SiniStroS

16K kit

2012-02-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

Dunhill Aquarium Table Lighter, circa 1950's

2012-02-10T06:57:00.001-08:00

One of a kind piece, bought decades ago by my father.

Aquarium table lighter by Alfred Dunhill, circa 1950's probably hand painted by Ben Schillingford

An extremely rare silver-plated 'Aquarium' table lighter, the perspex lucite body enclosing hand-painted scenes of the Royal William 1719 at sea, on one side and "HM Brig Watskerwitch on the other. The side panels featuring seagulls in flight and rocks, with silver plated lift-arm marked DUNHILL, in excellent condition. English circa 1950s.

Ben Shillingford used the very skilled 'intaglio' technique, where each layer of colour and detail is built up in reverse. By nature of how they are made, each is completely unique, and the lighters that feature under water scenes tend to be more widely known. However the non-aquatic scenes, (such as this one), of for example birds, outdoor pursuits, famous ships or automobiles are incredibly rare and do not come onto the market very often.

Condition*
Fantastic original condition, in good working order.
Measurements
width/length: 3.94 in.
Specifications
Materials/Techniques: Perspex body with hand painted scenes. Lift arm and mechanism in silver plate.
Creator: Alfred Dunhill.

A little about HMS Royal William

Rating: First Rate
Class: Prince
Date of Commission: 1690
Current Captain: Jack Naseby

Guns: 100
Crew: 800
Status: In service

History: HMS Prince was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Phineas Pett II at Deptford Dockyard and launched in 1670. During the Third Anglo-Dutch War she served as a flagship of the later king James II, then Duke of York and Lord High Admiral. During the Battle of Solebay (1682) she was in the center of the English fleet that was attacked by the Dutch center led by de Ruyter. The Prince was heavily damaged and Captain of the Fleet Sir John Cox was killed on board. The Duke of York was forced to shift his flag to the St Michael.
She was rebuilt by Robert Lee at Chatham Dockyard in 1692, and renamed at the same time as HMS Royal William. During the War of the Grand Alliance the ship saw action at the Battle of Barfleur of 19 May 1692. The Prince belonged to the red squadron and carried the flag of Rear-Admiral Shovell. She was the first ship to break the French line during the battle.
In December of 1721 the Royal William was transferred to the Caribbean under the command of Captain Jack Naseby with orders to join the St. George Squadron with all haste. She arrived in the Caribbean on the 2nd of February, 1722. Not long after docking in the Bahamas, Royal William engaged in action against French naval assets in the region, including a large French resupply detachment.
Recent Assignments: As of February 2nd, 1722: HMS Royal William is to safeguard British interests in the Caribbean, defend key ports and harass enemy combat patrols and fleets.
Notable action

February 4th, 1722: Under the command of Captain Naseby, HMS Royal William in conjunction with captains Ray Reyman and Kyle McAvoy, undertook a sustained defensive campaign at Riding Rocks. The powerful force engaged countless Spanish fleets, sinking or taking a great deal of tonnage. This massive effort allowed the British defenders of Riding Rocks to strengthen their positions, from meager outposts to strong and numerous forts. Thanks to this action, British victory was easier to achieve during the subsequent Battle of Riding Rocks.
April 21st, 1722: The HMS Royal William, under the command of Commodore Sir Jack Naseby, was the flagship of the Black Squadron at the battle of Puerto Cabezas. The warship exchanged fire with the enemy who, though outnumbered, put up a valiant and desperate fight before withdrawing from the battle. The Royal William suffered no critical damage during the engagement.
Port Battle History:
Port Date Battle type Enemy Result Notes
Puerto Cabezas April 21, 1722 Assault France Victory Undamaged. Flagship of the Black Squadron.

Cônica de uma morte anunciada

2012-02-10T04:47:00.000-08:00

PEÇO ENCARECIDAMENTE A TODOS QUE DIVULGUEM ESSE ABSURDO QUE NÓS MOTOCICLISTAS AQUI DO RIO DE JANEIRO ESTAMOS SENDO VÍTIMAS.

ALGUM IMBECIL TEVE A BRILHANTE IDÉIA DE COLOCAR UNS TACHÕES DE MAIS DE 10 CM DE ALTURA SEPARANDO AS FAIXAS DA RUA, PARA IMPLANTAÇÃO DA PORRA DO BRS (BUS RAPID SYSTEM).

NÃO SÃO POUCOS OS MOTOCICLISTAS QUE JÁ SE ACIDENTARAM POR CAUSA DESTA MERDA, QUE TORNA IMPOSSÍVEL TÃO SOMENTE AOS MOTOCICLISTAS TROCAR DE FAIXA.

SE O MOTOCICLISTA LEVAR UMA FECHADA, ELE NÃO TEM COMO DESVIAR E VAI PRO CHÃO. SE ELE PRECISAR DESVIAR DE UMA FREIADA BRUSCA, ELE NÃO TEM COMO FUGIR E VAI PRO CHÃO.

