Garage Style Magazine Issue 19

magazine

Winter 2012

On stands until January 2013

Visiting Ace Cafe London

Discovering Garage Door Hernando’s Buyer’s Hideaway Guide Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

1

2

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

3

contents 16

30

features 16

Monterey Review

24

A Place for all Good Things

30

Ace Café London

34

Hernando’s Hideaway

38

409K

42

Garages in History

special sections 48

Garage Door Buyer’s Guide

58

Holiday Wine Ideas

34 4

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

departments 6

Publisher’s Note

8

Lance’s Column

10

Phil’s Column

11

Personal Notes

12

Garage News

22

Office Profile

46

Barn Finds

54

Automobilia Outlook

56

Business Profile

Audible Autos

Dispatches from the Ultimate Garage Tour

54

John Hannukaine

Clingerman Doors

80

56 62

Artist Profile

64

Unique Artists

66

Automobile Review

68

Book Reviews

72

Last Minute Holiday Buyer’s Guide

79

Matt’s Column

80

Garage Meanings

82

Garage Bazaar

Misjif

David Sova Richard Lewis Scotty Ziegler

Fisker

Be it Ever so Humble, There’s no Garage Like Home

Chris Runge

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

5

Publisher’s

note Doesn’t Virtual Mean Almost?

O

ne of my favorite pastimes, with the lack of AutoTrader in every convenience store rack, is scouring eBay. The online swap meet for the world is a dangerous land filled with bargains aplenty and needful things too numerous to count. This past week I exhibited my nerdy Knight Rider side and bought a slick T-shirt with an illustration of the Knight Two Thousand’s (K.I.T.T.) dashboard. I also “invested” in a future collectible, my 1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic, by buying a brand new hood ornament, the original on my car having deteriorated over the years.

The online phenomenon has truly changed the market landscape in so many ways. In many cases, it’s made business easier for people, and in some cases, it’s put business out of business. A lot of magazines have come and gone in the face of this emerging era, a phrase my techy friends don’t like me using, stating that it’s not an emerging era, that it’s here, it’s now. But my rebuttal finds its credence in the fact that one problem the E-phenom will always face about being here and now is its lack of being able to just be. It’s constantly developing, constantly changing, constantly getting better, constantly updating, etc. Thus lending truth to the old phrase, “the only constant is change.” In this E-age, nothing could be more true. And, to be honest, I’m not sure it’s a good thing.

People need constants, real constants that they can depend on to be there. The latest Smart Phone only replaces the last latest Smart Phone. When was the last time you rented a movie from a major film rental chain? How about buying a CD at the local record store? It’s such a rare occurrence now because those two items are found through your computer and phone. Has anyone noticed, too, at least in the case of renting a movie, that it’s not as instant as the E-generation would like to believe? Enter store, find movie, pay clerk, leave, watch movie... not anymore. Logon, find movie (good luck finding anything vintage and obscure), rent, account is charged, and tomorrow there it is. Plan ahead - no mood movie settling here.

Even magazines are moving online, hence the aforementioned AutoTrader. GSM will merge into the E-world soon, likely in the middle of 2013, and we’ll begin offering readers the option of an E-subscription or a printed subscription. It’ll be brilliant for our overseas friends, cutting out the shipping tab. Not so good for the postal system, but they seem to always be on the brink of disaster, and the E-age just pushes them that much closer to extinction, not something I would like to see. But do you wonder why the postal service never did anything like AOL or Yahoo! to provide customers with an online portal to sell advertising and more services while offering the original service of getting a note from here to there? I sure do. Maybe the postal service is an example of what happens when a person, or group of people, is too constant and unchanging. We certainly can’t have that with GSM, and therefore, we’re making the bold move into E-newsletters, E-subscriptions, and even T-shirts. Hey, there’s got to be one really familiar familiarity involved, right? So, stay tuned - in time, we’ll be as modern as modern can be, and yet, still catching up thanks to the ever-constantly changing E-world. But, my guess is that outside of those requesting E-subscriptions to avoid the nutty freight, GSM will still be in high demand in print, old school, glossy pulp, tangible, storable, and displayable on a desk or table, something to be shared and enjoyed. Ever wonder why computer and tech magazines are still largely printed and not just E? There’s some irony there magazines don’t crash, and maybe that’s the sell.

Issue 19 marks our final issue of the year, and takes us into the New Year. Thank you again for stopping by. I hope that your New Year’s resolutions include playing in the garage, cleaning it up, buying some new gizmos for it, and enjoying it. Or, just letting it be if it is as you like it. After all, the garage is a great constant, isn’t it? Nothing virtual about a garage.

Have a great Holiday Season, and we’ll see you in February!

All the best, Don Weberg Editor-Publisher

6

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Garage style Editor-Publisher Don Weberg

magazine

Art Director Web Designer – Coordinator Kari McDaniel Business Development Manager Michele Weberg Columinists Lance Lambert Phil Berg Matt Stone Arts Editor Jeremiah McDaniel Lead Photographer Booker Contributors Robin DePry Bob Estrada Ned Lawler Kate Lawler John Gunnell Dennis Wilkes Iain Curry Steve McCarthy Cobb Ware Dr. Rick Rader Bill Nakasone Terry Doran Bruno Ratensperger T. Byrd Editorial Intern Ariana Spero Advertising – Public Relations Cindy Meitle 480.277.1864 | cindy@carprusa.com Advertising Doug Holland 910.398.8307 | douglas@hhpr.biz Carmen Price 714.276.5285 | cprice291@yahoo.com Justin Gooding 949.463.5593 | justin@garagestylemagazine.com Subscriptions – Address Changes GSM P.O. Box 18479 Anaheim, CA 92817 800.999.9718 Garage Style Magazine is Published Quarterly by Weberg Media Group, Inc. 271 W. Imperial Hwy. Suite G La Habra, CA 90631 www.garagestylemagazine.com Not responsible for undelivered issues due to late change of address.

Not responsible for issues delivered damaged.

All rights reserved by Garage Style Magazine, Inc. Printed in the United States by American Web Printers

Lance’s

column

Audible Autos By

Lance Lambert

I

s there a medical term for people that talk to their cars?

I acquired my first automobile at the age of 14. My father gave me an inoperable and worn-out 1947 Dodge Business Coupe in the hopes that I would gain valuable knowledge while attempting to bring the coupe back to life. The day after Dad gave me the car, I asked him, “Hey Dad, a couple of guys just offered me $50 for the Dodge. Can I sell it?” He was not pleased but gave me permission to say goodbye to the Dodge. I patted it on the fender, said goodbye, and added the $50 to the fund used to purchase my next car, a 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline that ran great for the two weeks prior to the engine breaking. Yes, breaking, as in a big hole was blown out the side of the block.

A friend towed the Chev home for me and we pushed it into the garage. For a few weeks, I sat in the forlorn Fleetline and told it that I would bring it back to life. Yes, I patted the dashboard and explained that, as soon as financially feasible, I’d replace its broken heart with a suitable transplant and we’d be back on the road together again.

Within a couple of weeks, I traded a pizza for an engine that my buddy Greg had removed from his 1940 Chevrolet.

I wasn’t upgrading to a V8 like Greg, but I was broke and the engine was free thanks to my employment at the local Pizza Haven.

I shared the news with the Chev and, with substantial help from my car buddies, installed the “new” engine. The Fleetline and I were again a happy couple.

The point of these two shared memories is that I talk to my cars.

The Lambert garage protects two vehicles that I talk to almost every day: a restored 1950 Studebaker that is driven to local car shows and a 2006 Mustang that is the daily driver. Due to my work schedule, it is not unusual for the Studebaker to go several weeks between being driven.

Often before climbing into the Mustang, I’ll pat the top of the Studebaker and apologize for not giving it as much attention as it deserves. These apologies are spoken out loud.

An affectionate pat on the Studee’s dashboard is always

8

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

administered when we pull into the garage after a day on the road. I thank it for not breaking down and may even tell it when our next outing will be.

Others have told me that they also talk to their cars. None of us are nutty enough to think that our cars are actually living creatures, but we are all superstitious enough to think that a few kind words here and there are appreciated by our fenderd friends.

The ‘Stang and ‘Studee always greet me when I enter the garage. They don’t actually speak words, but instead, give me big shiny smiles when I turn on the lights, and turning on the colorful neon signs and gas pumps makes them look like they are giggling with glee. The real party begins when I turn on the oldies station for music that came out of the Studee’s radio speaker 50 years earlier, or when we share laughter or deep thoughts while listening to National Public Radio.

Don’t worry; I’ve never heard either car talk back to me.

They are just large hunks of metal and do not come alive like the Plymouth that starred in the movie Christine. They are, however, great listeners.

The nice lady that lives in the other parts of the house understands my odd behavior. For many decades, she has seen and heard me communicating with various vintage vehicles but still allows me to hang around.

No appropriate word seems to exist for a person that talks to their cars. How about “carmmunicator”?

Phil’s

column

Dispatches from the Ultimate Garage Tour

The Word House Garage/Office Telecommuting from a Garage Office is a Liberating Trend By

Phil Berg

V

intage Jaguar racer and Corvette restorer Bud Bourassa used to have an office in a high-rise in downtown Phoenix, but he felt something was missing whenever he spent a workday there. Bourassa had built a showroom-like 10-car garage at his home in the desert outside of Scottsdale, and he discovered that it became harder and harder to leave it to go to work. So he moved his office into his garage, with his wrap-around desk right smack in the middle of his cars, and began telecommuting.

We first noticed the trend toward the garage office about 10 or so years ago, born from a need for garage owners to research how to finish a car restoration or rebuilding project. Discovering and assembling the records necessary for getting the right parts and the paperwork that trails a special car requires a nearby working desk, at minimum. The desk became as important as the workbench.

Gradually, however, car guys have transferred their daily grind work to their garage desks, and the result, they report, is an increase in inspiration that adds a level of quality to everyday work.

Today the blending of offices with garages blurs the line between which activity is the primary use of the space. The headquarters office for the Word House publishing company in Northern Michigan was created from repurposed orchard-andfarm workshop and barn buildings in an idyllic country setting surrounded by horse pastures,

10

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

ponds, and rolling hills. The open office area is separated from the car workshop by French doors, a design that lets light inside the structure from all four walls, and also allows cars to be viewed from the desks in the office area. The separate rooms allow for private phone conferences, but also for different groups to use.

The large barn door lets a car into the workshop side of the office.

This is important for Word House since the company has been specializing in producing unique books and other media for the auto industry since its 2002 hardbound display book detailing the creation and development of Cadillac’s special XLR high-performance coupe. The creative influences of keeping cars inside the office for inspiration are a necessity for the company, and according to President John McCormick, the cars are a lot of fun to have around, too.

The area around Word House’s garage/office is a getaway region for Detroit auto execs and chief engineers, who often bring by special cars, prototypes and preproduction models to view and discuss with staff. Deserted rural roads nearby cut down travel time for road testing and photography compared to typical office locations in the metro Detroit area, the Word House folks have found.

The enabler for adding an office to any garage is all the connectivity technology now available. These days, new higher-speed satellite data connections mean there is no office or garage too far from a city.

And so, there need be no office too far from your garage.

personal

you like this one too!!!

ED

notes

I was amazed by the vehicles in the cover story of last issue. Microcars have really come a long way. When I was in high school, one of the students drove a Gogomobil. It was the silliest thing in the world, next to the Metropolitan one of the math teachers drove. Today, those of us who made fun of them are eating our words. Great magazine, I love every issue.

Tom California

Dear Garage Style Magazine, My dad and my garage appeared in your magazine a while ago. Although it was a nice garage for the space (having only one lift), we have improved the space immensely! Now our three-car garage, turned four, is a five-car garage! We added another lift in the original two-car garage. We now have a fourcar and a one-car garage.

Although the space is quite cramped, we are now able to fit all of our cars in the garage, except for my mom’s. I hope you and your readers find this update interesting and consider doing the same in their garages!

Toni California Terrific to hear that you installed another lift! Squeezing another car into an otherwise tight space can be a challenge, and lifts are the only way to go. Fortunately too, the lift you bought, by American Custom, was tailored to your smaller garage specs, which is great!!

ED

Tom You’re right, the microcars have really emerged as a major facet of the collector car hobby. Publisher Don is the owner of a ‘big’ Fiat 124 Spider, and he’s thrilled to see the interest growing in small cars. Keep in touch!

ED I think the Fall issue is your best to date. Amazing stories, and the follow up to the previous stories in issue 18 was brilliant. I think we all want to see more pictures of what’s going on in those spaces! I would love to have your job! Keep up the good work.

Thornton Virginia Thornton Thanks for the kudos! All of us love our jobs here; we really do feel like we’re part of something much bigger than just us. Keep in touch!

ED Dear Editor/Son, Loved the “Take a Kid to a Car Show” clip in the Fall issue. Seeing Mr. Rader’s two grandsons making pedal car repairs reminded me of a repair job of yours.

Maybe your readers would enjoy seeing how serious you have always been when it comes to automotive issues. The heavyduty jack was a good choice for the job!

Love, Bonnie AKA Mom California

Last quarter’s magazine was fantastic!

What a great layout! I’ve been a subscriber since day one; I bought a subscription at Concorso Italiano when you first started you’ve come a long way, keep up the good work!

Ernest New York Ernest Thank you for staying with us for so long, and thanks for noticing our changes! Glad you liked the last issue and hope

HA! Thanks Mom for sending this in for everyone to see!!! Too much, too crazy, but yes, by all means my firetruck needed the strongest of all of Dad’s jacks!!! Thanks for this; I hope the readers get a kick out of it as much as I did!!

Don Weberg

Please send letters to: info@garagestylemagazine.com or Personal Notes C/O GSM PO Box 812 La Habra, CA 90633-0812

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

11

Garage

news

Florida Fresh Carnauba Wax

Zymöl Enterprises, Inc., the foremost producer of exclusive, highquality car care products for more than 30-years, has expanded and restructured to literally, “control quality from the ground up,” says Founder Charles Bennett, by growing its own Carnauba Palms.

Zymöl is now doing what no other wax company has dared to do, grow its own source and blend of distinctive Carnauba Waxes and Saps which makes up the bulk and base of Zymol’s Hand-Crafted products.

The overlaying result will be a line of natural car appearance care products completely manufactured in the USA of USA-derived ingredients with no dependency on foreign supplies.

“For decades, the wax industry has depended upon various regions outside the United States for supplies such as carnauba,” said Bennett. “Thanks to the climate and soil conditions here in Brooksville, for Zymöl, that dependency will be a thing of the past.”

