the touring Memphis Belle (not the original that is getting restored) is in San Diego/Santee for rides (450 apiece) or tours after the days rides this weekend

 

there are 8 B17's still flying, and one, named for the famous Memphis Belle (which is currently getting restored) is in San Diego for the week

image from http://www.libertyfoundation.org/index.html
story with details is at http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/mar/19/B-17-bomber-on-display-in-El-Cajon/

March 23-24	San Diego, CA Gillespie Field Airport (KSEE) Main Terminal 1960 Joe-Crosson Drive El Cajon, CA 92020 view map	Call 918-340-0243 to schedule your flight. B-17 available.
March 30	Long Beach, CA Daugherty Field Airport (KLGB) Signature Flight Support FBO 3333 East Spring Street Long Beach, CA 90806 view map	Call 918-340-0243 to schedule your flight. B-17 available.
April 6-7	Burbank, CA Bob Hope Burbank Airport (KBUR) Atlantic Aviation FBO 10750 Sherman Way Burbank, CA 91505 view map	Call 918-340-0243 to schedule your flight. B-17 available.
April 13	Bakersfield, CA Bakersfield Meadows Airport (KBFL) Epic Jet Center FBO 1105 Douglas Street Bakersfield, CA 93308 view map	Call 918-340-0243 to schedule your flight. B-17 available.
April 14	Fresno, CA Fresno-Yosemite International Airport (KFAT) Corporate Aircraft FBO 4885 East Shields Fresno, CA 93726 view map	Call 918-340-0243 to schedule your flight. B-17 available.

Las Vegas, Thursday March 21st, around 7pm, Monster Trucks roaring on the strip!

 To kick off the 2013 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Finals, on Thursday, March 21st a collection of past Monster Jam World Finals champions will participate in an autograph session in front of Planet Hollywood, followed by a procession down the world famous Las Vegas Strip.

Festivities begin at 5:00 p.m. with the Monster Jam trucks on display and drivers signing autographs.

 At 7:00 p.m. the Monster Jam trucks will travel Northbound on the Las Vegas Strip, turn at the intersection of Las Vegas Blvd. and Flamingo, and return to Planet Hollywood. This is a once in a life time Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Finals moment you won't want to miss

news about the gourmet food vans

Gourmet food trucks are now getting inspected by the Health Dept. They're going to get graded like restaurants.... so if you like to enjoy food, and not have a bad day, stick to the grade A only.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/mar/06/food-trucks-get-letter-grades/

there are 550 carts and trucks in San Diego county, half of them had been cited with violations in 2010 or 2011

in the headlines of the past week

OPTIMA® Ultimate Street Car Invitational 5th Annual Television Premiere

The Road to OPTIMA’s 2012 Search for America’s Ultimate Street Car
Comes to its Exciting, Final Conclusion

Feb.19, 2013 (MILWAUKEE) – OPTIMA^® Batteries, the global leader in high-performance automotive and marine AGM batteries and chargers, is proud to announce the premiere of its OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational television special on SPEED™ on Sunday, March 10  at 11 a.m. EST.

Visit OPTIMA’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/optimabatteries to preview all of the action and drama from the 2012 Invitational. This is the first year a broadcast audience has been able to follow along with some of the qualifiers before seeing the final event, so also check out video from the OPTIMA Faceoff at Road America, among others, to see competitors who battled it out to earn a spot in the final event. These Invitational vehicles represent a wide range of interests and styles, from a 1933 Ford hot rod to a custom-crafted Nissan GT-R, and several vintage and late-model American muscle cars modified for greatly improved performance. European supercars are also well represented in the mix, ranging from a track-friendly 1985 Porsche Carrera to a 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo.

“We’re excited to give viewers such an exciting, well-rounded look at this year’s OPTIMA Invitational,” said Cam Douglass, director of product development and marketing for OPTIMA Batteries. “We continue to see more support and greater competition each year, and 2012 brought out some of the best talent and most passionate street car enthusiasts yet.”

The OPTIMA Invitational began in 2008 when Douglass recognized a need to prove the specialty vehicles on the SEMA Show floor were built for speed and superior performance. Today the annual event occurs each Saturday following the close of the SEMA Show, bringing in top automotive talent, highly modified vehicles, credible racing veterans and fresh talent.

