“When everything is art, you’ve gotta take it in”…

Posted on November 12, 2012 by digitaldtour

On Saturday November 3, those of us here in Southern California experienced another weekend of extended summer like weather. As a result, those in attendance at Cars&Coffee were treated to a truly eclectic gathering of automobiles.

With such a diverse cross-section of vehicles represented, I really felt as if I were walking through an outdoor art gallery, experiencing row after row of 4 wheeled art and sculpture. And with each new row, the experience resembled that of entering a new and different wing within a museum, and discovering the treasures within. And that was exactly the type of experience that would unfold before me that morning.

My first stop of the morning, with illumination courtesy of the rising sun, was with these two examples of classic, post WWII automotive art; in this case a pair of 1930’s vintage, American bred hot rods…

The 5 window coupe’s motor (as seen below).

The pickup truck even displayed what appeared to be a flying eyeball hood ornament, perhaps influenced by the famous flying eyeball logo /graphic created by California pin striping legend Von Dutch (below)…

Over at the featured lot, I encountered this beautiful British Racing Green Jaguar, with its sculpted curves being accentuated by some amazing reflections, courtesy of the early morning light.

There was no mistaking the origins of this particular model due to its unique design, and the badge on the front hood only reinforced the fact that parked before me was one of the very rare,1957 Jaguar D-type XKSS roadsters.

With the sunrise and reflections both working their magic, the shapes and contours of the front hood and fenders were beautifully displayed, and further illustrated the sculptural impact to the styling of this car.

Even when viewed from behind, the subtle contours of the body along with the angular, almost pinched profile of the side windows were further revealed and accentuated by the early morning sunrise.

Seeing this car in person brought to mind a magazine article I remembered reading years ago about Steve McQueen, in which the author described his ownership of a 1957 Jaguar XKSS. The article had mentioned several specific modifications that McQueen had made to his car. The first was to repaint the car a proper British Racing Green. The second was to add a locking door to the glove box cubby in the dashboard ( the cars were delivered without glove box doors). McQueen turned to one of his friends (Pin striper Von Dutch) for the fabrication of a locking glove box door, to correct the oversight by Jaguar. The third modification made was to have the original interior kept stock, but to have the upholstery redone in black leather, by none other than the Southern California-based drag racer turned custom car upholsterer Tony Nancy. This particular car parked in front of me possessed all of the aforementioned details, so the question remained; could this car be the ex-Steve McQueen Jaguar XKSS?

(Postscript: After publishing this post, I received an email from the owner of the XKSS one week later, wanting to clarify the origins of his car. I learned that it is in fact an XKSS re-creation, and not an original model. The amazing fiberglass body was created by Realm Engineering, located in the U.K., and is mounted to a Reynard Racing chassis, specified with Jaguar running gear. Power is produced by a 4.2 liter Jaguar motor, pumping out 300 horsepower, and is transferred to the rear wheels via a Tremec 5 speed transmission. Seeing this car in person puts the automotive re-creation industry in a whole new light).

My next stop would be to Porsche row, for my weekly visit.

A trio of early Porsche 911s, with the outer two displaying the optional Lietz roof racks…

Caught in the middle; the white, 1972 911 RGruppe GT 2.7 coupe, complete with its unique, rear quarter window graphic.

The early 911 triplets as seen below (foreground to background)- 1969 911E, 1972 911 GT, and 1973 911E.

Located several rows over to the East, and down the aisle from the weekly Mercedes-Benz 190SL enclave, I discovered this trio of classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The first example (as seen below), in red and black, turned out to be a pre-war 1936 Mercedes-Benz 230 W-143 Cabriolet B; a spectacular and beautifully restored, touring car.

Sandwiched in-between the other two Mercedes-Benz vehicles, was this Ivory colored, 1930s vintage two-seat roadster with red interior, also appearing to have been restored.

Parked immediately to the right was what appeared to be a model 260D, W-138 series sedan, also sporting a two toned paint finish, in green with black fenders.

What made the 260 D model unique was that the D designation represented a diesel engined vehicle, and made this particular model the first diesel engined, series produced passenger car. And according to the Mercedes-Benz records, only 2000 of these vehicles were built between 1936 and 1940, at which time their production was stopped due to the war. All three of these cars literally looked like they had just rolled off of a Mercedes-Benz showroom floor.

As I continued my trek through the “gallery”, a white, early model Porsche 911 caught my eye, so I walked over to get a closer look ( see below). I had seen this car arrive earlier that morning, and remembered a comment made by a friend standing over on Porsche Row regarding its exhaust note. He stated that this particular car sounded exactly how a Porsche 911 engine should sound; Tight and clear with a smooth idle, and without any extraneous noise or valve clatter. And anyone who has been around or is familiar with Porsche 911s, will know the specific sound I’ve described.

I soon realized that there was something familiar about this car; I had seen it before, but could not remember where. It was then that the owner came over and introduced himself, as I was photographing the motor. I quickly learned that this car had been previously owned by one of the two founding members of the Porsche car club “RGruppe”, and after being shown an article written years ago in Excellence magazine about this very car and two other 911s, it hit me. That was where I has seen this car before, having read the same article, and obviously it had made an impression.

