1980 JEEP J10 PICKUP TRUCK IS AMC COOLNESS? – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 824
1980 JEEP J10 PICKUP TRUCK IS AMC COOLNESS? – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 824 – Some Beach Time, Lunch Time and CUJO ATTACK TIME are all part of today’s Vlog. Oh, and a 1980 Jeep J10 Pickup Truck of course…
What’s it like to drive a 1980 MERCEDES UNIMOG 406? Bitchin…’
What’s it like to drive a 1980 MERCEDES UNIMOG 406? Bitchin…’
Every now and then at Malibu Cars & Coffee, this unbelievable truck would show up and leave jaws dropped. But to say it was a rugged off-roader would be an understatement, and you’d also expect that it would be driven by a beer guzzling, pot-bellied, semi-driving, chew spitting kind of guy. Well, you’d be so wrong.
Ari Soffer’s 1980 Mercedes Unimog 406 is what any off-road enthusiast would dream of having. And, of course, living in Malibu, we have one. So, I reached out to Ari and said “I need to see this beast up close and feel what it can do.”
Ari is a long time Malibuite and manages that by being an incredible Jewelry and leather designer at www.sofferaristore.com. His standards are very high and when he snagged this Unimog, it had the potential that he wanted.
“I’ve owned it for three or so years and bought it on Ebay with 1,600 original miles,” Ari said. “It came from a guy in Chicago who bought it from the Mercedes dealer there and was never titled because it was used as a snowplow on the dealer lot and was never driven on the street. After they were done, it sat for a while until they decided to sell it at auction. It’s technically a tractor.
We removed the snowplow which weighed 3,500 pounds and recycled the metal in Chicago. The truck arrived here in Malibu on a car carrier and I had it titled as a pick-up truck. Spent the next two years restoring and rebuilding it into what I have now.”
And it’s as military spec as it gets, with 125 horsepower, 5.7 liter military diesel inline 6 with a “hot rod tune.” Ari advanced the timing and turned the diesel pump up which brought the power from its stock agriculture tuned 75 horsepower up to 125horsepower. Night and day difference.
He then raised the rev limiter from 2200 rpm to 3100 rpm. This, along with the taller tires, brought the top speed up from 45mph to 58mph. The entire truck has been gone over with a new leather interior and a custom Ipe wood bed on an aluminum frame.
There’s a custom spare tire carrier, crane mounts for a little military grade crane and hand made parts all over the truck.
“Blood sweat and tears went into this truck,” he said.
“It’s the most unique and cool looking truck anybody has ever seen,” Ari said. “It’s also the most fun to drive, more than my Turbo Porsche. It’s slow, but the 4 wheel drive and air locking diffs let it climb straight up anything in front of it.
I had always seen them in the mountains in Europe and loved them and they have an almost cult like status. I wanted to take my then-girlfriend to dinner in it.”
Ari runs to pick up pallets of chicken feed as well as hay and alfalfa bales for his goats and horses. It’s also used for moving his motorcycles to and from the mechanic and any heavy lifting. He built a crane attachment point on the back so it can lift 900 pounds straight up and swing it over and onto the bed.
“We took the truck to the Rowher Truck Trail near Santa Clarita.” Ari’s said of his best story with the truck. “Along the way, there were other trucks being pulled out from being stuck — small caravans of off-roaders helping pull others out, all heading up parts of the trail that I couldn’t understand why they were unable to navigate without getting stuck.
And we are just idling by them at a steady fast crawl so easily. When we got home at the end of the day, I looked up Rowher Flats in a trail book I had at home. Apparently this trail is rated as an ‘Expert Rated Trail.’ Extremely steep and rutted; a long and relentless climb up one side of a mountain and down the other.
The Unimog barely flexed its muscles getting over the trail. The truck drove up and over this trail barely above idle. It’s so impressive, it turned an extremely difficult trail into a Sunday drive.”
Ari’s favorite thing about driving in Malibu is all the dirt roads and little hidden areas of off-roading that nobody but a handful of people know about. For me, that would be worth searching for.
And if he got his hands on a favorite movie car?
“The Bandit from ‘Smokey and the Bandit,’” he said. “But if you are speaking about trucks, which would be more appropriate for the interview, then we should never forget the 1982 Ford Bronco named Pepe. The Little Mule from ‘Romancing The Stone.’”
Ah, yes. I’m familiar with that as the writer of that movie actually owned my house before me. That script was written in the office were I’m currently writing this.
CARS of the 1980’s – FMV341
FIREBALL #MALIBU #VLOG 341! Fireball heads to The Automobile Driving Museum to check out cars for the 80’s… then drives a 1987 Police Cruiser to ask for Donuts. SHARE Today’s Vlog!