Relocating from Connecticut to the rich farmland of Brooksville, Florida, Zymöl has already planted 13 test Carnauba Palm trees (Copernica Prunifera) with plans

Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and Activities Slated for March Celebrating the 50 Years of Porsche 911 and the Ford GT40, and the cars of Harry Miller, the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is nearing two decades of automotive festivities and offers a host of interactive activities from manufacturer displays to auctions to speaker panels to an enormous car show. Someone once wrote that Pebble Beach was the Concours, and Amelia Island was the Party, and to varying degrees, it seems an apt description. Situated at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island off the Northeast coast of Florida, the setting has proven spectacular year after year. With light ocean breezes sweeping the greens, large puffy clouds sprinkling the skyline, and that fantastic sun Florida is known for, the event has a casually elegant flair that’s tough to beat. The Concours donates the proceeds to the Spina Bifida Association of Florida at Jacksonville, Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Shop with Cops, Cops ‘n Kids, Duval County 4-H Foundation, and the Navy Marine Relief Society. www.AmeliaConcours.org

12

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

to plant more. These 5-year-old little giants already boast root balls that are 80-feet around; sitting 10 miles from the ocean in a secure climatic region that is a Florida rare 270 feet above sea level with a water table a few feet below the ground surface, the trees will flourish.

Within another 10 years, Bennett predicts their treetops could stretch to a towering height over 60 feet. Bennett’s aggressive plan includes a geodesic greenhouse to grow and cultivate Burro Bananas, an increase to staff, and the establishment of an agricultural research and support center in a new 30,000+ square foot solar supported building.

Zymöl’s quality-driven waxes and glazes provide protection along with an “ultra brilliant, durable sheen” that is appreciated by automobile collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. Soon, these clients can also enjoy buying products cultivated in the USA. Always the futurist, Bennett is well on the way to introducing additional new product lines for car, boat, home, airplane care, and more.

“We can all proudly say it was ‘Grown in America,’” he said.

Covercraft Introduces Covers for Causes In support of Breast Cancer Awareness and acknowledging women everywhere, Covercraft launched the Covers for Causes program, contributing a percentage of their profits from the sales of these special covers and products to breast cancer

research programs.

“Almost everyone I know has been touched by cancer, or knows of someone who has had to battle this horrific disease,” said Marty Lichtmann, president of Covercraft. “Research has made great strides, but needs much more support in the effort to find a cure.”

The program includes a special pink version of the popular NOAH car cover fabric made by Kimberly-Clark and a pink version of the UVS100 Windshield Heat Shield. Both products are custom-patterned and feature a silk-screened “Covers for Causes” logo. www.covercraft.com/pinkribbon | sales@covercraft.com | 800-426-8377

Clark Gable Greats Gather at Petersen Automotive Museum Acting icon, Hollywood macho guy and sex symbol Clark Gable needs little introduction here or anywhere else, but not everyone is aware that The Great Gable, like McQueen and Newman that followed him, was a serious car guy with fabulous taste in automobiles. The Petersen Automotive Museum, which owns Gable’s 1941 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe Custom (at left), recently assembled a trio of his greatest cars.

The Caddy has been local since the day Gable ordered it through Hillcrest Cadillac, and then sent it to California Cadillac distributor Don Lee for a little personalization. Its roof was chopped, the rear quarter windows filled in, and a few bits of side chrome trim were shaved away. The windshield was raked and a padded top covering fitted.

Gable then gave it to wife and screen star Carole Lombard.

Gable’s 1949 Jaguar XK120 roadster is front and center of the trio. Now owned by Jeff Lotman, the car is strongly identified with Gable, having been painted his personally mixed “Gable Gray” color. It visited the museum fresh off a class win at Pebble Beach the week before.

At right is Gable’s 1956 Mercedes Benz 300 Sc Cabriolet, one of only 49 of that model built. Local mega collector, property developer and philanthropist Bruce Meyer bought it in 1981 from Gable’s widow Kay Spreckles. The Tobacco brown Benz is largely original – most of the paint and the interior are untouched – and the engine is also unmolested with the car’s odo showing only 33,000 miles.

If these cars could speak…

– Matt Stone

Infiniti Introduces Emerge-e supercar Having become a major presence at Pebble Beach annually, the luxury manufacturer introduced the LE Concept electric vehicle, the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 showcar, the 2013 IPL G Convertible, and the stunning Emerge-e.

“It is always an honor to be included among the prestigious activities during the week of the Pebble Beach Concours, and this year we’re bringing our most advanced concept ever,” said Infiniti America’s Vice President Ben Poore.

“Named ‘Best in Show’ at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Infiniti Emerg-e truly is one of the most technically interesting and artfully sculpted automobiles in the world today. It is a major achievement in both engineering and design.”

Emerg-e is the first mid-ship sports car produced by Infiniti and promises fresh, new thinking from the brand. Designed to be a true sports car with supercar performance from two electric motors producing 402-horsepower, it’s capable of dashing to

60 miles per hour from a standstill in 4-seconds and eclipsing 130 miles per hour in just over 30-seconds; it can also operate as a zero-emission vehicle for over 30-miles.

The Red Bull Racing Formula 1 showcar represents Infiniti’s ongoing involvement and partnership with the Red Bull Racing F1 team, which has helped raise Infiniti’s visibility throughout the world. The Red Bull Racing team and driver Sebastian Vettel won back-to-back World Championships in 2010 and 2011.

The new 2013 IPL G Convertible combines seductive style with a highly engaging driving experience. Key features include a 343-horsepower 3.7-liter V6, 7-speed automatic transmission, IPL-tuned suspension and sport brakes, and unique exterior and interior treatments (compared to the non-IPL G37 Convertible). www.infinitiusa.com

Petersen Museum Chooses Covercraft DUSTOP Indoor Covers The world-renowned Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles stores hundreds of fabulous classic cars, and managing vehicle storage is a never-ending job. Of particular concern was material gathering upon the vehicle surface beneath the covers “In our outer perimeter storage areas, where the environment is less than pristine, we use covers to keep dust, greasy air, and particulate matter from settling on the finishes,” said Tom Kenney, museum collection manager. “In the past, we’ve relied on the softness of a flannel-type cover, but found that very fine dust particles pass through that fabric and onto the car. After several weeks, the car

gets dirty under the cover, so when you remove it, you’re actually pulling a very fine, abrasive layer of dust across the car’s surface. Some of our cars sit for months, so the accumulated dirt becomes a serious issue. Also, it’s not just the paint that gets soiled, but the chrome and other plated parts begin to bloom because of the contaminants in the environment. We also use car covers at car shows and concours, as more show organizers are requesting that participating vehicles be placed on the show field the day before the show. Again, contaminants from the environment can affect a car, and overnight

Continued on Page 14

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

13

PremierGarage Assists Television Makeover Tailored Living featuring PremierGarage, a new home improvement company that gives home owners across the country easy access to organized living, recently worked with NBC’s George to the Rescue to help transform the garage of Corporal Sherman Watson, a U.S. Marine, three-time Purple Heart recipient, and father of two daughters, Courtney, 4, and

Karmen, 13 months. Home improvement guru George Oliphant tackles home remodeling projects that benefit deserving Americans, often with a focus on transforming and honoring the lives of U.S. Veterans and their families. Go online to discover more about George to the Rescue and the “Big Reveal” with PremierGarage which aired in October.

AMSOIL Power Steering Fluid Reformulated, Meets OE Spec

MAC Tools Offers Veterans Discount Franchisee Programs Available

With the higher demands of newer vehicles, AMSOIL Multi-Vehicle Synthetic Power Steering Fluid was reformulated to provide better wear protection and improved cold weather performance.

The redesigned chemistry resists thermal breakdown, delivers excellent lubricity and friction-reduction properties, according to AMSOIL, and still meets OEM requirements.

Pirelli Improves Scorpion Winter Tire for SUVs, Crossovers Pirelli recently announced that their Scorpion Winter Tire for high-performance SUVs and Crossovers has been reengineered for a higher level of safety under braking and cornering, even in inclement weather. The new tire was developed with drivers of the largest and more powerful SUVs and Crossovers in mind, providing exceptional control, comfort, reliability, and handling that was previously only available on sports car tires. Available also as a runflat tire, the North American Market can expect the Scorpion Winter to arrive in the Autumn of 2012. www.pirelli.com

MAC Tools recently launched a program offering veterans the opportunity to own their own business on a discounted franchise rate. Offering veterans a $10,000 discount on upstart, MAC Tools sweetens the pot with marketing support and extensive training. MAC also provides a specified route with at least 325 potential customers.

“It takes courage, discipline, and determination to run a successful business,” said Ian Ward, franchise onboarding manager of MAC Tools. “By the nature of their training and work experience, military veterans have all these qualities and more. Our military professionals make great business owners and are typically high performers.”

During the onboarding process, new franchise owners ride along with established MAC Tools owners to learn the ropes of running a successful business. Once a franchise is established, ongoing field training and assistance is provided to help the new owners achieve their personal and business goals.

To be eligible for the military incentive program, each veteran must provide documentation certifying an honorable discharge from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Navy. www.mactools.com/veteran

Petersen story continued from Page 13

moisture from the ground causes other issues with the car’s cosmetics. A good cover minimizes the risk of damage.”

Covercraft suggested their DUSTOP custom cover to address the concerns.

According to Covercraft, it was the perfect solution due to the 4-layer, non-woven construction specifically designed to assure that any car it covers will be as clean when it is uncovered as it was when covered. DUSTOP’s outer layer is tough, yet still relatively soft, and underneath are breathable layers of material designed to keep out dust, dirt, and airborne chemical fallout. The inner most layer is super-soft, high-loft spunbond, to pamper and protect the car’s paint and plated surfaces. Also, the four layers combine to create a bit of a cushion, helping resist minor dings and dents as museum staff and equipment circulate around the covered cars. www.petersen.org | www.covercraft.com | 800-426-8377

Thursday January 17 Scottsdale, Arizona The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa Consignments of automobilia now invited

+1 415 503 3248 kurt.forry@bonhams.com Automobilia Specialist Sold for a world-record $338,500 An extremely rare ‘Renard’ glass mascot

by René Lalique, French, 1930

International Auctioneers and Appraisers – bonhams.com/scottsdale

©2012 Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers Corp. All rights reserved. Bond No. 57bsbes3248

Monterey 2012 One Week of Excitement and Sensory Overload on the Peninsula Text by

Bill Nakasone Images By

T

Author and Booker

he collector car festivities celebrated during a week in August on the Monterey Peninsula comprise the finest automobile shows in the world. The sheer number of events spread over multiple venues requires planning and strategy if one is to attend and assimilate all that is going on. Garage Style Magazine staff breaks into multiple groups in an attempt to do justice to the myriad of activity going on. During our time...

Automobilia Monterey

Carmel-By-The-Sea Concours on the Avenue

This event is really the “kick off” to the Monterey Week.

The downtown district of Carmel is closed off to traffic and the streets become filled with classic cars of all marques: Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Ford, Chevrolet, Aston Martin, Lotus, etc. Whoever does the selection of the vehicles at this event does one hell of a job “cherry picking” some of the finest cars on the planet. I really like this show for three reasons: it’s free, the cars are either premium drivers or show cars driven to the event, and downtown Carmel is the perfect backdrop setting. The vibe of the show is low key; there is lots of time to chat with the owners in a festive environment of celebration. This year’s event also featured Trans Am racing cars and their arrival to town was a real spectacle. I watched in awe as two Police motorcycles escorted an entire group of vintage Trans Am and Can Am cars into town. The sound of unleashed fury from “uncorked” stock block American V-8’s filled the streets as the “ground pounders” made their entrance to the serene streets of Carmel. The smell of the racing exhaust filled the air (someone should make cologne for men with this scent).

16

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

I’ve often referred to this event as having everything you want and nothing you need. That’s its very charm. This event takes place in the ballroom area of the Embassy Suites Hotel the Tuesday and Wednesday kicking off Car Week. The entire room is filled with automobilia ranging from posters, scarves, model cars, books, paintings, grille mascots, engine parts, accessories, steering wheels, etc. Garage Style Magazine, with the sponsorship help of Sanctiond Wax, Heritage Auctions, Via Corsa Guidebooks, and BLT, hosted the first annual Garage Lounge at Automobilia, giving visitors a place to sit and relax.

Two overstuffed couches, a couple of tables, and the art of Booker created a beautiful Lounge atmosphere where, as always at Automobilia, we had a fantastic time meting some current subscribers and attracting new ones. With the help of various advertisers too, GSM donated the Caring Crate, an actual wood milk crate painted Race Car Red by Western Collision in Granada Hills, California stuffed with products from Save-A-Battery, Covercraft, George Barris, Rally Legends, and many more to create one of the largest, most valuable donation items the auction had ever seen. This place is like Christmas for adult car lovers with men of aged maturity acting like little kids at the toy store. It was humorous to watch the excitement in people’s faces when they discovered their item of choice. It truly was a great way to kick off the Week, and magic in so many ways.

Pebble Beach RetroAuto

Pebble Beach RetroAuto is an elegant jumble of parts, art, clothing, signs, neon, and more collectibles that car guys love.

The pedestrian gateway of the Concours d’Elegance, Retro is hosted in a large pavilion upon the greens near the Lodge at Pebble Beach, and lends the feel of an elegant, perhaps even exotic automotive bazaar rather than a swap meet, and caters to the rare and unusual. Specialty vehicle manufacturers often keep a presence at Retro, showcasing their latest creations from Bugatti reproductions to Jaguar restomods that are beyond the typical. Held on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday leading to Sunday’s Concours, it’s a fantastic event, and a wonderful way to close out the Week.

Concorso Italiano

This is a one-day gig of “La Dolce Vita” and Italian cars held at Laguna Seca. It seems any vehicle having anything to do with Italian design or construction, from the mainstream Ferraris and Fiats to the exceedingly rare Isos, Bizarinis to hybrids like Cadillac Allante and Chrysler TCs, shows up in force to display their heritage. If you are an Italian car enthusiast, this show is an absolute must. If you like Italian food, Italian women, and Italian clothes, you will also be glad that you attended this event.

The Auctions – Mecum, Bonhams, Russo & Steele, RM, and Gooding

Some serious cars of collectability and provenance cross the block at each of the auctions. My week started out at the Mecum Auction located at the Hyatt Regency and on the greens of the Del Monte Golf Course. This auction is a real crowd pleaser for three main reasons: it is free to view the cars for sale, it’s a daytime auction, and they sell a wide range of vehicles starting from the affordable all the way up to the stratospheric in pricing. For example, the Porsche 917-10 that won the 1972 Canadian American Challenge Cup Series was sold for $5.5 million dollars. This car was chassis #003 that was piloted by George Follmer to the season championship and is one of the most significant Porsche 917’s ever built. Enclosed in a sealed glass vault, the car was the sensation of the auction attracting serious bidders from throughout the world.