As a result of this cars previous ownership, this car was equipted with many of the cool, go fast Motorsports purposed, Porsche factory parts. This car would become a visual blueprint used by many a Porsche owner who aspired to building their own unique version of an RGruppe inspired, pre 1974 Porsche 911.

Up front, an example of the custom finished, Porsche factory, 911R inspired “Deep 6” Fuchs alloy wheel.

Race inspired, door mounted Talbot mirror…

Shown below is the performance inspired interior; from the 911R styled, light weight door panels and pulls, to the Recaro sports seats for the driver and passenger, a Prototipo racing steering wheel (complete with the proper patina), and the removal of the radio, with a filler panel added and the void covered over. Even the speedometer and tachometer have been rotated to the left, to allow for the monitoring of critical vehicle speed and engine RPM at a glance; each gauge had been set in order to peg its orange needle at the twelve o’clock position).

A 1969 Porsche 911S, 2.2 liter motor with mechanical fuel injection (as seen below)…

Even the rear deck lid was given the RGruppe treatment. The stock, factory dimensional rear badging was removed, and replaced by adhesive backed vinyl graphics, once again taking inspiration from the early Porsche 911 race cars…

My last stop of the morning was to check out this stunning Orange, 2007 Porsche GT3RS. With the crowds and cars having thinned, I was able to move around and photograph the GT3RS without interference.

The lighting by mid morning created some incredible highlights, reflections and shadows, and created the visual impression of an airbrushed rendering.

A study of light; Ground plane shadows, highlights to define shape and contour, and an ultra reflective carbon fiber rear wing…

Form follows function; the GT3RS rear wing. Purpose built for speed, generating downforce and capturing hidden reflections (see below)…

My last shot of the morning and one of my favorite from the November 3rd event. The sunlight really brought this color to life, and showcased the collective styling cues unique to the GT3RS, re-stating the obvious: There is no substitute.

So should you find yourself in need of some artistic inspiration on a Saturday morning, come take a stroll through the automotive galley known locally as Cars&Coffee. You won’t be disappointed…

(All photos by the author)

Like a deer in the headlights…

Posted on November 2, 2012 by digitaldtour

In sharp contrast to last weeks cool, gray and wet Saturday morning, this past Saturday morning dawned clear and crisp. And with the improvement in the weather came an abundance of amazing cars.

Driving through Porsche row I was greeted by a diverse collection of models already assembled and in place. As my headlights swept over the cars, I caught a flash of color, graphics and a collection of driving lights to my right. As I passed, I realized that parked side by side were a pair of Porsche 914-6; one a Tangerine colored street car, while the other in Signal Orange, was a purpose-built, Porsche Factory 914-6 GT race car, complete with hood and bumper mounted driving lights, Motorsports inspired graphics, and an ultra – trick motor. After parking and quickly consuming my breakfast, I grabbed my camera and headed to Porsche row to check out the pair of 914-6 I had seen earlier.

With the sun yet to reveal itself, and with one single pop of my camera flash, these car lit up like glowing embers in the darkness (as seen above).

Further down the row and illuminated by the early morning light, was this beautiful 1970 Lime green Porsche 911E complete with vintage roof rack…

One of my friends happened to walk by while I was looking at this Porsche, and asked if I had seen the white, right hand drive, Shelby 427 Cobra parked over in the Featured lot. I replied that I had not, so off I went in search of the mystery Cobra, especially since I had never seen one configured for right hand drive. As I approached, I could make out a Wimbledon white car gathering a crowd, and sure enough, here was the Cobra. As I moved closer, the owner and his son opened up the cars gloss black hood, to reveal an immaculate, big block Ford 427.

Obviously, with the car being configured for right hand drive, and based upon the graphic on the nose (LOV I), as well as the pair of amber-colored headlight lenses, my assumption was that this must be an English model. This seemed like a correct assumption, given that the nose graphic seen on this car is the English equivalent of a U.S. license plate. As I rounded the back of the car and approached the driver’s side, I noticed a magazine opened and resting on the rear fender. There on the pages, were photos of this very car (with the same LOV I ID), being driven in competition.

As my friend Dave and I stood looking at the car, we overheard a discussion regarding the car’s history, and learned that it had been successfully raced by the team of Bob Bondurant and David Piper in England back in 1966 at Brands Hatch, where the pair finished in first place.

As the morning progressed, the Cobra drew not only people but a trio of 1950’s and 1960’s vintage Porsches, as witnessed by the photos below.

To the Cobra’s left, a blue 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS, and to its right, a blue 1957 Porsche 356A coupe, and just out of frame, a departing Red 1957 356A Speedster with a rare black, hard top option.

After leaving the Featured lot, I headed back to the main lot to look for new photographic subjects…

One of the hidden treasures relegated to the overflow lot, due to Saturday mornings overflow crowd, was this beautiful two toned, red & white 1958 corvette convertible…

Since the event was now bathed in full sunlight, I decided to return to Porsche row and take a second look at the pair of Porsche 914-6 that I had seen under darkness several hours earlier.

