Just noticed that Kickstarter are now in Ireland. Good stuff!
I have so many ideas and projects I’d like to start, and I’m sure you do too? Have a look at kickstarter.com
The story I told you about the DeLorean could be a starting point? Or the water powered engine? Maybe make a documentary? If you are going to do that, please let me be part of it!
So, put your thinking caps on and get stuck into something. As a poster I saw years ago said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!”
Hello again. After the previous piece on water powered cars, I thought I’d share some interesting trivia with you, on a lighter note. It still has a connection with water though. Sorry.
Many years ago, I was taking a boat trip, don’t want to say where exactly, but it was on the Irish coast. The guy piloting the boat was the chatty type, but also very knowledgeable, a good mix. The man should have been a school teacher. Anyway, I’ll steer back on course. As we chatted, in an effort to distract me from the ever closer reality of reliving breakfast, in reverse gear, I mentioned my love of cars. We talked about all manner of machinery, and then it was as if we hit a sand bank in his mind. His face changed. He looked around, making sure nobody was listening. “You remember the car from that film with the mad scientist?…….whats it called again?”. I reckoned he had to be talking about Back To The Future. “DeLorean?” came my instintive reply. “The very one, good man”.
He told me about how the factory in the north of Ireland had been a much needed boost to the economy and it was a massive blow to all involved when it had to close. The contents of the factory were sold off, with many bits being bought for use in other factories and the majority of the other parts just headed for recycling. “A local fisherman needed something to secure lobster pots to ya know. He heard about the sale and took a spin up to Belfast to see if there was anything that might do the job. Sure enough, he got some big bits, massive weight and for small money. Twas a lot of work getting them here and out into the water I can tell ya! Those are his marker bouys over there. Have a guess what bits he bought?……”. I had no idea. Thoughts of engines, gearboxes and other components went through my mind, but they wouldn’t be THAT heavy. “Not a clue” I said.
“You know when they make the cars, they press a shape into sheet metal? Things like the roof, bonnet, doors and stuff. Well, the key to making another DeLorean is whats down there, under the water. The metal stamps”.
Now, for those of you diehard DeLorean fans reading this, who are probably choking this minute, rest assured that I, even though not a huge fan of the car, was totally gobsmacked. Thoughts raced through my mind…… images of building a brand new shell and being the envy of all those fans. Owning a piece of automotive magic, the very tools which turned flat metal into one of the most iconic cars of our time. I wanted to dive into the water to check. I wanted to turn the boat around, get back on land and find the guy who sank these wonderous pieces to the murky depths of the cold Irish coastline, then possibly torture him. Then I thought about the length of time they would be have been there by now. The multitude of sea life who would be calling them home by now. The effect of anchors hitting them, rocks smashing against them with the tide. Salt water. Did those little lobsters have any idea what was tying them in place? If they did, I’m sure they’d like to time travel themselves and perhaps be freed from their watery prison. I began thinking of scenes from the movies. Quotes. Thinking of what would happen if the world found out about this. Should they? Should I not just keep this to myself and perhaps find the cash, somehow, to buy them? If he hadn’t bought them, they would surely have been melted to make something else. So, even though I was a little miffed that someone would/could sink them to the seabed, he did kinda save them. Should I just keep the info and location to myself?
No. They are too important for that. I’m hoping that someone, somewhere, might be willing to buy them. If you have a large sum of money burning a DMC-12 sized hole in your wallet, get in touch. I’d love to see them put back to use and make even just one more shell, instead of being surrounded by lobster shells.
As you may have guessed, I’m not the biggest fan of diesel powered cars. Petrol is good, but Hydrogen is better. Vegetable Oil & Electric propulsion, especially when the electricity comes from renewable resources, are great ways to power something. What I’m about to tell you may get me killed…… really.
My Granduncle, like me, loved all things mechanical. He spent a lot of his life tinkering with cars, trucks, radios, televisions and other things that may be in need of some fettling. As a child, he would tell me stories about places he had visited and people he had met. Stories about various cargo he had moved and stories about accidents and coverups. What really got my attention was when he would talk about various types of engine(sad, I know). He is largely responsible for me owning a rotary powered car, and the name Felix Wankel stuck in my mind until I was much older and spotted my first RX-7, but thats a story for another time.
What have I to tell you that is so dangerous? Well, its a type of engine I heard about from my uncle, many, many years ago.
