ACE CAFE RADIO

    jeudi 11 décembre 2014

    2014 SEMA Week day 5 : SEMA Drag Race: Hellcat vs Blasphemi vs Jeep FC vs Sonic!


    Sometimes

    Sometimes from StanceWorks on Vimeo.

    CAIMAN URBAN ‘N DIRT CB750


    Caiman Urban'n'Dirt No1 3
    Walter Stander is quick to point out that when it comes to building bikes in South Africa, it’s very much a case of ‘swings and roundabouts’. Riding them, no problem, the beautiful roads and diverse scenery offer all you could devour. But putting together that bike in in the first instance is a little more troublesome. A £50 tyre will sting you the same in postage just to get it into the country. And that’s if South Africa is even a shipping destination; more often than not it isn’t. But these challenges just make you more resilient, more creative. It encourages you to fabricate and modify rather than buy and bolt on. Caiman Urban ‘n Dirt have found that they would much rather get their hands dirty in labour rates than spend a customer’s budget on a bought in parts.
    Caiman Urban'n'Dirt No1 4
    As Walter cheekily points out:
    “The distressed wooden garage door for a quaint little shop, listening to ambient jazz while tearing the bubble wrap off a new Ebay ordered speedo, as we eat Paella or Parma ham is not an option for us. Can you smell the jealousy? I can’t! Johannesburg and quaint don’t sit around the same table, but more importantly, to be victorious in our concrete jungle, you need size, infrastructure, scale and skin an inch thicker than a Rhino.”
    But not ones to sit and lick their wounds, a fully equipped 400 sq.m workshop, set up with 16 benches, welding, blasting and on site painting facilities was assembled. Caiman are ensuring that they don’t have to rely on unreliable lead times and outsourcing hold ups with their builds.
    Caiman Urban'n'Dirt No1 5
    Caiman are a team of 6 guys; each is responsible for an important part of the value chain. Jaco is the head builder and main fabricator. Ferdi does brakes, wheels, suspension and prepping the rolling chassis. Claude, is the main mechanic, ensuring that the engines and carbs are running, tuned and balanced. Mandla is responsible for prepping, sanding, buffing and finishing. And finally Walter and Tim keep the cash flow fluid  by hunting out those donor bikes and customers, ready for new projects. For this build, The decision was made to go completely vanilla; a Café Racer that checks all the boxes. Honda built great engines in the early 80’s and it’s a DOHC CB750 that Walter says “forms the basis of a motorcycle that is a lot more Racer than it is Café.”
    Caiman Urban'n'Dirt No1 6
    Stripped down to component parts, the sub-frame was looped to accept the in-house solo seat. Once free of clutter the frame was given a fresh coat of powder and the refurbished engine slid back in. Caiman removed the original side covers, but rather than leaving the rear triangle bare, knocked up some nifty drilled aluminium plates. They work well to fill in the bike without making it appear too heavy. Mini speedos, modified levers and drilled foot controls all help to smarten up the points of rider interaction. Retaining the standard CB750 headlight up front keeps it clean and the back is more minimal affair with combination rear/brake light and indicator embedded in the seat hump. A simple, glossy black and silver paint job is suitably low key but the hungry Caiman logo snaps away on the tank beneath your chin.
    Caiman Urban'n'Dirt No1 7
    Mechanically, the bike has been gone over from head to toe. Those Marmite Comstars so beloved by Honda in the ’80s have been freshened up. Split, stripped and cleaned, the rim edges were then drilled before reassembly and powder coating. This, quite simply, transforms the wheels and gives them a far sportier look. Wearing a set of sticky Bridgestone boots, the bike deserves to stretch it’s legs beyond the city limits. Front forks have been rebuilt with new springs and oil, but the soggy old rear shocks were replaced entirely. Rebuilt calipers now hold drilled discs, reducing unsprung weight further and a set of stainless lines firm up feeling at the lever. Cone filters and a Cowley 4-1 exhaust amplify the sucking and blowing of the 4 cylinder lump, a vital part of the experience.
    Like in any city, a Cafe Racer can be hard work, with a committed riding position, but the good manners of the base bike and spacious ergos should make it easy enough to handle until the concrete gives way to the canyons.Caiman Urban'n'Dirt No1 THUMB
    With a full pipeline, the guys are flat out. The first year has admittedly been tough, but having found their feet and with the team gelling nicely, they’re now able to have a motorcycle finished every 2 weeks. One to look out for is a Kawasaki Z200 aptly named “Femme Fatale” being built for a female customer. An ever increasing demographic of the Johannesburg custom bike scene, the Caiman crew are putting in a tremendous effort to give the build some subtle changes to make it more appropriate for the fairer sex: Yes, they’re painting it pink…
    Keep up to date with the progress of that build and many others on their Facebook page
    via The Bike Shed

