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D R I V E , D R E S S , L I V E . . . . L I K E A G E N T L E M A N N U M B E R : 1
2014 YEAR BOOK
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If you have been following my adventu-
res you know that I have been working
in Nicaragua for over 15 years on huma-
nitarian projects. In 2014 we were able
to bring clean running water to a com-
munity and in years past our group has
built schools, medical clinics, churches,
and community centers throughout the
country.
My first trip to Nicaragua was in 1999, one
year after a historic presidential election.
The country was in turmoil, infrastructure
had suffered under years of civil war and
political sanctions and there was so much
that needed to be done.
March 2015 I headed back, to Central
America again. If you would like informa-
tion on how you can support the work in
nicaragua
Nicaragua, or even come on the trip and
lend your skills and time in changing the
world one project at a time please email
me. You can also check out the giving
back story, about our 2014 trip on page
38.
Mike Satterfield
michael@thegentlemanracer.com
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Classic Days at Schloss Dyck / page 6
The Ford GT40 / page 10
Top Watches of 2014 / page 17
Car Girls / page 18
The Adlers Special / page 20
Shop Visit: RWB Indoneisa / page 24
Road Trip America / page 30
Giving Back: Nicaragua / page 38
Project Car: Ford Fairlane / page 42
Nissan Heritage Center / page 46
Table of Contents
INDEX
The Gentlman Racer
JAPAN DESK
VINTAGE MOTORSPORTS
NISSAN HERITAGE CENTER
Classic Days at Schloss Dyck
Inside the appointment only Nissan Heritage Collection
Photos by Roman Vanecek
We visit Germany’s Premier Historic Rally
46
6
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Editorial2014 in review
TIME KEEPERS OF 2014
CAR GIRLS
WHEELS
THE CAR GIRLS OF 2014
Project Fairlane
OUR FAVORITE WATCHES OF 2014
The best shots from our 2014 photo shoots
with car girls from across the USA.
Our SEMA project Ford Fairlane takes it first
drive and turns heads in So California.
These manly automotive and military inspired watches made our 2014, and we pick our top three
favorites from MAX, Tsovet, and Autodromo.
Looking back on 2014 we have had a
lot of amazing adventures, from driving
around the USA, to visiting old and ma-
king new friends in Indonesia, to touring
the Nissan Heritage Museum in Tokyo.
There has been so much more we have
done, and we love sharing those adven-
tures with you on TheGentlemanRacer.
com.
2015 is going to be full of new epic ad-
ventures, racing in Mexico in the Rally
Historico Transpinsular, new project cars,
and exciting new partnerships with some
of the most iconic brands in the automo-
tive world. We are also working on our
first film and look forward to sharing it
with you.
Mike Satterfield
The Gentleman Racer
17
18
42
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Michael Satterfield
Günter Biener
Classic Days at Schloss Dyck is billed as
the German equivalent of the Goodwood
Festival of Speed. Featuring all of the
same elements, a concours show, a hill
climb, and of course dressing in period
correct clothing. As you would expect
there are a lot of German cars at the show,
but a strong sampling of the best cars in
Europe were on hand for the concours
and to tackle the hill climb.
The “American Way of Drive” as it was
translated is essentially a celebration of
the American culture of cruising. Ame-
rican fare included a classic Coca Cola
truck, an Airstream trailer, hamburgers
and fries served by waitresses on rollers-
kates while tunes played on the jukebox.
We can see that stuff here in the states
any time, the Classic Days is a celebration
of all things automotive. Thankfully pho-
tographer Günter Biener and Suixtil have
provided us with these great photos from
the event.
www.schloss-dyck-classic-days.de
Classic Days
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FORD GT40A car born out of Rivalry with Ferrari that went on to become legend.