He knew about a scientist, German if I remember correctly, who invented a revolutionary engine. Simply put and to cut to the chase, it was water powered. Rubbish, I hear you say? No, fact. This man found a way to allow anyone with access to fresh water, to run their car.
So why haven’t we heard more about this? Why are we driving cars with Petrol, Diesel and various other fuel types? Exactly. Why?
And this is the dangerous bit. My Granduncle told me how this was obviously a fantastic breakthrough and the inventor had found a way to bring affordable transport to the masses. Quite rightly, this was the dawn of a new age in transport. But, the inventor disapeared. His research…. vanished. In fact, it was as if the whole thing never happened.
A lot of you are probably thinking “Conspiracy Theory!!”, ok fair enough. But think about it for a minute. We would all, as consumers and general population, stand to benefit from the discovery. Who would loose out?
The Oil Industry.
Think of the sheer wealth within the oil business. Untold wealth. Think of what has happened, worldwide, for decades, because of the fight for oil…… Is it really so hard to believe that someone threathening this global mega money making machine could vanish?
What about Gas? Another huge industry that would stand to loose out.
Think about the money invested in super tankers, oil rigs, pipelines, refineries etc. Think about the businesses intertwined with them also. Consider the number of fuel depots, in each country, worldwide. What about the number of fuel stations in one country alone. Think about the taxes made from selling the fuel. To threathen this world of wealth would have immense consequences, surely?
Oil is a non renewable resource. The cost of it is increasing and will continue to do so. But it WILL run out. Water, according to the USGS, covers 71% of our planet. There is so much water on our planet, in our planet and around our planet.
How many of you have found yourself stranded at the side of the road, without fuel. Probably a long trek to the nearest station. What if you could just bring a bottle or other container to the nearest stream, fill up and be on your way again? Sounds good, doesn’t it?
I could suggest a simple naca duct, somewhere on your car, connected to a tank.
Think about it the next time its raining. Picture it as free fuel, falling from the sky and all you have to do is collect it. In truth, that is exactly what it is, free fuel(until the governments find a way to tax it) and the life blood of our planet.
So, if I vanish mysteriously, or perhaps am involved in an accident, at least give it a little thought. And ask, “why are we not driving water powered cars?”
Thank you.
Yes, I’m a hungry thing most of the time. I like to try all kinds of food and will try anything once. Why not? Life is too short.
Japan. It was a place I dreamed of visiting for many, many years. My good friend Derrick and I had discussed the idea of moving to Japan, a lot. Having both experienced the fabulous gifts that Japan has granted us techie types, games, tv and hi-fi along with all things automotive, combined with a truly wonderful culture, we simply HAD to go there.
Plans were made to go once we finished college. The time came, I had missed out on some exams(due to being in hospital) and had to repeat a year. So, Derrick went on his own. Without going into all the boring details, I never moved there, something I truly regret. But, years passed and the time came to do a little back-packing. With my round-the-world ticket in one hand, and the well worn Lonely Planet guide in the other, off I went.
I wanted to see as much of Japan as possible. I didn’t just want to do the typical tourist things, I wanted to see the REAL Japan. I travelled from one place to the next, without a whole lot of research. All I can say, to anyone even remotely considering a visit to this magnificent country, DO IT! You won’t regret it.
I saw ancient castles, gardens, old towns, tiny villages in the hills. Ate food that I couldn’t pronounce and still, to this day, don’t know what it was. Drank local beers and Sake. Listened to young musicians outside the train station. Watched all the people hit the town in their cosplay type outfits. Visited an Onsen, bathed in hot sand. The list goes on and its all really fun stuff.
Like any self-respecting petrolhead, I had a few “must visit” car related places. I had to see at least one car manufacturing plant(don’t like calling them factories). A couple of tuning companies were on the list also. Among these comapanies was a tuner called Fujita Engineering Evolutional Development, or thankfully more commonly referred to as FEED.
The firm are among the most respected of Rotary Engine tuners in the world. If at this point you are asking “whats a rotary engine?” then you are in for a treat! Go to your favourite search engine and start educating yourself.
Being a rotary owner myself, I had of course plenty knowledge of the company. I had seen countless videos of cars they tuned, read(ok, looked at the pics) of numerous Japanese magazine articles, practically knew their parts catalogue inside out.
So, I had to go visit FEED. While visiting another good friend in Osaka(Hi Dave) I planned the visit with his help. It took a number of train journeys followed by an interesting taxi ride to get there.
