Low Rider

Play me. and read on.

This song by War in 1975 is instantly recognized as the theme for a the insane low rider scene.

I used to play this song over and over as I cruised around dreaming of getting a 1962~1970 pilarless chevy impala on hydraulics. To detail and paint to polish the chrome and drop the stance. There are just cool.

When they are high and pumping up and down the street, it's pretty crazy. These days things are a bit out of hand. like this craziness.

but I still love the whole vibe of the scene. Lowrider always featured these awesome cars with awesome girls. I wonder why I used to buy this magazine when I was much younger. Yes that's right the gorgeous curves, the decoration, the .....  you get the idea.

Actually I used to get these and custom street truck magazine for paint ideas for RC cars. A few shades of one colour layers in airbrushed graphics is awesome.

I love the way these cars are show cars that still get driven. Its a part of car culture that has avoided carbon fibre. Lets hope it stays that way.

If I ever get to Miami. I'll be going to some car shows.

Check out http://www.lowridermagazine.com/ for all the awesomeness.

Lost in Translation

This post was meant to be about Karaoke.(which I love) But I guess I'll change it totally.

Bill Murray's film of a few years ago is "Lost in Translation" a famous guy comes to Japan - Tokyo and gets taken to all kinds of places to promote Suntory whiskey or whisky (recently votes worlds best). Some places I've been to and some I haven't.

As a foreigner living in Japan this movie has some hype and reality around it. Those people who hate living here will love this movie and those who love living in Japan will dispise it as a negatively slanted view of proceedings.

I have a mixed bag about it.

You can live in Japan and never experience any of this stuff, or all of it. It's a bit of a documentary style movie and therefore bores me to tears. Its slow... hard to watch and sometimes just stupid. But for the content I was quite interested. I used to work very close to where it was mostly shot. "Shinjuku".  A few scenes from other places near there "Shibuya" etc, but mainly around the Shinjuku area. This is not a temple tour of a movie, but a city image that some people get hooked up in.

I've read many reviews of this movie and as a movie its ok. Two people become friends and probably want more. But as most people do, they try to bring a broader meaning to the movie that maybe this is what happens to boring people in Japan. FORGET IT! IT's A MOVIE!

Come to Tokyo and see for yourself. Like Bill, you will uncover something in your life.

But it's probably not going to be... "I get 2 million dollars to promote a product in a foreign country and confused in the process, because I can't communicate in their language, So I'll find some things to do to occupy my time."

Trailer

Russ.

I can't decide which eco car to buy.

These are eco cars that somehow bends the definition a little.

Following on from my previous post. These cars screams "DIE EARTH DIE!"

But there is actually a lot of ECO friendly things about them.

This is an absolute monster. the a.d. Tramontana is F1 inspired fighter jet on wheels. And I want one! Looks can be decieving. Its a big car! those are 20inch Dymags its riding on.

http://www.tramontanagroup.com/adtramontana/adtramontana.php

Catalog

It is a 12 cylinder V60 Biturbo with 5.5liter displacement running Turbo pressure of 1.4 bar making over 720 Hp - 529 kW at 5.250 rpm  and Max. Torque 1100 Nm at 4.000 rpm Transmission is longitudinally mounted with a mid engine, rear wheel drive layout.

There can be two passengers sitting like the F1 ride along cars and the roof is removable for open top running.

Ariel is well known for the "3" and has announced the latest version of the Atom – the Ariel Atom 500, powered by a small V8 engine. With over 500bhp in a 500kilo package the Atom 500 will boast one of the highest power to weight ratios ever for a production car.

The Atom will have over 1000bhp per tonne (compared to a Bugatti Veyron’s 521bhp/tonne) and will be built in limited numbers.

 

So where's the Eco? They have less components made from earthly metals. therefore the extraction process damages the earth less.
They weigh almost nothing! so Theoretically, they use less rubber / fossil fuels etc when driven in a leisurely 40klm/h.
They are built by hand and not energy guzzling robots.
etc etc
etc etc
 
So I just have to come up with the cash now. Maybe I'll steal some eco friendly R&D money from a government by promising alternatives to the Prius. And build my own style Atom or Tramontana.
 
