Tagged With "Tampa"
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 1) Museum Overview and its Czech collection
That Tatra T87 is amazing! What a beautiful car!!!!!
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 1) Museum Overview and its Czech collection
Thanks for a look at some cars we never see, even in museums. That Tatra 26-30 is a very odd duck indeed. In the slideshow, you can see it has 3 axles (double in the rear) so it must have been intended for some serious load--and up front, an engine compartment with no grill (and what looks like a hole for an engine crank!) Seriously...you kinda see why there were only 181 made... Looking forward to the rest!
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 1) Museum Overview and its Czech collection
Thank you Drfumblefinger! I had no clue about this museum and his unique collection. I am especially fond of cars I don't see everywhere, and some of those Czech models, I didn't even existed I've been to car museums in Sarasota and the Tallahassee area, so Florida does have its share of good car museums
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 1) Museum Overview and its Czech collection
The most popular car in the world is believed to be Czech. The plans for the VW Beetle (similar to the T97 above) were found by the invading forces and were presented to Adolf who then laid claim to it being a German design. Czech cars in Europe are very popular and reliable. Skoda Superb
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 1) Museum Overview and its Czech collection
Thanks for the comments, guys. I really was not aware of what beautiful and innovative designs the Czechs had. I can believe that they are reliable. And I can believe that Adolf Hitler was capable of doing almost anything. Stealing the plans for a car seems almost a footnote in his twisted mind.
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 1) Museum Overview and its Czech collection
Actually, there are a number of different stories of how Ferdnand Porsche, under Hitler's direction, designed the Beetle. Another fascinating possibility surfaced last year in the Daily Mail (UK), showing similarities to a project by a German Jewish engineer, Josef Ganz, which Hitler saw at an auto show in 1933. Another aspect: the sort of streamlined design represented in all of these cars was not a unique design at the time; aerodynamic research was starting to have an effect on car design...
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 1) Museum Overview and its Czech collection
This is a pretty informative article about Jay Leno's Tatra. Thanks Dr Fumblefinger for introducing the car to me . http://www.popularmechanics.co...cruiser-of-the-1930s
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 1) Museum Overview and its Czech collection
Thanks for that interesting article Rob. I didn't know that Tatra finally sued Porsche successfully over the T97. I like a story to finish with Justice.
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 2) the German cars
Looking at that last car in such poor condition made me think of the Rusted Dreams cars I posted about...I thought they must be goners, but if this one is restorable, many of those might be or have been! See some rustoration cars HERE : A Field of (Rusted) Dreams
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 2) the German cars
I was quite amazed at what you can do to restore a vehicle if you have the time, money and the inclination. A great thing about the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum is that it sits beside a machinest shop. We met a machinist while there who was custom making parts for one of the cars in the collection. The benefit of having your own factory to help you rebuild your car collection!!
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 3) cars from the USA and UK
Great pics of great cars. I will put the Tampa Bay Museum on my list of things to see. Additionally, The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky is awesome, as well. It includes a 50's diner cafe featuring period stuff for lunch. Less than a mile away is the Corvette assembly plant, which offers tours. This is the only place in the whole wide world where Corvettes are assembled. Both are definitely worth a visit. The National Packard Museum is located In Warren, Oh and is small, but...
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 3) cars from the USA and UK
All good information to know, rbciao! I think cars and travel mix quite nicely and nothing better than having a reason to go somewhere. I do recommend the Tampa Bay Automobile collection, but it is mostly focused on cars of the 1930s and 1940s and is not just American, but global in its scope. The last piece in this series will feature the French car collection, likely the museum's best. The owner of the museum and car collection is originally from France.
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 3) cars from the USA and UK
I love these old cars! Would love to drive that Jensen or Jag!
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 3) cars from the USA and UK
We saw this three wheeled vehicle in Paris last summer on our way back from the Eiffel Tower. Can anyone identify this car?
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 3) cars from the USA and UK
Great photo, rbciao! I like the sense of motion it conveys. Do you think it might be related to Car 27 : BSA Three Wheeler from the above post (with several different angles in the slideshow)?
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 3) cars from the USA and UK
I believe it is a Morgan three-wheeler with a V-twin engine. Originally manufactured from 1911 to 1939, they have been re-introduced and are again available new.
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 3) cars from the USA and UK
The Morgan's are being manufactured again in England as WorkerBee mentioned. According to the website they are being sold here through an agent in San Francisco. The three wheeler is called the Three Wheeled Vehicle.
