SIMPLICITY 1

D R I V E , D R E S S , L I V E . . . . L I K E A G E N T L E M A N N U M B E R : 1

2014 YEAR BOOK

SIMPLICITY2

If you have been following my adventu-

res you know that I have been working

in Nicaragua for over 15 years on huma-

nitarian projects. In 2014 we were able

to bring clean running water to a com-

munity and in years past our group has

built schools, medical clinics, churches,

and community centers throughout the

country.

My first trip to Nicaragua was in 1999, one

year after a historic presidential election.

The country was in turmoil, infrastructure

had suffered under years of civil war and

political sanctions and there was so much

that needed to be done.

March 2015 I headed back, to Central

America again. If you would like informa-

tion on how you can support the work in

nicaragua

Nicaragua, or even come on the trip and

lend your skills and time in changing the

world one project at a time please email

me. You can also check out the giving

back story, about our 2014 trip on page

38.

Mike Satterfield

michael@thegentlemanracer.com

SIMPLICITY 3

SIMPLICITY4

Classic Days at Schloss Dyck / page 6

The Ford GT40 / page 10

Top Watches of 2014 / page 17

Car Girls / page 18

The Adlers Special / page 20

Shop Visit: RWB Indoneisa / page 24

Road Trip America / page 30

Giving Back: Nicaragua / page 38

Project Car: Ford Fairlane / page 42

Nissan Heritage Center / page 46

Table of Contents

INDEX

The Gentlman Racer

JAPAN DESK

VINTAGE MOTORSPORTS

NISSAN HERITAGE CENTER

Classic Days at Schloss Dyck

Inside the appointment only Nissan Heritage Collection

Photos by Roman Vanecek

We visit Germany’s Premier Historic Rally

46

6

SIMPLICITY 5

Editorial2014 in review

TIME KEEPERS OF 2014

CAR GIRLS

WHEELS

THE CAR GIRLS OF 2014

Project Fairlane

OUR FAVORITE WATCHES OF 2014

The best shots from our 2014 photo shoots

with car girls from across the USA.

Our SEMA project Ford Fairlane takes it first

drive and turns heads in So California.

These manly automotive and military inspired watches made our 2014, and we pick our top three

favorites from MAX, Tsovet, and Autodromo.

Looking back on 2014 we have had a

lot of amazing adventures, from driving

around the USA, to visiting old and ma-

king new friends in Indonesia, to touring

the Nissan Heritage Museum in Tokyo.

There has been so much more we have

done, and we love sharing those adven-

tures with you on TheGentlemanRacer.

com.

2015 is going to be full of new epic ad-

ventures, racing in Mexico in the Rally

Historico Transpinsular, new project cars,

and exciting new partnerships with some

of the most iconic brands in the automo-

tive world. We are also working on our

first film and look forward to sharing it

with you.

Mike Satterfield

The Gentleman Racer

17

18

42

SIMPLICITY6

Michael Satterfield

Günter Biener

Classic Days at Schloss Dyck is billed as

the German equivalent of the Goodwood

Festival of Speed. Featuring all of the

same elements, a concours show, a hill

climb, and of course dressing in period

correct clothing. As you would expect

there are a lot of German cars at the show,

but a strong sampling of the best cars in

Europe were on hand for the concours

and to tackle the hill climb.

The “American Way of Drive” as it was

translated is essentially a celebration of

the American culture of cruising. Ame-

rican fare included a classic Coca Cola

truck, an Airstream trailer, hamburgers

and fries served by waitresses on rollers-

kates while tunes played on the jukebox.

We can see that stuff here in the states

any time, the Classic Days is a celebration

of all things automotive. Thankfully pho-

tographer Günter Biener and Suixtil have

provided us with these great photos from

the event.

www.schloss-dyck-classic-days.de

Classic Days

SIMPLICITY 7

SIMPLICITY8

SIMPLICITY 9

SIMPLICITY10

FORD GT40A car born out of Rivalry with Ferrari that went on to become legend.