E SÓ UM DETALHE, ELE VAI CAIR EM AVENIDAS EXTREMAMENTE MOVIMENTADAS, VIAS DE TRÂNSITO PESADO, COM GRANDES CHANCES DE SER ATROPELADO, INCLUSIVE POR UM ÔNIBUS.

A TODOS AQUELES QUE VIVEM SOBRE DUAS RODAS, ASSIM COMO ÀQUELES QUE PREZAM PELA VIDA DE ALGUM MOTOCICLISTA, PEÇO QUE DIVULGUEM.

SE VOCÊ TEM UM PAI, IRMÃO, TIO, PRIMO, AMIGO, OU ATÉ MESMO CONHECIDO QUE ANDE DE MOTO, DIVULGUE, VOCÊ ESTARÁ ZELANDO POR SUA INTEGRIDADE FÍSICA E POR SUA VIDA.

BLOGUEIROS E DERIVADOS, AINDA QUE VOCÊS NÃO SEJAM DO RIO DE JANEIRO, DIVULGUEM.

TODOS PODEM TER CERTEZA QUE, SE CONSEGUIRMOS REVERTER ESSA IMBECILIDADE, ESSE ATENTADO A VIDA DO MOTOCICLISTA, SEM SOMBRA DE DÚVIDA ESTAREMOS SALVANDO MUITAS VIDAS E EVITANDO GRAVES ACIDENTES.

ANTES QUE SEJA TARDE, DIVULGUEM.

MUITO OBRIGADO.

LOBO

E como que tudo que é ruim acaba chegando por aqui, vamos brigar antes que aconteça...

Army Jeep in Canada

2012-02-09T03:07:00.000-08:00

Dave got his Helmet

2012-02-09T02:57:00.001-08:00

The King drove a Pantera

2012-02-08T22:17:00.000-08:00

"Elvis' purchased this 1971 yellow De Tomaso Pantera sports car in 1974 for $2,400 as a gift to then girlfriend Linda Thompson. This is the car Elvis shot - on more than one occasion! George Klein, Myrna Smith and Sheila Ryan all tell rather amazing stories about Elvis and this De Tomaso Pantera sports car:

George Klein was at Graceland one afternoon and commented on the Pantera sitting around in the back driveway. He asked Elvis about it and Elvis was apparently annoyed at the car at the time. It had quit on him driving in Memphis [It had a Ford engine!] and he had someone pick him up and drive him back to Graceland, and left the car on the side of the road. Even after it was returned to Graceland, they were unable to get it started again ... Now ... as Elvis is standing there relating this story to George he pulls out a handgun and shoots the car ... and it starts up and runs. (Thanks to George Klein for help with this story.)

Myrna Smith: 'I will never forget a hair-raising spin around Memphis in his little yellow Pantera. He was a great driver but I knew he was trying to scare me. He thought it was funny'. When they finally schreeched to a stop in Graceland's driveway, Elvis completed the 'shock treatment' by pulling out a gun and shooting the dashboard as he castigated the car for not running right.

Sheila Ryan: One time we were gonna go for a ride in the yellow Pantera and I was petrified. I was worried because he didn't drive that often. We were always in a limousine.
It was late and dark and we were on the Mississippi interstate. Elvis was driving. It's just the two of us. And we were going seventy-five and I'm thinking, okay, I can deal with seventy-five. And then eighty-five and ninety-five and a hundred and thirty. We were going a hundred and thirty. Then Elvis says, 'Here, you take the wheel'. And takes his hands off and I was like, 'Please, that's not funny. Please'. And I was like begging him. I was really scared. It was a side of him that I didn't see often. Carefree. He wasn't on the job. He wasn't working. He wasn't in Vegas. He wasn't doing shows. He was just having a good time. When I saw those gates with the musical notes on them, I was really happy to be back."
taken from elvis.com.au
(remember to give the fuckin credits when you take stuff from someone else)

The way I see it: if you are Elvis...you can buy ANY car you want...any color, any price, any day...well, he picked this one. It's also said that this was one of those gifts you say you buy for someone else when in fact you bought it for yourself.

MILD... Munster I'd Like to Drive!!!

2012-02-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

AV's Yellow Monster @ Peter's

2012-02-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

Peter from Venhoven Choppers built these crazy pipes for AV's yellow Evo.
Check'em out here: http://www.venhovenchoppers.com.br/
Can't wait to hear what they sound like!

MILF

2012-02-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

Agora mais fotos da FXR...

2012-02-02T12:11:00.001-08:00

Vendo com paralama original,velocimetro e jogo de pneus novos.

Mais fotos do furgão...

2012-02-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

o barato é loko!!!

Familia Vende tudo

2012-01-31T14:06:00.000-08:00

Vendo meu furgão (Econoline 1965 modelo Falcon)...que eu saiba,único no Brasil!!!

Cabe bastante tralha dentro e,ao mesmo tempo,é a versão Shorty(distancia entre eixos menor)...funciona tudo...perfeito...quem conhece,sabe...placa preta.

E,vendo minha FXR tb...ano 92 versao FXRP...tem freio duplo na dianteira,escape Thunderheader preto de ceramica ,carbura SS ,etc...tenho peças sobresalentes tb como paralama original e roda dianteira de liga...

