The Classicar blog is all about my passion for classic cars. I am the owner of the classic car sales website www.ClassicarGarage.com and I am a free lance editor for a Dutch classic car magazine. I am on the road a lot, testing and photographing cars and sharing my passion with other enthusiasts. Items I feel like blogging end up right here at this spot.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Triumph TR6 update
For my Triumph friends an update on my TR6. The latest modification was the removal of the rubber bumper overriders. This could not be done without filling in the gaps, because the front would look too naked! I purchased a set of early 70'ies Lucas LR8 driving lamps with full chrome housings. They are fitted directly to the bumper with specially made 'adjustment plates'. Lately I found the original black covers for them on Ebay!
Other modifications made in the past can be seen in the other picture. Aluminium 'Alfin' drums at the rear look splendid with the new Panasport Racing wheels. I had the wheels painted 'Magic Black metallic'. The wheels are very light and you can feel it, just perfect!
All the work on my car is done by the Dutch TR specialist Piet Mozes http://www.pietmozes.com
Triumph enthousiasts worldwide should also check out the website-forum http://www.tr-freun.de If you can read German you will find shiploads of TR information here, a lot of photographs and TR lovers!!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Ferrari 275 GTB/4, 1967
I will not say that my work is boring, see http://www.classicargarage.com/. Having driven and photographed over a thousand classic cars in the last seven years it is still a lot of fun... Just before Christmas 2007 it was one of these special days, I was going to hear and feel one of my favourites again: The Ferrari 275 GTB/4. In my opinion the most beautiful Ferrari GT next to the 250 SWB...EVER! On the Classicar website you can look at an extensive photo reportage and you can hear the V12 engine running.
On http://marctr6.hyves.nl/album/21055116/Video_s/64rC/video/159164045/0/9dyg/ you will find a videoclip.
DAF 555 rally car, 1969
This year an important DAF 'works' rallycar was finished after a long restoration process. This car, with registration 70-78-MF, competed in the 1971 Targa Florio and was driven by Claude Laurent and Jean-Louis Haxhe. After the Targa Florio the car was modified as a 4x4 rallycross car. Drivers Jan and Harry de Rooy were unbeatable driving the 555 4x4 models. After 1974 the car was neglected and it moved from here to there. Finally it spend 8 years in an open container behind the Daf Truck museum. In the year 1999 the car was found by one of it's current owners and it has been restored to almost 100% original condition (1971 specification). Costs nor effort were saved to achieve this. More information and photo's about the DAF racing and rally history can be found here: www.rallydaf.nl.
SLS Classic Rally 2007
In August 2007 my friend John and I participated in the 15th SLS Classic Rally with the Triumph TR6. This rally took place from August 24 until August 26. We started on sports center 'Papendal' near Arnhem (NL). The rally took us through Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and back to the Netherlands again. The finish was on the Scheveningen Boulevard. A very nice event of which we do not want to miss the 2008 edition! http://www.historicrally.org/
Photo reportage on my ClassicarGarage website:
Hietbrink coachbuilding
A visit to the workshop of Hietbrink coachbuilding is an impressive event for everybody who has ever been there. This bodywork artist is world famous for his restorations and recreations of original aluminium Ferrari bodywork. He also works on bodies of other makes if beautiful and exotic. As I visited Alwin Hietbrink he was just working on the famous Ferrari 250 'breadvan'. Through the years the car was given a new front which the owner wanted to be corrected by Hietbrink. The work was carried out using old photographs to recreate the original front. The sheeltmetal skills of this artist are just incredible. Look at the pictures or visit the website www.hietbrink.com
Mercedes-Benz Museum
Heryby a few photographs of the new Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany. On May 19, 2006 the museum was opened for the public. The museum was designed by the Dutch architects Berkel & Bos. 175 Merceds-Benz classics can be admired in this very impressive museum! www.museum-mercedes-benz.com
Beautifully restored Mercedes-Benz 300 SL roadster
I visited the firm of Jaap Havik in Purmerend the Netherlands. Havik is a Mercedes-Benz restorer and they are supplier of new and used classic MB parts. I visited him for an interview about the firm and to look at the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL roadster he just restored. In the night before my visit the last work was done on this fantastic automobile. www.jaaphavik.nl.
Porsche Classic Workshop
For an interview with Stefan Nadj (chief Classic Technik) I visited Porsche Classic Workshop in Zuffenhausen (Stuttgart, Germany). The location is historically important because here the first Porsche cars were built!
Porsche Classic Workshop repairs and restores Porsche sportscars for clients. The department 'Classic Teile' takes care about the classic parts supply, production and reproduction. The firm works on every Porsche, for the factory museum and international clients.
http://www.porsche.com/international/accessoriesandservice/classic/garage/
Modern Porsche Carrera GT, damage repair...
Porsche Classic Workshop repairs and restores Porsche sportscars for clients. The department 'Classic Teile' takes care about the classic parts supply, production and reproduction. The firm works on every Porsche, for the factory museum and international clients.
http://www.porsche.com/international/accessoriesandservice/classic/garage/
Specialist working on the body of a Porsche 914/6. The mechanic in the picture used to work in the Porsche factory from the 1970'ies.
Modern Porsche Carrera GT, damage repair...
Mercedes Benz Classic Center
Hereby some photo's of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Fellbach (Stuttgart, Germany). I visited the firm for an interview with manager Peter Spieth. Mercedes-Classic center is the restoration and classic parts branche of the Mercedes-Benz factory. The center presents top quality MB classics for sale and owners can contact the firm for restorations.