stickers' blog

drecksvette

2010-06-13T17:52:00.001+02:00

heute hinter'm dom, direkt vor dem café metropol, eine schwarze c6 mit frankfurter kennzeichen gesehen. das gute stück war dick mit staub bedeckt... schande.
...mann, putz' deine vette!

vette-erlebnisse

2010-06-12T17:24:00.003+02:00

mit der vette unterwegs zu sein, ist jedesmal ein erlebnis: ganz klar, das ausmaß an fahrspaß und adrenalin kriegt kaum ein auto so hin wie die corvette. aber es gibt auch bei fast jeder gelegenheit die anderen, meistens sehr netten erlebnisse mit der nicht-corvette-fahrenden umwelt...

heute zum beispiel war ich (dem anlass entsprechend) mit meinem deutschland-fähnchen unterwegs. ob es an den frankfurtern liegt (glaube ich kaum, die sind i. d. r. eher mürrisch), an der vette (ganz bestimmt) oder dem fähnchen (?) - keine ahnung... jedenfalls begegnete ich leuten in autos, die bei unserem anblick erst stutzten und dann die fensterscheiben herunterließen, um mit ausgestreckten armen lautstark ihre zustimmung zu bekunden (um es mal so gesteltzt auszudrücken; das wort "zujubeln" trifft es eher, ist jedoch verwegen)...
ich vermute mal, das galt nicht jogi löws team :)

deutschlandfähnchen, die "edelausgabe" aus zwei-
lagigem stoff, mit kugelknauf oben (verhindert das
das davonflattern bei höheren geschwindigkeiten),
ein überbleibsel von 2006 (yeah!)

O.T.T.O.

2010-05-22T17:23:00.005+02:00

...nein, gemeint ist nicht der onkel vom hässlichen rundfunk, sondern das old-timer-treffen oberseelbach (taunus). und obwohl meine vette ja noch weit entfernt ist vom oldie-dasein, durften wir uns heute dazustellen. fotos habe ich allerdings diesmal nur von den anderen gemacht...

die vettenfraktion war gut vertreten...
(es gab noch viel mehr stingrays)

allseits beliebte schätzchen:
fiat 500 (topolino), bmw isetta (das "advents"-auto),
ente (aussterbende art) und ein de tomaso pantera

...doch es geht auch noch älter:

weißer gangster-look-citroen, opel rekord,
morris eight (von 1948) und ein "eifel" (???)

rappelkiste

2010-04-25T19:49:00.004+02:00

die federung der vette ist nun mal nur unwesentlich komfortabler als die meines slalom-dreiers. auf den derzeit schlechten straßen wird man ordentlich durchgeschüttelt, und es knistert und knackt dabei ohne unterlass... zum einen ist es das dach (das ausgetauschte), zum anderen habe ich die türverkleidung in verdacht.

tja, eine vette ist nun mal eine amerikanische "billigproduktion", wenn man sie mit anderen supersportwagen vergleicht. im ausgleich dafür bekommt man jedoch viel sportauto für's geld.
und mal unter uns - ich liebe meine rappelkiste trotzdem... :)

"frühling...

2010-04-18T18:39:00.005+02:00

...lässt sein blaues band
wieder flattern durch die lüfte.
süße, wohlbekannte düfte
streifen ahnungsvoll das land..." (eduard mörike)

das gedicht haben wir in der schule mal auswendig lernen müssen, und was man als kind eingepaukt bekommt, bleibt bekanntlich ja hängen... obwohl ich dieses romantische (in meinen augen eher schmalzige) machwerk nie mochte.

trotzdem, endlich frühling! an tagen wie heute muss man einfach draußen sein. also habe auch ich die vette standesgemäß in den taunus bewegt - leider allerdings wieder, ohne fotos zu machen, obwohl ich die kamera dabei hatte. irgendwie denke ich halt nie daran, anzuhalten und auszusteigen, wenn ich gemütlich am cruisen bin oder mir die kurven an feldberg, sandplacken usw. zur brust nehme :) ich sehe das sowieso eher von der relaxten seite aus - rasen muss ich nicht, nicht mit der vette bzw. nicht bei solchen gelegenheiten*. die bmws, benze und audis schon, sonst glaubt man denen ja nicht, dass sie auch ein bissl schnell fahren können... ;)

die a661 ist derzeit sowieso nicht für geschwindigkeiten > 130 km/h freigegeben - der winter hat auch dort deutliche spuren in form von schlaglöchern und straßenschäden hinterlassen, mal abgesehen davon, dass die feldberg-sandplacken-strecke sowieso nicht zu empfehlen ist, da sie einfach zu bekannt ist und sich zu viele motorradfahrer sowie "fahrer mit hut" dort 'rumtreiben. da ist jede schmale landstraße in einem gottverlassenen taunus-dörfchen besser! und landschaftlich schöner.
aber der sommer kommt ja erst noch, und damit hoffentlich noch viel gelegenheit für touren abseits der bekannten wege...

*was nicht bedeutet, dass ich keinen spaß am schnellfahren habe :)

brief und siegel

2010-03-29T18:17:00.003+02:00

heute die vette anstandslos durch den tüv gebracht. der prüfer hat nicht schlecht gestaunt, und nach kurzem probieren kam er auch in das auto hinein :) ich glaub' der hatte schon 'ne menge spaß,. vetten haben die da nicht jeden tag.

tja, kinder, wie die zeit vergeht - am tüv-stempel merkt man es schließlich.
3 jahre sind schon 'rum! ab jetzt alle 2 jahre wieder. und wenn's immer so gut klappte wie heute...

v-day

2010-03-19T20:05:00.003+01:00

der winterschlaf ist zuende, mein automobiles dornröschen ist wieder aufgewacht.
nachdem sich der v-day um 2 wochen verschoben hat, aufgrund des miesen wetters, zickt die schönheit beim wiederbelebungsversuch: "fob not detected", die fernbedienung wird nicht erkannt. ob das an der 14-tägigen verspätung liegt und die vette schmollt?
also das fernbedienungsteil in den dafür vorgesehenen slot geschoben und versucht, zu starten - der anlasser klackert, die instrumente werden schwarz. nichts geht mehr.
das bedeutet: haube auf, saft weg, saft wieder dran, und siehe: das gute stück meldet sich auf einmal mit namen, wenn auch auf englisch. siehste, geht doch! und eine neue fehlermeldung ist gleich mit dabei: "service column lock". aber wenigstens springt die vette jetzt an...
das fenster, auf halbem wege stehengeblieben, lässt sich problemlos wieder anlernen. nach "motor aus" und erneutem start ist dann auch die fehlermeldung weg, und der 6-liter-motor fängt an zu schnurren...
hach, es lebe die technik.
meine vette lebt wieder!

ersatz-

2009-12-07T17:36:00.001+01:00

-befriedigung ist es nicht :-)
aber eine kleine vette "zum anfassen" kann manchmal besser sein als keine vette (oder genauergesagt, stillgelegte vette)

fazit

2009-11-30T17:48:00.002+01:00

tja, auch dieses jahr habe ich es nicht geschafft - vor lauter slalom kam die vette mal wieder zu kurz... so hatte ich mir das eigentlich nicht vorgestellt, obwohl ich dieses jahr die zahl der gefahrenen veranstaltungen deutlich reduzieren konnte.
fazit? setzen, sechs!

hm, was nun?
leider ist der oktober auch schon wieder eine ganze weile vorbei. die vette ist im winterschlaf, und ausgerechnet jetzt, im november, gibt es trockene wochenenden, an denen ich lust zum cruisen hätte und nicht darf...!
verkehrte welt.

was ist...