Additional airings will occur on thefollowing dates and times:

·       Monday, March 11 at 2:00 p.m. EST

·       Sunday, March 24 at 11:00 a.m. EST

·       Friday, March 29 at 1:00 p.m. EST

Please visit the OPTIMA Invitational website at http://www.optimabatteries.com/us/en/experience/optima-invitational/ and the OPTIMA Batteries Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/optimabatteries?fref=ts for more information.

Another legendary icon in hot rodding and sports car racing has passed away, Phil Remington

Phil Remington, last of the soup to nuts mechanics

After serving as a B-24 flight engineer in the South Pacific, Remington returned home after World War II and headed straight to the dry lakes of California. With an ultra-modified Model A fitted with a flathead V8 Ford, he set a class record by running 136 mph and change at El Mirage.

 When West Coast hot rodders started tearing up the dry lakes before World War II, he was there. When Sterling Edwards won the first bonafide sports car race staged on the West Coast after the war, he was there. When Lance Reventlow ran the first American Formula One car at Monte Carlo, he was there. When Carroll Shelby's Cobras crushed all comers from Riverside to Daytona, he was there. When John Holman and Ralph Moody were dominating the Southern stock car scene, he was there. And when Dan Gurney's All American Racers finally won Indianapolis 500, Phil Remington was there.

 As director of research and development at Shelby American, Remington was responsible for hundreds of modifications to the all-conquering Ford GT40s, Mark IIs and Mark IVs. On the sketches for these fixes, there used to be a legend: " Draftsman: Remington. Designer: Remington. Engineer: Remington. Approved: Remington." Just call him the last of the soup-to-nuts mechanics.

 As soon as the Scarab operation folded in 1962, for instance, Remington landed on his feet with the Cobra program. In fact, when Shelby started leasing shop space in Venice from Reventlow, Remington more or less went with the building. As he puts it, "I just changed payrolls, I guess you could say." A few weeks later, when Billy Krause broke a rear hub carrier while leading at race at Riverside in the Cobra's maiden race, Remington was the guy who picked up some forging blanks from his friend Ted Halibrand and made a set of new ones. These served as the prototypes for all future rear hub carriers which, by the way, never broke again.

 Excerpts from http://www.allamericanracers.com/rem/rem-story.html
posted on July 2011, http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/07/phil-remington-last-of-soup-to-nuts.html

I just got the news from http://www.rodauthority.com/news/performance-and-hot-rod-legend-phil-remington-dies-at-age-92/

Invitation to Womens Day at the Petersen Museum, March 16th

http://www.petersen.org/uploads/Womens_Day_2013_Registration_Flyer-2.pdf

Celebrate Women's History Month this year with a fun, friendly and intimidation-free dose of empowerment!

You don't have to be a 'car person' or a mechanic to feel confident about caring for your car. Together, we will work through the basics of car knowledge to leave you feeling confident and road ready.

You'll get hands on with tire care, learn to check your oil and water, and get to know your way around an engine, among other nifty tricks and tips. You'll be working in pairs or small groups on your own cars. Expect to get your hands and clothes dirty by the end of day!

 Women's Day ($30 non-members/$25 members) includes a car care clinic, light refreshments, workshop certificate, car care goody bag, Museum admission and parking validation!

 For more information, contact Lorianne Salazar at 323-964-6308 or lsalazar@petersen.org Pre-registration is required. Download the flyer here http://www.petersen.org/uploads/Womens_Day_2013_Registration_Flyer-2.pdf and sign-up now!

for more info on events at the Petersen: http://www.petersen.org/visit/museum-events/

new tv show debuts Feb 22nd, RU Faster Than a Redneck? A domestic vs import racing challenge show

http://www.ridelust.com/ru-faster-than-a-redneck-speed-promo

http://www.pro-touring.com/showthread.php?95928-Guys-that-are-attending-RTTC

Heard of the Chump Car World Series? Optima Batteries just became the title sponsors!

http://www.chumpcar.com/

Voted 2011 "Editors Choice" as the best road racing series by Grassroots Motorsports magazine!

