Joe Handley

That’s kinda how the Banana got it’s name, he went to go pull somebody’s motor home out of the mud, after it was painted yellow but before he lifted it and started his channel, well, the guy that called him saw the little XJ that came to rescue his big motor home, his asked Matt “You’re going to pull me out with that little yellow Banana?!” ………..which he then did and the name stuck! There was another video where they had to save a Fire Expedition that was stuck, and I’m just pretty sure that he was truly insulted at seeing the Banana show up, guess he expected some big 4x4 pickup with a thumping V8, not some little unibody SUV with a glass pack equipped I-6 dating to the Johnson Administration on 35” tires to show up. It’s amazing how many side by sides they end up rescuing, seemingly almost all rentals too. The number of big 4wd trucks they end up dragging out with the MORRvair, Banana, Rudy’s (Matt and Jaimie’s eldest son) XJ. They even have one lady that they know on a first name basis, she’s had a couple 1st get Expeditions that are stock with iffy tires that she tries to take places I’d not want to take something that is both that big AND stock. that rig doesn’t have a normal chassis, they build a uniframe into it from different shapes oh steel tube as they cut the stock unibody apart, then fabricated a custom suspension, engine compartment, and mounts to make it front engine and 4wd, and then there’s the interior where the dash and some of the structure is all that’s still kinda stock as well as the body mods between the boat sides, opened fenders and flares, and eventually the front end where they worked a traditional grill that looks period Olds like. It’s not even as “Stock” as the Farmtruck from Street Outlaws is.

I did see somewhere on YouTube or in the comments of the article I posted that the commentor saw a Mopar transporter trailer at Dallara's facility recently. Wonder of there might be some benifit to Hass' F1 team if Stewart gets tied in with Dodge and Stellantis for NASCAR and NHRA.

I ran across this the other night, Dad said he had heard that Stellantis is looking to get Dodge back into NASCAR, there are apparently rumors about it and then I saw this a couple days ago. https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/43081/nascar-president-comments-on-dodge-nascar-rumors Apparently at the same time, Tony Stewart has started a drag racing team with fiance Mopar sponsored Leah Pruitt and her Schumacher Racing teammate, Matt Hagan, while bringing back the Direct Connection brand. It also sounds like Stewart-Haas has had a really bad season in NASCAR this year with using Ford power, kinda makes me wonder if he and Haas might be in talks with Stellantis for a possible change to Dodge, if that does come to be.

That's basically what was just taken out of it, blown LS made to sort of look like the engine it had during it's Hollywood Knights appearance.

Honestly, depending on the application, it could be interesting. I’d probably put in a low and slow lead sled type cruiser if it were the system that GM put in Project X, it would be more power than the typical cars used for such projects made from the factory, if it has any kind of Regen built into it, hitting the major cruise spots would work for slowing is and lessen the depletion of the energy used to propel it, since you don’t just burn off electricity while citing at a light or in traffic and Regen would put a little power back into the battery while slowing down. I have seen where some would want to put them in the big 70’s land yachts with the early emissions controls, which would keep a quiet , cushy nature of the vehicles while once again, giving more power that they left the factories with, even if they had big blocks in them. If I was going to do something like that, I’d rather build a dual motor van with a lot of battery, similar to what white F-100 with the Mach-E motor/gear box assemblies and batteries. Sounds like Holley must be seeing something big for EVs too, if only are starting to develop EV conversion pieces, they’re also doing an EV oriented event this weekend that will be like their LS Fest, Ford Fest, and Mopar Fest events, but targeting EV owners and converters instead. From what I have been seeing with Bisi from Bisimoto, he has been working with AEM on the EV conversions he’s been involved in and is part of that bonkers Porsche 935 Kremmer body kitted and Tesla powered EV conversion that started as a basket case 911 or 912 that was just baking away in somebody’s back yard when he got it to build…….and keep in mind, this guy built a 1000hp, stick shift Honda Odyssey minivan too.

plus there’s no licensing issue for ripping off Hanna-Barbera either!

Hey now, don’t be making fun of the Dangeraffe here?

