Fast, loud, big block mother f@#kers. Four miles to a gallon? Who gives a shift. These are American Muscle Cars and they make our hearts race at higher rpms than recommended by law. This is porn of a different variety – one that is racy, but street legal and hauls some hot ass. From Vettes to Mustangs, Chevelles, Chargers, and Challengers, these machines of past and present are a true part of what makes the U.S.A great. Enjoy the metallic cheesecake and I’ll have more to come real soon! What’s your fave? Share with the readers!

Hey, you had or have a four wheeled beast? Tell me about it in the comments and send a pic if you have one! Now scroll down and enjoy the lust. And don’t worry, you won’t go blind, your dad just made crap that up.

Follow Us on Twitter for All Your Testosterone Filled Updates > www.twitter.com/planetZman

Metal, Chrome, & Testosterone

Recently I attended “Bike Night” at JR Cigars in Whippany, New Jersey, with my 13 year old son, Tommy. It was just the gorgeous, perfect night – blue sky and late summer temperatures as motorcycles of every size, make, year, design, and color descended upon the parking lot for four hours of high-tech nostalgia and testosterone.

I admittedly don’t ride or own a bike, but the middle age crazy, mid life yearning in me really wants to something fierce. I just love motorcycles and the unbridled freedom they represent. My friends who ride say that just like smoking a cigar, cruising on a bike unwinds the mind and recharges your batteries, allowing you to become one with the bike and your surroundings. My wife thinks I’m out of my f’ing mind but why would I expect her to understand? She loathes cigars even thought those checks I get to support the family come straight from the tobacco world.

Long hairs, throwbacks, and white-collar dudes joined in unison to hang and celebrate the age-old joy of “riding on the wind.” They came from all walks of life (Yeah, and that would be me, “posing” on a custom Harley.) It was a male bonding extravaganza and the smell of finely aged burning leaf wafted through the air as Tommy and I oogled and ah’d at many an amazing piece of machinery and art. Of course all of the true blue Harley’s were out in full force as well as some very cool Victory’s, but I was definitely impressed with many of the Japanese bikes that have taken on the American “bad-boy” look. Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasakia make some bikes I couldn’t believe weren’t American made as their engineering and style were flat out awesome. Then there were Triumphs, BMW’s, and some old Norton’s on display, as well as my all-time favorite, the Indian.

A few years ago, Indian Motorcycles went belly up. I decided to check the web and found out that the company has been reformed with a brand new headquarters and a state of the art manufacturing facility in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Four brand new 2009 gorgeous touring road models should be available this fall and that is just great news for a true American icon. You certainly don’t have to ride bikes to appreciate the amazing beauty and hand craftsmanship that goes into these masterpieces. Seems they’ve received a 30 million dollar cash infusion from investors, and the people at the top are hiring the best in the business at every position in order to bring this much heralded name back into the public eye. God I want one. Please mom and dad, oh can I please have an Indian for Christmas? Check ‘em out for yourself at: www.indianmotorcycle.com

There was this one dude, the classic rebel with the long white ponytail, dressed in the traditional biker garb and rode a beautiful “old school” style chopper that was in super mint condition despite being 40 years of age. With long handle bars, spoked wheels, a tiny little gas tank, chrome everywhere, and a rebellious gleaming swastika mounted above the sissy bar, this mutha was no wannabe poser as many an onlooker smiled in delight. And, the man was a perfect gentlemen which is definitely the norm at a gathering like this.

As riders of every type were in attendance, so was my pal, Dave Runfeldt, the honorable mayor of Lincoln Park, New Jersey (also Chiropractor extraordinaire and volunteer firefighter) and owner of a magnificent Harley Davidson Road King, special fireman’s edition. Emblazoned in screaming fire engine red and adorned with flames flowing up the fenders, this big boy turned a hell of a lot of heads – No, not Dave – the friggin’ bike, you dumbass!