In the spring of 1963, Henry Ford II re-

ceived word that Enzo Ferrari was inte-

rested in selling the family business to

Ford Motor Company. Ford was excited

to have an opportunity to buy the legen-

dary brand and reportedly spent several

million dollars in an audit of Ferrari assets

and on lawyers who

were working on the

negotiations. At the

eleventh hour, as the

story goes, Ferrari pu-

lled out of the deal. It

is said it was over the

motorsports wing of

Ferrari, which Ferrari

wanted to retain operational control of,

Ford was busy racing at Indy and if the

deal went through Ferrari cars would

not be allowed to race at the Indianapo-

lis 500. Enzo shut the deal down costing

Ford millions. Out of that mutual spirit

of animosity Henry Ford II ordered his

racing division to build a car that could

beat Ferrari. Lead by Harley Copp, the

team of Broadley, Lunn and Wyer began

working on a new car at the Lola Factory

in Bromley, England. By the end of 1963

Ford had established

Ford Advanced Vehi-

cles Ltd, a new subsi-

diary under the direc-

tion of Wyer.

At the same time,

another American Ca-

rroll Shelby, was wor-

king on refining his year old Shelby Cobra

in his own bid to take down Ferrari in the

FIA World Championship. In 1965, his Co-

bra Daytona Coupe would do just that.

Michael Satterfield

Michael Satterfield

“Alright, We’ll beat his ass.

We’re going to race him.”

Henry Ford II

SIMPLICITY 11

The Ford GT40 was first raced at the

Nürburgring 1000 km race where it reti-

red with suspension failure after holding

second place early in the event.

Three weeks later at the 24 Hours of Le

Mans, all three entries retired with me-

chanical issues. Ford was seeing the

success Carroll Shelby was having with

his Cobras and knew he had his eyes al-

ready on a Le Mans bid so after a season

plagued with issues under John Wyer,

Shelby took over after the 1964 Nassau

race. The cars were shipped directly from

the Bahamas to Shelby in Los Angeles.

Shelby was quick to add a victory to the

GT40’s resume on their first race out with

Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby taking victory

at the Daytona 2000 km in 1965. The rest

of 1965 was not as successful, but the

lessons learned in 64-65 allowed the MK-

II version of the GT40 to dominate the

1966 24 hours of Le Mans with a legen-

dary 1-2-3- victory.

GT40 TRIVA

A 1968 Ford GT40 used as a primary

camera car in the Steve McQueen racing

epic “Le Mans”, the car was modified for

filming by having the entire roof removed

so cameras could be mounted. The car

was restored sold for $11 million at

auction in 2012.

SIMPLICITY12

SIMPLICITY 13

GT40

SIMPLICITY14

SIMPLICITY 15

SIMPLICITY16

SIMPLICITY 17

Priced at just $425 the Autodromo

Veloce is our top pick for 2014.

Featuring vintage tachometer

inspired styling cues and

high quality look and feel the

Autodromo Veloce offers a lot of

style for its price point. Available

in Black or Stainless Steel, both

come with a black perforated

leather strap that reminds you of

the steering wheel in your favorite

sports car.

$425

www.autodromo.com

The TSOVET FW-44 was inspired

by the WWI infantryman’s field

watch; the rugged construction

and size are ready for business,

but still offer elegant and timeless

styling. The brown leather strap

gives it an organic element to an

otherwise industrial timepiece.

Priced at $350 the FW-44 is the

perfect watch for everyday use

and yet is stylish enough for night

maneuvers.

$350

www.tsovet.com

From the polished copper plated

case to the tobacco colored

leather strap the MAX Gentleman

is a pleasant surprise. The only

Chronograph of the three watches

we have chosen, it offers a lot of

content for the price and feels nice

on the wrist for a 47mm watch.

$550

www.maxwatchesusa.com

Autodromo VeloceTSOVET FW-44

MAX Gentleman

2014 Top Watches

SIMPLICITY18

CAR GIRLS OF 2014

MODEL: BOSSA NINA CALIFORNIA

FEBRUARY 2014

MODEL: TYLER PAIGETEXAS

DECEMBER 2014

MODEL: SAMANTHA R. CALIFORNIA

AUGUST 2014

SIMPLICITY 19

SIMPLICITY20

ADLER SPECIALBuilt in a Southern California Garage in the early 1950’s the Adler Special took on the biggest names in racing… and won.

