SNAP: SPICY PEANUT

Who says a four door sedan ain't sexy and adorable? You are going to change your mind after seeing this pristine second-generation Corolla KE20. It looked kinky in red, shiny chromes all around and sitting on 12-inches steel wheel, complete with wheel cap. Too bad this KE20 lost its OEM fender side mirror and fender antenna, else it looked like it just stepped out of the dealership in 1970's.

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Getting ready for 24h of Le Mans 2012, Truth in 24 II

This year's 24 of Le Mans is almost here and is worth a little warming up for what it seems to be a very promising year. Last year's battle was one of the best ever, with an amazing battle between Peugeot and Audi. The french bidding on the new 908 and the germans trying to keep up their winning streak on the R18 TDI. Audi dominated for most of the 2000s and Peugeot started questioning them since 2007 managing a victory only  in 2009.

In 2010 Audi replied with a win and record distance of 5410.71km, more than 2000km more than Peugeot managed the year before. 2011's new regulations forced both companies to bring brand new cars to the grid, and Audi decided to change coach style from an open top barchetta to an enclosed cockpit of a more traditional LMP format. The race was on. I would love to tell more about this amazing race but Audi of America for decided to produce and distribute for free an amazing documentary about this race.  They have done it before for the equally amazing 2008 edition but decided to make it available in free streaming only for the american users. They haven't done the same mistake twice and "Truth in 24 II"has been available for download without charge and in HD on itunes from day one. I really recommend downloading it HERE.

Some user made the first episode available in HD on youtube and AUDI did the same for the second one. I will attach both below.

Do yourself a favour and watch them both while getting ready for Le Mans 2012 on the 16th of June. Peugeot will not be trying again but Toyota is back in the equation this year and we can be sure they will do anything possible to forget missing the target in 1998 and 1999. Will Audi keep winning?

ps- don't forget to switch the HD on, go full screen, sit back and enjoy these amazing stories.

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Classic Cars - The Advantages Of Owning And Collecting Vintage Rides

Classic cars are perhaps the most valuable vehicles in the automotive world. Some may not be priced as high as your present-day Lamborghini, but their values are nonetheless very alluring. If you are planning to start a collection of mean machines, you might want to think about collecting classic cars.

And if you are planning on buying second-hand vehicles, you might as well buy vintage cars. Of course, put into consideration the fact that you may possibly need a great deal of work to do: from paint to upholstery to engine to brakes and suspensions. It's a bit troublesome, but it is worth it in the long run. Just take a look at what you will get when you own or collect classic cars:

1. Vintage Cars are Cheap

There are many people who don't know what the value of their car is. It is no wonder that you can sometimes find a fine Dodge Charger lying in a junkyard, or a Cadillac Fleetwood rotting in an old garage. Because these cars are rusting away and considered as junk by some people, you can easily buy them at an absurdly low price.

An ill-maintained '60s Cadillac Fleetwood sells for around $2,000 in used car shops. You can find cheaper ones in online car auctions, some even going lower than a thousand dollars! Sure, you will probably dish out a few more bucks in restoring the car back into fighting condition, but it WILL surely be worth it, simply because it will increase in value tenfold.

2. Classic Car Values Appreciate

If you buy a brand new car, expect its value to depreciate as each year passes. A brand-new '07 Jaguar XKR sells for around $92,000. Listings on XKRs that were used for a year varies from $85,000-$89,000. That's 7% depreciation in just a year.

Now compare that to a fully restored, fully functioning '61 Jaguar XKE: a '61 XKE that has a mileage of 10,000-12,000 mi sells for a screaming $80,000-$100,000! And because you can buy an abused and ill-maintained XKE at a significantly lower price, you will be sure to profit, profit, profit.

3. A Better Relationship with Your Car

Because you'll be spending so much time in your garage, you'll get to know your car pretty well. And there's nothing like pouring all those time, money, and sweat onto creating a monster machine. After you've done restoring, you will undeniably have a better relationship with your car. And that will be a relationship that's far better than when you simply buy an expensive one.

4. You Will Have New Friends

Once you pull in that classic to your garage, unknown neighbors will probably sneak up on you and introduce themselves. They might even give unsolicited advice. And since car collectors are such a small circle, you will probably have no problem in finding fellow car enthusiasts.

5. You Will Have a Cool Ride!

And of course, the most rewarding part when it comes to owning and collecting classic cars is that you get to have a cool ride. After you have finished restoring your classic car, you will probably find yourself in celebrity status. And because a vintage car is less threatening than a new one, you'll attract curious people. Some will drive beside you, roll down their windows, and ask something like what the make of the car is and what year it was manufactured.