And what bike rally wouldn’t be complete without the smokin’ hottie biker chicks clad in their short denim shorties, leather vests, and bulging twin-v’s. I give major kudos to the older gals – the plus 40 ladies who may have added a little umph to their personal cruising weight, but still had the moxie to parade their wares for a dad and his pubescent kid. It’s a pisser because Tommy tries to pretend he’s not looking but I’m sure he was feeling a tad warmer than usual on Friday night.

Incredible machines, tasty cigars, male camaraderie, and hot babes. Damn, what will they think of next?

Ride the wind, brother.

- ZMAN

Here’s the link for remaining 2010 bike and car shows at JR Cigars in Whippany, New Jersey…

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http://www.jrwhippany.com/index.cfm?page=events_bikecarshow_2010

• All shows 6-10pm
• Grillin’ and Chillin’ outside until 8pm cooking up burgers and dogs
• Beer Specials in the bar and lounge
• Free to spectators and car/bike owners

Clogged pipes?…Hidden wires?…Dead squirrel stuck in that damned heating vent again?

The very cool and innovative RIDGID® SeeSnake® micro™ Inspection Camera is one hell of a handy-dandy gizmo that allows you to perform detailed visual inspection in hard to reach areas. Its comfortable pistol grip design and forward facing controls make it easy to detect and diagnose the unreachable. Available with a 17mm camera head for general use or a 9.5mm camera head for up-close visual inspections in tight spaces, the SeeSnake micro Camera provides solutions whenever and wherever you need them.

Loved by builders, handymen, plumbers, and maybe even your proctologist! (Hey, that’s not funny.)

Specifications
Display: 2.4″ Color LCD (234 X 160 Resolution)
Camera Head: Aluminum 17mm Or Aluminum 9.5mm
Lighting: 1 or 2 Adjustable LEDs
Cable Reach: 3′(Expandable to 30′ w/optional extensions)
Video Output: 3′RCA Cable (included)
Waterproof: Camera & Cable to 10′ (when properly assembled)
Power Source: 4 AA Batteries (6 hrs. of continuous run-time)
Attachments: Mirror, Hook & Magnet
Weight: 1.2 lbs (0.5 kg)

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Wenger Swiss Army Knife

85 Cool Tools with 110 Uses

I can pretty much guarantee that the always delightful TSA employees at your local airport will snag this thing from your carry on like a pitbull on a kitten covered in chop meat. The insane and way cool Wenger Knife is 9 inches long, weighs 2 pounds, and any man alive can brag on end about having a tool like this.

Yep, 85 different tools and 110 uses make this the bad boy of Swiss knives the world over. It features the mainstays such as your Phillips and flat head screwdrivers, scissors, rulers, can opener, saws, and a universal wrench – but it also has some unique add-ons such as laser pointer, compass, tire tread gauge, golf club head cleaner, and – oh yeah… a freakin’ cigar cutter! At a whopping $800 retail, this may be the ultimate gift for the guy who has everything – including ridiculously oversized pockets. And don’t worry, they didn’t forget the trusty plastic toothpick!

As a kid, the utopian hideaway was none other than the back yard tree house. Thanks to Baumraum design of Germany, the ultimate hideaway is still the tree house – but dayum, have things changed.

I have got to say that this company makes the most outrageous man forts this world has ever known! Each is custom designed based upon the type of trees you have and the surrounding landscape. I mean look at these photos and tell me they are not the coolest things you have ever seen! They can seat six, sleep two and are insulated for all season use. They are stylish, fitted with modern amenities, and let me say that I would kill to have one in my back yard! Just think… the ultimate cigar club – just you connecting with nature while nursing a single malt and a hand rolled stogie, while listening to the ball game or just letting your mind wonder. (And it sure as hell could be a sweet little nookie palace, that’s for sure.)

The company refers to this as Treespace. The company website says: Treespace is a further development of the classical tree house. It combines the creative and constructive expertise of an architect with the long-standing experience of a landscape architect, a tree expert, and established, reputable craftsmen. It’s a compact entity for relaxing, working, playing, sleeping. “Treespace” shall combine a modern room feeling and construction technique with the sensory perception of nature. It is supposed to give an understanding of the vitality of the tree and its topology and to confront the “treespace user” with nature’s alteration of the seasons.