Huh, looks like Project X is going to be at SEMA this year! https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVLuWQNBb9I/?utm_medium=copy_link

There are camper converter’s building those out. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.caranddriver.com/reviews/amp35158276/2021-mercedes-benz-metris-weekender-camper-road-trip/

Well, whether you like the LS or not, they tried to bring it back to the Hollywood Knights appearance. A few years ago. One thing to keep in mind, this was an ever evolving project car, had PHR lasted long enough and not let GM do their work on it, this car could have eventually ended up with a turbocharged truck 5.3 LS.

They have it on Hot Rod Garage from time to time, it’s been partially in-Pro-Tour-ed, has a blower on an LS, brakes made to allow for smaller rims on a C-5/C-6 front suspension, etc.

At least the steel toed shoes would be more useful in this hobby, there have been more than just a few times that I dropped an X-Acto ot body reamer for my R/C’s and had close calls with my feet!

I forgot about these, saw a FWD Cutless drop top last weekend! then last night, Dad and I saw this truck towing 3 of the arrow signs you find along the side of the roads for construction, we didn’t follow it to that point, but I kinda wanted to see that mess going through the diverging diamond over 88 in Naperville, but didn’t want to be near it at the same time, the 3 trailers were wagging each other behind the flatbed full of traffic barricades towing them.

Picked up some N and HO scale stairs to use on my Jag and Pantera builds.

No pics, as I was too shocked and the light had just turned green too, but I saw what appeared to be a pristine condition early 90’s Toyota Tercel 2dr in gold and if that was not enough of a shock, but it was jacked up a bit rolling on 18”-20” wheels with a period correct gold finished basket weave center?! Kinda reminded me of the 2dr Box Caprices with 24”-26” wheels, just baby sized!

Oh, that’s good to hear, thanks!

Sound like the latest NBA 2022 Game has in game ads and Jake has made it into those! https://kotaku.com/uh-jake-from-state-farm-is-in-nba-2k22-1847658431

It is, one of the top brands too!

Looks like Hoovie and the Car Wizard are redoing Hoovie’s Apollo 911 LS Swapped 911, think it was a 996 with nearly 1/4 million miles when the factory engine popped, the did a LS Swap that basically launched Hoovie’s channel at the Wizards original shop (who now has his own channel too), sold it when that LS failed on the same track the stock engine failed on, and just bought it back! Oh, found a new project I will be watching too!

Despite the primer problems with my Clod’s body, I was able to get my Lunchbox’s body in primer today, which went very well! Only found a small hole where I filled in the vent opening in the roof panel the rest of that involved no filler what so ever, the patch panels I made from another body were that good of a fit! Nit gonna lie, I’m still happy with how that fill turned out and close to dead on the ribs were to lining up too!

Looks like I’m going to need a storage tub big enough for a 1/10 long bed Squarebody and a couple gallons of Super Clean….. The primer I applied June of 2020 wasn’t biting into the plastic on my Clod and just peels off with masking tape. Only part of the body I haven’t tried tape on was the cab pillars and roof ?

I’m not sure when it happened but there should be a stamping plant there now as well as a bunch of upgrades done for the 2015-2017 Chrysler 200 before that flopped.

It sounds like those are now being build at their Sterling Heights, MI plant. My 200, Lebaron GTS Turbo,and Shadow ES Turbo were all built there. From what I understand of it’s history, Chrysler Aerospace used it for a number of years to produce missles and other aerospace components from the mid-late 50’s through the early 70’s under contracts with the Army and I think NASA, plus the Navy used it to produce and test their early jet engines between the end of WW2 and the mid 50’s, there was even a fight about it’s use for that where the Navy refused to let the Army and Chrysler use it for the rockets for a few years.

Looks like that isn't a real Charger or a screen used General Lee, I believe he has one of the handful of Crown Vic cop cars that got chopped up, caged, rebodied with reproduction Charger sheet metal and painted to look like a General Lee, so that may, technically be fixable! Apparently they have already restored a screen used General Lee from the '05 movie, it was the car that was used for the "freeway jump", which had been a record flight for any car, let along a 2nd gen Charger.

I missed this one earlier, I've done my best to take care of it, though the interior has a probably not so health layer of dust in some areas (it needs a heavy cleaning in there), it may be my only new car and who knows when I'll be able to afford something different, new or used. I'm hoping that it becomes one of those "survivor" cars on down the road and a good "Day 2" example for one of these as well, these were kind of comparable to 383 Road Runners performance and with the Touring trim package mine is in, comparably trimmed as well.