OPTIMA® Batteries Partners with ChumpCar World Series® as First-Ever Title Sponsor





 Announcing the all-new OPTIMA® Batteries ChumpCar World Series for the upcoming 2013 North American endurance racing season (Morgan Hill, Calif. – Jan. 28, 2013) – The ChumpCar World Series®, one of the fastest-growing segments in North American motorsports, announced today that OPTIMA® Batteries, the global leader in high-performance automotive batteries and chargers, has become the premier Title Sponsor for the North American endurance racing series. OPTIMA Batteries, a division of Johnson Controls Inc. based in Milwaukee, is recognized as a world leader in the development and manufacture of high-performance automotive batteries and battery charging products, with applications including performance automotive cars and street trucks to extreme off-road vehicles, demanding commercial equipment and high-end marine.

“We are extremely excited to welcome OPTIMA Batteries to the world of grassroots endurance road racing,” reports ChumpCar’s CEO John Condren, on the OPTIMA Batteries and ChumpCar World Series relationship. “OPTIMA is already a standard in racing and is recognized by many as the best in the automotive aftermarket industry, offering dependable power, performance and endurance. Those are the same qualities that any race team competing in the ChumpCar World Series needs in order to see the checkered flag. It’s a great partnership and a perfect match.” The ChumpCar World Series features more than sixty, seven- to 36-hour-long endurance road races for amateur, semi-pro and professional race teams in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. With an emphasis on inexpensive, grassroots racing and close competition, the series holds events annually at some of North America’s greatest race tracks, including Daytona International Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Auto Club Speedway and Road America.

“The enthusiasts who participate in and make up the ChumpCar World Series epitomize the OPTIMA customer,” said Cam Douglass, OPTIMA Batteries director of product development and marketing. “For this reason, we are thrilled to sign on as the series’ first-ever Title Sponsor and support those who truly embody the automotive enthusiast spirit and passion for high-performance aftermarket products.”

OPTIMA Batteries will field a team of vehicles in the endurance race series and will extend the opportunity for seat time to editorial partners at select events throughout the season. Additional information on the OPTIMA Batteries ChumpCar Racing Team and vehicles will be announced soon. The racing action and fun begins at the inaugural OPTIMA Batteries Grand Prix at Road Atlanta on February 9, 2013.

Universal Technical Institute and Feld Motor Sports® Announce the Grave Digger® Scholarship

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. (January 26, 2013) – Universal Technical Institute (NYSE: UTI), the leading provider of post-secondary education for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, is continuing its long-standing relationship with Feld Motor Sports®, producers of Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® by offering the 2013 UTI/Grave Digger® scholarship. Together, UTI and Feld Motor Sports will provide $20,000 in tuition assistance.

 “We give students the opportunity to change their lives by providing the necessary training to realize their dreams,” said Kim McWaters, chief executive officer, Universal Technical Institute. “This scholarship will help them take the next step towards a career in the automotive industry.”

 Those interested in attending Universal Technical Institute (UTI) can enter to win a $20,000 scholarship to UTI by submitting a 2-minute video that tells Monster Jam legend, Dennis Anderson—the creator of Grave Digger—why he or she deserves the scholarship. Entrants are encouraged to be creative with their videos, whether that’s singing a song, performing a comedy sketch or reciting a poem – as long as they include information about themselves, why they should win and what they plan to do with their training after graduation. Videos can be uploaded at http://www.youtube.com/UTIGravedigger until March 8, 2013.

“Technicians have always been essential in my Monster Jam career driving Grave Digger,” said Dennis Anderson. “I’m looking forward to learning more about the next generation of technicians who may one day be maintaining a show-stopping Monster Jam truck like Grave Digger.”


http://www.monsterjam.com/News/2013/01/26/1/

Sign up for a Monster Jam VIP Experience of a Lifetime sweepstakes

source http://www.monsterjam.com/News/2012/12/21/2/ and the form is at http://www.sweepstakesfanatics.com/redirect.php?url=http://fs3.formsite.com/ccems/form330/index.html

Elapsed Times is on the magazine racks, for about $7.50

I've always enjoyed this special edition the most from Car Craft... I just bought this issue, it was finally in the store shelves last week. I haven't had time to read it yet, but the older issues are awesome. 

Like so many other museums, the Walter P Chrysler museum is bankrupt, and shut down.