The Baumraum Tree house just may be the pinnacle in gifts for the dude who has everything – or maybe not even quite everything – and for $60,000 you can have one for your very own. Chump change. This 21st Century arbor hut has Joyce Kilmer grinning from the heavens.

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ROCK BAND 2

Rock Band 1 was insane – RB2 is a step beyond the insanity. For those of you not familiar, it’s like Guitar Hero, but add drums, bass guitar, and a mic and all you’re left with is coming up with a ganrley name for your band of misfit cretins. Hey I like that – Misfit Cretins. My old band was the Cunning Runts… or was it the Running – nevermind. Anyway the new game will feature an eclectic mix of 100 rock tunes from the 60’s through today, But get this…with ongoing weekly DLC releases including individual tracks, track packs and full albums, by the end of 2008, the game’s music library will feature more than 500 tunes … Alice In Chains, Bob Dylan, Metallica, Devo, Judas Priest, Billy Idol, RUSH, the Allman Brothers, and Motorhead to delight and confuse your senses! I’ve heard the drums are better, the guitars are wireless, and available first on X-Box 360 for sixty bucks, then follow up on PS3 and Wii.

From Wikipedia – Rock Band 2 received highly positive reviews from several publications 1UP.com likened it to a “system update” rather than an entirely new game, describing it as “a collection of interface tweaks and non earth shattering new features designed to make the Rock Band experience more enjoyable and less frustrating”. The “No Fail” mode has been recognized as a very useful feature for balancing the skill levels of players at different levels.

Dudes, I got the credit card out and I’m banging my skull with devil horns held high… Rock on, bruthas!

The folks at Ridgid Tools have picked the winner to our recent contest and the lucky dude is…

DON FEESE of Pennsylvania

CONGRATULATIONS Don, I think you’re gonna love these fantastic tools! And thanx to everyone for entering – and don’t worry, more FREE swag is on the way for our next kick-ass giveaway!

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FIVE-PIECE RIDGID X3 Combo Tool Kit Valued at $500 Goes to One Very Lucky Winner!

The good people at Ridgid Tools really dig Planet Zman and are prepared to give one of you a shot at walking away with a full set of the toughest and most innovative power tools anywhere!

EASY TO ENTER… JUST CLICK ON THE RIDGID AD BOX ON THE TOP RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS SITE and take 30 seconds to fill out the official entry form.The X3 line is the third generation of cordless tools from RIDGID and this combo kit REALLY just might be yours! And, this offer is EXCLUSIVE to the PZ site! But like anything else, you gotta be in it to win it! And it’s so easy to play guys… All you’ve got to do is CLICK & fill out the form – That’s it! Contest ends January 23, 2008 and you can enter up to ten times! (Sorry to my Canadian brother, but U.S. residents only for this one!) CLICK HERE > for the Official Contest Rules.

Now if you aren’t registered on this here PLANET ZMAN site, you just might want to. I mean how else you gonna find out who wins as well as all the other great giveaways I’ll be having? Jeez, don’t be a lazy-ass…spend another 30 seconds and

CLICK HERE> to become an OFFICIALLY REGISTERED PLANET ZMAN MEMBER!

RIDGID IS THE OFFICIAL TOOL SUPPLIER OF PLANET ZMAN!

ABOUT the X3 Five Piece Combo Kit
RIDGID has launched a new line of 18 volt power tools that are Best In Class, and according to the Zman, “Kick Total Ass!” These tools bring new and innovative features and improved ergonomics that will no doubt give guys who love to build stuff a few extra inches on their tape measure! Shwing!

X3 HAMMER DRILL
• Most Compact ad strongest on the market
• The most torque in its class

X3 CIRCULAR SAW
• Fastest in its class @ 4,400 rpms
• First to have a right side blade which greatly improves site line visibility
• High strength and light weight

X3 RECIPROCATING SAW
• The only reciprocating saw with orbital action making it the fastest in its class

X3 IPACT DRIVER
• Highest torque amongst all cordless impact drivers @ 1450 in. lb.
• Die cast gear case

X3 WORK LIGHT
• Unique Pivoting head design
• Uses standard 5 watt florescent light bulb

The X3 KIT also comes with two high capacity lithium ion batteries

And of course it’s backed with Ridgid’s LIFETIME SERVICE AGREEMENT! COVERED for LIFE – Free parts and service for life.

