Tuesday, August 28, 2018

LE MANS: The Un-Le Mans Report in Miniature Detail - Dusk to Twilight 'N Beyond





The Oft, Overlooked 1966 Ford GT-40 Mk II No. 4, on Display at the IMS Hall of Fame museum, Circa 2012. (the Tomaso Collection)
As Bloody Hell, Now where's Duh Play Button? And is this Thingy' On? Can You Hear Me Messer (John)  Heinhaugh? Come On Satellite feed...

Another unforeseen impact of packaging the top row of Diecasts, which were All Le Mans competitors over thou years, was that I'd forgotten three of them had itsy-bitsy, teeny-weenie miniscule plastic radio antennas, or is that Antennae?

Like Bloody Hell! How in the Buggers' did they even attach said plastic antennas? As NO Jokes here 'bout small Chinese Hands; Butterfingers...

Although I had ZERO idea which car I was attempting to carefully wrap in a cocoon 'O tissue paper, I first tried cutting the paper to go around said offending antenna, which was the size of a baby Douglas fir's individual needle; CRIKEYS!

But the antenna kept moving around on Mwah, so next I mistakenly tried poking it thru the tissue paper instead, as it kept rotating around on me...

And as I attempted making the first of three cars cardboard cutout "ski Ramps" to protect thou Antennae', and almost having it in place, Yeah, Y'all know what happened, Eh? The DAMN Antenna went Snap, Crackle, Pop; SHIT!

Reviewing the catalog list I'd made years earlier, I discovered that I'd unfortunately broken the miniscule antenna off my Porsche GT1 Diecast.

While fortunately for thee "Scottish terrier," aka Allan McNish, he'd managed to win his first of three Le Mans races twenty years ago, as he'd not had any radio issues to worry about; Hya!

Moving past my obvious Displeasure over mangling one of my Diecasts, as they're really Not Designed for  being Moved; but I digress... I moved along to the next car with more FREAKIN' Antenna's, this time belonging to a lovely Dodge Viper GTR/S, which not only was its antenna beefier', but I was also more cautious in my attempt to package it up for transport. And successfully built up a cardboard protection Ski Ramp, which surely Justin Bell would be proud of my efforts, Mates!





Naturally, the third and final chassis with Pain in thy Derriere' Antenna's was of a totally different design, as this is another forgotten, and most likely unknown racing car. As I'd been Smitten with Dr. Panoz's "Batmobile," a la the Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Coupe edition, that raced at Circuit de la Sarthe Wayback in 1997.

As think it sports Visteon sponsorship on It?

As I was a Fan of the Booming FoMoCo' motivated Roush Racing built 6.0-litre naturally aspirated V-8 lump' propelling it.

Although I'd either forgotten, or more likely was unaware that Panoz commissioned a Q9 Hybrid version the following year...

As it's Diecast replica's antenna was simply a small bulbulous affair pointed straight up, and was the easiest of the three "Offending" chassis with replica antennae to wrap into its protective shipping cocoon 'O three layers of tissue paper, followed by generous dosage 'O Bubble-wrap - before being placed lovingly inside cardboard moving boxes; Aye Karumba!

Having saved the final seven cars, which were some of my most prized, along with being the only one's I'd painfully kept their original "Shipping Crates" for future posterity.

Thus I began with another of the many Porsche Sports Cars in my eclectic collection. This one being a wonderful Carousel 1 :"Hawaiian Punch;" Err Hawaiian Tropic Porsche 935 that finished runner-up Overall in the 1979 Le Mans race, and sported the moniker PL Newman above the door sill as one of its Pilotes'.


Although I'd long fawned over an Exoto Martini Porsche 935, they'd long since disappeared, or were out of my price range! So I settled on this fine Carousel example instead.

 And I was amazed at how Carousel had basically mimicked the Exoto packaging method. And marveled over how the bottom half of the Styrofoam box had even cut out space for the larger rear wheels!

Hmm? What's this spare piece of Styrofoam for? And how in Bloody Hell does the top half of the box fit on? Before I finally remembered when looking at; Uhm, feeling the box's inner surface that Thar AIN'T any indentation for the 935's rear wing! Which at least isn't of "Moby Dick" proportions; R'   

Oh Yeah, I think the rear bonnet's removable; Wallah! Ah Hah, that's what the tattered piece  'O tissue paper's for. Now realizing that the removed bonnet stores atop the upper Styrofoam container and that spare piece goes over it for protection: YIKES!

Then it was onto the row of Ford Exotica, a Virtual Six Pack of Blue Oval History, which are my best vehicles, all being from Exoto. Featuring three of 'Ol Shel's' Front engine Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupes, which were a 'lil Dicey getting back into their potential individual boxes, since I cannot read the print on the end of the box. Which is probably why some of these made slight protests upon being crated.

And then finally, it was time to put the NASTY, BAD ARSE 3 Car set of the 1966 Ford GT-40 Mark II's, which finished 1-2-3 back inside their case.

Although I'd kept the plethora of plastic bits 'N screws used to secure these cars upon purchase, I'm long past being able to SEE how to reattach each car. Not to mention trying to figure out how the expanse of tissue paper inside said packing case covered these cars...

As Tacoma Bureau Chief Mary Ellen noted, they're like Russian Nesting Dolls, for which I'd pack up Herr Schumacher's separately, later .

