New TV show on Discovery called Rods and Wheels

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/rods-n-wheels

A vintage railcar diner in Virginia is finally getting some publicity, built in 1954, reopened in the 70's... then in the 90's bought by a waitress who worked there for 7 years, and still owned and ran by her

The Exmore Diner was originally a railcar brought down to Exmore from New Jersey by the Diner's first owner in 1954. The Diner closed in the late 50s, then reopened in the 70s under new management. Evelyn Pruitt, who worked as a waitress here for seven years, bought the Diner in 1989. Today the Diner is a family run operation employing her son Sean and daughter-in-law Crystal.

Info from http://www.exmorediner.com/index.htm photos from http://retroroadmap.com/spot/exmore-diner-vintage-diner-eastern-shore-virginia/  via http://dd20century.tumblr.com/post/72762357797/a-visit-to-the-exmore-diner

Rose lake is a Porsche grave... it once was a sinkhole that swallowed a Porsche repair shop in Winter Haven Fla

30 years ago in Winter Park, Florida, under a German car repair shop, asinkhole opened up taking five Porsches and a Datsun pickup truck with it.

Ralph had heard that a sinkhole opened up earlier in the day near the repair shop where his Porsche 911 was in for service, and he wanted to see if the news had picked up on the story. About as soon as the television came on, he saw the back of the repair shop crumble, revealing his Mexico Blue 911, and then seconds later watched as the 911 plunged into the widening hole.

 “Well, that’s what happened to your car!” one of his friends said, and turned the television off.

The sinkhole started forming late that Friday evening and rapidly spread the next day, captivating the nation. It eventually became the largest natural sinkhole that people saw form, and gobbled up at least one residence, part of the town’s pool, parts of two streets, a Datsun pickup truck with camper, and five or six Porsches.

most of the cars were removed from the pit, but two Porsches weren't, and are still down there. A 928 was owned by a guy that a year later was busted for drugs...Stories have circulated that one of the cars retrieved from the sinkhole was full of cocaine. Fritsche said he never heard anything of the sort, but a year later, the owner of another car that fell into the Winter Park sinkhole – realtor Bob Govern, whose 1979 Porsche 928 was retrieved with Fritsche’s 911 – was sentenced to 45 years in prison for helping run a $300 million marijuana ring. “I wish it had just gone down the hole,” Govern told the Orlando Sentinel in 1991.  Really? I'm not surprised that a real estate guy in Orlando in 1981 with a 2 year old 928 was busted for drugs, are you?

photos from and information found on http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/02/12/sinkhole-81-the-day-the-earth-swallowed-five-porsches/

Connecticut has found a new way to tax the drivers... snowy car tickets.

State Police are aggressively ticketing drivers who ignore Connecticut's new "ice missile" law, which requires motorists to remove all snow and ice from their vehicles.

Since the law took effect Jan. 1, state police have issued at least 230 tickets to truckers and motorists who were driving snow-covered vehicles. At $120 per summons -- the fine is $75 plus $45 in various surcharges -- that amounts to $27,600 in tickets in a month and a half.

If snow is on a vehicle and it comes off, you're responsible," Vance said.

Vance could not break down the number of tickets issued to motorists and truck drivers, who face the added burden of clearing snow from tall trailers not easily accessible from the ground.

According to the law, drivers must "remove any accumulated ice or snow from such motor vehicle, including the hood, trunk and roof of such motor vehicle, so that any ice or snow accumulated on such vehicle does not pose a threat to persons or property while the vehicle is being operated on any street or highway of this state."

The law was passed in 2010 but implementation was delayed to Jan. 1, 2014, to allow the public to become aware of the regulation and for trucking companies to develop ways to remove snow from big rigs.

If snow falls off a passenger car and damages another vehicle or causes an accident, the operator can be fined $200. Commercial drivers face a $500 fine.

Found on
http://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Ice-missiles-snowball-into-cash-for-state-5243274.php

And that is my news for the day

A movie about the Targa Florio is coming

the early Targa Florio Race story that is being told by the upcoming movie Pistons, Passions and Sicilian Pleasures and the publication The Belle Epoque of the Targa Florio Races, a new book written by David Biggins and Antonio Lombardi

The first Targa Florio was organized by Italian enthusiast Vincenzo Florio in 1906. The race at that time was a three lap event over a 92.7-mile circuit on the island of Sicily. Alessandro Cagno in an Itala won the event, taking 9.5 hours to finish, while averaging 29 mph for the run: Carlo Graziani was second in another Itala, and Paul Bablot in a Berliet was third. Florio a prominent Sicilian had previously initiated the Coppa Brescia held in Italy and first run there in 1900. It was renamed the Coppa Florio in 1905 after he offered the initial prize money and a trophy for the race.