Kit felicidade ou separado...me manda um email,quem tiver interesse...daniel@danielklajmic.com

A fila anda...

World Famous Erick's Hideaway

2012-01-29T15:17:00.001-08:00

My friend Erick is a cool guy. He's got a great eye for collecting and restoring old stuff. I can relate. We got a lot in common, Indians, Harleys, dentist wife called Katia an a huge collection of finished and "in the work" projects.
But Erick is way ahead of the game, he's got his own private bar!
Way to go Erick, thanks for the tour of your private museum.

rad!

2012-01-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

2012-01-15T22:50:00.001-08:00

It's ALIVEEEEEEEEE

2012-01-08T17:28:00.000-08:00

Silver and Gold....inspiration

2012-01-03T11:54:00.001-08:00

Clowning around...

2011-12-23T18:21:00.001-08:00

Random shots, blood, sweat and gears.

Right now

2011-12-23T16:16:00.000-08:00

Just went for a ride...new pipes and back to stock pegs!!!

Lovin it!!

Thanks Chrys...u da man!!!

What to do with a Dyna

2011-12-23T16:02:00.001-08:00

Bouncing some ideas around...

Eddie's BDAY!

2011-12-22T03:57:00.000-08:00

Beto and Ara putting it back together

Few minutes before the first run down south!

She's a runner! Runs like a dream!

Kickin'

Kickin'

Still kickin'

Congrats Eddie! BAT TIME!
Congrats Ara for the awesome knuckle!

Tears of a Clown

2011-12-21T05:17:00.000-08:00

HO HO HO!!! STOKED!!!

R$ 66,00 on Mercado Livre

2011-12-19T17:10:00.000-08:00

about US$ 35 on the brazilian eBay...gotta start somewhere.

motorized bicycles

2011-12-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

Bouncing some ideas around...kida makes sense to have something like this to ride around in my neighborhood.
No need for tags or helmets, no need to stop at lights, totally on the fringe of the law, outta reach of the man.
that's how I'l roll form now on.

2011-12-19T06:21:00.000-08:00

XMas

2011-12-14T17:04:00.000-08:00

Godspeed Ros

2011-12-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

rad blog!!! GODSPEED ROS

2011-12-10T18:04:00.000-08:00

Racing

2011-12-10T15:52:00.000-08:00

Hot Rod

2011-12-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

Making progress...Im happy!!!

Christmas

2011-12-07T05:18:00.000-08:00

soon...

Jeff and Fatty...

2011-12-06T23:49:00.000-08:00

putting Power Negro together...

Mais Panshovel

2011-12-03T13:25:00.001-08:00

Stolen from GK blog...

Never tought I'd use these words

2011-12-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

Old School Bobber!

Mega Sena

2011-12-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Custom-Built-Motorcycles-Chopper-WEST-COAST-CHOPPERS-JESSE-JAMES-BUILT-CHONGO-BLANCO-/200681340209?pt=US_motorcycles&hash=item2eb98a3d31#ht_500wt_1119

Sempre curti WCC!!!

who needs a pick-up truck?

2011-11-30T10:19:00.001-08:00

Nice Gennie

2011-11-29T08:11:00.001-08:00

Last Night

2011-11-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

We Are The Clash @ Angar 110

Great tribute / cover band.

Test Ride

2011-11-27T12:01:00.001-08:00

DK's tripple treat...

I promess I won't speed...
I'm surprised how much more comfy this is compared to my Sporty!!!

safety first

2011-11-27T11:58:00.001-08:00

couple of days ago near my house.

Don't you just hate when that happens??

2011-11-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

What are the odds? It's not like we only have one or two black shirts...

Carinho na coruja

2011-11-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

Speed

2011-11-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

Dei o primeiro rolezinho com a minha Speed Triple...curti bastante!!!!

Preciso pegar mais estrada...faz bem a saúde...

Foto do brother fotógrafo Rodrigo Marques.

Valeu!!!

Oh,Shit!!!

2011-11-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

mussum fazendo um emprstimo para Tião Macalé!! Episodio De Os Trapalhões

2011-11-22T08:24:00.000-08:00

R. Batatais

2011-11-21T18:49:00.000-08:00

Paulista

'72

I love tachs

Ara & DK

Back in black

Dudes

ST

2011-11-21T06:29:00.000-08:00

On a diet

2011-11-20T06:43:00.000-08:00

The 69er loosin some weight...

New cobra seat from Old gold Garage by Dan Collins...check it here.

Fishermen

2011-11-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

Foggy & The Duke

2011-11-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

Nest Bound

2011-11-19T16:01:00.001-08:00

Paulo and I heading to the Owls Nest...

O espaço tá começando a tomar forma...

well, I guess it's that time of the year again...

2011-11-18T03:49:00.000-08:00

adorable!
from hell
enough said
I ain't done nuthin'...

In the correct biker lingo, it's called pulling a sled, not a train.

When the night comes down...

2011-11-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

...The Emperor becomes...THE GRINDER!!!!!