In the spring of 1963, Henry Ford II re-
ceived word that Enzo Ferrari was inte-
rested in selling the family business to
Ford Motor Company. Ford was excited
to have an opportunity to buy the legen-
dary brand and reportedly spent several
million dollars in an audit of Ferrari assets
and on lawyers who
were working on the
negotiations. At the
eleventh hour, as the
story goes, Ferrari pu-
lled out of the deal. It
is said it was over the
motorsports wing of
Ferrari, which Ferrari
wanted to retain operational control of,
Ford was busy racing at Indy and if the
deal went through Ferrari cars would
not be allowed to race at the Indianapo-
lis 500. Enzo shut the deal down costing
Ford millions. Out of that mutual spirit
of animosity Henry Ford II ordered his
racing division to build a car that could
beat Ferrari. Lead by Harley Copp, the
team of Broadley, Lunn and Wyer began
working on a new car at the Lola Factory
in Bromley, England. By the end of 1963
Ford had established
Ford Advanced Vehi-
cles Ltd, a new subsi-
diary under the direc-
tion of Wyer.
At the same time,
another American Ca-
rroll Shelby, was wor-
king on refining his year old Shelby Cobra
in his own bid to take down Ferrari in the
FIA World Championship. In 1965, his Co-
bra Daytona Coupe would do just that.
Michael Satterfield
Michael Satterfield
“Alright, We’ll beat his ass.
We’re going to race him.”
Henry Ford II
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The Ford GT40 was first raced at the
Nürburgring 1000 km race where it reti-
red with suspension failure after holding
second place early in the event.
Three weeks later at the 24 Hours of Le
Mans, all three entries retired with me-
chanical issues. Ford was seeing the
success Carroll Shelby was having with
his Cobras and knew he had his eyes al-
ready on a Le Mans bid so after a season
plagued with issues under John Wyer,
Shelby took over after the 1964 Nassau
race. The cars were shipped directly from
the Bahamas to Shelby in Los Angeles.
Shelby was quick to add a victory to the
GT40’s resume on their first race out with
Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby taking victory
at the Daytona 2000 km in 1965. The rest
of 1965 was not as successful, but the
lessons learned in 64-65 allowed the MK-
II version of the GT40 to dominate the
1966 24 hours of Le Mans with a legen-
dary 1-2-3- victory.
GT40 TRIVA
A 1968 Ford GT40 used as a primary
camera car in the Steve McQueen racing
epic “Le Mans”, the car was modified for
filming by having the entire roof removed
so cameras could be mounted. The car
was restored sold for $11 million at
auction in 2012.
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GT40
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Priced at just $425 the Autodromo
Veloce is our top pick for 2014.
Featuring vintage tachometer
inspired styling cues and
high quality look and feel the
Autodromo Veloce offers a lot of
style for its price point. Available
in Black or Stainless Steel, both
come with a black perforated
leather strap that reminds you of
the steering wheel in your favorite
sports car.
$425
www.autodromo.com
The TSOVET FW-44 was inspired
by the WWI infantryman’s field
watch; the rugged construction
and size are ready for business,
but still offer elegant and timeless
styling. The brown leather strap
gives it an organic element to an
otherwise industrial timepiece.
Priced at $350 the FW-44 is the
perfect watch for everyday use
and yet is stylish enough for night
maneuvers.
$350
www.tsovet.com
From the polished copper plated
case to the tobacco colored
leather strap the MAX Gentleman
is a pleasant surprise. The only
Chronograph of the three watches
we have chosen, it offers a lot of
content for the price and feels nice
on the wrist for a 47mm watch.
$550
www.maxwatchesusa.com
Autodromo VeloceTSOVET FW-44
MAX Gentleman
2014 Top Watches
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CAR GIRLS OF 2014
MODEL: BOSSA NINA CALIFORNIA
FEBRUARY 2014
MODEL: TYLER PAIGETEXAS
DECEMBER 2014
MODEL: SAMANTHA R. CALIFORNIA
AUGUST 2014
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ADLER SPECIALBuilt in a Southern California Garage in the early 1950’s the Adler Special took on the biggest names in racing… and won.
