I thought it would be nice to do something completely different for a change. A full leather interior seems a good idea and should uplift the cockpit to another level. I'll start with the boot floor...
Andreas
Expensive? Depands on what you compare to, a complete interior kit is easily 7000-9000. In reality they are never complete and most of it would be hardura anyway. But yes scratch building the interior using vinyl would be less expensive.
Styling Garage (SGS), a renowned coachbuilder and tuner located near Hamburg, Germany, operated from 1979 to 1986. The firm, which became synonymous with luxury and opulence, specialized in crafting extravagant designs predominantly based on the Mercedes-Benz W126 S-class.
Maserati A6 Dragster by Jim Kinsler of Kinsler fuel injection fame. Bought as a wrecked race car without its engine, installed with a blown and injected Chevy engine. Maserati saw quite a bit of success on the strip.
Andreas
Wonder if it was sporting late roadster light alloy block...
BMW 507 in snow
Breathtakingly beautiful BMW 507 basking in the sun somewhere in the Alps. Unfortunately the development and execution were so poorly led that the car almost killed the factory. And frankly it was not dynamically up to Mercedes 300SL standards...(did I just say that ; )
Andreas
Excellent! I very much prefer School Mann / ASS seats to the commonplace Recaro. Truth be told, I never understood the difference between them, take ASS 401S vs Scheel Mann RS 401s, aren't they the very same seat?
MaxPoke69
Guys, there's nothing wrong with having a short shaft.
Pilot Harlequin sailplane
Pilot Harlequin, super super rare bird. Very interesting concept by John Lupperger. A lot of Aquila with Sagitta wings an all packed into 2M. Smooth airfoil and high wing loading.
Andreas
Just guessing, 40 usd vs. 28 for Gentle Lady. for a kid like me the premium would have been too much to hurdle
Andreas
Which is kinda stupid as I did purchase a Pilot QB 20h ii, which was about the same as Harlequin.
Mercedes 280SE 5.0 W108
280SE 5.0 -a little story how (not?) to swap a 5.0 m117 light alloy engine followed by a four speed slush box into a vintage Mercedes, 280SE w108. To make things more ticklish the whole procedure will be carried outdoor during the winter months. OK, admitted under a roof -Oh boy aren't spoiled?
Andreas
While I wouldn't mind the extra power of the Mechatronik car seeing that tacky giant plastic plate under the hood is enough to make me feel sick...Plain tacky.
GM car designer Chuck Jordan was a known Ferrari lover. Chuck used park his Daytona GM's design garage, His staff would occasionally pull stunts on their boss, such as this GM-ish redesign on the Daytona
The rumor has it after their first disqualification at 24HRS du Mans due to illegal jump start. Shelby came up with a clever plan. Should they have a flat battery there was a bit rain coat under which one could hide a battery with cables running inside the sleeves. A trick that worked
Michalak Corsaspider a clever speedster concept by Michalak Corsaspider and build by Voll, 2.0l-engine with 115HP from the Kadett GSi sits behind the driver with bits of Ascona. 40kg less than standard Corsa It was was a blast!
As always...another old heap of balsa fell into my hands. Not that I mind, restoring old woodies beats restoring old cars any day... Well at least it's a lot less blood sweat and tears.
I've been workin on my E-type for quite a while now and it might be a good idea to come up with a bit of resume as things are all over the place, spiritually and physically. The photo shows the chassis as it is looking better than the rest of it. Sorry for the dust, I take care of it one of these...
Andreas
The bonnet on the other hand, intimidating job that is still to finish. Replacing the frames with new ones must have been one of the best decisions on this restoration. rebuilt engine and gearbox went in easier than expected https://www.classicdigest.com
German Car Fan
That is the ultimate German dream limousine!
German Car Fan
25.000 USD...east coast port? That's not Finland though!
Gottlieb
There's a ton of ledends of this car in Finland some true some not.
Gottlieb
However, it was always owned be Urpo Lahtinen and his estate. I have no idea who Paul is.
Monaco Trossi Aero-engined GP race...
Constructed by Augusto Monaco and Carlo Felice Trossi, the 1935 Monaco Trossi is a front-engine model intended for Grand Prix racing. Nevertheless, owing to its formidable driving dynamics, it never graced the racing circuit. This remarkable vehicle boasts a 16-cylinder (3982cc), 2-stroke, radial!
