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Orion’s Belt

By
DaveT
-
5

Ford Escorts came in several very different flavors. There was the North American Escort, the superior European Escort, and then the Escorts second cousin twice removed the Ford Orion.

A quick peek at the wikipedia page reveals that the Orion was a four cylinder motivated, UK only, saloon version of the Escort hatchback that didn’t sell particularly stellar or make much of a splash.

This Orion is far from standard kit though as it’s been resprayed, fitted with colour matched BBS RMS, KW V1 coils, a new interior, and custom bumpers made up of Renault and MK7 Escort parts.

All said and done it’s a pretty tidy example of a platform I was completely unaware of until I spotted it on Suck Squeeze Bang Blow.

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Photo Credit: Konzepteuro – A feature is there also, though it is in Spanish.

WTF Friday: Turbines to speed

By
DaveT
-
0

When Honda introduced the CRX SI in 1985 they had a campaign proclaiming it to be a rocket. This campaign hinged on a 16 second commercial that showed it blasting off into the sky via cutting edge 80’s video technology.

The owner/builder of this CRX was obviously deeply impacted by this commercial because he saw fit to equip his CRX with a gas turbine engine from a small helicopter.

According to a poster on ‘Vortex this car was seen at a show once in 2007 (Honda Tech) and then drove off loudly into obscurity.

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Some digging located the builders cardomain page were he described the vehicle as follows:

It is a 1990 Honda CRX with a Garrett GTP30-67 Gas Turbine engine installed in the rear of the car. The car is driven by a Hydrostat Transmission coupled to a later model Honda civic 5 speed transmission up front, the body is completely stock for now.

I have driven it just over 1,000 miles so far. It is fun to drive and also fun to watch peoples faces as they think a JET has just landed on the street.

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I think ‘fun to drive’ would be a bit of an understatement, video below:


Site Updates

The Fan Page is steady creeping on 20,000 fans which is pretty mind blowing. Thanks for the support!

Trying my best to keep the interesting content coming both here and there.

Flashback Friday

Remember the Allison powered Isetta? Aviation motors in the hands of car enthusiasts is a bit of a dangers combination.

So what do you want to ask COR Wheels?

By
DaveT
-
6

Since my last post about COR Wheels I’ve had a chance to speak with their marketing manager and things have taken a very positive upswing.

We both agree that the best way for COR to rebuild their reputation in the community is to face the topic head on and as such they have offered an exclusive interview with their CEO.

I’ve got a few questions in mind but it would be rude of me to not ask for some input so here is your chance. Very little is off limits so feel free to suggest anything that might be on your mind.

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Here are a couple ideas to get things rolling:

  • What’s the creative design process at COR, and describe how a wheel design goes from idea to production
  • How do you feel about replica wheels in the industry, and are oem replicas any different than after-market replicas?
  • In the case of the Mustang were you able to determine why the wheel in question failed?
  • Why did you change the warranty after the Mustang incident
  • Why did you initially decline a refund?

I plan to submit the questions early-mid next week and ideally run the interview the week after.

Look forward to your suggestions!

Winter Wednesdays: Slush

By
DaveT
-
4

I’m not much of a slush fan. It’s dirty, wet, cold, ruins shoes, sucks to slide around in, and generally makes everything a giant grey soppy mess.

Thanks to a fair sized snowfall Monday, and steady increase in temperature to today’s high of 14° C, the city of Toronto is currently abundant with the watery slop.

Of course my issues with slush really have nothing to do with this Norwegian A4 Avant I spotted on Nick’s Car Blog a few weeks back which (unlike slush) is pretty solid.

I’ve actually somewhat considered the A4 as a future vehicle choice but I’m not sure I want to get into an actual wagon from a hatch…

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These wheels (which to my surprise are not Rotiforms) are painted in a season fitting cool blue
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The fogs and headlight overlays fit for winter
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Summer versus winter, hopefully both things taking residence on the roof get used…

You can find more of it here. His previous car isn’t too bad either.

Theme Tuesdays: GC Chassis Subarus

By
DaveT
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1

I promised this Theme Tuesday to a local matte grey Audi driving friend of mine a few months ago and today I am finally making good on that promise.

I’ve made an effort to include a nice variety in here to hopefully avoid some flying tomatoes from the ‘can’t believe people like ruined rally cars’ crowd.