GMC, Tacos, Concepts, Gilligan, Classics & a 1961 TURBOFLYTE
Good morning you Prickly Pranksters and welcome to AUTOMOTIVE POP CULTURE!! Today, we celebrate those that work their a$$e$ off with Fireball’s all-new GMC SIERRA PICKUP MASTERPRINT & MUGSHOT! This Workhorse means business and SO DO YOU, as the secret to efficient hard work is to LOVE WHAT YOU DO and DO IT WELL!
BUT DID YOU KNOW?? The original designer of the 1982 GMC Sierra truck (a part of the GM C/K truck family) is not definitively known, as it was a collaborative effort by a team of engineers and designers within General Motors. The Sierra name, which would later become its own model line, was previously used as a trim level, and the first generation of the GMC Sierra was introduced in 1988. The 1982 model was part of the broader “Square Body” generation of GM trucks. The 1980 model year introduced both a tape player option and a CB radio, showcasing the evolving technology of the time. “Confirmed, Good Buddy!”
And meanwhile, ON PLANET FIREBALL… The Ball and friend Kim got invited to the all-new MOTHERS TACOS in Ventura for a night of awesome Music and spectacular food! Located in Downtown Ventura on Thompson, the new MOTHERS is in a great location and with an extensive Menu of Latino flare. If you’re in Ventura and you’re looking for the World’s Best Tacos… MOM makes ’em, so Git On It! What’s up for MOTHER’S DAY this Sunday for you guys?? Share your ideas BELOW!
FEATURED ART!! Fireball busts out the GILLEN AUSTRALIA F1 and GILLIGAN’S ISLAND TIKI PEDAL CAR! We’re you a fan of the Island?? We were… and now there’s a NEW MUGSHOT!!
CONCEPT ART!! This one entitled “ICICLES” as well as Fireball’s original design for the STREET TUNER CHALLENGE PURSUIT MINI from the Speed Channel TV Show!
COMING IN JUNE!! The MONTECITO MOTOR CLASSIC is back on the 7th and taking place at the Santa Barbara Airport. DON’T MISS THIS ONE!!
And lastly… today’s ORIGINAL SHOW CAR CLASSIC is the 1961 CHRYSLER TURBOFLYTE!! Whoosh baby, whoosh…
*All Products in The Fireball Tim Garage are available WHOLESALE for Shops, Dealerships, Museums and more! Level up your Store!
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MAD MAX, Magnum, Stuntmaster, Sophia Loren & Commission Art!
Welcome to AUTOMOTIVE POP CULTURE DAILY! New Feature today with Commission Art, but let’s start the Fireball rollin’ with these two great PRINTS! The MAD MAX INTERCEPTOR & MAGNUM PI FERRARI! (What would happen if they merged the two? Mad Magnum?? LIKE IT!!) Check out the Mugs, Canvas and Tees NOW!
DID YOU KNOW?? Universal Studios gave Tom Selleck a bonus of $350,000… which he spent on lavish gifts, such as Rolex watches, Porsches and $1000 bonuses for the entire cast and crew of Magnum, P.I. (1980). Selleck was originally cast as “Indiana Jones,” but was not able to take the role because he was committed to Magnum, P.I. Selleck also used a Colt 1911 pistol as his sidearm on the show. The actual gun was a 9mm that was adapted to fire blanks. Pew! Pew!
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ELVIS HOT ROD, Flintstones, Kustoms, Wolfman & NEW YOUTUBE
Welcome to AUTOMOTIVE POP CULTURE DAILY! Happy Friday, folks… and let’s get ‘er blastin! Off the line, we’ve got a QUESTION? In the 60’s, Fireball Pop hired George Barris to build this one-off Kustom Hot Rod for the ELVIS film, “EASY COME, EASY GO,”… which he wrote. Later, the car was used on the TV Show BATMAN as the JOKERMOBILE. Should Fireball SKETCH THIS UP? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW or make a SUGGESTION for something you’d like to see!
DID YOU KNOW?? “Easy Come, Easy Go” was Elvis’s final film with Paramount Pictures and his last one with Hal Wallis, which was followed by PARADISE, HAWAIIAN STYLE & ROUSTABOUT which Fireball Pop also wrote! But Elvis was no longer as interested in his film career and the music soundtracks he had to record for Paramount. He just wanted to sing Well, I guess that “Easy Come, Easy Go” was an appropriate title!
