models (an '85 Golf and an '84 GTI), I LOVE the look of early Bugs, Buses, and Ghias laid on the ground:
Something about them just looks RIGHT- it's a blend of curves and contours from the forties and fifties with a little bit of muscle from the sixties... or something. I don't know what it is I like about them- I usually tend to prefer boxier, more angular lines.
Which leads me back to the water-cooled era! My Golf and GTI were never anything truly custom- The Golf was lowered and had some tinted taillights and a custom grille, but it wasn't customized inside or under the hood. The GTI was bought and sold within just a few months, so I never got into it at all, really. But I do like how they look!
As sick as the Golf looks, the Corrado can look even more evil!
Finally, this Rabbit is just so different I couldn't leave it out of my VW post. It's got a bunch of early-VW touches (roof rack, baby blue paint...), combined with some "rat rod" styling (I don't like to use that term, so substitute "traditional rod" if you will)- it's definitely in a class by itself!
If you've got other pictures of badass VWs, please email them my way or post them up in a reply!
To the owner of this beautiful late-model Lincoln parked in the front row of the Orangevale Wal Mart: We get it. You win. You obviously made some very wise financial choices in your life to be able to afford the 20-plus feet of plastic chrome trim you've liberally slathered all over your vehicle!
I'm sorry if I come across as rude here- it's probably that I'm overcome with jealousy. Even if I WAS fortunate enough to come by this much adhesive chrome accent trim, I'm afraid I lack the artistic vision and steady hand required to create the intricate patterns as seen on this majestic machine:
Seeing this car has brought a new chapter to my life- I am going to work harder and try to invest more of my money starting now. Perhaps the gods will smile upon me one day, and I will be able to possess such a fine example of automotive art as this. A boy can dream!
It's been a few years since I sold my Scion xB, but I still love boxy cars. The quirky Japanese utilitarian design just isn't like anything else you see on US roads...
The Scion xB paved the way for some other unique imports after it sold better than expected- the Honda Fit, Nissan Cube, and even a few copies from the American manufacturers. But we still got cheated out of some really neat boxy cars over here! Just take a look at these:
Toyota
Honda
Suzuki
Daihatsu
This is a body kit made for the Suzuki Lapin- it gives the car a classic station wagon/ Scout look!
Unfortunately, we'll never see any of these over here, thanks to little details like "Crash Standards" and "Public Opinion"... what a gyp!
It's been a few days since my last post- I've been spending a lot of time with family lately. When I went through my "CARS" folder looking for inspiration for this latest update, I found myself stopping at the pictures with my kids in them, so here are a few of them I'd like to share.
Aaron in the 240sx
Nathan washing the 521
Max washing the Scion
Aaron in my buddy's Ferrari 355
Max and the Scion
It can be a challenge having kids sometimes, but the good times far outweigh the bad, and I fondly remember each of the events surrounding these photos. Aaron is 14 now, and I think he's finally taking a genuine interest in cars, so hopefully I can update my album with some pictures of him working on his own ride soon!
I have a Volvo in my garage. Well, MOST of a Volvo. This was one of those "Cruising Craigslist after selling off a project and stumbling onto what seems like a great deal" situations, and it happened to be a vehicle that the wife approved of, so here it sits- our 1967 Volvo 122 station wagon.
It's not even complete enough for me to post pictures of it, so here is another 122 Wagon for reference:
I really dig the lines of these wagons- kind of similar to a Squareback in some ways, with a bit of Datsun thrown in, but the front end is all Volvo. 1967 was sort of a special year, as it turns out, because it's the last year for a 5x114.3 bolt pattern (which makes wheel choices EASY for me!), but the first year for disc brakes, so I lucked out without even knowing it. Well, "lucked out" might not be the best term, considering the amount of work this thing needs, but the FOUNDATION is there at least!
Today I spent a couple of hours in the garage pulling the gas tank. I'll go into some of the other projects I've delved into in a future post, but today I'm just going to focus on the gas tank. Although it took a while to get it loose due to some rusty screws and a hose clamp that wouldn't give up, it wasn't a terrible job. The tank actually has two drain plugs on the bottom, so I was able to drain the "fuel" out before removing it. I don't know how long this car has been sitting, but it's definitely been several years since anything other than varnish and rust have been inside that tank! Unfortunately the sending unit was completely rotted away, and the tank itself will need to be professionally cleaned and resealed before it can be used, but at this point it's out of the car and ready to get sent out...