The Bonhams auction is also a daytime auction and takes place at the Quail Lodge. Motorcycles and automobilia are Thursday. They offer an exceptional level of quality in the cars that they broker. This year, Bonhams auctions had an impressive collection of automobilia that was auctioned prior to selling the cars. One of my favorite competition cars that crossed the block was a Ford GT Mark I race car (formerly campaigned by Team Filipinetti) that sold for $2.2 million dollars. Exquisitely restored to show condition and race ready, this car was one of the centerpieces of the auction.

The Russo & Steele auction moved their base of operation down to the Waterfront parking area from their previous Marriott space. Their two top sales for the weekend were a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTS for $654,500 and a 1973 Porsche Carrera RS 2.7 at $286,000.

The RM auction is a nighttime event. One of the major Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

17

surprises of the event was the sale of a 1968 Ford GT40 Gulf Mirage Lightweight Racing Car for $11 million (including buyer’s premium). After being retired from its racing duties, it was purchased by Steve McQueen’s company Solar Productions and converted to a camera car for the making of the movie “Le Mans.” The roof section was cut off so a large camera could be mounted in the cockpit. This was the “chase car” that filmed the racing sequences in the movie. It must have been the brand equity and star power associated with the Steve McQueen name that drove the sales price of this car up to an unexpected high level. However, my personal favorite of the auction was a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB (lot #221) that sold for $1,182,500.

Gooding & Company held their auction on the grounds of Pebble Beach. The quality of their cars is first class and their total sales figure of $113.7 million dollars for this event substantiates that claim. One of the major surprises of the show was the sale of lot #49, a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Long Wheelbase California Spider for $11,275,000. Recent sales history on these coveted cars show an average sales price

18

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

range of $5-$6 million dollars, depending on condition. The reason for the high escalation of sales price on lot #49 was its exceptional rarity; it was one of only 9 all-alloy bodied cars built by the factory. The car body was constructed out of aluminum (versus that of steel for the majority of cars) based on its intended purpose for competition. This car set the new high watermark for 250 California Spiders.

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

This event was dedicated to Carroll Shelby and the theme for the weekend of racing was COBRA, COBRA, and COBRA. The Rolex tent featured a selection of significant COBRA’s including the Daytona Coupe that won the 1964 24 Hours of LeMans in the GT Class, the COBRA 260 prototype, 1 of the 5 COBRA Dragon Snake drag cars, and the first production COBRA (serial #2001). The best race of the weekend was the COBRA race with 45 Competition prepared Shelby COBRAs cars battling it out on the 2.238 mile Laguna Seca road course.

The winner was Jim Click in a 1964 289 COBRA.

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance “The best of the best” is the most appropriate description of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This event is internationally recognized for showing the finest examples of the most coveted collector cars in the world, often times personally sourced and scouted out by members of the Concours to ensure the highest level of quality. My favorite exhibit for 2012 was the Saoutchik collection. Jacques Saoutchik was a renowned designer and coachbuilder. His design / coachwork studio was located in Paris and operated from 1903-1955. During that 52 year timespan, he catered to the wealthiest of clients, and produced some of the most seductive coachwork ever seen.

His style was flamboyant and he was always on the “cutting edge” of design. The richness of his style is evidenced by the fact that his designs are as highly regarded today as they were when they first appeared. The finest examples of Saoutchik’s work were on display at Pebble, all of them elegantly displayed just in front of the beach cliff. Another interesting element this year was the cars of the maharaja, actual vehicles specially ordered by Indian royalty with extravagant personal adornments.

The cars were brought in from around the world to compete on the greens, being judged by seasoned pros and people knowledgeable on the history of the maharaja and their cars. Truly an extraordinary event, we’re looking forward to 2013 already! GSM

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

19

The Second Annual Garage Style Magazine Monterey Peninsula Garage Tour Text by

Bill Nakasone Images by

Booker

O

n Monday, August 13, 2012, Editor-Publisher Don Weberg hosted the second annual Garage Style Magazine Garage Tour. This is a special time for staff and friends of GSM to get together for some tribal bonding by visiting an amazing assortment of garages located in the scenic neighborhoods throughout the Monterey region.

The day started out with a wholesome breakfast spread provided by Flanagan’s Pub, one of the favorite spots for spirits and grub in Carmel. For the second year in a row, Flanagan’s Pub was kind enough to open their doors to the entire GSM group early on Monday morning. After breakfast was done, Don Weberg passed out the day’s itinerary and provided maps and instructions (as well as a great GSM goodie bag). We traveled caravan style to the first stop, the home and garage of Denny LeVett.

Denny LeVett is a colorful character, literally and figuratively. Flamboyantly yet tastefully dressed in sporting attire (with a killer pair of red leather shoes), Denny greeted all of us in front of his picturesque home in Pebble Beach.

He proudly showed his collection of classic cars and his collection of rare guns. Denny is the owner-operator of some of the quaintest hotels in the Carmel area. His collection of cool stuff (cars, guns, model cars, books, paintings, posters, etc.) is displayed throughout his garage with a certain sense of presentation reminiscent of a well-decorated hotel lobby. His hospitality and sense of humor kept the crowd upbeat. After finishing my fourth Mimosa (I told you Denny was a gracious host), we were instructed to caravan to our next destination,

20

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

the home of Ed Venegas.

The second stop of the Garage Tour led us to Carmel-bythe-Sea, the home and garage of Ed Venegas. Ed has multiple residences but refers to his Carmel home as his vacation home. He is an active member of the Porsche community and is one of the founding members of the R Gruppe, a club of Porsche enthusiasts who enjoy personalizing and driving their early model Porsche 911’s. Ed’s place was unique in that he took a small space (two cars parked tandem) and maximized it to meet three objectives: to take full advantage of his incredible view of the ocean shoreline, to make his garage space an integral part of the architectural theme of his house, and to let his elegantly-landscaped courtyard be visible from both the garage and the house. Inside his garage was a pristine

and original 1970 Porsche 911E Targa in the rare and unusual color of Crystal Blue and a Porsche 356. The wall of the garage was decorated with a large collection of rare “rally plaques.” This location defined elegance within a small space.

By this time, it was mid-day and we headed for lunch to Baja Cantina, the local gathering spot for car guys. Baja Cantina is owned by Pat Phinney, an avid collector of vintage race cars and Packards.

Pat’s personal garage was a big hit in our first Tour back in 2011 and Pat’s enthusiasm for cars is reflected throughout the walls of Baja Cantina.

The entire restaurant is covered with automobilia posters and pictures. One of my favorite posters is hung in the line of sight from the Men’s urinal (I won’t describe it – go see it for yourself). After a delicious meal of fajitas, rice and beans we headed for our afternoon garage visit.

The third garage of the day was located in Watsonville, approximately a 30-40 minute drive from the Baja Cantina.

We arrived upon a thirty acre site within the agricultural belt of Watsonville to the garage of Jack Passey. Jack Passey is legendary within the collector car world. He has been a judge for 39 years at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and has a penchant for antique Lincolns (mostly 80 years old or older) and has owned 92 of them (55 of them at one time). He was hired by the late Otis Chandler to locate and acquire his entire collection of classic cars. I’m somewhat at a loss for words in terms of describing his garage. Simply put, there is a large three story storage facility that houses his collection of cars and memorabilia. The very bottom story holds the vast majority of vintage Lincolns.

The second story is a service facility with tools and hoists to maintain, repair, and restore his burgeoning collection of cars. The third story contains a voluminous amount of books, radiator mascots, tether model cars, motorized model airplane parts, pictures, model cars, etc. The sheer volume of his collection is so vast it would be extremely time consuming just to inventory the contents.

The day concluded with a ride back to Monterey. As we reflected back on the day’s activity, we were the most impressed by the totally different themes and styles of each of the garages that we visited. Denny LeVett’s place was

whimsical and elegant (and very Italian), Ed Venegas did a masterful job within a confined space (and loved those German Porsches), and Jack Passey’s place was the epitome of voluminous acquisition (and vintage Lincolns). In the end, they all represent what we at Garage Style Magazine stand for: the appreciation and expression of one person’s dreams and desires expressed through his or her garage. GSM

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

21

Office Garage

profile

The Creative Workshop The Amazing Garage of Artist John Hannukaine Text and Images by

Bill Nakasone

J

ohn Hannukaine is one of the most respected artists in the Pacific Northwest. Held in high esteem by both his patrons as well as his fellow artisans, John Hannukaine has earned his recognition on multiple levels. In the automotive world, John is well-known for his artistry on custom cars with pin-striping, flames, hand-painted caricatures, air brush, and lettering. In the world of fine arts, John is best known for his pieces that depict his love of the outdoors and the scenic beauty that he has observed in the local area and his travels throughout the world. These works are done in multiple mediums such as water color, gouache, oil, and acrylic. In the commercial sign world, John is the recognized expert on “high end� wooden signs (which often require hand-crafting of sculpture figures), gold leaf lettering, and hand-painted logos. His body of work encompasses a wide swath of art form techniques. All the more amazing, John has reached a master level in each of these varied and diverse art forms.

John was born with natural artistic talent. At the age of 13, he pinstriped a helmet for a friend; shortly thereafter, he was performing artwork for fellow classmates (helmets and bicycles) on a commission basis. This morphed into doing cars and motorcycles by the time he hit his mid-teen years. John always knew that art was his destiny and enrolled in Grays

22

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Harbor College after high school. He then went on to the University of Washington and graduated with an Art Education Degree. This was followed up with a two year military stint during the height of the Vietnam War. The Navy was wise enough to recognize his talents and gave him the assignment of illustrator/draftsman, and instructor at their Treasure Island Naval Base located in the middle of San Francisco Bay. After he had fulfilled his military duties, John started working for a sign company. He eventually bought the business and became immersed in the commercial sign business.

One fateful day, John came across a beautiful 5 acre parcel of land in Tumwater, Washington. It had a nice single story home with a horse stable at the rear of the property.

The serene setting ignited John with its gentle rolling terrain covered with green grass and majestic mature trees. He knew this would be an ideal location to raise his family. He bought the property. He immediately commenced remodeling the rear horse stable into an artist studio that would also serve as his new business location. Once completed, John made the conscious decision to make a lifestyle change. He streamlined his business model by reducing overhead (i.e. selling his commercial building, his other trucks and redundant equipment), unloading his management responsibility of

employees (working only by himself), and accepting only those commissions that would challenge his artistic preferences. This lifestyle simplification proved to be a wise decision. Ironically, the demand for his services actually increased and John has a loyal cadre of “repeat customers” and “word of mouth referrals” that keep him extremely busy.

When you first enter John’s property, you are immediately awestruck by two things: the natural beauty of the site and the immense gold leaf numbers on his address sign (hand carved, of course). As the driveway approaches the house, there is a long road out to the back of the property that leads to John’s studio. The trademark gold leaf letter of “H” is on the peak of building frontage giving you the first clue that this is the place where creative vision and output happen. Once he opens the garage door, the eye candy is overwhelming.

All of the wall space is covered in artwork done by John or other artists that he admires. The immediate wall to the right is adorned with “air brush art.” John is a modest man by nature and he spends most his time paying homage to many of the other artists whose work is proudly displayed. He played host to a “pin head” gathering (a party for air brush artists) at his studio. This event was a “working event” where the attendees did air brush art on site, swapped stories, told jokes and exchanged finished art with one another.

The quality of finished product and different styles of the artists become clearly evident on the upper part of this wall. On the lower half of the wall, John’s work is proudly displayed and consists of either test panels for some of his past projects or renderings of future projects.

The next wall showcases the “works in progress” on the drafting table. Working on multiple projects, each of them is at a different stage of completion, and this is where John spends the time to create, evaluate, modify, or complete his works.

Each project has a specific purpose and story, and John is more than eager to share them with visitors. One of the most interesting pieces I found was a “Female Ninja” concept that John was developing. Off to the right of this wall and enclosed in its own space was the paint room. All the paint supplies, brushes and different color paints and types were in inventory for his usage.

The next wall over displays past works of art as well as a flat table for project development. At this point in time, John was working on a raised letter sign with a brushed aluminum

finish, as well as a vinyl-gold leaf project. The vinyl cut letters were being filled by hand with gold leaf application. This hybrid approach is one of John’s unique talents that keeps him at the “cutting edge” of his field. There were also some wood sculptures in process, personal projects, nothing for a customer. Parked in the studio was a Honda Goldwing motorcycle getting the famous pin-striping application, and a refrigerator that was getting a John Hannukaine hand painted caricature. A Kia Soul was also there to get some Hannukaine personalization.

The single most impressive thing about John’s garage space is the creative energy that it radiates. John’s passion and enthusiasm for his work is self-evident in his personality and the great pieces of art that he produces. Here is a man living his passion and realizing a successful business model.

Says John, “I feel fortunate and thankful to be able to do what I love. I wake up each morning excited to work on my projects.

The real reward is seeing the happiness and excitement from my customers. I am a lucky man.”

When asked about his garage-studio, John replies, “I can spend many hours in here and lose all consciousness of time.

All of my creative juices seem to flow within these four walls.”

John Hannukaine can be reached at bhannukaine@ comcast.net, 360.357.5865.

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

23

garage

features

A place for all good things A treasure trove of memories and a rolling island

Text by

Don Weberg Images by

Booker

24

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

J

im and his wife Lois are a wonderful match – he, from Indiana, and she, from New York, off the cuff would seem to make for an unlikely duo. Plains state meets big city, but as nature has it, opposites attract, and the two are as engaging to be around as old friends, even when you’ve only just met them. Jim runs a company that produces hard parts for engines such as pistons and connecting rods, and has long had an obsession with cars, primarily Fords from the early 1940’s and anything turn of the last century.

Custom-built garage houses themed spaces; island is mobile on casters.

“I’ve still got the Ford I had in high school,” said Jim. “It’s likely the Ford that impressed me so deeply about these cars.

They’re built well, solid, and they perform like few other cars of the era. And, they look good.”

While Lois is smitten with her Nissan Murano, she’s proud not only of the cars Jim’s brought back from the brink of the junkyard, but also the garage he created in their backyard, even if she has very little interest in anything to do with motoring.

“The gas pump in the living room was supposed to be a temporary thing until the garage was completed, but as it

worked out, I grew used to having it here,” she said. “It’s an interesting piece and it casts a wonderfully soft light over the room. So, it’s just kind of stayed here. But, everything else is in the garage. Almost everything.”

Throughout their home can be spied bits and pieces related to automobilia and the hobby – a picture here, an emblem there; and why not? It is art – maybe not to those schooled in the classical sense of art, but to car families around the globe, it all qualifies as lovely as a Monet or a Hopper.

Jim and Lois bought the land upon which their home and garage stand from an insurance company. The original house

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

25

A perfect spot for lunch; gas pump, signs and cans are original.

A scene from back when.

A place for everything.

had burned to the ground, and after some legal wrangling and wheeling and dealing, the insurance company and the owners agreed to sell the property. It was a sweet deal for Jim and Lois, but it meant building from the ground up, gaining permits and so on, not an easy game for anyone. But, with the right builders and architects, things came together well.