From all outward appearances, the black colored headlight bezel would lead one to believe that this race car could be a 1973 model, since Porsche installed white bezels on the 914 models from 1970 -1972. However, because this is actually a 1971 914-6 GT factory race car, maybe they used the black bezel for the sake of aesthetics (to match the black trim of the driving lights and front bumper)? For a brief back story on Porsche 914 headlights, please use this link, for details from one of my previous posts.

Looking back on the mornings encounters, I realized that an underlying theme to this post and to a majority of my photos had been car headlights. And all it took was this signal orange Porsche 914-6, and its abundance of illumination to set the stage…

(All photos by the author)

Here comes the rain again…

Posted on October 26, 2012 by digitaldtour

Even as the light drizzle descended upon Saturday mornings Cars&Coffee gathering, the weak storm front was unable to dampen the spirits of the early morning, die-hard participants. What initially appeared as lighter than usual attendance at 6 AM, progressed into a steady stream of cars that continued arriving well past 8 AM.

Obviously, the drizzle had a major impact on the owners of convertibles, but for the most part, the majority had come equipped with tonneau covers and kept their interiors dry…

Even these classic Jaguar’s ( XK 140 roadster & XK 150 coupe) as seen below, came out and braved the less than sunny morning.

What was even more amazing (at least to me), was observing that the owners of these beautifully restored cars appeared unfazed by the drizzle falling onto their prized possessions.

One of a handful of gumball hued cars in attendance, and delivering an intense splash of color to an otherwise gray morning, was this sunflower yellow hued, Morgan Plus 4 roadster (below).

With the abbreviated racing windscreens as seen below, probably not much protection at speed from the rain.

Back over on Porsche row, the regulars were once again assembled; I’m not sure if this arrangement by color was staged or purely by accident.

The cumulative effect of the mornings drizzle as seen on the hood and driving light; Rolly’s red, white and black 1966 Porsche 911.

A dual set of color matched Porsche bookends.

And just across the aisle from Porsche row was this 550 Spyder recreation, fully exposed to the elements…

and literally dripping with badges.

Located several rows over towards the west, and shining like an orange beacon through the mist, was this beautiful, Lamborghini Gallardo.

And representing the die-hard hot rod contingency, was a very cool, gold customized roadster parked out towards the back row.

This particular car arrived at the event rather late, but made its presence known by virtue of its unrestricted headers, which delivered an amazing rumble as it rolled through the parking lot. And as this photograph illustrates, the drizzle had stopped by the time this hot rod arrived, sparing the driver, his passenger and the car.

Propulsion was provided by a massive Chrysler Fire-Power V8, sporting six individual carburetors and sparked by a magneto as seen below…

Ironically, just as the owner of the hot rod was getting ready to leave, his transmission got stuck in reverse. But since this was Cars&Coffee, two bystanders that had been talking with the owner, stepped up and helped trouble shoot the jammed transmission. As the photo below illustrates, after some discussion, adjustments were made to the shifter rod linkage, and the transmission was once again successful at engaging its forward gears. The owner then fired up his car, grabbed first gear, let out the clutch and rumbled off…

So should you ever experience an automotive breakdown as a participant at this event, rest assured that regardless of the make or model of your car, there will probably be someone close by with a working knowledge to assist you, and get you back on the road.

(All photos by the author)

Archaeological opportunities at Cars&Coffee/Irvine…

Posted on October 16, 2012 by digitaldtour

Webster’s dictionary defines Archaeology as “the scientific study of material remains, artifacts and monuments) of past human life and activities”. With each new sunrise illuminating Saturday mornings Cars&Coffee event, this study can be undertaken by anyone present. And as I have noted in previous posts, one never knows what treasures await discovery.

Last Saturday morning while still under the cover of darkness, my friend Jeff and I watched as a slate gray Detomaso circled the parking lot, apparently trying to decide where to park. As it circled, we tried to figure out whether it was a 1970’s vintage Pantera, or a mid sixties Lamborghini. As it approached where we were standing, it passed us and then circled back to stop right next to us. It was then that we realized it was a 1969 Detomaso Mangusta, predating Detomaso’s Pantera model.

Once the owner was out of the car, he walked to the back and opened up the rear deck, which on this particular model articulate like the wings on a butterfly (above and below)…

In my four years of attending this event, I think this is the first Detomaso Mangusta that I have seen participate.

In stark contrast to this european model, and parked on the opposite side of the lot, was my next find; an example of a classic american custom, as represented by this chopped top, lowered 1951″Purple” Mercury, built by RD Kustoms.

From here, I headed over to the featured lot, where I uncovered yet another classic; a silver Porsche 904 Carrera GTS, circa 1964 (as seen below).

Over on Porsche row, I encountered this beautifully restored, Irish Green 1965 Porsche 911.

Back in the engine compartment, one telltale clue as to the build date for this particular 911 (as seen below), are the dual Solex carbs as installed. These could also be found on the early 1966 911 models, only to be replaced by a pair dual Weber, 40IDA3C carbs when Porsche resumed their production on March 2, 1966.

