luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
|
|
Feb 14, 2019 12:54:44 GMT
|
WHY did they not make more of these? Easily the prettiest Jaguar ever, and yes, I know about the Browns Lane fire and all that but... build more bucks. They'd have sold all they could make, surely, and who knows, it might even have precluded the hideous abomination of the 2+2 E-Type being unleashed on an undeserving world XKSS rep by Nick Liassides, on Flickr XKSS rep bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Or even just keep making these... D Type by Nick Liassides, on Flickr More French than squatting over a hole and burning down your own capital every second weekend Renault 8 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr A proper Porsche. You can keep your newfangled 911 nonsense, ta. This one for me 356 coupe 55 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr More bikes. Sorry. Only a couple, I promise. Who can't love patina like this li'l Laverda? Laverda d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr In their early days Ducati ran through a bewildering array of company logos like a teenager doodling in the back of their maths exercise book the design for the band name he'd one day make famous. Eventually someone in power seemed to get fed up with it changing every second model and dragged the designers in for a round telling off. "If you can't make up your poncey flowery minds," he screams in Italian, chest wig bristling in fury; "we'll just write the bloody thing out. In letters. So there. And maybe just add a little circle thing. So there. It'll be...austere chic. There, I've invented a thing". Satisfied, Il Capitano Castiglioni* slumps back into his designer black vinyl chair and sips his rocket fuel espresso with the smug air of Brando granting a reprieve of execution Such a shame * other depsotic Italian company owners are availableDucati d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Bonkers Lotus predates Thunderbirds by some decades Lotus Mk10 1955 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Lotus Mk10 1955 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Lotus Mk10 1955 bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Lotus Mk10 1955 d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr More Jaguars. Continuing my sporadic attempts to actually include some genuine facts in all this drivel, and running on from the stupendously good "chain of Lynx", the collective nouns for Jaguars is either a "prowl" or a "leap". Which almost matches the two emblems. Except growl not prowl. So it doesn't. Damn it, it's all gone wrong XKs by Nick Liassides, on Flickr XK140 d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr XK120 coupe by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Ever wish Brits could just not be the plucky underdog and just dominate the world at something again. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to open a history of racing and not see ERA as "making up the numbers" and "a mainstay of racing for years" and "also-ran"? Damn you, Italy ERA by Nick Liassides, on Flickr ERA carb by Nick Liassides, on Flickr ERA bay by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Fafnir, as ane fule kno, is a dragon of legend from Norse myth. Depending on whether you believe the Icelandic version or the more common one in Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, he started life as either a dwarf or a giant... although strangely the two are largely interchangeable in saga and not exactly a measure of size as we know it nowadays. Later transmogrified into a dragon (as you do), he was a bad hombre and eventually slain by Sigurd, who ate the dragons heart and thus gained the ability to understand the speech of birds which enabled him to foil a revenge murder attempt by Fafnir's brother Regin. Handy, that. The story of Fafnir's murder killing by Sigurd is pretty much stolen transliterated by Tolkien into the slaying of the Father of Dragons Glaurung at the hand of Túrin Turambar.... if you can bear to read the Olde Englishe script of the Silmarilion and Unfinished Tales, it's a jolly good tale. Fafnir bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr None of which really explains this old thing. Fafnir by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Rather more prosaically, this is what Cadillacs used to look like. In 1903. Only a year after Henry Ford (yes, that one) was forced out of his own company that bore his name... and GM hastily re-titled it after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, alleged founder of Detroit. Didn't exactly look like the "Standard of the World" in those days, as later advertising slogans would proclaim Cadillac Runabout by Nick Liassides, on Flickr And if the future of personal transport is indeed going to be electric, then these kids are way ahead of the curve. And in all respects, awesome Haterz gonna hate by Nick Liassides, on Flickr
|
|
Last Edit: Feb 14, 2019 12:56:46 GMT by luckyseven
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 16, 2019 11:22:50 GMT
|
As ever, wonderful pics, fantastic words. Oh, and a Tiger. We thank you from the bottom of...Wherever.
