Containerized: Retromod Global Tacoma
- Thread starter Containerized
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Containerized
Adventurer
Thanks, jaxs. Used to have an office about two blocks from where those Lotus photos were taken.
I think it's been a couple of pages since I've gushed about how much I love this car.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the 80-series headlights because 80-series' are pretty common around these parts still. But that's neither here nor there. Because what I absolutely love about the entire thing is that you've built what you wanted. Right from the start you had a vision of what you wanted, and whilst knowing full-well that heaps of people wouldn't understand it you executed it to perfection. Too often we end up building what everyone else says we should want. And even though there may be individual bits and pieces that I don't like about it, I love the very concept of what you've done and why you've done it. It doesn't hurt that the craftsmanship that's gone into it is some of the best I've ever seen
.
Got to admit I've learnt a lot along the way, and not just about custom coachbuilding. It's been a pleasure to read about your rationale, background and adventures Containerized, and I thank you for sharing it all so frankly. I hope we'll continue to hear about the truck and your adventures with it.
I can't quite get my head around spending so much on "just a hilux", in the same way that I can't get my head around a company having a spare Lambo sitting in a basement so that someone can borrow it when they're in town. That doesn't mean it's bad, it's just similar to a point you made earlier in this same thread - my daily life is so completely different that it's hard for my brain to rationalise. Even though I might not be able to comprehend how someone can possibly maintain a fleet of expensive cars cached around the globe, I can still appreciate how cool it would be. Similarly, I imagine driving the Retromod Taco would make you feel just as cool.
If you're ever in Aus and feel the need to slum it with the plebs, I'd welcome the opportunity to feed you beers around a campfire. All I ask in exchange is to be regaled with what you would probably consider quite boring stories about your day to day life.
Cheers,
Matto
Personally, I'm not a fan of the 80-series headlights because 80-series' are pretty common around these parts still. But that's neither here nor there. Because what I absolutely love about the entire thing is that you've built what you wanted. Right from the start you had a vision of what you wanted, and whilst knowing full-well that heaps of people wouldn't understand it you executed it to perfection. Too often we end up building what everyone else says we should want. And even though there may be individual bits and pieces that I don't like about it, I love the very concept of what you've done and why you've done it. It doesn't hurt that the craftsmanship that's gone into it is some of the best I've ever seen
. Got to admit I've learnt a lot along the way, and not just about custom coachbuilding. It's been a pleasure to read about your rationale, background and adventures Containerized, and I thank you for sharing it all so frankly. I hope we'll continue to hear about the truck and your adventures with it.
I can't quite get my head around spending so much on "just a hilux", in the same way that I can't get my head around a company having a spare Lambo sitting in a basement so that someone can borrow it when they're in town. That doesn't mean it's bad, it's just similar to a point you made earlier in this same thread - my daily life is so completely different that it's hard for my brain to rationalise. Even though I might not be able to comprehend how someone can possibly maintain a fleet of expensive cars cached around the globe, I can still appreciate how cool it would be
. Similarly, I imagine driving the Retromod Taco would make you feel just as cool.If you're ever in Aus and feel the need to slum it with the plebs, I'd welcome the opportunity to feed you beers around a campfire. All I ask in exchange is to be regaled with what you would probably consider quite boring stories about your day to day life.
Cheers,
Matto
Drive a high dollar car in California with Oregon plates, you will get pulled over. The CHP do this to see if the car is registered to you and if you have a CA drivers license. If so, ticket. You might get away with it in LA but somewhere where your car sticks out, they will recognize your car. California wants their money baby.
sandalscout
Adventurer
I've heard the same in Tennessee. I've gotten the impression that they'd pull you over if you had a trailer registered in a different state than the vehicle pulling it as well, even if the trailer is legally required to be registered (some small personal trailers are except from registration in TN).
REMOTEPLACES
Adventurer
Didn't realize vanity plates were all the rage, and one would actually "shop" all the tax free states they reside in for the "perfect plate." lol....right, be sure to save more $ for plates for other cars in other countries.:26_7_2:
Containerized
Adventurer
Matto - Looking forward to a pint if we cross paths in Oz. I make it there once a year or so.
Containerized
Adventurer
I have no doubt California would like to make marginal contributions to balancing the state budget on the backs of relatively unsympathetic people with expensive taste in automobiles.
And, I agree, a person who resides in California who owns a vehicle in his own name, but strategically registers a vehicle in Oregon, a state in which he does not reside, is breaking the rules.
