Category: Automotive

Alphitomancing Hot Links

Abandoned cars, Old Car City USA, White, Georgia. Photographer unknown.

Go Away Baby, The Baby Dolls (1960) “Hi I am an original Baby Doll who is flattered by the positive comments and that our records are being played and recognized by the many viewers of websites. Just a little history on us. The Baby Dolls were a young Black female group that consisted of two sisters. and 2-3 friends that got a record deal with Maske records. I learned that our records were being played on various websites a few months ago, and was surprised that anyone remembered us, but honored that they did.”  –  Rebecca Warren, via YouTube comments, 2014.

Balcony.

Bird calls.

Mr. Atomic.

Marco Time.

Photobooth.

Royal inbreds.

How to wallow.

Only one monk.

Capt. Ignorance.

Lady of the night.

Medieval cat bombs.

…in mysterious ways.

The Indifferent Stars.

Jeeves, dead at 30.
R.I.P David Allan Coe.
R.I.P. Nedra Talley Ross.

Popeye the Sailor Moon.

Really really tiny things.

Where crabs come from.

Fujifilm X-T3 vs. Smartphone.

For want of coconuts and fish.

Canadian military fights itself.

Real men smoke Lucky Strikes.

Roman boiler [via Thompson, blog].

Thunk the Fabric Pet Rock [via Everlasting Blört].

THE Pulp Magazine Archive [via Memo Of The Air].

[Top image: Abandoned cars at Old Car City USA found here.]
Update: 1956 Mercury on the left, ditto on the right. h/t Dan P.

From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago. 15 years ago.

Lake Street

[Image of the Houston Tax Day Flood, 17 April 2016, found here.]

1938 Pontiac Silver Streak

[Found here. Photo by Neal Sanche, Butler Farm, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, 2008.]

Dithyrambic Hot Links

She’s Gone to Napoli, Laurel Aitken (1963) Dubbed The Godfather of Ska (and later Boss Skinhead) Cuban-Jamaican Lorenzo “Laurel” Aitken moved to the UK in 1960 and dropped 15 singles before heading back to Jamaica three years later. He returned to the UK in 1970 and continued performing and recording until his death in 2005.

Irony.

The Skynail.

Echo Bridge.

Boom Boom.

Inflatableman.

Enshittification.

Not the Artemis.

B&W Back Beach.

Yeeting fish heads.

Nicolas V. Sanchez.

The battle for punk.

A bunch of campers.

G.I. Jive with G.I. Jill.

The Great Wide Open.

Kinetic sand art table.

On drinking and puking.

Space Policy Directive 1.

Tom the Bot threw a hissy.

Hickshit [via Bits & Pieces].

The History of Kit-Cat Klock.

Decompaction [via Thompson, blog].

Hernán Cortés vs “the Noble Savage”.

The Chimpanzee Civil War (with video).

The Strandbeests [via Everlasting Blört].

1928 Ford LM Gypsy Wagon [via Miss Cellanea].

An excellent argument against large data centers.

WWII British home bomb shelters [via Memo Of The Air].

[Top image: A.I. modified 1969 Fiat Abarth 2000 Scorpione found here.]

From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago. 15 years ago.

The Roadtrip

[Found here.]

Be a Practical Motorist

First published in 1934 by George Newnes, British car magazine Practical Motorist became an essential guide for generations of car owners who preferred the “do-it-yourself” approach to vehicle maintenance.
[…]
More than just a technical manual, Practical Motorist captured the spirit of post-war motoring culture, fostering a community of enthusiasts who took pride in the grease under their fingernails and the reliability of their well-maintained vehicles.

[Click for larger pics. More practical covers here via Memo of the Air.]

Nothing Much Happened Today.

A man towed his wife to Sonic with a lawn mower to get a vanilla ice cream.
“So this is in Giddings TX. I grew up there and he is always doing the nicest things for her since they’re not able to legally operate a motor vehicle as they’re both mentally handicapped. Everyone in the town always does what they can to help them out, but he is very set in doing what he can for himself and her.”

[Photo and description found here.]

VW Frankencopter

From the comments section:
“I had hoped to see a video of this copter in flight. Alas, it’s never going to fly! Here’s more info I located on Instagram:
Aircraft maintenance expert Chuck Jurgen Teschke from Alberta, Canada, is creating a unique hybrid by combining a classic VW T1 Bus with parts from an Airbus H125 helicopter. This project, known as the ‘Frankencopter,’ is a static art installation designed to resemble a helicopter, though it is not intended to fly. The build features a modified VW Bus shell integrated with helicopter components, including landing skids and a tail boom, resulting in a striking visual piece that blends automotive and aviation elements.”

[Image and description found here.]

199 & 201 Henry Street

Henry Street, 1980 – © Brian Rose / Edward Fausty

In 1980, photographers Brian Rose and Edward Fausty conducted a photo survey of derelict NYC, particularly the Lower East Side. This image is of 199 & 201 Henry Street, with a 1967 Chrysler Town & Country wagon at the curb.

199 & 201 Henry Street, Manhattan, NYC (Google Maps 2024)

According to a recent comment on FB,  Apartment No. 3 at No. 199 Henry Street is now a 1 bedroom / 1 bath and rents for $2,600 / month.

[1980 view found here, 2024 screencap via Google Maps Street View.]

New Old Future Cars

AI images by graphic artist Alphonse Marcel found here.
[h/t Charlene J.]