brainblog

arcs

2012-02-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

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GNRS 2012 - details

2012-02-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

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92663

2012-02-01T14:39:00.000-08:00

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Riley Roadster by Hatfield

2012-01-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

the draft

the build

last weekend at the GNRS

built by Hatfield Restorations

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how to make a half mOOn tank

2012-01-29T21:27:00.000-08:00

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offenhauser

2012-01-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

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Tetris

2012-01-19T17:29:00.001-08:00

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Hatfield - Canton, ETX

2012-01-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

Texas, hat etwa die doppelte Grösse von Deutschland und war vor dem Beitritt zur Union eine eigenständige Republik. Für die meisten von uns ist Texas der Bundesstaat wo Firmen nach Öl und Gas bohren, Conny Reinmann lebt und J.R. Ewing schmutzige Spielchen spielt. Aber natürlich ist Texas auch voll mit Autoverrückten. Ich bin sicher, dass mittlerweile alle den Austin Speed Shop kennen, der dank Jesse James, zu gewisser Popularität gekommen ist. Aber anstatt über Dinge zu berichten die schon jeder kennt, lohnt es sich auch über weniger bekannte Shops zu berichten, die sich in keinster Weise zu verstecken brauchen. Da wäre z.B. Hatfield Restorations in Canton EastTX. Gegründet 1990 von Mr. Gary Hatfield und mit derzeit 17 Leuten nicht gerade klein. Ausser Chrom und spezielle Motoren wird alles in einer Hand gefertigt. Viele der Angestellten arbeiten dort schon seit mehr als 10 Jahren. Auf die Ausbildung von Nachwuchs wird großer Wert gelegt.

Schon die Zufahrt zum Shop ist beeindruckend. Alles wirkt solide, organisiert und aufgeräumt. Der Shop sieht von weitem aus wie ne Ranch. Dale, der Shop Manager, zögerte auch nicht lange mit uns einen Rundgang zu starten. Wir begannen im „clean room“ wo letztenendes die Karren zusammengeschraubt werden. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt arbeitete man unter anderem an einem 1932er Ford Roadster mit seltenem Riley Motor. Der Countdown zur Fertigstellung lief, denn der Wagen sollte in 10 Tagen auf der National Roadster Show in LA-Pomona vorgestellt werden. Dieser Riley ist nicht zu verwechseln mit dem britischen Autobauer. Die nächsten Stationen waren die Karroserie- und Lackierabteilung, natürlich alles räumlich voneinander getrennt. Der Gang durch die Werkstätten war wie eine Zeitreise durch die Automobilgeschichte. Unter all den Projekten seien nur einige genannt; ein ´38 Ford Standard police car, 1954 Jaguar Coupe, 1960 Plymouth Fury mit einem 700 hp Motor, ein 1972 Porsche, ein 1953 Glasspar Kitcar mit einem 276 ci Ardunhead Flathead, ein 1932 Ford 3w gasser mit einer 486 ci Keith Black HEMI engine. Ich muss zugeben, ein wenig überfordert gewesen zu sein. Mein persönliches Highlight war allerdings der ehemalige Shoptruck von Mr. Winfield. Den englischen Teil, etwas abgeändert, und das Interview findet ihr im Nachgang.

Ok, genug geredet. die Bilder vom Riley Roadster gibts leider erst nach der Eröffnung der GNRS am 27. Januar

the english version and the interview w/ mr. Hatfield after the pix. sorry, the pictures of the ´32 Riley Roadster will posted after the GNRS opening January 27th.