However, this is entirely different from, say, a resident of San Francisco who owns a vineyard in Oregon. If the vineyard (a corporation and, hence, a person) is incorporated in Oregon, it is then an Oregon resident per se and hence MUST register the cars it owns in Oregon (just as a person resident in California must register the cars he or she owns in California). In this case, I don't see how the CHP could possibly cite you, as the company in Oregon must register its cars in the state where it is a resident, regardless of where its employees happen to use their company cars. You, as an employee driving your employer's car, are not responsible for its registration (you are, however, responsible for carrying insurance).
And, in any event, California must respect the licensing decisions of the Oregon DMV.
It's been awhile since I wrote an essay about it on my Constitutional Law II final exam in law school, but I recall enough about the Full Faith and Credit Clause to be confident taking an afternoon off to have fun fighting that ticket.
As someone who is not a U.S. resident, whose company allows him to use company vehicles (including the one in this build thread) as a courtesy, I'm confident that I'm abiding by the applicable rules.
If I had any reason to suspect otherwise, I would certainly not be posting on the Internet about it.
Containerized
Adventurer
Back on topic, someone had asked about maintenance. Well... my girlfriend took this picture of me. This is in Acholiland, the northernmost area in Uganda.
It was one of those, "Think this bolt would work?" shopping trips to the local cuk (market).
They also had some great colonial-era coins on offer that had been found near the town.
Looking forward to being back in Africa (Sudan) with the truck in a few weeks.
It was one of those, "Think this bolt would work?" shopping trips to the local cuk (market).
They also had some great colonial-era coins on offer that had been found near the town.
Looking forward to being back in Africa (Sudan) with the truck in a few weeks.
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Containerized
Adventurer
mk216v - Don't worry, they were just street wheels (and was helping friends at Kinesis, which was then in financial trouble). Had several other track toys at the time.
On the track, I always liked the lightweight (Lotus Sport) wheels with A005's (dry) or A048's (wet). I never understood why they didn't make A005's in sizes for other popular track cars.
I would have put those tires on my 997 GT3 in a split second if they had offered them (I ran Pilot Sport Cups, but always missed the insane stickiness of the A005 and A048).
Glad to see Kinesis back on its feet now, albeit as a very different company in some ways (I later had a set of K58's made for my Aston Martin, which looked great).
Back to Lotus: I've always had a soft spot in my heart for cars from Hethel. My father raced Lotuses in the 1970's and I love the cars, love the brand.
Since we're already way OT, I went back to Lotus two Octobers back to discuss acquiring a new, high-performance track car (the now-defunct Lotus 125 project).
Skip the rest of this post if you are only interested in overlanding and not interested in eccentric people who travel around shopping for things that go fast. :smiley_drive:
The Exige 260 Cup at Hethel, still one of my favorite Lotus products to drive:
One of several race-liveried Evoras we used for our trackday at the Lotus factory track:
The Evora GT4 in the classic colors - absolutely fantastic how Cosworth has made that engine sound:
With Clive Chapman in the old workshop:
Clive Chapman, Colin Chapman's son, answering questions about the now-Japanese-owned JPS car:
Some close-ups:
A quick explanation of the track layout:
Picking up my helmet... felt odd to be in anything other than my GP/5-K:
Then it was off to Paris for the auto show...
Nice parking spot in Paris:
Entrance to the Lotus VIP event in the lower floor of the Louvre:
The lounge area on the lower floor of the east salon:
The car we had come to see:
I had a few minutes to discuss the car with Takuma Sato (who was very kind). We had been together at a track event years earlier, when I was in a 993 RSR.
The concept was to offer a high-end track car with near-F1 performance to a small group of enthusiasts. Takuma discusses the project with Sir Stirling Moss at the event:
On our way out, Lotus gave us exhibitor passes for the auto show, allowing us to wander the floor before even the press had been allowed in. Very nice of them:
Overall, a very fun event. It affirmed my love for Lotus as a brand and a set of design values, even if the Exige 260 Cup is the best thing out there for now (in my opinion).
Okay, back to "adventure vehicles" - there are plenty of websites on which to talk about which sports cars to own.
On the track, I always liked the lightweight (Lotus Sport) wheels with A005's (dry) or A048's (wet). I never understood why they didn't make A005's in sizes for other popular track cars.
I would have put those tires on my 997 GT3 in a split second if they had offered them (I ran Pilot Sport Cups, but always missed the insane stickiness of the A005 and A048).
