This is why we can’t have nice things pt.5
Posted in Cars on February 8, 2010 by Jason
His pristine Ferrari 512 BBi “Boxer” sits in the middle of Holger Schubert’s living room in Brentwood, right next to stylish furniture, a built-in bookcase and a flat-screen TV that slides on tracks past walls of glass that frame an ocean view.
But Los Angeles officials are about to slam shut forever the garage door that leads to the city’s most extravagant parking space.
City planners have withdrawn permission for Schubert to use a bridge to connect his Ferrari’s third-floor resting spot with North Tigertail Road.
The ruling by the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission tosses a mechanic’s wrench into Schubert’s hopes of using the showpiece garage that last year won Architectural Digest magazine’s Design Driven contest.
Neighbors complained about the bridge, alleging that the city erroneously approved its construction to create both a safety hazard and a development precedent that could degrade hillside neighborhoods throughout the city.
Schubert, a 43-year-old product designer, contends that neighbors turned against the bridge in retaliation for his home-remodeling project taking so long — about five years, so far.
The ruling sets the stage for the city to issue an enforcement order that will force Schubert to tear down the 10-foot-long, 15-foot-high bridge if he does not obtain a zoning variance for it or win a court reprieve that preserves it.
That would mean that his prized gray 1984 Ferrari would have to give up its unique living-room parking spot.
Schubert blames the lengthy structural engineering design work needed for the garage for slowing down the remodeling project that he and wife, Yuriko, have undertaken at their two-acre property in the Brentwood hills.
Along with its ocean view, its crisp skylight-accented ceiling and modernist furniture, the garage features a hydraulic ramp that lifts the front end of the Ferrari up to allow Schubert to coast his gleaming car back out onto his bridge without starting the engine. No Ferrari fumes in this house.
“I wanted to create a backdrop for the car as a piece of art,” Schubert said last year after winning the architectural magazine’s contest. “This is a space whose only purpose is to enjoy the car.”
Neighbors say that Schubert first tried to get permission to build a pedestrian bridge to connect the living room area with the street. They say they balked at that on grounds that such a walkway did not comply with the city’s building rules.
Critics contend that Schubert then sought permission to build an even wider driveway bridge.
At Wednesday evening’s commission session, they argued that the city approved the bridge only after being told that the top-floor garage was necessary for Schubert to comply with city off-street parking rules.
In reality, Schubert had ample parking space near a three-car garage that he demolished in order to make room for the remodel, said Victor de la Cruz, a lawyer for neighbor William Burnside.
De la Cruz said Schubert was warned as he began building the driveway bridge that there was opposition to the bridge and that he was constructing it at his own risk.
Burnside, 58, a senior vice president of a Los Angeles consulting group who has lived on Tigertail Road for 22 years, said neighbors and the Brentwood Homeowners Assn. oppose the bridge for a variety of reasons — not because Schubert’s remodeling project has dragged on seemingly forever.
“I think the major issue here is the precedent it would set in the city” he said.
Residents are also worried about the safety of Schubert backing his Ferrari over the narrow bridge and onto the curving hillside street.
“That, plus he has a two-acre property that has perfectly good access from elsewhere,” Burnside said.
Schubert said he has spent about $1.5 million on the remodel and doesn’t relish the thought of losing his Ferrari garage or ripping out the bridge. He only drives the rare, vintage sports car when Westside traffic is light, he said. He hunted for 11 years before he found the car and purchased it.
“This is how people with money and power can make white seem black,” Schubert said after the commission vote.
His attorney, Jerold B. Neuman, complained to planners that after Schubert received the permit to build the bridge 18 separate city inspections occurred “and no one raised an issue” signaling any problem with its legality.
“They’ve set the stage for the city to say, ‘Tear down the bridge,’ ” Neuman said.
That means the next rumbling sound heard from Tigertail Road will probably be lawyers’ copy machines churning out court briefs, not the throaty full-throttle of a Ferrari 512 BBi.
RIP “Rusty” 1985-2010
Posted in Cars on February 6, 2010 by JasonNote: I DON’T own this car, I’m just the messenger. Hearing about this news obviously had a big impact towards me.
Some might think, “It’s just a car bro.”
Others might say, “That rusty hipster piece of shit impacted you?”
This car is still a conversation piece and it obviously changed the way we view on how we tune. Sure, Volkswagens started the trends. So what? You want a cookie? If other cars do it, its sacrilege? Someone has to push boundaries sometime. Isn’t that what tuning is about? Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Most of it is subjective perspective anyways. The first time I saw this machine was when Mike made his trek towards San Jose/San Fransisco at the Treasure Island Meet. Every automotive scene has some stereotype. For BMWs, the stereotype is that all of them are elitist pricks. When I met Mike for the first time, that obviously changed my perception and “Rusty” was the car that brought me to StanceWorks.
