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Archive for the ‘custom’ Category

Volvo Tuner V70-R Wagon By Heico

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

It does make you wonder why Volvo has never had an in-house or even semi-official tuner like BMW's M-works or Mercedes' AMG. Because it might be nice. Also, it might be less expensive than the EUR70,000 Swedish performance shop Heico is asking for their 100 jacked up Volvo V70-R Wagons.

Autoblog runs a few of the numbers and, well, let me say, it's the first time I've ever seen an Audi Avant S6, a Nissan Altima, and a Ford Flex on the same comparison shopping grid. So hard to choose! I'd say just get a ground effects kit, paint a viking helmet on the tailgate, and pocket the EUR30,000 for the Harvard fund. Case closed.

Heico Volvo V70 T6 R-Design hauls more than kids, but carries massive pricetag [autoblog via dt reader george]

Posted in cars, college, custom, stationwagon, sweden, volvo, wtf | Comments Off

The Lagonda Wagon Is For Sale.

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

And at EUR199,900, I suspect it might be for sale for a little while.

True, it's the only Aston Martin Lagonda station wagon conversion in existence. And it was done by Roos Engineering, Switzerland's Aston Martin masters, in 1998-99 for a Hong Kong owner. [Roos has done two other shooting brake conversions: a V8 Vantage and a LWB Virage, and he's supposedly working on a Rapide--holy smokes]. And it was recently completely restored. And it only has 1800 km on it since 1987.

And 1987 means it is one of the last Lagondas, a Series 3, without the pop-up headlight problems, and with the third and final version of the futuristic instrument panel [the LED and CRT versions which preceded it having been known for their general suckitude, which is not something one likes to find in a $150,000 car, but the late Series 3's are probably the most highly refined Lagondas of them all.] And it has two A/C's and an electric rear gate.

And, uh, and.... You know, it is freaking awesome, but also ridiculous. And buying it for 200,000 euros would be the only thing crazier than buying ten normal Lagondas for 200,000 euros, which you could totally do, with change to spare.

Now if it were 150,000 euros, well then...

Stocklist | 1987 Aston Martin Shooting Break, at E. Thiesen Rare Automobiles [thiesen-kg.de thanks tamerlane]
Oct 2009: Driven: Lagonda Shooting Brake [classicandperformancecar.com]
Previously: Feb 2008: The Lagondawagon @ DT

Posted in awesome, cars, crazy, custom, stationwagon, theeighties, wtf | Comments Off

Swiss-Style Stroller License Plates

Monday, January 25th, 2010

The problem I've found with stroller accessorizing: it just doesn't work. I'd wanted to do little stroller-sized bumper stickers at one point, but only the fugliest car seat carriers had enough surface area.

I'd wanted to do stroller license plates, too, but they just never looked right. One problem was being stuck in the US license plate paradigm. The now-obvious solution to that is the Kinderwagenschild, which are based on the much cooler Swiss license plate design. [As long as you don't look at the fonts.]

The other problem is, there just aren't many good places to put a stroller license plate, as the awful gallery at Kinderwagenschild proves. This Bugaboo placement is as good as it's gonna get, people.

Kinderwagnschild.ch [kinderwagenschild.ch via swiss-miss thanks dt reader nelson]

Posted in bugaboo, custom, strollers, switzerland | Comments Off

Bring’em Onboard! Traveling With The Steele X Reference Library Tote Was Awesome

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

No offense to the family on our flight who successfully recreated a domestic oasis among the benches at Heathrow using their Orbit Stroller and massage-table-sized folding travel crib, but we like to travel as relentlessly light as possible. One carry-on item per person was our strategy before the latest Al Qaeda idiot blew his nuts off with a flaming tube of toothpaste.

Since the shoulder strap broke a year or so ago, I've been dropping my laptop bag deep into a LL Bean camo tote bag. This trip, I used the even taller, sturdier, black-on-blacker, Steele Canvas Tote that Andy from Reference Library commissioned for his Kiosk mini-shop last spring.

My wife chuckled at my lonely laptop, book, and Hulger way down at the bottom of my bag next to--what's that? A folded vinyl shopping tote for the Hyper U? Sure you don't want to leave that in the car? The house is full of them.

Well, my comically large, empty tote soon filled right up with all the castoffs: coats, hoodies, scarves, panda backpacks, free-range dolls and blankets. I am very pleased with this decision.

Reference Library Tote Bag, $75 [kioskkiosk.com]

Posted in Advice, about daddytypes, airplane, awesome, custom, diaperbags, gear not strollers, mashup, referencelibrary, roadtrip, travel | Comments Off

Here Come The Frey BC’s

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

The Freygaboo auction just went live on eBay. No free shipping.