Vintage GoPro for sale

2011-11-17T02:39:00.000-08:00

NOS...Includes helmet, ropes and dude...easy to adapt to any bike.
contact: sinistros@yousuck.com

Será???

2011-11-16T14:44:00.000-08:00

Bom...então...acho que vou acabar indo disso:

Pra isso:

RSrsrsrs,,,fazer o que,né?!!

more Power Negro...

2011-11-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

SSS Forever

2011-11-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

Cool ink

2011-11-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Tatoo do Beto...feita em LA...

Caveira usando Joe King Helmet...sort of...

2011-11-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

Motografo

Vendo PanShovel

2011-11-04T04:46:00.000-07:00

Então...pra liberar a entrada na garagem de mais uma moto,que está vindo de longe...estou vendendo a minha Panshovel 69.

Tem um post mais antigo com mais info sobre a moto(carbura cv,mallory,pingel e placa preta)...me manda um email,quem tiver interesse...acabei de instalar um kick nela tb...ela tem partida eletrica + kick agora...só alegria!!!

daniel@danielklajmic.com

I'm in love...

2011-11-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

PanShovel

2011-11-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

Novo Nova

2011-10-31T18:01:00.001-07:00

Yellow Evil Evo

2011-10-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

2011-10-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

Charlie don't surf? he's taking it to the next level!

2011-10-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

Stole from the Cycle Zombies, blog

Now, kids, don't get any ideas, ok? (you know who you are)

Do it...T-Bone...Do it!

2011-10-29T12:54:00.001-07:00

Shake on it

2011-10-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

Power Negro

2011-10-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

Perverts unite!

2011-10-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

2011-10-27T09:07:00.001-07:00

is how I feel after this weekend...

Now That The Show is Over...

2011-10-27T09:00:00.001-07:00

Back at work on the Pan...

Jeff, the money man

2011-10-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

Two Wheels Brazil

2011-10-27T08:39:00.001-07:00

Motos customizadas, clássicas, restauradas, vintage…todas manifestaçoes de uma cultura, que cada vez mais se populariza no mundo inteiro.

Mas o que faz alguém passar meses, ou, até mesmo anos, colecionando peças, tendo que lidar com as situações mais adversas, para completar a restauração ou a construção daquela ideia fixa, que chamamos de moto?

Qual seria a motivação? Dinheiro? Fama?…ou seria somente um hobby, uma terapia ocupacional para profissionais liberais com algum ou muito tempo livre?

Nada disso…o que ganhamos no final dessa cruzada é orgulho…orgulho de termos conseguido nos manter focados e de termos criado algo…e junto com isso, talvez o mais importante: ganhamos respeito de nossos companheiros, pessoas que dividem as mesmas paixões.

Um trofeu simboliza esse respeito, algo que nao pode ser comprado, somente conquistado.

Parabéns `as motos ganhadoras do Two Wheels Brazil.

Em breve anunciaremos os primeiros e segundo lugares nas categorias Restauração, Custom, e Cafe Racer

Last Night

2011-10-27T08:36:00.001-07:00

Obrigado a todos. Thanks to everyone.

2011-10-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

A vida só vale a pena quando se tem amigos com quem a gente pode contar. Muito obrigado aos velhos e novos amigos, que fizeram do Two Wheels Brazil a festa incrível que foi.

Agradeço a todos os patrocinadores, colaboradores, parceiros e pessoas que compraram ingressos e realizaram o que pouca gente acreditava que seria o melhor evento de motos clássicas da America Latina.

Life's only worthwhile when you have friends you can count on. Many thanks to all the old and new friends who made Two Wheels Brazil, this awesome party that it was.

Thanks to all the sponsors and partners as well as everybody who bought tickets and helped build what very few people believed it would be the best vintage motorcycle show in Latin America.

We Love DICE Magazine!

2011-10-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

Now, Matt, you might like this one:

YES, COLORS

2011-10-22T23:06:00.001-07:00

TWB SWU

2011-10-22T07:28:00.001-07:00

Tongnhas Mob Club

2011-10-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

Previsao do Tempo para Domingo, Two Wheels Brazil

2011-10-22T06:45:00.001-07:00

Ou seja, perfeito!

Getting Ready For Two Wheels Brazil

2011-10-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Buy This Book.

2011-10-19T17:09:00.001-07:00

Troféus Two Wheels Brazil, por Edu Mendes

2011-10-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

Senhoras e senhores.

Eis os troféus Two Wheels Brazil.

Feitos de peças usadas, recicladas, política e ambientológicamente corretas, no melhor estilo vintage, com graxa na coroa e carbono nos pistões!

Os troféus vão para:

Melhor Custom

Melhor Restauração

Melhor Cafe Racer

Que vença os melhores, só os melhores...

Two Wheels Brazil NO COLORS

2011-10-19T03:26:00.000-07:00

Em conformidade com todos os grandes eventos fechados dos Estados Unidos, decidimos fazer do Two Wheels Brazil um evento NO COLORS.

Não é uma questão de desrespeito `as cores mas sim uma preocupação com a segurança de todos.

