DWTS Season 18: 3 Things You Need to Know

Well, yesterday was pretty epic…I am currently on set in San Francisco when the news started to trickle in to me. I would work, run off set and post a tweet. My Twitter feed exploded and there is no way I can respond to everyone the way I normally do. Here are 3 things to know.

1. Why didn't you confirm everyone?: I want to deliver good, truthful scoop to you. If I can't confirm a name from the sources I speak with, I won't mention it. It's my reputation on the line as an entertainment reporter, so giving you the truth is more important to me than giving you the whole list with errors on it.

UPDATE: I confirmed Derek IN, Sasha and Tristan OUT, Henry and Witney as PRO, Lindsay and Jenna in TROUPE. New confirmation…Tyne is OUT. 

2. What about Chelsie or…?: I know many of you adore Chelsie Hightower, but the writing has been on the wall for a few seasons regarding her future on the show. ABC signaled a change and I think they have moved on from her at this point. Sadly, I think Louis van Amstel is in that category, too. Read my post on DWTS contracts. The UPDATE in the article gives more information on ABC's policy.

3. Why is Maks back?: Like him or loathe him, Maks is newsworthy. With Derek apparently opting out this season, ABC needs a star. I love Val, but he's not as charismatic as his controversial brother. They needed Maks back and I imagine that situation also brought a very generous contract with it. UPDATE: Derek is IN…this will be a great season. A rivalry on the dance floor is back!

This season is bringing about some big changes with Erin Andrews replacing Brooke Burke-Charvet and Harold Wheeler out and Ray Chew in. Let's roll with the changes before watching the first episode. After the season begins, then everything is fair game! See you all on AfterBuzz TV on March 18.

Detroit Autorama - March 7-9 2014

Just a friendly reminder, THE Detroit Autorama is just over a week away!  The show hours are as follows.  Stay tuned for complete show coverage following the weekend of the show.

March 7th - 12p-10p

March 8th - 9a-10p

March 9th - 10a-8p

2014 Detroit Autorama

Erin Andrews on DWTS: My Thoughts

When The Big Lead report leaked out yesterday that Erin Andrews was going to replace Brooke Burke-Charvet as Tom Bergeron's co-host on DWTS, Twitter went nuts. Based on the responses I received, it was about 75% against Erin and only about 25% for Erin. That's not a good place to start. However, I am going to give her a chance, here's why:

1. Behind the Scenes: Even though Tom is more than capable of running the show himself, ABC clearly wants to showcase the behind-the-scenes interviews and he can't be everywhere. That's where Erin will come into play.

2. Interviews: I know that I made a remark more than once last season on AfterBuzz TV about Brooke's interviewing skills. Sometimes, I cringed. Erin is an excellent sports journalist who will bring her reporter skills to the table. I'm looking forward to some solid questions this season instead of "How do you feel?"

3. Personality: Look, I get it. Erin is a guy's girl. She works in a tough industry for females and she has a harder edge to her. However, she will bring some sass and snap to the table. Erin doesn't have a soft and fuzzy warmth, but I think she will have us all talking on Tuesdays about what happened the night before.

So, let's give her a chance. We haven't seen what she is capable of yet, but I welcome the change and the season debut of DWTS.

What do you think about Erin Andrews new gig? Let me know in the comments below. 

Roadkill: Episode 25

Yet another awesome episode. The name "Macho Grande" is perhaps the BEST nickname for a vehicle ever. I can't help but laugh every time I here it. I initially assumed that the nut flying off the back of the "General Mayhem" at 30:09 was staged.  Then, I realized what I was watching, and concluded that a nut did likely unintentionally fall off the car. Throwing the El Camino into park to slow down?  Come on man, you know better!  The crusher Camaro I've been following since it's initial build back in the 90's, and played a major role in my purchase of my 69 Camaro.  So much so, that had I not read that article, I'm not even sure I would have bought an old car back then.The Slowpar may have nearly been the slowest of the bunch, but I would still take it over any of their other cars they ran...except MAYBE the Crusher, as I hold a soft spot in my heart for that old car.  Good job guys, keep up the awesome work!

Challenger Update - 2/21/2014

Looking through my blog, I realized I haven't touched by dad's '70 Challenger since November 2012.  Having kids, and most notably a newborn, has that effect on car projects I've found.  That said, the time has come to start pushing dad to get this car back on track.  I've changed my thinking regarding the engine, but the pro-touring theme for the car will continue.


The engine, as opposed to a 400 stroked to 500 ci, has been downsized to a 451.  After reading about such a stroker, I was sold.  For one, the rod to throw ratio is much better, leading to much longer durability from less side thrust.  Also, with the 500, I was venturing down the same road as I did with my Camaro.  Horsepower would have easily been more than we wanted or desired. I know, I know...I can't believe those words came out of my mouth either.   As it is, this aluminum headed 451 should easily be in the 500-550 hp range, and rev insanely fast to around a 6,500 redline.  All while hopefully obtaining 13-15 mpg highways with a 5 speed manual.



