My friend Tim and his Yarn Art Car recently made into the "Street View" Google Maps Club along with some other art cars who also are part of this elite club. The only requirements is that you have an art car that has been captured on Google Street View.

This 944 was parked near my car -- would you believe the owner bought this car for about 1k and put about 3k in it? You can't buy a used Chevy for that! Great job!
A most unusual color on this Porsche 968.
My favorite car of the event -- Kevin from Indianapolis with a blown 911 -- terrific custom body work as well.


Hi folks -- had a great morning in Oxford, Ohio at Porsches to Oxford. Supposedly 500 Porsches were there, and the rain held off. I had to leave at noon to get friend Cliff back to the Dayton area for a birthday party, but in the meantime had four wonderful hours looking at Porsches and talking to a number of super car people. I have attached a few photos -- my apologies to the folks I cannot properly identify in these photos.

John

The most amazing painted classic 1975 Land Yacht 25' Airstream travel trailer came across my email tonight and its for sale on craigslist right now. Its totally restored, updated and tricked-out in the most charming style......new awnings on both sides + new front tinted glass window protector/ sunshade, and new screens on all windows. A/C, heat, new 3000 watt generator and safest security hitch with sway bar control. Full frame-off restoration, completely refurbished....leaving classic elements to display the era of production. Less than 2000 miles since restoration and a veteran of several Houston Art Car Parades. Completely rebuilt full size bed + lounge couch which makes into another full sized bed....with storage beneath......wine rack and wine glass hanger. ALL NEW brakes, tires, refrigerator - A/C + LP gas, stove with cook top + oven, microwave/convection oven, toaster oven, battery, power converter, porcelain toilet, sink, shower, beds, lounge, tables, lights, draperies, fans, high-power audiophile sound system throughout the cabin.....with satellite radio and Viper paging alarm system with 1/4 mile range.....ALL NEW. Completely equipped with gear....new pots, pans, dishes, silverware, utensils, folding camping chairs tables and MANY other items. Local cash sale only.....after full payment will deliver up to 100 miles or arrange your own transport. Only sold complete.

A short video of a night of racing with my friends, we put the Carrera classic 1/24 cars shod with Ortmann tires on a wood track.

I'm back.

It's been a crazy month. A move to Edgewater, two family reunions, my sister coming in from North Carolina for Pitchfork, and finally a week of racing in Wisconsin has really derailed my creativity and posting in this space. I promise to give the obligatory, "what's been going on post" tomorrow, but really it's more than that, I'll come back to it later.

First, some long overdue hate:

Why do complete strangers at work feel the need to give me a creepy and hearty, "good morning!" or "hey there!" as I pass them in the hall? My company is over 4,000 employees. And it's like a huge cult. I've never seen that person before in my life, and I likely won't ever see them again. Eyes front and keep walking, dude. I don't want any of your KoolAid.

If it makes me a grump than so be it. I don't know these people. If it were within my department and it was my first day or with a new person, that's completely different. Your pathological need to reach out and give every single person who comes near you a smile scares me. Because something tells that if I got to know you, it would go way beyond a smile.

Moving on.

I deactivated my facebook account today. I think I must have a problem, I spent way too much time on that site. Or other people think I do. At least that's what a little bird told me. "Little" bird. Heh heh heh.

Fuck those people, but they're right in a way. It's a sign, and I should pay attention to it. Hearing it really hurt my feelings, and that right there told me I needed to step away, way back. It's not like I was some redneck Farmville addict, or constantly begging them for Mafia Wars favors. I thought my postings were funny and smart. I just want to share what makes me think and laugh. Oh, well. It's not permanent, so at least I can always go back and just get the thousands of pictures.

But what a complete time suck. I haven't posted here at The Car Whisperer for a month. I feel Facebook has robbed my critical thinking skills, my creativity, my edge. When was the last time I posted some poetry? Or an anti-societal, car-culture rant?

It's was about time for some catharsis. Consider it my wake up call.

Next up, what I've been doing with myself the last month, and a preview of August 29th, 2010. The greatest day in the history of Chicago bicycling.

