Peter Vieira
Wow, you're reading this? Thanks! If you're into RC cars and I seem vaguely familiar, it's because I spent over 25 years writing and editing RC car news, reviews, and tech articles in print and online. What else, what else ... I have a degree in Film Studies (useless), most of a degree in Graphic Design (useful), and I'm married to a wonderful woman with horrible taste in men. Thanks to her, we have a terrific daughter who just earned her Journalism degree and is way, waaay more together that I was at her age. Or right now.
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If you love the truck so much, why send it off to a guaranteed death by rust?
Seeing the clean RC Blazer in the same frame as the “patina’d” J10, it makes me think maybe David needs to start RC builds. Save on insurance, registrations, storage, etc. Not the same soul, but keeps him closer to home and Jr can start “driving” with dad within the next couple years!
“Have I become the boring suburbanite that my young self made fun of? Yes, it seems so.”
Yep… getting married and having kids will do that. But don’t worry.. being around for your child is more important and is its own unique brand of fun… at least sometimes.
When your kids accuse you of being boring, tell them “I wasn’t boring until I had you. You did this to me!” (Said with love of course)
https://y.yarn.co/2a66034e-ccb4-4992-a6c7-41d26d67956c_text.gif
A BMW 850i that “only has clearcoat issues”. ROFL!
Hi… Back on Oct 29th, I signed up for a membership, but it still hasn’t activated. Order: E3B8DE45.
Do I have to do something to activate it?
EDIT… I’m all fixed up now. Thanks!
Is David moving *again* or is this a continuation of the last move?
Inquiring minds want to know!!
David, is a new house replacing the one appearing in your Jeep build posts?
The personal reveals by editors here foster connections, this ain’t your grandpa’s auto blogsite.
We’ve lived here for about 7 months. It remains a massive pain in my ass; for example, I have no hot water because we have an endless gas leak under the house, and it’s costing me a fortune to fix.
Small electric point-of-use heaters and cap off the gas? One for the bathroom(s) and one under the kitchen sink? Might even be rebates available through your utility providers. You’ve probably already been through all of the options though.
Lots of ideas here, not many don’t end up with everyone in jail for insurance fraud.
Thanks for clarifying. Houses are needy beasts! Best wishes for hot water returning soon and for all of the rest.
If it’s any comfort, my house is less than 20 years old, and I haven’t been able to use the gas logs all season because some part is nearly impossible to find right now. It’s probably more efficient to rely on the HVAC system, but the logs sure would be nice on chilly mornings.
That stunt plane flying looks super cool! And the pricing seems reasonable for such a unique experience. I look forward to hearing all about it! You might be the best advertising they could ask for!
I don’t know how much flying Mercedes has gotten through yet. I did some hours and lessons a while back and it was going really well. The instructor asked if I wanted to feel some g’s and do some very basic manuvers. Well I ended up puking in my winter hat, and had to toss it out the window before it dripped all over me about 3k above rural NC.
That was when I realized, flying is fun, and pretty neat, but apparently not for me. Don’t skip out on some dramamine that day!
Oh no! You puked in your toque?
… thanks folks, I’ll be here all week. Remember to tip your waitress.
I can’t fault Mercedes or anyone for loving the BMW 850. It still looks amazing. It’s sad for David to lose the J10, but it’s the right thing to do. He was out of options. We like what we like but I still don’t understand why the Chevy truck can’t earn your affections. The picture of the RC Blazer makes me want to break out the credit card.
As a Jeep guy, the Chevys just seem so bland and characterless, even when they’re the better “tool” for the job. XJ was also my first vehicle, but the Comanche never appealed to me either. Now, a Dakota convertible of that era…
Every time I read Bandai I want to shout it in a samurai voice. BANDAIIIIII
Every time I read Bandai I want to shout it in a samurai voice.
BANDAIIIIII
850 votes for yaaaaasssss
I always like the BMW 850s in that style, 20 years ago my manager had a gold sedan one, as a hand me down from his wife, very nice but it did catch on fire I think just trying to move it out of the garage, may have been electrical.
Nice fun with toys Peter, that’s some right Christmas season past-timing!
Hopefully the 100 year old house David is moving to comes with a nice garage/barn to tinker out of the weather, even SoCal weather. Remember David you do have family, friends, and readers that may be willing and able to help if things get too crazy, remember all the folks that came out to help with your last move, probably get even more help in better weather.
Ooh, Extra! The RC versions do some stuff that appears to defy physics. Enjoy flying that nimble bird!
The RC versions are also a little cheaper to fix. But those $20-$50 upgrades seem cheap until you realize you’ve self-justified doubling the initial cost after only a couple months.
Buy someone’s crashed one and fix it. There’s always someone who bought it since it looks cool but get in over their head. Then the entry price is lower and the upgrades are replacing the broken stuff. Plus when it gets hangar rash it’s not as painful.
This all the way for anyone RC-curious! Especially in a couple months when people are bored of the Xmas gift or decided the hobby isn’t for them.