Spitfire JG726/`AN-L, 417thSquadron, Royal Canadian Air Force cannibalised for parts at Gabes air base. Scrapped after colliding with a Hudson during take-off on 19 April 1943
Andreas
Amazingly all of these have flown by now, one to new home even.
Beetles go South Pole
Back in 1963, Volkswagen pulled off a brilliant marketing stunt by sending three Beetles to Antarctica. Yep, they were the first regular cars to make it to the South Pole!
What makes a barn find? Liberal amount of dust, debris, chicken shit and of course the barn? Can you find something that was never lost? I think you cannot so this is not really a barn find. Just parked in a barn for a winter and then some.
BMW Boomer
Well well, what do you know! How long has it been like that?
Americana
Running when parked... one careful owner...always garaged...never run in rain...and all that jazzzz!
Andreas
Boomer, I'd say a day of TLC. Depends if the carbs need to come out for an autopsy or not. Other than that, brakes, fluids and petrol hoses should do the trick.
Andreas
Oh, you asked how long like that, sorry my bad, since 2005 I guess.
Mercedes w107 / R107 350SL early pr...
Mercedes R107 SL-series has to be one of the most recognized 2-seater cabriolets in the world. It could have been quite different though as this very Triumph(isque) early proto type shows.
They call Steve McQueen “the king of cool”. Now that is of course complete and utter bollocks as those who know will tell you the real king of cool was Miles Davis, at his peak nothing would come close to Miles' aura of cool.
According to ERS: Over half (52%) of motorists who don’t have a classic car, would like to own one.
‘Nostalgic’, ‘distinctive’ and ‘stylish’ are the words most associated with classic cars.
40% of classic car owners say they are “fun to drive”
Coltrane
4/5 (76%) of respondents overall say classic cars should be preserved as they were made However, 2/3 (55%) also claim classic cars can be modified and still retain their appeal.
Coltrane
Three quarters (73%) of classic car drivers say insuring their car was cheaper than expected Almost half (45%) of classic car owners use their cars for ‘everyday trips’
Coltrane
with driving and maintaining a ‘nostalgic’ and ‘distinctive’ car being the pleasures of ownership. ‘Style’ was the top factor (24%) in indulging in a classic car, over age (20%) or even rarity (12%)
The Chap
Not sure how to construe this part: "(76%) of respondents overall say classic cars should be preserved as they were made However, 2/3 (55%) also claim classic cars can be modified and still retain their appeal"
Hans Baumaster
If it looks like a genuine article then it will do
Lamborghini Miura fun facts
During his testing days the young Kiwi Bob Wallace was doing 600 miles a day at high speed over Italian public roads. shuttling between Modena, Milan Rome and Palermo. On the toll road between Modena and Milan he once would average 160 Mph!
F3B res
A proper find and such beautiful sailplane. Did you know Hegi were the first to launch commercially RC helicopters that actually flew, despite fixed pitch rotor. Best of all they were scale Cobras!
ScaleMate
Revell! wo w I never knew they got involved in flying models. Is that a scale model of a sailplane, cause then it would make sense.
Coltrane
Beautiful sailplane, one of many that you seem to have.
Andreas
I do remember Hegi Cobras, as a matter of fact there was one recently for sale near by.
Andreas
I do remember Hegi Cobras, as a matter of fact there was one recently for sale not too far away.
Pik 20 scale sailplane
Pik20 vintage scale sailplane, +45 years old and still not finished :)
Jules
Ça y est ! la petite voiture la plus cool qui soit !
World's most original 250 GTO #3589...
Chassis #3589GT is among the most original of the 36 250 GTOs ever made, it is also more famous for rotting on a trailer in a field in the midwest than actual race history!
ClassicDigest Crew
Hi Jules, the II part of the Trojan Saga is on its way. We have just been so busy with our Mercedes 280 se 5.0 project. (as well as developing classicdigest site...)
"Light" the Woodstock VW hippy bus
Back in the summer of '69, Dr. Bob Hieronimus got a cool gig painting the Woodstock Light Bus for his buddies in the Baltimore rock band, Light. He worked his magic by a lake just outside Baltimore, and this groovy VW bus set off on its epic journey to the legendary Woodstock festival.