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I had a hard time deciding if this should start or end the post
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Bit of a throw back here but nice none the less…
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This one is a Photoshop, but who knew Regamasters would look so good on a GC?
Innovative Tuning’s drag monster
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I was going to leave Outbacks out of this (for another Tuesday) but the ramps in this shot caught my eye
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Which lead me to this shot and now I kind of want an outback
Andre’s incredibly clean Impreza from his 2011 feature
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Shortly after Andrew went a lot wider
Local RS from last years Toronto Subaru Club Hypermeeting
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Mean.
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There’s a lot I love about this car, personally I love the headlight duct and side exit…
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Bad as hell on Cragar soft 8s
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I could have done a over fender Theme Tuesday on just GC’s it seems
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I’d love to see this with a rear flare that fit slightly differently
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This bagged GC on Euroline’s is one of the more unique examples I have seen in person
This is underneath the leather wrap
This is hiding underneath the leather wrap
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Clean and aggressive
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This is a fairly well known local GC I’ve posted a few times now.
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About a year or two ago the owner changed it up a bit and started tracking it
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2.5 RS from British Columbia in a 2010 Modified Magazine feature
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It was set-up for time attack duty and you can read more about it here
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As you can tell I’m just a bit of a fan of this one…

I’m thinking this one will probably go into a part two someday….

Featured Ride: Chuck’s 56 F-100

By
DaveT
-
3

There’s something about American vehicles from the 50’s and 60’s that is universally appealing. Pristine examples of this vintage can be found in a variety of locales in which they were never sold, imported by those drawn to the style they convey and period they represent.

Cars and trucks from this era capture a time when vehicles were built simple and to the point, not over burdened with driving aids, or designed with pedestrian safety in mind. They were constructed to look good, drive reliably, and withstand the tests of time.

When it comes to ride height these classics can be approached several different ways, but a tried and true method has always been get the rear low and the front lower.

The classic ‘muscle car rake’ was the first thing to catch my eye when Mike McConnell sent in his beautiful photos of Chuck’s equally gorgeous 56 F-100.

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The double staggered Schott wheel set-up, a lowered torsion bar front clip, and No-limit four link rear, give this truck a significant forward lean that would be just as at home on a ’57 Chevy Bel-Air as it is here.

The red paint, chrome grill, and stainless bumpers further emphasize this Ford’s classic street truck styling while the twin turbo 5.4L motor under hood gives it enough get up and go to cruise with vehicles half it’s age.

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That 5.4L big block power plant is actually the main reason Chuck bought the truck, seeing the value in the heart past the blemishes that existed in the body.

The solid mill under hood made committing to restoring the body an easy choice and after blemishes were fixed the truck had it’s handles and some unnecessary trim shaved before it was painted PPG bright red and fitted with a matching –and equally bright– red leather interior.

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The combination of clean exterior, immaculate interior, and potent motor have earned this truck several trophies in the time Chuck has owned it in addition to a feature in Classic Trucks Magazine.

However as they say all good things must come to and end and Chuck currently has this beauty up for sale.

What will happen to the truck in the future, and what Chuck’s next project will be, remains to be seen but I am very glad that Mike catch up with the truck before it drove off into the sunset for good.

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Modification List

Suspension/Chassis

  • Torsion bar front clip
  • No Limit 4-link
  • Rack and Pinion Steering conversion
  • Disk Brake conversion

Wheels/Tires

  • Schott 18×8 / Continental Extreme DWS 245/40
  • Schott 20×10 / Continental Extreme DWS 295/40

Motor

  • Twin Turbocharged 5.4L 32V Ford
  • Custom exhaust with 3-inch/Flowmaster 40 series
  • 4R100 Transmission with Shift Kit

Body

  • Shaved Handles
  • Custom Oak Bed
  • Stainless steel bumpers

Interior

  • Smoothed Dashboard
  • Auto Meter gauges
  • Vintage Air air conditioning
  • Alpine stereo
  • Billet Specialties wheel
  • Red leather interior

Photo Credit: Mike McConnell/MDMvisuals.ca

WTF Friday: First Rule Of Broken Wheel Club…

By
DaveT
-
7

Remember the ‘COR Fiasco’ involving Jalopnik, COR Forged, and a Mustang owner? I posted about it in October of 2012 and mentioned that with lawyers involved “this situation will probably get worse before it gets better”.

Well as it turns out I was right and things did get worse because yesterday I was forwarded an email from my host that originating from COR’s legal department asking me to pull the photos and the article.

The email reads as follows:

I am writing to inform you that a website hosted on your server is sharing libel information and defamatory images towards our brand (COR Wheels). We are in process of reviewing the indecent and considering taking legal action and decided to notify you prior to going that route in hopes for a quick and ethical resolve.