“We weren’t planning on a garage or a home quite like this, but we had a little windfall, and thanks to that, we were able to create a more enjoyable space,” said Jim. Today, the house and garage are both as immaculate testaments to ownership pride – neat as a pin, each building resembles the other. The garage is shaped as an L, and divided into individual rooms instead of one sprawling space, allowing for each space to have its own flavor, or theme. At the

elbow of the L is the main parlor, where the majority of Jim’s lifelong collection of art and automobilia is on display, as well as a large locomotive running around overhead. His collection of gas pumps alone is astonishing, something Jim gives major credit to his nephew, Lynn Senesac of Lafayette, Indianna, for helping establish. Lynn was instrumental in locating, restoring and transporting many of the pumps. The collection includes a number of the tall ones from way back with the glass bowls and globes atop, which interestingly weren’t exactly planned for in the construction of the garage. It wasn’t until the roof and ceiling were in place that Jim spotted the pending problem.

“The builder had to cut recesses into the ceiling between the beams to make room for them,” he laughed. “So, now with the pumps in place, the recesses look like they were meant

“Sometimes I still need to pinch myself that it’s mine. I’ve had so many of these signs for so many years, that to have them in one place, on display is fantastic.

It’s a lot of fun.”

26

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Fully illuminated, the garage fascinates the imagination.

Double-headed glass pump is very rare, like many other items within.

Decorating is never done wrong.

Vintage race car is at home amid vintage pumps.

to be, like they were designed into the plans, but if we’d thought of it, the ceiling would have been higher.”

While that adds to the charm of the main parlor, the other garages have individual charm of their own; one space feels as if you’ve walked into a garage built in the 1800’s, but you’re actually in the 1950’s looking at a very original 1940 Ford and a host of bits and pieces from the 1940’s and ’50s; another has a sort of hot rod shop feel to it; another has a feeling of being in a modern 1950’s home garage, in the presence of a mint original 1960 Oldsmobile 88, bought new by Jim’s Dad. “I’ll never sell that one, it’s an amazing survivor, and it drives so nicely,” he said.

Everywhere the eye falls, visual candy like original tin cars, pedal cars, oil cans, point of purchase display pieces, various forms of art from published posters to print advertising to cartoons pops out. Each has ample lighting, sometimes

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

27

Left, one of the oldest Olds in existence. Center, collection of posters from the ACD show; right, restored gas pump holds toys.

from various sources, and each floor has been epoxied with a gentle fleck hue, each to match the color of car. There’s also a major selection of tools gathered over the course of a lifetime of loving and building cars. In short, he’s created a sort of car guy heaven.

“Sometimes I still need to pinch myself that it’s mine,” he said. “I’ve had so many of these signs for so many years, that to have them in one place, on display is fantastic. It’s a lot of fun.”

One truly remarkable item Jim built is the floating island. It resembles a vintage gas station island complete

with two pumps, an oil can display rack filled with oil cans, and an overhead light with a steel hat shade, all situated on a rolling wooden base. Painted red and white, it lends to the feeling of being at a gas station back in the day, and as the whole scene is mobile, the island can roll anywhere it needs to be.

“The island is a lot of fun, and can really fool some people who otherwise think it must be built into the ground,” he chuckled. “But when you start rolling, their mouths drop open. It’s not easy to move, but it’s not hard either. It just takes some practice.” GSM

Above, new and vintage BMW bikes meet at Ace; below, the Ace logo upon a tank.

Ace Café London

Reliving the London bike culture of the ’50s and ’60s Text by

Iain Curry Images by

Torquepix.com

T

o us British, it always seemed you Americans had it good. TV shows and movies showed your super-cool teenagers cruising up to diners, milk bars, and drive-in movies in Hot Rods or on Harleys, usually on warm summer days and nights with beautiful women in tow.

Across the Atlantic, we couldn’t really compete, but one thing us English did do well was the roadside café, affectionately known by their slang term of Greasy Spoons. These cafés served cheap yet delicious food that was spectacularly unhealthy but did the trick alongside a nice cup of tea to keep out the cold and harsh British weather.

One such Greasy Spoon was London’s Ace Café. It was built in 1938 to cater to road users on the then-new North Circular Road, particularly truckers. Being open 24 hours and

30

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

located on a fast road soon made it a popular haunt with bikers too, and before long, its services expanded to offering fuel, a washing bay, showroom, and a repair shop.

After suffering damage during World War II, it wasn’t properly rebuilt until 1949, and the post-war boom saw the Ace Café become a Mecca for petrol heads of all description, but most famously, the Ton-Up Boys of the 1950’s and the Rockers of the 1960’s. These biker subcultures were partly inspired by what was happening in America at the time and by movies such as The Wild One, giving rise to the Café Racer bike phenomenon.

The Ace Café was central to it all. The British motorcycle industry was booming, teenagers were following the American lead and becoming far more independent and rebellious, and

Rock ‘n Roll had officially arrived. With a jukebox playing the latest hits and hot food and drinks on hand, Ace Café became the ‘in’ place to meet, arrange runs or just mend your bike.

By the end of the Sixties, it had all ended. Cars dominated the British roads at the expense of motorcycles, and new motorways meant the road passing the Ace Café was a less frequented route. The Ace Café shut its doors in 1969, the site becoming a bookmaker’s office and then a tire depot.

The legend lives on today however. By the end of the 1990’s, an enthusiast called Mark Wilsmore had inspired the re-birth of Ace Café, meaning it has once again become a popular meeting place for bikers and automotive enthusiasts of all descriptions. Certain large events and the annual Ace Day Reunion can attract thousands of people from across Britain, Europe, and the world, keen to relive some of those nostalgic days from simpler times past.

Visit the Ace today and it has all the hallmarks of a classic and sizeable garage: whitewashed brickwork, huge full glass frontage, Castrol signage, chequered flags, and the Union Jack proudly fluttering in a cold English breeze. Then there are the machines. Over the course of my evening visit, a BMW car club meets and shows, while bikes of all vintages and styles roll up, their leather-clad riders soon warming themselves inside over a slap-up feed.

The Ace Café isn’t located in a glamorous region. It is found in Stonebridge to the northwest of London – a place known as a high crime area and notorious for murders – but it stands out as a striking roadside building amongst a lot of run-down neighbours. To some, this adds to its appeal; it isn’t a place for your average London tourist.

Move inside and it looks and feels authentic, not a gaudy tribute to past glory days. A huge front counter proudly displays Union Jack bunting above and blackboard advertising for forthcoming events behind. No memorabilia here: this is where locals and visitors get down to the serious business of ordering bangers, mash and gravy (sausages, potatoes and sauce), hot tea, or a pint of beer or cider.

Old wooden tables are covered in sauce bottles, a huge Ace Café logo adorns the floor and entertainment comes from a table football game (a European equivalent of 8-ball). But the main stage is all about the bikes. Propped up high at the café’s side is a collection of Café Racer bikes, each adorned with that famous Triumph name so synonymous with British biking during the Ace Café’s heyday.

Just around the corner of the main bar, you can watch the food being prepared in the steamy kitchen, while above your head is a line of leather jackets for sale.

These are part of the Ace Café Top, the logo is bike-world famous; center, road grub sticks to the ribs; bottom, dining area is old school, gritty but inviting.

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

31

Shop, stocking a variety of related goodies from vintage posters to stickers, from open face helmets to classic racing goggles. If you wanted to deck yourself out as a genuine looking Rocker, this would be a good place to start.

Vintage photos, newspaper cuttings, posters, and magazines adorn the wall, while a nice touch is the motorcycle fuel tank hanging on the wall ready to receive tips for the hard-working staff.

As the evening wears on, the Café becomes more and more buzzing. Those that had been outside comparing bikes and even doing a bit of fine-tuning have made a hasty retreat inside as a cold rain has started in earnest. Helmets are on tables, it’s cups of tea all round, and there’s the constant sound of motorcycle engines shutting down as more riders arrive to escape the weather.

There is no “record racing” to be seen however. In the 1950’s and ’60s, riders would ‘drop the coin right into the slot’ of the jukebox and race to a

Top left, years of stickerfiti is awesome; top right; moto life pictures as wall paper; below, gear for sale.

pre-determined place and back before the record had finished. The London traffic, speed cops and speed cameras these days make such pursuits unlikely, but although this tradition may have long left the Ace Café, it’s great to see that there’s still a place for enthusiasts to come and meet, show off their rides, and re-fuel their bellies for the cold London trip home. GSM

Picture Moduline Cabinets In Your Garage...

• Residential • Commercial

www.modulinecabinets.com

888-343-4463 AND PREMIUM ACCESSORIES

Chock-filled with finned MoPars, a few other brands linger within.

Automobilia is varied, adding color and eye candy.

34

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Hernando’s Hideaway

A treasure trove of Chrysler Corporation’s big-finned era cars Text and Images by

Bill Nakasone

H

ernando’s Hideway refers to a massive collection of over 330 cars that were produced by the Chrysler Corporation from 1954-1961. The man behind this amazing assortment of MoPar provenance and history is Dr. Steffan Scherer. Steffan has a deep fondness and appreciation for the Virgil Exner designed Chrysler Models from that magic era of the mid-1950’s to the early 1960’s. Not only have the majority of the Exner era cars aged gracefully, but many of them present better today than they did when they were new. The drivetrain of these cars echo the same enduring quality as the coachwork; since Chrysler’s famous HEMI was an engine option during this era and used the same basic hemispherical-combustion chamber design, has been a performance leader for the last sixty years in drag racing and hydro racing. These cars hold a dear place in Steffan’s heart and in his collection.

Other factors underscore the greatness of these cars.

Chrysler was, arguably, the first manufacturer to produce the “muscle car” when they introduced the 300 Letter Series cars in 1955 with the C300. Likewise, the push button Torqueflite was the first automatic transmission to find the winners circle in NHRA Super Stock racing. It is also noteworthy that the President Dwight Eisenhower would make public appearances in a drop dead gorgeous long wheel base Chrysler-Imperial “dual cowl” Parade Phaeton. These are some of the reasons that Dr. Steffan Scherer became enamored with this vintage of the Chrysler marque. At age 19, Steffan bought his first car, a 1955 Dodge Coronet two-door sedan. This car lit the MoPar flame and solidified his allegiance to the brand. Steffan still owns this car today and absolutely refuses to sell it (don’t even think about making an offer).

Twenty years ago, Steffan’s success in his professional career as an endodontist provided him with the resources to commence with collecting significant MoPars. During the last twenty years, he has collected hundreds of examples in various condition levels ranging from “parts cars” to 100 point “concours quality restorations.” In the very beginning of the acquisition stage, Steffan ran out of space. He first built a storage facility on his residential property that mimicked a vintage gas station. This proved to be an interim solution and he soon needed even more space. This lead to purchasing a 43-acre site with two large buildings attached. The first building is a 4,500 square foot metal clad Quonset building that houses his driver quality cars, his project cars and his parts cars. The second building is a 4,500 square foot “full service” mechanical shop with three service bays. His full time mechanic, Duane, wrenches on various cars in the collection 5-days a week, 8-hours per day, 50-weeks per year. The shop has the ability to handle all engine, transmission, rear end, suspension, brake, and electrical work. Body work, paint work, and upholstery are subcontracted out to Steffan’s trusted craftsman in each of those respective areas.

In 2007, Steffan was looking for an additional facility to

Top, a messanine makes a great perch; below, a sampler of fins.

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

35

Top left, vintage kitchen is great for parties, breaks; top right, outside Steffan built a gas station garage; bottom left, seat on the messanine is quiet and inviting.

both house and showcase his prized examples from the collection. He found a 10,000-square foot building that was initially used as a storage and administrative office complex for a local trucking firm. Steffan saw the empty building as an open canvas to create his dream showroom. Just one year after purchasing the building, Steffan had transformed the space into a premier facility. The ground floor is the showroom area that can accommodate 38-40 cars. There is also a 1950’s style kitchen, and up the stairs to the second floor is a social gathering area with a big screen TV and a pool table.

On the ground floor, the walls are decorated with corrugated steel panels and lots of automotive and gasoline-themed signs. Just like his automotive collection, Steffan has acquired rare and significant pieces of automotive-related advertising.

Commercial-style metal halide lights illuminate the area. The bright white finish on the steel ceiling panels and the gloss finish on the epoxy floor provide contrast and background to the amazing color palette of his MoPar car collection on display – with this, Hernando’s Hideaway was created.

The name Hernando’s Hideaway actually refers to all of the properties and buildings that house the MoPar collection – the gas station replica building on his residential property, the 43-acre parcel with his storage building and his garage, and the showroom building where he stores the prized examples.

The name Hernando is taken from Hernando DeSoto, the Spanish Explorer who led the first European expedition into the territory of the United States (and first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River). Hernando DeSoto’s face appears on the hood ornament of just about every DeSoto ever produced, and the Chrysler Corporation found him significant enough to emblazon his name upon a car brand, and apply names like “Adventurer” and “Explorer” in 36

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

their model line-up. Chrysler’s selection of DeSoto as a brand name and the late Ella Fitzgerald’s famous rendition of the song “Hernando’s Hideaway” are both inspirational reasons behind the collection’s name.

Steffan is adamant about maintaining authenticity and originality in his collection. Prior to embarking on a restoration or evaluating a car for prospective purchase, Steffan thoroughly researches the factory archives to insure automotive integrity.

With the help of Bruce Thomas of Chrysler Historical and other notable sources, Steffan performs his “due diligence” on each car of interest, paying close attention to the factory build sheet, selected options, build date, sales dealership, and other salient facts. However, Steffan’s involvement with the restoration process is not just limited to data gathering. He is a master mechanic and proficient in engine diagnosis, engine building, transmission, electrical, suspension, and brakes. His evenings and weekends are spent “wrenching” on the cars (unless he is at a car show or out driving one of his rides).

Consequently, he has a plethora of Chrysler historical and mechanical knowledge. None of the cars in the collection are garage queens. Many of the cars are show quality but Steffan makes it a point to “drive and enjoy” his collection. Every year, he drives one of his vintage vehicles from his hometown of Bismarck, North Dakota to Scottsdale, Arizona to attend the annual Barrett Jackson auction. That’s a 21 hour drive and Steffan enjoys every minute of it.

Hernando’s Hideaway is a mecca to anyone who is an enthusiast of the Virgil Exner-era cars from Chrysler. Although the primary purpose and motivation of Hernando’s Hideaway is hobby-related (i.e. driven by obsession), he does sell some pieces of the collection. You can log onto his website (www.hernandos-hideaway.com) and find a wide selection of restored cars, driver quality cars, and project cars for sale.

