Cars and Coffee: Dallas

I finally got the chance to attend the much lauded Cars and Coffee this weekend, held at Classic BMW in Plano, TX. It was my first time to this event and what a show it was! Every genre of car you could think of was well represented. Here's a collection of some of my favorites, enjoy!

2nd Flappy Paddle Heads GT5 Mega Invitational UPDATE: PP, Tracks, Prize

As you all may already know, reports announced that Lotus is no longer the title sponsor for the F1 Team Lotus. In fact, the team is actually under the ownership of Luxembourg financial advisory firm Genii Capital, the Formula 1 engines are sourced from Renault, and team operations are carried over from the old Renault F1 team as well.

Well this is awkward. The Lotus automaker has absolutely nothing to do with the Lotus F1 racing team yet here we are, hosting a Lotus-themed GT5 event in synchrony to the Chinese GP weekend. Oh well, we're rolling with it!

The featured car will be the Lotus Elise 111R '04 [Race Mod]. As a reference, the Elise was a special prize package from our last invitational, tuned to 549 PP (261-hp, 720-kg). For the upcoming race, PP will be capped at 575.

We aren't going to make an official roster of tracks (let's not take this too seriously) but expect to see the likes of Suzuka, Laguna Seca, and Grand Valley. From experiences we had from our last event, wide and flowy race tracks gave players more confidence to battle more aggressively without causing the pack to spread too far. That said, try not to take out half the grid on the first corner (but that'll likely happen regardless). 

As a reminder, the invitational will be held on the evening of April 14th, 10:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Looking for our lobby will be straightforward: FLAPPYPADDLEHEADS.

So yes, we've got the date and time, the car and PP, and the race tracks taken care of. Now, let's talk prizes:

I can already picture some of you struggling to make a connection with the NSX race car and the Red Bull Racing team. Don't think too much of it - at least I didn't offer an Infiniti road car and contrive its racing ties with Red Bull. Just know that the NSX is a bad ass car!

If you're having trouble finding us on GT5 the night of the event, be sure to message us at our PSN:

Add us on PSN (Playstation Network) with "FPH" written on the body of the request. Find us at:
Danny Choy: capn_chimichanga
Danny Chin: Anduril218
Kyle Swift: ROADWARRIOR721
Dan Weimann: SaintMonday

Or, you could also find us on twitter at @fpheads or @dchoyfph. I also accept letters via carrier owl.

The most important thing is to have fun!

The Competition

For those of you competing in the GT5 Invitational tonight, here is your competition! Good luck and we will see you all in just over an hour.

Danny Choy A.K.A. Capn_Chimichanga

Danny Chin A.K.A. Anduril218

Kyle Swift A.K.A. ROADWARRIOR721

Flappy Paddle Heads GT5 Invitational UPDATE: Prizes Betch!

click to enlarge

We saved the best for last. Announcing the prize given to the overall race winner of the upcoming Flappy Paddle Heads GT5 Invitational: the very car in the picture!

We may be getting a little ahead of ourselves here but we're so excited about this project that we're already making plans for our next GT5 invitational. Known for its laser sharp handling characteristics, we have chosen to feature the Lotus Elise as the "official car" for the next event.

As you can tell from the picture, I've taken the liberty to give this particular Elise some mods. No expenses (Gils) were spared. At first glance, you'll notice the Racing modification, which applies to everything including aero, maximum weight reduction and carbon fiber, fully adjustable suspension and titanium racing exhaust. What's more, I've thrown in an exhaust manifold, intake manifold, racing air filter, stage 2 engine tuning, ecu, chassis reinforcement, and a set of racing softs. Finally, I gave the Elise a layer of matte black paint to finish it off (a rare color to get a hold of in this game). The figures on this animal are 261-hp, 720-kg, and 549 PP. Be warned, this car has zero miles on the odo and that means no shakedown tests have been conducted. Colin Chapman would be proud.