Conforme o Paulo, bem colocou, Seguindo todos os grandes eventos de motos do mundo, como Sturgis, Daytona Bike Week etc...e especialmente o Born Free...evento que nos inspirou...o Two Wheels Brazil sera um evento "No Colors".

Pontos de Venda Two Wheels Brazil

2011-10-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

Garage Metallica - SP

Bar do Santa - SP
Breaknecks - SP
Harley Davidson Campinas - SP
HP (Cadaver) - RJ
Spades - SP

Timeless ode to man and machine

2011-10-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

I found this text by E.B White, originally published in the New Yorker, on May 1936.

Written in 1922, It's a fantastic glimpse at a bygone era, at the very transition from horse to machine. Harleys, in my opinion, were the 2 wheeled model T's up to the invention of the Evo engine , in the mid 80's.

This very feeling inspired David Allan Coe to write "I think I'm crazy but I love this old Panhead of mine..."

Farewell My Lovelly

I see by the new Sears Roebuck catalogue that it is still possible to buy an axle for a 1909 Model T Ford, but I am not deceived. The great days have faded, and the end is in sight. Only one page in the current catalogue is devoted to parts and accessories for the Model T; yet everyone remembers springtimes when the Ford gadget section was larger than men's clothing, almost as large as household furnishings. The last Model T was built in 1927, and the car is fading from what scholars call the American scene - which is an understatement, because to a few million people who grew up with it, the old Ford practically was the American scene. It was the miracle that God had wrought. And it was patently the sort of thing that could only happen once. Mechanically uncanny, it was like nothing that had ever come to the world before. Flourishing industries rose and fell with it. As a vehicle, it was hard working, commonplace, heroic; and it often seemed to transmit those qualities to the person who rode in it. My own generation identifies it with Youth, with its gaudy, irretrievable excitements; before it fades into the mist, I would like to pay it the tribute of the sigh that is not a sob, and set down random entries in a shape somewhat less cumbersome than a Sears Roebuck catalogue.

The Model T was distinguished from all other makes of cars by the fact that its transmission was of a type known as planetary - which was half metaphysics, half sheer fiction. Engineers accepted the word 'planetary' in its epicyclic sense, but I was always conscious that it also meant 'wandering', 'erratic'. Because of the peculiar nature of this planetary element, there was always, in Model T, a certain dull rapport between engine and wheels, and even when the car was in a state known as neutral, it trembled with a deep imperative and tended to inch forward. There was never a moment when the bands were not faintly egging the machine on. In this respect it was like a horse, rolling the bit on its tongue, and country people brought to it the same technique they used with draft animals.

Its most remarkable quality was its rate of acceleration. In its palmy days the Model T could take off faster than anything on the road. The reason was simple. To get under way, you simply hooked the third finger of the right hand around a lever on the steering column, pulled down hard, and shoved your left foot forcibly against the low-speed pedal. These were simple, positive motions the car responded by lunging forward with a roar. After a few seconds of this turmoil, you took your toe off the pedal, eased up a mite on the throttle, and the car, possessed of only two forward speeds, catapulted directly into high with a series of ugly jerks and was off on its glorious errand. The abruptness of this departure was never equaled in other cars of the period. The human leg was (and still is) incapable of letting in the clutch with anything like the forthright abandon that used to send Model T on its way. Letting in a clutch is a negative, hesitant motion, depending on delicate nervous control; pushing down the Ford pedal was a simple, country motion - an expansive act, which came as natural as kicking an old door to make it budge.

The driver of the old Model T was a man enthroned. The car, with top up, stood seven feet high. The driver sat on top of the gas tank, brooding it with his own body. When he wanted gasoline, he alighted, together with everything else in the front seat; the seat was pulled off, the metal cap unscrewed, and a wooden stick thrust down to sound the liquid in the well. There was always a couple of these sounding sticks kicking around in the ratty sub-cushion regions of a flivver. Refueling was more of a social function then, because the driver had to unbend, whether he wanted to or not. Directly in front of the driver was the windshield - high, uncompromisingly erect. Nobody talked about air resistance, and the four cylinders pushed the car through the atmosphere with a simple disregard of physical law.

There was this about a Model T; the purchaser never regarded his purchase as a complete, finished product. When you bought a Ford, you figured you had a start - a vibrant, spirited framework to which could be screwed an almost limitless assortment of decorative and functional hardware. Driving away from the agency, hugging the new wheel between your knees, you were already full of creative worry. A Ford was born naked as a baby, and a flourishing industry grew up out of correcting its rare deficiencies and combating its fascinating diseases. Those were the great days of lily-painting. I have been looking at some old Sears Roebuck catalogues, and they bring everything back so clear.

