L'équipée en Himalaya - Episode 2/3

’66 Mustang + NASCAR V8 = One Crazy Afternoon

It’s late afternoon on a Thursday and I’m in Hayward, California – a working class city on the east side of the San Francisco Bay. I’m strapped into a bucket seat on the passenger side of Mike Maier’s 1966 Ford Mustang as we rumble down the street, casually passing liquor stores and elementary schools.

Other than wide tires and a dropped stance, this Mustang doesn’t look much different from the countless other Mustang coupes out there, but from the moment you hear this car approaching you know there’s something very different about it.

Mike’s Mustang isn’t just loud – it’s got an exhaust note that race fans would recognize from the pits at Bristol or Talladega. It’s also got the distinct whine of a gearbox that was built to endure double-file restarts at Darlington or the esses at Sonoma. But we aren’t waiting for the flagman to drop the green, we are cruising the rough streets of the East Bay.

It feels like Mike is doing everything can to keep the car as under the radar as possible, but it’s not easy to do when you’ve got a 750 horsepower NASCAR V8 under your right foot.

Eventually, we arrive at a freeway onramp and Mike navigates the Mustang onto Interstate 580 and finally lays into the accelerator. This is when things get crazy. I’m slammed back in my seat as the car rips onto 580 then comes the distinct sensation of the rear end swaying back and forth as the Mustang’s 315-width tires struggle for traction at highway speeds.

We are no longer attempting to join the flow traffic. Instead, the afternoon commuters are disappearing in our rear view mirror. I’ve experienced some fast cars in my time, but the force with which this Mustang accelerates is downright scary.

Not wanting to have the entire California Highway Patrol looking for a blue Mustang, Mike quickly slows the car down to cruising speed, and over the whine of the gearbox I hear him say, “That was half throttle”. Holy hell.

Now usually I’d be a little apprehensive about being a passenger in such a ridiculous machine with someone I’d just met, but Mike Maier is a guy that knows how to wheel a car. He’s been racing Mustangs for his whole life and has several SCCA national champion trophies to show for it.

1942 DODGE M 37 POWER WAGON

by Gabriel Sheffer

Photographers: Craig Perronne

The one invention we wish they'd hurry up and invent, already, is the time machine. We want to join George Washington as he crosses the Delaware. We want to meet JFK--or better yet, Marilyn Monroe, maybe jam with Jimi Hendrix. But seeing as the inventors of the world aren't getting anywhere on this one, and since we're not the most patient people in the world, maybe the individual we need to speak to is Phil Compton. He travels through time the instant he steps into this '42 Dodge WC-53 Carryall.
Compton lives in Dallas, where people still remember a time when the Cowboys were winning football games. A while ago, a local named Bill Caruth came into Phil's shop and asked him to take on a massive project: Turn a rig from the war era into a bulletproof wagon that can make it through the narrow ravines and creeks of Bill's West Texas ranch. Not surprisingly, both men become sentimental when they cruise the Lone Star State's high roads and canyon crossings in this new old truck. The Dodge WC-53 Carryal military vehicle, a classic by anyone's standards, served as a radio command car during World War II, warming up the tubes of the military's radios. After the war, demand for the trucks came mostly in the form of utility companies that needed to reach unpaved line roads. Today, however, that demand exists in people--fans, really--like Caruth.

It all started in 1999 when Bill, a photographer who travels the globe, wanted a "tough, go-anywhere vehicle with all the ride and ability of new trucks but with the looks of the 1940s." He turned to Compton, who promptly made a call to a Power Wagon guru in Colorado he knew. According to Compton, the Dodge had a solid tour of duty in someone's Ohio cornfield for about 25 or 30 years. Once found, it was trailered out to Colorado where said guru immediately removed the '42's singular U-joints (for his own needs) and then promptly sent the wagon on to the salivating 'wheelers in Texas.
The plan was simple: Put the '42 body onto a new Cab-only '98 Dodge 2500 chassis. Says Compton, "It's really the story of Texas craziness. [Caruth] wanted air conditioning, airbags, tilt wheel, ABS and all that. It's probably the only '42 that you could cruise down the highway at 95 with the cruise control and the stereo and the air on."

