2011 In Review

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Plenty more yet to come, bare with me.

[LegacyGT]

Amazing pictures and year review! Really really good, a lot of different things you are doing there, and doing well.

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I just realized I never finished my post from Vintage Torque Fest, so we`re gonna back up for a second here.

One of the coolest things about the day was that Mike and Frank from the Discovery show American Pickers were there hanging out! It`s not exactly a celebrity spotting, but it was still pretty damn cool! That`s my Dad on the left.




Now, I`m not much of an old school V8 guy, in fact, I know basically nothing about any of these cars. I can spot an LT or LS but that`s about it!
With that said, I still had a great time checking out all these cars. Some are just junk piles, and while others might appear to be junk piles a closer look reveals that the car is really a product of a carefully tailored aesthetic.




A staple of any good rod is that it needs to be low and it needs to be loud, as well as having a distinctly unique look and sense of style.








Everyone seemed to have a pile of rusty parts for sale, which was probably why the Pickers were there.






The first "spider web" grill that I saw seemed pretty cool to me, but as I began to notice more and more of them the novelty soon wore off.






I spotted this truck that had the "spider web" in place of the window, and I liked that a bit better. Although it would suck to get caught out in the rain!




Don`t let this pristine engine bay fool you, the entire exterior of the car was all rust and splotchy flat black. It`s definitely a different sort of style!




This car was my favorite, it nailed down the rough rat rod style while still maintaining a high build quality. I have a feeling this car was not cheap to build!






I really liked this car as well, get a load of that ornament!




The interior was just as rough as the exterior, simple sheet metal floor and trans tunnel, no seats, a shifter taller than the car, and the fluid reservoirs tucked away under the driver`s feet! Not exactly a grand tourer but it definitely gets the job done.




Hidden under the converted-keg gas tank is the air tank and compressor for the suspension, which offers the added benefit of air tools on the go!

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There were plenty of trucks on display, with plenty of different styles. No two cars at the show were similar, which really goes to show the different expressions and personalities of the owners.

Some were a bit rough and simple, like this big Chevy.




This Ford preferred the look of patina with vintage lettering (my personal favorite).






Not surprisingly there were quite a few jalopies, or works in progress.






Some trucks were serious Frankenstein-type creations, like this one, powered by a heavy duty turbo diesel straight six out of a Caterpillar!






Homebrew flat black was a fairly common color choice, but this bad boy pulled it off very well. The chopped cab, simple bumper beam, peek-a-boo aluminum radiator, and air bags really came together to create a wholly unique and menacing machine.




This Chevy was another nice flat black truck.




This truck went in a different direction from most, and decided to lift it instead of slam it. I wonder what sort of fuel economy this thing gets, if any!




Toyota was probably the only import included in the entire show, although it`s not exactly standard. Under the hood is a hopped up LS2!








I was really diggin` this old panel van, with another panel van behind that has been converted into a trailer! The trailer was tastefully plastered with vintage centerfolds on the inside, classy.



Not to mention it would also be the ultimate tail gating setup!




Nearly every car had some quirkiness to it, but there were some that very much over the top! This car is a great example of a solid restoration with a horrendous result.




This zombie Plymouth really appealed to me, the firewall was smooth as could be while the rest of the car was a breeding ground for tetanus. The textural contrast was not something that you see very often.






The interior was even more curious than the outside, Excalibur was used as a shifter handle, a silver dinner fork was used for a gas pedal, and a porcelain bathroom knob was used as a dash control. Homegrown ingenuity at it`s finest.




`Elvis` here was another show stealer, the flamboyant pink paint job turned a lot of heads. Or maybe it was the two foot flames that were shooting out of the exhaust.




Flame jobs weren`t that prevalent (thank goodness!), although the `real` flames on this old Merc lead sled weren`t too bad.




Flat and classy, I can dig it!






This raw metal clear coated finished was also the only one of it`s kind on display.