The car on left was piloted by race drivers, struggling to make a living and risking their lives. The one on the right on the other hand ...we'll man children cruising line around the track paid a few million / hour.
Three Ferraris for the Finnish Scuderia Askolin team competed at the Swedish GP in Kristianstad on 11 August 1957. From the left: 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC s/n 0702MDTR, driven by Curt Lincoln and Heimo Hietarinta, finished in 9th place overall.
Saluta Fennica
1956 Ferrari 500 TR s/n 0610MDTR, driven by Lars Finnilä and Seppo Rikkilä, finished in 15th place overall.
Saluta Fennica
1957 Ferrari 250 GT TdF s/n 0723GT, driven brand new from the factory by Curt Lincoln, secured victory in the GT race. The nose and colour resemble those in the sales brochure i.e. two tome gold!
Saluta Fennica
Behind the Scuderia Askolin there's a Ferrari 335 S, was driven by Phil Hill to the 2nd place and Mike Hawthorn to 4th place
Andreas
Although I've been lucky enough to have some "air" time in a Draken simulator I've never driven a Saab 92/95/96. So, unfortunately no help there...
Coltrane
You aren't talking home computer simulator are you?
Americana
I doubt it, there's simply not enough draw to pull a 747 with a n empty pick up truck!
B17 Flying Fortress Production Gal...
Strategy might win battles, but industry wins wars! The B-17 Flying Fortress is the third-most produced bomber ever, following the American B-24 Liberator and the German Junkers 88.
In the early 70's someone had the idea of sending three Espadas to promote a new James Bond 007 film. Apparently, the drivers were a tad too satisfied with then selves as they managed to crash all the cars at once.
They only produced 22-24 Triumph TR2 Francorchamps coupés in total, out of which 2 or 3 are believed to be long door ones. This one is bespoke, so to speak.
Coltrane
Rare and neat cars. the auxiliary headlights would be more at home inside the air tunnel.
Andreas
As much as I love Francorchamps coupé I cannot help asking myself why not just get a hardtop...
Six Day Finnish Ferrari 500TR #0610...
The Finnish build Ferrari 500 TR #0610 by Scuderia Askolin story: 1958 Eltsu grand prix is due in a week when Fred Geitel and Curt Lincoln are returning from a practice in their Ferraris when Fred suddenly hits a barrel of mash falling from an oncoming lorry.
Italian Job
I don't know where to begin. This is above my understanding, these artisans created a beautifully executed 500TR body out of nothing!, no plans, templates, body bucks,. I bet they had not seen another Ferrari before.
Italian Job
Masters of their trade, they don't make them like they used to.
Italian Job
And Thanks to Saluta Fennica for sharing the story!
Nemo
Six frigging days!! No way who were these men?
German Car Fan
Chrome wheel arch trim, aluminium deck. I' say it is real CSL
Andreas
That may or may not be a real CSL but it's definitely no Batmobile. A genuine BM would have the roof-mounted rear aerofoil as well as a spoiler under the rear wing. And the lid would be steel on the bat ones, not aluminium.
Andreas
The chrome arches look quite convincing though.
3.0CSL
Absolutely not a BM for the very reasons Andreas already mentioned. possibly CSL hard to tell.
BMW Boomer
who knows, most likely a standard 3.0CS with some bits bolted on.
Ferrari 250GTO crashing at Goodwood
At the Goodwood Tourist Trophy race in August 1963, Howard Statham captured this photograph of Tommy Hitchcock in Prince Zourab Tchkotoua's Ferrari 250 GTO (Chassis Number 3647). During the race, Hitchcock spun off at Magwick corner and ascended the earth bank located on the outside of the circuit.
Drogo Carrozzeria built Ferrari 250 GT SWB #2053GT
started life initially as a Ferrari 250 GT SWB chassis coachbuild into the first GTO-prototype in 1960 -
aka 'Anastasia' -an expression for not so attractive women in Modena.
Rudi "the rude man" klein was an ex butcher turned into exotic scrapyard keeper in his new homeland the US. Rudi would source exotic wrecks all over the US part them up and sell tha spares at his ""porche foreign auto" scrapyard.
