Our "other" Hobbies

[MiTT]

Oh, BTW Area 51 Does NOT Exists.

Of course, and that's not me getting back into my car after a fully armed Hummer came up on the hill to my right telling us to leave through a PA. My buddies and I had a beer right there by the "No Tresspassing - Restricted Area" sign. It also says "Use of Deadly Force Authorized". We were going to leave a few beers for the guys in the Hummer but thought better of it. Didn't want to turn up "missing".

 

[jtwrace]

For all of you Ferrari lovers. I have a 1000 mile F355 crankshaft for sale. It would make grear art or you can use it in a engine. It is in mint condition. I am asking $1000.

 

[Tube60]

For all of you Ferrari lovers. I have a 1000 mile F355 crankshaft for sale. It would make grear art or you can use it in a engine. It is in mint condition. I am asking $1000.

I hate to ask, but where is the rest of the car?
Hang onto it for fifty years or so. By then the F355 will be so rare that the car could be restored from just that and the pink slip, just like they restore classics from the '30s!

 

[DavidG]

Regulation

Here in the UK, our road network is covered in 'Safety Cameras' (also known as government revenue generators) that send you a fine if you're found much more than 10% over the posted speed limit. So whereas I used to get great pleasure from various Porsches that I owned over the years, I find flying can give the same buzz, but without the government throwing speeding fines at me every other week!

Cheers,

David

 

[jtwrace]

Tube60,

I am a race car engineer. I worked for Ferrari for years before heading south to work in NASCAR. I worked on the 333sp project then the development of the 355 challenge cars. That's it!

 

[Tube60]

Tube60,

I am a race car engineer. I worked for Ferrari for years before heading south to work in NASCAR. I worked on the 333sp project then the development of the 355 challenge cars. That's it!

I'd love an F355. Nice car. Unfortunately my budget isn't there for even a used one. Although it's the Ferrari people love to hate, I'd get an '86 400i, a gray market one with the manual transmission. I saw one recently with a nice, appropriate looking 18" aftermarket wheel on it, a Euro market car, and it looked absolutely stunning. 15 years ago a friend offered me one for $13K because it needed some interior work, and he didn't want to deal with it. I was a student, and the bank wanted 23% interest on a loan for it, so I couldn't swing it.

 

[Robin]

"Photography"

Why is cycling so popular. Well mine is cycling too. Also photography. Why are all these expensive hobbies? Also of course, our beautiful little labradoodle, Charlie gets a lot of attention! And spending time at our holiday house at Shoal Bay doing nothing.

amey01,

I wanted to share some more photographs...

If you can guess where they were taken you win a prize.

 

[amey01]

amey01,

I wanted to share some more photographs...

If you can guess where they were taken you win a prize.

I'd love the prize? Is the prize Statement E2s? Regardless, I have been racking my brains trying to work out where?

 

[Pcar928fan]

David the planes look GREAT man! Way to go! I live in a fly in fly out 'hood and I have a hanger across the street...only my race car in it right now. I hope to fly at some point in the not to distant future, but I do have some other toys I would rather buy first... Ferrari 456, build a dedicated HT room (w/ a work out room and a lounge area...hell, if you are building you might as well do it RIGHT and get it ALL!), Another six car garage for the F-car as well as a Boxster, 911 Twin Trubo, E-type Jag, BMW M3.....then I should be ready for those MBL 101e's and I guess I can throw a plane in after that! LOL!

All the best and fly safely we have lost several folks from right here in the Austin, TX area in the last 2 days in general avaiation accidents. A family of four that didn't live 5 miles from here, and then a pilot by himself.

Here in the UK, our road network is covered in 'Safety Cameras' (also known as government revenue generators) that send you a fine if you're found much more than 10% over the posted speed limit. So whereas I used to get great pleasure from various Porsches that I owned over the years, I find flying can give the same buzz, but without the government throwing speeding fines at me every other week!

Cheers,

David

 

[Pcar928fan]

Tube60,

I am a race car engineer. I worked for Ferrari for years before heading south to work in NASCAR. I worked on the 333sp project then the development of the 355 challenge cars. That's it!

333SP...SWEET car! We have an ex-Dell guy here in town that has one. Can't remember his name off the top of my head...Oh, Doleheit or something like that.

 

[Pcar928fan]

I'd love an F355. Nice car. Unfortunately my budget isn't there for even a used one. Although it's the Ferrari people love to hate, I'd get an '86 400i, a gray market one with the manual transmission. I saw one recently with a nice, appropriate looking 18" aftermarket wheel on it, a Euro market car, and it looked absolutely stunning. 15 years ago a friend offered me one for $13K because it needed some interior work, and he didn't want to deal with it. I was a student, and the bank wanted 23% interest on a loan for it, so I couldn't swing it.

OUCH on missing out on that 400i! Damn...I have thought about one of those too...w/ the GM auto trans I could drive it and not even have to worry about the trans being a problem. The 456's really make the 400's look old though, they are SO sweet and becoming MUCH more affordable every day!

 

[DavidG]

David the planes look GREAT man! Way to go! I live in a fly in fly out 'hood and I have a hanger across the street...only my race car in it right now. I hope to fly at some point in the not to distant future, but I do have some other toys I would rather buy first... Ferrari 456, build a dedicated HT room (w/ a work out room and a lounge area...hell, if you are building you might as well do it RIGHT and get it ALL!), Another six car garage for the F-car as well as a Boxster, 911 Twin Trubo, E-type Jag, BMW M3.....then I should be ready for those MBL 101e's and I guess I can throw a plane in after that! LOL!