Giving it the Frey sign:

Closeup, I think that's Klingon on the left there:

Hmm, is the seat fabric painted, too? If only I'd stayed involved in this publicity event beyond the first couple of weeks last spring, I'd have an answer instead of a rhetorical question!

james frey custom bugaboo cameleon to celebrate world aids day, opening bid $980 + $36 s/h, auction ends Dec 11 [ebay]

Posted in alphabet, bugaboo, celebritiesarejustlikeus, custom, eBay, geniusjones, strollers | Comments Off

Customi(ZED) James Frey Bugaboo (RED) To Be eBa(YED)

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

I think this is going to be a week of stroller insanity, starting right. now.

Bugaboo announced a couple of months ago that they were joining (RED), the giant, corporate fundraising effort to fight AIDS in Africa. As part of the effort, they invited the author/artist/collector/dad James Frey to customize a (RED) edition Cameleon stroller, which is being sold on eBay, with the proceeds going to (RED).

Frey turned the Cameleon fabric into a field of free-floating, hand-painted letters in various typefaces and colors. It resembles nothing so much as an ancient kaballistic sky alphabet, in which sages constructed prophetic words out of ever-shifting constellations of Hebrew letters written in the stars. That, or the fridge, covered with a jumble of alphabet tiles.

Either way, it looks pretty sweet. If you're in Miami this week, the Frey Cameleon will be on display at Genius Jones [the big one, I'm guessing, in the Design District.] So go check it out.

Bid on the James Frey-customized Bugaboo (RED) [ebay.com/bugaboo, image via publicist]
See the Bug at Genius Jones through Dec. 6 [geniusjones]

Posted in africa, alphabet, art, bugaboo, custom, eBay, geniusjones, miami, newyork, publicists, strollers | Comments Off

Ceci N’est Pas Un Caketopper. Custom Wood Doll Family

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

You know that NY Times article about custom wedding cake topper artists? Me either, but DT reader Eric did, and that's how he found out that Fancie Fannies also makes non-cake topper dolls, with kid-safe non-toxic paint.

So he sent off photos of his extended family, and voila, just a couple of weeks later, he got a whole set of dolls for the kid. Note: that dog supposedly doesn't look like a penguin in person.

Fancie Fannies custom dolls via etsy, $4/ea. [etsy via eric]

Posted in awesome, custom, doll, etsy, toys | Comments Off

And An Etsy Tumbled By, With A Private Boat Cradle For Max…

Monday, November 9th, 2009

...or whoever's parents shell out $2,200-3,200 for the incredible cypress and mahogany masterpiece by Warren Jordan of Beaver Boatworks, which converts into a rocker or a wagon, which is good, because your kid will sail in and out of this cradle in a few weeks and definitely in less than a year.

Baby Tender Rocking Cradle, $2,200-3,200 to buy or to order by Beaver Boatworks [etsy.com via dt reader alexea]
custom-fitted boat-shaped bedding set, $225
wagon conversion kit, $300

Posted in bassinet, custom, etsy, furniture, wagons, woodworking | Comments Off

Fresco Fiamma Di Bloom: Un Seggiolone Rosso Molto Fantastico

Monday, October 5th, 2009

I know that since the rather spectacular limited edition, red-enameled Fresco Fiamma high chair was introduced like three weeks ago at ABC Kids in Las Vegas, I'm a bit late to the Bloom game. To make up for it, I'll teach you the Italian word for high chair: Seggiolone, just like the film director. Now you'll never forget it.

I'll also point out that in addition to coloring the hell out of a high chair, the bloom folks sure can write a dad-savvy press release:

bloom launches the 'ferrari' of baby chairs with its new fresco ﬁamma limited edition

to celebrate bloom's 3rd birthday, the four designer dads behind the bloom brand have created the limited edition, fresco ﬁamma. [emphasis added]

Buon giorno, boys!

Fortunately for bloom, the actual Ferrari is not involved in this chair in any way. Whatever else they may be, Ferrari is the Pontiac Aztek, the Yugo, the rusted out Trabant of merchandise licensing.

The Fresco Fiamma was produced in a numbered edition of 1,100 and is available through Genius Jones, Giggle, and "other Bloom-preferred stockists" for a fistful of 600 dollars. [bloombaby.com via publicists]

Posted in abckidsexpo, awesome, backwardsinhighheels, bloom, cars, custom, ferrari, furniture, highchair, parent company, publicists | Comments Off

HAHAHAHAHA, NO. Hauck ’40 Jahre Woodstock’ Stroller At K+J

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

God bless the quirky Germans, who apparently have as much embarrassingly uncritical dress-up love for dirty Boomer hippies as they do for American Indians.

This steaming hot psychedelic mess of a stroller was at the Hauck Group booth at Kind+Jugend. Near as I can tell, it's an i'coo Pico under there, though it's cleaner than the current model.

Maybe Hauck is teeing up another of those Rock Star Baby-type licensing deals with Austin Powers. Bon Jovi, boys!

Posted in babyboomers, custom, hauck, hippies, kj, strollers, thesixties, wtf | Comments Off

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