Several rows over towards the west was another rare Porsche; in this case an Ivory colored,1955 Porsche Continental coupe (below).

As seen below, this designation as well as the fender badging displayed was unique to the 1955 model year only, as it was discontinued for the 1956 model year, due to a cease and desist letter from the Ford Motor Company, claiming the U.S. rights to the name Continental.

The 1500 cc motor (below), as used to power the 1955 Continental coupe.

And out back on display, a period correct California license plate, circa 1955.

The next treasure discovered was this beautifully restored classic; a red 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury, as seen below…

and residing under the hood, a surgically clean and massive 426 Hemi motor.

The interior had been treated with the same attention to detail as the rest of the car, and appeared showroom fresh.

While on my walk back towards Porsche row, I came across this unique example of a 1991 Porsche 964, in Grand Prix white. And upon closer inspection, I realized that this was in fact a 964 turbo.

It even wore a set of the always very cool, 3 piece modular BBS racing wheels.

Even though Porsche built the 964 from late 1989 through 1994 and the Turbo model from 19991 to 1994, it’s surprising how few of these turbo models one sees here in Southern California, when compared to the earlier 911 Carrera’s and the model 993 that immediately followed the 964.

Parked towards the middle of Porsche row, (next to a non-Porsche), was this red, white and black,1966 Porsche 911 race car. With all of its collective details ( 911R front fenders, rally lights, blacked out american racing wheels, racing hood hold downs, plexiglass louvered quarter windows and the center mounted, through the hood fuel filler) this car screamed early Porsche 911.

Even its license plate had a secret to reveal. Upon closer inspection, the yearly registration tags appeared like geological strata, with each colored layer revealing yet another years tag. According to the owner, this layered collection represents between 16 -18 years worth of registration.

The single vehicle at the event that morning that came the closest to relic status (as seen below), was this post WWII belly tank racer, appearing like something straight out of an Indiana Jones epic. These type of vehicles were purpose-built for top speed runs on the Bonneville salt flats, and designed using parts from numerous sources. The bodies were actually crafted from military surplus sourced, auxiliary belly fuel tanks carried by fighter jets. The running gear on this particular vehicle appeared to be vintage Ford.

With the upper body panels removed, this racer definitely took on the look of a relic. The vehicle had the feel of a barn find, with a frame draped in the patina of age, and included weight savings measures employed through the use of drilled out gussets and brackets. Even the seat belt was a military surplus sourced piece.

Located behind the seat was the radiator, positioned as a bookend to the centrally located, flathead V8 motor with its dual carbs and side exiting exhaust. The smaller tank located between the rear of the motor and the rear axle appeared to be the fuel tank. Obviously the builders challenge was to design and capture all of these component within the confines of the outer skin. The single exception to this design criteria is the exposure of the driver helmeted head, since visibility is a critical design element.

So for anyone interested in automotive archaeology, this event is truly worth experiencing, for one never knows what treasures await discovery…

(All photos by the author)

A decidedly 1960’s themed morning…

Posted on October 4, 2012 by digitaldtour

Saturday morning saw Porsche row at Cars&Coffee filled shortly after 6 AM. By the time I pulled in at around 6 AM, there were only a half-dozen spaces remaining, scattered throughout the row. And as I was making my way over to the catering table for my weekly donut and OJ, those remaining space were reduced down to just two. By 6:15, the entire row had been filled, but not entirely by Porsches. The last two cars were a Mini Cooper and a sunbeam tiger, both friends of the owner of the Mini that was already parked when I arrived. While finishing my donut and talking with several friends, we noticed a red sports prototype pass behind Porsche row and come to a halt on the outside end of our row. From what I could see of the car under the early morning darkness, it looked to be a mid 60’s vintage Ferrari race car (perhaps a P3 / P4 model), so the next question was what is it, and is it the real deal?

The middle of Porsche row was occupied by several very cool, mid sixties vintage Porsches; one a pristine red,1966 911, and immediately to its left, a white, 1966 Porsche 906 Carrera race car, both frequent visitors to this event.

And surrounding these cars on both side were a mix of early 1970s vintage 911s , Porsche 356 and one spectacular 1970 914-6.

Hidden away towards the west end of the row was yet another surprise; a blue, 1950’s vintage Porsche 550 Spyder, one of several late arrivals to Porsche row…

Another of the late arrivals, but relegated to parking out on the last row of the lot, was another rare, 1960’s vintage Porsche; the green 356 Carrera 2 as seen below…

And rounding out the assemblage of late arrivals, was this always impressive and historically significant, blue 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS as seen below…

For those unfamiliar with this particular car, this is 904-002, a car not only designed by Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche, but the one that served as his personal car, with many unique design features found only on this car.

Now back to the mystery Ferrari; while still under the cover of darkness, I made my way towards where it had been parked.

Walking around the car, it sure looked like the Ferrari Prototype race cars I had seen in magazines from back in the 1960’s.