|
|
|
|
luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
|
|
Feb 16, 2019 12:00:02 GMT
|
Gotta be a Tiger. It's the Law I didn't get much time wandering around this big paddock because The Boy was inexorably dragging me in the direction of the airfields. Mostly because he could see stuff there that was much more of interest to a ten year old than manky old funny-shaped cars. Some of the things parked out there were kinda hard to miss, after all Douglas Dakota d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr I think boys are just hard-wired for it. We've never particularly brought him up to love guns and war and tanks and stuff, he just does. Like boys always have. The li'l un wasn't so bothered, but of course she wants to do whatever her brother does, so we went off to look at tanks and stuff and Mrs L7 went off in search of tea. M3 half-track by Nick Liassides, on Flickr To come clean, I don't need much persuasion to poke around military vehicles, especially ones as utterly cool as GM half-tracks M2 half-track by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Even things as curse word as Bren carriers seem quite impressive and humongous when you're at ground zero to them Bren carrier by Nick Liassides, on Flickr But it was the tanks... mostly Shermans, they built like eleventy zillion of them after all... that really made an impression Sherman r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Many people think the shortages of materials that really hampered Germany (and Britain during those dark wartime convoy days) was steel and metals... and they were. Not many people think of shortages of a material we all tend to take for granted being so crucial, but tanks still have tyres (who knew? Actually, everyone knew. Yonks before, Henry Ford had his greatest moment of doubt and pain when he tried to control the one aspect of production he couldn't hitherto and Fordlandia was the result. And we all know how that went. We don't? Well, there's a thread about it here forum.retro-rides.org/thread/142057/fordl-ndia for those who've forgotten) and shortages of rubber especially affected the heavy German tanks that needed decent quality tyres to tolerate the incredible stresses the armoured behemoths subjected them to. And even though I knew this, it's kinda weird to see a familiar logo on the tyres of a Sherman! Sherman tyre by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Tell you what, even scout cars that seemed small as a matchbox car compared to tanks and suchlike, seem massive when you're stood next to one. I can still see me popping down to Waitrose in one though. And parking in the "parent and child" bays Daimler Armoured car by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Anyone else living out their fantasies of joining Robert Redford dragging boats out of the back of one of these before paddling across the Rhine towards Arnhem? Or filling the back with gold heisted from the bank in Nancy? GMC 6x6 deuce-and-a-half by Nick Liassides, on Flickr This is screaming out for a camper conversion! Guy armoured hauler by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Guy armoured hauler bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Fox reconnaisance vehicle by Nick Liassides, on Flickr And so we made it right across the airfield to a live-action bit. Where some lunatics were busily ragging an old Chieftan around at really quite impressive speeds. The Boy was transfixed and I honestly believe he'd have watched this all day Chieftan by Nick Liassides, on Flickr However while I was distracted by (oddly) two completely different iconic vehicles Chopper & Tomahawk by Nick Liassides, on Flickr this bulky old thing also hove into view FV432 APC r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr and as it whizzed about at alarming velocity for something so large and heavy, the Boy worked out that the reason people were queuing here wasn't to look at a pair of Raleigh's finest, but to pay a lot of money for a ride in an APC. So that was us then, no way I was getting away with it now. Were it down to me I'd have gone for a ride in this beastie Alvis Stalwart by Nick Liassides, on Flickr because a) you got a better view and b) who doesn't love a 6x6 monster that can drive straight into rivers and lakes without slowing down (or, more importantly, sinking)? But no, it was a "proper" tank or nothing. So we waited our turn for a go in an APC. Eventually the staff issued helmets, which one of the kids took a lot more seriously than the other Tanking it seriously by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Tank girl by Nick Liassides, on Flickr The actual ride was jolly good fun as we got thrown about like beans in a coffee grinder, but you don't get a brilliant view from inside an armoured can. It was like being on a fairground ride and the speed these things achieve is pretty impressive. Needless to say, the Boy especially loved every minute of it APC interior by Nick Liassides, on Flickr VFM? Maybe not so much, but you're not going to be doing it every weekend, are you? Anyway, once we were out alive, we were treated to the always impressive sight of the Battle of Britain Flight pottering past overhead BoB flight silhouettes by Nick Liassides, on Flickr BoB flight side by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Lancaster tcd by Nick Liassides, on Flickr And while I was taking pics of that, the Boy had made firm friends with the crew who owned the Chieftan... he'll talk to anyone, whether they like it or not. In addition, MrsL7 had rejoined us, who also has this gift of seeming lifelong friends with total strangers within seconds, so we were stuck there for ages just gasbagging. The tinies were straight in there Chieftan chief by Nick Liassides, on Flickr and to be fair, the couple who run this business hiring out tanks and running driving schools in them (and who knew that was a market!) were fascinating to talk to. Turns out this is quite a rarity as a running Chieftan and is also the one that starred in... errrrm, whichever of the Fast And Furious films it was that had the tank in it, I've sorta lost track. So it's a genuine film star car! And fair play to the guys and girls for letting our annoying offspring clamber all over their very expensive asset asking a million questions about everything Chieftan kids by Nick Liassides, on Flickr This utterly ruined-looking old Grant is another of their props, obviously used as target practice! Amazingly, it still runs and drives under its own power, albeit badly and with a lot of smoke M3 Grant by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Eventually we pried the kids away, bade farewell to MrsL7s new friends, and wandered off to see what else was what. It wasn't long before the kids found another tank owner who'd let them clamber all over his pride and joy Sherman Hannibal by Nick Liassides, on Flickr This old geezer was another legend, who was happy for the kids to climb inside his Sherman but "couldn't give them a drive in it because I've had too many beers". He explained about all sorts of interesting Sherman facts. Like the reason this huge steel plate is welded to the side of the hull in the left side of this picture Sherman Hannibal d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr That's where the magazine is. Apparently a lot of tanks went that way before crews started self-modifying them. Not that the li'l uns cared about any of this. They were genuinely living the dream Sherman Hannibal kids by Nick Liassides, on Flickr while I was rather more interested at the chance to poke about in an actual tank engine bay and see what was what. Not something I've been able to do before and probably won't get to do again all that often Sherman Hannibal bay by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Even Mrs L7s ability to talk for England was becoming exhausted though, and the old boy was starting to feel the effects of his many lagers and looked a lot like he just wanted to take a nap in the lovely sunshine, so we again moved on. My Tamiya-fuelled youthful fantasies were fulfilled, and though he kids wanted another tank ride but I'm not made of limitless money so with the bribe of a hotdog, we shooed them back towards the buildings and the lure of more cool cars
|
|
Last Edit: Feb 16, 2019 12:07:11 GMT by luckyseven
|
|
|
|
Feb 16, 2019 13:29:01 GMT
|
Gonna nick your BoB flights for my desktop. Already have one from you but, well, because six Merlins.