Michael Satterfield
Michael Satterfield
THE
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El Mirage is one of those magical places,
just a over an hour north of Los Angeles
in the high desert; it’s a raw dirty lands-
cape, which for the most part is devoid of
life. However, six times a year it becomes
a Mecca of Speed as Land Speed Racers
from around the Southwest come to test
their cars and set new records. Not just
a precursor to the Land Speed Races at
Bonneville, El Mirage has its own rich his-
tory of racing, with speeds over 300 MPH
being reached multiple times. Since 1937
the Southern California Timing Associa-
tion has been organizing land speed trials
on the lonely lakebed. For those six days
a year, the silence of the desert is broken.
I head up and chronicle the events to
photograph the cars, teams, and racers,
many of them that look just like they
would have back in the 30’s and 40’s, if
it were not for the modern day RV’s and
safety equipment you could believe you
stepped back into another time. In the
same day you will see an ultra sleek mo-
dern land speed record car and a 1932
Ford racing in their respective classes,
chasing speed records.
It was on one of those trips that this uni-
que car captured my attention, a strange
Mercury powered Boattail roadster that
was parked near the staging lanes. Unlike
some of the hotrods out at the lake the
THE MANNING MERCURY
Charles “Chuck” Manning was born in Utah
but came to California to work in the growing
aerospace industry. He began building his
own race cars in the early 50’s using mostly
Ford and Mercury parts. This car, now known
as the Adler Special, was originally called the
Manning Special or the Manning Mercury. In
California SCCA Racing this humble sports car
racked up many podium finishes over the likes
of Ferrari, Maserati, and Allard.
After campaigning the car from 1951-1953
he sold the car to Southern California Racer
Jacques Bellesiles who raced it until 1956
before switching over to a Ferrari 750 Monza
for the 1957 season. Today the car is as close
to the state it was in when raced by Jacques
Bellesiles.
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patina on this car was real , as was the
garage built masterwork that made it so
interesting. The body was hand formed
and riveted together, the cockpit was
all business and even included a vinta-
ge tool bag, and stickers from races 50+
years ago decorated the
interior panels. I chec-
ked back often to try and
meet the driver of this car,
but could not, so I shot a
series of photographs of
the car and hoped to find
out more later on.
Thankfully the Southern California Hot
Rod Community is a small one and after
a few days of hunting around online and
making a few calls I found someone who
knew the owner. The story of the Adler
Special unfolded in an email exchange
over the course of a few days. It was an
interesting tale of a time when a guy in
his garage could build a car and go out
to the track and race against the factory.
“You could find ads for Manning Chassis published in Road & Track back in the
1950’s. ”
The car now known as the Adler Special
was purchase by Doug Adler from a Mr.
Jaques Bellesiles who campaigned the
car back in the early fifties. Mr. Bellesiles
car started life as the Manning Mercury.
Built on a Manning 3” tube chassis the
car was raced by Chuck Manning himself
from 1951-1953 in the SCCA. Chuck was
well known for his chassis in Southern
California road racing circles and even
produced and sold plans for his chassis
via mail order. You could find ads for Man-
ning Chassis published
in Road & Track back
in the 1950’s. Manning
Chassis were so good
because Chuck worked
for Douglas Aircraft as a
stress analyst and knew
how to design a low
weight, yet surprisingly stiff chassis. The
tubes were fitted with 1936 Ford suspen-
sion components and the body was for-
med by hand from fiberglass and alumi-
num using wooden forms and lots of trial
and error. Power came from a Mercury
Flathead V8 topped with dual Stromberg
carburetors and a manual gear box. The
car was ready to race and race it did.
ALL BUSINESS
The Manning Mercury was purpose built
to race, so it does not have the comforts
of even a 1950’s car, not even a key. The
car has been retrofitted with a hidden
key system for security today, but when
Chuck was building it in 1951 he kept it
all business. The shifter shows just how
far back the driver sits in the chassis, for
better weight distribution.