All the best and fly safely we have lost several folks from right here in the Austin, TX area in the last 2 days in general avaiation accidents. A family of four that didn't live 5 miles from here, and then a pilot by himself.

Good to hear some more people like the flying! I think for cars I'll stick to Porsche and BMW. My dad used to run Porsche and Ferrari, and whilst the Ferraris were OK, they seemed to give little if any more performance but cost a lot more money to buy and run. I've run several Porsches over the years, but between fuel costs (current UK price is around £0.89 per liter = £2.85 /usg = $5.30 / usg) and this country's obsession with the idea that 'speed kills', I've switched to a BMW 330 diesel that does most things I want.

In safety terms, in the UK we have fewer accidents per mile in general aviation that we do for motorbikes, so statistically it's not too bad. Having said all that, I hire out my aircraft to our flying club members, and one of our instructors managed to taxy my Piper into another airplane yesterday - thankfully no major damage and the only injury was to the instructors pride!

Cheers,

David
(Former 928 owner before UK taxes made me decide to sell it!)

 

[jtwrace]

Robin,

Do you ever record any of your music? I am always looking for new artists. Actually, I even bought a CD player that can play all formats for that reason. It then goes into my ref d/a. There are so many talented unsigned artists. I just love to listen to talented people. Hey, if you listen to ML and play music you are talented in my opinion.

 

[Robin]

Music Recording...

Robin,

Do you ever record any of your music? I am always looking for new artists. Actually, I even bought a CD player that can play all formats for that reason. It then goes into my ref d/a. There are so many talented unsigned artists. I just love to listen to talented people. Hey, if you listen to ML and play music you are talented in my opinion.

jtwrace,

Thank you for the kind words. I just have never had the time or inclination to record. I only play for personal enjoyment for family and clients at work sometimes that is enough for me... As you know, listening to ML's has always been completely enjoyable...

 

[Tube60]

I wanted to share some more photographs...
If you can guess where they were taken you win a prize.

Near Carmel?

 

[Tube60]

OUCH on missing out on that 400i! Damn...I have thought about one of those too...w/ the GM auto trans I could drive it and not even have to worry about the trans being a problem. The 456's really make the 400's look old though, they are SO sweet and becoming MUCH more affordable every day!

The U.S. market 400i had a GM Turbo 400 transmission. The real irony is that the 400i made WAY more horsepower than anything GM themselves sold, at the time. It was the only automatic trans available in the world that could hold up to the 400i's torque and horsepower. Nice thing about the 400i having a GM trans is that it's possible to upgrade to one of their newer 4- or 5- speed designs. I'm not sure if the 400i engine had a GM bellhousing pattern, or if GM supplied their trans with a Ferrari specific pattern. No matter what, it wouldn't be a difficult conversion, and the 400i wouldn't feel like it's always stuck between gears! One neat piece of trivia is that the 400i automatic used a Powerglide shift lever from the mid 60s! GM made a specific shifter assembly for that car. GM never used that shifter on anything other than the Powerglide in their cars. The Powerglide was a two speed. I guess somebody at Ferrari fell in love with that shifter and had to have it!
As for the 456, it's a nice car, but it doesn't do anything for me, although I've seen them go for as little as $30k.
Back in the day I ****ed off the Ferrari mechanics in the area because I told everybody who owned a 400i that the trans could be rebuilt at any old Aamco shop for a few hundred dollars!:rocker:

 

[Pcar928fan]

although I've seen them go for as little as $30k.
Back in the day I ****ed off the Ferrari mechanics in the area because I told everybody who owned a 400i that the trans could be rebuilt at any old Aamco shop for a few hundred dollars!:rocker:

That is SOOO funny! I guess those people were so pretentious that they could not even DREAM of going anywhere other than the dealership for service on the F-car! That is rich!

I have never seen a 456 anywhere near $30k...that car must have needed a new $40k motor or something! WOW! If I saw one for $30k that was not a wreck I would buy it in a heart beat! Most of the ones I have seen have been above $75k.

Good call on the 5spd retrofit on the 400i. That would help that car out a lot I would think.

All the best!

 

[Pcar928fan]

I hire out my aircraft to our flying club members, and one of our instructors managed to taxy my Piper into another airplane yesterday - thankfully no major damage and the only injury was to the instructors pride!

Cheers,

David
(Former 928 owner before UK taxes made me decide to sell it!)

That is to bad he did that, but LUCKY there was no damage! That could be VERY bad!

We don't tax cars here in Texas the way other states do. It is based on the weight of the car not the value. So, I pay $55.40/year for registration and then about $25/year for safety inspection and that is it. Just pay for gas, tires and brakes after that! LOL! In California they charge based of value! A friend was paying nearly $500/year to register his '94 928 GTS! YUCK! I would not have 6 of them if I had to do that!

All the best!

 

[Robin]

Well... Kinda Close... Maybe...

Near Carmel?

Tube60,

Sorry, Good guess though...

I'll give you a couple other general hints... Two of the three photo's were taken in California and one was taken in Washington State...

 

[jtwrace]

Robin,

What kind of guitar do you play? Brand that is. I am looking for a Wayne Henderson. I finally found one called and it was sold. Hmm. That's the way it always goes.