The Motoring Historian

Special Guest Dinsmore GreepSlayer - Altar of Sacrificec.2010 Mercedes Sprinter 2.2 litre turbo diesel, 5 speed manualIn praise of Mercedes cruise control - stalkC.2015 Mercedes Sprinter Supermarket refrigerated delivery van, automaticM beats the governor with a neutral dropSprinter vs. VW Crafter A fiery Sprinter and a ten mile tail back on the A38A fiery Ford OrionSlayer - The AntiChristA Fiat Ducato, a lost crabstick and a Cornish dry stone wall Slayer - Die By The SwordDukes of Hazzard in a Citroen C35Driving 7.5 ton trucks on a car license in England; U-haul rentals in the USMercedes 308The white/work van “get out of the way” effect2010 Fiat Ducato2010 Renault MasterVW Crafter, “shat nav”, and narrow Devon lanes“Floor it and get throught, that’ll be the answer”“At Dagenham and Dartford”A can of beer in a Ford TransitJ’s brown ‘93 Ford EconolineAn unintentional burnout on California Street, San FranciscoJudas Priest and Steel Panther in San JoseJ’s bespoke fitting of a velour driver seat from the Econoline ChateauxA bachelor party LDV duallie taking up 8 parking places A Ginster’s pastyEarly noughties Ford Transits - fast!Gated communities of CornwallSlayer - Spirit In BlackTurning in DrivewaysMemories of a Rental House in Reading; an Alfa 33 on the lawn; strimming the lawn  Greep’s Corsa VXR125mph MitsubishiM’s BMW M2, Nissan 350Z and Honda CBR600RR: fettling requiredSlayer - Behind the Crooked CrossA sidebar on SlayerSlayer - South of HeavenVauxhall Cavalier SRiPeugeot 309Gixxer and potholesM’s Fiesta ST Broken Throttle bodyDio at the Hammersmith Odeon and Pee in the Radiator of a Ford SierraFixing Overheating by running the HeaterMad Max FalconRonin Audi S8Sux 6000 (Robocop) Toyota Yaris and Corolla GRGreep experiences a TeslaBMW CE04 electric mopedRevel (who have since left San Francisco)J needs 50mph, not 30mph from his e mopedSlayer - I Don’t Want To Hear It

A Florida Roadtrip; A Prius Digression;J impressed by hybrid torque and 50mpg;Prius not impressed by J’s driving;Daytona Track Tour is worthwhile to see the banking’s steepness from the actual track; J drives where Dale Earnhardt met his end; J’s recent Sprint Car research project - Midget racing in the bay area in the late 1940s/50sHall of Fame Museum at Daytona;Campbell’s Bluebird;Marshall Teague’s “Fabulous” Hudson Hornet;Automotive sites in Daytona Beach - Smokey Yuinick’s shop, Marshall Teague’s shopEarly Nascar and the rise of the SuperSpeedway;The North Turn RestaurantVINWiki Curated Lamborghini in MiamiThe Green Diablo Jota in the Kitchen1981 Lamborghini Countach - the Monaco Grand Prix Pace CarThe Estrella Warbirds MuseumCalifornia History - Hunter-Gatherer societies and aeroplane graveyards - the most awesome sprint car collectionMotorhead - Deadmen Tell No Tales;Pebble Beach 2023 - Structured a different way - first time in a decade didn’t watch the start of the tour;Stayed in Soledad - good roads but the distance an issue;The People Of Pebble Beach, and the McLaren Millenial crowd;If last year was McLarens this year it was lots of Rolls Royces;Familiarity makes them “less off-puttingly ostentatious”J has made his peace with the CullinanThe Yellow Crypto LamboJ is cynical about Audighini’s baked in understeerIron Maiden - Sun and SteelBig day at RM; Lancia LC2Manowar - And The Gods Made Heavy Metal8 litre BentleySiataRMs Barn Find Exhibit and the 1954 MondialExodus - Metal CommandJDM at Pebble; but who are Spoon?; The white 90’s tuner Civic as a classic car; Are drift cars attaining collectibility?Ratt - DanceSeeing the Quail show at the end of the day, while the cars are being loadedHow Daimler and Benz came to merge in 1926 and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, designed by PorscheType o Negative - We Hate Everyone;Monterey Historic Races from Laguna Seca; Group C cars enjoyable from the Corkscrew; The build-up of Turns 3,4,5,and 6 - a rhythm and style which British club circuits lack. All like Copse Corner at Silverstone - simple fast, challenging; J loves Historic Formula 1; RIP Phil Reilly, Ford/Cosworth DFV GuruThe Ragtime Racers,Classic car auctions as Performative TheatreKreator - GrinderJ’s new logistics for Pebble ‘23; the show itself remains the Best Car Show. But only until all the people arrive.A Beautifully Curated Balance of Cars. J particularly enjoyed Senna’s 1988 McLaren Formula 1 car. A fresh appreciation for Daimler Benz as the featured marque.Prong - Who’s Fist?J’s tribute to Don Williams, the man who wanted to “touch every car”, seller of the first $1m car, and the first $10m car; the origins of the Blackhawk Museum; Don said “I don’t like crap”, but J does! Blackhawk Museum, jewelry store display case vs. J’s desire to tell rich stories around artifactsJ appreciates Don for elevating cars to antiquesDope - You Spin Me3 Awesome Black Mercedes - #1 - The Trossi Mercedes SSK owned by Ralph Lauren, J’s Best in Show, image car for this episodeJ’s tour for some Mercedes Benz visitors leading on how the concours works; pleasingly ended the tour on the winning car, #2 a black Mercedes 540k; 800 miles in two weeks in #3 my black ‘02 Mercedes E55 - great old car despite a cracked windshield;Cadaverous Collectors and the cars of Pebble as AvatarJ’s favourite YouTuber of the moment - Car UK