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With Manning at the wheel the car took
home five podium finishes in 1952 alo-
ne. Mr. Bellesiles acquired the car in 1953
and hit 128 MPH at Bonneville and was a
regular at tracks like Laguna Seca, Torrey
Pines, and even took First Place at Willow
Springs in 1956. The cars current owner
Doug Adler discovered it in 2006 throu-
gh a mutual friend of Mr. Bellesiles who
still owned the car after all these years.
The car had been taken apart and sto-
red in the rafters of his garage since the
1970s. After lots of asking and promising
that he would keep the car original Doug
was able to purchase the car. Upon get-
ting it down from the rafters Mr. Bellesiles
had two more requests; first that he get
to help put the car back together, and
second, that he could drive it once it was
done.
After reassembly, the car was back on the
road and 80+ years old Mr. Bellesiles was
able to take his home built hot rod for a
drive once again. ”I was thrilled to have
his input as I put the car back together,
you can’t ask for a better expert than the
guy that built it” said Doug referring to
working with Mr. Bellesiles. Doug has big
plans for the car including several vinta-
ge rallies and races, although he won’t be
doing any serious racing in it, since that
would require modifying the original car
with modern safety devices. As much as
we would like to see it on the track, kee-
ping this Hot Rod Culture survivor all ori-
ginal seems like the right thing to do.
BOATTAIL
The boattail bodywork was added at a
later date, perhaps to aid in the top speed,
or to cover a larger fuel tank once the car
became a street driver. The car does still
see regular use and is spotted at events
around Southern California.
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SHOP VISITRWBIndonesiaWHILE SPENDING THE SUMMER ROAD TRIPPING ACROSS INDONESIA, WE STOPPED IN TO VISIT
MICHAEL LESMANA ONE OF LARGEST RWB PORSCHE COLLECTORS IN THE WORLD.
Michael Satterfield Michael Satterfield www.RWB.jp
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On a recent trip to Indonesia I had the
honor of meeting Michael Lesmana,
the man behind RWB Indonesia and
Terror Garage. When I contacted Mi-
chael about a shop tour I did not ex-
pect an invite to see his entire private
collection. It was a real treat.
Michael has been collecting for
about 14 years and has the largest
collection of Volkswagens in Indo-
nesia, and his collection of Porsches,
almost all RWB equipped, is incredi-
ble. Terror Garage shop where all of
the cars are built is just a short drive
from his home, which has been de-
signed to be more of a showcase for
his amazing collection, than just a
place to live.
Located in Bandung, Terror Gara-
ge specializes in building Michael’s
vision of what German cars should
be, as well as preserving some rare
original models in his collection.
Everywhere you look there was so-
mething cool, from a classic Lambre-
tta Scooter or old AJS motorcycle, to
parts from current and past builds.
Some hung as art on the wall.
Finding this many classic cars in one
place is rare in a country like Indo-
nesia, where rust is the number one
killer of vintage cars. Unlike many
countries such as Australia or the UK
who regularly import classics from
other parts of the world, Indonesia
has strict laws that restrict the impor-
ting of used cars. This has lead some
collectors to resort to buying classic
cars overseas and cutting them up so
they can be imported as “parts.” Upon
clearing Customs they weld them
back together again. So finding res-
torable projects in Indonesia is quite
a task.
RAUH-Welt BEGRIFF better known as
RWB is a tuner out of Japan that has
become famous the world over for
their unique ultra flamboyant Pors-
che 911s. Owner and designer Nakai-
San is flown to locations all over the
world to perform official RWB Pors-
che conversions. He works with se-
lect collectors around the world like
Michael where they don’t just buy a
styling kit, they become a part of the
RWB Family. Each RWB Porsche is a
one off creation that Nakai-San per-
sonally creates and custom tailors to
each customers specifications.