Unlike the Nissan/ Datsun enthusiast scene, which has TONS of dedicated websites and forums, there are only a few places I've found for Volvo 122 information. Kind of a bummer, but I suppose it will make this car that much more unique when I get it on the road! Here's another picture I found while browsing:
Sweet look, but much more extreme than I have planned for our little wagon! Tomorrow I'm going to try to get the clutch working- if I succeed maybe I'll pull the car out of the garage and get some photos posted... but for now I'm going to sit on the couch and wish I had worn gloves when I drained that tank- the old gas smell is killing me!
I don't know where it is (I assume somewhere in Japan), or really any details about it, but this photo gives me all of the information I need:
Just at a quick glance, there are enough incredible cars from Nissan's motorsports and standard production history to keep me happily busy for the remainder of my natural life! So, Nissan, if you're looking for a new curator for this museum, just email phil@twistedimages.com and I'll make arrangements to move immediately.
I really lucked into this car, and I still regret selling it, even several years later! I had a Datsun 510 that I had swapped a nice, fuel-injected motor into. It was pretty quick, but that was the only pretty thing about it! Through the grapevine, I learned that somebody wanted a 510 and was willing to trade a Nissan 240sx for it... just a few days later, and a deal was made!
The car actually didn't look quite like this when I got it. It's an '89, and it had the US-spec "Zenki" front end with pop-up headlights. The suspension was mostly stock, but with cut coil springs, but the magic was under the hood and inside the interior:
Somebody, somewhere along the line, went to considerable effort to swap this car over to right-hand drive, and changed the stock KA24 engine over to the coveted SR20DET (a 2.0 liter, turbocharged engine never offered in the States)! The work performed was really top-notch- the entire firewall was swapped out, so everything from the Japanese donor car was present and working as it should: air conditioning, windshield wipers that swept the correct direction, digital climate control, and everything else that usually doesn't get done right!
With a solid foundation to work from, I spent more money than I care to recall on building this car up. I set the suspension up with Apex'i coil-overs, rear subframe collars, urethane steering rack bushings, and heim jointed suspension and steering arms. With the stance set low, I added a little bit more power under the hood with a larger downpipe and exhaust system and a manual boost controller. The car already had a front-mount intercooler in place, so it took to the extra boost just fine.
With the particulars underneath addressed, I moved my focus to the exterior. I converted the front end to the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) Silvia front end, which in my opinion gives the car a much sportier and more modern look. The panels weren't a perfect paint match to the original two-tone, but they were close enough that it never bothered me much! Out back, I replaced the factory tail lights with clear/red ones from eBay, and I ditched the stock whip antenna for a short polished aluminum piece. The biggest change for the outside, though, was the wheels. Those are 17x8 and 17x9 Impul Silhouettes. Impul has worked with Nissan for years in the racing world, and is a very respected manufacturer of aftermarket parts. These wheels looked right at home on my little 240- after I added 25mm spacers behind them to give that super-flush look I was after.
Inside the car, I gave some much-needed attention to the seating. The factory 240sx seats from 1989 weren't great to begin with, and years of use hadn't done them any favors! I scored a set of 1996 S14 240sx seats in MUCH nicer condition and bolted them into place up front. I also installed the back seats to match- they weren't a perfect fit, but they matched the fronts and looked far better than the stock parts they replaced. My lovely wife got me a set of JDM Silvia floor mats- aside from saying "Silvia" on them instead of "240sx", they have the pad for the driver's feet on the proper side of the car! I also swapped the stock steering wheel for a Nardi with a quick-release hub, and installed a basic Pioneer stereo and some door speakers.
I enjoyed the heck out of this car while I had it- I did some light drifting (nothing to risk damaging the car!), lots of donuts outside of my old shop, and even took it out to Sacramento Raceway for some drag racing:
Unfortunately, owning a car like this in a state like California means that it's only a matter of time before the Long Arm of the Law catches up with you... and it did. In a big way. I won't go into all of the gory details, but the end result is that I ended up trading the car away to avoid about $1500 in fines... In all honesty, it wasn't the most practical car for a father of three, but I had an absolute blast owning it, and I was very proud of the modifications I made while I had it! Maybe I'll give a 240 another go after we move to a different state...
Today's post is about La Mission. Aside from being a great movie, I have a personal interest in it because the company I worked for supplied the air suspension for the vehicular focal point of the movie- a beautiful 1964 Chevrolet Impala.
If you want a synopsis of the movie, click through to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1200272/ . The movie stars Benjamin Bratt and was directed by his brother Peter, and it gives a great look into the lowrider culture in San Fransisco. It's available on Netflix, too, so give it a shot!
These photos were sent to me during the filming of the movie, when the car was first delivered to the set...