Found on http://theoldmotor.com/?p=112112

Cop arrests cop, gets harrased

A Miami Police officer, was late for an off-duty job. While in full uniform, he ran his marked police cruiser up to 120 miles per hour on a city freeway trying to make it to work. Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Watts was one of the cars he blew past.

Uncertain of who was in the speeding car, Watts spent seven minutes with her blues-and-twos running, trying to catch the speeding Lopez. Once she pulled him over, Watts confiscated Lopez's gun and cuffed him. Lopez eventually lost his job.

after the incident, Watts alleges that she started receiving threatening and prank phone calls (some were even to order pizza), along with other forms of harassment including police cars and unmarked vehicles idling outside her house. According to MSN News, a public records request with the Sunshine State's Department of Motor Vehicles revealed that her driver's license information had been accessed by 88 different officers in 25 different agencies over 200 times in just a three-month span.

found on http://www.autoblog.com/2014/02/12/officer-who-issued-120-mph-ticket-suing-police-harassment/  and demonstrates that of the few police who do their jobs with intergrity, they can't get justice from the cops either. I suspect she's been harrased for not giving him a pass for being an idiot in uniform. They expect that from everyone else in uniform. So astoundingly corrupt.

If you read past hte link you'll see she's got a damn good case and is sueing every damn department that has run her info, in violation of a law that gives police secrecy of their residence, furthermore, for no cause to run her info. I'm shocked nothing in the news from her department head, division officer, etc decrying the outrageous behavior of everyone that has searched the database for her info, and demanded their resignation for being unprofessional, etc

Newsflash... Sinkhole inside the Corvette Museum sucks down 8 cars, (no joke, it's not April fools day)

and not every useful as they were using it to look at the walls of the hole is this quad copter footage

above is the security camera footage... now this is a very cool release to all us concerned fans... found on http://blog.powerblocktv.com/sinkhole-swallows-8-cars-at-national-corvette-museum/ 

Above, what it had looked like, below: obvious

images from http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/02/12/breaking-news-eight-cars-damaged-by-sinkhole-at-the-national-corvette-museum/

photo by Jennifer Wilburn

Above image and below video from http://www.autoblog.com/2014/02/12/corvette-museum-evacuates-at-risk-cars-after-sinkhole/#continued

1962 Black Corvette
1984 PPG Pace Car
1992 White 1 Millionth Corvette
 1993 Ruby Red 40th Anniversary Corvette
2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette
 2009 White 1.5 Millionth Corvette
1993 ZR-1 Spyder on loan from General Motors
2009 ZR1 “Blue Devil” on loan from General Motors

It's a sad morning for the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY. A sinkhole opened under the dome this morning and swallowed eight cars on display. "As it started happening, it triggered an alarm, so the security company called an employee," Museum Executive Director Wendell Strode said. The alarm, which was triggered at 5:38 a.m., also resulted in a call to the fire department. "It's about 20 feet deep. As best as I can see it is about as big as the pedestal area where we had the cars displayed," Strode said.

The dome is part of the original museum for which construction began in 1992 and was complete in 1994. Strode said nothing can be done about the cars until a structural engineer arrives and evaluates the situation. "We also have called some karst people from Western Kentucky University to come out and see what is going on. This is the first incidence of a sinkhole on the property", he said. Currently, plans are for the museum to be open, but the dome room will be closed.

Entrance Live Webcam:
http://www.corvettemuseum.org/webcam/camera4.shtml

For more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/12/corvette-museum-sinkhole/5417171/

The devil wants his Corvettes back, says a commenter on Bang shift... now that is clever!

Rafik was featured on page 7 of the Jan 6 issue of Autoweek! Congrats!

From Autoweek Magazine

central Park horse carriages the target of the New York City mayors efforts

The freshly sworn-in Bill de Blasio says the practice is cruel to the animals and needs to go, announcing his plan to replace the handsome cabs with "antique-style" electric cars, though no specifics were given on just what those cars will be. The development comes as welcome news to animal rights activists who have long campaigned against the horse-drawn carriages.

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/02/nyc-mayor-de-blasio-ban-central-park-horse-carriages/

TIME has a "Dealer of the Year" award, the winner and finalists for 2013

image from https://www.timedealeroftheyear.com/

Jeff Teague of Teague Ford Lincoln in El Dorado, Ark. has been selected as the 2014 TIME Dealer of the Year. Here's why: http://allydealerheroes.com/winners/detail/337

Teague was selected from an elite group of 56 U.S. dealers who were recognized at the 97th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention and Exposition in New Orleans, La.

"This award recognizes the best of the nation's dealers, not only for their business successes, but for their extraordinary commitment in giving back to their local communities," said Tim Russi.

