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An Austin Atlantic fit for a Queen

After I had my tea and crumpets this morning (I joke), I stumbled upon this gem: a 1949 Austin Atlantic with Vanden Plas trim. This car was created by the designers at Austin to largely appeal to the North American market, and had stylings similar to the Pontiac or Mercury designs at the time. The reason this was aimed at our market, was because of the British Government decree to “export or die,” in efforts to beef up their economy following WWII. Enough history, what the heck does Vanden Plas mean? Vanden Plas was a company responsible for creating luxury bodies for high-end automobile brands, and its brand quickly became associated with producing top-end luxury vehicles.

This particular model is a hard top 2 door coupe, complete with power windows (this was a HUGE deal in 1949). The car is a 3 speed manual (with overdrive) with a top speed of 91 mph, and able to go from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 16.6 seconds. A pretty cool little toy more than half a century old!

1949 Austin Atlantic with Vanden Plas Trim

Today’s car inspired the following ‘Brit picks’ from our sites across Canada. Pictured above, left to right:  five gallon can from British America Oil Company ltd. via UsedOttawa, 1977 Commemoration Jug for Elizabeth II via UsedVictoria, rare photo of the Queen with only daughter Anne via UsedRegina, Wedgewood Wyndham Bone China 22 piece tea set via UsedPei

Cheap Chevron Wall Art

So I moved into this room back in September… I know, it’s embarrassing how bare it is. The sad thing is I have about 10 posters that I could put up, but all of them are from my university days, and a little part of me wants to believe that I am now more mature than that (ha!). Enter my cheap trendy wall art attempt, which was originally from Jess at Makeundermylife. In magazines, this type of wall art is usually placed on white walls, but I’m using some of my own personal preference for neon colors, that will hopefully jazz up my ‘butterscotch pudding walls’.

my bare walls

And begin. Materials you will need:

- Easel able to withstand acrylic paint (Choose your size)

- Painters tape, any width you desire

- Scissors

- Design (here is the Chevron design)

- Your color choice of spray paint or regular acrylic paint (make sure to get one not meant for rust or the outdoors)

Step 1: Print out your Chevron stencil, or any stencil of your choice

Step 2:  Use pins and poke holes around the points of the Chevron. *Note use the painters tape that you have, and tape it onto the design first, as different widths make things tricky!

taping & pinning the Chevron design

Step 3: Cut and tear the tape so it fits into the design. Continue all the way down the canvas, be patient, it’s harder than you think!

Step 4: Go out side and spray paint over the taped canvas. Hold the spray paint 20 cm from the canvas, and go in slow even strokes. Otherwise you’ll end up with big paint spots.

all spray painted & ready to dry

Step 5: Take off tape and admire!

Remember the Parisienne?

This week’s car pick is a beautifully restored 1965 Pontiac Parisienne. This car is the brainchild of the Canadian marketing geniuses at Pontiac (GM). For years Pontiac was never a top seller in Canada, due to high fuel costs, and large initial price tags. This time around, Pontiac actually built the Parisienne on a average Chevrolet chassis and drivetrain, with luxurious details, and only for a little bit more than the average Chevrolet. The result was widely successful, and produced 5 generations of the car. Another fun fact, the Parisienne is the Canadian only model, while in the US it was called the Bonneville. Obviously we had the much better name! The result below is a custom ‘candy green’, Parisienne, that has been beautifully restored. Showcasing the original luxury in its upholstery, flashy exterior chrome accent pieces, and its ability to be both a hardtop and a convertible, this gem is a beautiful Canadian classic.