It had the Ferrari badging, gold Campagnolo wheels, and a weber carburetted Ferrari motor with racing exhaust feeding into dual mufflers, all visible through the rear window.

Purpose built interior with a gated shifter (above and below)

Another somewhat deceptive clue was the license plate; 67 330 P4. So the question still remained: was it really a 1967 Ferrari 330 P4? So off I went in search of an answer. After talking with several people knowledgeable about Ferrari’s, I learned the following: No, it was not an actual Ferrari 330 P4 race car, but a really cool re-creation, apparently using all Ferrari parts from a donor street car. An ideal alternative to owning a six figure, Ferrari race car, but one with the ability to be driven on the street. Kind of like the ultimate Ferrari project car…

Seeing just one of these 1960’s classics is a treat, be it Porsche or Ferrari, but leave it to Cars&Coffee to deliver automotive diversity in quantity each and every Saturday morning, and for me that is what keeps me returning each week.

(All photos by the author)

Celebrating 9/17/2012; the one year anniversary of digitaldtour.com

Posted on September 17, 2012 by digitaldtour

Today marks the one year anniversary of the debut of my blog, digitaldtour. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the positive feedback and support that I have received during my first year of writing, and sharing my photographic passion for Porsches and all things automotive through my blog. During this past year I have had the opportunity to meet some incredible people who I can now count as friends, and I really appreciate them taking the time to share their automotive stories with me.

I would also like to thank everyone who has subscribed to my blog or has simply taken a moment to read one of my posts or check out the accompanying photos. I hope you will continue to find my blog of interest and worthy of a return visit.

As I stated one year ago, the launch date of my blog was significant in that it shared a series of numbers commonly associated with the Porsche 917K, which has always been one of my favorite Porsche race cars, and is still synonymous with the classic Porsche race cars of the 1970s. So imagine my delight at the opportunity to come face to face with this beautiful, 1969 Porsche 917 K at Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV, as seen below…

So here’s looking forward to a second year of blogging, and the cool cars and stories just waiting to be discovered and shared…

(All photos by the author)

The Vintech P-550 tribute; A one – off prototype infused with Porsche 550 DNA…

Posted on September 12, 2012 by digitaldtour

What if Porsche had continued to further refine the design of the their 550 Spyder? And what would it have looked like if fully developed as a 550 coupe?

Well. below lies the answer; the Vintech P-550 Tribute.

The car (as seen above and below), is a one-off prototype conceived and built by the French firm Vintech; a company that specializes in the fabrication of prototype vehicles for the automotive industry. The Vintech P-550 tribute was created as an independent, in-house project, to serve as a showcase for their design and fabrication talents, along with their expertise and abilities to creatively manipulate carbon fiber.

Several weeks previous to its showing at Cars&Coffee, the car made its world debut in Monterey,California at The Quail Motorsports Gathering, held on August 17, 2012.

Not only is the entire body created from carbon fiber, but so is the fuel tank, front hood, gull-wing doors, rear deck lid, bulkhead, rear strut bar and the engine fan shroud. The attention to detail is incredible, and even more impressive when one realizes that the entire body is carbon fiber and not aluminum. And its flawless silver paint finish was just the right icing for this cake…

An example of the very cool Porsche wheels, machined and further customized by Vintech (above).

The flawless, carbon fiber fuel tank, fuel sender and polished metal fuel filler and cap (above).

One of the subtle design details found up front, on the underside of the hood, was the masking off of select, molded in recesses, which when viewed up close, reveal the hoods true nature; black carbon fiber, contrasted against the beautiful silver paint finish. And all of these details were captured and reflected in the carbon fiber fuel tank (as seen below).

As expected, the same high level of detail found on the exterior was carried over and applied to the interior.

Even the gull-wing doors are a work of art, from their seamless carbon fiber construction, to the upholstered inner door cavities, leather pull straps and the sliding plexiglass side windows. Anchoring each door is a hinge mechanism designed as sculpture; each hinge appears to have been carved from billet stock and then highly polished, and integrated into the door and roof structure (as seen below)…

The flush fitting, polished metal gull-wing door hinges, nestled into the top of the P-550s roof.

Mounted out back (as seen below), is the custom-built 3.0 liter, four-cylinder motor (manufactured to Vintech specifications), breathing through a pair of dual, double throated Weber carburetors. Power is directed to the rear wheels through a Porsche type 915, 5 speed transmission.

The beautifully crafted, flush mounted dual rear deck grills (above and below).

More automotive jewelry; the polished metal, air intake trim found on each of the rear deck air intake scoops (below).

The polished metal venturi, mounted atop the dual, double throated Weber carburetors (above and below).

Strategically placed within the car reside a pair of custom, spyder style sport seats; each revealing a glimpse of exposed, brushed and cross-drilled aluminum frame, clad in light gray leather, accented by a darker gray fabric center, and trimmed by terra-cotta red piping. Even the side sills were detailed by a pair of recessed, light gray leather inset panels, also trimmed with the terra-cotta red piping ( below).

Fender mounted, Sebring style rear view mirror…

With the mornings event winding down, the caretakers from Vintech began the process of closing and securing the rear deck, front hood, and doors (below).