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Dream Garage
Michael keeps his finished cars in a home just up the road from the Terror Garage
workshop where his cars are restored and prepped. The home was designed to
showcase his collection of cars, motorcycles, and automotbilia.
Michael LesmanaStanding in the Terror Gaage workshop were two more 911’s are undergoing
pre-RWB Conversion work. Vintage performance cars like the 911 are hard to find
in Indonesia and many require extensive metal work before they can be handed
over to Nakai-San to become a new RWB Porsche.
In the BasementBelow the lawn (pictured above) is the lower garage where Michael’s collection of
Volkswagens includes models considered rare in Germany. Each car is restored to
perfect condition or customized to a level that makes them truely unique.
Visiting Indonesia
Indonesia is an amazing tourist destination, having traveled across the Islands for
several years. Bali is one of the most popular islands to visit. But, Java should not
be overlooked. The capital city of Jakarta is quickly becoming a cultural hub in
Southeast Asia for automotive culture, fashion, design, and food.
For more information on ou travels to Indonesia visit
www.thegentlemanracer.com/search/label/Indonesia
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The American Road Trip is often romanticized, and for good reason, there
is so much amazing scenery, roadside attractions, and characters to meet
out on America’s highways. This year I visited eight states traveling thou-
sands of miles. These are some of my favorite moments on the road.
ROADTRIP
AMERICA
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COLORADO
Wolf Creek Pass U.S. Highway 160
winding through the San Juan
Mountains between South Fork,
Colorado and Pagosa Springs. Not far
beyond you enter into the drastically
different landscape of Monument Valley
in the four corners.
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The road trip holds a special place in the
American consciousness; everyone has a
story of triumph, heartbreak, interesting
strangers they’ve met, and even stranger
locals. It’s roads like Route 66 that encap-
sulates the spirit of the American West; it
represents a new beginning, hope, and
freedom. Back when connecting major
cities was done by two lanes of black-
top, small towns flourished across the
USA. Along roads like Route 66, the Lin-
coln Highway, and Pacific Coast Highway
entrepreneurs seeking to entice drivers
created roadside oddities to encourage
people to stop. Before the drive thru, we
had Valentine Diners where roadtrippers
of old would stop and have a break from
driving . Since the 1920’s the American
Highway has been the embodiment of
freedom. It’s that longing for discovery
(and sometimes a business trip) that
prompts me to pack up the car and head
down the highway seeking to experience
a bit of that freedom for myself.
My travels take me to cities like Denver,
San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Santa Fe,
and countless others each year. Driving
is my preferred mode of transportation,
it allows me to explore, take a different
route, and disconnect a little bit from the
noise and rush that is Southern California.
As I make my way east towards Denver
MICHAEL SATTERFIELD
MICHAEL SATTERFIELD
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“I order a Desi Arnaz and read about the stars of
the silver screen that once graced the hotel back
during the golden era of western films”
once again, I follow along old Route 66,
before having to get back on the Intersta-
te, this time it’s the I-15, then in Barstow,
still following Route 66, the I-40 takes
over. Once you get close to the Arizona
border the cities stop for a bit and towns
that are little more than truck stops are
all you see. Most of the drive is like this,
small towns, now bypassed by the inters-
tate highway. Each has their local claim to
fame, mostly kitschy roadside attractions
they hope you’ll stop to see. In Holbrook,
Arizona it’s the Wigwam Motel; in Gallup,
New Mexico it’s the El Rancho Inn. With
every turn you discover another historic
marker, some official, others commercial,
but it is this Americana that really makes
the trip worthwhile.
When driving Route 66 I think about that
spirit of adventure this road gave to so
many people over the years, the hope
they felt as they were traveling west
to start a new life, like my Grand Father
did when he left Springer, New Mexico.
But as you drive through so many dying
towns, you can’t help but think about the
dreams that were crushed as the world
sped up. Not that progress is a bad thing,
but taking a trip like this does make you
reflect on the virtues of slowing down, ta-
king the long way home, shopping from
mom & pop stores, and eating at family
owned restaurants.