2008 FIA GT2 Champion Gianmaria Bruni took the overall pole position for the 2010 Total 24 Hours of Spa in the AF Corse ALD Team Vitaphone Ferrai 430. On a drying track the second of the three qualifying sessions proved to the deciding factor, with Bruni setting a best lap of 2m22.403. The time was just 0.146 seconds faster than Dirk Werner's best in the BMW Motorsport BMW M3, his lap of 2m22.549 proving to be the best in the GTN Class and good enough for a front row start. The third place went to the nr50 Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS, with Marcel Fässler posting a 2m22.807 lap and will line up on the second row alongside the nr51 Phoenix Racing Audi. The GT4 class pole went to the RJN Motorsport Nissan 370Z of Alex Buncombe who set the best time in the final third session.

News used with permission from GT2Europe.com.

Hi folks,

I had an extended conversation with a reporter today about the Mercury brand, due to end this fall, and wanted to share some of my thoughts with you.

At first, I thought I might actually have little to say of substance, but after going through the topic, perhaps there is more than I initially considered.
Three Mercury products loom large in my life. The first is one of those iconic images of a car that burn into your memory early in one's life. It was my cousin Richard's 1954 maroon Mercury, first encountedered when I was about 8-10 years old, that stuck with me for a long time. In my own mind and at the time, I thought it was a very pretty car, particularly its taillights and dimensions. The next Mercury that became a part of my life was a 1974 Mercury Capri, certainly one of the worst if not the worst car that I have ever owned. I bought it new in the fall of 1973, my first new car. It had a 2800cc v-6 and a sunroof, but in the end became a source of major problems due to a clutch cable that kept on kinking on me and repeatedly was replaced. This car was never exactly right. Fianlly, my son-in-law Tony now has a 1967 Cougar that he is working on, and boy it needs plenty of work. I hope to help him get it right when I am in San Diego between January and May of 2011.

What were the great Mercury's from the past?

1) The 1940 Convertible -- an elegant upgrade over the Ford
2) The 1949, the first new post-war model and featured in Rebel without a Cause. Also the starting point of George Barris' best-known custom of the 1950s, after chopping and channeling.
3) The 1954 Sun Valley -- I thought about buying one 20 years ago, but probably my wife would have vetoed the deal.
4) 1957 Turnpike Cruiser -- loaded with gadgets
5) The 1967 Cougar, made famous by the publicity campaign "At the sign of the cat." The high point of the Mercury brand, without doubt.

Car Town Facebook App -- Autoblog Facebook has a new game that probably will appeal to guys who are maybe a bit bored with farming or cooking... Car Town is already online!

http://apps.facebook.com/cartown/

Download the worldwide TV schedule for the 24Hours of Spa at this link. Programming is July 29-August 1. According to the schedule in the US Bloomberg TV will broadcast the race "live"... looking at the Bloomberg TV schedule on the website you see that there's normal programming sched'ed... hmmmm.


Live video at this link... hopefully.
http://www.total24hours.com/24h-spa/nl/videolive2.cfm

Porsche 918 Spyder approved for production!!! The car supposedly will get 78-mpg and lap the 'Ring in 7.5 minutes! Yikes, it seems like somewhere other car companies have missed something...

This hand drawn Nissan Z was created by artist Ted Mikulski using paint pens that took 160 hours or 11 days to bring to life. This art car was a reflection of an idea he had that art should not only be designated for areas like galleries and studios, but taken to the streets. The artwork has several themes including Pac-Man, Where's Waldo, Space Invaders (my all time favorite video game growing up), Tetris, Mario and others, all weaved together in a comprehensive abstraction. The car was then clear coated to permanently seal in the art work and was unveiled at the New Britain Museum of American Art in July of 2010. It is no longer a car, its an art car, nice work Ted.

Pix of some new GO!!! and D143 cars that are coming to North America.


Dakar BMW X3-GO!!!Porsche GT3-GO!!!
Porsche GT3 GO!!! and D143
Ferrari 599XX-GO!!! and D143
Ferrari 599XX GO!!!
Cars "Hook" (Mater)-GO!!!
Cars "Sally"-GO!!!
Porsche RS Spyder-GO!!!
Ferrari "Alonso"-GO!!! and D143
Mercedes DTM "Lauda"-GO!!!
Renault F1-GO!!! and D143
McLaren Mercedes F1-GO!!! and D143