All buttoned up and read to go…

With the motor warmed up, and a blip of the throttle, the Vintech P-550 tribute was underway.

Given the interest paid to this car throughout the morning, hopefully this will not be the last time we see the Vintech P-550 tribute at Cars&Coffee or in the automotive press…

(All photos by the author)

Porsches, Poodles with attitude, an Ultima Can Am and a 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT…

Posted on September 2, 2012 by digitaldtour

Saturday morning, August the 25th dawned cool and clear as I set out from my house towards my final destination, Cars&Coffee / Irvine. These early morning conditions were a welcomed break from the heat wave conditions being experienced by Southern California. However, it was the low coastal cloud cover and light drizzle that I encountered as I neared Irvine. These conditions came as a surprise, and would wind up setting the tone for the rest of the mornings activities.

Regardless of these damp conditions, by 6:30 AM the parking lot at C&C was already filling up, with many of the participants eager to share their stories from the previous weeks Monterey Motorsports Reunion events.

Porsche row was once again well represented by a bevy of early 911s…

The morning’s dew cloaking Porsche row…

Parked amongst its Porsche siblings, was this 1973 911E in Gemini Blue (shown below), with only 52,000 miles showing on its odometer. This particular car turned out to be for sale, and represented by one of the local Orange County automotive brokers ; the firm autokennel. Even more surprising was the asking price -$99K. Its been amazing to see how much these early 911s are appreciating in value, in addition to the increasing difficulty in finding a clean example for sale…

As I’ve noted in previous posts, I began attending Cars&Coffee back in 2008, and have observed over time an increase in the number of participants bringing their pets (primarily dogs) to the show each week, thus my “poodles with attitude reference”. Unfortunately, not every pet is well-trained or behaved; the worst example I’ve seen was a dog that decided to relieve himself on a freshly polished custom chrome wheel, attached to a stunning hot rod. Unfortunately, the dogs owner appeared oblivious to the carnage that his dog had just rendered to the wheel finish, and the two of them simply walked away. The other down side with some of the untrained pets are the land mines they leave behind for the unwary pedestrian, both on the parking lot surface and planted medians that divide the parking lot rows. (This condition reminds me of navigating the sidewalks of Paris, France during the summer months, when they are visited by the owners and their pets out for their daily walk).

Another interesting observation I’ve made is recognizing distinct personalities exhibited by many of the dogs present each week. A classic example of this was the “Poodle with attitude” (as seen below)…

After walking through the event, the owner returned to his car, opened up the door for his dog to climb in. The dog jumped in, sat down on the front seat, leaned back and then proceeded to put its paw up on the owners arm just as they were leaving; quite the hilarious sight…

Parked right next to the “poodle with attitude” car, was my friend Matt’s Porsche; his incredible 2007 viper green GT3RS…

Another of the friends that I have made since attending Cars&Coffee is the owner of this British Racing Green Ultima Can Am, as seen below…

During a conversation that morning with my friend Eric, I happened to mention that the very first time I saw an Ultima Can Am was on the Cable TV Show “Supercars Exposed”, being driven by the host of the show, Tanner Foust. I told Eric that the car in the show sure looked allot like his car, to which he replied “it should, because that was my car featured on that episode”. Talk about a small world…

At this point of our conversation, several people approached Eric to ask about his car. Through Eric;s discussion, I learned more about the car, and that he had purchased this car in kit form, and proceeded to build it component by component from the ground up.

And because the car was classified as a” rolling chassis”, it did not come with a motor or transmission. So Eric had to source both; He had a friend build up the potent V8, which includes the unique Hilborn fuel injection system (seen above and below), and for a transmission, he ended up sourcing a transaxle from a Porsche 911.

Parked out on the very last row of the lot, was a Ferrari that I had seen drive into the event earlier that morning, but at the time did not have a clue as to its year or model designation. I had been looking for this particular Ferrari for the better part of the morning, and finally located it due to the large crowd of people gathered around it. Still not knowing the build date year or even the model designation, I decided to photograph the car in hope of finding some type of identification, or to overhear a conversation regarding details. One of the most striking visual features is its two-tone paint treatment; the basic body color in white, and on this particular car its painted, teal colored roof (as seen below)…

Regardless of this vehicles age, the chrome plated bumper, grill trim, driving lights and headlight bezels all appeared as if brand new…

Even the Borrani wire wheels appeared like fine Italian jewelry…

By the time I made my way around to the passenger side of the car, I began hearing conversations regarding some background details on this car. Several of the C&C regulars, obviously well versed in all things Ferrari, acknowledged that this particular car was in fact a 1955 250 Europa GT, and added that it had also been a participant in the 2011 Mille Miglia event (the participant decals were displayed on the windshield, placed low on the passenger side). Confirmation of these discussion was found within the interior, in the form of a commemorative placard from the 2011 Mille Miglia event, that was found resting on the passenger’s side, teal colored carpet (see below).

It was hard to believe that this car had in fact competed in the event, since it was in flawless, museum-like condition.