2009-07-26T16:16:00.002+02:00

...ein guter sonntagmorgen?
zwei stunden mit der vette durch den taunus zu bretzeln!
nur fotos habe ich mal wieder nicht gemacht - konnte halt nicht stehenbleiben und aussteigen, das fahrgefühl (fettes grinsen im gesicht) war einfach zu gut ;-)

fun, fun, fun...

2009-06-15T17:52:00.002+02:00

freitagsabends-zuhälter

2009-06-12T20:52:00.004+02:00

gestern, auf dem nachhauseweg mit der fehlfarbe, während der kurzen streckenabschnitte der a3, die trocken waren, eine schwarze vette mit ennepetaler kennzeichen gesehen. ob's einer von den "kollegen" vom weilerswister fahrtraining war? die saubere schwarze c6 war jedenfalls anlass genug, an die eigene dreckige rote zu denken...

ich schäme mich ja, aber ich muss gestehen, dass ich meine rote seit weilerswist noch nicht geputzt hatte, also habe ich das heute nachgeholt.
und siehe: eine ordentliche schicht anständiger politur, vor dem fahrtraining mit liebevoller sorgfalt aufgetragen, erspart hinterher langes schrubben. die wasserflecken und zahlreichen dreckspritzer sowie alle verkrusteten fliegenleichen ließen sich relativ leicht entfernen. einmal schön nachgespült, trockengerieben, schon glänzt die vette wieder. und weckt gleich den neid der anderen tankstellenbesucher: "kuck' mal, n' fettes zuhälterauto..."
ja, ja, so ist das halt ;-)

weilerswist

2009-06-08T17:13:00.005+02:00

...dem ist eigentlich nichts hinzuzufügen:

vettespaßtag

2009-06-02T20:03:00.005+02:00

...war gestern in weilerswist.
leider habe ich dödel keine fotos, weil ich dachte, vor lauter fahren nicht zum knipsen zu kommen. denkste! es gab zwischendurch mal kurze pausen, in denen man zumindest der anderen gruppe beim spaßhaben zugucken konnte.
tja, die zahlreich angereisten begleiterinnen haben natürlich auch nur die eigenen schatzis auf den chip gebannt, insofern habe ich jetzt ganz einfach mal "gelitten", wie man das heute so nennt.
einen kleinen eindruck kann man sich jedoch mittels dieses youtube-videos verschaffen:

...hmm, so ist das mit den klassikern - keine elektronischen helferlein wie esp, asr, asb; hier zählt allein die arbeit und das können am steuer ;-)

fazit:
training unter gleichgesinnten ist um klassen besser als mit "normalos": keine tussis in muttischaukeln, sondern alles "richtige" fahrer mit "richtigen" autos.
und so viele vetten auf einen haufen, eine schöner als die andere *schwärm*... von c1 über c3 bis hin zur c6 und z 06 - somit waren fast alle vette-generationen vertreten. hach, war das gut!

durch den taunus

2009-05-21T11:21:00.003+02:00

zwar oft von bikern (der motorisierten und nicht motorisierten art) heimgesucht, ist der taunus auch ein ausgezeichneter spielplatz für vetten. es gibt unzählige schöne "ecken", gottvergessene nester (20-seelen-dörfer), seitentäler, waldstrecken sowie kleine, ruhige sträßchen, durch die man gemütlich cruisen kann.

eine meiner lieblingsstrecken ist folgende tour:

taunus-tour 1 auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen

die tour dauert, von frankfurt aus berechnet, ca. 1 h 45 min.
zugegebenermaßen ist der teil über die autobahn etwas dröge - er ist aber auch der kürzere teil! sobald man in richtung camberg abgebogen ist und in die sanfte hügellandschaft des taunus eintaucht, geht die eigentliche strecke los...

längst überfällig -

2009-05-16T11:43:00.003+02:00

- war er, der vette-waschtag. der gesammelte staub (interessant, welche mengen an pollen mutter natur, das garstige luder, so in die luft schmeisst) und dreck von winter und frühling musste endlich 'runter.
und während die dunklen wolken über den himmel zogen und halb polen auf den mühlberg zur kirche pilgerte, haben ich und mein alter herr, immer mit einem schrägen blick nach oben gen wetterfront, die vette geschrubbt, getrocknet und sogar ordentlich poliert (die erste lage "liquid glass" des jahres, weitere müssen folgen). wir waren übrigens in netter gesellschaft - ein beigefarbener mercedes benz bj "irgendwann in den siebzigern" mit viel chrom sowie ein ebenfalls roter ferrari; ihre fahrer schrubbten und putzten ebenfalls, was das zeug hielt.

was vom (wasch-) tage übrig blieb...

so, jetzt ist die vette sauber, und nun bin ich siffig ;-) aber besser so als andersrum!

bei'm carfreitag...

2009-04-10T20:18:00.003+02:00

...blieb es übersichtlich.
oder ich war zu früh da.
oder zu spät.

eigentlich musste ich nur tanken, und eine tüte chips habe ich bei der gelegenheit auch noch mitgenommen. währenddessen habe ich mir dann angeschaut, was da an fahrzeugen und fahrern so herumstand: das war nicht viel, und das war auch nicht besonders spektakulär...
mit der vette habe ich da irgendwie auch nicht hingepasst.

schau'n wir mal, was nächstes jahr da so abgeht...

racing history

2009-04-10T16:51:00.004+02:00

wer weiss heutzutage noch, dass im waldgebiet hinter rüssesheim, in der nähe des "schönauer hofs", die überreste der einstigen opel-rennbahn liegen?
während des ersten weltkrieges ursprünglich als teststrecke erbaut, fuhren dort in den zwanziger jahren rennsportgrößen wie rudolf caracciola oder august momberger; neben dem motorsport diente der ovalkurs auch dem radsport.

wenn man (wie ich) vor ort durch's dickicht stalpt, kann man die reste der steilkurven noch erkennen. der betonbelag ist von wurzeln durchbrochen, bäume wachsen auf den dammartigen erhebungen, und manche stücke fehlen ganz, da sie abgetragen wurden. trotzdem kann man den verlauf der strecke noch erahnen.

leider hat meine kamera schlapp gemacht, doch wie fast immer wird man auch zu diesem thema bei youtube fündig:

...für die, die mehr wissen möchten: eine gute informationsquelle zum thema ist diese seite hier >click<

soundcheck

2009-03-25T22:36:00.005+01:00

der richtige sound für die vette ist nicht so einfach zu finden... nicht nur die endrohre müssen gut aussehen, es sollte vor allem satt klingen und auch nicht dröhnen. ich habe mal angefangen, mich durch's www zu klicken:

b&b performance exhaust

borla performance industries --> soundfiles für c6 nicht gefunden...

corsa performance exhausts --> gelbe buttons anklicken...

gh motorsport

hms-tuning --> "sounds" anklicken...

individual-exhaust edelstahlabgasanlagen (kein soundfile)

magnaflow

okay, ich habe ja noch ein jahr zeit... ;-)

arschkarte

2009-03-24T18:06:00.008+01:00

heute breche ich mal eine lanze -
für die mädels...

bei den mitgliedern eines gewissen forums für fans amerikanischer sportwagen konnte ich miterleben, wie ein männlicher sportwagenfahrer zu einer sportwagen-fahrerin sagte: "das ist aber toll, dass du als frau dieses auto fährst".

blödeleien in allen ehren... bin immer für einen guten "dummen spruch". doch alles hat seine grenzen, und man sollte eigentlich so tolerant sein, dass man leute nicht "bewertet" dafür, dass sie männlein oder weiblein sind - schließlich konnte keiner von denen sich das selbst aussuchen.

dafür gibt's dann auch die arschkarte der woche.

nachlese zotzenbach (fehlfarbe)

2009-03-20T21:38:00.002+01:00

...noch ein nettes bild von mir

sowied ein video

aufgestöbert, wobei letzteres einen guten eindruck vom verlauf des rennens vermittelt.
mal sehen, ob ich dieses jahr auch wieder mit dabei bin...?

vette-wetter...

