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Entries Tagged as 'Under the Hood'

Under the hood: Daniel Miller

January 20th, 2010 by Nick

Pictured – Beat reporter, rocker and all around cool guy Daniel Miller and his 1972 Datsun 240Z

In a town known for fakes, phonies and fantastic tales projected at 2.39:1, a man whose job it is to find the truth has a tendency to fall out of focus behind the sheer number of those trying to pass off the fabricated as fact. But when that same man emerges, red-lining it, from the depths of obscurity, behind the wheel of an early 70′s exotic with stretched lines and sleek curves, that man gets noticed. Even if that exotic was paid for in Yen.

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Under the hood: Bob Millstein

December 28th, 2009 by Stu

Pictured – Restoration czar Bob Millstein pulling the tarp off his lovingly rejuvenated Jaguar XK120 Roadster

Bob Millstein - Jaguar XK120

My father and I have been clamoring for knowledge on vintage Jaguar XKs lately. The old man is hot to acquire one of the beautiful sports cars as a sunny Sunday driver and, if my mother asks, an investment that will only continue to appreciate over time. Unlike shopping new, finding the classic car of your dreams means more than a weekend or two of kicking tires at the local dealership. It requires chat room discussions galore, visits to every classic car show you can find and endless thumbing through Hemmings and Sport Car Market. Most importantly, it requires spending inordinate amounts of time with people like Bob Millstein.

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Under the hood: Robbie Pyle

December 24th, 2009 by Nick

Pictured – Robbie Pyle and his 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT

Robbie Pyle and his 1965 ALPHA ROMEO GIULIA SPRINT GT
An Alfa Romeo isn’t exactly the car people picture when referencing a self-proclaimed “skate-rat.” But believe it or not, a dirty skateboard fits just as nicely in the back of a vintage European classic as it does in any other cool car usually associated with younger “hip” kids in LA. However, looks can be deceiving. In a town where appearance is viewed as being essential to status, Robbie breaks the stereotype.

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Under the hood: Monty the Land Rover

December 14th, 2009 by Stu

Pictured – Monty, a ’94 Land Rover Safari Defender, passing through the valley of the East African Rift while on a 14,000 mile adventure from London to Cape Town.

montythelandrover

People tend to choose vacation destinations based on how blue the water is or how pampered they will get at the spa. And for those of us bound to e-mail inboxes and office cubicles, average length of stay is usually somewhere in the week to ten day neighborhood. Ric and his girlfriend Charlie took a slightly different approach to their escape from reality this year. The Shepherds Bush, London-based couple decided to skip the Pina Coladas and all-you-can-eat buffet lines and instead spend six months roaming the earth in their ‘94 Defender affectionately known as Monty. Ric, Charlie and Monty, who left London October 1st, will have clocked an astonishing 14,000 miles when they reach Cape Town in March. That’s about 2,000 miles more than most Americans drive in a single year. As you can imagine, WIFI access is pretty hard to come by but, somewhere between the border of Ethiopia and Kenya, Ric and Charlie were good enough to share their experiences with us.

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Under the hood: Brady Erickson

December 9th, 2009 by Nick

Pictured – Brady Erickson, lead singer of LA-based The Ross Sea Party, in his 1969 Porsche 912.

Brady Porsche 912

When people see older cars in LA, it’s usually on a Sunday. Some old guy taking his prized possession out for a quick run to get the dust bunnies off of it. Once the ride is over, he puts it back, shuts the garage and drives his Lexus for the rest of the week. Older cars are just harder to deal with. After all, the last thing you want to worry about on the 110 is a hot engine or squealing transmission. Well, someone once told that to Brady Erickson, the singer of Los Angeles based The Ross Sea Party, but I don’t think he listened, or cared. His daily driver is a 1969 Porsche 912 and he drives it all over town… EVERYDAY. It’s his only car.

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Under the hood: Pierre Kanter

November 16th, 2009 by Stu

Pictured – Pierre Kanter, General Motors PR man, in his 1961 Lincoln Continental.

1961 Lincoln Continental

I know what you’re thinking – why is a General Motors PR guy cruising around downtown Manhattan in a Lincoln? They can lock you up for that sort of thing in Detroit. Pierre Kanter is no traitor though. In fact, the French-born car guy and 15 year GM marketer called up VP of Global Design Ed Welburn for his blessing before making the purchase two years ago. “It was between the ’61 Lincoln and a ‘59 Caddy Coupe de Ville. Welburn loved the Caddy but told me I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to own a Continental.”

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Under the Hood: Bill Sack

November 4th, 2009 by Nick

Pictured – Bill Sack, of fine men’s clothing shop Craft LA, in his 1957 Chevy 3100 stepside pickup.

Chevy 1

WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH CRAFT AND WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR IT?

Nobody was doing a workwear presentation properly in my mind.  It was all too costumey.  Pete and I wanted to do a Japanese-Americana workwear aesthetic but make it look real, and wearable.

WHAT’S THE STORY WITH SCORING THE TRUCK? YOU FIND IT IN A BARN? HOLD SOMEONE UP FOR IT?

I acquired the truck from a former employer.  It had been the shop truck for a denim brand, to remain nameless….

IF YOU WEREN’T DRIVING THIS YOU’D BE DRIVING…

I’d love an early 50′s coupe, or an early 60′s Cadillac.

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