There are some other great cars throughout the movie, but of course this one stands out because I had an indirect hand in its creation!
Be sure to check out this movie if you have a chance- it never saw widespread release, but it's a very well-made film.
First off, I have to credit the photographer and his website- http://netwind.ru/ - it's all in Russian (I believe), so here's the direct link to his automotive-related pictures- http://netwind.ru/category/avto - there's a lot more than I'm posting here, but these caught my eye!
Yeah, I know- I'm posting the ones with the girl in them! Well, these were the ones that caught my eye the most!
Here's one without a beautiful woman in them:
Okay, now back to some more with her!
Be sure to visit the website- there's a bunch of galleries to browse through, and although some of these vehicles may be commonplace over there, there's a bunch of stuff to see that just doesn't exist here in the States!
Quick post this morning to make up for falling asleep on the couch last night! This is my very first car- a 1986 Mazda B2000 long bed pickup.
That's me, on graduation day, thinking I was the coolest thing on four wheels! Forget all of the talk of air suspension, body drops, custom body work, and billet wheels- this was 1995, and I worked at McDonalds!
Here's a quick list of the mods on this custom ride: I pulled all of the leaf springs out except for the main leaf, then added 3" lowering blocks to ensure that the rear axle was sitting hard on the frame- no suspension travel at all! Up front, I started by cranking the torsion bars all the way down, but I never read about re-indexing the torsion hangers, so I actually dragged the bars all the way off on a speed bump at school! So, no suspension travel up front, either!
Those wheels you're feasting your eyes on are 14" stock LX chromies, wrapped in 195/60-14 tires! Only the best for this ride! Inside, the "stocker is cheaper" look continued, with a factory tape deck wired to a small Clarion amplifier for two pairs of 4" coaxial speakers. Of course, a mini has to have some bass, so a custom box with four Pioneer 8" woofers sat behind the seat.
I learned a lot with this truck- mostly about how NOT to modify a vehicle! But I had a blast cruising around Sacramento with my friends, and it never left me stranded. These Mazdas are so cheap now, I think I'll add one to my "must build" list for the future- I'd love the opportunity to build one the right way!
Mark this one down in the "unrealized project" column! We picked this beauty up about 7 years ago- saved it from the wrecking yard with a bad transmission and a few sucked valves. But the body was REALLY straight and clean! Just some minor rust in the tailgate and two door jambs, which in my eyes was easily remedied with a little elbow grease and welding rod.
The plan was simple- repair the engine, fix the rust, and lay this beast on the ground on some big billet wheels! My wife, Vicki, and I agreed that the body was good as-is; no shaved door handles or custom tail lights required with something this unique! Even the factory grille looks like something custom:
The stock bumpers, tail lights, even the two-tone paint just looked "right"! It totally reminds me of one of my other favorite classics- the Lincoln Continental (look for a blog post on my experiences with those at a later date!).
The first roadblock in this project was the "repair the engine" step... you wouldn't believe how expensive parts are for an International 392! So, plan B was to swap the 392 and the broken TorqueFlite transmission for a Chevy 454 and Turbo 400 automatic. I found a great deal on a complete fuel injected drivetrain, so we pulled the trigger!
The SECOND roadblock was actually swapping this engine and trans into the TravelAll chassis! Unfortunately, my fabrication skills at the time (as well as my equipment for safely maneuvering a big block engine/transmission package inside an engine bay) weren't up to the challenge. Other projects got bumped in front of the poor International, and we ended up giving it away and selling the Chevy motor when we moved from our last home a few years ago...
If another one of these with a straight body comes my way for the right price, I'd love to give it another try. There aren't a lot of them on the road around here, but I'm sure if I start looking the right one will come along! PS- sneak peek of my old Scion in the garage- look for the full story in an upcoming blog post!
This truck has all of the staples of a true custom mini: laid out on airbags, shaved handles and rear end, 4wd fenders with a Toyota bumper conversion, phantom billet grille, billet wheels...
...but the body drop and suicide doors just set it off to a higher (lower) level! Even though this truck is still in tinted primer, my eyes see it as a finished product as it sits.
Given my love for all things Nissan/ Datsun, combined with my love of minitrucks, you would think I would have owned a Hardbody by now. Well, I DID technically own one (standard cab, 'bagged and body dropped, but a total basketcase) for a couple of months about 6 years ago, but it never actually made it to my house before I sold it to someone else to finish!
Keep checking back to the blog- pulling up these pictures after not seeing them for a few years has me thinking it won't be too much longer before I give a Nissan mini project another go!