 Beneath the hull of an ancient '42 WC-53 lies the heart of a torque-beast: the Cummins 24-valve diesel.

To meet their goals, Compton shortened the entire chassis 19 1/2 inches by way of some heavy-duty surgery to achieve the original wheelbase and track of the '42 rig. All the components were cut, from the driveshafts, to the frame, to the brake lines to the electrical system. "After that," laughs Compton, "you just bolt the body on and rebuild it. It's a lot simpler than it looks." Right. 
The amiable craftsman fabbed up all new body mounts in order to position the old tub atop the new chassis, paying close attention to how the added weight was distributed throughout. Compton admits recreating the track was difficult. "We had to leave it the same since we were dealing with Dodge's '98 axles. So to compensate for that, we widened the frontend a little bit to make up for the width in the engine compartment." Compton also scratch-built an intercooler and radiator from T-6 aluminum. "This increased cooling capabilities greatly," notes the Texan. Then he adds amusingly, "Later, I found out that Cummins does not worry about cooling needs--even in the Deep South." As a result, Compton blocks off the radiator in the winter to help keep heat in, as you might do for a tractor-trailer.

From: http://www.fourwheeler.com

The 1978 Lancia Sibilo concept was Gandini’s Golden Brown

By 1978, a decade of wedge-shaped wonders had been brought to a close. Rather than turning to illegal substances, Bertone’s Marcello Gandini – one of the phenomenon’s patriarchs – instead chose to create a wacky final hurrah: the Lancia Sibilo…

If the early 70s was a peak in terms of automotive design, then the following half-decade was certainly a trough. By this time, the effects of skyrocketing oil prices and over-sensitive safety laws had handicapped the creative pensmiths, hence the slump into an era of rubber bumpers, cheap plastics and uninspired aesthetics. But clearly, no one had informed Gandini: he was still in Bertone’s small Turin studio drawing up impossible, wedgy concepts. Brown ones.

A good place to start

Beginning with Lancia Stratos Stradale underpinnings and the accompanying Dino-sourced V6, Gandini first set about lengthening the chassis by 100mm. Then came the drama: a hand-beaten steel body with raised, squared-off wheelarches and the nose of a platypus. The windscreens and polycarbonate side windows were fitted flush with the bodywork, as were the pop-up headlights and bumpers – the latter defined by an orange pin-stripe. Other quirks included circular side windows that retreated within, and then slid forward on runners; the single windscreen wiper also moved horizontally, rather than with the usual arcing motion. For its reveal at the 1978 Turin motor show it was painted gold ’n’ brown – perhaps the Sibilo was the true inspiration behind The Stranglers’ 1980 hit record?

Soundtrack by Maranello

Even if it was, the Lancia had no chance to boast about it, as the minimalist interior didn’t even include a cassette player. Only the most necessary auxiliary controls were included, three of which were asymmetrically integrated as buttons into the fixed-hub steering wheel.

The Sibilo remained in Bertone’s custody until 2011, when much of the coachbuilder’s dearly prized collection was auctioned off in response to the financial struggles that ultimately sealed the company’s fate last year. It now forms part of Corrado Lopresto’s gathering of super-rare Italian machinery – which we’ll feature in depth, tomorrow.

Photos: Lopresto Collection / Carr Studio

You can find many classic Lancias for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

RBC Z650 HERITAGE

Anyone who’s heard of Seth Godin will have undoubtedly read or listened to his book, Tribes. Perhaps slightly tangential an into to a Brat Kawasaki from Croatia but if you’re reading this rather than simply clicking through the images on Facebook then there’s a chance you’ll appreciate what Zeljko and Retro Bikes Croatia is striving to achieve.

It’s not about jumping on a bandwagon and cashing in on a fad but that allure of working with your hands, creating something and perhaps most important of all, belonging to that tribe. The powder coater, the gasket supplier, the machinist, the painter, the upholsterer and all those whose skills are required to bring ideas to life. Explanation and justification are not welcome in their workshop, but expectation is. Expectation to restore, refurbish or build to the best of your own abilities something that is completely unnecessary but totally desirable, and therefore completely necessary; to other tribe members. Zeljko sacked in the day job and put his all into Retro Bikes Croatia, and why the heck not, their CB250 sold in a flash so hopefully he’ll be able to pay the bills if this Z650 tempts a new owner.