Now that everyone knows what's at stake, here's a reminder of the race details:

• The Flappy Paddle Heads GT5 Invitation will be held on November 26th, and will begin on EST 10:00pm until approximately 12:00am midnight or later. Our room will be conveniently named FLAPPY PADDLE HEADS. 
• The Miata I will be using next week is the 1989 Eunos Roadster, tuned to 202-hp, 152 lb.-ft. of torque, 870kg, 437PP.  Tune your beast accordingly.
• Circuits we'll be racing include Toyko R246, Suzuka, Laguna Seca, Trial Mountain, and Deep Forest.
• Shit just got real.

Add us on PSN (Playstation Network) with "FPH" written on the body of the request. Find us at:
Danny Choy: capn_chimichanga
Danny Chin: Anduril218
Kyle Swift: ROADWARRIOR721
Dan Weimann: SaintMonday

I hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful weekend. Good luck! 

Announcing The Flappy Paddle Heads Gran Turismo 5 Invitational! [PRIZES TOO, Betch!]

Earlier this month, Danny Chin finally bought a Playstation 3 console. To celebrate Danny Chin's financial irresponsibility (and that of our fellow PS3 owners as well), we're reaching out to our fans in our very first Gran Turismo 5 invitational!

The goal of the event is simple. We love cars, love Flappy Paddle Heads, and love to share our enthusiasm. Although this is the first event, and everything feels a bit like an experiment, we hope that through racing and having a good time, we get an opportunity to thank many of our readers for visiting our blog and supporting us in general. How exactly will we thank you? Race winner of the night will get a sports car, specially prepped by FPH, to add to their virtual garage! Other prizes will be available too and we will continue providing updates in the upcoming days.

The event will be held a month from now, on November 26th, which align perfectly with the last race weekend of the F1 season in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Hopefully this will give you guys enough time to respond to us (details below*), as well as enough time for us to work out the details of the event.

One things for certain. You guys better perfect your race craft... because shit just got real.



* Add us on PSN (Playstation Network) with "FPH" written on the body of the request. Find us at:
Danny Choy: capn_chimichanga
Danny Chin: Anduril218
Kyle Swift: ROADWARRIOR721

Death of the DIYer

As a gearhead, I take pride in being able to wrench my own stuff. Since I've been able to drive, I've done a lot of my own repairs on my vehicles. I basically built my 86 Monte SS and I did a lot of work on my 2001 Explorer Sport all through college.

Light em up!

No, not tires.

Brake rotors! Enjoy the light show!

Must See Movie Car Chases #3

I'm back!! Thank you to all of our followers for your patience in recent times during our lull in posts.

That being said, please enjoy the 3rd installment of Must See Movie Car Chases! Today, we are taking a look at the Tumbler chase scene from Batman Begins.

Being a Batman nerd, at first I wasn't too thrilled with this vehicle. Then I started to read into the specs and what this thing is actually capable of. Here's a few stats for you to take in:

• Weight: about 5,000 lbs
• Powered by a Chevy 350
• 0-60 in 5 seconds
• Rear tires are 37 inches in diameter mudders
• You want one? It cost about $250,000 to build
• The end jump through the waterfall was done with the actual car

So sit back and enjoy this chase, my particular moment occurs right around 2:59-3:03 moment.

See you again real soon!

[edit: the uploader disabled embedding, click the link instead]

Neutral Bomb: Plymouth Prowler

I have a love/hate relationship with this car, and seeing one just the other night reminded me just how on the fence I am about it. I want to like this car, but I just can't bring myself to say that I do.

Must See Movie Car Chases #2

Welcome back to Must See Movie Car Chases!

In this post, we will be looking at a collection from my absolute favorite movie trilogy, Mad Max! From the first time I saw these movies, the sheer awesomeness of the V-8 Interceptor had me hooked. Based on a 1973 Ford Falcon XB, this vehicle was available only in Australia, but to quote Wayne Campbell,  "It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine."

So sit down, bust out your leathers, buckle up and enjoy!

Mad Max:

Truck Takes Out the Toecutter
Mad Max at MOVIECLIPS.com

The Road Warrior:

Warning: Sad, sad scene below

One of the greatest, largest chase scene ever!