Cirbin V13R

Is it a motorcycle? Is it a hotrod? What the bloody hell? Am I f@#king seeing things? These should be the FAQ’s on Campagna Motor Sports of Canada’s website. These crazy, brilliant, insane people have developed the Cirbin V13R, a totally street legal machine, unlike anything on the road today.

This head turning, neck-wrenching vehicle is built for fun, speed, looks, handling and safety and it is without a doubt the wildest thing on three wheels. It features a reverse trike configuration and rear propulsion powered by a Harley Davidson, liquid cooled, Twin V-Rod engine. This screaming little son of a bitch seats two comfortably, weighs 1,000 lbs, has a sequential five-speed transmission, and tops out at 130mph. It’s available in three colors: Inferno red, Bright Silver, and Brilliant Black and comes with a mere $40,000 price tag. Oh yeah – it will definitely get you laid. Trust me.

Tissot T-Touch Expert Titanium
The Swiss are known for their humongous snow-covered mountains, gut expanding chocolate, cheese with holes, and spectacularly crafted timepieces to adorn the wrist. The Tissot T-Touch is definitely the Man’s Man watch, made for climbing a glacier, backpacking the Black Forest, or searing ribeyes on the back patio grill. It is girthy, hefty, weighty, and tough as an iceberg with a Titanium rotating bezel, anti-reflective scratch-resistant tactile sapphire crystal, and is water-resistant to 100 m. It boasts a range of innovative functions that you may never use, but they are there just in case Kilimanjaro starts a calling. At $1,100 it is a serious watch that just might get you noticed at the Navy Seals special training facility. Of course you’ll have to put the goddamned beer down first.

Taylor Made Tour Burner Driver
Golf technology is getting completely out of hand. With clubs and balls that have the average double bogie shmuck hitting 300 yards, pretty soon a 620-yard dogleg just may become a short par 4.

And now Taylor Made has the Tour Burner Driver that makes the weekend knucklehead feel like people should be telling him, “You da man!” The Taylor web page says, “The Tour Burner driver is engineered to help the average golfer generate tour-caliber launch conditions in order to promote tour-caliber distance.” And as you might expect, it carries a $400 tour caliber price tag. The technology behind it is amazing, but who really cares? I mean do you need to be an expert in electricity or do you just flip the light switch? Well, then just flip on the Burner and you will definitely start heating up the course.

- ZMAN

Now I’m not a gear-head by any means and I don’t even change my own oil (I know…douche.) But god dammit, I know what I dig, and the one car that has always given me a major-league woody is the Corvette. I love every model starting from 1953 right through to today’s sleek new beast. And from what I’ve been reading, the new Vette, starting with the base model, kicks asphalt, and the revived ZR1 with its supercharged 638-hp 6.2-liter V8 engine shreds mother earth as we know it. Yes, 638 horse power is sick in so many ways, and if you have the $102,000 to splash down on this behemoth, well, you are probably equally as sick.

Motor Trend Magazine asked Corvette Vehicle Line executive Tom Wallace why – why produce an insane vehicle like the ZR1? His answer… “Because we can. We have the technology inside General Motors to do a car that can go up against any supercar from around the world. I can’t wait to take on any Porsche with this car, and we’re going to be right in there with the Ferrari [599s] and Lamborghini [Murcielagos].”

Not in the market for a 6-figure sports car? The base model is still a killer machine – a slightly revised body style, a bit more compact with sleeker lines and a little more of a Euro feel. All base Corvettes have a 430-hp 6.2-liter V8 engine and start at around $48,000, with the convertible starting at $52,550. But, only 2,000 ZR1’s will go into production so you’d better start that part time paper route pretty soon, fella.