Also in today’s I LOVE MY MAMA BLAST… Fireball Car Show Peeps pop in with DAWN CUDE-HENDERSON, DANIEL VEHSE, a DARK TROOPER all flanked by Fireball’s hot BRONCO AMERICANO MASTERPRINT! Plus, a Fireball Snap ON SET of the FLINTSTONES and Fred’s rollin’s stoner THE FLINTMOBILE MASTERPRINT! (Tons of other Flintstones coolness in the Garage!) Also, some Fireball Vintage History from 1980 with his bro and Grandmother’s MERCEDES. Classic Cool, but check out Fireball’s MATRIX THEMED “NEO MINI“ which sold in 2010 and was built by the legendary Eddie Paul! Also, a funky weird Motorhome IN THE WILD and Fireball’s 1929 FORD MASTERPRINT done for striper Johnny Martinez. This car is a multi-show winner!
THE WOLFMAN Movie comes out today and he needs a COOL CAR! So, Fireball whipsnapped a fuzzy rocket-powered MUSCLE. And lastly, an actual large stunning GOUACHE piece of the JAGUAR XJS.
Today’s BEST OF SHOW is on Youtube! Fireball’s NEW FOCUS for his Channel is now CAR SHOW SCOOTIN!’ He’ll be visiting shows around SoCal and more, like his original VLOGS, revealing the BEST! Want him to come to yours? Reach out and MAKE AN OFFER! He may shoot for Donuts! **This Blast, Youtube and Social reaches 330K Enthusiasts Daily!
* The FIREBALL TIM GARAGE BLOG is a daily dose of AUTOMOTIVE POP CULTURE! www.fireballtim.com
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* Fireball Tim has been Hollywood Concept Artist for 40+ years with over 400 Film & TV Cars, Weapons, Sets, Props & Worlds!
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10% of all Sales goes to DOG RESCUES. THANK YOU!
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MIAMI VICE, Celebs, Ferrari, Pinup, Muscle & CAR SHOW SAFARI
Welcome to AUTOMOTIVE POP CULTURE DAILY!! Launchin’ outta Florida today with a Behind the Scenes Shot of Sonny Crocket and Fireball’s MIAMI VICE TESTAROSSA MASTERPRINT! Yes, the Ferrari Daytona is coming too!
BUT DID YOU KNOW?? Miami Vice used a lot of 1980s pop and rock hits, as well as synthesized music by Jan Hammer. The show spent a ton of money on the rights to original recordings! The first season received 15 Emmy nominations and was the most of any show that year. It won four Emmys, including one for supporting actor Edward James Olmos. The show had a big impact on the city of Miami, boosting tourism and revitalizing South Beach and sales of the Wellcraft SCARAB 38′ KV increased 21% after the boat was featured in the show!!
Also in today’s FLAMINGO PINK BLAST… Fireball Car Show Peep Snaps with Guitarist LONNY PAUL, Hot Wheels LARRY WOOD, Storage Wars BARRY WEISS and CAITLYN JENNER! Some Fireball FERRARI ART for your Supercar Fix from the Garage, today’s PINUP ART is entitled “EMERALD EDIE,” a TIKI POP Whipsnap from inside Fireball’s Coloring Books and some serious MUSCLE SKETCHIN’ from Fireball’s partnership with Muscle & Fitness!
Today’s GARAGE EPISODE is an all new CAR SHOW SAFARI!! Upcoming Car Shows, County Line Cars & Coffee, Ojai, The Monkees and Appalachian Butthole Soda?? Mmmmmaybe…. WATCH!!
* The FIREBALL TIM GARAGE BLOG is a daily dose of AUTOMOTIVE POP CULTURE! www.fireballtim.com
* Check out NEW AUTOMOTIVE POP CULTURE ART in THE GARAGE here! https://fireballtimgarage.art
* Fireball Tim has been Hollywood Concept Artist for 40+ years with over 400 Film & TV Cars, Weapons, Sets, Props & Worlds!
* THANK YOU for LEAVING A REVIEW in the Garage! It really helps!
10% of all Sales goes to DOG RESCUES. THANK YOU!
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ROCKFORD, Richard Gere, Droids, SciFi, Girls & SEMA EVELS
Welcome to AUTOMOTIVE POP CULTURE DAILY! Today, we start out with one of EVERYONE’S favorites… “This is Jim Rockford… please leave a message” ROCKFORD FILES 1978 FIRBIRD MASTERPRINT ART!! One of the best PI Shows ever made… and made in Malibu.
BUT DID YOU KNOW?? One of three Firebird Formulas provided by Pontiac Motor Division to the TV show “The Rockford Files,” it was used from 1978 until the series ended in 1980. With a special Sierra Gold exterior and tan interior, the factory Formula 400 model was modified to look like an Esprit for the show. Which is now a super rare car. Side note… James Garner was Fireball Pop’s BEST MAN at his wedding in 1958! Does that make him a Fireball Garner??
