The Martini Shot
Well, we finally wrapped up the NorCal shoot today. I find it a bit ironic that I spend all my time in LA wanting more than anything to get out on the road and shoot, only now to be out on the road and wanting more than anything to get back home. Strange how once you’ve had your fill you’re ready to just get back to your normal routine. It’s been quite an enjoyable trip so I don’t mean to sound down on it, just ready to get on with cutting these shows together… Anyway, when I get back I’ll try to get some semblance of a review of Pebble Beach up. We’ve got some great picts and I had a heck of the time!
Being at a Car Resto Shop
This afternoon we spent some time at Nino & Paulo Epifani restoration shop in Berkeley California - as has been the case at the vast majority of the higher quality resto shops we’ve been at, this one was exceptionally clean, neat, well organized and filled with amazingly beautiful cars. What I wasn’t expecting was the three generations of Epifani’s around the place and the utter lack of any American Chopper aesthetic. This place was quiet and peaceful.
Hanging around the Epifani shop really got me thinking about what has become a new personal fantasy - my own personal restoration project. Obviously it will never be at their level or the level of cars that they work on, but I believe it would be both fun and perhaps relaxing. So all day I’ve been ruminating over what might be a fun future project to undertake. Unlike some of the classic car collectors that frequent Pebble Beach, I’ve got no theme to work from (Only Zagato bodies or Lampredi engines, etc…) so I sort of feel this strange freedom in the choice. Granted this is all hypothetical, but it’s fun to think about…
When I started thinking about what might be a fun restoration project, I was thinking of an old BMW R69S simply because a) I think a bike would be both relatively simple to work on, b) takes up less space and c) because the R69S has a great shape to my eye. But after hanging around all these cars I find myself thinking more seriously about cars instead of bikes. So now I’m thinking about perhaps kit cars (Shelby Cobra perhaps?)…
Of course I have no real idea about what I’m talking about, so I’m thinking that a list of fantasy requirements might be a good idea… So here’s the first draft of this hypothetical exercise from this afternoon;
a) no fuel injection - I want to play with the engine
b) simple electrical components - I don’t want to be running wires all over hell
c) something sporty - not 70s muscle
d) large horsepower that actually gets to the ground
e) fast when finished
f) perhaps a convertable
g) easy to reach all bolts, brackets, and mounting points for various pieces
h) manual transmission
i) 8, 10, or 12 cylinders
j) relatively light weight
k) nothing that’s 1 of 1 or 1 of 1 million - somewhere inbetween
So that’s my ramble for tonight…
Still on the road
It’s funny but in some ways this is the strangest business trip I’ve had in quite some time because I’m neither half way around the world or even in a different time zone and I’m also around some of the areas that I most enjoy escaping to when I’m taking time off. So I guess it shouldn’t be surprising to me that I find my mind running off towards riding while I’m up in NorCal. I keep finding myself thinking about how much I want to come back up here and ride while at the same time thinking ‘man, I’ve been on the road long enough, it’s time to go home’. What a strange contradiction. Luckily I’ve only got a few more days up here and then I’m back to LA and riding. Of course after all this traveling around the Bay Area and shleeping gear in and out of the car, I’m physically whipped. So much in fact that I’d be surprised if I went riding this coming weekend… Perhaps there’s nothing worse than having the desire to ride and not the physical strength.
Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance 2004
What an experience! I think it’s quite possible that after going to Concours I might have screwed myself for all future car shows. This was simply unlike any car experience I’ve ever had. Amazing cars, wonderful - if slightly high society - people, and perhaps the greatest car show venue ever. We shot for most of the morning and got some great stuff. I have a very strong feeling on the Car Restoration show now. It’s always hard to shoot your ending before your beginning, but in this case it happened that way due to the timing conflicts involved and thankfully worked out fantastically well. I don’t know if I’ll ever get back to Pebble Beach for another Concour but after today I would like to!
Hopefully when I get back to LA I’ll have some time to really put my thoughts down on paper, but right now I’m whipped.
Weekend in Monterey
I had been hoping to keep the blog more up to date while I’ve been on the road, but as it turns out between a lack of time and a lack of a good internet connection, it’s been surprisingly tough… Anyway, we’re now in Monterey, Ca. for the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance Classic Car Event for the second Discovery show. Thus far it’s been an absolute blast. The weather hasn’t completely cooperated, several overcast mornings that seem to last forever, but overall what an amazing collection of events and cars!
I’ll do a full write up once I get back to LA, but until then here are some picts from the weekend’s shoot so far…
Me in front of the KGO News Helichopter in Fremont, CA - this baby is awesome! And the camera on the front is really quite amazing…