1965 Pontiac Parisienne

This retro convertible reminds us of  simpler times back in the 60s, when one could simply cruise around to the local drive in burger joints and theaters without a care in the world. Sigh. So today, I have found a bunch of retro goods that are sure to jog your memory and bring back some easy-going memories. Relax, man.

from left to right: CocaCola trays via UsedPei, vintage vibrating belt machine via UsedOttawa, 1960s pole lamp via UsedRegina, vintage pop bottles via UsedCalgary, 

Ford Mustang: The Ultimate Muscle Car

Today’s pick can’t get much tougher on city streets (that is, legally, of course.) Muscle cars are on the brain, and  so we’re showcasing a mint 1965 Ford Mustang GT350 Fastback. This legendary car was one of the first in the Ford line-up to spawn the creation of future muscle cars. It was originally named after the P-51 Mustang fighter jet, and allusions of the Mustang horse thus followed suit, and developed into the brand that is the Mustang. Many loved its classic look: the short trunk, 2 doors, long hood, stream-lined body, and most of all its reasonable price of $2589 back in 1965 (without any add-ons). With 225 horsepower and a V8 engine, this car got attention both on city streets and at the totally ‘legal’ starting line of many amateur races.

1965 Ford Mustang GT350 Fastback via UsedVancouver

But it’s not enough to just own a muscle car, you have to make it look like you belong in it as well. Below I have compiled a few “necessary items” for the muscle car owner. A shiny key chain, hopefully emblazoning the Mustang emblem or the Mustang horse (my personal favorite). The ‘bad boy’ leather jacket, revealing to everyone that you are tough as nails, and have great style. And finally a cowboy hat, paying homage to the Duke’s of Hazzard boys and Smokey, from Smokey and the Bandit.

YEEEEHAWW!!

from left to right: shiny keychain via UsedVictoria,”bad boy/girl” leather jacket via UsedOttawa, cowboy hat via UsedCalgary

Drive 80s-style

Ryan Gosling driving in "Drive"

Over the weekend, I was enticed to watch the movie Drive with promises of great action, music, and my favorite hunky actor Ryan Gosling. It more than delivered with exhilarating car chases, plot twists, unexpected gore, and a very cool 80s soundtrack to go along with it. This has inspired my car pick for this week, the 1981 Mazda RX7.

Though this car was more than a half a decade before my time (I know, I’m a baby), it still has a very nostalgic feel to it. Appearing in many 80s cult classics, you were doing pretty well if you had this car. The sleek looking sports car boasts an amazing rev sound complements of a tough as nails rotary motor. It can get to 60mph in 8.5 seconds, and maxes out at 190km/hr, not bad for a fun 80s toy! One disadvantage to this 80s classic, was the 2.3L engine which was very pricey to fill, even in the 80s.

All this 80s talk has ‘fueled’ some of my 80s finds for this week (see below) and don’t be surprised if I’m wearing neon clothes for the next little while… I <3 the 80s.

(from left to right) 1981 Mazda RX-7 via UsedVictoria, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles base via UsedRegina, vintage MJ-inspired jacket via UsedOttawa, Trolls via UsedNanaimo, Wanted: Sun Ice windbreaker via UsedCalgary

I Spy: Mission Impossible 3's BMW i8

BMW i8 Concept

So if any have you have seen the new Mission Impossible 3 movie, you might be able to guess my new, completely un-practical, object of desire… the BMW i8. Besides the drool worthy exterior aesthetic of the i8, it has been developed with some radical changes from your traditional sports car. Get this it’s a hybrid! It gets 94 mpg (miles per gallon), and on a full electrical charge it can travel 35km on electric power alone. Couple this with the fact that seats four and can achieve 0-100km/h in under 5 seconds, I’d say we’re looking at an insane new sports car that’s actually useable in everyday situations (just don’t look at the price tag).

In the spirit of all things spy, I have also managed to find some very cool “spy-related gear” on our sites:

Light-up Spiderman mask via UsedRegina

Paintball gun (don't tell Mom!) via UsedOttawa

iPhone 4~ Extremely important in MI3 via UsedVictoria

With this gear and some Tom Cruise-like moves, who needs a car? (Me. I need this car. Donations accepted)