Also in today’s FIREBIRD BLAST… Fireball hangs with JANE SEYMOUR and friends at Beach Castle Seymour in Malibu, A-Lister RICHARD GERE is a huge Motorhead with a massive Car and Bike Collection, Behind the Scenes with CHARLIZE THERON on THE ITALIAN JOB (Yes, she did all her own driving), Fireball spots a secluded spot in VENTURA with the FREEBEAST, another art piece being DROID WARRIOR with the Star Wars LANDSPEEDER hits the Garage Store, Fireball’s 2nd WORLDRAIL piece done for Disney Imagineering, a BIMMERFEST BEAUTY leans on the MACH 3… and TEAM EVEL sips drinks as they peruse SEMA!! Yes, they were real drinks, folks.
Today’s GARAGE EPISODE?? A Mind-Bending ’60 OLDS spotted at THE VENTURA NATIONALS. Watch Below!
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10% of all Sales goes to DOG RESCUES, so the Pups THANK YOU! - UNSUBSCRIBE HERE by sending an email to askfireball@fireballtim.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject Line.
INCREDIBLES, Emma Peel, Battlestar, Diecast & NEW REVEAL!
Happy Veterans Day and JOIN US in celebrating those that are the true INCREDIBLES! So let’s start off with Fireball’s all-new INCREDIBLES Incredicar MASTERPRINT! Will they make another Incredibles Movie with MORE Car Action? One can only hope, but put this one on your Garage Wall and your space might become a bit FASTER!
DID YOU KNOW?? Originally, Pixar did not want to make the film as it was the first Pixar movie to star ONLY humans. Brad Bird got the idea for this movie in the early 1990s, basing the story on his own experiences trying to balance a career with family. Samuel L. Jackson was cast as the voice of Frozone because Brad Bird wanted the character to have the coolest voice. And it’s set in METROVILLE!
Also in today’s BATTLETASTIC BLAST… EMMA PEEL from The AVENGERS, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA BIKES and the amazing MAREN JENSEN were both on kid’s walls, we look back to SOLDIER CON FRIENDS and forward to THE DIECAST SUPERCON in one shot and Fireball’s TRW RED STEEL DELOREAN is finally revealed at SEMA!! Did you meet up with him??
*Want to work with Fireball on a DESIGN for YOUR SHOW? Reach out!! askfireball@fireballtim.com
Fireball’s WHEELS AND WAVES in Channel Islands is coming December 1st with a CELEB GUEST! Check out the AMAZING SNAPS from last month and get out there! Don’t forget to BRING A TOY!!
Today’s Garage Episode features an INSANE ALL CARBON FORD PICKUP TRUCK with and even INSANE-ER MOTOR IN THE BACK!! WATCH!!
- Fireball Tim Garage is all things AUTOMOTIVE POP CULTURE!
SUBSCRIBE to the Blog for daily dose! www.fireballtim.com - Hit THE GARAGE and see what’s NEW! https://fireballtimgarage.art
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10% of all Sales goes to DOG RESCUES, so the Pups THANK YOU! - UNSUBSCRIBE HERE by sending an email to askfireball@fireballtim.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject Line.
BLACK MOON RISING, Camaro, PCH and Battlestar Attack!!
We try to make the Fireball Blast as diverse as CAR CULTURE… and today it’s on with an all-new BLACK MOON RISING MASTERPRINT and Fireball’s CAMARO BURST! Each piece of art inspired by Fireball’s love of CARS and FILM, but kinda shifted on it’s ear! We’re you a fan of the original show?? Whip this on your garage Wall, baby!
DID YOU KNOW?? The Black Moon was based on the 1980 Wingho Concordia II designed by Bernard Beaujardins and Clyde Kwok, made by Wingho Auto Classique in Montreal. Only one of these had been built, so in the movie, a copy of the car cast from a mold was used for stunts, as well as a third replica of the interior only.
“Doing Automotive Art is about story-telling. It’s the same for Diecast and Full Size Car Builds. If you are’nt telling a story, then you aren’t doing your job. It’s the real reason we even go to CAR SHOWS.” -F
Also in today’s blast, some great shots from THE VENTURA NATIONALS are up and awesome, Fireball does the wacky to PCH with CRUISIN’ BARE BEARS and a BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Colonial Viper MASTERPRINT is up too!! Watch out for them nasty CYLONS, brother!
*Your Favorite MOVIE & TV CARS on Canvas, Mugs, Tees… and MORE!
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