2009-03-15T16:51:00.001+01:00

...war das ja gerade nicht. wenigstens blieb es gestern trocken, und somit war die entscheidung, die vette aus der garage zu holen und ein wenig zu entstauben, eine gute entscheidung. gesagt, getan: ab zur tanke, wo eine kurze dusche mit dem handreiniger anstand - selbstverständlich aus gebührlichem abstand, um den lack nicht zu gefährden.
zum trockereiben war die kühle (bedingt durch den wolkenverhangenen himmel über frankfurt) gerade richtig; was sonst schweisstreibende arbeit sein kann, geriet somit zur leichteren übung.
nur den sitzen muss ich mich demnächst noch einmal ausführlich widmen: hier ist intensive lederpflege angesagt.

v-day (saisonbeginn)!

2009-03-01T17:24:00.001+01:00

heute ist der erste märz, und das bedeutet, die vette aus dem winterschlaf zu holen!
etwas staubig war sie, meine lady, trotz der wollweichen abdeckhaube, was aber daran liegt, dass ich sie schon etwas "ungewaschen" in die überwinterung geschickt hatte.
batterie angeklemmt, motor gestartet - einwandfrei. diesmal gottseindank kein hupkonzert und sonstiges jaulen, keine fehlermeldungen, und auch das anlernen der fenster war problemlos. nur auf den reifen noch ein wenig luft nachgefüllt, und schon konnte es losgehen...

eine kleine, gemächliche tour auf der a661 richtung bad homburg musste sein, um die gesammelten "körperflüssigkeiten" mal wieder ordentlich durchzumischen, doch der trip war nur kurz, weil ich derzeit noch schniefe, triefe und rotze (trotz impferei haben mich zu guter letzt noch die viren erwischt).
sobald ich wieder auf den beinen bin, wird dann wieder richtig gecruist. für dieses jahr habe ich mir nämlich vorgenommen, nicht mehr alle slalomserien zu fahren und mir mehr zeit für mein baby zu nehmen: slalom macht zwar riesigen spaß, aber zeit für meine vette will ich auch noch haben!

training

2009-02-21T17:28:00.000+01:00

so ganz untätig war ich ja nicht.
im forum wurde ein fahrtraining angeboten. das nette daran ist, dass es ein training nur für corvetten ist - von der c3 bis zur c6 wird also alles vertreten sein, und außerdem sind die gruppen relativ klein.
zwar hatte ich so ein fahrsicherheitstraining schon absolviert, doch ist das schon wieder 2 jahre her. außerdem: übung macht den meister, training schadet nie. und in einer reinen vettengruppe - da konnte ich einfach nicht widerstehen...
jetzt bin ich also angemeldet.
(hoffentlich überstehen das die neuen felgen gut...)

schicke felgen

2009-02-15T17:37:00.001+01:00

der frühling naht...
und damit die vette in der kommenden saison auch gut aussieht, war ich heute bei little, der seinen satz mattschwarz lackierter felgen verkauft.
coole mattschwarze felgen zur roten vette - das sieht bestimmt supergut aus.

jetzt muss ich nur noch nächstes WE hin, die teile zu bezahlen und abzuholen. der märz kann kommen!

da isset

2009-01-03T20:01:00.001+01:00

da isset also, das neue jahr.
yeeeehaaa!

2009.
an diese zahl werde ich mich noch gewöhnen müssen... und bis dahin viele, viele schreibfehler machen, oder zahlendreher, oder wie immer man das auch nennen mag.

und mal ehrlich - irgendwie anders wie 2008 fühlt sich das neue jahr nun wirklich nicht an.
jedenfalls nicht besser.
nur kälter. und verschneiter.
für mich ist immer noch dezember, winter eben.

hmmm. jetzt also 2009.
ich werde üben müssen ;-)

car of the year 2008

2008-12-30T22:14:00.003+01:00

"it's a lean, mean muscle machine"
jeremy clarkson, times online

zumindest für jeremy clarkson, seines zeichens schreiber in der "fahrzeugsparte" der londoner sunday times, ist die zr1 das auto des jahres. das kommt für uns fans ein wenig überraschend, für ihn übrigens auch. und wenn er auch an all' den anderen corvette-modellen kein gutes verbales haar lässt, ist er für den neuesten coup unseres lieblingssportwagenherstellers doch des lobes voll: die zr1 sehe unheimlich gut aus und wäre dabei wahnsinnig schnell - klar hört der fan das gerne.
aber... unheimlich gutaussehend und unheimlich schnell, das sind doch alle vetten, oder?

...für alle, die selbst nachlesen wollen: click

calendar girls

2008-12-26T21:36:00.004+01:00

dejan sei dank - das neue jahr kann kommen!

jetzt muss ich nur noch meinen jahres-end-mir-fehlt-meine-vette-ich-werde-älter-das-wetter-ist-scheiße-der-urlaub-fast-vorbei-depri loswerden, und alles ist wieder gut...
;-)

halluzinationen

2008-12-14T21:36:00.001+01:00

seit mein baby überwintert, habe ich schon eine schwarze c6 und eine silberne c5 in den straßen gesehen, direkt bei mir "umme ecke". seltsam, da sich doch den ganzen sommer über keine einzige corvette blicken ließ... habe ich jetzt schon halluzinationen, oder tauchen die nur auf wegen meinen "entzugserscheinungen"?
und - soll ich das jetzt unter der kategorie "trostversuch" einstufen, oder passt es doch besser in die sparte "ätsch...!"?

cup (more non-vette-stuff)

2008-12-07T18:45:00.001+01:00

with my blue beemer (318 TI compact), i made the 22nd place in the main-kinzig slalom cup racing series...
so all the slalom driving on all those sundays wasn't in vain. at least not totally ;-)

essen motor show

2008-11-27T18:20:00.003+01:00

this is the place to be, at least for the next few days: > click <. i've never been there and really would like to see this fair, but wether i can go and have a look is still uncertain. we'll see...

if you click this link, beware - the instant the page is building up, it starts bawling its advertising slogans (in german) very loudly, it's a real nuisance. the bawling can't be cut off unless you push the "off"-button of your speakers. well... just ignore it.

solace

2008-11-24T18:13:00.002+01:00

...no, no, no - i'm not talking about that bond movie. i didn't watch it either. since craig is to impersonate the "gentleman spy", i prefer to stop watching "james bonds" although i grew up with these movies. well, craig... he surely may be a good actor, but in my eyes he looks like a left-over KGB butcher who hasn't been "removed" as the cold war was over, if you understand what i mean. connery and moore perfectly resembled this "gentleman" type of agent, the idol i looked up to as a kid - bond was educated, refined, with good manners and the ability to move within every kind of society. even remington steele, ahm, pierce brosnan fit into this image. but craig...
well, let's leave it as it is. the solace i'm talking of is of another kind. in the meantime, it has become so bitterly cold and wet in germany that nobody, unless he's a hopeless case or a witless brute, would make his corvette leave the warmth and cosyness of its garage.
that fact that all the others keep their vettes indoors, too, really doesn't make me feel better, but at least it provides a little bit of solace. and the weather forecast for the next days isn't that good.
i said, "a little bit", folks.
no quantum.

p.s. which spy would drive a corvette? surely not bond. but maybe jerry cotten ;-)

vette-tv

2008-11-24T13:39:00.004+01:00

DSF (german sports tv) will show a report on the z06 - but beware, it's nothing new, they're just repeating an "old" programme. nevertheless, it is worth watching, since the outcome of this assessment is more than positive - quite unusual for german car testers who normally seem to be biased towards our local brands (foreign brands rarely got top marks in whatever kinds of tests perfomed, except maybe ferrari). especially us cars were seen as "low quality" over the last years, and corvettes were even regarded as "procurer's" cars. maybe the c6 / z06 model series can brush up this image, since people come to realize that a corvette is a worthy opponent to all fancy european sports car brands...

date of broadcasting: wednesday 26th, 20.15 h local time

the dark season

2008-11-10T18:37:00.002+01:00

...again, it's the time of the year when lots of vette drivers simply go mad without their cars.
aaaargh - i could cry!!!

so i'm left with no other option than counting days...

missed

2008-09-10T20:46:00.003+02:00

last sunday, i unfortunately missed this event > click here <.
for defense, i can at least produce a very good excuse, since i've been here > click here <, and by jove i wasn't only watching - i was participating.

well, at least the slalom season is over soon, so that i can spend more time again with my baby...

vette photo game

2008-08-31T20:11:00.005+02:00

somewhere on these two photographs, a vette is hidden.
can you find it?