|
|
Last Edit: Feb 16, 2019 13:30:05 GMT by georgeb
|
|
ada7
Part of things
Posts: 108
|
|
Feb 16, 2019 20:20:55 GMT
|
Simply awesome. So much to take in and as ever the way you describe everything makes you kinda feel you’re almost there with you. If I had teachers at school as knowledgeable and fun as you then maybe I’d of concentrated and learned somefink.
Amberley museum looks fascinating not only because it’s the name of the twin sister of a girl I dated a while back (not sure why that’s relevant here though) but because of everything on show. You’ve got to let me know if you go back again as I’d love to tag along, if you’d let me. I want to go back to when you grew up in Bicester. You make it sound so idilic and reminds me so much of holidays in Devon when I was a lad. Simpler times but yet still so much fun to be had.
Project New York Steak.... da what now?
If I work hard...harder, and save everything I have, and maybe win the lottery then I’d definitely be having one of those DP214s. So what that there’s only 3 (reps) that’s just stunning and deserves to be owned by me and no one else lol I also knew that the collective none for Lynx(s) is a Chain. I knew this cos you told me. See, I do listen... sometimes lol Fafnir (nope, never have) front looks like a happy yellow jacket hornet. Angry insect, happy car. All these pictures and writing is great as always and do keep it up but the burning question I think we all need the answer too (just me really) is did you buy a snoopy phone? Well, did you? I know you want to.
Adam
|
|
Rotaries help make the world go around... And around and around and...
|
|
luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
|
|
Feb 17, 2019 11:18:24 GMT
|
lol. Thanks. Someone did send me an eBay link to a Snoopy phone recently... oddly... but given that it's currently at £55 and the reserve's not met I think I may leave that one Project New York Steak was the unlikely codename that Kawasaki gave to their superbike while it was in development to hide what they were up to from competitors (see, it wasn't Marcello Bielsa who invented industrial espionage). Given that Honda had just wowed the world by unveiling an affordable 750cc four cylinder the likes of which no-one had ever seen before, it kinda peed on their cornflakes when just a year or so later Kawasaki unveiled their Zed with the same engine layout but 150 more cubic capacity. Since it was aimed at 'Murica and given that they love their displacement, it was guaranteed to be a winner. As to why New York Steak, dunno. Because beefy, I suppose. But I've seen it miss-spelled as "Streak" even in some "professionally-written" motorbike books and stuff
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 17, 2019 21:32:35 GMT
|
Blinking magnificent! As said above I felt I could have been there. Fantastic effort - thank you!
|
|
Have had! 67 Bug, Polo G40, Defender, Passat 130, Ginetta G27, Vito, 106 Rallye, Xantia Activa, Vrs, Stryker, Jedi, OMS, Dellow, Golf 130, Martlet, Barnett
|
|
|
|
Feb 19, 2019 13:17:07 GMT
|
I'm really enjoying reading this thread.