The three regional finalists for the 2014 TIME Dealer of the Year award are Greg Kaminsky of Toyota of El Cajon in El Cajon, Calif. (I'm pretty impressed with my local (15 minutes away) nominee, he earned the BBB award for workplace ethics (only dealership in San Diego to do so) and has his dealership hosts blood drives)

 David Luther of Luther Westside Volkswagen in St. Louis Park, Minn.(The Luther family has generously supported many organizations, including Mn Adult & Teen Challenge (addiction recovery), N.C. Little Memorial Hospice, Gilda's Club, Metro Hope Ministries (recovery center), Angel Foundation (aiding cancer patients), Make-A-Wish, Salvation Army, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and World Vision.)

 and Marisa Shockley of Shockley Honda in Frederick, Md. ( by hosting numerous events at her dealership, making financial contributions and serving in leadership roles for a host of charities and philanthropic groups. Examples of successful on-site events at the dealership include: Bras for a Cause which raised $16,000 for breast cancer research; on-site pet adoptions; free rabies and micro-chip clinics; free ASL classes; Toys for Tots drop-off; child safety seat inspection days; winter coat drive; and a holiday bazaar to showcase the works of local craftspeople.)

GMC's bank busted for racism, what was GMAC now has a new name, and was found guilty of ripping off minorities

In an investigation of lending practices in the year after April 2011, the government agencies determined that Ally Financial and Ally Bank charged roughly 235,000 Asian/Pacific Islander, Black and Hispanic borrowers higher interest rates than their credit profiles warranted and higher rates than whites were charged in equivalent situations. The result was that those borrowers paid $200 to $300 more in total interest for the loan.

Ally Financial has agreed to pay a $98-million fine to settle an investigation into unfair lending practices overseen by the Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/12/27/ally-pay-98m-settle-ethnicity-based-discriminatory-lending/

The C.F.P.B. found that Ally “had not made sufficient efforts to ensure that it was complying with fair lending laws in its pricing of indirect auto loans,” Richard Cordray, the director of the C.F.P.B.


Those payments came in the form of “dealer markups,” or the percent that car dealerships can charge to arrange loans through banks like Ally.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/12/20/ally-in-98-million-settlement-on-bias-in-auto-loans/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1

Ally Financial Inc. was founded in 1919 as the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC), a provider of financing to automotive customers.  http://www.ally.com/about/company-structure/history/

GMAC sold a majority stake to Cerebrus in 2006, the investment group that bought Chrysler, and in 2009 they changed the name to Ally Bank, then in 2010 Ally Financial

The European Court of Justice ruled that car insurance could not be based on gender. Now men pay less, women pay more

Young women drivers buying car insurance and any man considering retirement will get a worse deal from the end of next year, following a ruling prohibiting the use of gender in insurance underwriting.

Insurers have until now charged young men significantly more to reflect the fact they are more likely to have serious accidents: a male driver under 21 is twice as likely to have an accident than a woman under 21. But the insurance industry will now have to rip up its current pricing model, and young men under the age of 25 are now likely to see premiums decrease by an average of 10%, and in some cases 25%

At the same time, car insurance premiums for women under the age of 25 are expected to rise by an average of 25% by the end of 2012, but by up to 60% for the youngest drivers, which could translate into an extra £500-£1,000 a year for some.

But Martin Lewis, creator of MoneySavingExpert.com, believes banning the use of gender for car insurance is sensible: "With car insurance I think there is some logic to this ban – gender price differences are based on behaviour. Why should one man pay more because others behaved badly? Would we allow the same to happen based on racial differences?

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/mar/01/ecj-gender-ruling-insurance-costs

Learned about it from http://www.drivelikeawoman.com/index.php/news/entry/new_ruling_says_equality_for_women_in_car_insurance/ 

Honda Fit and Chevy Spark... friends don't let friends drive accordians

found in seperate posts on http://www.autoblog.com/

Self made sales commercial to sell his old Maxima results in Nissan buying the car from him!

Luke Akers wanted to sell his 1996 Nissan Maxima GLE - yes, the one seen above that needs a ratchet strap to keep the front end from bursting with joy - the Florida filmmaker turned on his cameras and yelled "Quiet on set!" The result is a one-minute videographic homage to mankind's monuments, narrated with all the intensity of a BBC documentary to sell a 17-year-old sports sedan that comes "fully loaded with an engine, wheels, tires and an automatic transmission."

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/12/19/nissan-buys-used-maxima-from-luke-ayers-crazy-ad/

he also did a print campaign:

The time has come for me to sell my beloved 1996 Maxima, a faithful car that now has to go. Of course, I can’t send it off without a proper goodbye. So in my spare time I decided to make this little ditty. Because marketing.

Shot within two weekends on a Canon 60D and Nikkor and Sigma lenses.

Budget: $100.00

Currently accruing 1,000 views/day on Youtube.