(hint: the vette is red!)
location: ferry from ruedesheim to bingen
date: 30th august, 2008
time: 16:23 CET

since the weather was so fine, i spent a charming afternoon cruising in the rheingau... now that this obnoxious music festival is over at least, this area has become a place to where you can go again - the floods of festival tourists are ebbing away slowly, thus leaving the beautiful spots and sights to the locals and "normal" visitors.

fahrlegastheniker

2008-08-02T19:05:00.005+02:00

heute war ich bei meinem alten herrn zu besuch. die abfahrt (oder auffahrt, je nachdem, von wo aus es man betrachtet) zu der tiefgarage, in der ich parkte, war lang und vor allem eng. im der garage zugewandten teil war eine kurve, der der straße zugewandte war eine gerade strecke.
nachdem ich das tor geöffnet hatte, wollte ich ja eigentlich hinaus, fand mich aber auf halber höhe der ausfahrt (also nach der kurve) mit einem porsche konfrontiert.
der porsche hupte.
ich hupte zuück.
dann stieg die beifahrerin, eine blonde tussi, aus.
also ließ ich das fenster herunter und sagte ihr, dass ich hinauswollte, weil ich gerade das tor geöffnet hätte und man das rote warnlicht ja wohl nicht übersehen könnte.
die tussi piepste, dass das licht kaputt sei (das war natürlich gelogen, wie ich mich dann ein paar sekunden später selbst überzeugen könnte, aber es gibt ja leute, denen rein gar nichts zu peinlich ist), und dass ihr typ leider nicht rückwärts 'rausfahren könnte, das könne er nämlich nicht (autsch, noch mehr peinlichkeit. ob das an dem offenbacher kennzeichen lag?).
meine antwort: "wie - er beherrscht das auto nicht? das ist aber schade..."

und weil ich ein netter mensch bin, bewegte ich die vette - die breiter, länger und unübersichtlicher ist als so ein porsche, rückwärts um die kurve herum wieder in die garage hinein und in die nächste parklücke, damit der fahrlegastheniker mit seinem flachkäfer einfahren konnte.

armer porsche. ich gehe jetzt einfach mal davon aus, dass die meisten anderen porschefahrer (hoffentlich) rückwärts fahren können...
und vielleicht sollte ich diesem fahrer mal die adresse der nächsten fahrschule unter den scheibenwischer klemmen...?

in da hood (2)

2008-07-26T08:56:00.005+02:00

another scanned-in photograph...

not a very good one - well, it's been a 1600 asa film with a best-before date of 2005, so no wonder the colors are not very bright and clear... maybe i try again with the digital camera. i've become so used to it.

da roof thing (4)

2008-07-22T22:59:00.002+02:00

btw, the roof paint thing has been settled now.
uhhh...

if you look very, very closely, you still can see where the paint had been warping off, but for anyone who doesn't know of it, this little spot is nearly invisible. and i hope now that this particular story has - at least - come to an end.
let's hope there will be no other damages...

aftermath

2008-07-22T18:10:00.004+02:00

there has been some stormy weather here, in the middle of july - not quite the type of weather you're expecting in summer. but then again, i couldn't resist this magnificent "after-glow"...

proof

2008-07-12T20:44:00.004+02:00

yeah, i know i'm neglecting this blog a little bit.
just to prove that my baby is still alive and kickin'...

btw, the roof repair will probably be done next week. and i hope this time it's o.k.!

more roof damage

2008-07-09T21:19:00.002+02:00

this time it's not my baby, this time it's me...!

an ill-tempered, or, should i say, incompetent, hairdresser has deprived me of my mane. the girl was chattering about her italian origin in connection with her somewhat fantastic cooking abilities, and i was listening to her, charmed by her story, so that i didn't notice the harm being done. aahhh...

no, i'm not bald, but you might as well say, "sheared"... with a very, very, short haircut as a result.
darn.

expert's talk, or "strange encounters, the 2nd"

2008-06-19T20:29:00.003+02:00

about an hour ago, i drove to my favourite gas station, equipped with a bucket full of cleaners, sponges, wipes and dry cloth, in order to clean my baby. i just had rinsed the vette's red hull with water and now was drying it with the soft cloth, when an old guy with grey hair, grandpa style, approached me slowly and asked what kind of car this would be.
"this is a corvette," i answered.
the old chap slowly scratched his chin. "hmmm... it looks really good - much better than the ferrari over there." he pointed towards the black ferrari convertible parked some 20 metres away. "is it very expensive?"
i couldn't help smiling. "well," i said, "it's even less then half the price of the ferrari, and it's much faster."
brows knotted in deep thought, he walked away, while i focused again on my baby.

a few minutes later, the old guy came back again, his face turning into a wide grin, and tapped me onto the shoulder. "let me give you some good advice, lad - take good care of that car of yours. it's not only much better, but also much more trustworthy than any girlfriend can be."

it's unbelievable - i didn't ever think that vettes would be good for "strange encounters" of the funny or heart-warming kind...

the roof recall thing (3)

2008-06-19T20:10:00.003+02:00

so much for german quality repair... this seems to become a neverending story. and a story i definitely don't like!

after two weeks of "not driving", i found this damaged spot as i freed my baby from the confines of its parking garage. obviously, the paint job on the replaced roof has been done sloppily, because otherwise, the paint itself wouldn't have formed this kind of warped shape...
aaaargh...!

that's real customer service

2008-06-11T18:16:00.006+02:00

by end of last year, i switched over to another car insurance company with both contracts starting on january 1st, 2008.
today, half a year later, they finally managed to send me the service vouchers.

that's what i call real service - fast and efficient. ugh.

well, you gotta remember you're in germany.
welcome to "customer service hell"...

"welcome to the show..."