Surrounded by fields, on the edge of the city, was not where I expected the place to be. The excitement as we pulled up outside the shop was akin to a small child at a huge toy shop. I didn’t know where to look first. The yard at the front was packed with all manner of rotary engined cars. Some were just for parts, some were mildly tuned road cars, some were full on show cars and one – was the companies all singing, all dancing, time attack and competition MONSTER! This was the exact car I had seen in so many of those videos and magazine features. Just wow.
I bounded into the store, probably looking like someone who had taken too many pills that day or drank a crate of energy drinks. Trophies stacked high, photos of events, staff, drivers, celebrities and of course, cars. Lots of cars.
I approached the counter and attempted to explain that I spoke almost no Japanese and wanted to buy parts. As I did this, I noticed a gentleman get up from his desk and leave the shop via a side door. He looked like the owner, whom I had seen in all those videos.
After much gesturing and very poor attempts at conversing, another man appeared. His English was better than my Japanese thankfully. He told me that this was where they worked on the cars and they didn’t have parts for sale. The parts place was in another location, a long way away. Damn. I was hoping to bring a few parts with me and save on international shipping. Ah well. The guy, Hitachi I think his name was?(sorry, I have a bad memory) could see the look of dissapointment on my face. I asked if it was ok to take some photographs of the various cars, and he was only too happy to oblige. Bonnets were opened, interesting parts pointed out and a ridiculous number of photos taken.
The time came to move on, so I asked him to call me a taxi home. “No, its ok. I drive” came the reply. Naturally I excepted and then he said 2 words which were to kick start one serious adventure – “which car?”
Now, let me point out that I am quite a shy, easy going and polite person. Yes, really. I didn’t want to put anyone out, but this was the chance of a life time. “Which is fastest?” I asked, having a damn good idea which one was. Before I knew it, my new hero was back with the keys to the MONSTER. The exact car that is the focal point of so many videos. Go on, check YouTube for Fujita Engineering, find a video, thats probably the car.
He climbed in, started flicking switches and noises began to emerge. I could hear a fuel pump whirring in the boot, some ticking noises, the smell of high octane fuel and the feeling of something epic about to happen. When he fired it up, I swear, I was a kid again. Even though the car was running, I still didn’t fully comprehend what was happening. Was I really about to get a taxi ride in THAT car?
I was beckoned into the weapon(well, car is nowhere near the reality) and buckled up the multi-point harness. He pointed at a number of unusual additions within the car, such as the digital readout showing the gear currently engaged. Because racecar.
We slowly edged out of the yard and onto a now, very narrow looking road. I noticed the edge of the road simply dropped suddenly down into the fields. I felt the suspension work over the slight bumps in the tarmac, suspension so stiff you could read a newspaper by driving over it. Slowly we increased speed, while he pointed out various temperature gauges and I understood we would have to wait until it was up to temp. We went from one tiny road to another and eventually onto a main, multi lane road. The temperature guages were now all up to correct operating temperatures, as indicated by a simply thumbs up from my hero. We approached a junction, and began slowing down, allowing the traffic to do their thing and the road to clear ahead. A lower gear was selected and I think a passing fighter jet then accidentally got caught on the roof of the car. We went into some kind of warp. The noise, the smell, the vibrations, the sheer overwhelming jolt of adrenaline. This couldn’t really be happening? As all things turned into a blur(no Your Honour, we were not speeding) I somehow noticed we had passed the train station, by some margin. I pointed back toward the station. My pilot nodded, dropped a couple of gears, stood on the brakes, we shed speed like we had dropped an anchor. The handbrake was pulled, the car put into a smoothly, expertly judged drift and we turned 180 degrees and back up the other side of the road. As we stopped at the station, the hordes of kids all began to frantically take pics. I looked over at my new best friend and said the only word of Japanese I knew to use in such a situation – subarashii!!! He smiled, nodded, we shook hands, I somehow managed to get my legs to work and got out. I waved goodbye and watched as the schoolkids snapped away at the rapidly dissapearing missile and the glorious noise it left in its wake. Looking at one kid beside me, I smiled and nodded as I spotted he was making a video of the whole thing, but quickly became truly angry with myself as I realised I hadn’t. What a fool! The experience of a lifetime and I didn’t have a video. Ah well, I still have the memories.