Pushing into New Mexico. I like to stop at
the El Rancho, I order a Desi Arnaz at the
café and read about the stars of the silver
screen that once graced the hotel back
during the golden era of western films.
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Back in the car and past forgotten trading
posts that now have massive casinos na-
med after them. In Albuquerque I head
north up the I-25 and towards Santa Fe,
one of my favorite cities in the world. But
this trip I won’t be stopping since I will be
back in a month to attend Santa Fe Fas-
hion Week. I’m coming up on Springer,
New Mexico the town my Grandfather
and Grandmother left when they moved
to Santa Monica, California in the 1950’s.
What a change that must have been. I fi-
gure I might well stop and see where my
Grandpa grew up, but most of the town
is shut down. The sign says population
1,047 but that has to be generous. The
only restaurant in town has a sign in the
window that says “Closed Til Spring” so it
looks like Trinidad Colorado is where I will
get a hotel for the night and something
to eat.
I picked up some tourist information from
the Holiday Inn counter and head over
to the local diner for some dinner. The
CONEY ISLAND BOARDWALK HOTDOG STAND
Some roadside attractions are still open for business, like the Coney Island Boardwalk
Hotdog Stand. You can get an Elk or Buffalo Hotdog and a really good shake. During
the busy season the wait can be over two hours long to get your hotdog fix from this
Colorado icon.
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brochure is filled with fun facts like, Tri-
nidad is home to the most Victorian buil-
dings west of the Mississippi and was for
many years the Sex Change Capital of the
world… I give my waitress another look,
thinking to myself… “this could explain a
few things”.
I-25 is a long mostly straight road in to
Denver where I have a fashion tradeshow
to attend, the weather is terrible but I am
looking forward to the drive home as I
am going to head back a different route
through Wolf Creek Pass and down to the
four corners.
Denver is not one of my favorite cities so
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as soon as I am packed up from the show
I hit the road headed south west. This
section of Colorado is amazing, mostly
large ranches with small towns that are
full of farmers, ranchers, and real out-
doorsmen. As I make my way into the
mountains I see a large Hotdog Shaped
building… I have to stop. The Coney Is-
land Boardwalk Hotdog Stand is in the
small mountain town of Bailey, Colorado
is one of those roadside attractions that
in most parts of the country are shutte-
red or just reminders of a bygone time.
But this diner shaped like a giant hot dog
is still serving up food. I talk to the lady
behind the counter and order a chocola-
te shake. She gives me the background
on the local tourist attraction she works
in. I look at the menu board to see they
offer several exotic hotdogs that include
Elk Jalapeno Cheddar, Smoked Buffalo,
and “the Colorado Native” which is made
of undisclosed local game; my guess is
there is a squirrel or two in the mix.
Back on the road and headed down
into the four corners, I soon find myself
on what are called Indian Service Roads
in the Navajo Nation. The Navajo settle-
ments are spread out, no major highway
goes through this
region, an entire
section of Ameri-
ca that has been
largely bypas-
sed. I stop at the
Four-Corners Monument and take the
obligatory photo standing in four states
at the same time. This is what road trips
“I look at the menu board to see they offer several exotic hotdogs that include Elk Jalapeno Cheddar,
Smoked Buffalo, and “the Colorado Native” which is made of undisclosed local game”
are about; I sit for a bit and chat with a
couple from Germany that is on their ho-
neymoon. They are having an amazing
time, so excited to be in America and to
to see something new, meet new people,
and hear the same old stories told a diffe-
rent way. From here on out it is familiar
territory for me back on Route 66 hea-
ded towards California. Stopping along
the way taking
pictures of the de-
cay of manmade
monuments and
the breathtaking
beauty of creation
that is everywhere if you are willing to
get off the highway and take the back
roads.
have purchased a old Cadillac that they
will ship back to Germany when they
reach New York in a few weeks.