There was also a dirt circle track where the cars could head out and turn a few laps on, some people preferred to do a slow cruise while the hoonigans in attendance were putting their hot rods sideways through the banks! It was quite a show. In addition there were a few live punk and hardcore bands playing indoors where they were housing the choppers and motorcylces, which I unfortunately don`t have any pictures of. It was an awesome show and a great experience and I am greatly looking forward to this year`s event, taking place again at Maquoketa Iowa on May 4th and 5th, hopefully I`ll see some of you guys there!




Vintage Torque Fest

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Shortly after the dyno night and social that the Madison Sports Car Club held at the Kelly Moss shop, we had our first autocross event for the season. Since my Sentra was still, err, not driveable, I decided I would just hang out and take some pictures. After the first couple of heats I was very fed up with just watching, so I quickly gutted my Subaru and took it out for a few runs!


































http://www.flickr.com/photos/c_harri...th/5727029269/

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I really do enjoy all forms of automotive sub-culture, case in point, this meet held by the good folks at JDM Chicago. These guys are pretty big on stance. What is stance you may ask? Simply, it is the triumph of form over function. It is getting your car as low as possible, usually with a bit of forward rake regardless of drivetrain layout, and running oversized wheels with very narrow and stretched out tires. This S2000 offers a perfect example of the best (or worst) that stance has to offer.








It`s important to realize that this is the static ride height. You may find yourself wondering; how could that car possibly get around without scraping the ground or bottoming out!? It doesn`t. When you become this dedicated to the form of your car you end up sacrificing almost every aspect of it`s function. Potholes, inclines, and speed bumps become your worst nightmare.

This MR2 is equally as horrendous (or... awesome?) as the Honda, but don`t let that roll bar fool you, it will never see any sort of motorsport competition necessitating such a thing. Equipping your car with high profile parts or suggesting that it`s track oriented is also a big part of stance.






Sometimes it may even be necessary to risk the welfare of your stance in order to complete an aesthetic, such as on this Scion.




This toaster does a better job of keeping close to the core idea behind the stance movement with it`s ridiculous wheels and suspension setup. It does get some bonus points for being turbocharged!






I very nearly bit the bullet on this STi-swapped GC8 before I purchased my current WRX wagon, but I didn`t want the hassle of sorting through another person`s zip-tie engineering. I do like the car a lot, although I would like it a lot more if it lost the scoop and switched to a front mount intercooler!




Touge Factory had their Evo X on display. Although the car gives the appearance of an aggressive time attack machine, the aero is in fact for aesthetic only. The wonders of stance!








This Z33 was very fresh, and not overly done, I`m a fan.




This Skyline turned a lot of heads when it made it`s appearance, and the crowds quickly swarmed. It`s not every day that you get to see a legendary beast from Japan such as an R34 GT-R! Alas, this wasn`t one of those days either.




Contrary to what the badging says, this car is actually a GT, not a GT-R. So instead of a badass AWD twin turbo 2.6L straight six with a 6-speed, this car is RWD with an NA 2.0L straight six with a 5-speed automatic which boasts the lofty title of being the most fuel efficient skyline ever produced.




A stock Elise, nobody seemed interested in the slightest. Not low enough, brosef.




To wrap it up, something classy.





In summary, I`m a hater, so sue me.

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Next I spent a few days hiking in Colorado, unfortunately a bunch of cars kept racing up and down the mountain, it was super annoying. You can read about that trip in it`s entirety at the link below,

http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/...adventure.html

Here are some of the highlights, sans commentary (`cause I`m lazy).

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I also wandered around the north woods for a bit and got stuck in the middle of this super busy highway, you can read, er... watch, about it at the link below,

http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/...8-21-11-a.html

But here is a brief visual recap..






















For those of you who have had the chance to go to Road America before, you can appreciate just how big that track is. For a photographer, it is like running a marathon to make sure you get to all the different corners at the right part of the day to get the right kind of light. I was exhausted at the end of that day! But also very satisfied at what came out of my SD card.

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I think just a couple more things to cover and I`ll finally have 2011 wrapped up!