Thank you to my pilot that day. Thank you to the owner of the company, who I found out later, left the room as he didn’t speak English and was embarassed. I’m the one who should be embarassed, you should be proud to be the genius behind so many fantastic cars, engines and dreams. Thank you so much. That day will forever live with me. I vowed to create a replica(as best I could afford) of the car. The photo of the grey RX-7 you see at the top of the blog is that car, my car. Its a long way off the record setting beast I experienced that day, but it is my hommage to that car.
To anyone and everyone who has not been to Japan – please visit. The people of Japan are friendly, really friendly, genuinely friendly. They have pride in their country, their work, their history. They have given us petrolheads so much and continue to do so. Japan is a place of such wonder, a polar opposite of so many western countries, it has to be experienced to be believed.
And what an experience it will be, trust me.
The Missile
Filming for Best Motoring – Hot Version DVD
Hot Version prize giving with the owner of FEED (in red) and Keichii Tsuchiya, the Drift King (green)
A friend, who happens to be my neighbour, my landlord and a work colleague has inherited something.
It was made in 1948, in England. Coventry to be precise. If it was the following year, it would have been Abingdon.
It has an engine, a petrol one. Its 1.5 (1496cc) makes an interesting noise and has character in abundance. I love the thing.
This is where things get interesting. Aforementioned friend wants to sell it. So, I thought, maybe someone here may be interested? At the very least, perhaps some of you reading this have never seen one before, so even that makes all this typing worthwhile I think.
The car was purchased from an enthuasiast in the UK. It had been restored there, which was undoubtedly a large factor in its purchase. The car was brought back to Ireland and brought a lot of smiles to the faces of all who saw her. The car was garaged and well cared for up until the passing of the owner. Since, its been kept locked away, but thankfully, my love of all things automotive meant I was asked to help sell her.
First order of business was cleaning. Anyone who knows me, will attest to the fact that I spend longer cleaning a car than I would the entire house….. well its more fun!? Then came the polishing. Following that, she was serviced by a local classic & vintage fanatic. Shortly afterward, I drove her to a local charity motoring event. Nobody bothered to tell me that the brakes worked in a glacial manner… After learning this, while simultaneously scaring the bejaysus out of another driver at the first roundabout, I realised that I would need to start braking about half a kilometer before some junctions. Thats not a joke. Nothing clinches the butt cheeks tighter than the possibility of becoming the hood ornament for a truck at a junction. After what was the slowest drive to Galway city, I arrived at the event and you know what… I loved the drive. Too often in modern cars a journey is a blur. No, I don’t mean that I’m travelling beyond the speed limit, but that things happen quick enough that you need to focus more. This journey allowed me time, time to enjoy the car. The smell, the noise, the smiles and waves from those who encountered us. Little design features, such as the winder on the dash that opens the drivers half of the windscreen, allowing some air in. The tidy side vents on the front wings that can be opened from within the car, letting air at ones feet. Yes I know these are tasks made much easier on modern cars, but here those tasks are special. Its more of an interaction, and thus more pleasing, more fun. When was the last time you adjusted the aircon in your car and it brought a smile to your face? Exactly.
But we got there, and it was a fantastic event. Vehicles travelled from not just the various counties of Ireland, but from across the UK. Things like MASSIVE steam engines, tiny steam engines, vans, sports cars, trucks, motorbikes and of all vintages. There were stands selling everything from fizzy drinks to replacement panels for a mk1 Escort.
Thanks to the car, I met so many interesting people and heard some wonderful stories. I couldn’t see that happening with the majority of new cars. At the end of the day, I took some time to walk around the venue, Ballybrit racecourse, to browse the stalls in peace. One such stall had what seemed like the entire contents of an old garage, spread across a huge number of tables. Something caught my eye, something shiny, red, plastic. Could it be? Having spent so long cleaning and polishing the car, I reckoned I was right. “How much for these” I asked the friendly looking old guy behind the stall. “They’ve been there for a long time, used to be 20 each. Give me a tenner for a pair”. I couldn’t get the cash out of my pocket fast enough. “What are they for?” he asked, “a 48 Riley RMA” I replied. “They are the right ones, a nice car the RMA” he said with an even greater smile.
Back to the car I went, avoiding the other stalls, even though there were things at them I’d have liked to see. Why, well like a kid racing down the stairs on the morning of December 25th, I couldn’t get there quick enough. True to the old mans word, and with pride that I had correctly identified them, I was now holding 2 genuine replacement rear brake lights for my new friend.
The journey back was even more fun, I felt like I had proven to the car that I really cared. It seemed like it drove more smoothly, and the brakes had more bite. Maybe I should buy it myself?