The “reasons for being” of Hernando’s Hideaway is most eloquently spoken by Steffan himself: “Our mission is to share what we know, sell some of what we have, and make valuable friendships along the way. We are passionate about the preservation of these era automobiles and we look forward to enhancing our collection as well as selling a select few that we have acquired and/or restored over the years.” GSM

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

37

409K

Big Block V8s are Former Chicagoan’s Retirement Text and Images by

Phil Berg

Vintage decor, vintage cars in a vintage building. Checkered floor surrounds a work and display deck.

J

ohn Tinberg says he watches television. We respectfully disagree, based on our knowledge of Nielsen statistics and middle-age habits and knowledge of how long it takes to build a working 6,500 square-foot home garage.

Tinberg, 67, bought a gutted former Dodge dealership brick building eight years ago, and turned it into a car guy’s dream house and garage. Friends beg him to contact Architectural Digest and HGTV to share his immaculate American Dream

38

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

with the rest of us, but Tinberg and his wife Carla are not showoffs. “This is our private space,” says Tinberg as he walks through the 6,500 square-foot second floor of the 100-yearold brick building. Hardwood floors, exposed beams held with over-designed steel brackets and large new windows smack of SoHo decor, yet this thoughtfully designed space with two elevators is in a town of 1,200 somewhere near the original Route 66 in Illinois.

Tinberg has his older brother and a Nash Metropolitan to blame for the car lust that led him to his custom home and garage. “My brother bought a brand new ‘64 Super Sport Chevy 409, 425-horse. It was the fastest car in town – you probably never heard that before.” A year later, Tinberg’s brother was drafted and shipped off to Korea. “He couldn’t make the payments on the car, so I took over the payments and I drove that car hard,” he recalls. A year later, however,

Tinberg was drafted too. “I went to Vietnam, and I had to sell the car. I was 19.”

Tinberg returned from Vietnam when he was 21. “I wasn’t shell-shocked, but it took awhile to get back into society.”

He started working for a company that sprayed concrete – also known as shotcrete or gunite – for building projects. He became a workaholic, he says, and in 20 years, he purchased the company. One of his specialties was designing and

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

39

Top, John Tinnberg among the workshop; below, Metro has a unique theme spot; automobilia abounds.

building machinery that could spray liquid concrete. “Life got in the way” of playing with cars, Tinberg says. He and his brother used to joke about putting a small-block V8 into a diminutive Nash Metropolitan during this period, and by the mid-’80s, he bought one and stuffed a V8 into it.

Tinkering is something Tinberg’s been doing since he built a crude go-kart when he was ten: “We didn’t have welders, so we used bent angle iron and I just had to use whatever I could find, like a pulley for a steering wheel. It had no brakes or anything,” he explains, adding that, “Being mobile was my driving force as a kid.”

Tinberg’s owned about a dozen muscle cars – he favors 409 big blocks – since his rebirth as a car guy, influenced by his trips to U.S. 30 drag strip in rural Illinois following his tour in Vietnam. His dream was to have a historical, uncompromised drag car from Chicago’s Nickey Chevrolet, one of the famed car dealers, that were supported by Detroit’s carmakers in the late 1960s, when Chevy was not officially involved in 40

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

motorsports. Tinberg’s favorites were the cars whose engines were built by Californian Bill Thomas, inserted into modified Nickey chassis, and ruled strip and street in 1966.

Coming up on 47 years in the gunite business, Tinberg is officially retired. What he really likes is building and selling conversion kits for 1960’s Chevy Novas and Belairs, replacing the normal front chassis with custom tube frames that shift weight rearward for best drag race performance, just the way the pros did it in 1966. This keeps him busy, although his experience with the dinky Nash two decades ago also has led to competence in full restorations. The 1961 Corvette in his spacious metal shop has been converted to a solid front axle. “These are mandrel-bent frame rails and our Nickey front axle grafted onto the original frame,” explains Tinberg.

In the former service bays of the Dodge dealership, Tinberg keeps a restored Nash Metropolitan and two street cars, a copy of a Bill Thomas/Nickey 1966 drag car, the very first so-called “funny car” from the outfit, as well as a 1957 Chevy Belair with a monster 409 cubic inch big-block V8. Next to these clean replications of 1966 drag cars, kept ready to drive on the street, is the Thomas/Nickey Nova. “It’s the first altered-wheelbase Bill Thomas car. When I finished the restoration, his son, Bill Thomas III, came to see the unveiling. I put the car upstairs in the living room.” One of the elevators Tinberg upgraded himself can lift more than a historical hot rod into the spacious living room of the comfy home on the second floor.

“I’m happy that I found the [Thomas] car,” he says. “Maybe I might sell it, maybe it will go on to bigger and better things.

The Nickey/Thomas hero car is out here now. I just wanted to be part of that car’s history.” GSM

Garages

in history

The Garages at Brooklands Brooklands Motor Racing Circuit and Aerodrome Surrey, England Text by

Rick Rader

Images Courtesy of

The Rader Automotive Pictorial Collection and Brooklands Historical Stepping out of the train at the Weybridge Station put my brother Phil and I within a mile of Mecca. We were on a total immersion tour of all the British vintage car haunts. Everything from out of the way motoring bookstores (out of the way enough to require veteran London cabdrivers to pull out their London A to Z books), to classic car dealers in quaint mews and lanes to factories, workshops, autojumbles, and car club pubs. But all was dwarfed by Brooklands.

Our draw to Brooklands was twofold. Firstly Brooklands is a destination on any British car guy’s Bucket List. But beyond that, we were the custodians of a pre-war Aston Martin racing car with a Brooklands legacy. Our 1930 1 ½-litre International won the Junior Car Club’s High Speed Trials back in the early ’30s so for us it was a homecoming. Both Phil and I are mature, level headed guys who have shied away from hero or shrine worship (except for Roy Rogers and Sterling Moss we have never pursued autographs), but once we got to Brooklands, 42

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

we lost it. After we ransacked the souvenir shop, we made our way to the banking where we filled two plastic sandwich bags with “Brooklands dirt.” Two weeks later we massaged the dirt onto the four Dunlop tyres of the Aston in a ceremony that resembled a masseuse rubbing baby oil on the back of a starlet in the Saint Tropez sun. Both Phil and I agreed that the Aston tracked much better after that application. Like I said, both of us are mature, level headed guys.

The Brooklands Motor Racing Circuit opened on June 17th, 1907, as the world’s first purpose-built motorsports venue. The track was the vision of Hugh Locke-King and consisted of a 2.75 mile circuit and aerodrome. In 1903, Britain passed the Motor Car Act limiting cars to a speed of 20 mph on public roads. At the time, over 50% of all cars in the world were produced in France and Britain was concerned that their Continued on Page 44

The 18th Annual

Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach

March 8-10, 2013

Honoring: Sam Posey Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Porsche 911 and Ford GT40 and the cars of Harry Miller Benefitting Community Hospice of Northeast Florida For Advance Tickets & Event Information, visit: www.ameliaconcours.org Photos by Dave Wendt & Peter Harholdt Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

43

young auto industry would be disadvantaged by an inability to conduct sustained high speed testing. Soon after Brooklands opened, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built and opened in August 1907; thus, Brooklands served as a model for purpose built race tracks. Brooklands was the epicenter for motor racing, racing car development, and aviation (by 1918, Brooklands was Britain’s largest aircraft manufacturing center). Brooklands was one of the first venues that allowed women to compete in racing. Many speed records were set at Brooklands including the world record for the first person to cover 100 miles in 1 hour (Percy Lambert, 1913, 4.5 litre Talbot). The track thrived until “the hostilities” closed the track in 1939. The track has been preserved and is the site of numerous vintage car races, hill climbs, demonstration runs, and gatherings. It continues to be Mecca for anyone interested in pre-war racing history. The Brooklands Museum, the Brooklands Society, and Mercedes Benz World insure that Brooklands will continue to be a major part of the vintage car scene for years to come. In 2001, the track was named under the British Preservation Order protecting the track from further outside development and destruction One of the unique aspects of Brooklands was that it

44

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

provided more than a race track.

The track provided space for various enterprises involved in racing and competition.

While most tracks provide temporary garages for the maintenance and storage of race cars competing at the track for specific races, the “garages at Brooklands” served as permanent headquarters for an incubating race car colony. It was more like a “midway” for the growing racing community.

Race car teams like the Bellevue Garage (The Evans MG racing team), race car construction firms (Thompson and Taylor), and land speed record teams (Campbell’s Bluebirds) served as the town square. In addition to the garages, they had other outbuildings or “sheds” where race car accessory firms conducted their business, Derrington Steering Wheels, Douglas Motorcycles, Anglo American Oil, Bugatti, and Napier.

Today, many of the “garages” have been restored and serve as a reminder to the golden age of pre-war racing, where the motto at Brooklands echoes, “The right crowd and no crowding.” Just don’t let them catch you snatching their dirt. GSM

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

45

Barn

finds

Up-and-Coming Garage Hideways 1960 Daimler SP250 Text and Images By

John “Gunner” Gunnell

Glass Menagerie—Believe it or not, the owner of this 1960 Daimler SP250 dragged it around from Hawaii to California to Wisconsin for over 30 years before deciding to bring it to a garage to get it restored. At a glance, the fiberglass-bodied, hemi-V8-powered car may look like a “glass menagerie,” but it is actually a well-preserved automobile that lived in the machine shop of a naval ship and in several barns over those three decades.

Daimler was known, for building big limousines for Royalty, but in the 1950s, the company entered the sports car market and the SP260 (a.k.a. “Daimler Dart”) was 46

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

its second attempt to broach the niche. With its 2.5-liter hemi, the lightweight Daimler roadster was terrifically fast.

In fact, it is said that Jaguar ultimately wound up buying the company to eliminate marketplace competition.

This car is currently totally taken apart. The frame and many chassis parts have been cleaned and powder coated. The carburetors and dual-point distributor have been rebuilt. The hemi V8 is at a machine shop and the body is in another shop for touch-up and paint. The best guess is that this tall-finned Brit will be whole again by the soon.

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

47

Garage Door Buyer’s Guide Some ideas for changing up the look of your home and improving your garage Text by

Ariana Spero Images by

the manufacturers

Martin Garage Doors

Martin is one of the oldest door companies in the business, offering many classic and contemporary designs of steel and glass. They’ve been coined as “the World’s Finest, Safest Doors,” and peeking into the extensive engineering leads us to believe they might be right. Martin offers 80 colors and over 30 advanced quality and safety features to select from and create the best door for you. www.martindoor.com | 801.973.9310

Frenchporte Garage Doors

Frenchporte has recently unveiled its latest and most innovative line of products: The Frenchporte Print line. The Print Door is an original to the garage door industry, literally printing a design upon the exterior steel surface of the door for an illusion of French Windows, wood, different colors, and more.

The benefit is in the price – having a traditional, lightweight, durable steel door that looks like wood for an amazing fraction of the cost of a quality wood door. In addition to the highly innovative Frenchporte Print Line, the company also offers four different French-style aluminum doors. These doors are handcrafted in the USA by craftsman of more than 35 years experience. www.frenchporte.com | 301.230.7125

48

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

First United Door Technologies

First United Door Technologies has a wide product range of residential and commercial garage doors manufactured from both steel and wood. Each door benefits from the use of excellent materials, stateof-the-art manufacturing processes, and exclusive design innovations. Their Steelhouse® steel carriage house door, with over 180 unique design configurations to ensure diversity from one home to the next, is a popular choice of leading architects, designers, and builders alike for their value of enhancing a home’s curb appeal. www.firstudt.com | 480.705.6632

Garaga Inc.

Garaga has unveiled the latest addition to its extensive line of residential garage doors, the California.

With retractable all-glass panels, this new door will complement contemporary or modern homes utilizing large expanses of glass space. The California’s allglass panels have aluminum extrusion frames available in clear anodized, white, or black. Window choices are varied and come in sealed “thermo” panes, clear, satin, and tinted. Other types of glass are also available. The California is available in widths from 4 to 16 feet and heights of 6 to 12 feet, making it especially attractive for recreational vehicles owners. This door model can also be used by homeowners who have patios or sunrooms that they would like to close off when evenings are cooler. Many will also choose to use the California for boathouses on lakes. www.garaga.com | 866.942.7242

Real Carriage Door Company

Embracing art, design, and function, RCD handcrafts solid wood sliding and outswing garage doors with traditional methods. The benefits of an outswing door are numerous, one being an interior ceiling incluttered with door hardware, allowing more overhead space for a lift. Unlike the olden days of sliding and swingout doors, thanks to modern technology, these doors open and close with the press of a button. www.RealCarriageDoors.com | 800.694.5977

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

49

Carriage House Door Co.

Carriage House Door Company garage doors are handcrafted to your specifications and produced using exceptionally highquality materials. Extraordinary workmanship, superior woods, and professional hardware are standard features, ensuring long-lasting beauty, reliable performance, and low maintenance.

While CHD is well known for their quality wood doors, they pay the same attention to their Steel Collection. What separates them from the competition is the sculpted edge trim detail and window construction, lending to the authentic look of tru-divided lites. The Carriage House Collection is lengthy indeed, and offers the elements of a carriage door constructed a century ago, yet functions using the latest modern technology. www.carriagedoor.com | 866.890.1776 (west), 877.668.1601 (east)

I

The Art of Selecting a Quality Door

t can be a daunting task – selecting a garage door that will look good, last decades, and require minimal maintenance. But it can be done. In particular, people tend to shy away from wood doors for a variety of reasons, not the least of which would be maintenance – the stain fades, the wood splinters, cracks develops, termites feast… why would anyone want a wood door? Sloan Clingerman, owner at Clingerman Doors, specializes in wood doors and says that thanks to technology advancements, things aren’t exactly as they used to be.

“Seek a door made of exterior grade wood, preferably in mahogany or cedar, and pay attention to the overall thickness of the door,” he said. “A good solid wood door will be about three-inches thick with insulation.”

The insulation rating should be R-10, according to Clingerman, the highest grade a garage door can have.

However, he also advised to think it through. If your garage is attached to the home, or has a room above it, or is climate-controlled, then it’s in good measure to insure it’s insulated; however, he said that sometimes a detached garage that is not climate-controlled and stands alone may not need the insulation requirements of those installed on attached garages.

“The home owner has to decide for themselves if it’s money well spent to insulate the garage,” he said.

He also advised to pay attention to how the wood is attached to the frame; it should be screwed together with stainless steel screws – no nails, as it’s just too easy to wriggle free over the years of use. Being of a particular personality too, he advised that the screw head should be covered with a matching plug.

“Another shortcut some manufacturers use is one single pane of glass over a few window openings,” he said. “It’s good economics to build a door that way, but why shortchange your investment? Particularly in a wood

50

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

door, you’re likely to spend a sizable amount of money for an element that will enhance and improve your home.

Aesthetically and to the insulation, creating a garage door with one single pane of glass is not a great idea, it’s truly only to save some money.”

In terms of fading finishes and splintering woods, Clingerman says that it’s nearly a thing of the past.