I almost have the engine build down, and hope to get my proposal to my engine builder in the next few weeks.  Hopefully I can get dad to also order his Reilly Motorsports front suspension and Wilwood braking system, so we can get the front of the car back together and ready to go.  With some luck, we will have a running/driving car ready for body work by next winter.

Camaro Update: 2/21/2014 - More parts arrived

 

 Another shipment of parts arrived the other day, including my sweet looking AFR black powder coated valve covers. I also got a new flexplate, bolts, and a few other small items. In addition, my AFR stud girdle nuts are on the way from California, so I can tie the studs together and not worry about those 7,200 rpm shifts.

I shipped my Coan converter out to Coan a couple days ago, and should be hearing from them soon as to whether or not it needs anything beyond a flush and inspection after being cut open.

I've not had a chance to actually work on the car really, but all the parts will be ready to go, so when I get a few days, I should be able to make some serious progress.  My goal is to have the transmission back together by the end of March, tackling a little at a time.  Once complete, the engine, torque converter, and trans will all be ready to drop in. After that, everything else is a cake walk.  My furlough this year is in June, and my plan is to have this car on the road, bug free, and ready to race.

Old Italian mechanic finds, and restores, the first Porsche ever built!

This short documentary is amazing!  While I know little about any of these cars, I share his passion, just in a different way.

DWTS: An Update On Pro/Troupe Notifications

                                                           Photo courtesy of PureDWTS

Oh, how one tweet sends everyone into a frenzy. Lindsey Teller learned today how passionate DWTS fans are and how everyone is looking for clues and information about Season 18. I tried to get more info from Lindsey after I sent her a DM via Twitter, but I haven't received a response yet.

So I decided to go to a few other sources and I received some interesting news. Two sources have said that no one has been confirmed nor notified as of yet. I was met with "nothing yet"quotes and "no one is confirmed or decided yet, no one."

I'm thinking Lindsey might be a part of a promo for DWTS or a big opening number for the season premiere, but as of right now…she's not in the troupe. One source had no idea who she was, so that doesn't bode well for a new troupe member. Remember last season with the Tyne Stecklein news, she was familiar to the DWTS cast and she has incredible credits in the industry. I didn't find much on Lindsey.

UPDATE: Post and they will come…just heard from two other sources and the cast is hearing next week for both pros and troupe.

I'm working on a few other leads regarding DWTS news, so stay tuned.

If you have any DWTS info, feel free to contact me here. Anonymity guaranteed.

My Little MGB Project

(What? You thought I meant a little project on my full-size MGB?)

At some point last year I picked up an old Airfix MGB plastic model cheap off e-Bay while I was perusing MGB automobilia.

It's been at least 30 years since I last built a plastic model, but since I was hunkered down and trying to shake the remnants of last week's cold over Presidents' Day Weekend, I thought it would be fun to try to put it together.

There was obviously only one coffee mug I could use for this project.  Notice the unpainted body.

Some models have the pieces cast in the color of the model, including the black and chrome trim parts. This one has all the pieces cast in either plain grey or clear plastic. This sort of model is more work because you need to paint everything, but it also lets you paint everything whatever color you want. In a burst of creativity, I stuck with the cute yellow and black color scheme on the box.

The first pieces painted and in place: the rear springs (left) and the front suspension (right) including springs and disk brakes have been installed on the bottom.

The radiator, engine, transmission, and driveshaft are now painted, assembled and glued into place. I'm particularly proud of having gotten the fan belt, the fan, and the two wee little SU carburetors painted and glued on correctly.

A lot of model cars are 1:24 scale, but this was only a 1:32 scale model. The smaller the model, the higher the degree of difficulty, and this was tricky. Some of these pieces were really tiny. The four pieces above the penny are the spin-off caps for the wheels.

More tiny pieces: clockwise around the penny from the top: windshield, steering wheel, convertible top, rear tonneau cover, dashboard, front grill, seats -- and then the truly tiny parts -- gearshift, trunk handle, two door handles, two headlights, and two vent windows.

What's that you say? You don't see the trunk handle? I'm not surprised. It's the teeny tiniest of all the parts, about the size of the date on the penny.

Wheels and tires on. Interior ready for the seats.

The gearshift, parking brake, and seats are all in.

The steering wheel now painted and in the dashboard.

And now the dashboard and the whole entire inside the car.

The engine is in. This car's a runner!