Texas, it´s double the size of Germany and stood as a seperate republic before joining the Union. For most of us, Texas is where Conny Reimann lives, big companies are drilling for oil and gas or J.R. Ewing is playing dirty games. However, Texas is home to a lot of car nuts too. Surely, we all know Austin Speed Shop which grew in its popularity thanks to Jesse James. Instead of reporting about things we´re familiar with, I would like to introduce y´all to a shop in East Texas called Hatfield Restorations. I was taken aback upon my first impression. All is well maintained, organized and orderly. Without prompting, Dale, the general manager, offered us a tour. We started to the „clean room“ where the cars are finally assembled. When I was there, the countdown was on to finish a 1932 Ford Roadster with a rare Riley engine destined for the Grand National Roadster Show in LA-Pomona in ten days. This Riley engine is not to be confused with the Great Britain Riley cars. Next, to the „dirty stages“ like bodyshop and paintbooth, all in seperate areas. As we walked through these buildings, it´s as if we were going through the history of cars. Amongst the collection,to name a few, a ´38 Ford Standard police car, 1954 Jaguar Coupe, 1960 Plymouth Fury with a 700 hp engine, 1972 Porsche, 1953 Glasspar Kitcar with a 276 ci Ardunhead Flathead,1932 Ford 3w gasser with a 486 ci Keith Black HEMI engine. I have to admit, I was overhelmed.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Gary Hatfield, the owner and founder of the shop. He was generous with his time and patiently answered my questions.

me:

When was the shop established?

Mr. Hatfield:

The shop was established in 1990. I started the shop by myself. I´ve always been into cars. My first car was a 41 Ford Coupe w/ a 283 ci engine which I bought at the age of 11. I started working on that car and wasn´t finish until I was 14 and got my drivers license. To afford the paint for it, I raised a calf. To afford the interior, I raised a horse on my family´s farm. The first car I built in the shop was a 1940 Ford Coupe which I bought back in 2010.

me:

Why Canton TX ?

Mr. Hatfield:

Canton is my hometown. My family owns the farm where the shop sits. I started to work on cars here and the word got around. From 1968 - 74 you could easily find me on the dragstrips around Texas in my 1962 Corvette. At this time, I worked on cars on the side while I was working for my father´s construction company. I did this until 1990.
me:
Was the shop always a hotrod and kustom car shop or did/do you work on modern cars?
Mr. Hatfield:
We work on all kinds of cars here, but i would say that our borderline is approximately 1975.
me:
Looks like a family here. Do you educate young people to be the next generation in your shop?
Mr. Hatfield:
Most of our guys have been working here for over 10 years. In my opinion, it´s better to invest your money in workmates and tools. You dont see the return in the short term but in the future.
me:
What is the main work done here? Turnkey cars, modification, restoring, engine work?
Mr. Hatfield:
We do all of that. I started with a two stall garage and added all of the other stages step by step. I recognized that it´s better to do all the work here by ourselves instead of sending it out. In this way, we have full control. The only thing we don´t do is the chrome and the more detailed engine work.
me:
How many cars per year (approx)?
Mr. Hatfield:
I would say 6 - 7 and a lot of side work.
me:
What was the most difficult car to build / repair - why?
Mr. Hatfield:
I would say the most difficult car to build was the 1926 Nash which came to us as an incomplete pile of parts. We even had to rebuild a lot of the parts we had. The frame of the body was wood and needed to be restored piece by piece. It was a mess. The glass etching on the wind wings was done by a woman in town.
me:
How did you come to the Winfield truck? Was it an accident?
Mr. Hatfield:
Yes, the Winfield truck was found in a barn in Oregon by Dale´s brother. He called and told us about a chopped truck with some body modifications. When he sent us the pictures, we knew what it is. Fortunately, the owner was willing sell. On the way back to Texas we stopped at Gene´s. He was shocked. At this time, he had a contract to replicate the 1935 Ford Truck that we found for a customer in Washington.
me:
Is there anything you wouldn´t do to a car and why ?
Mr. Hatfield:
Fortunately, we are able to decide what we want to build and what not to build. I would never build something that, in my opinion, would compromise the essence and integrity of a vehicle. I dont speak about my taste of cars, I speak about proportions or poorly mixed styles.
me:
Did you build a car to run at the Bonneville Salt Flats?
Mr. Hatfield:
We went there for a roadtrip in 2008. We drove two Ford Coupes down there to meet somebody who was running his cars on the flats. I absolutely want to build a car to do the same. The atmosphere there is phenomenal. It´s not just the landscape and the flats itself, it´s also the feeling amongst the people united there. They help each other, they are there for one thing. It´s really laid back.
me:
What shows are on the schedule this year?
Mr. Hatfield:
The next show will be the National Roadster Show in Pomona where we will show the 1932 Ford Roadster with the Riley engine. Of course, we will also be at the Lone Star Roundup in April, which is one of my favorite shows. Each show is a good opportunity to display our work for future customers and other interested people. We make a minimum of one show per month from April to November.
me:
What are u doing with all these cars in the backyard?
Mr. Hatfield:
These cars are for parts. In the past you could get a clunker for a handfull of bucks. Now, people know the value of it and it`s hard to get one for a good price. However, just two or three parts can save you the money you payed for the car and sometimes they´re parts you cant find anymore.
me:
What is unique about this shop?
Mr. Hatfield:
We do all of the work ourselves. From the beginning to the end. We stand for our work and our customers know that.
www.hatfieldrestorations.com