Michael Satterfield

Michael Satterfield

THE

SIMPLICITY 21

El Mirage is one of those magical places,

just a over an hour north of Los Angeles

in the high desert; it’s a raw dirty lands-

cape, which for the most part is devoid of

life. However, six times a year it becomes

a Mecca of Speed as Land Speed Racers

from around the Southwest come to test

their cars and set new records. Not just

a precursor to the Land Speed Races at

Bonneville, El Mirage has its own rich his-

tory of racing, with speeds over 300 MPH

being reached multiple times. Since 1937

the Southern California Timing Associa-

tion has been organizing land speed trials

on the lonely lakebed. For those six days

a year, the silence of the desert is broken.

I head up and chronicle the events to

photograph the cars, teams, and racers,

many of them that look just like they

would have back in the 30’s and 40’s, if

it were not for the modern day RV’s and

safety equipment you could believe you

stepped back into another time. In the

same day you will see an ultra sleek mo-

dern land speed record car and a 1932

Ford racing in their respective classes,

chasing speed records.

It was on one of those trips that this uni-

que car captured my attention, a strange

Mercury powered Boattail roadster that

was parked near the staging lanes. Unlike

some of the hotrods out at the lake the

THE MANNING MERCURY

Charles “Chuck” Manning was born in Utah

but came to California to work in the growing

aerospace industry. He began building his

own race cars in the early 50’s using mostly

Ford and Mercury parts. This car, now known

as the Adler Special, was originally called the

Manning Special or the Manning Mercury. In

California SCCA Racing this humble sports car

racked up many podium finishes over the likes

of Ferrari, Maserati, and Allard.

After campaigning the car from 1951-1953

he sold the car to Southern California Racer

Jacques Bellesiles who raced it until 1956

before switching over to a Ferrari 750 Monza

for the 1957 season. Today the car is as close

to the state it was in when raced by Jacques

Bellesiles.

SIMPLICITY22

patina on this car was real , as was the

garage built masterwork that made it so

interesting. The body was hand formed

and riveted together, the cockpit was

all business and even included a vinta-

ge tool bag, and stickers from races 50+

years ago decorated the

interior panels. I chec-

ked back often to try and

meet the driver of this car,

but could not, so I shot a

series of photographs of

the car and hoped to find

out more later on.

Thankfully the Southern California Hot

Rod Community is a small one and after

a few days of hunting around online and

making a few calls I found someone who

knew the owner. The story of the Adler

Special unfolded in an email exchange

over the course of a few days. It was an

interesting tale of a time when a guy in

his garage could build a car and go out

to the track and race against the factory.

“You could find ads for Manning Chassis published in Road & Track back in the

1950’s. ”

The car now known as the Adler Special

was purchase by Doug Adler from a Mr.

Jaques Bellesiles who campaigned the

car back in the early fifties. Mr. Bellesiles

car started life as the Manning Mercury.

Built on a Manning 3” tube chassis the

car was raced by Chuck Manning himself

from 1951-1953 in the SCCA. Chuck was

well known for his chassis in Southern

California road racing circles and even

produced and sold plans for his chassis

via mail order. You could find ads for Man-

ning Chassis published

in Road & Track back

in the 1950’s. Manning

Chassis were so good

because Chuck worked

for Douglas Aircraft as a

stress analyst and knew

how to design a low

weight, yet surprisingly stiff chassis. The

tubes were fitted with 1936 Ford suspen-

sion components and the body was for-

med by hand from fiberglass and alumi-

num using wooden forms and lots of trial

and error. Power came from a Mercury

Flathead V8 topped with dual Stromberg

carburetors and a manual gear box. The

car was ready to race and race it did.