Italian Job
actually not! It was "Porche" as the factory was too skittish about using their brand name for a scrapyard.
American Racer
Absolutely no secret. That being said, I bet there are cars locked in there that no outsider has ever seen.
Neglected Cosworth MB
Another neglected 190 2.3-16 mercedes, car that broke speed records, introduced Ayrton Senna to the world and after rough start ruled DTM....all forgotten now. There goes the fame and fortune of this world.
Nemo
You cannot really push any harder than that. Brave soul!
Coltrane
I wouldn't have the nerve. that of course goes without saying!
E-type Project Vol.1 Escalation
Hi there, I thought some of you might be interested in my little humble E-type project. It’s a series 1 FHC with 4.2 engine and syncro box, of which the latter should make it almost driveable in today's traffic. Here, the beast is featured in its natural habitat, California that is, back in the 80’s
3.0CSL
It was junk the day it rolled out the factory gates. No loss..
Curtis P40 gallery
In the early pre Pearl Harbour days. P40 fighters scattered around the plant yard in different stages of construction, from bare fuselages to test running planes.
To size up what needs to be done and to motivate myself to push further I decided to assemble the bits and pieces together. Starting to look like a proper sailplane. 800 grams as is with the servos, which isn't bad considering its size.
Lucky me, I was invited to take a peak at a private Mercedes collection in an undisclosed location. This collection is the real mc coy, all the cars have been restored single-handedly by the owner –a true old school enthusiast.
Hans Baumaster
What a massive job to build and restore all these amazing cars by hand!
Lovejoy and Mercedes 280TE S123
In my current job, selling forged art, I find I need every bit of credibility I can obtain. Thus it is only natural my weapon of choice in Mercedes Benz 280TE.
Adam
Very stylish way to transport works of art, genuine or not.
Adam
The trunk by the way seems to be the Iconic Louis Vuitton trunk from 1870-80. or a very good replica ; )
ClassicDigest Crew
What a display of impeccable taste, referring to the car.
356 Cabrio Zuffies as Dutch Police ...
356 Cabrio Zuffies as Dutch Police Cars
Think of a police cat today a Euro hatch back, stw or VW van. Dutch irks politic on get 60's were made of different wood, they drove Porsche 356 cabriolets
BMW Boomer
I would not say boring if not the most exiting cars either
Chrysler turbine car in real life
Out of 55 Chrysler turbine cars ever produced by Chrysler (read Ghia in Italy)
50 were subjected to real life conditions by 203 individuals. I'd say this one found its way to NY to tackle snow and ice.
Nemo
I love these old factory photos while the final shape is still developing into something we take for granted today.
Stunning Vintage Photos of Jaguar E...
In 1962, a Jaguar XK-E was restyled in New Jersey by Dick "Korky" Korkes for Bobby Freedman. Originally a fastback coupe, it was transformed to feature a double Bubble Top split by a central panel with chrome bands across the roof.
Fabulous E-Type
The bonnet was shaved and moulded to the body for a sleeker appearance. Side scoops, trimmed with two chrome bars, were installed behind the front wheel openings. The headlights were recessed into the body, and the headlight housings were chromed,
Fabulous E-Type
The Jaguar Bubble Top was powered by a fuel-injected Corvette engine and featured a pair of distinctive chromed pipe-style headers. Upon completion of the bodywork, the car was painted in Candy blue.
In 1996, Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A. restored and sold 1970-1972 Z sports cars at select dealerships, priced at over £20,000. To generate interest, their advertising agency, TBWA Chiat/Day, launched a nostalgic campaign in motoring magazines, emphasising the retro appeal.
Adam
I wonder how much a Toyota 2000GT was back in 96?
Airtronics Sagitta Sailplane Restor...
Bought unseen at more than reasonable price. What was supposed to be a Sagitta 900 in well-used condition turns out to be a scratch build 600 with a few extra wing ribs to reach a wingspan of 2.3m. But it has been through a thing or two... Stay tuned for more.
Andreas
Nice to see so many of you appreciating its artsy livery.
Crashed BMW 3.0CSL Batmobile Race C...