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First off, I`d suggest you click `play` on this video I took as the cars headed back to the track and use it as background music while you read through the rest of the post. Go on.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSL_IOtISJc&hd=1"]Kohler International Parade - YouTube[/ame]

Here we have "The Hawk with Brian Redman" formerly known as "The Kohler Vintage Invitational with Brian Redman" formerly known as "The Brian Redman Challenge", an annual event at Road America, which brings some of the biggest crowds of the year. This year seemed to draw an even bigger crowd than usual, and it was hard enough just to breathe let alone get a clear shot of the cars.




At times the crowds of people could be simply overwhelming!




Each year this event brings together some of the most amazing racing machines from days gone by for an epic weekend wheel to wheel debauchery. Unfortunately I didn`t go to the race itself this past year, but just went and hung out at the concours held in downtown Elkhart Lake.




As a photographer, my mind is always fixated on getting the best possible angle for a shot, and at times I would have to wait nearly ten minutes to get that necessary split second gap in the crowds to get my shot. These Lolas are some of the fastest things out there, and its always a real treat to get to see them up close!






Not at all of the racecars were completely serious, for example, this rare Bocar and it`s Playskool styled steering wheel.




As a Nissan fan, Datsuns rank highly on my list of desirable cars, so I was a bit bummed out that there were only a few in attendance this year. It`s not uncommon to see a veritable fleet of 510`s and B210`s, which wasn`t the case this year.




If you`re a Trans-Am junkie there is always plenty to see, as the Penske team will usually have a large commemoration for Mark Donahue.






If Trans-Am is too raw for you, then there were some more adorable offerings as well, like this pair of Austin-Healey Sprites.






It seems that no matter what event I go to Porsches always have the highest attendance numbers, and this was no exception.








The designers of the Ford GT truly did an amazing job of recreating a retro design without losing the essence of the original, the likeness is uncanny, and rightfully so.

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Given that this is a Road America event, that held specifically for some of the best race cars that history has to offer, the spectators are generally pretty hardcore gearheads themselves, and as such the side streets and parking lots of Elkhart Lake are just as interesting as the actual concours event itself! This Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT Veloce was really cool to see in person, as it is a car I have spent countless hours racing in Forza. (I may prefer the 510, but I just can`t say no to those looks).






Every year that I go to this event there always seems to be at least one Morgan, and I think that fact alone plays a big role in my decision to come back! Morgans are just too cool! I believe this one is a more conventional 4-cylinder model...

[img]http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/general-car-guy-discussion/

...while the badge on the front of this one leads me to believe it is an LSx imbued beast. I`d like to note that the LS engine just seems to make everything better.




Oh look, another Porsche! I do need to give this one some recognition as it looked absolutely phenomenal and the BBS meshies suited it very well. Although the rubber bumpers have got to go.






Tucked off to the side, and next to a Hyundai Accent, was this 575M, the first time I`ve ever seen one. Not sure that I`d like to ever again, either.




There were quite a few MG roadsters littered about on the streets, but this one was the best representative of the group.




It really is worth the effort to go hunting around in some odd locations, as many people try to tuck their cars away from the crowds (and presumably the smudging fingers that accompany). This Plymouth Road Runner was tucked away behind some bushes by the train tracks.




I have a weakness for the 356, especially convertibles, so I can`t even remember how long I spent oogling this example. Even though the car isn`t mine and I never got a chance to pester the owner, I know have a large canvas print of the first image hanging up on my wall.






This NSX was a real head scratcher, and I was only able to determine what exactly it is thanks to my good buddy Wikipedia. I believe this to be a USDM spec NSX that is made to look partly like the Mugen NSX RR, and partly like the uber-rare NSX-R GT. Either way, it has tons of presence, although most people did simply want by without a second glance.









That`s it for my coverage, and I can`t wait for the next one in July!

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Last, but not least, I also did some detailing in 2011. I`d like to add the disclaimer that this post is not a write up, but rather is a showcase of the vehicles themselves, so don`t expect sun shots or similar. Just enjoy the cars.

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This was taken at 2 AM, that was a loooooong day.

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That concludes my recap!