Proposal for competition in Amersfoort

I propose a competition for "worst install" or "most amateurish install". I guess that is the only category I would have any chance ;-)

Another thing: I have registered on some webpage some time ago that I want to go to Amersfoort. When/how should I pay?

Marius (Escort Cab + 2CV)

The costs for the meet like the fee for the BBQ and the presentation should be paypaled to Rob V.

The cost of the hotel should be paid at the hotel itself when checking out.

All other costs are paid by you as-you-go.

Jane, you are not alone. I could be the one winning the worst install competition ;-).

Rolf

Cool :-)
Will you be going to Amersfoort? I'm still not 100% sure I will make, but I'll do everyting I can to be there!

Marius (Escort Cab + 2CV)

"worst install" or "most amateurish install".

I think I can beat you on that one.

When I brought the ShoWagon back from New Hampshire (to Alaska) I didn't have time to install the empeg. I found an old asphalt roof shingle (rough, abrasive surface on both sides) lying in the grass where I picked up the car, set that on top of the dashboard and laid the empeg on top of it. (Kept it from sliding around too much). Then I connected an RCA to 1/8" mini-plug adapter cable to the back of the empeg, with the wire hanging down the front of the dash, connecting to a cassette adapter plugged into the factory radio.

Tony Fabris will remember this "install" from our drive from his house to San Francisco to meet the guys@empeg.

tanstaafl.

Yes but can any install with an empeg be classed as a bad install

I've got two cars. The simplest install is in the 2CV, where the empeg is residing on the dashboard with a cigarette lighter plug into a crudely installed cigarette lighter socket, and a (mono) RCA into a casette player adapter. The casette player itself does not look good either... but it was there already when I bought the car.

The Ford Escort Cabriolet install is "a lot better". I have Exchanged the fromt speakers (kick-board placed) for 3-way speakers (i seem to remember) they are not fixed in position, but are held in place by the "kick-board", with some stuff around to stop the rattle.
On the dashboard, I have got two tweeters, which do not look very nice, and on the shelf beneath the rear window are two mid-range speakers laying (free to move around).
I have also got an amateur radio which does not quite fit in its designated hole in the dashboard.
And I have got to remove that GPS and find some way of installing my new GPS and iPAQ...

All these are of course things that I have long planned to do something about, but never actually gotten around to do the work...

Marius (Escort Cab + 2CV)

"worst install" or "most amateurish install".

Thank goodness, something that I can compete at!

I pricked my ears up at the radio control, but then I realised I've only got a metre long paddle steamer, it won't work in the car park!

In reply to:

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I pricked my ears up at the radio control, but then I realised I've only got a metre long paddle steamer, it won't work in the car park!

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You could get a cheap paddling pool and bring that too, fun for all the family.

I think my install is the crappiest, it currently consists of a Dell cardboard box in the spare room whilst I try and sell my car!

it will if you put it on a skate board with bigger paddles and i bet it is the waverly.

If it is i have in the past worked on it during refits and i know the chief engineer

...but it will in the lake behind our house!

Bring it! Bring it!!

It's the Clyde Tug "Glasgow", I looked at the kit for the Waverley, but realised that I would never finish it!

Bring it! Bring it!!

Getting a metre long boat, and enough kit for two, for a week, is a bit ambitious in an MGF - the car's only about a foot longer!

Watch this space....

Unfortunately, I won't be able to come to the meet after all :-(
A very important meeting just appeared, both on Friday afternoon and Monday morning... and with an 8 hours drive to Amersfoort, it's just not doable... And I was really looking forwards to this...

Marius

Dude, we invented a whole competition category just for you!

I hope there will be some other really bad installs, otherwise a very neat prize could go to waste!

Rob

Don't worry, I'm at work on the MGF with a sledgehammer, just to make sure!

I feel really bad :-/ Sorry. But this is beyond my powers...

I had been looking forward to the meet. And to show off my install ;-)

Marius

Are you going to bring your RC ferry? PLEEEEEEASE!!!!

Sorry, as I said, no room in MGF, I have to fit Mrs.Boxer in, as well as enough kit for the week, it's too big for the boot - maybe I'll come in the motorhome next year, if I've finished the installation.

Dude, we invented a whole competition category just for you!

I hope there will be some other really bad installs, otherwise a very neat prize could go to waste!

I'll just reinforce this: after seeing the amount of work Rob has put in making the trophy, there'd better be some really pretty ropey installs at this meet...

Peter

That's hilarious. With all our beautiful empegs, who woulda' thought we'd be fighting for WORST install.

Can I strap my empeg to my bike with duct tape and bring that?

Can I strap my empeg to my bike with duct tape and bring that?


Sorry -- been there, done that.



tanstaafl.

My gawd, is that a Bricklin in the background?

My gawd, is that a Bricklin in the background?

Well, yes. Of course.

Are you trying to tell me that you don't have one of those in the parking lot where you work?

tanstaafl.

Are you trying to tell me that you don't have one of those in the parking lot where you work?

There's one guy at the office (the CEO), who has lots of exotic hardware (and he even lets me drive sometimes...pity there's no place for an empeg in that one), but none of his toys have as much, uh, character as a Bricklin.

...and he even lets me drive sometimes.

Yeah, yeah. Nice pretty red car and all that. But it's no ShoWagon, is it? What's he gonna do the next time he needs to pick up some plywood at the lumber yard?

I bet that thing's simply amazing to drive... but I would be scared to death that somebody would back into it or something and I'd have a $20,000 repair bill to contend with.

tanstaafl.

I saw a video of that happening once. It was one of those street legal races they set up in parking lots with cones.. don't quite remember what they are called, but after a turn he spins the car and it goes into a lowered sidewalk in front of a building. About a 3-4 foot drop, with one end of the car down there, the other pointing straight up. It was sad. Almost as bad as browsing www.wreckedexotics.com

In a Ferrari F50? I saw that same video clip. It was on TV somewhere. The idiots that set up the event were letting just about anybody drive the car and the street was wet. So the guy spins it out in a mild corner and the car dives down into a trench which happens to be occupied by sidewalk diners (by which I mean people eating). Amazingly, no one got injured.

Thats the one! I'm thinking it was on You Gotta See This! but searching Fox's website I couldn't find it.

Yeah, yeah. Nice pretty red car and all that. But it's no ShoWagon, is it? What's he gonna do the next time he needs to pick up some plywood at the lumber yard?

Presumably the guy he's paying to do something with that plywood will have brought an appropriate vehicle. If it doesn't fit in the Bentley, he's paying to have it delivered.


I bet that thing's simply amazing to drive...


It is. Truly amazing. Though I have to say, driving supercars on street tires is kind of like drinking champagne from a styrofoam cup. There's all this power, and balance, and handling, and (comparatively) no grip. At another track day, I borrowed a Miata not unlike mine, on R-compound tires, and hassled him to the point that he lost concentration and went off track in his 575M on street tires. (No harm, no foul.)

but I would be scared to death that somebody would back into it or something and I'd have a $20,000 repair bill to contend with.

You think that didn't cross my mind when I stole the apex from that Integra in turn 4a? This was Sears Point fer chrissake! The walls are CLOSE! Needless to say, I was not turning spectacular lap times. Though I did run out of third a few times. Yes, it has a rev limiter.

It is a measure of my insanity (and his!) that I was out there at all, much less in an open-passing heads-up run group.

And the thing is, I came away from that day much more impressed with my drive in the Birkin. (Zetec-powered Lotus 7 replica)