|
|
|
|
luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
|
|
Feb 20, 2019 13:34:33 GMT
|
Thanks guys! Best crack on then Sooooo, we made it back to civilisation amongst the buildings. As I said, I'd never been to Bicester Heritage before, though obviously I'd seen eleventy zillion tinernet threads about it so had a fair idea what to expect. For those who've been living in a cave (once known as dial-up) the old airbase buildings have apparently been leased out or left to fall to bits in equal percentages. Those that are leased now house all kinds of automotive industries, from full-blown restoration shops to places flogging second hand cars (albeit posh ones). Many of these were open on the day, showing off their wares and skills, and add in the exhibits for the show itself scattered in and around, it made for a fascinating experience to wander around experiencing utterly random stuff. From rally cars (not your usual rally cars!) MGB gold rally 68 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr MGB gold rally 68 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Riley Sprite red 37 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr MGA red 60 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr ...to film star cars (not your usual film star cars!) cuda red 70 d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr C-Type Prince Henry 11 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr (I especially liked the Man With The Golden Gun-spec AMC Hornet, not just because it's one of the most impressive stunts ever done for real (in the days when stunts involved bending the laws of physics rather than paying a lot of money to a CGi firm) but also because my mate Eeyore has a very beige one and it's nice to see what he could have won. Hornet red 74 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr As is typical with AMC, spares are often super-rare. The hornet-in-amber style hood emblem is impossible to get hold of, which is annoying as the enamel fails and everything falls out leaving you with a plain brass circle instead of an emblem. I've been on the lookout for one for Eeyore's Hornet for years now but if they turn up at all they're hundreds of dollars. Never seen one as good condition as this) Hornet red 74 bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr ...then we moved on through the trees to another section between buildings, and you're suddenly greeted by all kinds of louche and lovely motors lounging in the leafy shade XK150 blue 59 & MkII blue 62 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr DB MkIII green by Nick Liassides, on Flickr The buildings are usually wonderfully weathered (and sometimes downright dilapidated). It's easy to get the right angle for a pic, and when you do, almost impossible to take a bad photo! Great place for the amateur snapper to make themselves look a lot better than they are DB MkIII green s by Nick Liassides, on Flickr The one thing this show fell down on a bit was the slightly sparse provision for food in this area (which is slightly our fault for ending up here just as the kids body clocks hit "LUNCH")... and don't all shows suffer with this anyway? At least the food was good once we'd queued for it. And while Mrs L7 grudgingly queued, I snuck off for some more crafty pics. Just across from the sausage sandwich van was a place specialising in teaching young apprentices restoration techniques Morris Eight black 39 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr ...which got my attention mostly because of the early 60s Beetle they were working on Beetle blue 63ish dsh by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Beetle blue 63ish by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Not sure if you can call it patina or if it's just really rusty, but I'd roll in that all day long! Beetle wing by Nick Liassides, on Flickr A bit more of a rarity was also wedged in here (and which I apparently failed completely to get a decent photo of, to my shame) Reliant Rebel bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr and after chatting to one of the guys behind the project I was summonsed back to pay for lunch. She only loves me for my wallet. Sausage sarnies dispensed with, and the kids now full of calories that desperately needed burning off by running around like maniacs, we trundled off randomly wandering between the buildings and seeing what presented itself. Random stuff, mostly, many of which were for sale if you could afford not to ask "how much?" 911 grey 83 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Escort MkII whiteblue 76 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Aston V8 beige 73 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr DB1 blue 50 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr DB1 blue 50 d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Bristol 401 black 50 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr It is still, apparently, possible to come across barn find cars that have actually been found in a barn! Begging the question who parks up an XK150 and leaves it for decades? I mean, I know it's nowhere near as pretty as its elder sisters, but even so... XK150 white 58 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Inexplicable Stuttgart crest is intriguing. Cocking a snook at those new-fangled Porsche things? Or just owned by someone who came from Baden-Württemberg? XK150 white 58 bdgs by Nick Liassides, on Flickr See? you can buy the classic of your choice in any flavour you like from sublime to ridiculous E-Type blue 63 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Old Lagonda was incomparably well-finished. I'm certainly no concours buffer, but looked like a hundred-point car to me! LG45 Tourer silver 37 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr LG45 Tourer silver 37 f by Nick Liassides, on Flickr I'd still have