As it was quite painful putting these Beauty's back inside this monstrous Styrofoam box, which includes two snapping turtle': Err plastic snap suitcase style straps!

As I'm hoping the cars survive intact, since I couldn't bolt them back down, so they're loose in this case, although I tried lightly packing some loose tissue paper at both ends, whilst Mary Ellen's been most patient with Mwah, over keeping the box upright, and Not marking or taping it...

Since after the Styrofoam's located correctly, and the suitcase straps are re-mounted, albeit I needed to loosen one. It was time to slide this into the first of two slip covers, being of plain white.

Then a coloured slip cover with the word Exoto cut out into it goes on next, before it's slid into the third and final outer packing/slip cover; Aye Karumba!

As naturally this made me think of Dan Gurney, who just passed away this January, which I previously lamented in;


Or Y'all can check out those Narly, Boomin' Seven litre thunderin' Ford Big Block 427cid V-8's in action on this Youtube video, which itself weighs in at a Hefty 13mins and 21seconds...


As Good luck finding this year's 24 Heurs du Mans race on the Velocity Channel...

(Photo c/o No Fenders ‘Offical Photographer CARPETS')

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

LE MANS: The Un-Le Mans Report in Miniature Detail - Strolling Across thou Tarmac to My Virtual Racecar...




The N.A.R.T. #21 Ferrari 250 LM that Won the 1965 24 Heurs du Mans on Display at the IMS Hall of Fame museum, Circa 2010. (the Tomaso Collection)

As originally, prior to the Tri-colour being waved, When I thought I was moving... I had ZERO Clue if I'd  been able to be re-connected to the All Knowing Internetz' Justin-time' to listen to this year's Race on Radio Le Mans? Since unfortunately, All my local comca$t Cable TV Service provider can do is jack UP the price, whilst Failing to provide us more programming, like the Velocity channel...


Otay, as a Visually Impaired; Err Blind Word Hack, and unexpectedly deciding to move my Base of Operations after two-plus Decades; YIKES! Naturally I just couldn't Hunt 'N Peck Fast enough on thee 'Ol Selectric; Err my Bloody Knucels' kept getting in the way; Ahem Mr. Sheheen! Uhm, I simply didn't have time to research every Bloody Brand New LMP1 Prototype this year. especially since I know why I've fought so hard to NOT move the past 20yrs...

thus instead, this is a story of a different sort, albeit it made me think of Le Mans as I was packing away the last of my voluminous collection 'O "Prized" 1:18-scale Diecasts.

Ironically I'd managed to insert 33 Diecasts into the IKEA Bookshelves case purchased an eternity ago. Hmm? Where have I heard Dat' 33 number before, Eh? Oh Yeah, didn't Dan Brown write about it in Angels and Daemons? Hya!

In my haste to discard the accompanying boxes, plastic base and screw they came mounted on, when I was a Diecast Collecting Neophyte. I'd need to pack them the way the first few I'd purchase nearly a Quarter of A Century ago made the Trek Northwards, albeit this would be a 'Wee Bitamyte more difficult since I cannot see the cars anymore...

Having bought Mega' quantities 'O tissue paper, bubble-wrap and clear packing tape, albeit having long since discarded Thar accompanying Shoe Box Transportation "Crates." I set out on a Friday morning to begin re-learning how to wrap diecasts for moving, which ultimately they really aren't designed for, specifically when loose!

Silly Me! Having set the packing tape on top of the tissue paper, naturally it clung onto Uhm, Klingon? To the tissue paper which resulted in a large swatch of the first sheet being torn off 'N thrown away; Oh Crap!

then cutting the first swatch 'O bubble wrap, and knowing I was cutting the wrong direction; Me Thinks it's called cutting across the grain? I snipped the inside of my middle finger and felt blood instantly beginning to ooze onto my finger! so it was off to the bathroom to retrieve a band-aid; Sigh!

Although several years ago, I cleverly cataloged each of the 33-cars exact location on the six corresponding shelves, but Nah, I don't need to review it, as I know exactly where the Exoto's are, which were the only boxes I kept for repacking 'em.

As I decided I'd go for the easy pickings instead cutting with scissors. And put away the Le Mans cars that I had thar individual boxes for.

Thus after opening the plain white slip cover, taking out the second inner box. then pulling out the Styrofoam packing case and removing the side holding clips, I attempted to put the first car back into its box.

Hmm? That's Stir-range? Doesn't fit that direction, so must have it backwards? Nope it still won't go into its box easily, as the Styrofoam started making that noise when you twist a coffee cup. So I instantly stopped! Put said Diecast back and gave up on the most precious of thou collection, and decided to start on the top row, or Row-1 instead.

For humour after taking a break the next day, I discovered I'd been off one shelve during my count, I finally reviewed my catalog records to discover I'd been trying to stuff a Ferrari F40 racecar into a 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe box instead; CRIKEYS!

And although I'm fairly certain that my yellow Totip F-40 racing car didn't run at Circuit de la Sarthe, I know those Uber Bad Arse Prancing Horses galloped down the Mulsanne Straight.


Whilst all of this waxing on 'bout la Scuderia has made me think 'bout my brief time with one of its past legends, and America's first Formula 1 World Champion, the late Phil Hill...

 

(Photo c/o No Fenders ‘Offical Photographer CARPETS')