Glad to see Kinesis back on its feet now, albeit as a very different company in some ways (I later had a set of K58's made for my Aston Martin, which looked great).
Back to Lotus: I've always had a soft spot in my heart for cars from Hethel. My father raced Lotuses in the 1970's and I love the cars, love the brand.
Since we're already way OT, I went back to Lotus two Octobers back to discuss acquiring a new, high-performance track car (the now-defunct Lotus 125 project).
Skip the rest of this post if you are only interested in overlanding and not interested in eccentric people who travel around shopping for things that go fast. :smiley_drive:
The Exige 260 Cup at Hethel, still one of my favorite Lotus products to drive:
One of several race-liveried Evoras we used for our trackday at the Lotus factory track:
The Evora GT4 in the classic colors - absolutely fantastic how Cosworth has made that engine sound:
With Clive Chapman in the old workshop:
Clive Chapman, Colin Chapman's son, answering questions about the now-Japanese-owned JPS car:
Some close-ups:
A quick explanation of the track layout:
Picking up my helmet... felt odd to be in anything other than my GP/5-K:
Then it was off to Paris for the auto show...
Nice parking spot in Paris:
Entrance to the Lotus VIP event in the lower floor of the Louvre:
The lounge area on the lower floor of the east salon:
The car we had come to see:
I had a few minutes to discuss the car with Takuma Sato (who was very kind). We had been together at a track event years earlier, when I was in a 993 RSR.
The concept was to offer a high-end track car with near-F1 performance to a small group of enthusiasts. Takuma discusses the project with Sir Stirling Moss at the event:
On our way out, Lotus gave us exhibitor passes for the auto show, allowing us to wander the floor before even the press had been allowed in. Very nice of them:
Overall, a very fun event. It affirmed my love for Lotus as a brand and a set of design values, even if the Exige 260 Cup is the best thing out there for now (in my opinion).
Okay, back to "adventure vehicles" - there are plenty of websites on which to talk about which sports cars to own.
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I have no doubt California would like to make marginal contributions to balancing the state budget on the backs of relatively unsympathetic people with expensive taste in automobiles.
And, I agree, a person who resides in California who owns a vehicle in his own name, but strategically registers a vehicle in Oregon, a state in which he does not reside, is breaking the rules.
However, this is entirely different from, say, a resident of San Francisco who owns a vineyard in Oregon. If the vineyard (a corporation and, hence, a person) is incorporated in Oregon, it is then an Oregon resident per se and hence MUST register the cars it owns in Oregon (just as a person resident in California must register the cars he or she owns in California). In this case, I don't see how the CHP could possibly cite you, as the company in Oregon must register its cars in the state where it is a resident, regardless of where its employees happen to use their company cars. You, as an employee driving your employer's car, are not responsible for its registration (you are, however, responsible for carrying insurance).
And, in any event, California must respect the licensing decisions of the Oregon DMV.
It's been awhile since I wrote an essay about it on my Constitutional Law II final exam in law school, but I recall enough about the Full Faith and Credit Clause to be confident taking an afternoon off to have fun fighting that ticket.
As someone who is not a U.S. resident, whose company allows him to use company vehicles (including the one in this build thread) as a courtesy, I'm confident that I'm abiding by the applicable rules.
If I had any reason to suspect otherwise, I would certainly not be posting on the Internet about it.
My post was not a jab at you. You were pointing out some states that had zero sales tax. I was pointing out what Calofornia will do to try to collect it. If a resident buys a car for a million dollars, sales tax could be as high as $90k. I would hardly call that marginal. I have clients that do the out of state corporation deal also. That works if the car only comes into the state sometimes. You can't keep it in the state fulltime. Sorry for the hijack.
Containerized
Adventurer
No worries; it's a deal that may be helpful to others on ExPo, so I'm glad it was brought up.
As for the "in state" situation, most of our Alaska vehicles are Tacomas that are in Alaska year-round or nearly-year-round.
Many of our Oregon vehicles are permanently attached to the Oregon office, though some are occasionally shipped to L.A. or NYC for months at a time (for executives to attend social events, film premieres, etc.).
Typically (for obvious reasons), the sports cars are in NYC during the spring and summer and L.A. for a month or three in the fall and winter.
If any vehicle is "borderline" from a legal standpoint, we refer it to legal. They usually recommend we give it Jebel Ali plates (Dubai) and keep it in London.
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