Autoblog

Metallica, the car show?

Jeff Sabatini — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Celebrities

How'd you like to go see Metallica at this summer's Orion music fest? Sounds good to us, but this makes it even better; the cost: Free.

Yes, that's right, if you're into the hot rod and custom scene and you want to display your car or bike there, the band will comp you two passes to the weekend's festivities. It turns out that besides being the lead singer of Metallica, James Hetfield (that's him in the picture above) is a big car guy. One who wants to share his automotive passion with his legions of fans, hence the Custom Car and Motorcycle Show planned as part of the two-day Orion festival, scheduled for June 23-24 in Atlantic City, NJ.

To stock the 300-plus field of cars and bikes Metallica has planned, they're looking for entries and dangling the aforementioned free tickets as bait. Entry is restricted to 1972 and earlier American models and the deadline is May 15. (Full details are available at the Orion website.) It won't be Pebble Beach, but hey, we're pretty sure there's more fun to be had headbanging to "Metallica" (a.k.a. The Black Album) and "Ride The Lightning," which the band will be performing in their entirety on consecutive nights, than standing around on a golf course in a blue blazer anyway. If Metallica isn't your bag, the Orion festival will also feature performances from acts like the Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, Modest Mouse and comedian Jim Breuer.

Scroll down to watch a video of Hetfield talking about his love of classic cars.

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Metallica, the car show? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automoblox debuts full-size hot rods and trailer set

John Neff — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Toys/Games

Automoblox full-size HR3 hot rod - Click above for high-res image gallery

The last time we heard from Automoblox was over a year ago when company owner and designer, Patrick Calello, debuted an all-new type of his unique toy cars: hot rods. A great way to introduce a child to icons of automotive past, the hot rods are fun to play with (so says my two nephews) but to date have only available as Automoblox Minis. This Christmas, the company is offering all three hot rod styles as full-size Automoblox cars (The red HR1 for $45, yellow HR2 for $50 and blue HR3 - my favorite, above - for $50), as well as debuting a new Hot Rod Trailer set ($120) that includes a full-size hot rod, pickup and trailer. And though you've probably seen Automoblox at more mainstream toy retailers this year, these full-size hot rods are available only at Automoblox.com for the time being.

Based on my own experience, kids up to age 4 seem to always gravitate towards the Minis, while somewhere around 4 to 5 they switch over to full-size Automoblox vehicles. Keep that in mind if you're considering Automoblox as a Christmas present for a young one in your family. If you're shopping for an adult, also remember that while the full-size Automoblox are the most impressive, you can fit more Minis on a display shelf.

And because Patrick Calello is as big a fan of Autoblog as we are of his toys, we'll also have some Automoblox to give away to readers in time for Christmas. Make sure you Like the Autoblog Facebook page now, as that's where the giveaway will happen.

Gallery: Automoblox full-size Hot Rods

[Source: Automoblox]

Automoblox debuts full-size hot rods and trailer set originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Nov 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog at the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors show

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Work, Misc. Auto Shows, Police/Emergency, Military, Specialty

7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo - Click above for our huge image gallery

This past Sunday was the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, California, and after our experience there last year, we just had to go back for more. As you might guess from the title, this is more than just another hot rod gathering. Attendees get a chance to see mega horsepower air transport as well as earthbound movers and shakers. Even better, folks can actually get up close and personal with military vehicles, airplanes, jets and helicopters too. It's like an open house for the military, with a few hundred muscle cars thrown in for good measure. Hot rodders (and bikers) tend to be a fairly patriotic bunch, so the combination is a perfect match. Make the jump for our report from the ground.

Gallery: 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo

Continue reading Autoblog at the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors show

Autoblog at the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: $45,000 hot rod couch

Chris Tutor — Thu, 14 May 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Auctions, Etc.

eBay hot rod art couch- Click above for an image gallery

Loving all that is automotive is slightly different than living all that is automotive. One of the distinguishing factors is how automotively-influenced your furniture is. If you bought your sofa because it reminds you of your M3's upholstery, you're in the love group. If, however, you can actually drive your furniture, you, my friend, are living it.

But our eBay Find of the Day defies simple categorization. It's a fully-functional couch that resembles something Boyd Coddington might have sketched while doing shots after having his eyes dilated. The outrageous sunset orange pearl paint covers a hand-formed, all-metal body with working headlights and leather seating surfaces. But it doesn't even have wheels, much less do burnouts on the street. With a starting bid of $45,000, shouldn't it at least do that?

The auction description says that the, um, unique sofa can be taken apart to "fit in most rooms." We can tell you right now that our spouses will quickly disqualify "most rooms" in our houses. We aren't even allowed to have the six-speed plunger in our throne rooms. The seller's name, cartisticdesigns, is from London, Ontario, also the home of Cartistic Designs autobody repair. Maybe the auction should say it would "fit in most autobody repair shops. Auction ends May 16, but so far, it looks like nobody's spouse has given the $45k approval.