Music: -Richter: Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons – Summer 3 -Vivaldi, The Four Seasons – Summer 3

Archival Footage: -First Pan-Tilt of the Eiffel Tower circa. 1900 -The Golden Gate Bridge

From the original Craigslist Ad:

Luxurious 1996 Maxima GLE land-ship-yacht There is luxury in a Bentley, speed in a Ferrari, comfort in Bugatti.

For everything else, there’s this 1996 Nissan Maxima; aged 17 years.

Appropriately named, never before in history has a car had the words “time-tested” engraved into its lone spirit. Being offered up for sale I present to you a car that will make magic happen. It not only brings more admiring stares than any other car I have driven it also has seatbelts! Amazing!

This pavement-yacht has a ride as smooth as a Pegasus’ backside. Its such a massive and impressive land-yacht it requires the use of steering fluid that has been designed to leak out from underneath the car when it has been exhausted from the majestic work that it has done, released into the wild when the great Maxima when it has decided its time has come. This Maxima no longer needs to let the odometer tell it how far it has gone – it has chosen a path of greatness and valor and refuses to let silly numbers determine its life!

Only moments after sitting it its comfort of properly weathered leather you will hear the squeals of glee that the powerful V6 motors makes as it groans to life. You are at the command of a great ship, a warrior land-ship-yacht with scars to prove that it has indeed been to war and back! This steed of sorts will carry you from here and only by its grace will it allow you to get to where you are going at the mercy of its majesty!

Few have ridden its glorious wheels, and few more may see its greatness.

The orange Unifying Grasp and Lift safetY (aslo known as U.G.L.Y.) restrains the front hood to the maxima degree!

Email Me!

Best Offer!

*No warranty is expressed or implied the vehicle will be sold AS-IS.
*No it is not “magic”

above text and prints from http://ikonikfilms.com/portfolio/luxury-defined-the-1996-maxima-gle-sport-sedan/

It's time to rethink the definition of foreign car maker

Honda exports more cars from the US than it imports to the US. Huh.

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/29/honda-first-japanese-carmaker-net-exporter-from-us/

the first car designed by Ferdinand Porsche was unearthed from hiding and bought up by Porsche

unrestored, and above - without the seats. No doubt far less time resistant than the frame and chassis. Below, a mock up of the original seats from the patent design paper

above: the electric motor

beautiful gauges.. very scientific looking

Thanks to Steve, and photos just some of the gallery at http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/first-porsche-uncovered-112-years-hiding-160424431.html

stolen Mustangs recovered

a fisherman reported that he had struck a submerged object with his boat. When the tide went out a 2006 Ford Mustang, valued at $80,000, was spotted in the water. A search and rescue team was called and a tow truck used to retrieve the Mustang.

http://www.thegentlemanracer.com/2011/10/stolen-mustang-found-in-lake.html

Stolen mustang stats

For over 25 years, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has published Hot Wheels, an annual report of America's 10 most stolen vehicles.

NICB reviewed Mustang theft data from 1964-2011 and identified 611,093 theft records. Overall, from 1981 through 2011, a total of 411,155 Mustangs were reported stolen. The most thefts occurred in 1981 (20,708) and the fewest in 2011 (4,347).

Although data for all years is available, confidence in pre-1981 records is low due to the inconsistency in reporting protocols and vehicle identification number (VIN) systems in use prior to 1981.

The single year with the most U.S. sales was 1966 with 549,436.
2009 logged the fewest Mustang sales reaching only 66,623 units.

 http://www.thegentlemanracer.com/2012/02/look-at-thefts-of-american-automotive.html

In 1982, a Mustang owned by a young Marine stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina, was stolen. This was no ordinary Mustang; it was a 1965 Shelby GT-350.

The Marine soon deployed and never saw that car again-until 2007 when an NICB agent contacted him with news that his Mustang was located in Maryland. In the intervening years since it was stolen, the Mustang's true identity-its VIN-had been painstakingly altered and matched with a fraudulent title. It was then sold to an unsuspecting buyer who eventually put a new $12,000 Shelby engine in it.

The duped owner was contacted in 2007 by the Maryland State Police and an NICB special agent asking to inspect his Shelby. As you can imagine, he was absolutely dazed when they informed him that his prized possession was, in fact, stolen property.

 That young Marine from 1982-now a professional airline pilot-was overjoyed when he was notified that his dream car had been recovered and was in excellent condition. And, in a classy gesture of goodwill-he was not legally required to do so-the pilot gave the former owner a check for $12,000 for the engine.

A whole lot of Mopars were sold off as some collector or focused junk yard clears out the inventory

Too late, short notice all around. The word went out on the 17th, the sale was the 18th. You'd think people would want to spread the word with free publicity on every available media outlet first

photos from http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140117/carnews01/140119827 via https://www.facebook.com/groups/dcsboc/ but the Facebook for the place is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peanuts-Classic-CARS-Trucks-and-Salveg-New-and-OLD/217581381721698