    Exclusive: Treasure trove of 60 barn-finds includes ‘lost’ Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider


    “Never again, anywhere in the world, will such a treasure be unearthed,” says Pierre Novikoff, motor car specialist at Artcurial auction house. He’s describing a staggering collection of 60 barn-find cars that have been discovered after lying hidden for 50 years.
    And if you think he’s exaggerating, then let me quote our photographer, Rémi Dargegen, who reported back to us right after the photo-shoot, saying, “It’s amazing, just amazing. The place is incredible… the most impressive thing is the sheer quantity of cars hidden in the barns.”

    Amazing, just amazing

    It all began with the grandfather of the family that currently owns the collection: back in the 1950s, he dreamed of conserving the heritage of pre-War cars in museum surroundings, focusing on the great French brands and famous body shops. This gentleman was an entrepreneur with a transport company in the west of France and he was a serious enthusiast: he even exhibited a roadster that he’d built himself at the Paris Motor Show in the 1950s. Sadly, during the 1970s, his dream fell apart when his business suffered a setback and he was forced to sell some 50 cars. After that, the rest of the collection stayed totally untouched, all these years, until its very recent discovery.

    Only the most famous brands, the most admired coachbuilders

    These motor cars, explains Artcurial, have been tucked away in various outbuildings and left under makeshift corrugated iron shelters – cars that include Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, Panhard et Levassor, Delahaye, Delage, Maserati and Ferrari. There are several Talbot-Lago T26s buried in the collection, one of them a very rare Grand Sport Aérodynamique – and an opulent Cabriolet once owned by King Farouk. But it’s not just the marques that are enough to take your breath away: many are clothed in bodies by the most admired coachbuilders of their day, names such as Chapron, Million-Guiet and Saoutchik. Found sheltering in a garage was one of just three Maserati A6G 2000 Berlinettas with coachwork by Frua, dating from 1956. And then, beneath piles of magazines, they discovered something even more exciting…

    Beneath piles of magazines: Alain Delon's lost Ferrari 250 California 

    …a Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, with covered headlights, a car whose first owner was comedian Gérard Blain. But according to Artcurial, the intriguing history of this – surely the last barn-find California SWB Spider ever to be unearthed – doesn’t stop there. Blain sold the Ferrari to actor Alain Delon, who was on several occasions photographed at the wheel – accompanied, in 1964, by Jane Fonda (during the filming of ‘Les Félins’) and later by Shirley MacLaine on the Côte d’Azur.

    A mystery to marque historians

    Even the wife of the original collector didn’t know whether he’d sold the California or still owned it, and their children knew nothing about the car until they came across it, a few months ago, hidden under those old newspapers. So it’s hardly surprising that the whereabouts of this important, Pininfarina-designed cabriolet have been – until now – a mystery to marque historians.

    What a discovery!

    What a discovery: and it’s hard to guess at the sort of interest it’s likely to generate among collectors. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long to find out, as the California Spider will be offered – along with the other 59 cars in this amazing collection – by Artcurial Motorcars in the first part of its traditional auction at the Rétromobile Salon, on 6 February 2015, in Paris.