2008-06-08T09:34:00.005+02:00

sorry, non-vette stuff again...

but finally, i managed to lure rainier, my old buddy in sin and frolic, into the automobile fun business, he he... and now he's developped a taste for oldtimer rallyes (the touristic ones, not the sportive sort of). therefore he dug out his dad's old mercedes and participated in yesterday's 2008 adac oldtimer tour towards the little town of homberg (efze).

this benz is 31 years old (in germany, cars have to be at least 30 years old to be officially defined as "oldtimers", cars 20 years old and up to 29 years are called "youngtimers"). technical data will follow.

mad, mad world

2008-05-24T22:13:00.003+02:00

one day i complain about losing my sundays on slalom, and on the next one about not losing them... isn't that crazy?
well, some of my colleagues have spread again flu viruses, and now my biological firewall is trying to fight these viral intruders. this is why i decided to skip the race tomorrow and stay at home, because i can't afford reporting sick for the second time in my new job.

so i'm sitting here indoors while the sun is shining (and my club comrades most probably going for another victory), trapped, feeling weak, nay, exhausted, hoping to get better until monday.
it's a mad, mad world.
or just another f***ed-up vette-less weekend.
sh*t.

slalom and the lack of time

2008-05-23T18:56:00.002+02:00

well, the headline says it all - slalom driving is eating up my sundays and bank holidays.
sad but true - it's getting even difficult for me to spare some time for vette driving...!

to be honest, i can't complain. i knew that when i started the slalom "business", and i had hoped that i could cope somehow with the increasing lack of time. now the season has begun, and i need lots of practise, which means i better participate in all events planned and don't skip any.
aaargh....!

vette photo project

2008-05-21T23:14:00.000+02:00

some years ago, i was really good at black & white photography, especially when it came to architecture. but one by one i stopped taking pictures, since my job life didn't leave me much time for that, and when i got my digital sony later, my old "mechanical" cameras had already been stowed away for quite some time.
well, this could change now, since i'm thinking of a self-made vette calendar, portraying my baby for 2009 or 2010 for myself and maybe also for friends and family, which means, for all that suffer from my stupid vette-mania...

don't know whether i'll succeed in making really good vette pictures - i haven't practised for a long long time and "shooting" buildings in b&w is much easier than making good (color) pictures of cars. and of course, there a thousands of good vette pics...

well, let's see... it's a project, it's just for fun. but nevertheless, i already digged out my old non-automatic cameras, a nikon EF (1972) and a practica (the gdr version of the west-german "leica" camera, 1951). since the practica doesn't work (the shutter has jammed) and the repair shop i used to ask in such cases has closed down, i'm gonna use the nikon only. and if i get any good results, i promise i'm gonna publish at least some pictures here on this blog.

the roof recall thing (2)

2008-05-10T21:25:00.002+02:00

you could call it a kind of resignation, but i'm really tired of dealing with that garage.
after asking several corvette "colleagues" (i. e. fellow drivers) who all assured me that if there's a color difference at all, then it is only a very slight difference (because they nearly didn't notice), i decided to leave the replacement roof as it is.
maybe i was paranoid. and then, maybe not...
well, the decision is made. alea iacta est.

i've attached the "stickers" stickers again.
now my baby is "complete" again...

beemer slalom

2008-05-07T07:05:00.005+02:00

sorry, non-vette stuff again.

well, that wasn't exactly "floating like a cadillac" nor "stinging like a beemer"...
unfortunately there was only one race in fulda, but in its second run i was able to close up to the other participant's timing. yet still a long way to go (drive)...

"PEP CARS" us cars meeting

2008-05-01T15:48:00.009+02:00

1st may, 2008, bergen-enkheim (at the outskirts of frankfurt)

of course, these vehicles weren't the only ones worth looking at. this is just a small selection of fine cars presented at the meeting, and there were lots more...!

first panel: a black c6 (model year 2006?) and my baby (2005), followed by a pair of c3s
second panel: a rare "split windows" (1963) and a silver c5 (1997) followed by a pair of mustangs

short update

2008-05-01T07:47:00.006+02:00

today is a bank holiday, and i'm gonna check on my roof again.
this was originally planned for yesterday, but yesterday after work it was raining and became dark very early, so i left my baby indoors...

i only hope the roof color is right. i'm sick of having trouble with this garage.

today there's also a us car meeting in bergen-enkheim, one of the outer parts of frankfurt. let's see whether i can get there - or better, how, i can get there, because the roads will be closed for the henninger race, a bike race around the so-called "henninger steeple".

i also gotta check on my beemer.
btw, last sunday i came in 7th (out of 10) and was able to improve my timing again for about 4 seconds.

slainte mhath

2008-04-29T21:03:00.005+02:00

first caipirinha of the year!
(i've run out of single malt)

and remember, ye hearties: don't drink & drive...

the roof recall thing

2008-04-26T11:53:00.003+02:00

in march, my gm garage told me that my baby should have its targa roof replaced. don't know whether this roof recall thing was referring to a specifically european "vette malady", or whether this problem was affecting covettes worldwide.
well, they told me that the roof already had been orderd and then would be painted - at least, they knew the color code.

yesterday, the roof got replaced. not only that the "stickers" sticker is missing now, on driving home i noticed that, compared to the other parts of the bodyshell, the roof's paint got a strange yellowish tint. you can't imagine how frustrated i was!

today, i went to my gas station in order to clean my baby. and in the sunlight, i noticed this yellowish shade also on other painted areas. big relief, at least for now...
nevertheless, i'm still not convinced. in the past, i had enough reason not to trust this garage, not mentioning their uncanny ability to always spoil the interior (dark stains on the light parts and light stains on the dark parts). i'm gonna check on this again. i wanna be 100% sure they got the right color.

yeah!

2008-04-26T08:34:00.003+02:00

yeah - they're gonna make a sequel!

click

for those who don't know what i'm talking about: the release of "cars 2" is planned for 2012.

i only hope that they don't mess up with it...

in the language of the indians...

2008-04-26T08:18:00.003+02:00

...my name probably would be "dances with cones".
well, you can't do "cone-dancing" with a vette. for slalom driving you would need a much lighter and smaller car!

btw, i came in last. ahm, yes... *lookingembarassed*

done

2008-04-11T12:32:00.007+02:00

i'm totally done - i've caught a flu, one of the nasty sort, where you got fever and feel as if you've been run over by a monster truck, just getting crunched underneath its tires.
and this happens to me with the weekend approaching and the first slalom of the season!!!
this race will be run without me... *whimper*
no chance, so much is for sure.
*sob*

goose bumps

2008-03-30T11:27:00.002+02:00

just watched a cars scene at breakfast - the one in which doc hudson has his little all-alone-race around willy's butte, and for better sound, i switched on my stereo.

what i like most about this scene is the moment when doc starts and revves up his engine... i love the deep, rich motor sound.
gives me goose bumps.

it's a pity that the german TÜV doesn't authorize borla stinger exhausts.

strange noise, resolved

2008-03-29T23:14:00.001+01:00

...just a simple screw!
i guess its purpose is to fasten the vette butt hull-piece to the frame, if i'm not mistaken.

took the chance for a little night ride.
the noise is gone, everything seems to be o.k. now.
oomph.

strange noise

2008-03-29T19:50:00.004+01:00

on driving today, i noticed a strange rattling noise at the rear end. something seems to vibrate there. and when i tapped with my fingers against the lower part of the hull, just about where the grey strip is located, something clanked inside.

hmmm, i'll have to check on that...

this is crazy...

2008-03-23T22:47:00.005+01:00

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/supercars/coachbuilt-karvajal-designs-zx-1-c6-corvette/

the matte/glossy paint effects are interesting. looks pretty cool.
but the rest...

to be honest, i don't like the hood design. and as for the rest of the chassis - well, that might be everything, but hardly a vette anymore.

maybe i just dislike it because it's a convertible.
never understood the craze about having one.
i prefer cars with proper roofs ;-)

problems of the underpowered

2008-03-23T17:39:00.002+01:00

a question to all of you who are lucky to have 400 horsepower and more: do you ever experience small cars tailgating, following you over quite some distance and coming so close that they might crash into your trunk?
it's annoying, but normally i tend to ignore them...
how do you react?

okay, corvettes are still somewhat "exotic" in germany. but if you are driving one of the well-known brands, i. e. lotuses, lambos or ferraris - do you experience the same?

easter chocolate frenzy

2008-03-22T12:02:00.005+01:00

instead of chocolate easter bunnies, i've got easter cars (what else?!).

on the other hand, bunnies, without easter and chocolate, ain't bad, too.
maybe i should rethink the whole thing... ;-)

unfortunately they didn't have chocolate corvettes. and if you take a closer look, you will notice that the ferrari fraction within this batch is strongest, closely followed by the beemer fraction...

gloomy monday

2008-03-17T21:14:00.003+01:00

well, surely i shouldn't complain... i'm still alive & kicking, and still got my baby.
just got the feeling that life sucks at the moment.
maybe i should get more social - should go out and meet people instead of sitting at home, think about "now" and not about the future.
and then again, maybe that's it.

no, wheather is still bad. rainstorms announced for the weekend, which means "no driving".
my so-called one week of "holidays" - gone before i could say "corvette c6", wasted on dreary stuff which was necessary but not nice.
my creativity got stuck, haven't written a single line for a long time. even translating becomes hard at the moment. no input, no ideas, no mood to draw up the slightest scribblings.
my slalom car having a broken catalyzer and trouble with the TÜV. boy, that was expensive. and the slalom suspensions not yet ready. bit by bit i'm running out of time, slalom season starts in april.
still need new tires.

yuck.
just let me whimper for a while.

ah yes... the garage...

