I'd REALLY like to a get a VW based dune buggy. I really like my buddies/ always thought i'd prefer a VW powered sand rail but, i really like the old fiber glass based VW dune buggies. those engine aren't slouches either with some work in them.

I drove this bad boy for most of my 20's - a 1275cc Leyland Mini Moke. These were originally designed by Leyland Australia to sell in the U.S market - hence 'Californian' - but the relevant American authority figures deemed it too unsafe for their litigious populace and they were all dumped on we more care free (in those days) Aussies. It was a blast to drive and I spent countless hours working on it - not always happy hours due to the very cramped working conditions under the bonnet, and my lack of funds back then were a constant frustration. They became hot property in the mid naughties and I had a shocking credit card debt, so I sold it. As much as I loved it, I can honestly say I don't miss it. It was a car for a different time, and I have better things to do than spending my weekends up-to-my-elbows in grease.

badmojo wrote:

I drove this bad boy for most of my 20's - a 1275cc Leyland Mini Moke. These were originally designed by Leyland Australia to sell in the U.S market - hence 'Californian' - but the relevant American authority figures deemed it too unsafe for their litigious populace and they were all dumped on we more care free (in those days) Aussies. It was a blast to drive and I spent countless hours working on it - not always happy hours due to the very cramped working conditions under the bonnet, and my lack of funds back then were a constant frustration. They became hot property in the mid naughties and I had a shocking credit card debt, so I sold it. As much as I loved it, I can honestly say I don't miss it. It was a car for a different time, and I have better things to do than spending my weekends up-to-my-elbows in grease.

I'm not a big fan of off-roaders, but that thing is AWESOME! Probably great fun to drive too. I would have kept it - then again, I tend to hoard cars just like I hoard PC parts... I've been holding on to another E30 (a 316 sedan) for allmost two years now - I bought it for parts (engine's dead) to use on my coupe, but I just can't bring myself to take it apart... I'll probably just put a working engine in it and sell cheap it to someone who wants an e30.

relationships construction

Ha, yeah although it looks like an off-roader type thing it wasn't really suited to that. It was basically just a mini-minor's running gear - front wheel drive and didn't have much clearance, so it was a bit of an odd duck. It came with a sump guard but it weighed a ton and reduced the clearance even more, so I left that off.

It was great to drive though; 1275cc's was more than enough to get that very minimal body moving, and I added twin SU's and extractors over the years. And of course it had the mini's rubber cone suspension which meant that it handled very well, so overall it was quite sporty!

I really like the style of your BMW's, those are some very handsome cars.

badmojo wrote:

I drove this bad boy for most of my 20's - a 1275cc Leyland Mini Moke. These were originally designed by Leyland Australia to sell in the U.S market - hence 'Californian' - but the relevant American authority figures deemed it too unsafe for their litigious populace and they were all dumped on we more care free (in those days) Aussies. It was a blast to drive and I spent countless hours working on it - not always happy hours due to the very cramped working conditions under the bonnet, and my lack of funds back then were a constant frustration. They became hot property in the mid naughties and I had a shocking credit card debt, so I sold it. As much as I loved it, I can honestly say I don't miss it. It was a car for a different time, and I have better things to do than spending my weekends up-to-my-elbows in grease.

Fun fact. The company that originally created the Jeep was American Bantam but the government didn't think they would be big enough to handle a large government contract so they awarded the contract to Ford and Willys. American Bantam used to import engines from Austin and built a version of the Austin 7 under license. Austin would later be snapped up along with other British brands to form British Leyland and it was the Australian subsidiary of that company that built the Jeep-like Mini Moke. Austin also built it's own small, Jeep-like vehicle called the Austin Champ, so there's a lot of interlocking history there all because of Adolph Hitler.

I do animal rescue and volunteer at a local shelter.

I'm also into bicycles, but not in the way most bike nuts are. I don't spend thousands on carbon fiber or spandex. I just ride around on my ancient bike and enjoy it. I want to learn more about bicycle mechanics, so I have another bike with a frame that's too big for me and one with only a good frame and handlebars. When I get some time, I'm going to build one excellent and complete bike out of the two of them. Since it will require a complete teardown and rebuild from the ground up, I'm sure I'll learn alot in the process.

I used to be into motorcycles, but I haven't gone riding in about two years now. I just kinda lost interest. I still have both of my bikes and don't plan on selling them. I'm sure I'll get back into motorcycling someday.

I used to play with bikes. The first bike I built for my self was 60s era styled frame with a mountain bike wheel up front and tiny wheel in the back with an "MX" seat.

kanecvr wrote:

My other hobby is my 1989 3-series. I'm rebuilding the thing from the ground up with my own hands - every aspect of it. I'm hoping to one day make it my daily driver

Awesome E30! I drove an E36 Compact for a long time and now a 1-series hatch with the 3.0 engine. Used to do all my own servicing, brakes etc but these days I only have time for the smallest jobs 😢

Apart from that general DIY about the house keeps me busy when I'm not working and I have two small boys to entertain too 😀

Good to see a few others who are into bikes, I too have a few classics I like to ride. 😁

My main bike is a 1965 Sears:

But I also have a 1975 Schwinn Typhoon (which I just realized I don't have any pics of 🤣) and a 1947 Westfield:

Those bikes are awesome! Just look at the Sears frame!