el juego de los muertos

2012-01-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

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Guns (n Roses)

2012-01-11T20:05:00.000-08:00

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Road Devils CC

2012-01-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

proud to become a member of the

Road Devils europe

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his old shop truck

2012-01-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

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Riley

2012-01-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

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Dasypodidae R.I.P.

2012-01-04T15:55:00.000-08:00

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time for a Ziegenbock

2012-01-03T17:04:00.000-08:00

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back at A.S.S.

2012-01-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

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backintime

2012-01-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

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ALDI goes to TX

2011-12-29T19:13:00.000-08:00

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pregnant mermaids

2011-12-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

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time for a Fat Tire

2011-12-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

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2011-12-23T23:04:00.000-08:00

FROHE WEIHNACHTEN

MERRY CHRISTMAS
FRO´I WIENECHT

JOYEUX NOEL

FELIZ NAVIDAD

BUON NATALE

THX for your visible and invisible support

and

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megalomaniac vol.II

2011-12-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

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Essen Motorshow 2011

2011-12-06T13:47:00.001-08:00

flying piston studio special exhib

_____________________________________________

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evilbridge

2011-12-02T08:42:00.001-08:00

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megalomaniac

2011-11-29T10:47:00.001-08:00

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51°31'42.25"N 11°32'42.11"E

2011-11-20T11:13:00.001-08:00

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remember the summer

2011-11-20T07:06:00.001-08:00

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hwy 31 west

2011-11-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

hwy 31 west

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Boese Sieben

2011-10-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

Boese Sieben

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power plant

2011-10-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

ATXPP

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So Co ATX

2011-10-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

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more A.S.S.

2011-10-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

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A.S.S.

2011-10-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

ASS

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dinosaur jr.

2011-10-03T01:08:00.000-07:00

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20111002

2011-10-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

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10 k

2011-09-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

I have to say

THX

to yall.

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Lili Marleen vs Jack the Ripper

2011-09-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

for you

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support your locals...

2011-09-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

...and dont waste food peeps !

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august 26th - 618am

2011-09-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

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European Road Trip 2012

2011-09-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

one chance you never get again

2 WEEKS - 5 COUNTRIES - 8 TOWNS

BERLIN - FRANKFURT - BASEL
TURIN - CANNES - NARBONNE
BARCELONA - SAN SEBASTIAN

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moving pictures of Final WAR

2011-09-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

FINALWAR 5 à Weil-am-Rhein le 26 et 27 aout 2011 HOT ROD and ART SHOW from OmBiliK on Vimeo.