A release on the museum’s website cites low attendance and explains that after 13 years of operation could not meet its own costs. It says that Chrysler “has stepped in to save the vast majority of the 67 cars and trucks housed in the collection.” Recent additions to the inventory will be curated by the Chrysler Foundation, the automaker’s charitable arm which earlier had curated the entire collection.

As for the museum, the latest word is that regular public visiting hours have been eliminated. However, the facility and vehicles likely will be used for Chrysler functions and possibly open to the public for special events.

For the full article: http://blogs.detroitnews.com/joyrides/2013/01/14/low-attendance-shuts-chrysler-classic-car-museum/ or another article at http://www.autominded.com/3686_last-look-at-the-chrysler-museum/features and gallery at http://www.autominded.com/last-look-at-the-chrysler-museum-gallery 

have an older vehicle that doesn't have the computer telling you the tire pressures, and want to know fast and easy if the tires are still correctly aired up?

TPMS sensors are pricey. A couple hundred each last time I saw one sold. And without a cars computer to interact with the sensor, the next best thing are these! Cool idea!

Found at SEMA. Best place to look though new gizmos, gadgets, and products fro vehicles

Tonight on the Travel Channel the World Championship of Bike Builders is on at 8pm Central time

Rafik is going to be on tonight, you can even catch a glimps of his 3 wheeler in the above video, and Rafik right at the end of the video.

But catching a glimpse of RK's creations aren't why I'm posting, I'm letting you know to watch the tv show for more than a glimpse, of course.

Bikers pestering a car driver til he tries to kill them? Or car driver found by bikers that had been run off the road the week before. Either way, NSFW and be safe out there friends

Found on http://parkoffka.ru/

Call for nominations for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame

Call For Nominations
 The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for the 2013 Hall of Fame and the 2013 Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame. Individuals, organizations and businesses considered for induction into the Hall of Fame will have made a positive and significant impact on motorcycling. Individuals considered for the Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame will have made a significant impact through their work in grassroots rights efforts.

 The Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame honors the men and women who have dedicated much of their lives to improving, promoting and advancing our great sport and lifestyle. The Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame recognizes the sacrifices individuals across the nation, and world, have made to protect the rights of motorcyclists through their efforts in the political arena and in grass roots motorcyclists rights organizations. Anyone who knows of a deserving individual can help the museum recognize these exceptional and deserving people by sending in a nomination.

 Nomination forms must be accompanied by credentials which explain why an individual should be considered for induction. Please keep in mind that while their achievements may be outstanding, not everyone knows it. A comprehensive overview of their accomplishments is necessary to make an informed and educated decision. Biographical info, newspaper articles, historical documents, etc. may be submitted. Anyone interested in submitting a nomination form can download the Hall of Fame Nomination form online.

The Freedom Fighters nomination form is available also or you can request a nomination form by phoning the Museum 605.347.2001 or emailing.

 Nominations must be received by the Museum no later than January 11, 2013.

Individuals chosen for induction into the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame will be honored at the annual induction breakfast ceremony on Wednesday, August 7, 2013.

http://www.sturgismuseum.com/hall-of-fame/

and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sturgis-Motorcycle-Museum-Hall-of-Fame/144185710480

Here is the list of bikes in the museum if you ever get to South Dakota and need more than Mt Rushmore, Devils Tower, and the unusual look of the Badlands topography

Margaret Dunning, the 102yr old with the Packard, (you know, the one that's been emailed around for the past year) went to Pebble Beach this year! Hagerty did a great article about her 1st PB experience

http://www.hagerty.com/classic-car-articles-resources/Features/News/All-Articles/2012/10/19/Margaret-Dunning-94-years-behind-the-wheel-and-counting?utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Hagerty%20Weekly%20News%2011-12-2012 for the story

Briefly, she's been driving since age 8, and she's had her 1930 Packard since 1949.

A lot of people talked to her at the event, and some famous ones... Leno, Henry Ford III and Edsel Ford II, and that must have been a big thrill for all of them. Her neighbor was Henry Ford... way way back when.

Dapper Jay's makes it to the cover of the San Diego Reader!

the story is at http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2012/oct/31/cover-retro-rumble/

my photo gallery is at http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2012/05/cool-barbershop-in-lamesa-dapper-jays.html from this past May