Wednesday, November 30, 2011

374,000 mile Toyota, original owner, and it has not been rebuilt (except replaced timing chain) even has the original alternator still working as planned



One new starter, one new timing chain because of the plastic guides that got brittle and broke (stupid idea that a lot of companies have used... morons. No plastic in the engine! Heat kills it!) one change of the spark plugs at 250,000... and that is about it. Remarkable.

I remember posting a true story about some woman who kept a car for decades, and kept track of all the replaced parts, number of batteries, number of mufflers, etc etc.. but this Toyota hasn't needed that long list of replacements.

Todd William's '30 model A pickup built by Jason Graham Hot Rods, just got a 2 page spread in Rod and Custom January 2012 issue, and was at the Del Mar Goodguys this past weekend



Snake and Mongoose, filming of the movie begins next srping

Don Prudhomme's race cars, and race car transporters for the Snake and Mongoose funny cars















For a full gallery of the yellow one, here it is from SEMA http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/11/don-prudhommes-funny-car-hauler-1967.html






 I think "Lil' John's Place" refers to Lil' John Buttera
 the design and paint are by Kenny Youngblood, he signs his work "Blood did it"

just for the reminiscent perspective

Want to buy a car club plaque? O'Brien Truckers .com has 12 thousand, and can make new ones

Dennis who left a comment about another car club plaque "Veeblefetzers" said that he bought 8,000 plaque patterns from the original pattern maker for Chicago Metal Craft.  So we can make you as many new, new old stock ones as you'd like. Here's a link to any of the 12,000 plaques we have for reproduction (the other 4,000 are the original patterns from Speed Gems).https://www.obrientruckers.com/ecom/category/235/3/

I just got a email back from Dennis, check out this cool story:
Just last night I got a call from a guy looking to see if I could make a plaque from a photo I had. When I asked for the name of the club you could hear the questioning in his voice like "Why does it matter what the name of the club was?" When I looked it up in my database and described it to him he gasped! And it gets better. He was an original member and knew the guy who had drawn the artwork back in the day. Well I was as excited as him because it turns out this particular plaque, Exterminators So. Cal., was the one that Chicago Metal Craft used in their ads in Hot Rod back in the 50's!!!!

Fire up the.... Toyota Yaris 1.3 SR


A LONG time ago, in a factory far, far away, Toyota made some epically reliable but unbelievably boring cars.

Chief among these was the Starlet, which back in the early Nineties failed to tempt the supermini faithful out of their Fiestas, largely because it looked so dull. That's why its successor, the original Yaris of 1999, was such a class act. In a stroke the company cracked the small car nut with something stylish and innovatively packaged, and it hasn't looked back since.

It's clear the company still knows how to make an engaging small car - you only need to look at the ingeniously packaged IQ and the cheeky Aygo for proof - but the latest version of the Yaris has some awfully big small car boots to fill.

The main thing you'll notice aboard the new arrival is just how roomy it is.

Admittedly, finding room for people and luggage where you mightn't have expected it has always been a Yaris party trick, but with the 2011 model the world's biggest car company has moved the goalposts again. If you're one of those freakishly tall people who find the Fiesta and Corsa a bit of a squeeze, the extra inches Toyota's eaked out of the Yaris might just swing it for you.

What you also notice is that the likes of the 1.3 SR version I tested are definitely aiming for the upmarket segment of the supermini sector - where people care more for equipment and bombproof reliability than image or driveability - and I doubt anyone familiar with the outgoing model are going to be dissapointed by the quality of the materials and the way it's been screwed together. It's also very generously equipped, with the stereo/satnav interface garnering particular praise, but then it needs to be for almost £15k.

Yet for everything it gains the new Yaris loses some of the ineffable magic which made its two immediate predecessors such a hit, lacking both the cheeky looks of the original and the sparkle that came across on every journey. It's by no means a bad car, but nor is it one that you'd choose over a Fiesta, a Polo or a Jazz.

Unless you're freakishly tall, that is.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Don Prudhomme has found and restored both of the Snake and Mongoose haulers and funny car dragsters, they are amazing, and I finally got to see them in person. Full gallery tomorrow, here is a look





for a full gallery of the red one, check back tomorrow. For a ful gallery of the yellow one, here it is from SEMA http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/11/don-prudhommes-funny-car-hauler-1967.html

71 Demon, 340 4 spd, needs a new home, it's for sale cause his wife told him to make some room




340 T/A block, J heads (202 exhaust valves) 8 3/4 3.23 gears, $15,850 call at 951 767 2381, or 505 7959. Looks great, I like the flat black top paint, but not the vinyl top. My preference is no vinyl top on a muscle car, but so many were made, and it's too much expense to get yours removed and have the trim holes filled in, and the paint matched

If you buy it, let me know how you like it!