eBay Find of the Day: 1923 Model T powered by Harley V-Twin

Click above for more images of the 1923 V-Twin powered Model T

Ford's ubiquitous Model T has seen its fair share of modifications over the years. Often powered by an engine other than what was originally designed for the large engine bay, countless variations of the hot rod theme have made Henry Ford's original mass-market vehicle a highly desirable machine to customize. Today, we've stumbled across an entirely new way to power the T, and it's just too cool not to share. Behind the custom spiderweb grille of this 1923 Ford Model T is a 1200cc V-Twin engine taken from the frame rails of a Harley-Davidson Sportster. Considering how little this vehicle is likely to weigh, the air-cooled twin cylinder mill with Screaming Eagle mods is probably plenty powerful to get the vehicle out of its own way. The owner used quite a few HD cues in the overall design and as many original parts from the donor bike as was possible. Note the dual rear shocks suspending the rear axle -- those are from the Sportster, as well as the foot pegs which now see duty as the gas and brake pedals. Nice work.

Officially Official: 2009 Star Motorcycles VMax, with live pictures

Click above for more live images from the official worldwide VMax unveiling

Back in 1984, Yamaha's then-new VMax set the motorcycling world on fire with its four-cylinder engine and mechanical V-Boost intake system which gave an extra shove of power at around six-thousand rpm. Riders fell in love with the VMax, and it has been the quintessential muscle bike ever since. Still, consumers have been hoping to see an update to Mr. Max for quite some time, and Yamaha Star Motorcycles has finally made those wishes come true. For 2009, Star will offer just 2,500 VMax's for sale in the U.S. If you want one, the line starts at your nearest Yamaha dealership and will require a $1,000 deposit.

Want to know all the details? Click on past the break for the full rundown.

Harley buys U.S. rights to XR1200 name, rumormill turns

Click above for more shots of the Harley-Davidson XR1200

Last year, the collective hearts of dirt track Harley lovers all across the United States dropped when The Motor Company announced that its XR1200 model was destined only for markets outside the states. It's not that a dirt track Harley couldn't be done, it's that the conversion was priced way out of the market for many riders. One company which offered just such a conversion is Storz Performance. According to Motorcycle.com, Harley-Davidson has just purchased the rights from Storz to the XR1200 name in America, which offers more than a glimmer of hope to the HD faithful.

Of course, no announcement has been made by Harley regarding a new Sportster model, but why else would the company go to the trouble of securing the name? As for us, we're pretty hip to the idea of bringing the sportiest Sporty to the market where the Harley XR originally made its name in racing.

Oobject lists 15 "Splendid Sidecars"

Those of you considering a motorcycle for its undeniable visceral thrills, or even its fuel savings, should consider another option which could add a bit more practicality to your new two-wheeler: the sidecar. Sure, you'll lose out on some performance -- both in a straight line and in the twisty bits -- but you'll easily make that up when the coolness factor is counted in. What, you don't think sidecars are cool? How wrong you are, and oobject has fifteen bits of proof for you to consider. From fully enclosed luxury to rocket-shaped sidecars, there are plenty of options to choose from. How about one modeled after a fighter plane? Covered. A land-speed record sidecar? Check.

Even though those novelty sidecars are pretty awesome pieces, the good ol' plain-jane sidecar steals the show as far as we're concerned. Whether hung off the side of a older BMW airhead or a retro Stella scooter, three-wheeled travel just doesn't get much cooler than with the rounded-front and high-windshield of the classic motorcycle sidecar.

eBay find of the day: BTTF SriLorean

The seller states he's not really sure what this car is worth. Here's our estimate: it's worth even less than a regular '89 Scirocco with 123,000 miles. Why? Because it's been molested into a Delorean imposter. Not just any Delorean, either, but the Back To The Future Delorean, which so many people feel compelled to recreate as a rolling manifestation of their overdeveloped love for a movie prop. Don't get us wrong, the BTTF DMC's masterful design has had astounding resonance with the public, becoming a real icon of its time. It's just that while the original design by Andrew Probert and Ron Cobb was something new, rehashing it endlessly for twenty-five years has gotten tiresome.