Restoring an old car into near perfect condition may be a lot of hard work, but consider these advantages and you will find that it's worth it. You can buy vintage vehicles cheap and sell them expensive. You'll have a better relationship with your car, new friends, and best of all, sport a very sweet and sexy ride. So what are you waiting for? Go own and collect classic cars now!

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Slow Living - May

Linking up with Christine again this month although I am running a little behind but hey that happens sometimes.

Nourish -Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch over packaged, over processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead.
There has been a lot of bread making again this month as well as biscuits and slow cooked meals.

Prepare - Stockpile and preserve. Freeze extra meals or excess garden/market produce. Bottle/can, dehydrate or pickle foods to enjoy when they are not in season.
Other than the failed batch of Lime Pickle there has not been any stockpiling going on but I did acquire a lot more preserving jars so that I can do more in the future.

Reduce - Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing.
This month I have had to mend some of our flannelet sheets as they had worn through in a couple of spots. I think this will at least get us one more winter from them.


Green - Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.
Nothing new here just sticking at what we are already doing.

Grow - plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden?

I have been picking figs and raspberries this month and we have lots of lovely silverbeet and coriander.

Create - To fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others.
I have been knitting away and have now made three dishcloths.  Next project will be a scarf.

Discover - Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests.
I have just read "The healthy house cow" by Marja Fitzgerald.  Not that we are looking at getting a house cow any time soon, but it was on special and one day I would like to have one.

Enhance - Community
I am the event director for the Kilcoy Classics on Wheels (a classic car and motorbike show) for the second year so there is a lot going on working towards the event in October.

Enjoy - Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment.
This month it was about learning new skills for me.  Cheese making and knitting.  It was also about working on my relationship with hubby and doing more together.

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EVENT: A GREAT WEEKEND IN PUTRAJAYA PART 2

Welcome to the second part of coverage from Millions of Youth Gathering in Putrajaya. Without wasting much time, I will continue to share the heart-pumping rides from the event with this historic 4 door sedan from the land of Rising Sun.

I go weak at the knees when I see a second-generation Corolla, and this particular KE20 kouki was simply spotless. Every single thing on this car was perfect that it could make any KE20 owners out there faint on the spot. Hope the owner manages to find a replacement for the front hood trim soon.

Judging from this view, I believe this KE20 had undergone proper restoration work as the door and bonnet lines were straightly aligned. Notice the chrome wheel cap? Who says a classic doesn’t look cool on 12-inches steelies.

The famous platform for USDM modifications, but on the other hand for this Volkswagen Golf MKII Cabriolet.

More vintage Volkswagen goodness here with this mild blue Karmann Ghia.

It's hard not to like this Volvo P1800 and like most European performance cars that I see in Malaysia, it looks similar to its brother during that event, the Amazon 123GT.

Two door convertible Mercedes S300, a mature option for hot babes hunting to the 635 CSI that I mentioned in Part 1.

What a clean and tidy engine bay for a 50-year-old chassis. Notice the Crosland Air Filters which are no longer produced. For your information, the Crosland was the OEM manufacturer for the  most prominent British vehicle manufacturers like; Bentley, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Range Rover and many others.

One of my findings on that day was this sexy MGB Roadster in solid 2K red. I go weak at knees again spotting this kind of spoke wheels…

…with a combination of classic interior and some modern elements.

The infamous vintage and featured in many movies starting in 1970’s, meet this Ford Anglia 105E…

…that featured a cool illustration as well on the rear windscreen.

A moment later, I found this RR Silver Shadow II with heavy black tint all around. To make this more interesting, this car was manufactured in a very limited number and it is one of the expensive vintage in the world. A good example of money-can’t-buy-anything concept.

Let’s pay a respect to this gigantic 1954 Packard Clipper Deluxe. If you are familiar with the size of Datsun Fairlady 280ZX, you can imagine the actual size of this Clipper Deluxe. In my point of view, it could fit a family of 10 without any problem.

Take a look at this Mercedes 220S. It looked like it just stepped out of the dealership.

Can you get any more badass than this first-generation 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville? A very good selection on mild color to lower the ‘mafia’ level.

The name "De Ville" is adapted from the French de la ville or de ville meaning "of the town" (Source: cadillacdatabase.net).

V-configured weapon on that day with this stunning Chevrolet Camaro

A nice Mini Moke was spotted around the corner…

…with a revealing hood exposing the amazing engine bay.