Bingo! I scooped up a couple new to me RC planes inexpensively that way recently. One I had all the parts sitting around for and the other one is on the workbench being fixed. Sometimes the fixing is as much fun as flying!
Hey David, you sound overwhelmed. Don’t forget to give yourself a little time to rest over the holidays and be sure to communicate with your wife about how you’re feeling. Sometimes things stack up, but take it one thing at a time and before you know it, you’ll be dug out. If you need help with the wrenching, I’m sure any Autopian in your area would be happy to help out.
Great idea with the K5! I’m rather partial myself…. If you need any inspiration here’s mine!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3956QMZG7ni3JjuZ8
Awesome truck!
When I was sixteen and taking lessons, I got to log an hour in a Christen Eagle, doing loops and rolls. A snap roll was scary fast in a biplane. I can only imagine how nimble the Extra must be to fly.
I love the Galaxie in front of the J10. He could drop the Galaxie and J10 off at my place no problem. Then find me a good divorce lawyer.
I think that David is on the right track, shipping his Jeep pickup back to Michigan.
I recently listed my son’s previous college beater car for sale: a 1998 Plymouth neon. This is a California/Arizona car with zero rust. When we got the car ready for daily driver status a couple of years ago, we fixed a HUGE amount of stuff and preemptively replaced all of the maintenance items so that the car would be rock solid reliable…and it has been. My neon-loving friends east of the Mississippi all think that it’s a great car for the price, seeing as these things rusted away years ago in their local environment.
The problem is that, so far, nobody wants to come out to southern California to pick up the car! I can’t sell it locally because we built it in a configuration that will not pass California smog check, and it would be very difficult to put it back into a smog legal config. Sigh.
I live in the Northeast now and my mechanic is memorized by the underside of my ’09 Outback that lived most of it’s life in California. “Not a spec of rust,” he always says.
I love these. Where might I find its listing?
On Facebook, it’s on the “neons.org parts for sale” I’m pretty sure it’s a public group. Be aware that the clear coat is in tough shape, but when you read the ad you will see the crazy amount of work & new parts that we put into the car in the past 3 years. It’s like an ACR sedan, but with working A/C and cruise control.
Thanks. I’m looking to find it.
I’m not sure where it came from and can’t get it out of my mind, but I think what the RC truck really needs is a Buick Roadmaster body.
I really want to encourage the BMW 850 purchase, but I also think it’s a bad idea unless you have the willingness and a place where you can do major repairs yourself that may leave the car disassembled for weeks at a time.
I like where you’re going with the Roadmaster! Just reminded me, someone in 1990s Bozeman had an El Camino body on what I think was a Blazer frame with lift, big tires, and a snowplow. Quite the Montana rat-rod!
100 year old house? You’re moving too?
That also caught my eye.
Lots of LA houses in central neighborhoods were built in the 1920s.
Back when Spanish Revivals were the McMansions of their day.
I am curious about the ‘68 Galaxie 500 Sportsroof tho…
I know, I just thought he had already bought a house, so was surprised about the move.
Pretty sure he’s talking about the same house and just doesn’t consider the “moving in” fully completed.
I love old houses! I’ve been in mine a bit over 8 years now. It’s had its challenges, but we really love it now that we have settled in. It’s an old farmhouse from the 1830’s that was originally on 160 acres and is now on a bit less than 1. They bought the land direct from the US Government right around the time Michigan became a state.
My place in Maine is of a similar age, was a tiny millworker’s cottage that has been added onto several times. I have a love-hate relationship with it. I’ve owned it 25 years and I think the time has come to pass it on to the next keeper before anything else expensive happens.
Only a hundred years old? Luxury! It was probably built with utilities like electricity and sewers in mind, rather than a hasty retrofit.
I’m joking, but 100 years isn’t considered particularly old for a building in Europe. Also, if it’s lasted 100 years it’s probably built ok, although you’ve had 100 years of yahoos repairing it.
My brother has a 17th century barn next to his (more modern) house. It would probably be a historical monument in some countries, but to him it’s just an old barn with 300 years of bodged repairs by various farmers, using technologies ranging from wattle and daub to corrugated iron and bailing twine. It’s like a history of crappy repairs through the ages.
I think the TRX deserves a haja buggy body! You may have to scale it up a bit, but after seeing a Beetle Limousine, I think it can be done!
About that stunt flying, once the lessons are done is there still an instructor flying with you? Do not want to see your last byline in Pilot Debrief.
Yes, the instructor is there the whole time, thankfully. 🙂
David says goodbye….What????? Oh, to a rusty Jeep. Whew, you scared me, he’s not saying goodbye to The Autopian, thank Goodness. Mercedes, be safe in that plane.
We must insist that all of the Tracy collection sales are monitored on the Autopian.
Unsupervised sales are fine.
It’s when he starts buying MORE that we may need to intervene.
No she whose name we don’t know