“Because of the new stains available to the industry, fading and spotting is rare if the door is well made and well stained,” he said. “We usually do recommend though that people installing a wood door do so on a garage with at least a 4-foot overhang so as to offer a higher degree of protection.”

Granted, any door living within the confines of a 4-foot overhang would fare well, however, particularly in the case of wood doors, it aids to keep them shaded from sun and avoiding prolonged exposure to water.

Clingerman also advises to pay attention to the hardware. Wood doors because of their weight should have 11-gauge steel for the hinges and hardware as it’s the highest grade you can have. On wood doors again, multiple hinges and torsion springs across the back and, in the case of Clingerman Doors, one strut per section.

“Steel doors are lighter and normally don’t require the degree of engineering because of that,” he said. “But when you’ve got all the weight of a wood door sliding up a track, it’s important to make sure the track isn’t binding and the hinges aren’t twisting.”

While a steady incline in wood door interest has occurred, Clingerman said that it’s interesting to note that in the past few years, several restaurants have ordered their doors.

“Wood doors look good, they feel good, and they add an ambiance, which might be why restaurants like them,” he said.

“Seek a door made of exterior grade wood, preferably in mahogany or cedar, and pay attention to the overall thickness of the door.”

Access Custom Garage Doors

Access Custom Garage Doors ships all across the U.S., and specializes in new custom home construction and remodels of wood garage doors. They have a selection of pre-designed garage doors, or they can custom design your garage door to suit your home’s design style. Another of Access’s strong points is their ability to seemingly tailor a door to virtually any trim spec – a nearly endless array of options for décor and hardware about at Access, making the creation of a truly unique door very possible. www.accessgaragedoor.com | 800.994.3643

Clingerman

A fine wood garage door makes a statement about its owner and the home to which it’s attached. A properly manufactured wood door also offers tremendous weather protection with generally minimal maintenance.

Clingerman has been custom-crafting wood garage doors for several years, and offers a variety of styles, designs, functions, and wood types. One of their doors is the AZEK/Versatex, a synthetic wood that will never crack, warp, or rot, and is impervious to almost every element, yet looks and feels exactly like real wood. Clingerman manufacturers matching entry doors and real wood swingout carriage doors, and they are compatible with modern garage door openers. Family owned, their goal isn’t to mass produce, but rather, mass satisfy their customers. Nicely, Clingerman Doors come with new track hardware and springs, a recommendation especially with wood doors due to their weight. www.wood-garage-doors.com | 814.784.3634 *Editor’s Note – Much of the verbiage above was supplied by manufacturers and retailers in the industry. Garage Style Magazine makes no representation of the quality or lack thereof that may be found in any of the above referenced products. Any reference of opinion or expertise is merely conversant, or via the manufacturer or retailer website. Please take it upon yourself to examine the websites and literature of these companies to learn more about their products.

automobilia

outlook

Sly as a Fox

Bonhams breaks record auction price for a Lalique Text by

Kurt Forry, Automobilia Specialist, Bonhams USA Images by

Wyatt Beserria

B

onhams, during their annual sale at the Quail Lodge during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance week, offered a fine variety of the elegantly classic Rene Lalique mascots. Running the spectrum from the customary to extremely scarce and extraordinary, Bonhams may have set more than one record price for these exquisite glass ornaments.

The hero of the day was the great R. Lalique Renard, the rarest and most valuable of all commercial accessory Rene Lalique car mascots available in 1930. With buyer’s premium inclusive, the Renard commanded $338,500, and ascended the previous record (set just 9 months prior) by roughly 65 percent. A fine example of pre-war Lalique of any type, this fox had incredible mold definition, clarity, and minimal to no factory defects. As noted in its condition reports, the only outstanding flaw was the slightly polished tips of the ears. This is somewhat common of the examples that are known to exist.

Bonhams entertained several international phone bidders, along with online interests and bidders in the room. Eventually the bidding intensified and narrowed, ultimately resulting in a very subtle winner in the room.

Little does that unidentified buyer know, but he currently very likely holds not only the record for the highest auction price paid for a Rene Lalique mascot, but ANY automobile mascot. Prior to this sale, the record holder was likely the mighty Bugatti Royale standing elephant that sold in 1990 for ₣333,000, and again in 2010 for over £200,000.

Also in the offerings of Lalique, and presumably making a World Record price of its own, was the Epsom. This mascot resembles an open mouthed horse at speed which rendered $68,500. Last, but not nearly least in the prices realized, was a stunning turquoise Tete De Paon or peacock which successfully brought in $43,050.

Keeping in mind that the other 298 lots Bonhams had up for grabs that day were exceptional automobilia items such as the 1/1 Illinois Manufacturing plates of 1948 given to the Tucker Corporation which saw a price of $8,610, believed to be the highest price paid at auction for original Tucker plates. Two beautifully crafted Jeron Quarter Classic models, one of a Maserati 250F went for $18,450 and a Lancia D-50 went for $22,140.

A very eclectic gathering by Bonhams again and the future sales are shaping up to be the same.

54

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Mecum SOLD sign

Mecum’s Auction House Journal

Neon Texaco sign - $9,000

Texaco gas pump - $6,250

A

t their Dallas sale, a neon Texaco sign took command at $9,000, supplanting a 1924 Texaco gas pump, taking in $6,250. A largescale porcelain Mobil Pegasus found $7,000, and three of Mecum’s very own SOLD signs brought in $25,000, $22,500, and $10,000, raising over $70,000 for Curing Kids Cancer Foundation.

At their Monterey sale, Mecum found new owners for a guitar painted like Shelby #26 heavily autographed by celebrities including Carroll Shelby himself which realized $6,500. A beautiful Porsche dealership sign also changed hands for $1,750. A Penny-farthing Columbia bicycle changed hands for $8,000, and a Ferrari F1 child’s ride found $4,750.

Porcelain Mobil Pegasus - $7,000

Shelby #26 autographed guitar - $6,500

Porsche dealership sign - $1,750 Ferrari F1 child’s ride - $4,750

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

55

BUSINESS

profile

Clingerman Doors A look at a premium door manufacturer

Text by

Bill Nakasone Images by

Clingerman Doors

C

lingerman Doors is considered by many as one of the premium builders of custom garage doors.

All of their doors are custom, made-to-order doors that fall within three general categories: wood sectional doors, solid wood carriage doors, and AZEK. The wood sectional doors use premium stain grain exotic woods such as Spanish Cedar and African Mahogany with an infinite variety of available architectural designs dictated by the customer. Although their appearance is that of a solid hardwood door, they operate as a conventional “overhead� door and are therefore made of sectional panels. Their carriage door line is a solid monolithic wood door that operates as either a sliding, swing out, or folding door. Their AZEK line of doors is constructed of a cellular PVC material that has the appearance of wood. This material is selected by customers who desire an ultra-stable material with

56

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

low maintenance. These doors are constructed using the same techniques as their wood doors and have an authentic look despite their synthetic material.

AZEK doors are for paint grade applications only. You have to select from their line of wood sectional doors or wood carriage doors for stain grade applications.

Clingerman Doors has been building custom garage doors for 15 years, the roots of which go back to Roy Clingerman. Roy Clingerman built

luxury custom homes and was often asked by his clientele to fabricate custom garage and front entry doors. Enter Sloan and Shawn Clingerman, Roy Clingerman’s sons. Sloan and Shawn realized that there was a void in the market and they eventually made the decision to change their business model from that of being a custom home construction operation to that of a custom door manufacturer. They consulted with a major door distributor in the region who was supportive of the idea of having a supplier of craftsman-quality custom wood doors. Although the majority of their business falls within the New England states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, and Rhode Island, they will deliver their custom doors to anywhere within the continental United States.

Their business has progressively grown with each passing year. Says Sloan, “Our biggest challenge is keeping up with demand. As our custom garage doors became recognized for their beauty and quality, we soon got requests for building custom doors for restaurants. It’s flattering to know that people like our work and we are extremely busy.

We are currently adding additional space to our facility to keep up with the demand.”

Contact them and learn more at: Clingerman Doors 2697 Clear Ridge Road Clearville, PA 15537 www.wood-garage-doors.com | 814.784.3634

The Coolest Accessory in Your Custom Garage Port-A-Cool® portable evaporative cooling units are perfect for your custom garage, shop, pool, patio or anywhere traditional A/C is cost prohibitive or ineffective.

• Lowers temp up to 30˚F • Cools with tap water and 115v • Rolls easily on casters

Visit Our Booth at SEMA Expo For more information, call 936-598-5651 or visit www.port-a-cool.com

Wine

guide

Holiday Wine Ideas

Ring in the New Year with some tasty wines and fun accessories Porsche

Sometimes it’s good to have a quality bottle cooler on hand, and Porsche has just the solution with its original ribbed-design cooler. Derived from the early air-cooled 911 cylinders, the anodized aluminum base and laser etched Porsche crest cooler was designed with input from Porsche Engineering Services – it’s sure to please. www.shop4.porsche.com | 888.700.8252

Italian Wine Merchants

Few will argue the impressionist nature Lamborghinis, and anything associated with them, leave on someone. From the Lamborghini Vineyards near the Sant’Agata, Italy factory where the company was founded, comes the Lamborghini Campoleone IGT Merlot. Made from equal parts Merlot and Sangiovese, the blend offers a rich flavor profile.

The nose carries through with notes of saddle leather, fireplace smoke, figs, prunes, and plums. www.Italianwinemerchants.com | 212.473.2323

Red Car Winery

Located in Graton, California, Red Car is known for producing wines that offer finesse and a well-balanced structure.

The 2008 Fight Syrah has a boysenberry explosion with rose petal, shitake mushroom and black licorice complexities.

The rich mid-palate is reminiscent of berries and barbecued ribs, with a textural dark chocolate note. www.RedCarWine.com | 707.829.8500

58

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Home Wet Bar

What better way for a car guy to stop a bottle and save some for later than this cherry wood, chrome, and rubber gear knob stopper? Easy to grip, the rubber stopper ensures a snug seal to keep wine fresh and prevent leaks, while the cherry wood and chrome will keep car guys smiling the entire time. www.HomeWetBar.com

Eagle Day

For those preferring the Mercedes-Benz style, there are the Vintage Wine Stoppers, inspired by the shifter knobs on classic Benzes. Elegantly packaged, each stopper is used for a different variety – red, rose, white, and champagne. www.EagleDay.Com | 954.349.3037

B.R. Cohn

As red goes, this wine reminds of raspberry, blackberry, and cranberry.

Aged in French and American oak, the Red Roadster boasts a spicy bouquet of white peppercorn and clove. The Roadster on the label is an uber rare 1933 Willys, one of 98 built in Australia, and rebuilt by Bruce Cohn during an 18-year span. Now powered by a massive GM 502, it’s one of Bruce’s daily drivers. www.brcohn.com | 800.330.4064 x124

Makin the Best of It

Hand painted, these 9-inch tall, 16-ounce capacity wine glasses come as a set of four and are top shelf dishwasher safe. MakinTheBestOfIt can also custom paint a variety of items such as salt and pepper shakers, cream and sugar sets, gravy bowls, and much more. Part of the charm of hand-painted means too that no one will be exactly like the other – maybe that’ll put a stop to sipping out of the wrong glass. www.MakinTheBestofit.com

Talbott Vineyards

The Talbott Pinot Noir, Sleepy Hollow Vineyard is made from estate-grown grapes and has the aroma of bright cherry and plum leading to floral and spicy French oak notes. The pinot has a rich texture, soft, velvety tannins and ripe fruit.

Flavors of Bing cherry and red plum lead to a long finish with vanilla oak and lively acidity.

Robert Talbott is a sentimental man with a soft spot in his heart for trucks and motorcycles.

His wines are often named for family members or vehicles such as the Diamond T. www.TalbottVineyards.com | 831.659.3500

GlassWithaTwist.com

GlassWithaTwist.com a great source for custom engraved glassware. Their sandblasted engraving method produces deep, even engravings on wine glasses, beer mugs, pints, shot glasses, pitchers, and more. They offer numerous template designs that can be customized, or you can start from scratch and create completely unique custom designs.

They also accept artwork or logos for engraving purposes. GlassWithaTwist.com offers fast turnaround times and there are no setup fees and (no quantity requirements). www.GlassWithaTwist.com | 775.737.4118

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

59

Zymol

Called the Weinglas by Zymol, the artistically interesting shape much more. It helps guide the wine directly to the proper place on your tonge that embraces your palate enhancing the wine’s qualities and complexities for a much more enjoyable experience. www.zymol.com | 800.999.5563

DenBeste Vineyards

Long in the business of making some of the most sought-after Cobras in the industry, DenBeste boss, Ron DenBeste, is also a connoisseur of wines. But, in the production of his own label, he’s taken care to really market it to car guys by making unique labels for each wine celebrating Carroll Shelby and the various cars he brought to the marketplace and racing circuit. For the serious collector, this six bottle set should do nicely. Three zinfandels (1965 Shelby 289 FIA, Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, and 1965 Shelby 289 Cobra) and three cabernets (Gurney/Grant MKII GT40, Ken Miles MKII GT40, and GT40 MK II 1966 Le Mans) make up the collection and are sure to impress any car enthusiast. www.shelbywines.com | 877.836.1534

Wine Enthusiast

Over the last 30 years, this multi-faceted company has thrived along with America’s ever-expanding enchantment with wine. Starting as a direct mail business, Wine Enthusiast has published over 300 million catalogs. Today, Wine Enthusiast successfully markets via direct mail, multiple internet sites, and with a business-to-business division, bringing Wine Enthusiast products into retail stores throughout the nation. Consider one of Wine Enthusiast’s Top 5 Gift Ideas for the wine enthusiasts in your life. www.wineenthusiast.com | 800.356.8466

Jeff Gordon Winery

The Napa Valley Joie de Vivre red blend is a favorite of Jeff’s and has become the flagship wine of the Collection. The newlyreleased 2008 vintage is composed of a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 10% Syrah. With its low yield, the Cabernet’s mountain fruit produced an intense and complex wine which gives this Joie de Vivre an essence of earth and anise spice. www.JeffGordonWine.com

60

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

artist

profile

Misjif Text By

Jeremiah McDaniel Images Courtesy of

The Artist

T

he word epiphany is used to describe a sudden thought that changes the course of one’s life. Epiphanies are not always associated with artists because of the years of training, technique development, and trial and error that go along with the craft. The artist Misjif spent years working jobs to get by, bartending, dabbling in advertising, but he says it never quite felt right. One evening in 2008, he struck out on a simple project, building bedroom furniture for his son, but like a scene out of Young Frankenstien, the weeks spent toiling in his garage would create a monster that would forever alter the trajectory of his life.

“Someone gave me a desk made of plain wood and I went into the garage and put flames on it, lined it with leopard skin, put pipes on it, and made it hotrod,” said Misjif.