ALL BUSINESS

The Manning Mercury was purpose built

to race, so it does not have the comforts

of even a 1950’s car, not even a key. The

car has been retrofitted with a hidden

key system for security today, but when

Chuck was building it in 1951 he kept it

all business. The shifter shows just how

far back the driver sits in the chassis, for

better weight distribution.

SIMPLICITY 23

With Manning at the wheel the car took

home five podium finishes in 1952 alo-

ne. Mr. Bellesiles acquired the car in 1953

and hit 128 MPH at Bonneville and was a

regular at tracks like Laguna Seca, Torrey

Pines, and even took First Place at Willow

Springs in 1956. The cars current owner

Doug Adler discovered it in 2006 throu-

gh a mutual friend of Mr. Bellesiles who

still owned the car after all these years.

The car had been taken apart and sto-

red in the rafters of his garage since the

1970s. After lots of asking and promising

that he would keep the car original Doug

was able to purchase the car. Upon get-

ting it down from the rafters Mr. Bellesiles

had two more requests; first that he get

to help put the car back together, and

second, that he could drive it once it was

done.

After reassembly, the car was back on the

road and 80+ years old Mr. Bellesiles was

able to take his home built hot rod for a

drive once again. ”I was thrilled to have

his input as I put the car back together,

you can’t ask for a better expert than the

guy that built it” said Doug referring to

working with Mr. Bellesiles. Doug has big

plans for the car including several vinta-

ge rallies and races, although he won’t be

doing any serious racing in it, since that

would require modifying the original car

with modern safety devices. As much as

we would like to see it on the track, kee-

ping this Hot Rod Culture survivor all ori-

ginal seems like the right thing to do.

BOATTAIL

The boattail bodywork was added at a

later date, perhaps to aid in the top speed,

or to cover a larger fuel tank once the car

became a street driver. The car does still

see regular use and is spotted at events

around Southern California.

SIMPLICITY24

SHOP VISITRWBIndonesiaWHILE SPENDING THE SUMMER ROAD TRIPPING ACROSS INDONESIA, WE STOPPED IN TO VISIT

MICHAEL LESMANA ONE OF LARGEST RWB PORSCHE COLLECTORS IN THE WORLD.

Michael Satterfield Michael Satterfield www.RWB.jp

SIMPLICITY 25

On a recent trip to Indonesia I had the

honor of meeting Michael Lesmana,

the man behind RWB Indonesia and

Terror Garage. When I contacted Mi-

chael about a shop tour I did not ex-

pect an invite to see his entire private

collection. It was a real treat.

Michael has been collecting for

about 14 years and has the largest

collection of Volkswagens in Indo-

nesia, and his collection of Porsches,

almost all RWB equipped, is incredi-

ble. Terror Garage shop where all of

the cars are built is just a short drive

from his home, which has been de-

signed to be more of a showcase for

his amazing collection, than just a

place to live.

Located in Bandung, Terror Gara-

ge specializes in building Michael’s

vision of what German cars should

be, as well as preserving some rare

original models in his collection.

Everywhere you look there was so-

mething cool, from a classic Lambre-

tta Scooter or old AJS motorcycle, to

parts from current and past builds.

Some hung as art on the wall.

Finding this many classic cars in one

place is rare in a country like Indo-

nesia, where rust is the number one

killer of vintage cars. Unlike many

countries such as Australia or the UK

who regularly import classics from

other parts of the world, Indonesia

has strict laws that restrict the impor-

ting of used cars. This has lead some

collectors to resort to buying classic

cars overseas and cutting them up so

they can be imported as “parts.” Upon

clearing Customs they weld them

back together again. So finding res-

torable projects in Indonesia is quite

a task.

RAUH-Welt BEGRIFF better known as

RWB is a tuner out of Japan that has

become famous the world over for

their unique ultra flamboyant Pors-

che 911s. Owner and designer Nakai-

San is flown to locations all over the

world to perform official RWB Pors-

che conversions. He works with se-

lect collectors around the world like

Michael where they don’t just buy a

styling kit, they become a part of the

RWB Family. Each RWB Porsche is a

one off creation that Nakai-San per-

sonally creates and custom tailors to

each customers specifications.