    Like Lord Carnarvon entering Tutankhamun’s tomb

    Matthieu Lamoure, managing director of Artcurial Motorcars, likens the experience of first being shown the barn finds to “Lord Carnarvon entering Tutankhamun’s tomb”. In his opinion, “Not since the revelation of the Schlumpf Collection in Mulhouse has such a group of emblematic automobiles been disclosed and, what is more, in such original condition. The magic of these 60 mysterious mechanical creatures is more like a giant work of art: the unrealised dream of their owner.”
    Photos: Rémi Dargegen for Classic Driver © 2014. All rights reserved.

    The cars

    Amilcar C6 berline
    Amilcar CGS
    Ariès coach
    Auto Union cabriolet
    Avions Voisin C15
    Avions Voisin limousine C15
    Avions Voisin C7 par Gallé
    Ballot 8 Cyl limousine
    Barré torpédo
    Berliet coupé chauffeur
    Berliet Type VIGB 10HP Taxi Landaulet
    Bugatti 57 Ventoux
    Citroën Trèfle
    Delage D6
    Delage D8 coach
    Delahaye 135 cabriolet Faget Varnet
    Delahaye 135 coach Chapron
    Delahaye 235 coach Chapron
    Delahaye 235 coach Chapron
    Delahaye 235 coupé Chapron
    Delahaye Type 43 coupé chauffeur
    Delahaye GFA 148 L
    Delahaye Type 43 camionnette
    Delaunay Belleville limousine VL8
    Facel Vega Excellence
    Ferrari 250 GT California SWB
    Ferrari 308 GTS i
    Ferrari 400
    Ferrari Mondial 3.2L cabriolet
    Hispano Suiza H6B cabriolet Millon-Guiet
    Hotchkiss cabriolet
    Innocenti S cabriolet
    Jaguar type S 3.4 L
    La Buire 12 A
    Lagonda LG45 cabriolet
    Lancia Thema 8.32
    Lorraine Dietrich B3/6 plateau
    Lorraine Dietrich B3/6 torpédo par Grumman
    Lorraine-Dietrich torpédo
    Maserati A6G 2000 berlinetta Grand Sport Frua
    Mathis cabriolet
    Mathis FOH
    Packard cabriolet Super Eight
    Panhard-Levassor Dynamic berline X77
    Panhard-Levassor Dynamic coupé X76
    Panhard-Levassor limousine X72
    Porsche 356 SC ex-Sonauto
    Renault AX torpédo
    Renault Vivastella cabriolet
    Sandford cyclecar 3 roues
    Singer Cabriolet
    Talbot Lago 11/6 cabriolet
    Talbot Lago Baby cabriolet
    Talbot Lago Baby cabriolet
    Talbot Lago Cadette 11
    Talbot Lago coach
    Talbot Lago T26 coach
    Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport coupé Saoutchik
    Talbot Lago T26 Record coupé Saoutchik
    Talbot Lago T26 cabriolet Saoutchik ex-Roi Farouk