Realizing that he was onto something, he tried his hand at a girls’ bedroom set. He took an already existing set and completely customized it, adding shelves, seats, and turning valve covers into lamps. Success. While impressed with his newfound craft, he still felt like he needed more, and the valve covers were the answer. He started using the covers to create wall scones. And after he had designed a few, he called a friend and crew chief for NASCAR over to show his work.

“These type of car lovers were my market, so my friend

62

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

was the perfect person to show them to,” said Misjif. “He told me they were really good, but people want to see that you fabricated the sculpture; that sent me back to the drawing board.”

While looking for the path to take his new craft, Misjif developed a portfolio of the scones and sent those out to artists around the country. In the portfolio, he included a very personal note asking for critiques, advice, and tips for a struggling artist. One of the artists to receive his portfolio was Automotive Fine Art Society member Tony Sikorski. Sikorski, intrigued by his work, called Misjif one afternoon and invited him to the Pebble Beach Concours.

“I got off work Friday at 1 o’clock, picked up my friend, and drove the ten hours from Las Vegas to Pebble Beach,” said Misjif. “I met up with Tony and his wife, who were just so amazing, and his wife introduced me to Ken Eberts. I gave him my portfolio and drove home.”

Eberts is the AFAS President and he didn’t just blow off this guy from Vegas. Two weeks later, he called Misjif and gave him some real advice. He told him that his pieces were a little too “hot rodish” for the types of people who attended the concours.

“He was very nice, but when he told me that, as an artist, I

“I like that people appreciate what I do; they see how much work goes into each piece and it’s nice.”

was a little upset,” said Misjif. “I did some thinking, and after a while, I realized what he was saying, and it wasn’t bad at all, but if I wanted to be at the Concours level, and I wanted to be there, I needed to change what I was doing.”

Misjif says his first love is exotic cars, specifically the Lamborghini Countach. From that love, he set out to develop the sculptures that now define him. His first piece was one modeled after the Ferrari Enzo. The Enzo was an uphill battle for Misjif, who up until this point had been able to rely on tools and techniques he knew, but this new venture would take him to places he never imagined.

In order to make the Enzo come to life, Misjif needed to learn to weld, cut, and shape metal, paint, and basically everything required to produce a metal sculpture.

“I would watch TV to see how they did it,” Misjif remembers.

After three months of trial and error and countless hours spent tooling in his garage, he emerged with a final product: a sleek, stylish depiction of one of the most iconic cars to grace the road.

“The Enzo was easier because all the metal is just bent, it’s not rounded: as I started to do more, I realized I needed to invest in an English Wheel,” said Misjif.

Some of Misjif’s pieces look like they are scaled down versions of the originals, but that is not the case. He says he uses the originals as a model for his pieces, often incorporating actual pieces of the supercars he is emulating. For his 599 GTO piece, he used the original taillights from a Ferrari 599 GTO. “They are not full replicas; I just kind of squish it a little bit and take parts I really like,” said Misjif.

One of his more recent builds, the Super Sport, took Misjif into a world that many car designers dare not go, Carbon Fiber. The piece is modeled after the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, and you don’t need to squint to see the resemblance.

This piece just looks fast.

The thing that makes these works so unique is that they aren’t molds that can be reproduced in mass; they are oneof-a kind designs, hand-crafted from beginning to end.

“I like that people appreciate what I do, they see how much work goes into each piece and it’s nice,” said Misjif.

Like all artists, his journey is marred by successes and failures. While his sculptures were quickly gaining popularity, he was invited to the 2011 Amelia Island Concours as the guest artist, but his personal life was suffering. Misjif, not yet ready to use his art as a full-time source of income, was fired from his job, his house was foreclosed on, and his studio was raided by thieves.

“I’m not deterred; once you’ve poured your heart and soul into something and you’ve sacrificed, it’ll never stop,” said Misjif. “It’s become my passion; I love it; I will always do it because it becomes who you are.”

Learning is all part of the process for him, from learning to fabricate to researching every minute detail of the car he is building. The goal of creating has taken hold of Misjif and he says that grip is tight.

Hoping to push his newfound talent to the extreme, Misjif has plans to design and build his very own super car.

In just four years, he has come from never melting two pieces of hot metal together to creating some of the most sought-after pieces of art. With his passion for learning and stepping out of his comfort zone, his super car is sure to become a reality, and perhaps one day, his creations will ignite a fire that will change the life of just some guy. GSM createmisjif@yahoo.com

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

63

Unique

artists

David Sova Creative angles, unique perspectives, and stunning subject matter define David Sova’s paintings. Blue skies dominate many of his pieces giving the viewer the perception there are no bad days when you are around beautiful cars. www.davidsova.com

Richard Lewis Sometimes art isn’t about what you see on the surface; it’s about finding the details that make it extraordinary. The paintings

by Richard Lewis give you beauty on many different levels. Be sure not to miss the precision and wonder the reflections offer. www.rlewisstudio.com

64

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Scotty Ziegler Scotty Ziegler combines two great things: beautiful women and cars. His tastefullydesigned paintings portray a sight that every man wishes he could walk into his garage and find. The works would make a perfect addition to any collection and the women would be great on a pit crew. www.fineartbyscotty.com

Find Automotive Books for your favorite car enthusiast! by author, photographer, broadcaster

McQueen’s Machines, the Cars and Bikes of a Hollywood Icon from Motorbooks Publishing or at Amazon.com

Winning!

The Racing Life of Paul Newman also with Preston Lerner, with Foreword by Mario Andretti from Motorbooks Publishing or at Amazon.com

Matt Stone My First Car Motorbooks Publishing or at Amazon.com

Histories Greatest Automotive Mysteries, Myths, and rumors coauthored with Preston Lerner Due out this fall from Motorbooks Publishing

Please visit www.MattStoneCars.com

The Ferrari Phenomenon co-authored with Luca dal Monte BullPublishing.com or Amazon.com

Automobile

review

Fisker Karma Pushing the limits Text by

Anita Pinsker

Images Courtesy of

Jack and Anita Pinsker and Fisker Automotive Group

D

uring the Monterey Car Week, two colleagues and I ventured out to the picturesque Chateau Julian Winery in scenic Carmel Valley to meet and greet the Fisker Karma. The winery was the perfect spot for a meet and greet for Fisker - attractive hostesses welcomed us amidst an inviting array of fresh fruits and assorted wines and cheeses. Fisker executives introduced themselves, and our session began.

Before listening to the presentation, we couldn’t help being enchanted by the eye-catching Karmas in their illuminating reds, whites, greens, yellows, and silvers with equally enchanting names such as Eclipse, Silver Wind, Inferno, Deep Ocean, White Sand, Laguna, and Earth, to name a few.

There’s a surreal aura to the Karma that few other vehicles exude, a specialness that truly sets it apart from other exotic, high-performance luxury sedans.

A detailed overview of the Karma’s features emphasized its all-aluminum welded body in a ”monocoque space frame

66

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

to enhance its safety cell design,” centrally-located RMC battery with the two electric motors, rear battery pack, and long wheelbase, and that the FK is a true performance car with more than 400-horsepower and that it only comes one way – fully loaded.

In building the Karma, Fisker took into account two very different personalities for general appeal, eco-chic and ecosport, both appealing to the eco-minded consumer. Karma utilizes gas and electric modes with hybrid mileage ranging from an average of 30 in the city to 50 on the highway. Brakes on the Karma are electro-hydraulic which utilize kinetic energy to decelerate as the vehicle rolls to a still.

The Karma was created with sustainability in mind. The wood, leather, and fabric utilized in production originated from California. The wood, while sparsely used in the Karma, is rescued and recycled from wildfires, fallen trees, and the ocean, not forested or harvested new. Leather hides are used guardedly and responsibly, using the hides in areas obvious to

passengers, not in obscure sections where it won’t be seen and appreciated. Further, the leather has been tested for durability and longevity, lending again to the credence behind sustainability.

Furthering their quest for environmental responsibility is a seamless solar roof, a feature which uses sunlight to power the various accessories from the aircon to the key fob remote to the radio. Fisker also claims it will provide approximately 200-miles of free emission driving.

Even the stunning Diamond Dust metallic paint proved to be EnviroFriendly using water-based formulas and postconsumer recycled glass bits to provide the requisite shimmer and pearl, all sprayed in a manner that releases zero organic compounds into the atmosphere.

From a woman’s perspective, I fell in love with the

swoopy, almost mysterious yet muscular silhouette and extremely environmentally courteous materials and construction methods. It strikes as the vehicle leading the way of future vehicle construction and design.

During the test drive through windy Carmel Valley, the Karma proved its taut suspension throughout our spirited jaunt through the canyon. Unlike so many other performance cars too, the Karma proved very quiet inside in spite of its capabilities. Acceleration was immediate and seamless, while taking curves was effortless, as was the braking. Not a small feat for a car weighing over 5,000-pounds, and in all, generates a feeling of entire driver satisfaction. GSM

Book

reviews

Autobooks-Aerobooks Picks THE ART AND HISTORY OF THE GARAGE DOOR Ramona Visconti Beauty is all around us. Even the most “uninteresting” thing can be seen in a fascinating and instructive light. This book is devoted to an exploration of one of the most mundane and utilitarian of daily objects - the garage door. Showcasing the sociological, psychological, and cultural influence of this seemingly inane object, author Ramona Lee Visconti advocates the contribution and significance of the garage door, drawing us in with a new level of insight, understanding, and appreciation. Featuring hundreds of unique photos from around the world, this stunning, oversized, limited-edition coffee table book will be like no other in your collection.

AL BARTZ ENGINE MAN Phil Henny

The biography of Al Bartz, renowned racing engines builder. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1938. At a very early age, he showed a keen appetite for dismantling anything mechanical to find out how it was made and how he could improve it. After an apprenticeship at Hilborn Injection, he worked for famed engine builder “TRACO”. Al opened his own racing engine shop in Van Nuys, California in 1966. He was very innovative, always exploring new concepts with the dry sump and injection systems. Al Bartz built some of the best racing engines to power Formula 5000, NASCAR, INDY cars, CanAm, TransAm. These were driven by the best drivers in the world. Al Bartz died in 1981 at 43 years old.

68

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

CARRERA PANAMERICANA 1950-54 The documentary titled “Carrera Panamericana 1950-54” presents original footage and photographs of the Carrera Panamericana road races which ran in Mexico from 195054, along with new interviews of participants including American race driver John Fitch.

The catalyst for the documentary was Ron Kellogg, founder of the Kellogg Auto Archives, who states, “The original footage and photographs document a historic moment in auto racing and in the development of Mexico’s infrastructure. It was my desire to present these along with the commentary and anecdotes of those who took part before time robbed us of the opportunity to hear their words.”

Filmmaker Stephen Mitchell and Ron Kellogg have done a superb job of bringing the famous races to life and preserving their legacy for future generations.

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

69

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

71

buyer’s

guide

The Last Minute Holiday Buyer’s Guide…

Text by

Ariana Spero and the Editor

CuffLinks.com Cuff links never go out of style. In their growing list of cool links is this 5-speed knob set, sure to please any car guy www.cufflinks.com | 877.283.3565

Reliable Corporation The Pronto, from Reliable Corporation is the perfect gift for Garage Style Magazine readers! This powerful portable steam cleaner can be used for cleaning rims, hubcaps, wheel wells, engine compartments, and those hard to reach places in your car, in your garage, and home! www.reliablecorporation.com | 800.268.1649

72

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Keurig This holiday season, Keurig has brewed up the perfect gift for the coffee aficionado who also has a “splash of techie,” loving not only a delicious cup of coffee, tea, or specialty beverage, but also sharing a keen interest in the latest technology behind that amazing brew. The new Keurig® Vue™ Brewer features the most advanced single-cup technology available – engineered to deliver a customized beverage, exactly the way the consumer chooses it, all in less than a minute.

The fully programmable color touch screen with auto on/off intuitively enables the user to select strength, size, and temperature, offering the choice of stronger, bigger, and hotter with each brew. The design of the patented, single-cup Vue® pack accommodates varying grind volume and packing requirements so consumers can enjoy a wide variety of beverages including such choices as coffees, teas, frothy café beverages including cappuccinos and lattes with two step Vue® packs, hot cocoa, and hot apple cider as well as other fruit based beverages. www.keurig.com | 866.901.BREW

Tomboy Tools Tomboy Tools offers a variety of exceptional products which would be a great gift for the woman who likes to tackle any variety of projects at home, from hanging a picture to painting her living room to fixing mosaic tiles on her patio table to scrapbooking. A gift from Tomboy Tools is not only thoughtful and useful, but also high-quality and lightweight, empowering and useful, ergonomically designed with unique features, and a gift that gives back – $1 is donated from the sale of each product through Tomboy Tools’ “Pink for a Purpose” initiative, funding women’s organizations and the welfare of animals, an added “bonus” to the woman in receipt of a Tomboy Tool product.

The Tomboy Traveler is the most popular tool kit and the perfect bag for holding and toting all her tools and accessories. www.tomboytools.com | 866.260.1893

Shure Long in the business of supplying professional shops and factories with cabinet and workbench systems, Shure has been bringing their talents into the home and hobbyist garage for several years now. The SHURETECH Workstation seen here is available in 22 powder coat colors, and features adjustable shelves, task lights, vises, 29-inch deep stainless steel bench tops, full-extension, 400-pound capacity drawers, and much more. www.shureusa.com | 800.227.4873 Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

73

SodaStream The Revolution is the first electrically powered soda maker from SodaStream, and offers many new features, such as “touch-button” activation providing a choice of carbonation levels (low, medium, high, turbo), a “snap-n-lock” mechanism for easy bottle insertion and removal, and an LED display indicating carbonation progress and CO2 usage status. “The Revolution takes home soda-making to the next level, and consumers will love the new features and the improved user experience,” stated Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of SodaStream.

“With these patent-pending, technological advances, our users will be empowered to make their own soda faster and more efficiently than ever before. The bottle simply clicks into place and carbonates at the single push of a button, offering a consistent level of fizz each time.” Imagine hosting a soda making party at the garage! www.sodastream.com | 800.763.2258

Wintersweet Chocolates Wintersweet Chocolates are made from organicallygrown, fair-trade cacao from Venezuela. Filled with organic sweet cream, wild-crafted botanicals, fine spirits, and exotic spices from all over the world.