When I returned home later that morning, I decided to educate myself further regarding this particular Ferrari model, so imagine my surprise when I googled “1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT”, and up popped an image of this very car! A classic example of the automotive depth of treasures that reside right here in Southern California, and why each weeks Cars&Coffee event holds the promise of another new discovery…

(All photos by the author)

The 12th Annual Uptown Whittier Car Show: Cool Cars displayed under Heat Wave Conditions

Posted on August 24, 2012 by digitaldtour

This past weekend saw the return of the 12th Annual Uptown Whittier Car Show, held in the midst of the current heat wave that descended upon Southern California, and Saturday’s weather was no exception. By the shows start at 9 AM, the temperature was already racing towards 90 degrees ( 32 degrees Celsius).

My first encounter of the morning was the hot rod flamed, black 1956 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia coupe race car from a local shop; Whittier’s own VW Gold MIne, as seen below…

Parked just down the street from the Karmann Ghia, was this sole representative from Stuttgart; a white 1964 Porsche 356 SC coupe.

Further down the street was this beautiful 1930s vintage Chevrolet sedan; with a visible case of extreme negative front camber…

I did overhear the owner talking to a friend about the car’s airbag suspension, thus the extreme camber angle when the car is lowered.

Out back, the car even included a period correct, fold down luggage rack, positioned just above the rear fuel tank…

Further down the street was another classic; a Black, 1954 Cadillac Coupe De Ville (as seen below).

Hanging out with the other Cadillacs parked along Cadillac row…

Parked around the corner, and located at the far end of the street, was this white, fiberglass bodied twin turbocharged roadster (below)…

Race inspired, purpose-built interior (above and below)…

Turbocharger and polished exhaust pipe (above and below)…

Twin turbocharger symmetry (below)…

Parked directly across the street was this beautifully prepared, candy red 1932 Ford highboy roadster, complete with flames…

While shooting the car and studying some of its unique details, I met the owner who was nice enough to share some of the details behind the building of this hot rod. I learned that this car is actually a showcase for the owner’s business, which just happens to be a paint and body shop (Bravo’s Auto Body), specializing in custom paint, and that is located in nearby Pico Rivera.

Obviously, all of the body work, paint and flames were produced in-house by the owner himself, Manny Bravo. The body panels were as smooth and flat as glass, which was the perfect medium for catching reflections.

One of the hidden and easily overlooked details on this car is its quick change rear end; fortunately the owner mentioned this fact to me, so I crawled under the car to get this shot below.

While in the process of shooting the right side of the car (below), the owner asked if I had noticed anything odd about the paint and flames on this side of the car. As I looked closer, the owner suggested l take a look at the opposite side in direct sunlight. Once I walked over to the driver’s side, I immediately understood what he was talking about. Apparently, between the painting process and the materials used, he was able to apply both the red paint and the flames in a way that depending upon the lighting, the contrast between the background and the flames will shift. When the car is viewed in shadowed lighting, the red background reads as a dark value and the flames appear lighter in color. However under direct lighting conditions, the flames read as the dark value, whereas the red background reads as the lighter value. Definitely an interesting effect…

Further south down the street, was this root beer brown metallic, 1934 Ford 3 window coupe.

Parked over on the west side of the street was this bright orange, 1930s vintage Ford highboy roadster, built along the lines of a 1960’s AA/Fuel altered race car, complete with a big block, fuel injected motor, and included a period correct “Moon speed equipment” fuel tank secured just ahead of the front axle…

Overhead view of the Kinsler fuel injection venturi /”stacks”…

Located further down the street was this white 1955 Corvette coupe, represented by the owner as an original condition, unrestored vehicle…

Arranged out back in its trunk was a period Coca Cola display, which included a vintage Corvette advertisement…

Parked across the street and located south of the Corvette, was this lite blue Chevrolet Thriftmaster Deluxe with canvas side and rear shades.

Located just to the north of the lite blue Chevrolet Thriftmaster Deluxe, was this two toned Tri-5 Chevrolet Bel Air / Nomad wagon…

Parked over on the east side of the street was this pristine, 1955 Chevrolet Panel in sea foam green and white, and in better than new condition…

Reflection in the side of the black 1963 Lincoln Continental parked to the left of the drivers side…

And parked just several cars north of the 1955 Chevrolet panel, was this beautiful 1963 Buick Riviera. Looking at this car brought back fond memories of my dads black on black 1964 Riviera…

The last car I photographed from the show was this amazing copper-colored, 1950 Ford coupe; lowered suspension and complete with a chopped top, shaved door handles, frenched headlights and smoothed bumpers front and rear. Obviously a lot of time was spent block sanding the entire body, as the finished paint simply glowed, displaying flawless, distortion-free reflections. By far one of the nicest customs in the show.

Ironically, these photos are just a small sampling of the many cars assembled for this years show. Given the huge spectator turnout, there seemed to be something for everyone, regardless of the high temperatures. Hopefully next years show will witness another collection of equally cool cars, but hopefully under much cooler conditions.