What a relaxed and casual interior to sit in. The rattan steering and chair made me crave to go to nearby beach and enjoy the fresh breeze.

Some patriotic touch-ups at the back for good.

Back to the performance side from Europe, more Ford marque was exposed with this 2 doors Escort MKII.

And on my way back, spotted this cool modern classic BMW E34…

…and I ended shooting this Iswara Aeroback running on the vintage wheels that every Japanese Classic Car enthusiasts out there craving for, the Hayashi Street.

See you next time.

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Qatar Classic Cars, A Classic Love

Classic car lovers in Doha the capital of Qatar are willing to face the bumps to go after their passion. Classic, Antique or some may call vintage cars until very recently appeared to be a territory only the rich royalties and the VIPs are allowed to enter. However, this perception has gradually changed, and now the market holds possibilities for even the enthusiasts that are willing to spare a bit over a hundred-thousand Qatari Riyals the equivalent to twenty-thousands US Dollars. This became possible due to the economic boom the area is witnessing, efficient communications with classic car dealers in Houston, along with the superior supply chain management allowed cars in Houston to be transported at low costs.

It now became possible for a knowledgeable enthusiast, with patience, and time at their disposal to buy classic car in Qatar, or an antique car in Dubai, or even a classic car to be shipped from Houston. It became possible to start the process with the equivalent of three thousand US dollars, or in other words for less than the ca was worth in the seventies or eighties.

This however sometimes holds true, and sometimes does not. For instance, Morris Minors was valued in Dubai and Qatar at about QR 15,000 in the eighties. It is very difficult to sell such a car for QR 10,000 in 2007 according to a car dealer. Cars that were easy on the pocket back in their peaking days are unlikely to hold value over the years. Hence, exceptions always pop up, for instance this fact doesn't hold true with the iconic mini.

I respect, and always reflect my articles with both mine and the apposing; however I do not see a Qatar classic car dealer's opinion holding true. He said "The classic car market, if it can be called that, will flourish because people have bought [these cars] for nostalgia and recreation -- not for financial gain," says a dealer in classic cars. "Most people, who have bought a classic car in the last ten years, knew their cars would have seen a rise on the value." To contradict, According to Classic Car magazine, the US has seen a growth in the market for classic cars, particularly American sports cars of the 1960s and 1970s. Cars, such as Chevrolet Corvettes and Camaros, Ford Thunderbirds and Pontiacs, are said to have doubled in value over the past three years.

As I have been promising throughout the article series dedicated to Qatar classic car, the research journey has not stopped, rather the more research I make, the more I am interested to learn about the differences in tastes and markets. To get up-to-date research results, visit the section I dedicated to Qatar classic cars

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Babies on the Farm - The Start of Meat Chickens

We made the decision to take the plunge and have a go at raising meat chickens and over the weekend we picked up our chicks.
We believe that since we are meat eaters it is important to be in touch with where our food comes from.  It is one thing to know that your meat comes from an animal but to actually be part of the process I think will make us appreciate it a lot more.
We have discovered that with farming it is best to really think things through, come up with a good plan then smile and get creative after your plan goes sailing out the window.
We have two bantams who spend a lot of time being clucky and the plan was that they would sit on half the chicks each.  So what do you think happened a few days before we were due to pick up the chicks?  Yep they stopped being clucky.
So now we have a cage full of chickens in front of our fire in the house.  And let me tell you these 14 little chicks make some noise.

It is not ideal to have them in the house but without a couple of surrogate mothers we are limited in our choices.
At this stage all these little guys do is eat, sleep and poop just like all babies so other than providing basic needs we are not too involved at this stage.
Before getting the chicks we spoke to the breeder at length.  We discovered that once you make a commitment to raise meat chickens you have to follow through as there is no changing your mind and deciding to keep them for pets as they will not survive if they are purpose breed meat chickens.
Basically there are two types of meat chickens, purpose bred like the ones used in a commercial chicken farms and then there are the naturally heavy breeds of chicken suitable for meat.
The big difference is that purpose bred chickens are the result of two very heavy breeds crossed with each other to produce a very heavy bird that gets big fast so you do not have to spend huge amounts of money on food.  But they have a short life span as their legs cannot hold their body weight if you let them get too big which is part of the problem with the birds raised in some commercial situations where the birds can become injured  and they are so crowded together that it is not noticed.
We will be killing our birds at 13 weeks so that should be well before they get too heavy and could possibly become injured.

I will keep you all posted on how we go with this new journey as I am sure there will be a lot that we learn along the way

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