With that out of our system, let's go on to say that the seller has a sense of humor about this car. It was used to promote a primary school play, +1 for kickin' it with the kiddies, and there's obviously a lot of effort here. It's also heartwarming that the mods were perpetrated on a somewhat more common Scirocco, versus a rarer Delorean. The Flux capacitor and time circuits have not been tested, according to the seller, so caveat emptor. If it actually works, we'd love to go back and whisper in VW's ear to build more Sciroccos, and do likewise with Johnny Z, too. Bids currently stand at £156 with the reserve not met, so you're not yet OUTATIME. Thanks for the tip, Tim!

2008 Rodeo Drive Concours d'Elegance: Haute Wheels

Father's Day in Beverly Hills can only mean one thing to car lovers: The annual Rodeo Drive Concours d'Elegance. As its name implies, the concours is held right along that world-famous shoppers' paradise that is Rodeo Drive, right in the shadow of the "Pretty Woman" hotel. This year's theme was "Haute Wheels: Celebrating Car Couture," which might have made a few people at Mattel cringe, but was intended to evoke memories of the original Parisian Concours where high fashion was on display along with the beautifully crafted custom coachwork. Estimates say 30,000 people were on hand braving the heat, doing some window shopping, and catching glimpses of celebrities like Larry King who simply mingled with the crowd and became just another car guy on Sunday. The Rodeo Drive Concours is always a special show because of its location, the cars almost feel secondary to the setting, but car fans weren't disappointed, either.

Approximately 100 cars were on display, running the gamut from hot rods to Veyrons, Fords to Ferraris, and motorcycles to Maseratis. Personal highlights were a rare 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America, gorgeous original Stutz Bearcat, a 21-window VW Microbus complete with matching trailer, a coveted 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, a wild Dubonnet Hispano Xenia custom and a beautiful green Delahaye 135S we happened to spot on the drive into the event. It wasn't too smart to be sporting those Celtic colors in LA right now, but the driver and car made it in safely. Other notable entries included one of six or seven (depending on who you ask) Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupes, what is believed to be the only modern Marcos in the U.S., a gorgeous Zagato-bodied Maserati that was once found behind a wall hidden from plunderers, a 1933 Duesenberg Model J Tourster that was too popular to photograph whole, the Porsche Design boat, Cizeta, F40, Veyron...check out the gallery to find your favorite.

eBay Find of the Day: 1923 Model T powered by Harley V-Twin

Ford's
ubiquitous Model T has seen its fair share of modifications over the
years. Often powered by an engine other than what was originally
designed for the large engine bay, countless variations of the hot rod
theme have made Henry Ford's original mass-market vehicle a highly
desirable machine to customize. Today, we've stumbled across an
entirely new way to power the T, and it's just too cool not to share.
Behind the custom spiderweb grille of this 1923 Ford Model T
is a 1200cc V-Twin engine taken from the frame rails of a
Harley-Davidson Sportster. Considering how little this vehicle is
likely to weigh, the air-cooled twin cylinder mill with Screaming Eagle
mods is probably plenty powerful to get the vehicle out of its own way.
The owner used quite a few HD cues in the overall design and as many
original parts from the donor bike as was possible. Note the dual rear
shocks suspending the rear axle -- those are from the Sportster, as
well as the foot pegs which now see duty as the gas and brake pedals.
Nice work.

Inside Line pits Challenger against Challenger in Vanishing Point-inspired road trip

Seems like you can't revive a modern day muscle car these days without having a classic movie tie-in. The Ford Mustang has got Steve McQueen's classic Bullitt, and the Dodge Challenger has got Vanishing Point. In fact, we've already seen one Vanishing Point-inspired Challenger meet its maker on Turn 2 at Road America. Inside Line recently had its first turn behind the wheel of a 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 and also decided to pay its respects to Kowalski's opus. They took the brand new Challenger on a little road trip following the fateful path of Kowalski in the movie from Denver, Colorado to San Francisco, California. Just for kicks, they brought along a vintage 1970 Dodge Challenger that's a near perfect copy of the one used in Vanishing Point. The classic iron was, however, packing a slightly modified motor putting out 607 horsepower, but details, details... The article is definitely worth a read if only to vicariously absorb what it feels like to go 170 mph in a new Challenger, and the Inside Line team was also kind enough to supply us with a few of their spare high-res images for an Autoblog exclusive gallery below.