(All photos by the author)

Hot Rods, Hamburgers, Customs, Olympics and Coca Cola…

Posted on August 11, 2012 by digitaldtour

What better way to celebrate the end of the week, than with a car show on a Friday evening? Or for those of you like me ( my wife describes me as car obsessed), how about encountering a car show totally by accident? Well, that’s exactly what occurred last Friday evening, as my wife and I were driving home after going out to dinner.

As we were exiting the mall, I spotted a coned off section of the parking lot that appeared to be full of custom cars, classic Chevrolets and hot rods, all in close proximity to the Ruby’s diner (http://rubyscruise.com) located towards the west side of the mall. Since my wife had some shopping to do for her mom, she dropped me off so I could check out the cars, and would return when she was done. So off I headed into the middle of this unexpected, surprise (at least for me) car show. As I made my way through the aisles of the parking lot, checking out the diversity of cars in attendance, I realized that I recognized several of these cars from other cars shows. And just when I was wishing I had my camera with me, my wife drove up. By the time we arrived home, I had decided to grab my camera and head back to the car show before I lost the remaining daylight. Within 15 minutes, I was back at the mall, with camera in hand, ready to capture the cars gathered for the evenings event.

My first subject for the evening was this beautiful matte green, 1932 Ford 5 window coupe as seen below…

One of the most unusual and obvious features on this car is the engine; in this case, the owner chose to install a 401 cubic inch Buick “nailhead” motor as seen below.

After walking around the car multiple times, shooting it from a variety of angles and focusing on specific details, the owner approached and we struck up a conversation.

I asked if he had shown this car down at Cars& Coffee in Irvine, since this was one of the cars that I recognized. It turned out that I was correct; the owner had shown this car only once at Cars&Coffee, back in March…

His car looked just as good on this night as it had the first time I saw it. The build quality and detailing found throughout this car is spectacular…

Next up was this beautiful, plum-colored 1932 Ford sedan…

Mounted up front ahead of the grill, and secured onto the period correct California license plate, was this vintage Olympic Games of Los Angeles, circa 1932 badge (as seen above and below)…

And located out back, applied onto the rear body work, was this design accent celebrating the artistry of pin stripping…

Parked just up the row at the opposite end, was this black 1963 Lincoln Continental, as noted by its license plate.

The black paint on this car was flawless; every surface smooth as glass and acting like a mirror, reflecting all of its immediate surroundings.

Located just across the row, was this stunning example of a true American classic; a flamed, chop top Merc. And what was even more amazing was that this car appeared to have been driven to the event, and not brought in by trailer.

Every surface and detail on this car was flawless, and obviously a lot of time and effort had gone into the building of this custom show car.

But even cooler was seeing that the owner actually drives this car, and had brought it to the show to share with others; a true celebration and tribute to the Southern California car culture.

Parked several rows over behind the Merc, was this black on black, 1950s vintage Ford F-100 custom truck…

complete with a Ford Motorsport / SVO V8 engine tucked in between the front fenders…

and once again, another black paint job that shone like a mirror…

And parked over in front of the diner, amongst the other hod rods on display, was this raspberry colored coupe with polished aluminum velocity stacks rising skyward through its front hood…

Back over across the lot, and half way up the nearest row, was this black vintage Pontiac coupe with red interior…

complete with rear trunk badging as seen below…

Below are several of the classic Chevrolet sedans that were present; the first being this beautifully presented, pale green 1950 4 door Deluxe, parked next to the black Pontiac…

followed up by this spotless, late 1940s vintage blue 4 door, with period appropriate chrome front grill and accessories…

Another of the cars parked out in front of Ruby’s was one of the many 1960’s muscle cars in attendance; in this case a black, 1969 Camaro Z-28, showing off its spectacular paint finish…

As evidenced by the reflection above, parked immediately to the right of the Z-28, was this bright red hot rod; a 1932 Ford highboy roadster complete with flames…

And its ultra clean engine compartment.

Classic flames and stamped louvers…

complete down to the pinstriped accents…

As the sun set and the neon signs and architectural trim lit up, it was time for one last photo to capture the spirit of the event…

So should you find yourself in Whittier on a Friday night (from May through October) with some time to burn, just look for the Ruby’s Diner in the Whittwood Towne Center, and you will be rewarded with a local car show that weekly celebrates some of the nicest hot rods, classics and muscle cars from throughout the Los Angeles and Orange County areas.

(All photos by the author)

digitaldtour

A photographic journey through the Southern California car culture

Tag Archives: Cars

“When everything is art, you’ve gotta take it in”…

Like a deer in the headlights…

Here comes the rain again…

Archaeological opportunities at Cars&Coffee/Irvine…

A decidedly 1960’s themed morning…

Celebrating 9/17/2012; the one year anniversary of digitaldtour.com

The Vintech P-550 tribute; A one – off prototype infused with Porsche 550 DNA…

Porsches, Poodles with attitude, an Ultima Can Am and a 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT…

The 12th Annual Uptown Whittier Car Show: Cool Cars displayed under Heat Wave Conditions

Hot Rods, Hamburgers, Customs, Olympics and Coca Cola…