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almost autumn

2011-09-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

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final pix from FINAL WAR

2011-08-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

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good night WAR

2011-08-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

THX for that great weekend

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la mesa de Eldorado

2011-08-14T02:08:00.000-07:00

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wow 1st row

2011-07-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

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rust n dust jalopy 2011

2011-07-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

rust n dust jalopy

more pix via lowtechblog

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rust n dust jalopy 2011 - basics

2011-07-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

rust n dust jalopy

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at Widegren´s

2011-07-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

website

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S Congress

2011-07-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

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Charlie Brown

2011-07-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

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C-6oorange

2011-07-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

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38 Special

2011-07-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

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meadow monsters

2011-07-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

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Hell, this is hot

2011-07-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

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RGB

2011-07-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

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Cauliflower

2011-07-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

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high voltage

2011-07-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

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main st

2011-07-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-06-17T01:46:00.000-07:00

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around the world

2011-06-17T01:42:00.000-07:00

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Sorry

2011-06-10T05:57:00.000-07:00

will be here asap

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urban surfaces

2011-05-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

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color ur life

2011-05-22T01:23:00.000-07:00

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Diner

2011-05-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

last saturday on the way to HRDD

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FINAL WAR reloaded part 1

2011-05-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

not to forget

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some more sightseeing ?

2011-05-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Volksbühne

Altes Museum

Soviet War Memorial

Brandenburg Gate (again)

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Hot Rod Decadence 2011 - review

2011-05-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

here

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Brandenburg Gate

2011-05-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

here

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BBP´s 72 Newport

2011-05-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

had company last weekend

1972 Chrysler brochure

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fleet vs pipes

2011-05-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

here

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Völkerschlachtdenkmal

2011-05-02T02:43:00.000-07:00

Monument to the Battle of the Nations

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BBP´s 68 ElCamino

2011-05-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

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Amsterdam shuffle

2011-04-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

promise: last Holland post

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Haarlem shuffle

2011-04-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

hope I dont bother you with that Haarlem stuff

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Haarlem Hardcore

2011-04-24T03:10:00.000-07:00

what a surprise as I saw who was playing - wahooo

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Haarlem Wagoneer

2011-04-24T02:01:00.000-07:00

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Smokin Shutdown #25 out now

2011-04-22T02:40:00.000-07:00

Smokin Shutdown

!!! try it- buy it- support it- enjoy it !!!

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Amsterdam libary

2011-04-22T02:09:00.000-07:00

Amsterdam libary

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Haarlem details II

2011-04-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

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Haarlem details

2011-04-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

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Haarlem

2011-04-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

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Meilenwerk Vol II

2011-04-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

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Meilenwerk

2011-04-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

Meilenwerk Stuttgart

for Sunshine

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ASTRA WEB 0.33

2011-04-09T13:05:00.000-07:00

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springfleet

2011-04-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

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le container

2011-04-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

le container at pix le container in blog

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Tapiemanie reloaded

2011-04-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

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FINAL WAR

2011-04-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

no doubt - THE german carshow

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Barca by night

2011-03-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

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plz let me to introduce myself...

2011-03-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

brianthebrain hahahahahaha

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Recklinghausen

2011-03-30T01:53:00.000-07:00

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Tapiemanie

2011-03-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

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la Cereria Llado

2011-03-26T03:05:00.000-07:00

la Cereria Llado

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Hot Rod Decadence 2011 BERLIN

2011-03-22T05:40:00.000-07:00

be there !

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SGH station

2011-03-19T04:03:00.000-07:00

Sangerhausen station

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peanut passion

2011-03-19T03:46:00.000-07:00

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Plan59

2011-03-11T04:55:00.000-08:00

forget all the high-gloss highend sale-prospects of today and take a look at these masterpieces of graphic.
you find a lot more on their website plan59.com

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Wrecked Metals

2011-03-09T02:16:00.000-08:00

found the vid on scootermcrad.blogspot.com and was impressed by it. look it fullscreen !!! and enjoy it. also worth to check out: www.wreckedmetals.net

Wrecked Metals from Josh Clason on Vimeo.

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MACBA of Barcelona

2011-03-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

as I spent couple of days in Barcelona I got the chance to visit the MACBA. I was fascinated by its structure as well as the exhibitions inside. well some items came a lil strange to me, what to hell is it? art? hahahaha. I know art is always a matter of everybodies eyes.

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