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Of all the 175 WTF Friday posts I’ve made I’m honestly shocked that the one in question is causing such a stir. It was fairly neutral in tone, and actually addressed the fact that other wheel manufacturers currently have similar policies (to COR’s). It also mentions the fact that the way they approached the warranty claim isn’t a situation unique to the automotive industry, companies deny claims all the time for similar reasons.

I even mentioned that it would be a shame to see COR go out of business over something that caught fire on Jalopnik, which would certainly not be the concern of someone out to defame their brand.

It appears that the people at COR didn’t actually read what I wrote and are instead trying to erase the entire event from the internet entirely using scare tactics. Whomever is running the PR department at COR please give your head a shake.

Enthusiasts are not the enemy we are your target market and you are making it very difficult for us to give you a second chance.

After reading the email I consulted with a few friends versed in Internet law who assured me that I am currently in the clear of any wrong doing.

As of right now I have no intentions of taking the photos down and have sent a calm response to COR Wheels. Hopefully we can come to an amicable resolution, and of course I will keep you all in the loop.

All that being said if that post (and this one) ever do get deleted it’s not because I didn’t try, it’s because I’m not about to permanently risk what I’ve built here over a situation that doesn’t really involve me.

Wish me luck!

Update:
COR Forged has since contacted me and at this point it is all water under the bridge and we are putting together the details for an exclusive interview with the CEO of COR and myself. Stay tuned!

Site Updates

Getting legal papers thrown at me aside I am currently working with my host to move the site to a package that will have it performing faster. Hopefully I won’t have to post about when the switch has been done as it will be so lightning fast you guys will notice.

Until then sorry about the slow responsiveness at times, especially when posting comments.

Flashback Friday

Going back to this Theme Tuesday seems fitting, when in doubt BBS!

Should do a follow up to this one….

It’s not a #!%&’n Photoshop!

By
DaveT
-
7

I posted a before and after comparison of this Icelandic 924 turbo on the Fan Page and a few people (somewhat predictably) declared it a Photoshop.

About an hour later I followed up with another photo and still people questioned whether or not the car was real or a manipulation of pixels.

The owner Fannar Þór decided enough was enough and sent in some recent photos proving once and for all that this car is real, and spectacular.

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The only Photoshop work here was making two photos into one
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I love this shot with all the spare and miscellaneous parts that may have had a part in this cars rebirth
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Colour matched Futura’s look great on this car
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Generous camber allows for a fair amount of tuck
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Quite the epic save with this car from beginning to now

Photo credit goes to Fannar who’s just as handy with a camera as he is a wrench.

More info can also be found in his latest thread on Stance | Works.

Import Bible Series Six

By
DaveT
-
0

Before Christmas David at Import Bible sent me one of the ‘Hats Off‘ shirts from series six of his Import Bible clothing line.

His sixth line of shirts maintains the same level of quality of his previous offerings (great), and I’m a big fan of this design in particular.

There are not a lot of car shirts I wear outside of industry events but this one has found itself in my regular rotation. It’s netted a handful of positive remarks so far from car people and non alike, and even a few of the graphic designers at work (who are vehemently opposed to fossil fuel vehicles) have complemented the design and typography.

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Great classy hommage to the 240z / Fair Lady
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The car has just the right amount of detail and the choice of fonts works well
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The “Z” design on the back is a nice touch that mimics the wording on the front
Since I'm not about to model it for you
Here is how it looks on someone more attractive than myself
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David also sent by some of his latest stickers, both printed on very high quality semi matte vinyl

I also thought I would include a few shots of the shirt he sent in 2011 (from series five) to show how it is holding up. All too often shirts fade, shrink, or fall apart before their time but this one is holding fast.

I have even recently started riding (and falling) in it to no issue.

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As you can see there’s no cracking, peeling, or fading of the print
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The shirt color itself has also not faded to any significant degree.

If you are looking for some new threads for the upcoming season check Import Bible out.

Winter Wednesday: Sneak Attack

By
DaveT
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2

Yesterday I got on the subway in Mississauga (with no snow in sight) only to arrive to Toronto in the middle of a snowstorm. That’s a complete weather change in about 30 minutes.

The snow combined with the bitter cold (double digit negatvies with wind chill) served as a reminder that old man winter has kicked off his shoes and put his stanky old feet on the coffee table with intentions of over staying his welcome.

The show must go on however so here’s an e28 from British Columbia sitting quite pretty in the snow.

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Those wheels look pretty good on there for winter duty.

Photo Credit: Dylan King

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