SIMPLICITY26

SIMPLICITY 27

SIMPLICITY28

Dream Garage

Michael keeps his finished cars in a home just up the road from the Terror Garage

workshop where his cars are restored and prepped. The home was designed to

showcase his collection of cars, motorcycles, and automotbilia.

Michael LesmanaStanding in the Terror Gaage workshop were two more 911’s are undergoing

pre-RWB Conversion work. Vintage performance cars like the 911 are hard to find

in Indonesia and many require extensive metal work before they can be handed

over to Nakai-San to become a new RWB Porsche.

In the BasementBelow the lawn (pictured above) is the lower garage where Michael’s collection of

Volkswagens includes models considered rare in Germany. Each car is restored to

perfect condition or customized to a level that makes them truely unique.

Visiting Indonesia

Indonesia is an amazing tourist destination, having traveled across the Islands for

several years. Bali is one of the most popular islands to visit. But, Java should not

be overlooked. The capital city of Jakarta is quickly becoming a cultural hub in

Southeast Asia for automotive culture, fashion, design, and food.

For more information on ou travels to Indonesia visit

www.thegentlemanracer.com/search/label/Indonesia

SIMPLICITY 29

SIMPLICITY30

The American Road Trip is often romanticized, and for good reason, there

is so much amazing scenery, roadside attractions, and characters to meet

out on America’s highways. This year I visited eight states traveling thou-

sands of miles. These are some of my favorite moments on the road.

ROADTRIP

AMERICA

SIMPLICITY 31

COLORADO

Wolf Creek Pass U.S. Highway 160

winding through the San Juan

Mountains between South Fork,

Colorado and Pagosa Springs. Not far

beyond you enter into the drastically

different landscape of Monument Valley

in the four corners.

SIMPLICITY32

The road trip holds a special place in the

American consciousness; everyone has a

story of triumph, heartbreak, interesting

strangers they’ve met, and even stranger

locals. It’s roads like Route 66 that encap-

sulates the spirit of the American West; it

represents a new beginning, hope, and

freedom. Back when connecting major

cities was done by two lanes of black-

top, small towns flourished across the

USA. Along roads like Route 66, the Lin-

coln Highway, and Pacific Coast Highway

entrepreneurs seeking to entice drivers

created roadside oddities to encourage

people to stop. Before the drive thru, we

had Valentine Diners where roadtrippers

of old would stop and have a break from

driving . Since the 1920’s the American

Highway has been the embodiment of

freedom. It’s that longing for discovery

(and sometimes a business trip) that

prompts me to pack up the car and head

down the highway seeking to experience

a bit of that freedom for myself.

My travels take me to cities like Denver,

San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Santa Fe,

and countless others each year. Driving

is my preferred mode of transportation,

it allows me to explore, take a different

route, and disconnect a little bit from the

noise and rush that is Southern California.

As I make my way east towards Denver

MICHAEL SATTERFIELD

MICHAEL SATTERFIELD

SIMPLICITY 33

“I order a Desi Arnaz and read about the stars of

the silver screen that once graced the hotel back

during the golden era of western films”

once again, I follow along old Route 66,

before having to get back on the Intersta-

te, this time it’s the I-15, then in Barstow,

still following Route 66, the I-40 takes

over. Once you get close to the Arizona

border the cities stop for a bit and towns

that are little more than truck stops are

all you see. Most of the drive is like this,

small towns, now bypassed by the inters-

tate highway. Each has their local claim to

fame, mostly kitschy roadside attractions

they hope you’ll stop to see. In Holbrook,

Arizona it’s the Wigwam Motel; in Gallup,

New Mexico it’s the El Rancho Inn. With

every turn you discover another historic

marker, some official, others commercial,

but it is this Americana that really makes

the trip worthwhile.

When driving Route 66 I think about that

spirit of adventure this road gave to so

many people over the years, the hope

they felt as they were traveling west

to start a new life, like my Grand Father

did when he left Springer, New Mexico.