2008-03-14T22:17:00.004+01:00

forgot to mention that i paid a short visit to the frankfurt corvette garage last week.
since the battery failure, the windows didn't close properly when closing the doors. additionally, i wanted to get rid of that obscure alert called "service column lock" which isn't mentioned in the german user's manual and surely had been triggered by the battery blackout. and third, it was time for the yearly inspection.
well, so far, so good...

to be honest, there really was some improvement compared to my previous visits:

the passenger compartment wasn't dirty this time
they also knew the correct amount of motor oil
they'll get me a new targa roof (oops, i gotta order a new "stickers" sticker - the other one is on my helmet now)
my baby got a car wash
they got new staff which obviously did a better job than the people i met last year

nevertheless, i'll be watching them. too many things went wrong last year. i don't trust them - yet.
let's see.

thanks!

2008-03-11T09:24:00.006+01:00

...he he... this is what happens when people know you're a cars enthusiast.

;-) thanks, rainier!

v-day, or "size matters!"

2008-03-01T21:15:00.006+01:00

did you ever break into your own car?
with a battery as dead as a doornail, you'll have to... or at least the procedure for getting access is pretty weird and comes very close to "breakin' into..."

the c6's doors don't have a keyhole. the doors are opened and locked electronically, but without any electricity, it's just bad luck, the doors remain shut.
that means: open the trunk - manually, with the physical key, because this is the only compartment accessible with a key - and try to climb through the trunk into the passenger compartment, where you'll have to open the hood.
for the first time, i was glad that nature had built me somewhat short - i'm only 1.70 m; a guy of 1.90 m surely would have had more problems... so much for "size matters"! (what struck me excactly in this moment, was the fact that if someone would be nasty enough to close the trunk again, then you're locked inside your car. that ain't funny.)

in my case, my old buddy v6-rainier had come to the rescue with his eta beemer and provided the electricity necessary for the restart. so we connected both cars as described in the vette handbook, and then the engine started without hesitation.

i drove for nearly 1 1/2 hours to reload the battery.
that's been my v-day...

v-day?

2008-03-01T08:40:00.004+01:00

today is supposed to be v-day - it's march now, i'm allowed to drive again.
but the wheather didn't take that into consideration. we've got heavy rainstorms, things keep on falling down on the tiny balcony which is attached to my appartment, and warnings have been given on the radio that driving might be dangerous (because of "flying objects").
so i've got to tell you about my slalom car again...

now i got one - not quite a bargain, but also not expensive.
it's a 318 bmw ti compact, with 140 (european) hp and a complete m-package (which is only for the looks and not for the perfomance), in dark blue metallic.
it's a used car, 10 years old such as my red one, for the only reason that until model year 9/1998 you can install a power lock differential to the rear axle (i'll do that later). but first i've got to take it to the bmw garage - it didn't pass the TÜV test because somewhere under the hood, a little bit of oil is leaking, and the german street safety guys are crazy about that, and also the catalytic converter is in the dubs.
next comes a visit at the chassis specialist, because this baby will get a specially customized slalom suspension.

and at the moment, i'm keeping my fingers crossed that the garage doesn't show up with more bad news (my funds are badly limited, i'm quite short on cash at the moment!)... before buying, i'd been scrutinizing the beemer from top to tires, peeping into every corner and poking around under the hood, but i neither detected the oil leak nor the catalyzer problem.
shame on me...

and in the meantime i'll get my jumper cables, just in case my vette doesn't want to say "hello" to me as soon as it gets dry again.

piss'd

2008-02-17T07:43:00.003+01:00

car buying is a nasty business. with every car you look at, you'll be told a new bunch of lies, be it the number of previous owners, the stuff replaced already or just pretended to be replaced, the reasons why, possible accidents, and so on...
i just realised that when slalom driving (and this most likely will be every 2nd weekend from april to october), i have less time for my vette. f***in' hell.
the little time left (on the weekends, after subtracting vette-driving and slalom-driving) is the time i can spend with friends, family, etc.. that's not much.

to say i'm pissed at the moment would be only half the truth...

still haven't come any further...

2008-02-15T22:10:00.002+01:00

today, my old beemer had to climb onto a performance test rig to check its engine. not that there was something wrong - but since i'm still looking for a proper slalom vehicle, i wanted to know the exact "power output".
the result was 106.05 european hp, whereas there's a clear "102" in the papers.

this is why i like bmw: buy 102, get 106.
but this still is not enough. the compact version of the beemer 3er series is too heavy in comparison with the seat leons, renault clios and citroen saxos of this world. i've mentioned that before.

ooomph.
i'm still not sure what to do...

and now a rant...

2008-02-09T09:18:00.000+01:00

if you're a kid and interested in motor sports - welcome to an abundant offer of support and development programmes for the so-called "young talents". doors will be opened for you, you will be literally picked up and, step-by-step, introduced to the world of this fascinating sport.

but if you're a grown-up that only by chance got in contact with the racing business lately and never has done such a thing before, well, then you're just another idiot with a weird hobby. end of story.

sorry, i was a bit frustrated...

so if you're a newbie like me, go look for a club, they'll be the only ones willing to help you.
without my club, i'd be nothing.

bargain

2008-01-26T18:05:00.000+01:00

my latest acquisition - a reference book on american cars from 1920 to 1980, with lots of black-and-white pictures, covering every single brand and model (!) put on the market in the respective period.
yehaaa....!

just a short remark

2008-01-25T07:26:00.000+01:00

it's good i don't have any psII, x-box or wii.
if so, i'd spend one half of my life on playing games such as "resident evil", "grand theft auto", "need for speed", and the rest with cars (and CARS).
i'd not only be a cars (and a CARS) addict, i'd also be a videogame addict.

ever read about "better than life" (a game described in the novel "red dwarf" by grant naylor*)? it's not the question whether you like this story or not, it's that weird scenario that comes so close to reality. or let's say "would come close to reality", at least in my case.
it's a little bit frightening.

thanx god it's just a story.
;-)

*"grant naylor" is a collective pseudonym made up of the two writers rob grant and doug naylor

can't wait for the summer

2008-01-21T22:17:00.001+01:00

in the "chrome and flames" magazine, i found the following dates for us-car (and bike) meetings and cruises in the rhein-main area:

at the "harley garage" in hofheim/wallau, every monday and friday, starting at 19.00 hrs,
at "wal mart"/"pizza hut" in darmstadt, every friday starting at 20.30 hrs,
at the v8 drivers' club home in flörsheim-weilbach (industriestr. 19), every monday and friday, starting at 19.00 hrs,
at werner-von-siemens-street in hofheim/wallau, every first sunday a month from may to september, starting at 12.00 hrs,
and, not to forget, the "corvette forum meeting" in flörsheim ("boat house" restaurant) on every first friday a month, starting at 19.00 hrs.

plenty of ideas...
and it's still january...
*sigh*

my favourite...

