Design my new Craft

[Red Two]

Last month, the VF-1A was destroyed. This month, the boys down in tech assigned me a new one they threw together, but it needs personalization...


www.twinlitworlds.com/yf19/html/index.html

The leading contender is the YF-19 (see concept page of site).

The 'Shamrocker' concept is dead in the water as I want no green on the bike. Alert colors only! Yellow/Gold, Red, Orange, White, small amount of deep purple could work... Other than that, no blues, greens, browns, or significant black.

A genuine 'art' car of some sort could work. There's not a lot of paneling overall... A basic color change w/ stripes would be practical, but not creative enough.

I seek comment and am open to all ideas and pitches. The YF-19 will win by default should there be no other ideas which grab me.

Thanks muchly!
Tom

[Red Two]

Looks like it's going to be the YF-19 afterall. No SW craft comes to mind, the XD-1 is too big a shape and there isn't enough paneling on the bike to suggest the EVA Pods though the windscreen does resemble the 'black eye'; and the bike's design is too sleek for Trek.

However, it is a perfect upgrade to the YF-19 from the VF-1A. Sleeker, more sinister, more powerful. I gotta decide to go with gold or red for the highlighting on the base white and black body. Don't see any other colors really working all that well.

This time, I will be airbrushing the details properly. I learned alot painting the VF-1A, it's time to apply those lessons! I will not be able to do it until the Spring hits though as the weather will be unpredictable until then. This whole week was in the 80's and dry, today, we're in the low 70's with mild rain! Of course, this is Los Angeles rain which translates to east coast light drizzle. Enough to wet the roads, not enough to mean anything else though

[Red Two]

I haven't updated my web page yet, but it looks like the design decision has been made for me... 'Smash'D'Jour'

Tuesday morning on my way to work, a zentradi cruiser broadsided me. This sent my craft and I out of control and straight into the aft of another cruiser.

I won't know the details for a few days yet. If the frame or fork are twisted, then that is that. Otherwise it's simply patching new armor plating on.

I got away with a broken toe (both bones), major road rash along both legs and the ankle that got pinned under the bike will be very sore for a few weeks to come. The toe will take a couple months to heal.

I'm grateful that L.A.'s freeways are a parking lot in the morning. It was a slow crash (20mph). Any faster and the guy behind me would not have been able to stop in time and I would have been run over and crushed to death.

Maybe it's time for a car... I'd hate to see what Strike 3 is going to look like!

Will advise as more details come in.

[Darth Marmalade]

On one hand, it's good to see activity on the board. On another, I'm sorry you're having such bad luck! I'm glad it wasn't any worse.

Meerkat Six is off the road right now with no brakes -- and I'm leery of spending too much to fix them, as the engine is making a noise that sounds (to me) like a worn bearing.

I hope your bike just needs some new armor, and that you heal much faster than your doctors anticipate.

[Red Two]

Thanks, man! It has been quiet here lately.

Two crashes in five months averages out to one per motorcycle year, or one crash every eleven driving years, but it still sucks.

Broken bones hurt!

It's going to be about $4k in repairs, not quite enough damage to total it, unfortunately. Preliminary results indicate that the fork and frame are fine. If it were totaled, I'd pay the loan off and get myself into a sub-compact like a Fit, Focus, Yaris or Aveo w/ lotsa airbags and steel!!! Regardless, I'm gonna pay this loan down as fast as possible and go for the car when I can -maybe the summer.

Sorry to hear about the Meerkat! If it's got one wheel in the grave, perhaps that's a good reason to try some experiments on it in preparations for the next ship?

On another note, I'm also anxious to see if 100 posts will finally get you out of 'Cadet' status and into whatever's next. Gonk took a while to get through, and I'm still a looong way away from that 100 marker myself, but still interested to see where and what the level breaks are. I think 50 posts would be more reasonable number for cadet.

[Darth Marmalade]

I've long been of the suspicion that one remains a "Cadet" on this board until promoted to -- or by -- an Administrator... who seem to have been absent for quite some time now.

I have been thinking that I should finish what I'd planned for my car and take a few pictures before saying goodbye. I've also been thinking that even another major overhaul to the brakes, suspension, and engine would still cost considerably less than anything else I might find. Folks tend to hold on to VW Diesels, so used ones are scarce... and I understand why people hold on to them; I'm quite fond of mine.

I have had "Thousand Dollar Car" by the Bottle Rockets running through my head:

www.cowboylyrics.com/tabs/bottle-rockets/1000-dollar-car-7967.html

[Red Two]

I set up a Pro board forum the other month for a couple particular, very limited-edition model kits so that those of us who bought them could share the experience, knowledge, triumphs and tragedies.

Proboards has posting/star/rank levels that are all customizable. I forget where the Gonk! break was here : 10 or 25 posts I would imagine... But 100 would seem to make some sense if Red 5 took the time to think a bunch of ranks all out and stuff. Only Admin can change those numbers. And then Admins and Moderators (like Red 5 and Obi-Shawn) get their ratings wiped in favor of their new static title.

Here's the board I set up should anyone be so inclined to have a look.
Clavius Shipyards
cmk15.proboards92.com/index.cgi

The Rank and Karma listing for that site is here:
Admin :: Mission Control, Clavius Shipyards :: Site Functions ::
cmk15.proboards92.com/index.cgi?board=sitefunctions&action=display&thread=1193627327

[Red Two]

Got the word from the adjuster... It's borderline totaled and my call to save or salvage.

All damage is purely cosmetic, yet still enough to total it out! Crazy.

I gotta think this weekend about it. I wanna get back on and ride it and I'd be sad to see it go. Yet, airbags and a steel cage are forefront in my mind right now. Maybe step into a real motorcycle next year...

A very tough decision.

[Red Two]

Totaled... Searching for 4 wheel alternative. Will return to 2 wheels sometime next year.

[Darth Marmalade]

Bummer about losing another vehicle, but I'll look forward to what you'll do with a bigger canvas! I'm still deciding what to do with Meerkat Six. Most likely hang onto it, patch the brakes, and only drive it to skiffy events for a while.

Edit: Oh! Ensign!

[Red Two]

So by 500 postings, maybe it goes up to Lt. J.G.!!!

Sheesh!

[Red Two]

Here she is. A 2003 Tiburon decked out w/ everything! (The side mirrors are even heated! Talk about oppulant!!!)

Unfortunately, I love her the way she is and cannot bear the thought of painting her -yet! That day will come, but after I've paid down several thousand dollars on the loan, have lived w/ her for a year or so, have come up with an ultimately killer design and have the time to do it utterly right.

For starters, I have to bring the current paint up to a mirror luster and kill the few nix and scratches that I do have.

However, stripes are forecast for the immediate future! Probably a simple coat of Reflec over the base paint to give her some better visibility at night. ... As a punk kid, 'stealth black' was cool. Now, as a middling 'old' man, high visibility is the watermark. ...Strange how you gain common sense w/ age!

This is the official end to the Macross bikes. As much as I loved them, they are now gone as I step into the world of the 4 wheeled vehicles. Another bike is in my future, but a few years down the road and only as a recreational function, not daily commutes!