Random Retro Snap

Random retro snap: Audio cradle, fitted.

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November 14, 2011
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Made a bit of progress on the vintage audio project over the weekend. Took a couple of headunits and amps down to ProTech, opened up the cases, hooked them up to a test rig and tinkered around for a while with help from oldschool.co.nz members slacker.cam and Ned – the end result being that with a bit of judicious (and precise!) modding, it should be a cinch to “hook into” the cassette line-level output with a suitable media player device and still have the headunit control the tone, balance and volume levels.

Next step: figure out how to switch input seamlessly between cassette and line-in without blowing anything up. (Don’t look at me like that; everyone knows cassettes are The Bomb!)

The component cradle mentioned in last month’s update is now installed in squid, with cassette deck and EQ fitted.

It is awesome.

Now where did I put those Black Sabbath tapes?

: Authors Cars, Inspiration, Random Retro Snap

These are the tools at hand, and this is what you came for.

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November 5, 2011
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After busting my arse all week to get both DR30s to Hampton Downs, an administrative fuckup today resulted in neither of my cars being judged in the show and shine competition at Nizfest which I paid to enter.

The organizers gave me two bottles of cleaner wax as amends, but I don’t think I will return next year unless a retro-classics or oldschool.co.nz club stand is organized. Was pretty disappointed and ended up leaving the event early after discovering this.

However Snoozin von Richy of OS fame snapped these photos of the DR30s on the trip home, which kinda cheered me up a little. And at least I made it there and back in the end, even after all the trouble squid was giving me! Thanks to all of the OS guys who came down for the day, and cheers to Ned for taking on driving duties in the coupe.

My own photos of the day will be up within the next 24 hours. There was a definite lack of older Nissans and Datsuns this year.

So rest your faith on some solemn note.

Squid definitely needs to go lower. For the love of dish!

When I give up on you it's not me being callous.

Coupe has near-on perfect road stance though.

Send me a letter, tell me how it's going.

Check out Richy’s flickr here »

: Authors Cars, Events, Random Retro Snap

Authors’ Cars: Coupe lyfe

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October 3, 2011
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How to regain motivation for the coupe:

Fit some lush wheels.

Track down a functioning AAC valve and other miscellaneous replacement engine bay sensors, then give car to John (aka CXGPWR) for an afternoon to werk his magic. Voila, car feels like a completely new beast to drive and actually picks up from down low instead of bogging like a bastard.

Wash it for the first time in aaaaaaaaages.

Yes, I know it looks like it could do with a bit more slam but this is actually an optical illusion more than anything else. Perhaps 55 profile tyres weren’t such a good choice after all.

OK, so I cheated and simply swapped the rims off squid.

: Authors Cars, Inspiration, Random Retro Snap

Random snap: Honey, I shrunk the Skyline!

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September 20, 2011
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For someone who isn’t much of a diecast fan, I have amassed a small but hearty collection of DR30s…

From 1:18 right down to 1:89 scale.

the level of detail on the 1:18 Autoart is nothing short of breathtaking, especially when you have the Real Thing parked in the garage to compare it with. Check out some detail shots of it here.

A shame that my other 1:89 model, a Seibu Keisatsu Machine-RS, has gone missing. It used to be parked on my desk at the office but mysteriously disappeared one weekend. I blame the cleaners!

: Authors Cars, Automotive Die-casts, Inspiration, Random Retro Snap

Car Spotting; Decrepit Cedric Update

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September 19, 2011
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Time and a location close to the sea has not been kind on this old soul.

You may recall these earlier snaps from December of 2009.  I drove past it this weekend (almost two years later) on my way to the Waiau River mouth and had the Olympus in the car so decided to take some updated shots.

As you can see, I didn’t quite get the series of pictures correct as it had been a while and I wasn’t sure what shots I had taken the first time, also the difference in time of year is definitely apparent by the lack of Californian thistles in this set.

-Michael

: Car Spotting, Random Retro Snap
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