This is why I like to drive, the opportunity
WIGWAM MOTEL , HOLBROOK, AZ ROUTE 66
Several Wigwam Motels were built around the US. Two along Route 66
still stand to this day. One in Rialto, California and the other (pictured
above) in Holbrook Arizona. They have been popular with photographers
and even inspired the Cone Motel in Disney’s Cars film.
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OUT ON THE INDIAN
SERVICE ROADS
I snapped this picture of a
vintage camper being towed
down a lonely road in the
Navajo Nation.
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Giving Back
NICARAGUAWhen I first went to Nicaragua in 1999 I was just 17 years old, always looking for a new adventure I signed up for a short term mission to work in Managua not really knowing what to expect. It was a lot rougher back then, the country had just had its first election that resulted in the ruling communist party being voted out of the presi-dency and no one really knew what that meant.
The country was devastated by an earthquake in 1972 andthe response to that disaster led to the revolution in 1979.11 years of civil war meant that the infrastructure of the country was com-pletely devastated. Reconstruction started in the mid 90’s so I arrived after some improvements had already been made, and since that first trip it has improved a hundredfold.
Over the years the team I worked with built mostly schools, but in the last few years as the need for schools has been mostly met, we be-gan focusing on new projects revolving around agriculture and water. Working with the Harvest Initiative our team and others that go throughout the year have been drilling wells, building wa-ter towers, and windmills. These may seem like primitive projects but in rural Nicaragua they are having a huge impact.
Our team is led by a man named Kent; he is a heavy mechanic by trade and loves to use his skills as a welder and mechanic to solve pro-blems on the ground. Chris another member of
our group who has been going for years owns a successful topiary business making topiary frames for clients around the world. Bob is a retired auto mechanic who owned a local shop and went back to work as a maintenance man at his church. Brian a real-estate entrepreneur loves to work on electrical projects and generally gets hassled by Customs for bringing in so many supplies. We have several others who have come and gone over the years, most come for just one or two trips. Myself, I fill different roles; mecha-nic some years keeping the truck running can be a full time job, other years welding, or some-times just designing solutions to problems with limited resources.
In 2014 our team arrived with one goal, to test a new well drilling/cleaning system that drama-tically cuts the cost of drilling new wells. The sys-tem was developed by a man in Texas and only costs about $200 to make. It runs on air pressure and allowed us to drill about 10 feet a day, after the well is drilled we use the same air pressure to clean out the bad water, and we can even use it to pump water out of the wells. The other great part about it is that the drilling equipment can be ca-rried to remote areas in standard cars and trucks.
If you would like more information or to support aid work in Nicaragua please visit www.cosechanic.com
Michael Satterfield
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Gulf Dreams Gulf Dreams
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It all started when a guy came to the barn
to see if “the guy that builds old cars” was
still around. He was moving and needed
to clean out a project car that had spent
that last 20 years sitting behind his house
in Chino, California. That car was a 1967
Ford Fairlane Fastback. I was immediate-
ly interested in the project although not
really knowing what it would become so
I decided to purchase the car for $500
and hauled it back to the farm in Ontario
with the help of my father.
Looking at the baby blue Fairlane and
having recently partnered with Gulf Oil
a concept came to mind. What would a
car look like if Holman Moody wanted
to go racing in European Touring Car in
the 1960s. So with that concept as a road
map I did a few renderings and put toge-
ther a plan to build the car for the 2013
SEMA show which was just 6 months
away.
We started making calls, sending e-mai-
ls and in a few weeks had gathered our
team together that was going to make
the car happen. The car was stripped and
shipped off to Houston where Bare Bo-
nes Customs would take the body and
make it look like the rendering. While it
was away getting
painted we started
sourcing the rest of
the many needed
parts. Blending the
NASCAR and Tou-
ring Car worlds required balancing the
European and American styling touches.