the Aurelia though, thanks.... even with her dirty incontinence mess. One of the best shapes ever put onto wheels Aurelia GT maroon 53 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr 911 black 93 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr My unhealthy perversion for Armstrong-Siddeleys has been oft-mentioned but I especially liked this Sapphire... not just because it's obviously still a working, used vehicle... Sapphire green 54 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr ....but also because it's owned by someone with the irreverence and sense of humour enough to modify the sphinx mascot to reflect the rocket age rather better Sapphire green 54 msct by Nick Liassides, on Flickr DB6. It's the one you want. You just do, forget Bond. DB6s are cooler. They are. I'm not gonna let it go DB6 silver d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr MG PB green 35 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Like I said, I love the backdrops that you can end up with here without even trying MG TD red 51 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr It seems a long time ago now, but in the opening part of this thread section I put some photos I just couldn't help but finegle about with, and that was one of them. Even on the day, even in bright glorious sun, it was impossible not to see this as sepia, grainy, olde-worlde... to see it as it would have been 75 years ago, when ladies were at leisure and would head off in their jolly little roadster for tea and tiffin into an Enid Blyton afternoon, the clonk of croquet mallets drifting on the hazy sunshine between Edwardian drawing rooms. Although I prefer to think of them heading off into a Saki story, where Gabriel the lycanthrope would be waiting in the primeval forest just down the road, red in tooth and claw, the sound of music from the mad god Pan's pipes faintly audible on the breeze. *ahem* And of course, retouching it also meant you could obliterate the guy with the annoyingly modern shorts MG TD red 51 tcd by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Phew. Some nice, calming Porsche after that, I think Porsche service shop by Nick Liassides, on Flickr 911 cream 65 bay by Nick Liassides, on Flickr 911 cream 65 dsh by Nick Liassides, on Flickr 911 cream 65 d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr
|
|
Last Edit: Feb 20, 2019 13:38:36 GMT by luckyseven
|
|
|
|
Feb 20, 2019 13:53:31 GMT
|
Thanks guys! Best crack on then It seems a long time ago now, but in the opening part of this thread section I put some photos I just couldn't help but finegle about with, and that was one of them. Even on the day, even in bright glorious sun, it was impossible not to see this as sepia, grainy, olde-worlde... to see it as it would have been 75 years ago, when ladies were at leisure and would head off in their jolly little roadster for tea and tiffin into an Enid Blyton afternoon, the clonk of croquet mallets drifting on the hazy sunshine between Edwardian drawing rooms. Although I prefer to think of them heading off into a Saki story, where Gabriel the lycanthrope would be waiting in the primeval forest just down the road, red in tooth and claw, the sound of music from the mad god Pan's pipes faintly audible on the breeze. *ahem* And of course, retouching it also meant you could obliterate the guy with the annoyingly modern shorts MG TD red 51 tcd by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Trouble is that it now looks like some young ladies heading off in their jolly little roadster for tea and tiffin into an Enid Blyton afternoon, the clonk of croquet mallets drifting on the hazy sunshine between Edwardian drawing rooms, being stalked by a naked ghost. Or is that just me?
|
|
|
|
|
luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
|
|
Feb 20, 2019 13:58:06 GMT
|
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, I’m not seeing a naked ghost either! Another great write up, thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2019 11:54:33 GMT
|
what's that then?
|
|
|
|
Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,845
Club RR Member Number: 39
|
|
Feb 21, 2019 13:00:36 GMT
|
Not sure - is it Fleming or Stretcher?
|
|
Last Edit: Feb 21, 2019 13:02:08 GMT by Darkspeed
|
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2019 13:11:38 GMT
|
Don't worry George I see it as well, perhaps its an age thing!
Cracking pictures and write up as usual, I don't know what Mr Luckyseven does for a day job but if its not some kind of journalisty thing your wasted, everytime you do a trip/visit write up thing I'm hooked and want to visit!
|
|
|
|
ada7
Part of things
Posts: 108
|
|
|
Don't worry George I see it as well, perhaps its an age thing! Cracking pictures and write up as usual, I don't know what Mr Luckyseven does for a day job but if its not some kind of journalisty thing your wasted, everytime you do a trip/visit write up thing I'm hooked and want to visit! I’ve been telling him for a very long time that his talents as a writer are wasted, his reports are great and this is the closest he’s come to having his own blog. He has written his own novel too which I am still in the process of reading (I’m a very slow reader). Again, ive said he needs to get it published as it’s a great read. Maybe one day. Wife, 2 kids, 3 cars and a full time job takes up a lot of time. Adam
|
|
Rotaries help make the world go around... And around and around and...
|
|
|
|
Feb 22, 2019 11:41:21 GMT
|
He has written his own novel too which I am still in the process of reading (I’m a very slow reader). Again, ive said he needs to get it published as it’s a great read. Maybe one day. Wife, 2 kids, 3 cars and a full time job takes up a lot of time. Adam The self-publish route (Amazon, etc) is fairly straightforward - even I managed it - although sorting the formatting can take a while, depending on media.