The final result:

All-in-all, I'd say a fair review would be, "A driver. Paint's a ten-footer, maybe a twenty-footer."

I have to admit that a thirty-year layoff did not improve my model-making skills, but this was a fun project for a quiet February weekend.

It also confirmed that the world didn't lose a great watchmaker when I went into indexing, instead.

Hints of Oscars Red Carpet Fashions: Shoes

I've been hinting about what I might wear on the Oscars red carpet on Sunday, March 2. I teased two dresses on my Instagram account already. I won't decide until the week of the Oscars which dress I will wear, but the good news is that I can eat this year. No crazy diets, both dresses are going to allow me to eat a few cheeseburgers leading up to the big day. Hooray!

While I am going to wait until Oscars morning to reveal my outfit, I thought I would give you a sneak peek of my shoes. I haven't seen them in person yet, but designer Zul Mohd of EMMETT sent me a photo. I think they are gorgeous and I cannot wait to wear them! He even accessorized me with a clutch to go with the outfit. I cannot thank him enough. I've worked with Zul before when he designed  incredible shoes and a clutch for the Thirst Gala last June. To see more of his work, visit his website.

How are you gearing up for Oscars Sunday? Let me know in the comments below.

1963 Ford Galaxie (lightweight) Racing in Australia: 2011

This is one of the baddest race videos ever!  That 427 sounds angry!

Camaro Update - 2/14/2014: Transmission Tear Down

Here is the complete tear down of my TH400 transmission out of my Camaro.  The case is now empty, and the next step will be start disassembly of the clutch packs, cleaning, and reassembly. Everything went smoothly, and nothing seemed to show unusual signs of wear, but some did show wear and in need of replacement.  I took a trip today to National Parts Depot and picked up a few odds and ends, such as carpet, radiator hoses, and frame engine mounts.  I've been running small block mounts on the frame, not realizing that they position the engine differently.  It's getting that time of the year where I need to pick up my pace, so look for more frequent posts in the next few months.  Also, Detroit's Autorama is less than a month away, and that is always a high motivator for me.

Kris Jenner is Kim Kardashian's Inspiration on "Woman Crush Wednesday"

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The Kardashians just can't seem to stay out of the news lately. If it isn't Bruce Jenner's constantly changing looks or Kim's latest plans for her upcoming wedding, it might just be one of the other members of the Kardashian clan.

It's been a busy year for the family who has dealt with breakups, babies, alleged affairs and drug use. There seems to be no stopping the constant Kardashian media frenzy since publications cover their every waking move.

The latest family member in the news is mom-ager Kris Jenner. However, it's not for anything too outrageous. She's just a gal who cares about her health.

According to The Gossip Blog, the newly single 58-year-old is doing her best to stay in shape. She looks incredible for someone who has given birth to six kids, so perhaps it's her latest fitness regimen that is helping her stay so sleek and sexy.

On Wednesday, Kim posted a photo of her mom hanging upside down while at her latest pole dancing class. She tagged her mom with #WCW or "Woman Crush Wednesday" on Instagram. Kris looks amazing while wearing a black spandex catsuit and high heels. It proves that the business woman takes time not only for her marketing ventures, but also her health.



We do wonder if Kris is trying to stay in shape for a new paramour? After she split with longtime husband Bruce last October, the grandmother-to-three has been linked with former Bachelor star Ben Flajnik. Even though the two reality stars have worked together in the past, there have been whispers that they possibly hooked up once or twice.

When the rumors surfaced, Flajnik tweeted, "Here we go again. Hey @usweekly maybe put a call into me once and a while for some fact checking. Sincerely, #TheTruth."

The stories persisted, but it seems things have cooled down since there haven't been any sightings in the new year. However, Kris probably won't be off the market for long. With the moves she's learning in her pole dancing class, there are sure to be a few men lining up to date this powerful lady.

To keep up with the latest news on The Gossip Blog, be sure to follow them on Twitter or Facebook.



Disclosure: I was compensated for this post.

Camaro Update: 2/8/2014

I started draining the trans fluid out of my trans the other day. The fluid looked ruby red, didn't smell burned, and I was starting to wonder whether or not it really needed gone through.  Those hesitations didn't last long, as once I dropped the pan, I knew I had made the right decision.  It looked like the clutches and steels had took their share of abuse over the years, and a new set was a good idea.

I got creative with some scrap wood in order to drain most of the fluid.  I had forget how heavy these damn things were.  I think the 150 lbs that I've read is a conservative estimate.

Pan off and filter dropped.

The pan wasn't bad, but as you can see, there were obvious signs of wear.  I will rest easier knowing that the trans was rebuilt.

Ready to tackle the tear down, and probably buy a few tools and a press in order to complete the process.

 

 Here is the Hughes rebuild kit, awaiting installation.