First you bought a Ruby Safety Reflector for the rear, so that your posterior would glow in another car's brilliance. Then you invested thirty-nine cents in some radiator Moto Wings, a popular ornament which gave the Pegasus touch to the machine and did something godlike to the owner. For nine cents you bought a fan-belt guide to keep the belt from slipping off the pulley. You bought a radiator compound to stop leaks. This was as much a part of everybody's equipment as aspirin tablets are of a medicine cabinet. You bought special oil to stop chattering, a clamp-on dash light, a patching outfit, a tool box which you bolted on the running board, a sun visor, a steering-column brace to keep the column rigid, and a set of emergency containers for gas, oil and water - three thin, disc-like cans which reposed in a case on the running board during long, important journeys - red for gas, gray for water, green for oil. It was only a beginning. After the car was about a year old, steps were taken to check the alarming disintegration. (Model T was full of tumors, but they were benign.) A set of anti-rattlers (ninety-eight cents) was a popular panacea. You hooked them on to the gas and spark rods, to the brake pull rod, and to the steering-rod connections. Hood silencers, of black rubber, were applied to the fluttering hood. Shock absorbers and snubbers gave 'complete relaxation'. Some people bought rubber pedal pads, to fit over the standard metal pedals. (I didn't like these, I remember.) Persons of a suspicious or pugnacious turn of mind bought a rear-view mirror; but most Model T owners weren't worried by what was coming from behind because they would soon enough see it out in front. They rode in a state of cheerful catalepsy. Quite a large mutinous clique among Ford owners went over to a foot accelerator (you could buy one and screw it to the floor board), but there was a certain madness in these people, because the Model T, just as she stood, had a choice of three foot pedals to push, and there were plenty of moments when both feet were occupied in the routine performance of duty and when the only way to speed up the engine was with the hand throttle.

Gadget bred gadget. Owners not only bought ready-made gadgets, they invented gadgets to meet special needs. I myself drove my car directly from the agency to the blacksmith's, and had the smith affix two enormous iron brackets to the port running board to support an army trunk.

People who owned closed models builded along different lines: they bought ball grip handles for opening doors, window anti-rattlers, and de-luxe flower vases of the cut-glass anti-splash type. People with delicate sensibilities garnished their car with a device called the Donna Lee Automobile Disseminator - a porous vase guaranteed, according to Sears, to fill the car with la faint clean odor of lavender'. The gap between open cars and closed cars was not as great then as it is now: for $11.95, Sears Roebuck converted your touring car into a sedan and you went forth renewed. One agreeable quality of the old Fords was that they had no bumpers, and their fenders softened and wilted with the years and permitted the driver to squeeze in and out of tight places.

Tires were 30 x 3 1/2, cost about twelve dollars, and punctured readily. Everybody carried a ]iffy patching set, with a nutmeg grater to roughen the tube before the goo was spread on. Everybody was capable of putting on a patch, expected to have to, and did have to.

During my association with Model T's, self-starters were not a prevalent accessory. They were expensive and under suspicion. Your car came equipped with a serviceable crank, and the first thing you learned was how to Get Results. It was a special trick, and until you learned it (usually from another Ford owner, but sometimes by a period of appalling experimentation) you might as well have been winding up an awning. The trick was to leave the ignition switch off, proceed to the animal's head, pull the choke (which was a little wire protruding through the radiator) and give the crank two or three nonchalant upward lifts. Then, whistling as though thinking about something else, you would saunter back to the driver's cabin, turn the ignition on, return to the crank, and this time, catching it on the downstroke, give it a quick spin with plenty of That. If this procedure was followed, the engine almost always responded - first with a few scattered explosions, then with a tumultuous gunfire, which you checked by racing around to the driver's seat and retarding the throttle. Often, if the emergency brake hadn't been pulled all the way back, the car advanced on you the instant the first explosion occurred and you would hold it back by leaning your weight against it. I can still feel my old Ford nuzzling me at the curb, as though looking for an apple in my pocket. In zero weather, ordinary cranking became an impossibility, except for giants. The oil thickened, and it became necessary to lack up the rear wheels, which for some planetary reason, eased the throw.

The lore and legend that governed the Ford were boundless. Owners had their own theories about everything; they discussed mutual problems in that wise, infinitely resourceful way old women discuss rheumatism. Exact knowledge was pretty scarce, and often proved less effective than superstition. Dropping a camphor ball into the gas tank was a popular expedient; it seemed to have a tonic effect both on man and machine. There wasn't much to base exact knowledge on. The Ford driver flew blind. He didn't know the temperature of his engine, the speed of his car, the amount of his fuel, or the pressure of his oil (the old Ford lubricated itself by what was amiably described as the 'splash system'). A speedometer cost money and was an extra, like a windshield-wiper. The dashboard of the early models was bare save for an ignition key; later models, grown effete, boasted an ammeter which pulsated alarmingly with the throbbing of the car. Under the dash was a box of coils, with vibrators which you adjusted, or thought you adjusted. Whatever the driver learned of his motor, he learned not through instruments but through sudden developments. I remember that the timer was one of the vital organs about which there was ample doctrine. When everything else had been checked, you had a look at the timer. It was an extravagantly odd little device, simple in construction, mysterious in function. It contained a roller, held by a spring, and there were four contact points on the inside of the case against which, many people believed, the roller rolled. I have had a timer apart on a sick Ford many times. But I never really knew what I was up to, I was just showing off before God. There were almost as many schools of thought as there were timers. Some people, when things went wrong, just clenched their teeth and gave the timer a smart crack with a wrench. Other people opened it up and blew on it. There was a school that held that the timer needed large amounts of oil; they fixed it by frequent baptism. And there was a school that was positive it was meant to run dry as a bone; these people were continually taking it off and wiping it. I remember once spitting into a timer; not in anger, but in a spirit of research. You see, the Model T driver moved in the realm of metaphysics. He believed his car could be hexed.