Crashed BMW 3.0CSL Batmobile race car most likely at the Nürburgring ring in Germany. The photo goes to show how stock there touring cars were in the 80's, safety cages unheard of!
MilkMan
A lot of people don't know that American Bantam also invented the worlds most famous 4x4
MilkMan
Known as Bantam BRC when first launched in 1940. Mind you they only built 2600 and some Jeeps before the mass production was transferred to Ford and Williams, which is nowadays associated with Jeep!
TGK-69
It seems they closed a lousy deal on it. Could have made millions not doing a damn thing.
Life iterations Jaguar D-Type XKD 5...
Life iterations Jaguar D-Type XKD 530 "Ice Racer" I do my best to give you an idea of the many guises XKD 530 wore during its life in Finland. This is the D-Type soon after arriving in Finland. I'm guessing in Helsinki getting ready for "Eltsu" GP.
Onni Vilkas landing his Mercedes Benz 220SE after a jump, on of many during the Rally on the thousand lakes in Finland 1962. Vilkas, together with his co-pilot Jorma Pulkkinen finished third in their class.
Very impressive Shark Teeth Nose Art on the Martin B-26 Marauder "widowmaker" aka "Martin Murderer", "Flying Coffin", "B-Dash-Crash" Which actually was totally opposite as the Marauder ended World War II with the lowest loss rate of any U.S. Army Air Forces bomber!
Jaguar D-Type XKD 530 may not have won 24hrs du Mans but it has led a life less ordinary than most. Here you'll find a unique series of photos of XKD 530 on an ice circuit in Kokkola new in winter season 1956-57 by Curt Lincoln. As well as a short glimpse to its picturesque life in Finland & the UK
RennMeister
Its life was colourful in the UK also when they had two cars with the same chassis# xkd 530
American Racer
Nothing exotic about recirculating vin when old racing cars are concerned.
American Racer
They existed to race and win and nothing else mattered. Anything would be changed if needed engine, drivetrain body. They weren't collectors items but tool for the job..
Göran
Great car, top photos. Any idea what color it was?
Saluta Fennica
XKD 530 was in Scuderia Askolin livery, that is blue and white.
Cuban 300SL but not the one that people have seen a million time. This Gullwing is in fairly good nick sporting mustard paint job -hardly original, funky hub caps and custom bumprettes.
There were quite a few good "Karosseri" companies in Sweden that would have no problem with building a lang Ponton "Merca" if the client wanted. Those days are gone now.
Andreas
That certainly looks like V8 exhaust! Relatively thin pipes also suggest moderate displacement, As the mighty Rover V8 was not available before 67 and 50's American cars were plentiful in Sweden in the 60's ...
Andreas
Ford flathead is the most plausible option.
MB 300SL Roadster parked under Disn...
Once upon a time someone parked their Mercedes Benz 300SL roadster under the Disneyland monorail.
The 1971 Apollo 15 crew with their rides. The Lunar Rover and three 454 Corvettes. Commander David R. Scott, Command Module Pilot Alfred M. Worden and Lunar Module Pilot James B. Irwin
Americana
Astronauts back then at least had proper cars.
Bill McKenna
The only nation to put a man on the moon...take that China!
Once Fiat Ghia then Cobra
The Italian-bodied Cobra, a coupe, sitting on chassis CSX3055, sports a body crafted by Giovanni Savonuzzi and built by Ghia. Originally, this body was fitted onto a Fiat 8V chassis. Rumours suggest that back when it was still part of the Fiat, it belonged to Lady Campbell.
Adam
John Willment, known for his work building race cars for Ford, stumbled upon this discarded body in a junkyard. He decided to marry it with a spare 427 Cobra competition chassis, creating a unique fusion of styles and performance.
Adam
Under the hood, a Holman-Moody 427 engine, equipped with twin four-barrel carburetors, was installed. Reports claim that this setup could propel the car to speeds of up to 200mph, which is a lot of hot air obviously!
Finally a beautiful day! We took out two Great Pains Spirits, 100 and tiny 2m. The photo was taken right after I landed the 2m on top of the 100...Slam!
For reasons beyond my comprehension I bought my friend's Great Pains Spirit 100 glider. What is done is done, the plan is to lose at least 200g to help launching.