After some friendly interrogation regarding the cubic capacity of their first build Zeljko plumped for a bit more beef on this one, and searched out a road worthy, one owner 1977 Kawasaki z650b1 with a mere 50,000 kms under its belt. This is the early model, wire wheels, brake callipers ahead of the forks etc. Older is purer, right? This example was completely original, factory date stamps on parts that should have perished or been upgraded years ago. Makes a big difference working on a donor that isn’t completely caked in rust.

The donor was so good that there was a moment where its fate could have been a day out at the Zagreb Autosol Convention, thankfully a pair of semi-knobbly tyres were ordered and a scrambler-brat style was settled on.

Yup, you guessed it, the frame was stripped bare and looped at the rear. Why manufacturers didn’t do this in period seems churlish, such as the ease at which the tidying can be done today. Whilst the grinder was still spinning the ignition barrel was lopped off and errant factory weld splatter smoothed over. A new seat base was fashioned, with a decent wedge of foam under the diamond stitched, leather cover.

Under the fine upholstery lives the new battery box and associated electrickery, leaving the rear triangle almost clear of visual obstruction. Up front a laser engraved dash panel provides colour coordinated good news, and bad news. Good news, you’re not going to look like a prat for leaving the Z in gear when starting, the bad news light should give a heads-up to a lazy oil pump.

In profile the proportions look good, with well chosen Heidenau rubber assisting the stance. Original but refreshed Konis keep the rear end taught and rebuilt forks do their best to resist dive with the non-standard extra disc and caliper in play. A decision was made to keep the funky looking trapezoidal front brake master cylinder and resevoir, nice.

Despite the seemingly great condition of the donor, a cursory inspection inside the motor is never a bad idea. The 50k kms had indeed been a running-in period with everything still in serviceable order. Whilst apart the valves were re-lapped, stem seals changed, top-end gaskets replaced and the valve clearances adjusted. New clutch plates will ensure slick shifting for the new owner too. The carbs were cleaned and re-jetted to cope with the pod filters and less restrictive exhaust.

The bronze-over-black paint on the tank sits well with the dark brown seat and gives a sophisticated yet authentic finishing touch. Not too ratty-brat and certainly not glittery pizzaz. Inside a similar level of care was taken to remove any flaky rust and seal any oxidised metal.

The leather saddle is clearly box-fresh but will age well and blend into its thirty eight year old surroundings. Thankfully Zeljko has left enough patina here and there to make sure this bike ages well.

Zeljko has his latest endeavour for sale in a shop in Zagreb, and hopes that he has put something together that someone would one day like to inherit, like a decent watch or painting. Hopefully he is onto something and can help spread the custom vibe across Croatia, an importantly do what he loves whilst paying the bills. That’s the dream right?

To keep an eye on Zeljko’s progress and to see build photos of this bike head over to his Facebook page.

via PIPEBURN

FROM SAFARI TO STREET: 66 MOTORCYCLES’ XR600

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

Few motorcycles can tackle the Australian outback as well as a Honda XR600. This is the machine that kick-started Honda’s 18-year Baja 1000 winning streak, and the reliability and raw power of the mighty XR have made it a desert racing legend.

The 1996 model we’re looking at here was originally set up for the brutal Australasian Safari. And it was pretty tired by the time Sixty-Six Motorcycles of Perth got their hands on it.

“It’d had a hard life smashing through the outback, and was showing its age,” says Sixty-Six’s Peter Ellery. “We decided to create a thumper which had attitude, but with a clean aesthetic.”

Peter’s first port of call was finding the right fuel tank—but the frame’s awkward backbone complicated matters. Eventually the team settled on a Honda CB250 unit. “It had the right proportions and a period look—so the tunnel was modified and on she went!”

Next, they lopped off the XR600’s subframe and fabricated a new, slimmer one to complement the tank’s lines. Resting on top is a custom-made tan leather seat.

Thanks to a pair of 17” SM Pro rims, the stance of this XR600 is now more motard than desert racer. The rims are laced to Talon hubs, and wrapped in Shinko 705 rubber. The front forks have been rebuilt and lowered to suit the smaller wheels.

