Giovanine/Spurgin Roadster

I’m still on the road… We flew into Oklahoma City last night and as of this morning, I’m now in the car headed back to Austin. As such, I only have time for a quick post today. Luckily, Jimmy B did my work for me. In 1996, Curt Giovanine sat down with his dad, sister, and brother-in-law and pointed a modern video camera at the same wall in which an old 8mm video was playing. The result is some incredible footage of the Geovanine/Spurgin roadster matched up with a knowing voice over. It’s hard to watch just once.

………………

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2010 Lotus Exige S240

Known for its sporty look, the 2010 Lotus Exige S240 is now circulating in the market with a few key enhancements – new front styling and new rear wing that gives a more muscular stance enhancing its lightweight shrink-wrapped look. It is mounted to the rear body shell clam via end plates which not only increases the stiffness of the whole structure but also ensures that as much of the airflow as possible passes over the rear wing. With this incorporated system, stability is increased, drag is reduced, and the impressive downforce is maintained. Exige has the same exceptional high performance and efficiency from a supercharged 1.8 liter Lotus-tuned and Toyota-sourced 2ZZ-GE engine with Intelligent Variable Valve Timing (VVT-i) reaching up to a 240hp and 170lb-ft of torque. Thus, if you think this is the same Lotus Exige, you are not mistaken but expect for the enhancements.

2010 Lotus Exige S240

2010 Lotus Exige S240

2010 Lotus Exige S240

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VW GTI-R Rumored to Debut in Frankfurt

According to CAR, VW is rumored to be prepping an even hotter version of the GTI, dubbed the GTI-R.

The R version of the GTI will not use the 3.2L V6 from the R32, instead a turbocharged four-cylinder with around 266 horsepower, which could be the same engine in the Audi S3. All that power will be mated to an all-wheel-drive system. To make up for the added weight of the awd system, VW will also seek to cut the weight by removing some features.

The GTI-R is rumored for an unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall and a release sometime in early 2010.

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How to Beat Speeding Tickets

So you have a cool car and you want to show it off but you can’t seem to steer clear of the police radar? You’re not even doing anything wrong and they are still always following you, finding excuses to pull you over! Here are some ways you can show off your sweet ride and avoid a mishap with the police:

Don’t speed

It seems pretty easy, right? Wrong. When you have a nice car, it’s even harder to force yourself to follow the speed limits. Force yourself not to race that supercharged Mustang sitting next to you at the stoplight. When in doubt, only drive 30 mph.

Turn DOWN the music!

When you’re cruising, you really want to blast your favorite songs on your big bucks stereo system you just had installed, but try to avoid this when you spot police officers. Also, after 9 pm, turning down your music is another good idea. Many cities and towns have noise ordinances against cars and loud music.

Don’t obstruct your own view

This applies to anything in your windows, such as teddy bears from past boyfriends or girlfriends, garbage, etc. Also, window tint is extremely important. Your ride looks really suspicious if your tint is so dark that you can’t see inside. Believe it or not, there are laws limiting the visibility for window tint. Beware: I have seen police officers actually make people peel their tint off if it exceeds the legal limit!

Make sure all lights are in proper working order

This includes headlights, turning signals, running lights, brake lights, reverse lights, and even your license plate light. Each of these is a definite reason for a police officer to pull you over and in some cases, issue you a ticket. A malfunctioning light is very dangerous for you as well as other drivers.

Even though you may follow each of the above points of advice, you may still get pulled over from time to time while joyriding around town in your hot car. Studies have shown that police are more prone to pulling over nicer cars, especially red ones. However, if you use common sense and follow the rules of the road, you may lower your risk of seeing those flashing lights in your rear view mirror.

If this blog post wasn’t enough, be sure to check out a great guide on secrets to beating speeding tickets.

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Hilo Hot Rod

I’m sitting high atop a cliff that looks over Hanalei Bay. We’ve got just about every door and window open in our little beach house and the waves are crashing hard down below us. The breeze is as cool and delivers as constantly as the Modelo Especial beer we’ve been drinking all weekend. Put simply and frankly, this is paradise.

And you’d think hot rods would be the furthest from my mind considering this environment. Of course, I’m a sick and deranged bastard. I’ve been fighting the urge all week to post about some of the conversations and ideas that Tardel and I have discussed while staring at the Pacific. Keith is a sick bastard too… We’ve talked a lot about hot rods – not the industry or our professions so much, but good ole traditional hot rods.

One that came to mind that both of us have contemplated at one time or another is the ‘39 convertible originally built by Harry Keiichi Nishiyama and later finished by Robert “Papio” Kaluna. Appropriately, both did their deeds while “stranded” in paradise – Hawaii. I was going to write a nice little piece about the car, but a google search turned up an article ran by Honolulu Streets Magazine. I figured you guys would enjoy it as much as Keith and I did.

Check it out.

……..

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Hemmings Find of the Day: Stroppe Baja Bronco

Ford’s first sport-utility vehicle got a lot of exposure thanks to Bill Stroppe’s racing efforts in the Ford Bronco in the late 1960s. To commemorate the success, Ford in 1971 began offering the Baja Bronco, a “limited production duplicate” of Stroppe’s racing Broncos. Ford painted the Baja Broncos Metallic Blue, Wimbledon White and Poppy Red, then shipped them to Stroppe himself for the remainder of the conversion, which included fender flares, a padded rollbar and oversize tires.

Carl Jackson drove one on the 1971 Baja 500, pulling a Sprite travel trailer the entire way in a publicity stunt for a Sprite distributor. Both Bronco and Sprite finished, and Sprite went on to advertise its product as “the travel trailer that beat Parnelli Jones in the Baja 500.” The Bronco ended up in Tucson, Arizona, in 2002, when Andrew Norton found it, purchased it, and verified its history.

One of estimated 600 produced. Race and prototype history documented. Never rusty, older restoration with updates including 351W, AC, 2″ lift, custom bucket seats, front disc brakes.

Andrew has more on the Baja, including the telltale signs that helped him verify the Bronc, over at his website, bajabronco.com.

Would be pretty cool to find that Sprite travel trailer and pair the two up again.

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Hyundai Assurance Plan Adds 90-day Payment Relief to Help Even More

Hyundai has announced that its popular Assurance Program now includes 90 days of payment relief if a buyer is laid off within the first year of vehicle ownership.

The Hyundai Assurance program that runs from Feb 23rd to April 30, 2009 allows buyers to return their vehicles if they lose their jobs within the first year that they own them. The Assurance Plus program takes the step one step further by providing a one-time 90-day payment relief benefit.

The Assurance Program is credited with Hyundai's sales increasing 14.3 percent while almost every other automaker was down last month.

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