    Ducati 900SS – Moto Studio



    05_12_2024_duke_01
    Written by Martin Hodgson.
    In the Nineties Ducati brought back the Super Sport SS range that had been such a success for the marque in the seventies with the now enormously popular classics the 750ss and 900ss. But while there was nothing particular wrong with the 1990’s version the Monster and top of the line superbikes were dominating Ducati’s sale, perhaps if they’d built their SS like Moto Studio built “Racer 5” sales success would never have been a problem.
    05_12_2024_duke_02
    Not content to follow the café racer path of improving performance by reducing weight Moto Studio gave the Ducati donk a complete overhaul. A set of high compression pistons were installed to increase the already torquey Ducati L- twin. While a Yoyodyne lightweight flywheel helps the engine spin up more freely and improve throttle response. The heads have been ported and a set of custom intake manifolds were designed and matched to the ports. Carburettors are the ever popular Keihin FCR 41 and are tuned to work with a custom made 2-1 exhaust system. Bruce McQuiston spent a lot time developing the carbon fibre reverse cone exhaust muffler, which not only performs flawlessly, but produces amazing exhaust notes and is completely serviceable.
    05_12_2024_duke_09
    The fitment of upside down forks to a modern café bike is not a unique feature in 2014. But there are forks and then there are the gold Swedish jewels known as Ohlins and Moto Studio would accept nothing but the best. The fronts are Ohlins road and track versions which give the rider full adjustability while the rear is taken care of by a single 3-way adjustable shock from the big Swedish firm. With handling now taken care of, equally impressive stopping power was a must and nothing matches a set of Ohlins like radial twin disc Brembos!
    05_12_2024_duke_07
    Now with the motorbike version of a tomahawk missile built and ready for urban assault Moto Studio set about giving the 900ss the sort of looks that make it as impressive standing still as it is carving the canyons. Bruce set about hand sculpting the body parts from carbon fibre, having already modified the frame to suit his design. The seat cowl, front fairing and mirror housings are perfectly constructed carbon that features a Ducati flavour with a rich custom touch. The paint scheme was designed to accentuate the mechanical components of the bike while showing off brilliantly the handmade body work.
    05_12_2024_duke_08
    05_12_2024_duke_04
    Moto Studio takes it’s wiring seriously and the clean look of the Ducati is testament to their painstaking work. Utilising exclusively Motogadget components and with their proprietary wiring harness you only see what you should and any builder will tell you how hard that is to achieve. At just 321lbs (145kg) this is a featherweight Super Sport with the very best of stoping and handling prowess, dressed in 21st century body work and with a barking mad motor, this is truly a fine Italian more than deserving of the original lust worthy 900ss name.
    05_12_2024_duke_05
    [Photos by Peter Harholdt and Bruno Frontino]
    via PIPEBURN

    Unusual Christmas gifts for pop culture addicts


    Wouldn’t it be good to give something a little bit different this Christmas? If you know someone who would appreciate finding a Beatles record player or Elvis’s helmet under the Christmas tree, take a look at our selection from the upcoming Christie's Pop Culture auction…
    Every two years, Christie’s celebrates pop culture with a very special sale, when Nicolette Tomkinson and her team at the British auction house gather a diverse collection of memorabilia linked to the great names of show business. This year, on 16 December in London, 116 prominent lots go on sale

    Beatles to go...

    These days, organising a picnic in Hyde Park is easy: the salad comes from Pret A Manger and the background music is provided by a Bluetooth link between your phone and speaker. Even though these portable speakers produce stunning sound quality, it somehow doesn’t convey the greatest sense of style. It’s certainly no match for a decent picnic basket and a 1964 portable Beatles record player. Lift the lid of the turntable and you find George, Ringo, John and Paul singing away. If you’d prefer to hang a Beatle on the wall, however, you might be more interested in Lot 35: the black and white photo from 1965 shows a mischievous John Lennon with a flower over his right eye.

    The biker King's crown

    Elvis Presley fans are sure to find a special keepsake in the auction catalogue. The ‘King’ had a great love of motorcycles and bought several Harleys, and this blue metal flake helmet is accompanied by a letter from his secretary and cousin, Patsy Presley Geranen, confirming it did, indeed, belong to Elvis and that “It was used a lot during the mid to late sixties when he was back into his motorcycle mood”.

    The Godfather papers and other oddities 

    There are people who only need to see a film once to be able to recite the complete script. If you’re not one of them, however, you might be interested in the original (first, second and third draft) screenplays of the famous 1972 Mafia saga, ‘The Godfather’. There are plenty of handwritten annotations on the drafts that make them even more fascinating. The three script books have been brought to London so that potential bidders can see them for themselves. Finally, and perhaps very suitable for Christmas, given the glitter and sparkle, is the rhinestone-encrusted bike that Elton John used on stage as a part of his ‘Bicycle John’ costume, during his 1974 American tour.  
     If you can’t find the right collector’s item in this auction, why not try browsing in the Classic Driver Market for something even more extraordinary?

    Pirelli 2015

    Vyshel novyj kalendar Pirelli 2015 11 Вышел новый календарь Pirelli 2015