2008-01-18T23:12:00.000+01:00

...tv trash - more non-vette stuff.
sorry!
it's a german scifi series called "spaceship orion", broadcasted in 1965 (one year before star trek). and since i can't drive my baby at the moment, i have to take such desperate measures ;-)

normally, this tv show is in black-and-white, but i didn't find any decent version of the original tv trailer on youtube, only this badly coloured one.
well, so watch and despair...

yehaaa - slalom time!

2008-01-14T06:03:00.000+01:00

yeah, you're right. this is no vette ;-)
this is me in my old beemer, on the 2007 solms slalom. i got this picture last week, and since it is good, i'd like to show it to you folks...

pic was taken by sm-sport-promotion, wettenstein

welcome 2008

2008-01-05T15:20:00.000+01:00

happy new year, folks! hope you all had a wonderful start into the brand new year 2008...

as for me... well, things weren't the way i expected them to be, starting with the fact that i caught a really nasty cold during xmas and had to stay in bed with fever and that kind of stuff, feeling as if i had been hit by a truck. but that leaves much room for improvement.
examples...:

i didn't do much writing during my holidays. dunno why - just wasn't in the right mood. so, with severals chapters still to be written and translated, there is much left to do for me.
also didn't succeed in finding a slalom vehicle. until now, i found nothing. nada. my club urged me to look for a front-wheel driven one - much to my dismay, but, to be honest, they are right, because in case of rain, front-wheel traction is better than everything else. at least i payed the fees for my license today, hoping that everything will be o.k. and settled on that side.
since i still can't drive, i'm counting days as i look on my corvette calendar made by one of the forum members, longing to shoot pictures of my own. half-time! at least my baby seems to be quite well, and i look after him as often as i can.

there is other stuff i need to get done, including some private trouble to be settled, since things are becoming more and more unpleasant. well... shit happens.
so this is the beginning.
nevetheless, i hope that it's gonna be a good year. if you feel the urge to stand up and fight, if you feel the necessity to move your ass and do something, then this normally is a good sign.
welcome, 2008!
welcome, corvette year.

merry x-mas

2007-12-24T13:05:00.000+01:00

24th again...
well, to be honest, i don't really feel "x-massy" today. since my grandparents died two years ago, this feast has somehow become less important to me.
but nevertheless, wherever you are on this planet and whatever cars you love - merry christmas to all of you...

dreaming, the 2nd

2007-12-15T13:24:00.000+01:00

i barely dream of other cars - my corvette is enough for me.
i don't fancy having porsches (except as a giant "toy" for my baby), lotuses, maseratis, neither ferraris nor lamborghinis (although i wouldn't turn down the offer to take a ride with the new reventón). they are, of cause, beautiful cars, but in my eyes only the corvette's design speaks those words that make me weak: "i am speed".
pure, brutal speed.
the only thing that sometimes gives me a sharp sting is the fact that the new 2008 corvette comes with a new 6.2 l engine, the 437 horsepower V8 called "LS 3". not to speak of the new zr-1...
well, with already having 404 horsepower under my command, i shouldn't complain about being "underpowered". but maybe you know the old saying, that horsepower can only be replaced by even more horsepower...?

no, i don't regret having bought a 2005 model, not even for a second. i love my baby.
but a few more PS, another exhaust, different air filters... yeah.
*sigh*

dreamin'

2007-12-14T18:39:00.000+01:00

did i mention that less driving leads to frustration?
it must have been frustration that made me look up old photographs.
when i was that small, i never dreamt of having my own corvette one day... i even never knew that there were such things as corvettes.

when i had my driving license test, the instructor asked me whether i was dreaming of becoming a racing driver - which was his way of criticising me (i still tend to ignore speed limits, he he). i always loved driving and hardly couldn't wait until i was 18* at least; placing my ass on the driver's seat for me always had been connected with dreams of freedom, speed and adventure. but i got my license nevertheless...

now i dream of spring, of warm, dry weather.
of sunshine...

sunshine... yeah.
once i was drying my baby after washing it, and i made long tender strokes with a soft cloth on the flaming red hull that glistened in the sunlight.
an old couple which was walking by stopped to watch me.
after a while, the old man addressed me the following way: "it's fun to watch you caressing this beautiful car..."
i answered that "everything that is beautiful needs to be caressed..."
he laughed. "my wife's telling me just the same!"

now i can't wait to wash my baby again.
i dream of it.

*in germany, you have to be at least 18 years old to get a driver's license

€ 43,000,000.-

2007-12-04T19:22:00.000+01:00

the 43,000,000.- euro in the state-run lottery's jackpot are still looking for a new owner.
what would you do, if you won the money?

as for me, things would be quite simple.
first, i'd buy a 911 porsche carrera model 926 for my baby, to play with.
next, i'd buy a z 06. maybe a black one.
and a big garage with heating and a hydraulic lift.
and then...
well, first things first.

unfortunately, this will never happen...
:-(

i know, i know...

2007-11-28T22:53:00.000+01:00

...there's a mistake in the banner text. sorry. i will fix it soon.
besides that: yeehaaa! all new design! i like the dark version much better than its multi-coloured predecessor.
black and red. vette colours.
yeah, baby.

---
textbug fixed. stickers 29-11-07

roadside assistance

2007-11-24T21:11:00.000+01:00

...at least, corvette europe found me worthy enough to send me the corvette roadside assistance card - 8 (eight!) months after buying my baby. thank heavens i didn't need them during these months...

by the way, i still do not have a german user's manual.

not funny

2007-11-17T16:19:00.000+01:00

ever thought about your relationship towards your car?
during the last few days, i came to think hard about this subject.

some guys are ridiculed because they love their cars more than their girlfriends... i guess i know the reason why (the love, not the ridicule). some cars are of a striking beauty, and most of them are (normally!) quite more predictable than the average female human... some cars even seem to have their own kind of life, of liveliness - which is especially true for a corvette with its thundering v8 heartbeat. but for me, that's not the whole story.

to be honest - i feel quite incomplete, or let's say, alone, without my vette. when i walk the streets, i really miss it.
think about that, folks... am i nuts?
how close can a human/vehicle relationship be? i don't know. my cars never have been mere objects, they've always been something like family members.
and maybe vettes are different - maybe they even come closer.

this ain't funny.

sometimes...

2007-11-15T07:36:00.001+01:00

...strange things happen to those who travel with "eyes wide open" for the unexpected. on his trip to the states, my bes' friend ran into the sheriff on his third day...

original?

counterfeit?
(c) by r. hoffmann

now a little task for my readers:
find the 10 differences between the picture above and below and mail them to me!

vette pop-art

2007-11-12T21:55:00.000+01:00

less driving leads to frustration. frustration, after a while, leads to boredom. and boredom finally leads to increased use of the computer...

vette pop-art
(c) by stickers

november

2007-11-11T11:51:00.000+01:00

it's raining again. the weather has been cold and stormy in the meantime - germany's south last week even encountered the first snow of the year. and since the racing season is over, the main focus now lies on "club life".
if you like to race, it's better to be a member of a local club - you'll get a lot of advice and also technical help there. so i had made contact with the ac höchst in september, joining them for the three dmsb-slaloms i drove this year. and this is why i thought it necessary to tell them about my "other" (and more fervent) passion - my vette, my red baby.
this picture was taken when paying a short visit to one of the club member's place...

it's quite difficult to explain that you're not a rich kid
eventhough you own a dream car...

next topic on my list (still!!!) is trying to get hold of a german driver's manual. i can read and understand english to a certain extent, but when it comes to technical terms, i must admit i prefer my mother tongue.
so yesterday was the third time i rang my GM dealer and asked for this manual... well, you've got to consinder you're in germany. things take a lot of time here - and this is also true for german customer service!

another nice-to-have would be the corvette repair manual. you can't buy them here in germany, you've got to order them in the states, and although the euro gained a lot against the dollar, the price is still quite high (about 100 $ for a new one).

nice try...

