Mr. Wolf lives in the world of vintage vehicles so our first stop was a nondescript garage somewhere in the Bay Area. Inside were gorgeous old cars worth millions. Two of Mr. Wolf’s friends were working on this Alfa Romeo. Pretty sure they told me this car would be valued at $4 million plus.
Ojai, California is a small artist community in the foothills east of Santa Barbara. My Lyft driver took the scenic route and it was beautiful. I spent an hour with Robert Wolfe.
She’s been collecting scraps for a very long time and turns them into very small objects that hold distinct memories. More »
This beauty pulled up in front of the coffee shop this morning. Had a nice chat with the owner. He’s got a garage full of vintage vehicles he promised to show me.
When I got to the coffee shop Saturday mourning I found the street lined with hundreds of Mustangs. Shelbyfest is a big rally for Mustang owners and while these beauties don’t turn my crank like an old Land Rover, they are gorgeous hunks of metal. A policeman doing crowd control guessed there were 400-500 cars this year. I’ve included notes on some of the photos below.
It was one year ago today I decided to find and purchase a Land Rover. I knew absolutely nothing about them, just thought they looked cool and I wanted one. It has taken twice as long as I expected and cost — just guessing here — about 30% more.
I’ve made some new long-distance friends on this journey and watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos of people restoring and repairing Land Rovers. Some spend years working on these old trucks.
The guys down at the coffee shop have stopped asking when the truck arrives and I try not to bring it up. But one day soon I’ll come thundering down the street and park out front and maybe take the boys for a ride in a real vintage Land Rover. That will be fun.
There are probably smarter ways to get your hands on one of these but none to which I had access. And I really haven’t been all that frustrated by the delays and unanticipated costs.
I’ve sold the MINI, sort of. I’ve turned it over to a friend who will sell it. It started having electrical problems that were only going to get worse and I don’t have the skills or the patience to deal with. Which means I’m without wheels until the Land Rover arrives so I’m renting.
As this project dragged on, I created a little map to keep things straight.
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve said we’re nearing the end but I think we’re nearing the end. The new engine will be in San Francisco by the end of the week and — again, I’m just guessing here — maybe a week or two for Philippe to pull the current engine and drop the new one in. Still planning to fly out and meet the mysterious Mr. Wolf and break a bottle of bubbly on the Land Rover’s bumper. Or something. Watch this space.
I spotted this in the parking lot of the Ecco Lounge here in Jefferson City. Belongs to one of the guys that work there. I’m going to try to learn the story behind this and share it here. Do you love the cup holder?
“The resemblance between the new Roxor and the classic Jeep is no accident, mind. Indeed, the company began its automotive work seven decades ago, with a license to build Willys vehicles for sale in Asia. […] Unfortunately for those swayed by the Roxor’s pleasingly-retro looks – and its $15.5k starting price – you shouldn’t expect to see it on public roads. That’s because it’s not actually road-legal: instead, it’s intended to compete in the Side x Side category (“a small 2- to 6-person four-wheel drive off-road vehicle”) and be put to work on ranches and other off-road situations.” [Slashgear]