|
|
|
|
luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
|
|
Feb 24, 2019 11:27:50 GMT
|
You're all very kind All I does is writes down words what comes out of my head EDIT: How weird is that? Is it the swear filter that changes it when you write "W O T" as a word into "what"? Damn you HoTWire , how dare you infringe my god-given right to abbreviate "wide open throttle" in the manner of my own choosing? w0t w0t w0t w0t w0t w0t w0t w0tw0t w0t w0t w0t w0t w0t w0t w0t
|
|
Last Edit: Feb 24, 2019 11:31:47 GMT by luckyseven
|
|
luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
|
|
|
cracking on then... Down the very bottom of what would have been the main drag into the base (not sure what the military terminology for "main drag" is... maybe primary establishment access thoroughfare) near the entrance gates there was a funny little square of astroturf (also probably not called that nowadays...maybe "modular lenticular foliage matting substrate replica") surrounded by a little white paling picket fence. It looked very incongruous, and if it was supposed to act as a barrier to prevent people leaving mucky pawprints all over the cars within, then it failed abjectly. And can you blame people for wanting to get up close and personal? For contained within were some of the most awesomest supercars, back from the days when every rich Arab/lawyer/retired racer and their dog couldn't just produce five 200mph cars styled by committee using computer racing games and call them supercars (named after themselves). These came from the age when the average car in the street struggled to crack the ton and looked like one of Mrs Miggins cottage loaves that had failed to rise, thus making their v12 engines with many, many carburettors seem the stuff of sci-fi and their swoopy curves as voluptuous as Dolly's Partons. ..e.g. Miura yellow 72 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr OK, so it's a "late" one missing the eyelashes, but hello? Miura? Gnnnnghnggh Miura yellow 72 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Miura yellow 72 wh by Nick Liassides, on Flickr The Bora might have come when Citroen had control of Maserati, but that was a good thing because in addition to the traditional Italian desgin flair and sexy styling came the typically Gallic madness... why not introduce a brushed stainless steel roof for no apparent reason, after all? And concieved by Giugiaro (as were seemingly hundreds of the best cars from the 70s onwards) to be a gentleman's express, Citroen set to using their hydraulic wizardry on everything they could; the seats, steering column, even the pedal box moved in or out hydraulically, plus of course hydraulically operated flip-up headlights. And don't forget that most French of conceits; a fully-carpeted errr...engine cover. To make it quieter, see? It even had a double-glazed window separating the cabin from the mid-mounted engine bay! Bora silver 72 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Bora silver 72 r3q by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Supercars, being an automotive expression of pure ego, usually are best when they're the result of a megalomaniac's attempt to beat reality into submission. Perhaps no one man encapsulated this so much as Alessandro de Tomaso, with more heroic failures and gloriously flawed masterpieces to his credit than most. Pantera blue 73 rd by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Pantera blue 73 d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr There's very little that renders me speechless as fast as a well-timed Pantera to the nuts Pantera blue 73 r3q by Nick Liassides, on Flickr ...although one thing that definitely does for me is the Pantera's elder sister; Mangusta blue bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr much more of a flawed jewel than the car that would follow it, the Mangusta is nevertheless (IMHO) perfection of line in a car, and once you see one open it's beetle-backed split rear shell like an insect preparing to fly, who can fail to fall in love? Such utterly preposterous conceit on behalf of the designer (yep, our mate Giorgetto again) just because he could. Gotta love that Mangusta blue r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Mangusta blue r bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Mangusta blue by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Phew! Needed a bit of a clam down after that, so the kids scurried off to explore the disused underground bunkers and air-raid shelters that lie around this part of the base (subterranean shrapnel and miscellaneous assault deflection excavations) and I went off to make friends with a Panda Panda 4x4 white 85 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr and then we started trundling back up the hill towards the main event area again, taking a different route through the seemingly randomly laid out buildings to pick up on what we'd missed on the way down Scimitar SE4 maroon 68 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr At first glance this Jaguar looked like it had a funny abstract pattern wrapped onto it F Type SVR poppies 16 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr ...but as you got in closer you realised what an excellent tribute is was to the fallen of the Great War, encapsulated by the poetry of them what was there F Type SVR poppies 16 d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr See? Automotive murals aren't just all those hippy flowers on VWs and Indians with wolves on the sides of American vans. Muriels can strike any sort of car, anywhere Porsche Porsche bonnet by Nick Liassides, on Flickr And then, abruptly, we turned a corner of one of the brick barracks buildings and we were suddenly out of the leafy tree-lined shade and back in the blazing sun and open concrete space of the main paddock area. And there were more strange Lotusses Lotii? Lotus? to photograph Lotus Mk10 silver1955 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Oooh, all sorts of cool things I'd missed before. Baby Alfa racer is small (for the day) but perfectly formed Alfa 6C 1750 red 30 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Invicta slightly less so S-Type Low Chassis green 31 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Interesting factoid about Invicta is that they were one of the first manufacturers to field a lady driver in their race effort; the heroic Violette Cordery, whose initial entry to the field was maybe helped