Autoblog

Where did Vinnie go? Ever since the American Chopper episode where it was revealed that Vincent DiMartino was leaving for greener pastures and new opportunities, fans of the show have wondered what he was up to. The answer is that he's still building custom motorcycles, just for his own company: V-Force Customs. Not only that, but Cody Connelly, also from Orange County fame, has joined forces with Vinnie in the creation of their own custom bike operation. The company is currently working on its shop in New York, but plans to introduce its first bike at Daytona Beach for Bike Week 2008. February 29th is coming up pretty quickly, so we should be getting some more information soon enough. After touring for a year, the dynamic duo will be giving the bike to one lucky customer.

If you're interested in knowing more, the company has set up a web forum, and it appears that both Vinnie and Cody occasionally make it there to communicate with fans directly. Considering that Vinnie was one of the best things about OCC, we are pretty sure he'll do alright for himself and look forward to seeing his first solo effort in Daytona. For a very grainy and low-quality preview of what they are working on, check out our gallery below.

[Source: V-Force Customs]

click above for more pics of OCC's new production bike

Despite the fact that the Orange County Choppers television show has been on for years now and the shop's top mechanic, Vinnie, has left for good, the public still loves the Teutels. No matter what you may think of their theme bikes, there's no denyiny that an OCC bike draws plenty of attention. Those who are willing to pay for that attention can buy one of their production machines full of OCC logos and custom touches, and they have recently added two new models to their line, a bagger and a bike known as "Sweet Amber". Today we'll take a peak at the as-yet-unnamed bagger, which looks pretty sinister above in all black. We like the usability that a custom bagger offers without sacrificing the look of a custom bike. Corbin Fleetliner bags provide 40 liters of storage and hide the exhaust pipes, leaving just the aft openings visible. The rear tire is a reasonable 240 mm, which, along with the livable rake and trail measurements, should provide a decent handling machine.

What is most exciting about this bike is the powerplant, which is the first application of S&S's X-Wedge engine in a rubber mount, meaning that this should be a smooth runner. Other user-friendly touches are included in the fairing, with a low smoked windshield and a jack with speakers for your iPod. Here's the bad news: they plan on selling the machine for around $50 grand. That's quite a chunk of change, but might be worth it considering that a stock Harley bagger is often more than half that amount. We have gathered some photos courtesy of Motorcycle USA and included them below, so be sure to take a look.

[Source: Motorcycle USA]

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of these vehicles

Orange County Choppers Teutul family didn't come to Scottsdale empty handed. They brought six vehicles to Barrett-Jackson that conveniently fit into this year's "pairs" category.

Elsewhere we talk about the Corvette/Chopper pair that fetched $160,000, and the "Eleanor" Mustangs that brought $210,000 for Paul, Sr's yellow screamer and $225,000 for Paul, Jr's beautiful red over silver Foose special. But before those two sets sold, first up was a rare 1968 Charger hardtop with a 426 Hemi, automatic transmission and power windows. The car was never restored and had only one repaint. It's a rare bird, with only 74 ever made, but even more rare is the custom OCC bike built to match. It even has identical paint. The orange details and Charger-like rims really make this bike shine. This striking pair went for a high gavel price of $235,000.

[Source: Barrett-Jackson]

Click on the image for a regrettably meager gallery of high-res images of these vehicles

Like the Teutuls but not into MOPAR or Chevy? Up for some fierce Fords? On a 2004 American Chopper episode, OCC built a bike for Unique Performance and Carroll Shelby that mimicked the styling of the "Eleanor" GT500E from "Gone in 60 Seconds." In return, the Teutuls were given two custom Mustangs.

Paul Sr. got this screamin' yellow 1967 GT500E Fastback with a 725hp Shelby 427. It's one of only 75 Super Snakes built and was only driven 19 miles. You should be ashamed, Mr. Teutul! It fetched $210,000.

Paul Jr.'s Unique Performance GT500E is even more special. It's got the same performance specs as his dad's, but it's the only Super Snake designed by Chip Foose, who gave the car a signature two-tone paint job, 19-inch Foose wheels and an adjustable rear suspension. Junior at least drove his 75 miles before auctioning it. Junior's much nicer looking car sold for $235,000.

And, if you wanted the bike that goes along with the cars, it was here too. The well-heeled bidder taking it home can brag about having the only Shelby Chopper in the world. His logos are all over the bike, including on the Shelby-inspired wheels and embroidered into the leather seat. With 131hp, it'll also keep up with either Jr. or Sr's cars.

[Source: Frank Filipponio via Barrett-Jackson]