We turned to Scott Drake to get the co-
rrect Le Mans style Gas Cap, Cobra Stee-
ring Wheel, Le Mans Valve Covers, and
Bullet Mirrors all borrowed from Shelby
Cobras and Mustangs.
We had decided to go big with a 427ci Big
Block backed up with a Tremec TKO600
and Hurst Shifter from Hurst Driveline So-
lutions. Edelbrock Intake and Carburetor
top off the motor that was shoehorned
into an engine compartment that was
once home to a 200ci inline 6. A Quick-
Systems aluminum radiator that bolted right
in. Perma Cool’s oil cooler and remote filter sys-
tem. Doug Thorley long tube ceramic coated
headers snake over, under and through the
engine bay and chas-
sis to dump into a
complete Flowmaster
2.5” stainless steel ex-
haust for an amazing
427 roar.
Connecting the power to the ground are Good-
year Eagles on Cragar Eliminator 500s, color
Time scattershield and McLeod hydraulic
clutch kit connect all the power. Keeping
the big block cool during Southern Cali-
fornia Summers is a Champion Cooling
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matched In Gulf Racing Orange. The stance and ride quality nee-
ded help since the car was originally a 6 cylinder so we contacted
Eaton Detroit Spring to build a new set of heavy duty lowering
coil spings for the front and leaf springs for the rear. Stopping is
handled by Stainless Steel Disc Brakes on all four corners with a
Master Power brake booster and dual master cylinder replacing
the factory non-power drums.
Outside we used a period correct racing hood and light weight
fiberglass bumpers from Crites Performance that gave the car a
more aggressive look. The massive hood scoop is functional and
feeds the 427’s Cobra air cleaner. The Le Mans Gas Cap mounted
up on the rear quarter panel not only looks cool, but makes re-
fueling the car much easier as the original was behind the license
plate.
The interior had originally a standard bench seat but we teamed
up with TMI Products to install their latest Pro-Series Sports X
Seats in the front and upholstered the rear seat and door panels
to match. The factory idiot light instrument cluster was replaced
with a full set of VGX Gauges from Dakota Digital. To quiet down
the cabin we installed Quiet Ride Solutions sound deadener in
the passenger compartment and trunk. Great audio is even hid-
den with Custom Autosound’s secret audio system.
After weeks of work, many nights not sleeping, and busted knuc-
kles we got the car to the SEMA show and all of our hard worded
paid off. The car was featured in the Car Crazy TV Showcase and
on Car Crazy TV. Mustangs and Fast Fords Magazine named it one
of the top five best classic Fords at SEMA, HotRod Magazine used
a photo of the car as their lead story online covering the SEMA
show, and Popular Hot Rodding named it in the top 30 cars of the
SEMA show. Everywhere we take the car it draws a crowd and
makes people smile.
For more on the car visit TheGentlemanRacer.com
Special thanks to RnG Customs, Classics, & Fabrication
Hesperia, California.
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JAPANDESKTHIS SUMMER WE HAD THE CHANCE TO VISIT
THE NISSAN HERITAGE COLLECTION... ALL WE
CAN SAY... WE WILL BE BACK FOR MORE.
This summer the team at The Gentleman Racer had a lot of ad-
ventures. From hanging out with RWB Indonesia, Road Tripping
across the American Southwest and working on more exciting
cars for SEMA, its been a great summer. But one story we have
not shared yet is our visit to the Nissan Heritage Collection on
the grounds of Nissan’s Oppama Motor Plant. The museum is
not open to the general public, but our man in Japan was able
to get an appointment.
Roman is a diehard Nissan fan so he was in heaven on this visit,
he is also the owner of our 1973 Project Z. Here is just a taste of
the Nissan goodness that is inside the collection.
We are currently adding even more to TheGentlemanRacer.com,
so stop by and see the latest.
Roman Vanecek
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“HERE YOU CAN WRITTE AN SPECIFIC LOREM IPSUM FRASE OR ANYTHING YOU IPSUM
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