RIP Rusty, you’re the reason I joined this site. Your rusty bodywork is the reason I’m unafraid of taboo, your tight stance is the reason I will push boundaries, and your hard-ass road trip will always inspire me to roll hard. -Guy-Bert
Mike credits this car for many of the friendships he now has. And I think we can all relate. Take your cars away. Take away the people you’ve met because of your cars. What are you left with? For me personally, that is most of friends. They’re all somehow related or intertwined with cars. But from another aspect, take away the experiences. The road trips. The wrench days. The photo-shoots. The nights you’ve spent standing in a parking lot freezing your ass for hours just to talk to these people. You’re not left with much. There is something about it that I can never manage to put into words. Whether or not you want to admit it, these cars are a huge part of our lives. -thatskinnykid
The Original Thread by M.Burroughs.
Well, I don’t want to be “that” guy… the one who is too attached to a car for his own good. The one who actually cares about his car, and in a sense more than “I don’t want to curb a wheel”, or “don’t nick my paint”…. but honestly, I am that guy.
We all have cars that we consider “our baby”… and for me, that has always been my e36. I bought the e28 as a replacement for a daily driver.
I didn’t know getting in to it that this e28 was going to become such a part of who I am. I changed the way I look at cars. It changed the way that people look at me. To many it was just another car on the bandwagon… and that’s cool with me… but I never expected my car to become a conversation piece…. something to be argued over for pages and pages, month after month across the web. A magazine feature? Two? I had ever in my wildest dreams thought it would happen… after all, it was just a car.
Most of you know that about a year ago, I lent the car to a friend…. Back then, it was a solidly clean car, with no real flaws… until it was abruptly stopped by a semi truck, resulting in not only the A-pillar damage that you still see today, but a crushed front end that I put back together using a parts car I had at the time.
That accident was the rebirth of my car. I marked a moment in time where it went from an asset to a canvas. I had no excuse not to go “all the way” with it… and so I did. Okay, yeah, cool, I rusted a car. A lot of other people have too, and we all know that.
Rusty was more than just a hipstermobile to me though. Rusty honestly led me to some of the greatest friendships I have today… scratch that.. ALL of the friendships I maintain today have some rooting involved with this stupid car. It’s done more than drive me coast-to-coast, it has never let me down during any of it. This car is a champ- and I beat the hell out of it too.
Honestly, if it wasn’t for Rusty, this site wouldn’t be here. It simply wouldn’t exist.
I’m going on and on about stuff and haven’t really given any info yet, so I’ll explain it the best I can.
Ever since the accident a year ago, the front driver’s side tire has worn a bit differently than the others. The clearance to the fender was a little different than before, but nothing to alarm me. After all, this car was deemed “totaled”.
It wasn’t until last week that I took the car to a friend’s shop, and while there, and inspecting the car for the first time, we realized that the frame up there is tweaked. Hard.
I brushed it off as if it were nothing. Honestly, I didn’t care in the least…
but after close inspection, the body has been cracking a bit, and its starting to separate.I wanted to ignore it.
I really, really wanted to ignore it.
Bad.I said to myself “it’s been fine all along, It’l be fine. I’ll drive it until it falls apart”.
A few days ago, my best friend slipped through my hands, so to speak. Gracefully sliding my way over a speed bump, shit went to hell.
I don’t really know what else to say right now. I towed her home one last time. The motor comes out tomorrow- it’s going to Nic and Steph for the Bavaria build. Webb is taking the suspension for his car. The wheels will go into storage until another day, down the road when I feel like a car is worthy of following up Rusty’s footsteps.
I’m depressed over this. Best car I’ve ever owned. Hand down.
There’s a constant joke going on among friends that I owe this car for everything its done for me… and its true.I made a video today. It’s lame, but I wanted to do one last “shoot”.
So here it is- Rusty, this one’s for you.
Iteration History after the jump.
Read more »
RIP Atsushi Kuroi 1969-2010
Posted in Cars on February 3, 2010 by JasonSome very sad news out of Japan today. Veteran D1 driver Atsushi Kuroi has passed away after injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Kuroi was popular not just in Japan, but in all the countries where he drove. Anyone who’s seen him drive knows the kind of talent this man had behind the wheel of his Nissan One-Via. Besides being known as a great driver, he also made a name for himself with his River Side tuning shop in the Osaka area. -Mike Garrett