Here's mine at the start of 300km Audax brevet. That was the ride when I finally accepted that I need a road bike 😁

And here's me on 250th kilometer. 100 of them the wind blew in the face really hard, so I got more exhausted then ever. Refueling stations are a bliss 😀

RacoonRider wrote:

And here's me on 250th kilometer. 100 of them the wind blew in the face really hard, so I got more exhausted then ever. Refueling stations are a bliss 😀

Oh dear you don't look too happy! 😠 😵

Riding into the wind is a killer. Spring is just around the corner here in Melbourne and that means strong north winds and high pollen counts. I'm thinking about wearing a face mask for the first time this year. Something like this would work:

But in reality it'll probably be more like this:

badmojo wrote:

Oh dear you don't look too happy! 😠 😵

No I don't 🤣

badmojo wrote:

Something like this would work: […]
Show full quote

Something like this would work:

I've got one like this, never used though... It's too hard to breathe in it and I do that a lot 😁

Vintage computing, board games and guns.

Yeah... I ride on my bike as well.
It's not what I would consider an hobby, as my mind really need those hour's on a bike.
It's a kind of medicine I guess. If I did not do it, I had to take antidepressives.
Biking is better as I am getting exercise, instead of eating chemicals.

Today I did a 3 hour trip on my bike, instead of taking the bus, when I had to pick up a GF4.
It was a slow trip of 9.8 kilometers.

Good to see I'm not the only one along the lines of "I like my bicycles like I like my computers". 😀
Since the bicycle became my main mode of transportation a few years ago I wanted to pick up an old beat-up road bike for next to nothing and go full disassembly/cleaning/restoration on it. The wish was granted and here's the end result:

It was a great and enjoyable learning experience which felt a lot like my usual retro computer restorations. I do wear cycling specific clothing and stuff (and since that picture was taken I've upgraded to clipless pedals) but to me, much like in retro computing, playing smart and not spending much is half the fun. 😉 I'm also grateful to the Taiwanese, for giving me both cheap computing and cheap cycling. 😁

badmojo wrote:

Spring is just around the corner here in Melbourne and that means strong north winds and high pollen counts. I'm thinking about wearing a face mask for the first time this year.

RacoonRider wrote:

I've got one like this, never used though... It's too hard to breathe in it and I do that a lot 😁

The city I live in is in 2nd place for highest air pollution in Latin America. The air quality is indeed really bad and it triggers my asthma, so for me a particulate filtering mask for cycling is a must. Any mask will restrict airflow somewhat, but some are better performing than others, and in the end it's nothing you coludn't easily get used to, even at high breathing rates (and when the choice is between a little resistance vs allergy/asthma attacks or smog intoxication...). I have a Respro Techno mask (beware of Chinese knockoffs like that "Pirates of the Caribbean" one in the picture, not only is the build quality subpar but the 'filter' it comes with is useless) it's N95-rated and it's great for urban cycling, but the filter material is a bit thick and could be a bit too restrictive if you're just starting out. A better choice would be Respro's own 'sports' filter which is easier to breathe through, or one of the many models of 3M disposable respirators, some of which are quite slim without compromising performance, not to mention they are much cheaper (but the Respro looks way cool though 😜). Once you get used to it, you can upgrade to something better if so desired.

I wouldn't choose a mask without exhalation valves for any sporting activity, and a good fit is highly dependent of your particular face shape/size so try several until you find something that works. And avoid the cheap knockoffs!

That's a beautiful looking machine, well done! I ride a modern-ish Giant mountainbike, which is heavy and has zero style but is a reliable commuter with decent quality hardware on it. I have no interest in maintaining it though I must admit - the local bike shop mechanic does all my dirty work these days.

Thanks for the tips on the face mask and filters. I've ordered a simple cloth 'tube' for now so I'll see how that goes. With any luck I'll look a little like my avatar 😵

Those 1960s bike are awsome looking. You can't find design like that anymore...

badmojo wrote:

Thanks for the tips on the face mask and filters. I've ordered a simple cloth 'tube' for now so I'll see how that goes. With any luck I'll look a little like my avatar 😵

I remember reading that the 'fabric density' (how close together the fibers are) in your typical bandana/buff is about 180µm. Pollen is 10~100µm, coarse particulate matter is ~10µm and fine particulate matter is ~2.5µm, so keep in mind that apart from keeping you warm, it won't provide any real filtration. Stuff will pass like sugar through a soccer goal net. 😜
The NIOSH N95 rating means that a minimum of 95% of particulate matter 0.3µm and larger is filtered, that's ~3 orders of magnitude better than a piece of cloth.

Also the beauty of these old machines is that maintenance is both simple and cheap. 😀

133MHz wrote:

I remember reading that the 'fabric density' (how close together the fibers are) in your typical bandana/buff is about 180µm. Pollen is 10~100µm, coarse particulate matter is ~10µm and fine particulate matter is ~2.5µm, so keep in mind that apart from keeping you warm, it won't provide any real filtration. Stuff will pass like sugar through a soccer goal net. 😜
The NIOSH N95 rating means that a minimum of 95% of particulate matter 0.3µm and larger is filtered, that's ~3 orders of magnitude better than a piece of cloth.

Right you are, it won't stop the majority of it, but it'll stop the big stuff which is what causes me the most grief I think. Our city streets are lined with European Plane trees, which look nice I must admit, but which literally shower the streets with irritating seeds and debris during spring. I'm hoping that the cloth will filter out that at least, but time will tell!

Sorry to hear about your pollution levels, that must be awful to live with. Is anything being done about it government policy wise?