Russ.

Eco My Arse keting. (marketing)

I getting sick of all this eco junk. Almost all the wheel manufacturers have some kind of eco project to try to attract the only emerging car market left. What exactly is a Forged ECO wheel as opposed to a normal Forged Wheel. Why is it suddenly important.

YOU MUST WIN the PRIUS and INSIGHT consumers! For our financial survival. PANIC!

So hard fought is this message that even legendary BBS has created green hub caps to acnowledge the green movement. Like most (not all) They actually changed nothing else about their business except design a new lightweight forged wheel.

While this is fine. They ONLY fit prius and insight.

Ignoring every other potential customer on the road in the process.

Meaning. Unless you buy a Prius, you can't be eco friendly. unless your intelligent enough to ignore all this crap and buy something that is much better.

Dumb!

If you want to be serious about eco friendly benefits of lightweight design. I suggest you look past the marketing shite (oops) hype at the following!

DYMAG CARBON! or RS WATANABE MAGNESIUM!

 These wheels offer real benefits. less fuel required for the same accelleration. Less weight to flatten your grass.

And the two best benefits of all. They make you go faster and look Freaking cool!

In the Groove

Play this and read. Slot car racing. I always had these as a kid. Scalextrix, AFX and others. But around 17 I stopped running RC and got into Slot cars with my brother in law. We did 1/32 womps, 1/32 international and 1/24 flexis. We travelled a bit around QLD and went to some (stupid when i look back now) 6 hour and 12 hour events.

It was fun at the time. i enjoyed painting the lexan bodies and always featured in concours.

There are only a few tracks around these days.

I hope someone keeps them going.

Lame hunter

I love hard core club/techno/trance as much as any Ibiza hoar. Please turn down the sound before watching. As this is so soft arse L A M E. I don't want to give any names. NO Basshunter. You should change your name to treble hunter. I'm sure no hard core drifter is going to play this on their stereo either. Too bad, the girls are pretty.  The reason I'm posting is because the clip features a sweet Top Secret Replica Supra and some other nice cars.

go straight to 0:52.

Play this and watch the previous. Danzel in the room. Clap your Hands!

Then play some old school to get over it. Bob Sinclar.

The Living End

One Aussie Band you mush check out are these guys. I like the sounds they can get from two instruments and drums. Chris Cheney can definately play well. I admire guys like this that can get rhythm and lead into one package.

They are definately "Full On". But there's touches of subtlety in there.

This live version of "Second Soultion" showcases their energy
Another fave that's become a bit of an anthem is "All Torn Down" Reggae?

Youth Anthem. "Prisoner of Society." Probably most famous but not my personal favourite. While not AS famous as say Green Day, But they did some guest appearances with them. Very similar bands.

http://www.myspace.com/thelivingend

Too Easy!

1977 was easy I guess. I only started to really like this song about 17 years later.
In the Days of Afro hairstyles and glitter shirts. It was all good. Cool and Easy like Sunday morning. This live version is cool. 2:30 starts the lazy guitar solo.

It was pretty easy to play on guitar. I guess that's why there are 1000 butchered versions around including Faith no More. NO MORE! please. SNORE ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

But none can come close to Lionel Richie and the Commodores.
This 2001 version is soooooo different. It had become an anthem for boredom. This is what people play these days. The first version had power and a great tempo, everyone's gone soft and to sleep.

Let it Whip!

I love a bit of 80's Funk/Disco/R&B!

Let it Whip is a classic 80's song by the awesome Dazz Band.

But I got into these songs through an Aussie band's cover of this song. Here is the CDB Version.