M’s Goodwood Festival of Speed reportThe Allure of the Metro 6R4M on The Value of Being a Goodwood MemberMcLaren P1, Marlboro liveryHyundai Ioniq 5 N, a EV with gears, and the comedy touch in performance EVsNot racing, but burnouts and crashes on the hillclimb up Lord March’s driveJ’s interest in Leyton HouseCathedral - Hopkins, Witchfinder GeneralA Nissan Altima rentalJ forgives the CVT, if indeed it has oneThe aggressive nose of the innocuous AltimaJ wants to Fight The System in New England, don’t judge me by my flip-flops!!!An E-plate Aston Martin V8 Vantage at home in New EnglandA cheap MG EV - is this a milestone affordable-and-practical EV, as J thinks?J worries about the longevity of today’s EV carsLe Mans: the TV experience - J is impressedM moans about UK Formula 1 coverage, and the new Murray Walker, David CroftJames Hunt and Martin Brundle Commentators Above ReproachJ’s five minutes of Formula 1 in the last five years - Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton crash at CopseJ doesn’t like MaxM doesn’t like Red BullM respects Adrian NeweySpa deaths at Eau Rouge / RadillonDoor hits are always bad - Keith Odor, Mike HawthornThe Halo on F1 CarsNASCAR Chicago street race; Shane van Gisbergen wins his first NASCAR raceType o Negative - These Three ThingsAutomotive Storytelling - Fast Five. Panteras jumping off trains, Hokosuka Skylines in a Rio favellaCeltic Frost - Dance SleazyMission Impossible bike stunt and movie review, including plot spoilersM recommends John Wick 4 for its Epic Imagery3d botmaker 1:64 scale Hot Wheels diecast car racing updaterThe A-Team rollFastest Hot Wheels castings; Sierra Cosworths, Nissan Maxima WagonsPractical Sportsbikes, the son of Performance Bikes magazine is dead. The End of Days for print media.M considers the tablet as a shareable alternative to magazinesQuick FireUS road trip - $ no object what do you drive? Broadly T70The rental F250XL used for the Route 66 road trip discussed in Ep11“High Four” is J’s new happy placeAn Epic DriftBest driving music?Metallica: short hair or long?