Thanks for the tip, Rico!

eBay Find of the Day: $45,000 hot rod couch originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 May 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog spends a day at the 22nd Annual Seal Beach Classic Car Show

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for huge high-res gallery from Seal Beach

We love spring for a multitude of reasons, but mainly for the car shows that start popping up around the country. The sun comes out and so do the classic cars, hot rods and muscle cars. This weekend we stopped by the 22nd Annual Classic Car Show in Seal Beach, California along with about 25,000 other folks. The show features around 500 cars, stretching from PCH to the pier right down the heart of Main Street.

The day includes a pancake breakfast, a running of the local pinewood derby, and a whole lotta' fun. Besides the bands that show up to play everything from swing to rock-and-roll, there were also the sounds of the cars themselves during the periodic cacklefest moments of the day. That's when the show participants are encouraged to start 'em up and stomp the loud pedal. It's quite an earful, especially if you happen to be standing next to one of the dozen or so race cars in attendance, like we did when a vintage Yeakel dragster once piloted by Tom "Mongoose" McEwen dropped the throttle.

Although muscle cars are generally king at these types of gatherings, there are also a number of other classes. Everything from the aforementioned race cars to European classics; from hot rods to Woodies; from customs to boats, bikes and even buses. A great event that puts a big emphasis on wholesome family fun in a quintessentially American way and you can check it out in our massive gallery below.

Gallery: 22nd Seal Beach Classic Car Show

Autoblog spends a day at the 22nd Annual Seal Beach Classic Car Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Woodward 2008: Hankering for Hot Rods?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:34:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Misc. Auto Shows, Specialty

Click above for a gallery of Hot Rods on Woodward

Cruising amongst the various cars down Woodward this weekend were quite a few machines that fit into the Hot Rod genre. Starting with a classic old-school vehicle platform, adding power and lowering it to the ground, the Hot Rod ethos still manages to attract its fair share of gawkers, including those of us wielding cameras. Take a look at the gallery we assembled below for the coolest 'rods and customs we could find.

Gallery: Woodward 2008: Hot Rods

Woodward 2008: Hankering for Hot Rods? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Woodward Dream Cruise 2007: The Customs

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 07:35:00 EST

Filed under: Tuners, Convertible, Coupe, Etc., Misc. Auto Shows, First Drives

Click the T-Bucket for a gallery of some of the custom machines on Woodward

You can't have a cruising scene without plenty of hot-rods and other customs and the Woodward Dream Cruise is no exception. Spread among the Tauruses, Focuses and Dodge Miradas (that's the Chrysler Cordoba clone behind the rod above) were all kinds of heavily modified machines often very loosely based on all manner of old cars. When old Henry and his team created the Model T, they surely never envisaged anything quite like this.

Gallery: Woodward Dream Cruise 2007: Customs

Woodward Dream Cruise 2007: The Customs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 07:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari and hot rodders not so different

Chris Tutor — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:06:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

It's not so easy to say Ferrari owners are kindred spirits to hot rodders. The stereotypical Ferrari owner enjoys speed, luxury and refinement, while the stereotypical hot rodder prides himself on do-it-yourself ingenuity, raw muscle and sometimes cobbled-together bodywork. But Ryan Cochran at Jalopy Journal manages to bring the two sides together as car people, arguing Enzo Ferrari was, at heart, a hot rodder.

To illustrate his points Ryan shot a series of beautiful black and white photos of a Ferrari 550 Maranello, an Olds-powered, flat-black '36 Ford Coupe and a flathead '30 Deuce, also in primer black. The differences in the three cars are as stark as the old Austin airport in the background. It takes Ryan's uniting of Ferrari and hot rodding history to really make the photos work, but they do.

An interesting read for fans of both modern and antique hot rods.

[Source: Jalopy Journal]

Ferrari and hot rodders not so different originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEMA: Hot Wheels brings hot rods

Chris Tutor — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: SEMA Show, Etc., Chevrolet, Pontiac

John Neff checked in from SEMA all excited about Mattel's Hot Wheels booth and we totally understand. We'd be willing to bet that many regular Autoblog readers have 1:64 scale hot rods doing 360s on their desks.

Mattel knows their market, and sent not only hundreds of their beloved miniature cars, but also flew in three full-sized hot rods.

Hot Wheels fans from the 1960s might remember their toy cars being vibrant, metallic colors. Those hues went away in the 1970s due to the large amount of lead used in their Spectraflame paint. Mattel has now teamed up with PPG to produce a new (hopefully lead-free) Spectraflame paint for adult-sized rides.

Photos of the SEMA Hot Wheels display including the three hot rods after the jump.

Continue reading SEMA: Hot Wheels brings hot rods

SEMA: Hot Wheels brings hot rods originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Nov 2006 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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