But as you drive through so many dying

towns, you can’t help but think about the

dreams that were crushed as the world

sped up. Not that progress is a bad thing,

but taking a trip like this does make you

reflect on the virtues of slowing down, ta-

king the long way home, shopping from

mom & pop stores, and eating at family

owned restaurants.

Pushing into New Mexico. I like to stop at

the El Rancho, I order a Desi Arnaz at the

café and read about the stars of the silver

screen that once graced the hotel back

during the golden era of western films.

SIMPLICITY34

Back in the car and past forgotten trading

posts that now have massive casinos na-

med after them. In Albuquerque I head

north up the I-25 and towards Santa Fe,

one of my favorite cities in the world. But

this trip I won’t be stopping since I will be

back in a month to attend Santa Fe Fas-

hion Week. I’m coming up on Springer,

New Mexico the town my Grandfather

and Grandmother left when they moved

to Santa Monica, California in the 1950’s.

What a change that must have been. I fi-

gure I might well stop and see where my

Grandpa grew up, but most of the town

is shut down. The sign says population

1,047 but that has to be generous. The

only restaurant in town has a sign in the

window that says “Closed Til Spring” so it

looks like Trinidad Colorado is where I will

get a hotel for the night and something

to eat.

I picked up some tourist information from

the Holiday Inn counter and head over

to the local diner for some dinner. The

CONEY ISLAND BOARDWALK HOTDOG STAND

Some roadside attractions are still open for business, like the Coney Island Boardwalk

Hotdog Stand. You can get an Elk or Buffalo Hotdog and a really good shake. During

the busy season the wait can be over two hours long to get your hotdog fix from this

Colorado icon.

SIMPLICITY 35

brochure is filled with fun facts like, Tri-

nidad is home to the most Victorian buil-

dings west of the Mississippi and was for

many years the Sex Change Capital of the

world… I give my waitress another look,

thinking to myself… “this could explain a

few things”.

I-25 is a long mostly straight road in to

Denver where I have a fashion tradeshow

to attend, the weather is terrible but I am

looking forward to the drive home as I

am going to head back a different route

through Wolf Creek Pass and down to the

four corners.

Denver is not one of my favorite cities so

SIMPLICITY36

as soon as I am packed up from the show

I hit the road headed south west. This

section of Colorado is amazing, mostly

large ranches with small towns that are

full of farmers, ranchers, and real out-

doorsmen. As I make my way into the

mountains I see a large Hotdog Shaped

building… I have to stop. The Coney Is-

land Boardwalk Hotdog Stand is in the

small mountain town of Bailey, Colorado

is one of those roadside attractions that

in most parts of the country are shutte-

red or just reminders of a bygone time.

But this diner shaped like a giant hot dog

is still serving up food. I talk to the lady

behind the counter and order a chocola-

te shake. She gives me the background

on the local tourist attraction she works

in. I look at the menu board to see they

offer several exotic hotdogs that include

Elk Jalapeno Cheddar, Smoked Buffalo,

and “the Colorado Native” which is made

of undisclosed local game; my guess is

there is a squirrel or two in the mix.

Back on the road and headed down

into the four corners, I soon find myself

on what are called Indian Service Roads

in the Navajo Nation. The Navajo settle-

ments are spread out, no major highway

goes through this

region, an entire

section of Ameri-

ca that has been

largely bypas-

sed. I stop at the

Four-Corners Monument and take the

obligatory photo standing in four states

at the same time. This is what road trips

“I look at the menu board to see they offer several exotic hotdogs that include Elk Jalapeno Cheddar,

Smoked Buffalo, and “the Colorado Native” which is made of undisclosed local game”

are about; I sit for a bit and chat with a

couple from Germany that is on their ho-

neymoon. They are having an amazing

time, so excited to be in America and to

to see something new, meet new people,

and hear the same old stories told a diffe-

rent way. From here on out it is familiar

territory for me back on Route 66 hea-

ded towards California. Stopping along

the way taking

pictures of the de-

cay of manmade

monuments and

the breathtaking

beauty of creation

that is everywhere if you are willing to

get off the highway and take the back

roads.

have purchased a old Cadillac that they

will ship back to Germany when they

reach New York in a few weeks.