One reason the Ford anatomy was never reduced to an exact science was that, having 'fixed' it, the owner couldn't honestly claim that the treatment had brought about the cure. There were too many authenticated cases of Fords fixing themselves - restored naturally to health after a short rest. Farmers soon discovered this, and it fitted nicely with their draft-horse philosophy: 'Let 'er cool off and she'll snap into it again.'

A Ford owner had Number One Bearing constantly in mind. This bearing, being at the front end of the motor, was the one that always burned out, because the oil didn't reach it when the car was climbing hills. (That's what I was always told, anyway.) The oil used to recede and leave Number One dry as a clam flat; you had to watch that bearing like a hawk. It was like a weak heart - you could hear it start knocking, and that was when you stopped to let her cool off. Try as you would to keep the oil supply right, in the end Number One always went out. 'Number One Bearing burned out on me and I had to have her replaced,' you would say, wisely; and your companions always had a lot to tell about how to protect and pamper Number One to keep her alive.

Sprinkled not too liberally among the millions of amateur witch doctors who drove Fords and applied their own abominable cures were the heaven sent mechanics who could really make the car talk. These professionals turned up in undreamed-of spots. One time, on the banks of the Columbia River in Washington, I heard the rear end go out of my Model T when I was trying to whip it up a steep incline onto the deck of a ferry. Something snapped; the car slid backwards into the mud. It seemed to me like the end of the trail. But the captain of the ferry, observing the withered remnant, spoke up.

'What's got her?' he asked.

'I guess it's the rear end,' I replied listlessly. The captain leaned over the rail and stared. Then I saw that there was a hunger in his eyes that set him off from other men.

'Tell you what,' he said casually, trying to cover up his eagerness, 'let's pull the son of a bitch up onto the boat, and I'll help you fix her while we're going back and forth on the river.'

We did just this. All that day I plied between the towns of Pasco and Kenniwick, while the skipper (who had once worked in a Ford garage) directed the amazing work of resetting the bones of my car.

Springtime in the heyday of the Model T was a delirious season. Owning a car was still a major excitement, roads were still wonderful and bad. The Fords were obviously conceived in madness: any car which was capable of going from forward into reverse without any perceptible mechanical hiatus was bound to be a mighty challenging thing to the human imagination. Boys used to veer them off the highway into a level pasture and run wild with them, as though they were cutting up with a girl. Most everybody used the reverse pedal quite as much as the regular foot brake - it distributed the wear over the bands and wore them all down evenly. That was the big trick, to wear all the bands down evenly, so that the final chattering would be total and the whole unit scream for renewal.

The days were golden, the nights were dim and strange. I still recall with trembling those loud, nocturnal crises when you drew up to a signpost and raced the engine so the lights would be bright enough to read destinations by. I have never been really planetary since. I suppose it's time to say goodbye. Farewell, my lovely!

** From the New Yorker for May 16, 1936.

* E.B. White is the author of Charlotte's Web and One Man's Meat, among other works.

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Esgotado o 2o lote de ingressos!

2011-10-13T05:48:00.000-07:00

Acabamos de vender o último ingresso do 2o lote!

Agradecemos a todos que compraram ingressos e todos os expositores.

Vamos fazer do Two Wheels Brazil o maior evento de motos da America Latina.

Não fique de fora.

Vendo 69er

2011-10-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

Então...ainda dá tempo de chegar no TWB de Harlão Vintage!!!!

Estou vendendo minha Panshovel 1969 (Placa preta do ano).

Funciona tudo,perfeita!!!Sem gambiarras.Motor no acabamento original e STD de medida.

Eu conheco os ultimos dois donos da moto...inclusive tenho todas as notas fiscais de serviços feitos na moto desde 1995.

Partida eletrica,carburador CV ,torneira Pingel e sissy bar detachable.

Moto impecável!!!

Valor:R$35.000,00 reais.

Obrigado!!!

DK-11.8461.5333

Não vai faltar brindes no Two Wheels Brazil !!!

2011-10-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

Muito obrigado ao Mike D. (Born Free, Born Looser) pelos bonés, camisetas, adesivos e posters.

Muitos brindes pra quem for ao Two Wheels Brazil.

Many thanks to Mike D. (Born Free, Born Looser) for all the frrebies that we will be giving away at Two Wheels Brazil

RJ

2011-10-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Estive no RJ fotografando alguns amigos...estarei expondo algumas fotos no TWB!!!

Enquanto isso...

Olha o filme feito pelo Tino:

Garage Metallica Dyna

2011-10-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

Chrys,

Valeu, bro!

a máquina tá incrível.