Beyond Thunderdome:

Music For Those Summer Drives

The way we see it, there are 2 different ways of driving: cruising or going balls to the wall. With driving weather right around the corner, it's time to get back to your favorite roads, whether they are flat and straight, or full of twists and turns. Inevitably, as we progress into the depth of summer, you begin turning your pedal to the metal, leave rubber everywhere style into a more relaxed ride, something along the lines of your local cruise nights.

Join The Dark Side

LeMans Blue, British Racing Green, Blue Water, Black Sapphire, Alpine White, Palladium Silver, Indium Grey, the list of color choices is endless. Sure, all of these colors are great, but let's get down to the basics, the nitty gritty. I'm thinking of a color that's bare bones, yet it's something that invokes a raw feeling: Flat Black.

We don't see many vehicles on the road this color, but when we do, oh man! Luke, we're sorry, but FPH is turning to the Dark Side!

Neutral Bomb: Driving Etiquette 101

Rant time! Ok, so we've all dealt with one, if not several of these issues, so it's about time we get them off our chests.

We at FPH pride ourselves in being better than average drivers. We can rev match shifts without thinking, dodge random items scattered along the highway, read the roads and respond accordingly.....and in the case of our own Danny Chin, let the elderly drivers know exactly how he feels!

During this rant, we are going to offer simple solutions to these problems in an effort to make driving less stressful for you, me and everyone on the road.

Japan Week: Toyota

Japan Week: Honda

Japan Week: Nissan

First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan.  While it seems that the fate of their country is currently indeterminable considering the scope of the natural (earthquake, tsunami) as well as man made (nuclear reactor, economy) disasters, I can't help but think of the virtues of the Japanese people that have brought them so far.  Japan is down right now but they're definitely not down for the count.  In honor of their tireless work ethic, spirit of innovation, and technological advances, FPH has decided to designate this week "Japan Week" where we will showcase the best from the prominent manufacturers.

Past Meets Present

The C2 Corvette Stringray (1963-1967) offered drastic changes from the previous C1. It was the first production Corvette coupe, offered substantial improvements in power and handling over its predecessor and gave us the infamous '63 split window.

Freak of the Week: Say What?!

In Freak of the Week #13, we look at a 1941 Willys... with a twist. This Willys body style is very popular amongst Hot Rodders. You'll usually find these stuffed with some kind of big block, always a V-8, usually blown. Several popular customizers have created their own vision, such as this Bob Ida 1941 Willys RAZRBACK:

But that’s not why we’re here is it? After all, while beautiful and clean in it’s own respect, does it really bring anything totally different to the table?

Take a look at this!

From the outside, it appears to be another Willys fiberglass recreation. However, let’s pop the hood and start it up shall we? As Sam Jackson said in Jurassic Park, "Hold on to your butts".

That’s right! How many people can say they have an AWD hot rod? Taking a donor EVO VIII, the car was cut up until it was down to the just the “frame” and suspension. The Willys fiberglass body was modified to fit over the chassis, but what a job! Add some Torq Thrusts and no one is the wiser.

End result is a 5 speed, AWD, 354 whp, 375 ft-lb pumpkin. Can you imagine the initial shock of people expecting a deep rumble or supercharger whine, only to hear a turbo spool?

I can think of only one thing:: Autocross anyone?

Must See Movie Car Chases

As a car guy, there are certain obligatory movies that need to be in the collection. We at FPH have seen our fair share and would like to share our favorites with you.

Gone in 60 Seconds (1974):

Now, you may or may not know that the one with Nick Cage was a remake. The original featured a Mustang that was equivalent to a land yacht, but nonetheless, it is amazing. This chase is at the top for several reasons: 1). It's 45 minutes long, making it the longest car chase in movie history!!! 2). Real people, real drivers. They just decided to take the car onto the public roads and see what happens. 3). No CGI jumps 4). 93 cars were destroyed in filming this chase!

5). Oh BTW, that wreck? Not planned. The pole was hit at 100 mph, and the only concern of the driver/director/producer/stunt-man was if they got that on film

Much better ending

Since this first one was a long one, we'll leave it at this for now. Stay tuned for more carnage in the next installment!!