CDB "Create Dream Believe" were are boy band and with lead, Gary Pinto and Andrew De Silva, were pretty cool in their day.
Most young kids had never heard the real songs. Their first was Hook Me Up. But I used to play "Good Times" a lot. They also did a good remix of Earth Wind and Fire's Let's Groove Tonight.

Check out a new CD "The Funk Sessions"

Gemini TX GT-Concept

Ok. Here she is. the Gemini TX GT-Concept 1. I used the Risse Opel Kadett as a base. Cut 100mm out of the bottom of the chassis. It could run a space frame and a PP rotary engine would be nice. Or even a 253 small block V8.

The front features Holden Gemini TX Grille, forged with a similar style splitter canard design from the GT-R35 Skyline Super GT car.

Tyre size would remain 16" (or 17") on Volk TE27 or G2

Now all I need is the money, space and time to build it and then a lot more to run it.

yes, It would be yellow.

Could I do it for 40K?

Marimo

Marimo is a Japanese Algae phenomenom where soft balls of algae form naturally in the rivers and lakes.

 A friend brought this back from hokkaido as a souvenier for me after I noticed the one they had.

Arigatou!!!!

This little guy is awesome. Proudly displaying his green algae mound ready for action.

His rear is ready to unveil. His prison uniform shows he likes to show everyone often. The strap part actually has little handcuffs too.

Too funny.!

Opel Inspiration

Recently I've been contemplating race cars. What would be cool to run. I was thinking about Mx5 NA or NB coupe but I don't really have any love for them.

But the Isuzu Gemini / Opel Kadett on the other hand is a different story. I was watching a video of the Zakspeed Ford Escort that led to the knowledge of the German DRM Opel C GT/E and it opened up a world of cool! The wide flares are awesome. In Australia there were some in Group C running at batchurst etc.

As my first car was one of these, It amazes me the amount of stuff that I never knew in isolated Australia.

Opel Aero Top, 2 door sedan and other varients are just cool!.

You may have read a previous post that mentioned I'd like to build one NOT, But maybe that NOT is NOT.

For some inspiration

http://www.kadett-c-club-kaiserslautern-ev.de/indexd.html

http://www.ckadett.de/galerie/galerie.htm

http://www.ckadett.de/motorsport/index.htm

http://www.maxituning.es/coches-tuning/opel-kadett-gte

14900 Euro seems cheap doesn't it for a 190ps widebody 1978 monster?

Aussie ones seem to have all been converted to ZZ/Z bodied cars that don't look so cool.

I like these bumperless TX style cars the best.

Emrik

I used to love my Emrik Blitz III Tennis and Apollo Emrik Squash Racquets. They don't make Tennis stuff anymore. But there were pretty cool. Leading edge of composite materials back in the day.

I was never really any good at Tennis, but I loved playing. Later I got a Dunlop 200G but it twisted after being in the boot of my car.

I haen't played for ages and last time I picked up a racquet, I hurt myself... haha. Gotta start again.

Russ.

On Burleigh Beach

Click this ... Chris Rea On The Beach. Then read.

This song is one of the first I learned as a guitarist. The riff is unmistakable.

I grew up on Australia's Gold Coast and when university time came around, most days involved time in the sun around Burleigh. The above pic is from my favourite contemplation spot on Burleigh Headland.

Afternoon sunsets, skies or storms, and sunny days with empty beaches.
Ahhh..
these pics are 30 years after though. There never used to be many skyscrapers.

Planning a holiday right now.

Russ

The Frog

1983!

I was "Working" at my Dad's shop. I guess I was pretty lucky that my father was a crazy aeromodeller and just happened to own a hobby store...."Brian's Hobby Centre".

I could make some spare cash for my RC car hobby by making "Frogs", "Grasshoppers", "Hot Shot"s and "Hornet"s, for customers who thought construction would be difficult. These were the affordable models since the "Buggy Champ".

The only difficult part was fitting the rear tyres. Pretty tough for a 12year old kid. My dad or bro would slip them on in a second.

But the cool part was... 1 battery test drive! Yehaa.

Russ.