2007-11-05T07:44:00.000+01:00

my friends gave me a toy car to get me through winter - a corvette bigfoot, a vette body mounted on a bigfoot chassis (picture will follow).
and murmured something like "drug replacement therapy"... LOL!

well... there is no cure for the virus corvetticus, the corvette virus.
nice try! but can't beat the real thing.
once infested, always addicted.
i luuuuv it.

rheingau again

2007-10-30T18:35:00.001+01:00

you might call it "lack of fantasy", or maybe i'm just running out of ideas. but the rheingau region has - even when the weather isn't that good - a very special charme, a kind of strange beauty. so again, me and my automobile alter ego went for a ride, visiting johannisberg castle where once tatjana von metternich dwelled, last descendant of an old family (which even dealt with war and peace in napoleonic times), saying farewell to the summer.

the castle now belongs to the oetker holding and is renowned for its winery. but although the wine it produces is quite good, you pay much for the name... too much for my liking. nevertheless, i like coming here - it's peaceful, somewhat quiet despite all the tourists.

imaginary...

2007-10-22T19:45:00.000+02:00

...war paint study, the second.

this time i spent more efforts on the flash - the shape and its contours are improved now, but, to be honest, it's not yet correct. and the dot pattern gradation that accompanies the colour tone is still missing. i also left out the fender decals and the flash-shaped lucky stickers.

ingredients: 1 vette photograph, photoshop 7.01, 1 rainy sunday, 2 glasses of rhenania beer (a special dark ale). again, no vettes were harmed during the procedure.

fall

2007-10-21T20:37:00.000+02:00

temperature's down, the skies are grey, the air is damp and misty. spray-like drizzle covers all the streets and windscreens.
leaves are falling.
it's wet outside, wherever you go.
no vette weather... it's sad, but we'll have to stay indoors.

i wish i could...

2007-10-07T19:22:00.000+02:00

vette snapshot

my baby's got standard equipment - well, it's the stuff you get when you buy european models. there's nothing changed, nothing modified.
"european" vettes also come with a three-years warranty, as long as you don't change any elementary stuff or parts. so this is the main reason that keeps me from getting some nice-to-haves i'm longing for:

in contrast to many other spoilers or wings (most of them are just ugly or embarassing), this is a real good-looking rear spoiler...
also, the v8's sound could be boosted little bit (even good things can be made better!),
and, last but not least, a nice add-on for the interior:

i wish i could... *rolleyes*
but this stuff will have to wait - until the above mentioned three years are over.
the second reason is the german tüv (the german national vehicles supervisory agency for technical matters, in the case of the borla stinger exhaust). and, of course, there is a third reason. it's quite simple - money.

well... dream on, stickers.

season's end

2007-10-02T15:09:00.000+02:00

now, the slalom season is over for this year.
i participated in three and a half slaloms altogether - dmsb-slaloms in solms-asslar, schweinfurt, wallduern, and an adac club slalom in fulda which i count as "half" a slalom. started in the beginners' (rookies) class, got one cup (second place, in solms-asslar) and one last place (in wallduern, where again my opponents were much faster and lighter cars).
well, this is a beginning... and hopefully not the end.

next year, i will try the "g" class, which is meant for standard or near-standard vehicles, but this also means that my chances for cups will diminuish - at least, i would need a special chassis system and special tyres. a lighter car would even be better, but i'm not croesus, my funds are limited.
let's see.

playin' around

2007-09-28T20:41:00.000+02:00

this is a war paint sketch i did on a lazy afternoon.

hey, sit down again, folks, relax!
i surely WON'T PAINT my baby this way, although it would be a real eye-catcher... just been playin' around with photoshop. and since i haven't worked on photos for a while, the results are somewhat crude. so please forgive me, this is just a sketch... ;-)

photoshop 7, 1 picture of my baby, 2 glasses of german beer and 1 cd (aaron copland, apalachian spring) were used in/for creating this sketch. no vettes were harmed during the procedure.

"overweight"

2007-09-23T19:11:00.000+02:00

today, i drove my second "real" slalom, and i came out 5th (out of 6).
if i hadn't knocked over two traffic cones, i would have been fourth. but regardless of that, there was no chance to get a cup this time - the other participants in my group were customized cars (of renault clio or vw polo size) with more horsepower and less weight than my beemer. they had a much better timing - which means: my beemer is too heavy.
nevertheless, i did a good job - with each round, i was able to improve my timing for about 1 second. now i need to work on my precision. and on my u-turns.
still a long way to go...

annotations:
yeah, you're right. this is supposed to be a vette blog. but you can't drive slaloms with a vette - they're too long, and their ground clearance is too low. so this is why i take my beemer for this.

slowing down

2007-09-22T17:57:00.000+02:00

driving slow with a fast car is difficult - it's like practising self-control, or self-restraint. but whenever i take my dad for a ride, i have to slow down.
maybe it's a question of age...
to me, it's more like a question of attitude. i like going fast. i do talk fast, and i argue in a fast way. i even think that my brain is thinking fast (or at least i hope so, he he).
my dad is not lethargic, but fast driving makes him nervous.
hm...
well, i don't know how i am when i'm old.

i remember someone i knew, she said that slowing down can be nice once in a while.

today the sky was deep blue, the sun was shining, so we went for a ride to the rheingau region (the taunus was a no-no because of the dalai lama's visit). we stopped for lunch at johannisberg castle, a spot my father loves.
nice 'n slow, with windows wide open so that we could enjoy the fresh air (with a faint smell of burnt wood).
right now, it's "indian summer" in germany, if this term is applicable to a country like this...
we did a lot of talking.
we had a good time.

cup theory

2007-09-16T19:25:00.000+02:00

today, i participated in two slalom contests - the 2nd and the 3rd ADAC* Slalom "Lahn-Dill" in Asslar, Federal State of Hessen, hosted by the AC (automobile club) wetzlar.
i started in the newcomers' class. and in the first contest, i came in last, because i lost track in the middle of the slalom course. but in the second one, i got the 2nd place!
here is my cup...

well... maybe it's just an empty cup.
but for me, it's my first "real", i.e. professional, slalom.
ka-chaow...!

*ADAC = german national automobile association

"...what can you see?"

2007-09-09T17:08:00.000+02:00

"wonderful things..."
howard carter* is history, but his words are still up-to-date. at the 5th covette sunday in st. leon-rot, hosted by the corvette club kurpfalz, lots of wonderful cars could be seen. corvettes of nearly all generations were presented - from imported automobile treasures of the early years up to today's corvettes made for the european market. kids could marvel at them, people could talk to the owners, and the owners could have a chat and exchange information on major and minor technical problems. even the weather gods must have liked what they saw: despite of dark clouds, it didn't rain.

"cozy" is the wrong word, and i still don't know how to describe this feeling:
i just feel great among cars, especially beautiful cars such as corvettes, as if i'd belong there. i love it!
the following pictures can give only a feeble impression of the atmosphere there...

i met a lot of interesting people - including people i already knew from the corvette forum but had not met personally until now. and me and my baby fit in very well... this calls for a retake.

upper row: three nice asses and corvette colleagues of the rheinland-pfalz area
middle row: a beautiful '58 corvette and my baby
lower row: now you can imagine how crowded it was...

*he discovered Tut-Anch-Amun's tomb in 1922

cruisin'

2007-09-02T16:01:00.000+02:00

sheer horsepower can be that beautiful...

404 modern horsepower

while i was taking a series of pictures, a group of horses crossed the street behind me.
welcome to the taunus! although being close to the outskirts of frankfurt city, this area is still a little bit laid back, and on weekends you still can see people on horseback.

10 - 12 traditional horsepower