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 3) cars from the USA and UK
The original 3 wheeled vehicles were Motorbikes with a side-car. So you could drive 3 wheels on a motorbike license. In the 50's and 60's most young people were Bikers ! But to move up to a car required another Driving Test. So we had BSA - RELIANT - BOND - BMW - ISSETA - MESSERSCMIDT all producing 3 wheeled vehicles to meet the needs of those not wanting to undertake the training and testing for a full license. I'd taken my car test in 1968 and they were very strict. It was common to fail...
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 3) cars from the USA and UK
The National Corvette Museum and the nearby GM assembly plant are located in Bowling Green, Ky. and both venues are really worth a visit. The museum is just off of I-65 at exit 28, so it is easy to find. Plus, there are signs on the interstate in both directions making it well marked. We saw the signs when we were southbound on our way to Louisiana and decided to stop on our way home. We figured an hour in each location and we spent over two hours in each. We could have spent many, many...
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 4) the French cars
For me, these are the most interesting of the museum's cars that you have posted. The operation of French cars is sometimes quirky. It often seems that the designers are guided by their version of logic and are not trying to conform to the uniformity of standards accepted by other designers and manufacturers. To my eye, the beauty of the designs was ahead of their times.
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 4) the French cars
Thank you for the comment, WorkerBee. I agree that these were the most interesting cars, with such varied designs and mechanical specifications. And they were beautiful machines. The surprise for me in the museum were their Czech cars, of which I knew little. Very beautiful and with remarkable engineering. Would love to give one of them a drive! A car sophisticate like yourself would enjoy this unusual collection. It's worth going a little out of your way to see next time you make it to Florida.
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 4) the French cars
Truly this is a great car museum; I like this wonderful French car collection. I am looking to buy the 1952 DeLaHaye 235 car, but I am bit worried whether we will get their performance parts on the market or not. Though I have explored the salvage yard of sites like sturtevantauto.com , buyusedengine.com etc. but couldn’t find the specific model here. Can you please guide me on this?
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 4) the French cars
Hello DanielEllsworth, My best bit of advice is to contact the museum staff directly, as they own and have refurbished all of these wonderful cars. They could give you much better information about restoration engine maintenance that I could. This is the link to their contact page on the website. I have found them to be very enthusiastic and helpful because of their love of and passion for the cars they own. Good luck with that 52! A beautiful machine!
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The Sunshine Skyway Bridge – The Creepy and the Miraculous
If you follow Interstate 275 south through the city of St. Petersburg, Florida until you run out of land, you’ll be greeted by a gentle slope of road that seemingly rises from the waters of the Tampa Bay. This...
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Cruise lines drop Houston as a cruise port
The two cruise lines that have been sailing from Houston's cruise port have cancelled plans to use the port after the middle of next year. The port has been open since 2013, after a $100 million renovation. Local officials had hoped that it would be...
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Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 2) the German cars
This is the second in a 4 part series highlighting my visit to the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum. You can read part 1, which discusses the history of the Museum and its great Czech car collection by clicking here. Today's post features the...
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Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 3) cars from the USA and UK
This is the third in a four part series highlighting my visit to the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum. You can read about and see lots of great car photos by visiting the prior posts; part 1 (Czech) by clicking here, and part 2 (German)...
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Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 1) Museum Overview and its Czech collection
One of the great pleasures of traveling is discovering those special places -- gems that aren't necessarily very famous or perhaps are off the beaten path, but still so very worthwhile visiting. So it was with the Tampa Bay Automobile...
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Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 4) the French cars
This is the last in a four part series highlighting my visit to the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum. I really enjoyed this small, off the beaten path car museum and it has a wonderful car collection which I've partially discussed already....
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Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida
Travel Rob visits Busch Gardens, Tampa, in early December and has suggestions for you!
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Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge , Florida
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge spans Tampa bay, connects St. Petersburg to Sarasota. Samantha and her husband enjoyed driving over it while in the area.
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Re: Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge , Florida
Thanks Samantha. Some great shots with great memories. On my Tours of the US. I've spotted so many "Kodak Moments" that I should have a million more memories. I do wish the US had more stops for photo opportunities and Picnic Spots like the UK and in Europe. And all those covered bridges too. I have enough pictures in my mind to write a book. Just wish I could draw from memory.