Cricket and the EnglishmanThe Loved One - Evelyn WaughPokerA Porsche Digression - The rise of the 993 4SJ’s 964 experiencesJ’s 968 CS test driveIn praise of the Cayenne GTS’ interiorPorsche choose their customers like Ferrari. Anecdotally.The appeal of a base model BoxsterJ rebels against car models always bloating'15 and '16 Fiesta ST running reportsA revolution in car cleaning products, by YouTube'17 BMW M2 running report - A/C and brake juddering, and a not great dealerJ’s app for surfing beater cars in Europe - AutoScout24Renault Clio 1821914 Grand Prix PeugeotPeugeot 205 GTiSierra Cosworth (Sapphire)Citroen Saxo VTSCitroen C6 and Up N DownRenault Fuego GTX2002 Mercedes E55 AMG running report @ 158k, “cut roof off”, a broken hood ornament but mechanically sound; central locking pump and battery changeBattery strategy when letting cars sitHubnutVain - WhisperPlans to Pick up the Free MotorcycleVice Grip GarageWestern road trip - Coloma, where they found gold in CaliforniaX-15 Major Michael Adams MemorialSeligman AZ: the real Radiator Springs from the Cars movieDeath Valley at 124 degrees with no A/C Thanks to United Rentals, and their Ford F250J retells the story of the discovery of gold in CaliforniaHighway 395Route 66 - all kinds of awesome, Seligman to Victorville especiallyGentrification and Shelby - an LA story (as seen in Ford vs Ferrari)Newton’s bad behaviour on a Honda XR650 SupermotardParadise Cove reprisedBruce Junor and his bookPCH and memories of the CBR

Tommy Vance, Radio Caroline and Early rock radio in BritainWASPFour bands in one: the evolution of Judas PriestThe science fiction theatre of Iron MaidenAerosmith or Kiss ?Slayer - Die By The Sword Production and thrash metal - to remaster or not to remasterMotley Crue, Backing tracks and the digitization of live musicMixtapes, and M’s impression of For Whom the Bell TollsListening culture 1980s vs 2020sWASP - Shoot from the HipNews - Ford/Tesla (and GM/Rivian) charging infrastructure partnershipsM remains EV scepticalJ loves the hybrid Chevy Volt designJ is flabbergasted by the Faraday Future launchTesla, Lucid and Faraday: redefining the carEV ranges: the utility of 200 miles vs 400 milesM theorizes that lightweight is better than EV behemothsThe unsafety of cabover vans44teeth Boothy's return to the TTA shameless plug for our book, The Chronicles of Halvar and ClarenceIsle of Man TT: Hickey’s 133 mph lapTwenty years since the passing of Dave JeffriesBullett - Stay WildPau Historic Grand Prix - A balcony overlooking the track: M’s Five Star experience at the Parc Beaumont HotelLegends RacersM and the attainable dream of Historic RacingA critique of BelgiumThree Men in a KaThe defeat of the Silver Arrows - and the Nazis - at Pau - by Rene DreyfusA digression on Mellaha, the site of the Tripoli Grand PrixThe Million Franc PrizeJ’s digression justifying his factual incorrectnessA thumbnail on Hermann LangAccept - Too High to Get it RightThe Ethics of Banger RacingQuick fire - F40 or 959?F40 or F50?R32 or Focus RS?GT2 or 488 Pista?Manual transmission or rear wheel drive?You can historic race any car anywhere. What and where?Eulogy to Spa

Uncle Mark’s Life South of the BorderFord F250 diesel 4x4 manualFord F450 ShortbusBaja Street DogsBuzzed By a Trophy TruckYamaha WR 450 and riding in Baja“Mustangs to Todos”Argentina bike road trip; heavy vs. light off-road bikesA Eulogy to Heated Seats and Grips“Personalities” in modern NascarIndy vs. GrosjeanModern Motorsport and MoneyMark’s 1966 Mustang GTThe Gasser Vision“The Thing I Most Want Is My Own Stuff To Work”J’s Pontiac Grand PrixMark and J can’t “thin the herd” of their non-functional cars Toyota ChinookMark’s Mustang SN95 Track carJ’s hypoglycemia"Quad into an electric fence"ZF and Fly By Wire Steering - “you can’t get the staff”Sim Racing Games, pedals and steering setups, VR motion sicknessJ’s Mustang SN95 Track car"A Historian, Not A Mechanic"Harley-Davidson Fast JohnnieThe Death of the Sportsbike Alpine A290FreightlinersTaycan Turbo S vs. Bullitt MustangEulogy to Steve B, the consummate Ford GuyPebble Beach class-winning Bob McGee '32 Model A RoadsterThe Cobra Bigblock muleCrocetti SpecialeTundras I Have KnownNew Cars I Have BoughtSeat Leon Cupra RMercedes E63 wagons M6 Gran CoupeDaimler-Benz M156 engine EulogyMark’s Dad’s ‘40 Ford Coupe - “a blown Cad with a La Salle rear end”The “Business Coupe” explainedMark’s ex-Police Harley'80’s Thunderbirds as an InvestmentA moment’s silence for J’s Mondeo ST24Tony Angelo’s Lincoln MkVIII

