Doc1647545523

I'm out for tonight. Working late and then late dinner plans. I'm okay for a get-together Saturday, though. Just let me know if you'll need the Hangout open.

Today I got the revised 2012 ECTA rule book in the mail. 115 pages. I see very few rule revisions from 2011. One of those loosening of restrictions I see is this: Cars running 135-150 no longer need racing seats. The rule book will be available for you to peruse at the Hangout. It will be interesting to see if the enforcement is as strict as usual.

Is HD really the plan for Friday? Best of luck to you all. Forecasts can be wrong, but FYI: Friday Evening: Thunderstorms, some strong during the evening, then skies turning partly cloudy overnight. Storms may produce large hail and strong winds. Low 38F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Sounds delightful to me. Be sure to bring extra lawn chairs. :lolguy:

And plaudits to Jones for being so generous. :thumbup: How many of us would have the opportunity to drive one of these rare cars if he didn't so freely offer?

Good intro, Ken, and terrific truck. I hope you make it out to our meets and track days this spring. Welcome. + rep

Hangout will open at 9 p.m. CR members are all welcome.

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/herding-cats-cartoon.jpg If no parties materialize, let me know and I'll open the hangout for the usual sheanigans.

Congrats, Chadster. Such a lovely woman :thumbup:

be careful what you wish for ........

By popular demand, the hangout will be open around 9 or 9:30 tonight. I'll be at QSL at 7:30. Forza 4 working nicely, foosball, new pucks and pushers for the air hockey (bring coat or sweatshirt, air hockey is in the garage in back). Hangout address: 320 London Road, Delaware, 43015 (The Howald Industrial Park) Come in the front door of Building 100. Call me if you can't find the place or if you have any questions: 740-405-5565

By popular demand, the hangout will be open around 9 or 9:30 tonight. I'll be at QSL at 7:30. Forza 4 working nicely, foosball, new pucks and pushers for the air hockey (bring coat or sweatshirt, air hockey is in the garage in back). Hangout address: 320 London Road, Delaware, 43015 (The Howald Industrial Park) Come in the front door of Building 100. Call me if you can't find the place or if you have any questions: 740-405-5565

From Delaware to Columbus last Saturday morning, the majority of the stations raised their price for regular gas 30 to 40 cents/gallon from the time I went to Cars & Coffee until I came home, 3 hours later. I filled up two cars at 3.19/gallon that morning. Today, for the first time in recent memory, regular gas and diesel were selling at the same price (3.69/gallon) at the same station, Turkey Hill in Delaware. NPR was saying it was due to two domestic and one foreign refinery closing. A fact that surprised me was that although the U.S. imports crude oil, we actually export gasoline. This is apparently because of the very low price of natural gas here, which allows the U.S. to refine gasoline (a process that uses a lot of energy) cheaper than the rest of the world can.

Did you really use a U.S. flag as a cover for the rear shelf? Great cars, but I'm not a fan of your use of the flag.

http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99246&highlight=wilmington It's like ..... yer psychic or somethin'

Thanks. I don't believe I've posted any pics of my own shotguns previously, but I have posted pics a number of times of shotguns I consider very beautiful (usually Galazan, Fox, Purdy, Holland & Holland or Connecticut shotguns). I could never afford those guns. Example: http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1042339&postcount=6 This one was over 50k as I recall.

A 28" 20 gauge RBL Reserve from Connecticut Shotgun (side by side, round action) http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/shotguns/RBLfull.jpg http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/shotguns/RBLtop.jpg I had this one made to order for me. It's got assisted opening, automatic ejectors http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/shotguns/RBLopen.jpg selective trigger, bone and charcoal case coloring http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/shotguns/RBLtriggerguard.jpg Nicely figured exhibition grade Turkish Circassian walnut stock http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/shotguns/RBLRstock.jpg http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/shotguns/RBLLstock.jpg For trap I've got a bit of an oddity, a Valmet 412ST over/under 12 gauge. These were made in Finland after WWII and were considered a poor man's Kreighoff. http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/shotguns/Valmetfull.jpg http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/shotguns/Valmetlock.jpg Finland exported these like crazy to help pay their war debts. A very stout gun. Monte Carlo comb. http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/shotguns/Valmetstock.jpg Hardly worth the picture, Remington 870 pump http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/shotguns/870full.jpg Nothing very rare or artful here, purchased to deliver special welcoming gifts to intruders http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/shotguns/intruderwelcomingcommittee.jpg

I've got most of these on laser disc, but can't pass up DVD's at this price: Crouching Tiger Die Hard with a Veng 4 Weddings Moonstruck Peggy Sue Got Married Princess Bride Rollerball Let me know when it's convenient for you and I'll bring cash.

