Spotted is Globe Drive writer Peter Cheney's weekly feature that takes you behind the scenes of his life as a vehicle and engineering journalist. In coming weeks, we'll also highlight the best of your original photos and short video clips (10 seconds or less), which you should send with a short explanation. E-mail pcheney@globeandmail.com, find him on Twitter @cheneydrive (#spotted), or join him on Facebook (no login required). All photos by Peter Cheney unless otherwise noted.
A Master’s Touch
My friend Peter Brock sent me this picture of his car and trailer – he built
and designed them both. Peter isn’t just your average builder– he designed the
Daytona Coupe for Carroll Shelby,
and worked on the original Corvette Stingray at GM. Peter also founded a race
team, and ran a hang glider company called UP (Ultralite Products.) The car you’re looking at here
is the Brock Coupe, his custom-designed version of the car he worked on for
Carroll Shelby. It’s stunning, and the craftsmanship is impeccable.
Aerodynamic Instincts
I love Peter’s Aerovault
trailer – only a racecar/glider guy would come up with something
like this. It’s a frameless,
monocoque design – the strength
comes from the outer skin and a set of strategically placed bulkheads. The
sloped front end reduces drag, and the axle is covered with an aluminum fairing
that smooths the airflow below the trailer.
Smart Trailer
A couple of weeks ago, I ran a picture of a teardrop trailer I spotted on
Highway 401. A few days later, Yolanda van Petten sent me this picture of her own teardrop
trailer, which she pulls with a Smart Car. The teardrop is a clever design – the
front is a sleeping compartment, and the back hinges up to reveal a miniature
kitchen. Pretty cool.
Hand Wash Only
This Chrysler minivan art car is a fixture in my Toronto neighbourhood. The
owner has spent years covering it with glued-on plastic bugs and figurines. I
have no idea how he washes it (or if he does.)
And a Garage to Match
This is the art car guy’s garage. The car never goes in there, since the
space is taken up with the tools and materials he uses to create the decorations
that cover everything he owns.
Labour Intensive
Here’s a close-up of the garage that shows how the decorations are made. Many
consist of pool cues that are sliced into short sections, screwed onto a panel,
and varnished. The owner has been doing this for a long time.
Why His Work is Never Done
And here’s the house that goes with the art car and the art garage. A few
million more sliced up pool cues, toy soldiers and plastic bugs, and it will all
be done.
Speaking of Jeeps
This week, I wrote about the Jeep Rubicon, an awesome off-road vehicle that
most owners use for runs to Starbucks. But there’s also a hard core Jeep
contingent that love nothing more than hitting the trail. I spotted this
modified Jeep down in Chattanooga, TN when my friend Matt took me to a specialty
store where he buys Jeep parts. Although I’m a sports car guy at heart, I really
like these trail-modified Jeeps.
Clean (For Now)
This is the underside of that modified Jeep. Note the heavy-duty axles,
heavy-duty shocks and the limiter straps that stop the suspension from
travelling too far. It didn’t stay this clean for long (the owner had just
finished building it.)
Flight of the Bumblebee
I spotted this Lotus Esprit in the basement of Gentry Lane, the Toronto
dealership where I work on my car. I never really liked yellow cars that much,
and this one didn’t change my mind.
Yellow Peril
Unfortunately, the interior matched the exterior. To each his own.
Don’t Worry, I Can Walk From Here
Yes, this car was actually parked like this.
Vespa Fly Trap
If you’re looking for something to do with that Vespa scooter you just crashed, here’s an idea. I
spotted this sculpture in Toronto’s Kensington
Market this week.
It Probably Sounds Better in German
I noticed this place during my recent drive through Germany. Not sure what
you’d make or grow at a Frankenfarm, but it made me think of villagers with
torches.