This is why I like to drive, the opportunity

WIGWAM MOTEL , HOLBROOK, AZ ROUTE 66

Several Wigwam Motels were built around the US. Two along Route 66

still stand to this day. One in Rialto, California and the other (pictured

above) in Holbrook Arizona. They have been popular with photographers

and even inspired the Cone Motel in Disney’s Cars film.

SIMPLICITY 37

OUT ON THE INDIAN

SERVICE ROADS

I snapped this picture of a

vintage camper being towed

down a lonely road in the

Navajo Nation.

SIMPLICITY38

SIMPLICITY 39

Giving Back

NICARAGUAWhen I first went to Nicaragua in 1999 I was just 17 years old, always looking for a new adventure I signed up for a short term mission to work in Managua not really knowing what to expect. It was a lot rougher back then, the country had just had its first election that resulted in the ruling communist party being voted out of the presi-dency and no one really knew what that meant.

The country was devastated by an earthquake in 1972 andthe response to that disaster led to the revolution in 1979.11 years of civil war meant that the infrastructure of the country was com-pletely devastated. Reconstruction started in the mid 90’s so I arrived after some improvements had already been made, and since that first trip it has improved a hundredfold.

Over the years the team I worked with built mostly schools, but in the last few years as the need for schools has been mostly met, we be-gan focusing on new projects revolving around agriculture and water. Working with the Harvest Initiative our team and others that go throughout the year have been drilling wells, building wa-ter towers, and windmills. These may seem like primitive projects but in rural Nicaragua they are having a huge impact.

Our team is led by a man named Kent; he is a heavy mechanic by trade and loves to use his skills as a welder and mechanic to solve pro-blems on the ground. Chris another member of

our group who has been going for years owns a successful topiary business making topiary frames for clients around the world. Bob is a retired auto mechanic who owned a local shop and went back to work as a maintenance man at his church. Brian a real-estate entrepreneur loves to work on electrical projects and generally gets hassled by Customs for bringing in so many supplies. We have several others who have come and gone over the years, most come for just one or two trips. Myself, I fill different roles; mecha-nic some years keeping the truck running can be a full time job, other years welding, or some-times just designing solutions to problems with limited resources.

In 2014 our team arrived with one goal, to test a new well drilling/cleaning system that drama-tically cuts the cost of drilling new wells. The sys-tem was developed by a man in Texas and only costs about $200 to make. It runs on air pressure and allowed us to drill about 10 feet a day, after the well is drilled we use the same air pressure to clean out the bad water, and we can even use it to pump water out of the wells. The other great part about it is that the drilling equipment can be ca-rried to remote areas in standard cars and trucks.

If you would like more information or to support aid work in Nicaragua please visit www.cosechanic.com

Michael Satterfield

SIMPLICITY40

SIMPLICITY 41

SIMPLICITY42

Gulf Dreams Gulf Dreams

SIMPLICITY 43

SIMPLICITY44

It all started when a guy came to the barn

to see if “the guy that builds old cars” was

still around. He was moving and needed

to clean out a project car that had spent

that last 20 years sitting behind his house

in Chino, California. That car was a 1967

Ford Fairlane Fastback. I was immediate-

ly interested in the project although not

really knowing what it would become so

I decided to purchase the car for $500

and hauled it back to the farm in Ontario

with the help of my father.

Looking at the baby blue Fairlane and

having recently partnered with Gulf Oil

a concept came to mind. What would a

car look like if Holman Moody wanted

to go racing in European Touring Car in

the 1960s. So with that concept as a road

map I did a few renderings and put toge-

ther a plan to build the car for the 2013

SEMA show which was just 6 months

away.

We started making calls, sending e-mai-

ls and in a few weeks had gathered our

team together that was going to make

the car happen. The car was stripped and

shipped off to Houston where Bare Bo-

nes Customs would take the body and

make it look like the rendering. While it

was away getting

painted we started

sourcing the rest of

the many needed

parts. Blending the

NASCAR and Tou-

ring Car worlds required balancing the

European and American styling touches.