by the fact she was sister-in-law to the company director but who proved a very able driver in her own right. One of her footnotes in history details her driving 30 000 miles around Brooklands in 20 days or so, averaging 60mph. Personally, I like the enameled badges on the cars, very Art Deco S-Type Low Chassis green 31 bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr You'd have thought if anyone was entitled to a massive, flamboyant signature then it'd be Sir Stirling Moss. After all... genuine titan of motorsport, national treasure and living legend. I guess when you're a living legend you don't need to shout about it Aston DP214 replica d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Europas never made a lot of sense as a roadcar; small, cramped, hard to get in and out of, terrible visibility, etc. Sack them, race-ify them and cut a rollcage in (and sometimes, out the roof) and they make a lot more sense Europa green 68 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Europa green 68 bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr What a hairy-chested behemoth of a beast! If ever a car shouted "British beef!" more loudly... XJC Broadspeed 75 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Mind you, Steed had one in the New Avengers, and you didn't get more gentlemanly than Steed. Hmmm. Typical Jaguar dichotomy then XJC Broadspeed 75 d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr
|
|
|
|
luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
|
|
|
By now the day was getting on and as we had quite a drive back to the south coast (four-up in a 1200 Beetle, remember?) we started to work our way back through the outer fields, past the stands selling tat, by which I mean "overpriced loosely car-related nonsense, often branded car covers, mugs, hats, etc", not tat in the sense we understand it as in "awesome and groovy, preferably rusty old chunks of old car, often of indeterminate origin". Several of the stands were from insurance brokers, a sure sign the target audience is not you! There were still some proper gems to treasure though, and merely getting to the car park was not an easy task with all the distractions. I got the chance for a last few pics while the kids went on the dodgems and fairground rides E-Type blue 70 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr That went some way to dispelling my normal dislike of E-Types. Equally, I'd normally dismiss a 924 as a bit like an RX-7 but not so stylish and with a nasty engine, but this one ain't that 924 turbo white by Nick Liassides, on Flickr 924 turbo white wh by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Mexico. Ain't they all nowadays? This one might actually be real Escort Mexico MkI yellow 71 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr A Khamsin, another of Maserati's more odd 70s offerings. Made even more odd by having a glass boot Khamsin red 78 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr This one bears the autograph of its designer, Marcello Gandini. Another one of Italy's golden generation of car scribes. You might have heard of one or two other of his offerings... we saw the Miura earlier on but sadly I couldn't find a Citroen BX Khamsin red 78 Gandini d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Another hairy-chested example of British brawn. Basically a V8 only with more grunt and the edges rounded off V8 Vantage Le Mans by Nick Liassides, on Flickr V8 Vantage Le Mans d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr The kids had managed to wheedle their mother into letting them have another go on the Dodgems; race face on Dodgem kids by Nick Liassides, on Flickr and I split my time between laughing at them and watching the sporadic air display that was taking place overhead. Mostly old stuff made from wooden laths, canvas, and blind optimism AVRO 504 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Sopwith N500 replica by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Fokker DR1 tcd by Nick Liassides, on Flickr It was all a bit surreal. Above were recreations of George Peppard's finest moments from The Blue Max, down here on earth I wandered into a large marquee where some ladies were crooning all kinds of wartime tunes such as (There'll be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover. Odd. Another of those weird moments like opening the door through Narnia and coming out sixty years ago Stripey stars flags by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Stripey stars by Nick Liassides, on Flickr This whole bit of the show was random, much like the spaces between the buildings had been. You could wander between tents selling garage signs and £500 leather jackets and stumble upon a rare and unusual (even for a Lamborghini) treasure just around the corner Islero grey 68 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Strangely, the Merak was based on the same platform as the Bora that we saw earlier, but despite that was a four-seater to the Bora's two, hence the smaller v6 engine. And it lost all the fancy hydraulics for mechanical stuff... probably a good thing. But most of all; flying butresses! Superb! Merak orange 75 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Galaxie 500 wasn't quite the top of the line, but at least you got front seats instead of a bench. And a two-door hardtop for awesome pillarless roofline. '63 was the best style year (IMHO). The Galaxie 500XL was the top model, with Ford's sales literature showing rare frivolity by claiming the XL stood for "Xtra Lively". To be fair, the race-oriented 427 would give you one horsepower for every cubic inch of it's nearly seven-litre capacity. Quite lively then, even in something as huge as a Galaxie Galaxie 500 red 63 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Galaxie 500 red 63 bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Galaxie 500 red 63 d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr I thought this was a '39 Ford at first glance. Andthen I owed it an apology Commander grey 39 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Even though the idea of driving one fills me with horror... and in all likelihood, terror, I can't help but love the ultimate expression of Americana excess. As usual, it's all in the details Coupe de Ville green 51 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Coupe de Ville green 51 d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr I had some stuff re-chromed a while