So, that was a few weeks ago. Since then, I’ve advertised her on a few forums and specialist sites. Interest has come from various parts of Europe, a vintage dealer and some very clued in Riley fans.
The other day my Dad visited. He saw the car, and like so many others, it brought a smile to his face. He remembered seeing one as a kid, a rare sight apparently, even back then. I showed him some of the features I liked about it and asked if he’d like to go for a spin. On returning back to the house, he noticed the license plate – 48 G. “The car is the same age as me” he proclaimed. It was the first time he had sat in any car from 1948 and it was a special treat he thought.
Its a lovely thing this car. It may not be mint, but that just adds to the appeal I think. I know many people would never consider buying her, but all it takes is the right person, at the right time, and she’ll start a whole new chapter, making the lives of more people happier along the way.
I know I’ll miss her, so I hope she finds a home in Ireland, or at least in a place I can go visit. Enjoy the pics.
Well, simple… its a Mitsubishi RVR X3 Sports Gear.
Oh, ok. So, what is it? Well, those smart people over at Mitsubishi hatched a plan quite a while back. Take an unassuming, family transport looking….. thing. Give it a little more ground clearance. Improve the brakes, change the wheels, fit bigger tyres(yes, I know thats a y) add various bits and pieces to the bodywork, such as front fogs, chunkier bumpers and arches. Your probably thinking, “that bonnet scoop must mean its a turbo diesel? Nope. Its turbo alright, but check the name of the blog again…..
What you find upon raising the bonnet(hood) on this car, is at first, a bit strange. Intercooler – check. Petrol engine – check. Turbo – check. “That engine looks like the one in my Evo” – thats because it is a 4g63 also. Its no coincidence its white, it looks like a big metallic sheep, but under the skin its a rabid wolf!
The car is fitted with a 4 speed auto box. But, if you want a little more interaction on the gearchange front, then slide the lever to the left and now you have a tiptronic type box. Handy.
The eagle eyed among you may have noticed there is only 1 rear passenger door. That door slides and closes with a similar soft-close action to that found on high-end German luxury saloons. I had the feature pointed out to me recently by someone on his S-Class. He was so impressed by this “new technology” that I just couldn’t bring myself to burst the bubble by telling him my 1999 Mitsubishi has the same tech…… and they accuse the Japanese of copying the Germans!
The rear seat is a bench type. It can be folded and moved into a number of positions, giving options like extra large boot space, or ridiculous amounts of leg room instead. The seatback can be folded down, the seat can be folded up, then slid forward, or back. Yes, it is fun. All the seats can be folded flat and the car doubles as a tent. A tent that won’t blow away when the winds picks up. Once that you don’t have to pitch in the middle of the night, after returning from the pub, with no flashlight.
This particular car was imported into Ireland from Japan. It is one of only 4 in the country apparently. Why? I have no idea, its a truly great car.
The seats are comfortable, yet supportive. Visibility is, unsurprisingly, quite good. The large sunroof allows lots of light in. The aftermarket stereo, and subwoofer, provide plenty oomph, enough to overcome the wind noise from the huge mirrors at motorway speeds. Those mirrors are electric, heated and folding. Using the remote key, one can lock and unlock. Yes, really. Also, you can open and close the windows, fold the mirrors and operate the passenger ejector seat. Ok, the last bit I made up.
Remember, this car is over 15 years old now. How many engines has it been through……still on the original engine. It must have had lots of parts replaced. No, nothing more than the usual servicing and tyres. Then the mileage must be low. No again, its got over 145k on the clock. So, to those of you who think that buying your new, diesel econobox, is going to help the polar bears and save you a fortune, and that I’m the root of all evil in the petrol 4×4, think again.
Oh yes, for those that are wondering what its like to drive? Well, its fun. A lot of fun. Yes it leans in the corners, what would you expect with such high profile tyres combined with off road capable suspension. It also accelerates quite nicely. Think hot hatch. Well, it does have 240bhp!
It allows one to cruise effortlessly, in comfort, with reasonable economy, but packs a punch should you need it – wicked stuff.
I love the fact that people look at it and think its someone bringing the kids to school. I really like the hummingbird patterns on the seats. The multiple 12v sockets. 3 huge storage bins in the rear. Cupholders – 2 in front, 2 in the back, as well as massive, comfortable arm rests. What a car.
Well done Mitsubishi.
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Diesel is for tractors 