Machines

[xoxoxoBruce]

There's been an obsession among the more-money-than-they-know-what-to-do-with crowd, to unearth hot rods, customs, and race cars that had 15 minutes of fame and restore them. They've even added a class for them at the big concours d'elegance shows. One group is car magazine cover cars, ignoring the fact that cover cars weren't necessarily the best of the breed, just good looking and available for a photo shoot before the go to press deadline each month. I think their attitude was, it ain't the best but it's better than yours.

This is one of those cars, the first cover car for Rod & Custom.

[Carruthers]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

There's been an obsession among the more-money-than-they-know-what-to-do-with crowd, to unearth hot rods, customs, and race cars that had 15 minutes of fame and restore them.

How people spend their money is a matter for them, but I struggle to understand what makes someone spend more money than most of us will see in a lifetime on a car. Each to his own.

'Exceptional' Aston Martin found 14 years after theft



An Aston Martin racing car with "an exceptional history" has been found by police 14 years after it was stolen.

The DB2, which competed in the 1949 Le Mans 24-hour race, was taken in 2002 from Baldock, Hertfordshire.

Police used intelligence to track it down to a storage facility in Eindhoven, Holland, in March this year.

The car's owner at the time of the theft died before it was found so it was returned to a relative. It is being auctioned off for up to £900,000.*

Two men convicted of stealing the car in 2003 failed to return to court for sentencing and have never been caught again.

Det Sgt Jo Goodson, from Hertfordshire Police, who travelled to Holland to seize the car, said it was "extremely satisfying" to get the vehicle back.

"It was quite emotional because it's a lovely car with an exceptional history," she added.

The green prototype, which was built as a test-bed for the later production of the DB2, was the only one of three Aston Martins in the 1949 race to cross the finish line.



Ashley Mack, who is now the rightful owner, said his relative Christopher Angell had been left "devastated" by the theft of his vehicle.

"Just before he died in 2003 he was still asking 'has that nice policeman got my car yet?'" he said.

"Even at this stage my heart will be pleased if it doesn't sell, but my head has to acknowledge that it will cost many thousands to restore."

The vehicle will go under the hammer at Bonhams' Goodwood Festival of Speed sale later this month.

* £900,000 = $1,320,000 (In round figures)

BBC link

[xoxoxoBruce]

Although it has some historical significance and would be a good Museum piece, to who ever buys and restores the car it will be a trophy, a display of wealth, and a step up the social standing ladder in the small circle of high end collectors. Some of these guys make money on these acquisitions as the auction prices climb into the stratosphere. But the prices are at risk of collapse at any time. As much as they tout the value of this or that car, the reality is it's worth not what you paid, but what someone is willing to pay you.

[Gravdigr]

It absolutely cost more to restore. Tracking down the old parts needed probably cost a small fortune. Not to mention the difference in labor costs vs. 1953.

And it's missing the towbar. Understandably.

ETA: Nevermind the towbar, where's the radiator?!?

Underneath, maybe? I've seen that a couple times.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Yeah, the tow bar was only attached when towing and is more a part of the tow rig than the car. They had Gene Winfield do the paint on the restoration and ship it back to the shop doing the assembly. Coincidentally it was Winfield who made those water pipes in the '40s, and just happened to have an NOS pair hanging on the wall of his shop. He donated them to the project when he sent the body back.

[footfootfoot]

Are you my mother?

[Flint]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

Are you my mother?

SNORT!

[Pico and ME]

awwww, I loved that book

[footfootfoot]

One of the better reasons to have kids.

[xoxoxoBruce]

One of the two contenders for first steam powered bike.
Experts are arguing over whether it was built in 1867, 1868, or 1869.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I'd love to mow the lawn, dear, but I just polished the mower...

[Gravdigr]

That's pretty cool. When there's a tractor/farm equipment show around these parts, there is always a few old riding mowers that look like Von Dutch has went at them with a pinstriping brush. I think they're kinda cool.

Baby moons, chrome steelies, and the spats make this little mower cool.

Gravdigr Approved™.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Mack halftrack...

[glatt]

Looks like pontoons for a floating bridge?

[Gravdigr]

Most of your larger punch presses are indeed final assembled on-site. Sometimes the base for the press would be set 5-10 feet or more deep into the concrete. I understand really big presses are sometimes set in a pad that sets on bedrock.

I used to work with Minster Piece-Maker punch presses. 100 ton and 150 ton presses, we'd run at about 150-200 strokes per minute. We/they had a 300 ton Niagara press that ran at about 40 strokes per minute most of the time, unless we were running particularly thin material.