Aesthetic Perfection - a small oasis in a bilge full of politics

[Canoez]

[seanz]

Ron, weren't we saying over coffee that Gehry is an acquired taste?






Virtual Tour

Oooooooooohhhhhhhhh.


Thanks Lew.

[Basir]

[ChaseKenyon]

One of my all time vehicular lusts. Real ones now going for over $1,000,000, and climbing fast towards 2M:



Chassis

The 904 was the first Porsche to use a ladder chassis^[5] and fibreglass body,^[5] appearing more like specialist racing cars than the modified sports cars typical at the time,^[4] and was painted white. The fibreglass body was bonded to its steelchassis for extra rigidity, and achieved a drag coefficient of 0.34.^[4] While many German race cars had used unpainted aluminium bodies since the famous 1934 Silver Arrows, most 904s were painted silver, the modern German national racing color. Unusually for Porsche, the two-seater bodies were provided by contractors, which would later become standard practice among race car builders.^[3] The 904's fibreglass body was made by spraying chopped fibreglass into a mold, the amount sprayed often varied in thickness over the shape of the car and as a result the weight of the various cars was somewhat inconsistent; some were heavier than others. Race-prepared four-cylinder 904s weighed in at approximately 1,443 pounds (655 kg) and the low weight gave the 904 the ability to accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in less than six seconds (using the standard rear gear, which would be typical at Sebring)^[4] and to reach a top speed of 160 mph (260 km/h) (with the 3.362 ratio).

Engine

The 904's mid-engine layout was inherited from the 718, also known as the RSK (from the German term for racing,Rennsport), the factory's leading race car. It was powered by the 1,966 cc (120 cu in) Type 587/3,^[4] four-cam flat four-cylinder engine producing 198 hp (148 kW), "probably the most complex four-cylinder" ever.^[5] It drove a five-speed transmission with a standard 4.428:1 final drive, with available 4.605, 4.260, 3.636, and 3.362 ratios.<sup>[4]



Many if not most were as the factory cars up graded to a racing version of the new six cylinder engine. I believe the six actually weighed less than the over the top complicated roller bearing crank fours.

The real insane version of this would be the factory specials with the flat 8 cylinder engines.</sup>

[Peerie Maa]

Surely you intended to post this?

[BETTY-B]

[Meli]

I love Robert Doisneau's photography.
We all know "the Kiss" but there's so much more.
http://www.google.com.au/search?tbm=...2-4l4l0.frgbld.

[switters]

that right there, like a rustler 24 without the backstays and other rigging adding to the clutter.

[Canoeyawl]

[John Meachen]

How about one of these?

[Garret]

For 2 years I was moored ~200' from Araminta. Mighty nice first view in the morning! Starling Burgess I believe.

@ Donn: That garden as absolutely stunning.

[Paul Pless]

Starling Burgess I believe.

LFH iii

[ChaseKenyon]

One of the best tours of LeMans at speed I have ever seen.



In '75 before I met my wife I had dibs on and was planning to trade my 67 E Type for a 904 halfway through an up grade to a '72 factory racing spec six cylinder.

THe guys crazy brother (they owned a automotive machine,parts and race tuning shop)was in the process of reworking another one and building a flat 8 out of two of the RSK engines. He was freight training them and virtually fusing the blocks end to end and using a custom full length crank shaft. Because of the inherent balance of the horozontally opposed engine the double length crankshaft was not an RPM limiting concern. It was on a street version (minimal road going comfort additions) and with the 400 HP 8 it was expected to weigh in at 1800 lbs. THat gives it a really low 4.5 lb per HP.For reference a current Ferrari 458 Italia comes in at 5.82 LB per HP.

With Lime Rock available we had lots of crazy race/"tuned" shops of all kinds in northwest CT.

The really neat thing is you can build one your way with Kits and parts form Beck and Thunder Ranch. my replica car fantasy has been reduced to one car. THat being the 1957 Jaguar XKSS like the FAmous one Steve McQueen and and terrorized CF with. Not many realize that they and the D type with street gearing as opposed to LeMans gearing were capable , on the tires of the day of 0-60 MP:H in only 4.7 seconds.

[Paul Pless]

Tennant's WildThing

[Jim Bow]

[Garret]

LFH iii

Duh, Garret......

[Peerie Maa]

No way. That looks like a bloated duck. I really wanted to post this one, but I couldn't find a color photo:



The colors would look like this:

Looks as though it was designed with a ruler and a circle template.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

[Mrleft8]

[David G]

OK for the locomotive buffs - here's one of the steam loco collection based here in Portland:

[skuthorp]

We've been loved by a couple of Landseer Newf's and, apart from the size of boat you need, they are perfect.

Photo Courtesy of Ingrid Pakats.

[LeeG]

It is not possible for humans to improve upon the egg.

so true

[Hwyl]

form following function

[David G]

Table -

[ChaseKenyon]

Just for fun and the other one is the Alfa Stradale.

[Peerie Maa]

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

RMS "OLYMPIC" berthing at Southampton in the Roaring Twenties.

[Garret]

O my yes. The Triumph Bonnevile/Tiger of 1969/70 was a sublime design.

Also, this, an Egli/Vincent cafe' racer:

A more original Vincent (Black Lightning):



Or another classic Royal Enfield Interceptor

[ron ll]

I know it's a cliche with way too many bad imitations, but the original is still a classic.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

[LeeG]

nothing made, I was riding home yesterday through a mini blizzard of blossoms blown off of trees.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Life is Hell in the East...

[John Meachen]

Another fine effort from Italy.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

,,

Keep "Guernica", this to my mind is perhaps one of the greatest paintings of the twentieth century.

[Paul Pless]

Another fine effort from Italy.

[Paul Pless]

Modern Vincent.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

[ron ll]

I think Mark's video above is a GT-40 but I couldn't get the video to run properly (my problem). But I think it needs a still picture as well. This is the modern street version, some prefer the original. I'm not fussy, I like them both.



And Paul, thanks for the thread. With so much truly awful design in most day to day life, it is nice to have a place to see so much good design (whether we all agree or not).

[PeterSibley]

Hughes H1 Racer, Jim Wright's replica:

Wow !! I don't normally post on aeroplane threads but that is just beautiful!!!

[Ross M]

[Ross M]

[Ross M]

[Keith Wilson]

[Hwyl]

[ron ll]

This thread is impossible. No way we can post all the good classic designs.



And we don't even have a Testarossa 250 or a Shelby Cobra yet.

[ron ll]

There's a Moth on display inside the Fisheries store in Seattle. It is even more beautiful up close.

[McMike]

[Uncle Duke]

Almost any furniture by George Nakashima:

[Gerarddm]

One must love the Ford GT40. I contest that the Mirage variant, which is cleaner, is even more beautiful:

[Lew Barrett]

Oooooooooohhhhhhhhh.


Thanks Lew.

When you get here, you can take the tour. I'll do it with you! I think the Green & Green house explores everything we acolytes of WBF admire. Imagine what it must have been like to live there in Pasadena (nice!) in the era.