Category: Diversions

Vintage Model Airplane Kits

I did not know that this decade is “the best of times for airplane models,” but according to the National Air & Space Museum, Aviation enthusiasts are scouring the country for the vintage airplane kits of their youth. It’s not the first time the Smithsonian has written about model airplane kits; see also Model Airplanes for Fun and Profit from 2015.

Bussie theorizes that vintage airplane kits will follow the same lifecycle as most artifacts that make the transition from junk to collectibles. First, they were sold at flea markets and garage sales. Then they were traded at club shows and conventions. Next, they were found in antique shops and online auctions. Now they’re being offered by specialty dealers 

Some Assembly Required, by Preston Lerner
Source: oldmodelkits.com

But no matter what the subject, collectors gonna collect:

“The ’80s were the Wild West days of kit collecting,” says Garrity. “A guy would come into the room with stuff that no one had seen before, and I’d literally see people punching each other to get to an Aurora model. “

Some Assembly Required, by Preston Lerner
Source: oldmodelkits.com

More Volkswagen x Trek Bikes

Those 90s Trek VW bikes keep showing up. Who knew you could get a bike jersey and other swag, too? An unused ’97 purple bike with paperwork is up on Facebook Marketplace now [edit: or not – possibly sold?].

The original VW saddle – Nice embroidery!
You could be the first person to ride this!
Swag!

More on the VW/Trek collab is here and here, but contact the seller directly [edit: looks like it might have been sold] if you want this one. Seller is asking $750 and it’s in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. Perfect for the Volkswagen or Trek aficionado.

New York Bricks Go Boutique

Here’s a brief history of the New York brickmaking industry from the New York Times. New York did not have a monopoly on bricks; excellent clay deposits run through New Jersey and into Pennsylvania as well. The Sayre & Fisher Brick Company, in the town now known as Sayreville, New Jersey, was for a time the largest brickmaker in the world and in 1903, Pennsylvania was the largest brick producer in the nation.

A Clymer (Pennsylvania) brick found in Hoboken, New Jersey. Source: TCM.
Sayre & Fisher Reading Room, built of Sayre & Fisher bricks, in Sayreville, New Jersey. Source: KForce at English Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0.

But the Hudson Valley was also lined with dozens of brickyards, and since it’s the Hudson Valley, it should be no surprise that now one of them, the Hutton Brickyards, has been turned into a boutique hotel that preserves some of its history. Their “Genuine Experiences” do sound genuinely fun:

Our sprawling campus features whimsical invitations to fun: an archery range, croquet lawn, firepits and bicycles. Experience hikes, guided kayak experiences, paddle-boarding, running, outdoor yoga, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, bee-keeping and more!

huttonbrickyards.com
Hutton Brickyard. Source: hudsonwoods.com

Featured image: Hutton Brickworks in 2016, by Corey Seamer via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.

It’s Official: Honda Trail 125

2021 Honda Trail 125

After showing a concept vehicle and releasing it as the Hunter Cub in Japan, Honda is now officially releasing their on- and off-road-ready minibike as the Trail 125 in the United States. It has a list price of $3,899, semiautomatic transmission, antilock brake system, a pretty wide-looking rear luggage rack, and you can get it in any color you want so long as it’s Glowing Red.

2021 Honda Trail 125
2021 Honda Trail 125

the Trail 125 pays tribute to the original CT line while embracing the convenience and performance of modern technology, making it a great tool for riding around town or exploring the wilderness.

Honda Press Release

Susan Orlean has SO NOT BEEN HACKED

Some kind of horse-birth-watching-with-wine neighborhood party resulted in famed author Susan Orlean drunk-tweeting to widespread acclaim this Friday night. Orlean most recently published that article about the rabbit virus in the New Yorker.

For example…

Her tweet-storm confirms her firmly held belief that “anything was a great story as long as I cared about it deeply and wanted just as deeply to tell that story to someone else. And that impulse has never let me down.”

And also…

For the actual news reports:

Susan Orlean’s drunk tweets are the song of the summer

Susan Orlean’s Hilarious, Drunken Pandemic Tweet Storm Is a Delight

Finished: Huffy Santa Fe Cruiser Bike

Huffy cruiser bike

OK, now I’m done messing with this. I found this Huffy bicycle on the side of a road. Aside from trashed tires and one flat tube, it mostly needed just a cleaning to make it presentable. The final result is here. I shelled out for two new, slightly wider tires (no whitewalls), tubes, and handlebar grips, removed the decals, and added a bell and reflectors I already had. The front fork and chainguard were a very dull silver (a.k.a., gray) that detracted from the look of the chrome fenders, so I sprayed on two coats of Rustoleum gloss white. I believe it’s ready for a boardwalk.

  • Before
  • After
Cleaned up
As found

Cruiser Bike: New Grips

  • bicycle grip
    Original foam grip. Source: TCM
  • biclycle grip
    New faux-leather grip. Source: TCM

Finally received new grips for the handlebars of the Huffy Santa Fe Cruiser. The old foam grips were easy to remove (one was already ripped) and the new leather-look grips went on easily with the help of some rubbing alcohol. Pretty soon I’ll stop messing with this bike.