We turned to Scott Drake to get the co-

rrect Le Mans style Gas Cap, Cobra Stee-

ring Wheel, Le Mans Valve Covers, and

Bullet Mirrors all borrowed from Shelby

Cobras and Mustangs.

We had decided to go big with a 427ci Big

Block backed up with a Tremec TKO600

and Hurst Shifter from Hurst Driveline So-

lutions. Edelbrock Intake and Carburetor

top off the motor that was shoehorned

into an engine compartment that was

once home to a 200ci inline 6. A Quick-

Systems aluminum radiator that bolted right

in. Perma Cool’s oil cooler and remote filter sys-

tem. Doug Thorley long tube ceramic coated

headers snake over, under and through the

engine bay and chas-

sis to dump into a

complete Flowmaster

2.5” stainless steel ex-

haust for an amazing

427 roar.

Connecting the power to the ground are Good-

year Eagles on Cragar Eliminator 500s, color

Time scattershield and McLeod hydraulic

clutch kit connect all the power. Keeping

the big block cool during Southern Cali-

fornia Summers is a Champion Cooling

SIMPLICITY 45

matched In Gulf Racing Orange. The stance and ride quality nee-

ded help since the car was originally a 6 cylinder so we contacted

Eaton Detroit Spring to build a new set of heavy duty lowering

coil spings for the front and leaf springs for the rear. Stopping is

handled by Stainless Steel Disc Brakes on all four corners with a

Master Power brake booster and dual master cylinder replacing

the factory non-power drums.

Outside we used a period correct racing hood and light weight

fiberglass bumpers from Crites Performance that gave the car a

more aggressive look. The massive hood scoop is functional and

feeds the 427’s Cobra air cleaner. The Le Mans Gas Cap mounted

up on the rear quarter panel not only looks cool, but makes re-

fueling the car much easier as the original was behind the license

plate.

The interior had originally a standard bench seat but we teamed

up with TMI Products to install their latest Pro-Series Sports X

Seats in the front and upholstered the rear seat and door panels

to match. The factory idiot light instrument cluster was replaced

with a full set of VGX Gauges from Dakota Digital. To quiet down

the cabin we installed Quiet Ride Solutions sound deadener in

the passenger compartment and trunk. Great audio is even hid-

den with Custom Autosound’s secret audio system.

After weeks of work, many nights not sleeping, and busted knuc-

kles we got the car to the SEMA show and all of our hard worded

paid off. The car was featured in the Car Crazy TV Showcase and

on Car Crazy TV. Mustangs and Fast Fords Magazine named it one

of the top five best classic Fords at SEMA, HotRod Magazine used

a photo of the car as their lead story online covering the SEMA

show, and Popular Hot Rodding named it in the top 30 cars of the

SEMA show. Everywhere we take the car it draws a crowd and

makes people smile.

For more on the car visit TheGentlemanRacer.com

Special thanks to RnG Customs, Classics, & Fabrication

Hesperia, California.

SIMPLICITY46

JAPANDESKTHIS SUMMER WE HAD THE CHANCE TO VISIT

THE NISSAN HERITAGE COLLECTION... ALL WE

CAN SAY... WE WILL BE BACK FOR MORE.

This summer the team at The Gentleman Racer had a lot of ad-

ventures. From hanging out with RWB Indonesia, Road Tripping

across the American Southwest and working on more exciting

cars for SEMA, its been a great summer. But one story we have

not shared yet is our visit to the Nissan Heritage Collection on

the grounds of Nissan’s Oppama Motor Plant. The museum is

not open to the general public, but our man in Japan was able

to get an appointment.

Roman is a diehard Nissan fan so he was in heaven on this visit,

he is also the owner of our 1973 Project Z. Here is just a taste of

the Nissan goodness that is inside the collection.

We are currently adding even more to TheGentlemanRacer.com,

so stop by and see the latest.

Roman Vanecek

SIMPLICITY 47

“HERE YOU CAN WRITTE AN SPECIFIC LOREM IPSUM FRASE OR ANYTHING YOU IPSUM

SIMPLICITY48