Sixty-Six redid all the XR’s wiring too—in the process moving the ignition to under the seat in a neat little aluminum box. They also installed and rejetted a Mikuni TM40 flat-slide carb. The new exhaust muffler is an off-the-shelf item. (According to Peter, it took a few mandrel bends to make it fit the header pipe.)

There’s a 7” headlight up front, and the turn signals, tail light, mini-switches, grips and mirrors are from Posh Japan. But the heat shields, chain guard and single-sided front fender bracket were all made in-house.

Sixty-Six opted to finish the XR600 (now dubbed “X ON”) in subtle hues. Dave Williams handled the tank, while the frame was powder-coated black and the engine painted in a black wrinkle.

It’s the perfect retirement for a bruised old racer. We reckon it’ll be just as much fun on the street as it was in the sand.

Sixty-Six Motorcycles website | Facebook | Instagram

via BIKEexif 

Moscot, 100 years of a New York legend

Take a close look at those who hold their heads high as they walk through Manhattan, and the chances are you’ll find a pair of vintage-style Moscot frames on the bridge of their nose. This year, the cult brand celebrates its centenary…

Moscot was initially founded by Eastern European immigrant Hyman Moscot in 1915, who began by selling the company wares from a pushcart on the Lower East Side of NYC. One hundred years and five generations later, brothers Kenny and Dr. Harvey Moscot operate from a store near that which their great-grandfather first opened in 1925, carrying over his traditional values and ample business sense. Moscot's stylish frames have been endorsed by A-listers for several decades, ranging from Frank Lloyd Wright, Billy Wilder and Truman Capote right up to January Jones, Charlize Theron and Johnny Depp.

Match the car to your glasses

The Moscot family have long been automotive enthusiasts: Hyman’s son Sol was a collector of open-top cars (a famous period photo shows him at the wheel of a 1927 Model T Ford the day he received his driving licence), while the company will also reveal a special-edition Smart ForTwo in Milan on 28 February to coincide with the launch of its special anniversary-edition Lemtosh Smart driving glasses.

Photos: Moscot

Top 5 Cafe Racers On eBay This Week

 

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silodrome

This week we came across a surprising number of Honda cafe racers - in fact this Top 5 is 100% Honda from top to bottom. The most eye-catching bike has to be the CX500, it's been re-engineered from front to back and now bears very little resemblance to the bike it started out as. This model in stock form is sometimes referred to as the "plastic maggot" and it's typically been one of Honda's less successful motorcycles, so it's been interesting to see the CX500 get a second lease on life as a popular target for custom motorcycle builders. 

Elsewhere in the list we have a pair of DOHC CB750s, the DOHC model came after the original SOHC CB750 and it hasn't been as popular with builders up until recently. The rare CB1000 is also in this list today, this model was only made for a single year and is highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts for the extra power it offers. 

Last but not least is the CB400, this is one of my personal favourites from Honda and from an engine perspective it's probably the perfect bike for use in urban areas. 

Click here to see a full list of Cafe Racers on eBay.

Honda CX500

This is one of the most engineered CX500 customs we've seen, it certainly isn't for the meek or faint of heart. The seller claims that it's extremely quick and after having had a good look at it, I believe him. 

Click here to view the listing.

Honda CB1000

This is the big gun from the CB model run, it's a 4 cylinder 1000cc motorcycle that'll make mince meat of many much more modern motorcycles. This one has been lightly modified into a modern cafe racer and looks like it could pull a train. 

Click here to view the listing.

Honda CB750

This Honda is probably the most authentic looking cafe racer here, it has the Manx tank, the studded seat and the small rear cowling coupled with clip-ons and not so much a whisper of a mudguard. 

Click here to view the listing.

Honda CB750K

This very tidy Honda has been rebuilt to surprisingly modern standards, it isn't one for the purists but it'll leave the purists well behind on any ride. It's been finished off with an appealing paint job including the lucky number 8. 

Click here to view the listing.

Honda CB400F

The small but capable CB400F is an excellent platform for cafe racer building, this beautiful example has a Manx-style alloy tank with a classic seat and a tidy, minimalistic appearance.
 

Geisha ........