Bolus

El Mirage Jazz

Our friend Bobby Green recently took his world record setting Old Crow belly tanker out to the birthplace of dry lakes racing, El Mirage, for a testing. Joining Bobby and the Old Crow crew of Tyrell and Logan were Mister Jalopy, guitar legend Ry Cooder, New York Times photographer Eric Grigorian, and Bobby's faithful dog.

Grigorian's photo essay of that day, set to the Cooder's emphemeral "Flathead" is now up over at the NY Times site. Click on the doggie for an entertaining look / listen.

Ball of the Day

I know, I know! Sorry for the hiatus. Ballofthedaying continues today, and I hope to get caught up soon. In the meanwhile, enjoy this happy tableau of bouncy ball violence sent in by our old Kansas hot rod pal Chris "Sodbuster" Nelson.

In Your Face: A Montage - Watch more Free Videos

Vote Early, Vote Often

Bill Kullbom from Burlington, Iowa owns this tight little Nailhead-powered '31 Model A Sedan built for him by our old buddy Drew Didio, the same tin-bashing genius behind the Coupe of Justice. Now Burlington Bill's sedan is one of the finalists for the 2008 Street Rodder Magazine / Turtle Wax Street Rod of the Year. You are forthwith encouraged to drop by the Street Rodder website and cast your vote for them. Not only are Bill and Drew two of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, your vote will show you don't need a gazillion bucks to make a kickass hot rod, just talent and imagination.

Back When Detroit Remembered How to Swim

Back when i was a kid, every year we'd go to the Detroit Auto Show at Cobo Arena. It was huge and grand looking to me, even in the late 70s, but grandpa used to tell me stories of how much *more* thrilling the auto shows were back in his own earlier years.  According to him, everybody flocked to the auto shows, one of the most grand spectacles, to see the latest great cars and what Detroit had in mind for all of our futures.  Looking at the above picture (1950 Paris Auto Show,) I completely understand that thrill. 

Nowadays, it seems like cars have evolved into bland, commodity tools--- and since a socket looks like a socket, people don't get so excited about them anymore. New cars aren't bold.  Aren't fresh every year. Detroit grew up.  Detroit's grown old.  Like BB King said, "The thrill is Gone."

Is rescue money really going to solve the problem?  Perhaps the auto industry folks need to study these pictures (early 50's auto show pics from LA, Chicago, Detroit, NY and Paris) so that they can remember what they were and recall how they used to lead the swim instead of crying for the lifeguard.

Load the family in and see how everyone fits!  (Los Angeles Auto Show)

Transparant power (LA Auto Show)

Back before people got offended about having Indians in logos (LA)

Free family pictures in the new shoebox convertible

You can check out all my old auto show pics on my flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/notebooms/sets/72157609479613963/

-scott noteboom

Moptops from Around the World!

The British Invasion of 1964 wasn't confined to just North America and Australia. Even as it was dissolving the Sun never  set on the British Empire, at least musically; during the decade there was scarcely a corner of Earth where you couldn't find some hirsute collection of teenagers banging  guitars and howling yeah yeah yeahs in a vain attempt to attract screaming legions of females.  Let's take a nostalgic trip around the globe for a listen.

Hailing from the world's most depressing country, Finland's Eddie and the Lightnings kept Helsinki teens dancing and non-suicidal with "Paha Oot,"  a cover of Betty Everett's "You're No Good."

Meanwhile, down south, the Iron Curtain teens of Poland were abandoning Polka for the beat sounds of Ana Rusowicz and Niebiesko Czarni -- here performing their gulag-rocker "Nie Pukaj do Moich Drzwi."