Goodwood “Revival” vs. “Members Meeting” vs “Festival”Aston Martin Kia Sportage, Lamborghini Anus, The Man Whole Had Three Cayenne TurbosSelwyn Francis Edge“Ten Years of Motors and Motor Racing”The 200hp DarracqJ’s Gasser vision - the Hound DogJ’s confessionalA dented Triumph DolomiteBTCC vs DTMM’s Best Car Park spotJ en France - Traffic calming in French villagesParis’ 19mph speed limitAn Awesome Parisian Cabbie24 hour bike racing at Le Mans, Ozzfest Meets SportsbikesA Typical Le Mans Traffic Jam“Wow, that was FAST”Historic race - more than a couple of bikes like ones in J’s collection in the fieldA digression on Peage Rest StopsA Small Boy Determined to see The Race At NightJ frustrated by a “green” multi-storey carpark with small spotsLe Mans in the small hours - Europop Disco and France’s answer to Linkin Park“I think I’ve had enough, we can go home and sleep now” J’s explores French Garages, dreams of resucing - Renault Safrane Biturbo, 19 16v, Clio 16v, two Mazda Mk2 RX7sOld Renault dealer on the main road to Le Mans - pranged Peugeot 206 sw, Megane cabrio, Mk2 Laguna 1.8 16v petrolJ’s Mk1 Laguna V6M’s Mk1 Laguna pool carBTCC Renault Laguna, built by WilliamsSalvage Rebuilds UK question if a Renault Laguna Mk1 is a bona fide classic car; we believe so, as endorsed by TOCA Touring carsBritain’s unique and awesome club circuits, e.g. Thruxton, Cadwell ParkRoss Chastain and “Wall-running” in NASCAR; J wants to shake Chastain’s handJ’s Fiat 500X rental; an unfair comparison with the Fiesta STJ pines for Chop’s Garages Jaguar despite living 6000 miles from itApp for buying European beaters - Autoscout24Renault 19 16v collectibilityWe “can’t bear some sh1tty rental”Eulogies on: Fiesta ST, Renault 21 Turbo, Sierra Sapphire Cosworth, Renault 18 TurboThe Noble Sacrifice of a Volvo 740 Turbo, in service of Outstanding Bacon SandwichesJ’s favourite SUVs: 100k Tahoe PPVs and Mercedes ML63s“Dukes of Hazzard” in a WestfieldNearly being run over by Bruno Saby’s World Rally Escort Cosworth

The Cursed ‘78 Yamaha XS650 Fleet week 2005 (?)MotoGP Laguna Seca 2006 (?)Guest John rides a homemade electric bikeBuying a custom Yamaha DR125 (yes, dirt bike to race bike)Memories of Nicky HaydenJoey DunlopIs this the end of real road racing in Ireland? Does this have implications for the Isle of Man TT?The TT in the futureThe “End of Roadracing” article J refers toRiding in England vs California vs Philippines Skaggs Springs RoadDe Havilland BeaverSome LA stories - Snake Shopping in the San Fernando ValleyRiding: Topanga Canyon (Highway 27), Angeles Crest, Mulholland,J’s CBR race bike on the Pacific Coast HighwayA ZX10 in a CanyonThe Upside Down HarleyThe Fireblade in the TreeJohn - Honda CB or BMW?Quick Fire -First bikeLast one you boughtThe “one that got away”Best bike Worst bikeIf l could ride like anyone, it would be…

J pretentiously compares himself to Tristram Shandy44 teeth’s Boothy finedFun with MopedsRunaway vehicle anecdotes“Gate Building” in Mendocino and a 428 ThunderbirdJ’s Gasser vision - The Hound DogOther Mark’s E350 and ThunderbirdThunderbird gets frisky on the GrapevineMoving Other John’s bikesThe Avant Garde and a Freightliner Highway HaulerThe Avant Garde and smog regulationsWhere Miami Vice meets motor racing: the “Blue Thunder” March 83GOld Man Ferrari and the end of Crocket’s Daytona Spider replicaThe Whittington brothers and the Porsche 935 Kremer K3Mario Rossi and Gary Balough and cigarette boatsHagerty buying every classic car show - is that a Good Thing?QuickfireFavourite car movie. Or best. Or both (Taxi, Ronin, Bad Boys 2, Le Mans, Senna, Two Lane Blacktop)Best car chase (Roma Violenta)Two-car Monaco garage, money no objectMost impressive rental carI didn’t answer the worst car I ever owned: between the blue Cortina, the Capri and the E150 van