Autoblog

Only in Vegas. Madame Tussaud's unveiled their latest ghastly likenesses; we're not sure if the fact that the subjects are still alive makes it more creepy. The work is uncanny in its accuracy and lifelike look, and if you're in Vegas, Tussaud's is a veritable family attraction. The reason for the paraffin-ization of the left-turning legends was the kickoff of this weekend's races at Las Vegas's own Motor Speedway. The flesh and blood Petty and Earnhardt were on hand for the debut of their inanimate doppelgangers at the Neon Garage, though we're not sure if they'll be paying any visits to the exhibit's permanent home at the Venetian. They could roam the exhibit halls and catch glimpses of such luminaries as John Holmes (we're not sure if it's all of "Wad," or a partial model) Siegfried and Roy (before or after the mauling, again, not sure), and of course Fat Elvis. Good times, good times. Now, where's that buffet...

[Source: TCC]

Give Lincoln Brier credit for doing something out of the ordinary when he came upon the idea to convert his used Legends racecar into a single-seat street machine. The task was relatively simple, with the addition of turn signals, lights, a full exhaust system with muffler, and a horn pretty much being the extent of the modifications required to register the pint-sized '34 Ford replica as a homebuilt vehicle. The laws on this vary dramatically by state, so as they say, check with your local authorities before proceeding. To make life a bit more tolerable, Brier also added rear windows and a radio, and swapped out the rear gearing for something a bit taller. Even with the ratio swap, the top speed is a meager 90 MPH, but I'm sure that it's an entertaining experience topping out the miniature car. Oh, and there's no Reverse gear. Would that stop us from having more fun than should (or would) be legal with this thing? Hell no. We'd just choose our parking carefully.

For those not familiar with the Legend circle-track cars, they're pocket-sized tube-framed racers, draped with fiberglass bodies resembling a variety of American classics from the '30s, that are typically powered by Yamaha 1200cc air-cooled motorcycle engines. The majority of the parts are tightly controlled by the rules in an effort to create a level playing field and keep costs relatively low. More info is available from 600 Racing, Legendsforce, and Legends Cars.

[Source: Kneeslider]