Each piece is artistically decorated and carefully created by hand to ensure freshness, quality, and supreme flavor. Beautiful gift packaging, custom orders, and free shipping – perfect for the holidays! www.wintersweetchocolates.com

Rally Legends Crafting some of the most realistic RC cars on the market, the RL Fiat 131 Rally is an absolute must for any car enthusiast’s toy chest. Durable and powerful, the Fiat comes ready to roll and boasts working lights, off-road styled tires, and rally-inspired wheels, and is complete down to the windshield wipers and decals. What a perfect way to break in the New Year – an RC party at the garage! www.rallylegendsrc.com | 425.829.2096

74

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Ronald McDonald House Charities The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities is to provide a community supported “home away from home” for families to seek advanced medical treatment for their critically or terminally ill children. Premature births, cancer, and other critical illnesses can put unimaginable stress on a family and, in addition, many people must travel great distances looking for treatments and answers not found near their home – RMHC is there to help. This holiday season, consider giving back and joining in the mission to improve the health and well-being of children and their families around the world. There are many ways you can help, from making a monetary donation to volunteering your time at a local chapter to donating a used car. Any way you help can make a world of difference. www.rmhc.org

Bell & Ross Seeped in the annals of military history, B&R recently brought about timepieces reminiscent of WW1, including the Chronographe Monopoussoir Heritage.

Available in wristwatch or pocket watch, the Chronographe is available in mission-style black face or elegant white dial. Part of the genius behind this chrono is the single-button function, allowing for simple calculations particularly important to aviators. www.bellross.com | 768.454.9730

Classic Industries For the Chevy guy, Classic Industries recently released six colors to help restore an original look to tired, faded, styled factory wheels.

Available in a convenient spray can, the DIY’er can easily transform a Chevrolet wheel into a concours piece in a day or two. The colors match exactly what the factory released on various models from Camaro to Vega to Impala to Caprice and more. www.classicindustries.com | 714.847.6887

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

75

Mercedes-Benz Classic Center The Mercedes-Benz Classic watch MANUFAKTUR embodies a sleek elegance in its simple form. The stainless steel case provides a polished contrast to the dark gray watch face and smaller embedded seconds dial.

Large Arabic numerals allow for easy reading. Additional characteristics include automatic movement, mineral crystal and a water resistance up to 170 feet (5 ATM). The black crocodile-patterned leather strap offers comfortable wear and completes the look. Mercedes-Benz lettering runs along the case’s edge. A vintage Mercedes-Benz star logo adorns the crystal back. www.accessories.mbusa.com | 1.800.367.6372

Moduline They got their start modifying trailers for the motorsports industry, so it makes sense now and again to remind people that Moduline is a fantastic option not just for your garage storage needs, but also your trailer or service vehicle. Moduline modular products can help you turn a trailer or service vehicle into an organized rig, improving efficiency and cleanliness, helping you make the most of its capabilities and your journeys. Durable aluminum components ensure minimal overall weight gain, but maximum organizational opportunities. A flurry of sizes, shapes, colors, and hardware options promise to help you crate exactly the space you need for your vehicle, and being of the modular design, you really can create what you need. www.modulinecabinets.com | 866.343.4463

Zymöl The cooler months make detailing a little bit challenging, so it’s important to have exceptional products to use, easing the task, and maybe bringing a bit of joy to it as well. The Zymöl Wheel Cleaning Kit will help speed up the process of cleaning and protecting your wheels, and make your car look a lot better. Wheel Cleaner efficiently removes debris and brake dust with ease, while Wheel Coat is a barrier protectant keeping your wheel’s finish safe from the harsh reality rims face. Complete with a handy brush and a couple of microfiber towels, it’s perfect for a car lover during the holidays. While you’re at it – check out their Holiday Samplers too! www.zymol.com | 800.999.5563 76

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Busted Knuckle Garage Everyone needs a pub table, in the garage, the office, the den – somewhere. The BKG Pub Table is one of those perfect additions you can put in your space, and actually enjoy – have some buddies over for a BBQ and a place to enjoy the grub. Made in the USA, BKG also has a handsome line of pub stools to join the table. www.bustedknucklegarage.com | 888.708.0897

italydesign.com Interest in Automotive-themed furniture is on the rise, and why not? Car enthusiasts all over the world enjoy bringing unique design into their space while demonstrating to visitors their dedication to their hobby. At italydesign. com, the spirit is alive and well – aside from the spectrum of modern furniture available at italydesign, they also offer a Lamborghini and Aston Martin collection as well.

Shown here is the Monte Carlo Chair designed by Tonino Lamborghini. Crafted of leather, carbon fiber, aluminum, and designed to spark the GT imagination, the furniture is available in a plethora of hues. www.italydesign.com | 510.420.0383

Race Ramp FlatStoppers by RaceRamps were developed to help people who stored their vehicle for more than 30 days. Set into the FlatStopper crib, weight of the car is dispersed more evenly, thus, helping the tires maintain their shape more evenly. Measuring 22.3” long x 3.5” high x 14” wide, the FlatStopper will accommodate tires up to 12” wide. Nicely too, the FlatStoppers do not conduct heat or cool into your tires and are made with lightweight 100% solid construction technique, making them very durable. www.raceramps.com | 866.464.2788

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

77

Matt’s

column

Be It Ever So Humble, There’s No Garage Like Home Text By

Matt Stone Image By

Mel

M

y house’s attached garage is your pretty average 20 or so foot by 20 or so foot box. And I’m really happy to have it.

Because I know so many car guys that make do with a carport, lean-to, subterranean parking spot, or a single car garage.

So the fact that I can fit two cars, all my tools, and several thousand car magazines in a place I can call my own makes me happy and lucky. I guess the point I’m making is that it’s important to want what we have, not just have what we want.

Now, that doesn’t kill my dream for a fantasy Garajmahal someday, because after all, that’s the primary purpose of this magazine. But even if I can’t yet have a “building” or a “car barn,” I’ve tried to make the most of what I have, and you can too.

Before I moved in to this house, I insulated the walls, and ran three-prong electrical to everywhere I thought might need it. Then I drywalled over the insulation and studs, which not only made the room quieter, but gave me much-needed poster and sign hanging surface. I’m not the greatest mud-and-tape guy in the world, but the walls came out smooth enough, and an airless sprayer and a five gallon can of semi-gloss eggshell white made it all look of a piece. This was also the time to install some four-tube fluorescent light fixtures that I got for free from a local commercial building owner who was remodeling one of his stores, plus a used ceiling fan. And I installed “a couple of them turbine wheelie things that suck the heat right out of the high open ceiling.” My magazine library and gazillion bottles of car wax and detail spray consumed several floor to ceiling book cases made of a combination of pressboard, redwood furring strips, and ¾” plywood, which I promise you is so much better than magazine piles in your garage or in your den.

Heavy Duty Sears Craftsman compressor and a workbench, plus Craftsman rollaways? Natch.

Ever read a For Sale ad claiming a car was stored in a “climate-controlled garage?” Well I always wanted one of those. So I recently had my HVAC guy visit my attic, hack into

my air conditioning and furnace unit, then plumb a duct out into the garage. So my car barnette is now “climate controlled.” So much better for the cars, fuel, and rubber, and my inventory of car detail supplies, paints and such that don’t like cold humidity or long hot dry So-Cal summer days. The cost was minimal, but the result worth much more.

The big mistake I made with all this was not doing something with the floor before I moved in. It is of course old concrete, modestly cracked and stained, plus it’s just ugly. I should have put one of those shiny heavy coatings on it when the space was empty. But maybe someday I’ll empty it out and refinish. Something to look forward to.

I’m not sharing this with you to prove how great my space is; my main point is that with a little ingenuity, scrounging, and effort, your garage can be a helluva lot nicer. My gripe is that I don’t have enough time to spend out there fiddling around. Or redoing the floor.

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

79

Garage

meanings

In the Garage with Cindy Meitle

Chris Runge Publisher - The MotoringJournal.com Chris Runge is the publisher of the popular car blog TheMotoringJournal.com. His blog was something spawned from a love of vintage Porsche cars and needing somewhere to document his work and processes for living with old cars.

Not too long ago, Chris decided out of the blue that he would like to craft his first handmade automobile, having never done so before. From buck to finished product, the result is nothing short of incredible. In fact, Bill Warner has invited the car to be displayed at the prestigious 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in Florida. Chris resides in rural Western Minnesota and enjoys his garage and his shop, which is the same place he sat in his first Porsche at 7 years old.

Cindy Meitle: What is your favorite item in your garage and why?

Chris Runge: I love my English Wheel. Squeezing flat metal to make it look like a car is something I’ll never get over.

CM: What is one item you have always wanted in your garage that you hope to one day acquire, and why do you want it so much?

CR: I would like to get a Pullmax. It’s a large tool used for shaping metal. Although I think some of the charm of my shop right now is that I basically have a homemade English Wheel, some hammers, and a welder. I think people stop by expecting to see more tools. When I show them random pieces of pipe, logs, and hammers for shaping metal, they can’t believe I made a car out of it.

CM: What’s the strangest item in your garage? How did you acquire it, and why does it remain in the garage?

CR: It has to be this 1959 Volkswagen 36HP Engine. Now why would that be strange or unusual? I took it on a horse trade from a guy who claimed it ran Pikes Peak in the early ‘60s. The story (which is so farfetched I couldn’t help but take it) goes that while a Mr. Mori-Kubo was dashing up Pikes Peak, there was a spectator who fell in love with the little Bug. This spectator supposedly wrote movie scripts for Walt Disney.

They went back and pitched the story of this little bug, “Herbie,”

80

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

and you know the rest of the story... Everything in my shop, even the junk, has a story behind. It’s a lot of fun to share it with people.

CM: What are you doing most of the time when in your garage?

CR: Well, it might look like I’m working, wheeling alloy for bodies, fixing on my cars...

But behind all of it, I’m thinking nonstop and my brain goes a mile a minute. It’s sort of my therapy to be working with my hands, but my brain is always going. It’s the place where I can disappear. A good friend told me once, “If it can’t be figured out in the garage, it’s probably not worth worrying about.” That’s the feeling you get in my shop.

CM: Did you spend much time in the garage growing up?

What are your memories?

CR: Yes, most of my garage time was at my uncle’s shop just down the road from our house. I loved being around cars.

Since I was born, anything with wheels fascinated me. My uncle always had old Chevy’s, Mustangs, and neat juke boxes and automobilia that he was restoring. He fostered my interest in cars and to this day helps me with my projects. He is a hobbyist, but probably one of the best DIY’ers I’ve ever known.

CM: Can you give us a quote about what the garage means to you?

CR: “Spending a couple hours in the garage... It’s like a vacation. It’s a place that makes you feel good. It stimulates creativity and inspires new ideas. “ Thank you Chris for a peek into your garage life.

Back yard mechanics to world famous car builders and traditional hot rods to multi million dollar classics are all featured on “The Vintage Vehicle Show”. Lance Lambert, the show’s producer and host, has been taking you on four wheeled adventures since 1993 and “The Vintage Vehicle Show”, broadcast nationally and internationally, can be enjoyed every week on your TV and computer screens.

Check your local listings for times and topics, or log on to www.vintagevehicletv.com

MAGIC HAPPENS

A reader recently sent us this image of two young boys playing in a pedal car: "When my grandsons, Sam and Jacob, recently asked me to take them to a car show, I said, ‘Why would I take you to one when you can be in one?’

Both Sam and Jacob decided to do some maintenance on the family’s 1948 Austin J40 pedal car in preparation for the summer car show season.”

Phil Rader, New York Garage Style Magazine and SEMA encourage you to take a kid to a car show! Share the passion and enjoy time with one another in a great setting!!

Send us your youth-related car show stories and an image at info@garagestylemagazine.com!

Garage

bazaar

Art/Automobilia/ Collectibles/Media Rally Legends www.rallylegendsrc.com Via Corsa Guidebooks www.ViaCorsa.com Mike Gulet http://MyCarQuest.blogspot.com

Auctions

Security

Mecum Auctions 262.275.5050 www.mecum.com

Secure It 562.677.3777 secureit@ngcia.com

Heritage Auction 800.872.6467 www.ha.com Bonhams 415.503.3248 www.bonhams.com

Automobile Restoration/ Maintance

Matt Stone www.MattStoneCars.com

Custom Auto Service 714.543.2980 www.customautocervice.com

Ruckus Rod and Kustom 805.388.7310 www.RuckusRods.com

CoverCraft 800.4.covers www.covercraft.com

GarageArt.com 800.708.5051 www.garageart.com

Clothing/Accessories

GT Racer www.gtracertv.com Vintage Vehicle Show www.vintagevehicletv.com Petroleum Collectibles Monthly www.pcmpublishing.com Autobooks-Aerobooks 818.845.0707 www.autobooks-aerobooks.com Art Era www.arterasigns.com Ultimate Garages www.ultimategarages.net Spirit of Speed USA 760.580.8005 France 33.603.461.031 www.spiritofspeed.com Arte Auto 830.864.5040 www.arteautoauction.com CBT Lighted Signs 858.536.2927 www.cbtsystems.tb Kit Car Builder 866.Kit.CAR1 www.kitcarclub.com

LuxVelocity www.luxvelocity.com

Flanagans Restaurant-Pub 831.625.5500 www.flanaganscarmel.com

Tools/Equipment Mr. Cartoon Sanctiond 855.672.2786 www.Sanctiond.com Save-A-Battery 888.819.2190 510.471.6442 www.saveabattery.com

Zymol 800.999.5563 www.zymol.com Moduline 888.343.4463 www.modulinecabinets.com Griot’s Garage 800.345.5789 www.GriotsGarage.com

Vehicles Phantom Bikes 858.578.7581 www.Phantom-Bikes.com

Advertise in the Bazaar!

Spaces are just $42 per quarter.

Private Listings

Flooring BLT www.jumbo-floor-tile.com

Furniture/Electronics PitStop Furniture 866.319.8500 www.intro-techautomotive.com Custom Auto Sound 1.800.88.TUNES www.custom-autosound.com

1940’s Neon sign made by Arkansas Neon. Porcelain sheet metal all original. Sign had wings originally but missing when found. Wings fabricated as original and added. Neon replace with all modern components. $10,000 Free delivery within 50 mile radius of Yorba Linda, CA. Contact Jim Gilliland 714.701.0771.

Garage doors Clingerman Doors 814.784.3634 www.cbgaragedoors.com

Insurance Heacock Classic 800.678.5173 www.heacockclassic.com

Museums

VintageAutoPosters.com www.vintageautoposters.com

Mullin Automotive Museum 805.385.5400 www.mullinautomotivemuseum. com

Wall Words 888.422.6685 www.wallwords.com

Petersen Automotive Museum 323.930.CARS www.petersen.org

82

Travel/Leisure/Dining

Port-A-Cool 800.695.2942 www.port-a-cool.com

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

Original “OK Used Cars” double-sided neon sign. This sign has not been restored other than the neon lights have been replaced. The sign has great patina for its age. Sign comes with a custom made roll-around stand. $12,500. Contact Tommy at 803.669.1010 or email Tommy at palmettoclassics@yahoo.com.

Can we help you sell it?

Advertise your automobilia, petroliana, literature or other related treasures in Private Listings.

40-50 words, plus a picture, $90 PrivateListings@garagestylemagazine.com

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012

83

84

Garage Style Magazine Winter 2012