Sean, not sure if you saw my link or not: http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1195636&postcount=26 As it explains, there was a so-called "short wheel base" version, which is what your link's car for sale is. They were large, supersedans which could easily pass for limos. The 4-door long wheel base versions were Pullmans, and they nearly always had rear-facing middle seats and a divider between the front (driver's) compartment and the passenger compartment. There were also some 6 door long wheel base versions with two forward-facing jump seats in the middle row. A few of the long wheel base versions were coachbuilt to a landaulet with the rear convertible roof. From 1964 until 1981, about 2,800 vehicles were produced. Although you can find some of these cars at affordable prices, the restoration and regular maintenance on the car is very costly. This guy is considered the king of restoring Mercedes 600 models: http://www.mbgrand600.com/ Karl has worked on over 200 of the Grand Mercedes (only 1000-1500 are believed to still exist worldwide), and he has taken 14 of these apart, to the last bolt, in restoring them. And here is a good comparison shot: 600 Pullman in front, 600 SWB behind http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/Mercedes_600_DW_Son_268227a.jpg Finally, here's a video of Jeremy Clarkson putting one of his own 600's through some Top Gear tests:

I can think of a number of CR members who've come to meets or to Cars & Coffee and have taken a particular Bentley out for a spin .......

See the women in the back? They come as standard equipment .... http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/maybach_landaulet.jpg :masturboy:

Silly Johnny Yesterday it was at Cup o' Joes, which means today it's at Block's Bagels. It rotates every/other. Leaving for Block's now and can't wait for the lox an' salt bagel breakfast. Yum.

Great show, Howard. :thumbup: And you guys drew a big crowd for a new band. Congrats.

I admire and appreciate the premium luxury cars although I can't afford them. Over the last few months, a number of major transitions were announced. In case you didn't get the memo, but you're a fan, here's a recap of a few of the changes. Daimler AG pulls the plug on Maybach Maybach was resurrected in 2002 after Daimler failed to purchase Rolls-Royce from the Vickers Group. Billions were spent in the last decade on the brand, which never met sales expectations. Daimler had a tentative plan to work jointly with Aston Martin to develop a new Maybach in 2013, but the deal fell through a few months ago. Now, Daimler has announced that the Maybach line will be retired in 2013. http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/maybach08.jpg http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/2011maybach16medium.jpg http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/2011maybach01medium.jpg I always admired these cars. I never drove one, but I've inspected them up-close and they are very impressive. Here's my fanboy thread on CR about the Brabus Maybach: http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77229&highlight=brabus And Maybach in its last few years, began producing a landaulet: http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/maybach_landaulet.jpg Only 50 Maybachs were sold in the U.S. in 2011. But Daimler isn't getting out of the premium market altogether; they've announced that the next generation of Mercedes S-class will have three wheelbase versions, one of which will be a Pullman. The Pullmans were stretched versions on the Grand Mercedes that I think were some of the finest automobiles ever made. Again, a fanboy post I made: http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1195636&postcount=26 The "old" Mercedes 600 Pullman: http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/Grand%20Mercedes/Mercedes-Benz-600_Pullman_Limousine.jpg A photo floating around the net of the 2014 Mercedes S600 Pullman: http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/Mercedes-Benz-Maybach-replacing-2012-S600-Pullman-caught-online.jpg VeeDub not idle Meanwhile, at Volkwagen, Bugatti has sold its last Veyron (300 were made, BTW) but has now confirmed that they will produce the Galibier beginning in 2013. This four-door Bugatti was introduced as a concept car in 2010. Bugatti claims they will sell 1000-1500 of these. The supersedan is expected to use the Veyron's W16 motor, detuned to a paltry 800 or so horsepower. You wouldn't want your passengers to spill their cocktails every time you tapped the accelerator, now would you? http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/bugatti-galibier.jpg http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/Bugatti-Galibier-2.jpg http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/bugatti-galibier-16c-concept-interior-lg1.jpg Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention, set aside 1.5 million to buy one. Rolls-Royce made no major changes recently to its flagship, the Phantom. It did, however, introduce a smaller model, the Silver Ghost, which resembles the Phantom in the Ghost's extended wheelbase version. Bentley hasn't done anything exceptional at the high end, either. A series 51 edition of the Continental Flying Spur is just a dressed-up version of the base model. The Continental GT now offers a V8 version. The Mulsanne is the top model of the line: http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/2011_bentley_mulsanne_actf34_ns_120209_717.jpg It carries a premium price, but uses the traditional Rolls/Bentley 6.75 L V-8 rather than the newer VW/Audi based powerplants. The Mulliner Park Ward bespoke division of Bentley can stretch the factory models and "spruce up the back a bit": http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/bentley_arnage_limousine04s.jpg It's great to dream, isn't it?

I think you're going to get a lot of advice in this thread, mostly from guys who will be somewhat knowledgeable and who will give you some solid guidance. Here's my counterpoint to the people who will suggest you buy this and buy that: If someone were just getting into pistols and he asked you what kind to buy and what equipment he'll need, wouldn't you first suggest he go to a range with an experienced friend and try out the hobby, shoot a number of pistols, before he made any investment? IMHO, this is the same. Go out to a cigar night with some CR guys, try different cigars, listen to their opinions about humidors/humidifier media/lighting techniques. Find out what you like and don't, what you're willing to invest in vs. what you consider a waste. THEN start spending money. Your tastes will change somewhat as you get into cigars more, but if you start with some good basics, you'll enjoy it more and will get to what you like a lot faster. My 2 cents.

If you enjoyed Fearless, let me recommend a few others along those lines. Ip Man and Ip Man2 are excellent and are loosely based on a true story. Hero is excellent as well. All three have great martial arts scenes, but the stories are the strengths in these movies.