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Titleist Gran Z Golf Balls

These crazy balls are affectionately known as the Japanese ProV and only available in the land of Godzilla and Mothra. And what’s even crazier is that our friends of the rising sun pay over $80 a dozen for them. But if you do a little Google search, places like Ebay and others have them at better pricing – including a plethora of used ones. The hype is that the ball has a hard cover with a soft core, projects low spin, and your drives will fly high and straight (just the way I USED to fly – but 20 years of marriage will beat the life out of any poor bastid.) Many have boasted an additional 10-15 yards on their drives, but some don’t like the feel around the greens and claim the ball doesn’t hold well. I’m not a really big hitter, but always straight so this kind of ball sounds perfect for my style of play (especially with a superlative moniker such as “Grand Z.”) Actually my biggest problem is never being able to clear the rotating fan on that f@#king windmill.

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The Godfather Collection DVD Giftset

The Francis Ford Coppala Restoration
I’m gonna make an offer you can’t refuse. All three epics (well, I could actually do without #3) have been painstakingly restored for Blu Ray and retail for sixty-three bucks. The color of the cinematography beautifully pops, Coppala does some very interesting commentaries, and hey – it’s just plain old great to watch these ruthless bastards whack each other into oblivion, over and over. I couldn’t believe I sat through this again for the hundreth time – I mean for crissakes, just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. What a great Godfather marathon party you could have for all of your wise guy pals. And, uh, hey… don’t forget the cannoles.

Burton Love Boards Series – BURTON / PLAYBOY Collaboration

Now you can glide your hot ass through the cold drifts as snowboard maker Burton and Playboy have teamed up to create the Burton Love Series which should be shredding the slopes sometime in late 2008. You can really “bone-up” on your skills as Burton has pushed the envelope with their controversial “bare it all” designs. These awesome boards feature all the latest technology without any of that overrated clothing getting in the way. And the beauty of it all is that you can ride these honeys all day long and they never talk back!

Burton 2008 Love Snowboard Features:

* SHAPE: Twin
* FLEX: Twin
* BASE: Sintered Vision
* CORE: Park Fly II™ Core with Dualzone™ EGD™ and Negative Profile
* FIBERGLASS: NEW Dual Density Triax™ Response
* SIDEWALLS: 10:45™
* EDGES: NEW Park Edge with Rail Ready™ Tune
* EXTRAS: Pro-Tip™, Elliptical Kicks, and Infinite Ride™

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Colibri Xtreme II High Altitude Lighter

If Bear Grylls of Man vs. Wild or Les Stroud, the Survivorman happen to enjoy a good stogie, well, then this is the lighter that will give them both a petrified woodie. Colibri claims this blue-flame torch lighter is the world’s first “high altitude lighter” and works up to 13,000 feet. Plus they claim it is waterproof and will light your precious puro even in the most severest of howling winds. The case has a built-in compass, lanyard, stainless steel belt clip and screw on/off cap.

Now if only it will work after 3 months of use, only time will tell. (If you’re an avid cigar smoker and user of torch lighters, you know what the hell I’m talking about.)

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The Micro-Max 19-in-1 Multi-Tool

This little sucker looks like the Transformer’s Optimus Prime’s baby brother, but in reality is an amazing self contained tool kit that blows away your everyday Swiss Army Knife. It’s rugged, strong, durable, and when folded down, it fits in the palm of your hand. For thirteen bucks you’ve got yourself a regulation, handy-dandy tool kit you can take anywhere. As long as it’s not one of those bad-guy robots, you’ll be just fine. Megan Fox not included. (Damn)
* 2 Hex Wrenches (1/4″, 7/16″)
* 6 Screwdrivers (#0,1,2 Flat and #0,1,2 Phillips)
* Pliers
* Bottle Opener
* Wire Cutter & Stripper
* Wire Crimper
* Hand Drill
* File
* 2 Rulers (mm and inch)
* 2 Ruler Extensions (mm and inch)
* Solid Stainless Steel
* Quick Release from Key Ring