back, and the bill brought tears to my eyes. To re-do the front of one of these Caddies would genuinely cost more than the entire car would have only a couple of decades ago Coupe de Ville green 51 msct by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Coupe de Ville green 51 dsh by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Coupe de Ville green 51 r bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Coupe de Ville green 51 bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr More Citroen madness... mainly the fact that they failed to realise that no-one, ever, bought a Citroen because of it's engine and thus going to such extreme lengths of buying an entire racing car company like Maserati just to make use of one of their least good engines, a comparatively feeble V6, was sheer folly of the highest order. But just look at it.... gorgeous. It could have the engine from a ditch pump and you'd still want one SM graphite 71 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr SM graphite 71 bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr A rare bit of British style... like a Cobra only not vulgar Aceca blue 59 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr or especially powerful. But hey, it was quick enough for the B-roads of the time. And a nice change from the Brit obsession of building nothing but soft-tops with plastic clip-on side windows. And then selling them all to America so you couldn't buy one Acecca blue 59 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Always got time for a Type 2, even if it's in my least favourite Bay window flavour. Extra points claimed back for being brown ( everything in the 70s was brown) and having something other than the usual de rigeur Fuchs, BRM, etc wheels Type 2 brown 77 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr And just like that, we were back at where we'd left Dolly the Beetle. Just time for one last snap before heading for home down the long drag of the A34, infested with its elephant racing trucks performing their four-mile overtakes Huracan white 17 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr It was a Good Day. The weather helped; it was gorgeous. I know it's hard to remember now in the depths of winter, but that was the best summer ever and Flywheel happened on one of the warmest days. It was, overall a great show, brilliant mix of all kinds of stuff and definitely one I'd do again.... which speaks volumes given that in essence it's the same mix of genres as Wings and Wheels, which is ten miles from me and you couldn't drag me there with wild elephants. The only slight downside was the utter marshalls (but you can get them anywhere) and the fact the Beetle's clutch ate itself on the many roundabouts on the Chichester ring road but you can't blame Bicester Heritage for being a long way away and the clutch getting hot. The kids enjoyed the day, Mrs L7 enjoyed it and so did I, which doesn't always happen! Anyhoo, as my old Gran said, always end on a song but all the nostalgia and wartime stuff means the only one in my head is the Pogues' Waltzing Matilda, which is maybe too lachrymose for such a sunny day out. So I'll have to end on a high instead Back amongst the barracks buildings we'd come across a couple of cars from one of the most overlooked, forgotten and yet most forward-thinking and innovative manufacturers ever. At a time when the car had been pretty much defined to the satisfaction of all, the Système Panhard of front engine rear drive was enshrined seemingly in tablets of stone and everything after that point was just detail fiddling (sounds like today a bit, doesn't it? Only with FWD), one company said "No!" (or more accurately, "Ne!") and did their own bloody thing because they knew it was right. And they weren't Italian or German or British or any of the main influential companies that you'd think of. They were Czech, and small and niche and arguably could ill afford to play fast and loose with the Rules Tatra 603 blue 62 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Even in the depths of Soviet oppression when money was tight, materials were rationed and creativity was seen as little short of deviancy, Tatra somehow still managed to make rear-engined air-cooled V8-powered backbone-chassis streamlined objets d'art that seemed rather more akin to the sleek ships of a Dan Dare comic and more attuned to the razor-smooth superhighways of the future than they did to the re-badged Fiat 124s and ruined and decrepit tracks of Eastern Europe Tatra 603 blue 62 bdg by Nick Liassides, on Flickr So many Tatra "gimmicks" were ...shall we be generous and say "parallel-evolved" rather than "stolen" by Porsche to incorporate into the Beetle that it definitely would have looked like copying homework from the bright kid in class had any international law given a damn how much strugfgling never-heard-ofs behind the Iron Curtain were being ripped off. But it can't have been coincidence that the humble People's Car of Herr Doktor Porsche was basically a 1/3rd-scale Tatra and went on to sell more than any other car in history ever did or ever will. Reckon those crazy Czechs got some things right? Coincidence that Tatra's lead designer, Hans Ledwinka was Austrian like Porsche and Hitler, or that both men had frequent meetings and dinners with Ledwinka leading up to the Nazi occupation? Tatra 603 blue 62 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Tatra 603 blue 62 f3q by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Tatra 603 blue 62 intake by Nick Liassides, on Flickr To be fair to Dr Ferdinand, he did once tentatively admit that when it came to car design and Ledwinka, "sometimes I looked over his shoulder and sometimes he looked over mine" and arguably the 1948-on Tatraplan with it's rear mounted aircooled flat four was as much Beetle as the Beetle was Tatra. Mind you, a coefficient of drag of only 0.32 is still more than respectable today. That kind of achievement is no accident, nor the result of blind plagiarism. And just look at it 600 Tatraplan silver 50 r3q by Nick Liassides, on Flickr 600 Tatraplan silver 50 d by Nick Liassides, on Flickr 600 Tatraplan silver 50 dsh by Nick Liassides, on Flickr 600 Tatraplan silver 50 by Nick Liassides, on Flickr 600 Tatraplan silver 50 r by Nick Liassides, on Flickr Awesome, in so many senses of the word. Thanks for staying with us up till now. Tune in to the next thrilling installment when there'll be... stuff. More stuff
|
|
|
|
|