2a to aí pra pegar a danada.

Many thanx!

Hotel Two Wheels Brazil:

2011-10-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

Pra quem quiser ficar hospedado onde as atrações internacionais vão ficar:

PLAZA INN AMERICAN LOFT
RUA TURIASSU 1863
http://www.plazainn.com.br/br/hoteis/apresentacao.aspx?NumHotel=19&hotel=Plaza%20Inn%20American%20Loft

Dispõe de acomodações single e duplo somente.

Categorias standard, vip e luxo.

Seguem abaixo os valores de diárias:

Standard

01 pessoa R$ 270,00
02 pessoas R$ 319,00

VIP

01 pessoa R$ 414,00
02 pessoas R$ 490,00

Luxo

01 ou 02 pessoas R$ 646,00.

As diárias incluem, o café da manhã, internet, estacionamento e não cobram taxas.

Renato Marques Luz
Sunrise Assessoria em Viagens Ltda
Tel. / Fax : (11) 2682-3696 Ramal 20
Nextel: 7871-0040 - ID 55*84*39780
Rua Arcoverde, 439 – Vila Guilhermina – CEP 03543-100 - SP
E-Mail: sunrise@sunrisetur.com.br
Skype: renato.sunrisetur
www.sunrisetur.com.br <http://www.sunrisetur.com.br>

Friendly Shoulder

2011-10-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

ATR for Two Wheels Brazil

2011-10-03T19:15:00.001-07:00

ATR for Two Wheels Brazil from Wild Honey Productions on Vimeo.

motorama II

2011-10-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

kevin.....thx for the pictures...

Mais uma cachaça

2011-10-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

Estou montando um outro blog para acompanhar a montagem do meu Hot Rod:

http://sweetdreamsaremadeofsteel.blogspot.com

Cola lá!!!

motorama - long beach

2011-10-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

kevin silva sent this picture... from john edwards killer pan....thx man!

Brooklyn Invitational 2011

2011-09-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

Sinistras, Copeland and Cicero

DicE family and SSS

O que é o Two Wheels Brazil

2011-09-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

O que eh o TWO WHEELS BRAZIL?

Eh um evento de motos (todas as motos sao bem vindas) porem com foco nas Choppers anos 60 e 70 e motos vintage (antigas) de todas as epocas.
Baseado nos modelos de eventos menores e mais bacanas da California.
Uma festa pra quem gosta de moto, pra familia e amigos...e nao um Salao do Automovel...

O que ha de diferente de outros eventos de motos?

Intercambio entre os maiores customizadores de motos do mundo e o Brasil. Pela primeiras vez teremos a nata da cultura de motos junta no Brasil...as vezes nem em eventos nos EUA pode-se juntar o time que o TWB esta trazendo.

Estrutura de primeiro mundo, com restaurantes, bares, bandas ao vivo, exposicao das mais famosas motos...

Sera um dia inteiro com presentes para quem participar...desde pecas caras de motos, jaquetas, camisetas, adesivos e etc...Vamos dar premios o dia inteiro!

TODOS os grandes nomes de customizacao do Brasil estarao presente, mostrando o que nos temos de bom (e que nao eh pouco coisa) para o mundo, pois teremos cobertura de revistas do Brasil, EUA e Europa...

Chance que conhecer, bater um papo, tomar uma cerveja com os principais nomes do mundo de customizacao de motos...

Espaco kids, teremos mtas atracoes para as mulheres e esposas, com joias da marca K/LLER de Nova Iorque, entre outras...

Exposicao de fotos com Michael Schmidt, Edu Mendes, Daniel Klajmic, Adam Wright, Cicero deGuzman Jr. e Josh Kurpius...

TODOS QUE FOREM DE MOTO TERAO ESTACIONAMENTO GRATUITO DENTRO DA ARENA TWB...

CONCURSO DE MELHOR CHOPPER, MELHOR CAFE RACER, eleito pelos customizadores que tem suas motos na capa de TODAS as revistas do meio...

Tudo isso num espaco DENTRO de Sao Paulo, com uma area de mata atlantica preservada...

Participacao da Policia Militar do Estado de Sao Paulo, com suas motos e dando toda seguranca ao evento...

Quem tiver interesse em levar mais de uma moto, entre em contato.

Quem tiver interesse em divulgar seu trabalho, oficina, pecas e etc...temos espacos a venda.

Ainda temos ALGUMAS GRANDES surpresas que serao divulgadas mais proximo do evento.

Havera uma pista de skate no local...

SWAP MEET onde vc deixa sua peca 'encalhada' no armario e volta pra casa com dinheiro ou outra peca...

Vc podera comprar, vender, ganhar e estar com os amigos num evento unico, jamais feito antes no Brasil.

Com toda essa estrutura, convidados, atracoes, presentes, restaurantes, bandas, concursos...duvido que alguem fique descontente na segunda-feira...

O ingresso continua 65,00 reais ate que acabe o segundo lote...

ESPERO ter tirado algumas duvidas, se houver mais, estou a disposicao...Mandem por email ou deixem no comentario abaixo que responderemos.
Paulo