It’s been a week since our traveling trio completed their voyage to California. So far as I can tell, nobody got twrenchfoot and the funhouse motel didn’t consume anyone. While we wait to hear about the final chapter of this crazy trip, we did get an update from Jason and Otto. The duo paired up with Sally for a day at Disneyland. Because Jason is Jason, he honed in on a random cylinder block at the Millenium Falcon ride. As it turns out, this may be a low-key easter egg that only some gearheads will ever notice.
Disney’s Imagineers have some amazing attention to detail. I share Jason’s wonderment about the theming of Disney parks. Some theme parks may populate an area with themed buildings and foliage, but Disney goes to a level that boggles the mind. Perhaps this is best illustrated with this engine block prop that Jason found in the line for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
This is clearly a real engine part but dressed up to look like something from outer space. Despite that, there were still enough cues for our investigative commenters to not only figure the puzzle out but point out that it must be an easter egg.
There were a lot of good answers to this, including funny ones like “Thundercougarfalconbird” from sentinelT. But after some research, it appears that CSRoad solved this impromptu Parts Bin Puzzle.
I’m thinking Suzuki Hayabusa cylinder block with the head face downwards.
It has that feel to it despite the makeup job.
It’s most likely the cylinder block from a Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle but turned over. Check out these ‘Busa blocks from parts listings:
This would be cool and obscure enough, but readers pointed out that Hayabusa means falcon, or specifically a Peregrine falcon. Considering all of the engine blocks just sitting in junkyards and on eBay, it seems way too much of a coincidence that the Imagineers chose one from a vehicle that translates to falcon for a ride about the Millennium Falcon. This has to be some super obscure easter egg. CSRoad wins COTD for that awesome sleuthing.
Honorable mention goes to A. Barth, for this clever joke about Jason losing to Otto at a game of Dejarik:
“I swear that kid cheated.”
Let the Otto win.
Dads don’t pull peoples’ arms off when they lose.
Our readers are just too good at this. I bet these people could even identify a self-sealing stem bolt. A. Barth got a sensible chuckle out of me, and CSRoad made my mouth drop. Never change, you crazy, lovely people.
“Considering all of the engine blocks just sitting in junkyards and on eBay, it seems way too much of a coincidence that the Imagineers chose one from a vehicle that translates to falcon for a ride about the Millennium Falcon. This has to be some super obscure easter egg. ”
There actually may have been some level of coincidence with using the ‘busa blocks. Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando used busa-powered cars for their car-based stunt show. This show was shut down for the creation of the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in 2016. The show had ~40 cars per the wiki link below, so they would have had an abundance of these blocks sitting around. So it may have been a combination of happy coincidence along with someone realizing that “hey, Hayabusa means falcon!”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lights,_Motors,_Action!:_Extreme_Stunt_Show
That show was pretty awesome. There were many smokey drifts and burnouts, along with explosions and jumps in forward and reverse! It was almost like live gymkhana.
The cars were tube framed and about 3/4 scale, topped with a fiberglass body resembling an everyday Opel hatchback. Of course, they were powered by a Hyabusa engine with 6 speed sequential.
The thing that really made them special is that they could do something no other drift car can:
The driver had a simple rally style shifter topped with a t-handle. If the driver were to twist the handle, the car would shift into reverse, with the same 6 gears and top speed as going forward.
At least one car was fitted with a reversed mounted body, for very bizarre looking high speed jumps.
“I bet these people could even identify a self-sealing stem bolt.”
You mean the bolt that when placed within the hydraulic rod mechanism seals the chamber from the gasses without additional rings or casings? That self-sealing stem bolt? Any Andorian kid could rattle this off the top of their head.
I need to stop rewatching the “bad” Berman shows…
I know everyone hates on him these days but those are some of my favorite ST shows.
I just want to say, I identified the possible source, but there was real team work involved with nailing down examples in the wild and eventually the series of cylinder blocks. Then there was the Falcon connection, Disney may be deeper than I thought. This is a great place with good people with at least one thing in common. (-:
Jeez I almost forgot, thanks to Torch for tossing the target in the air.
Someone should sneak in some AU Ford Falcon parts, then it will truly be a ‘Millennium Falcon’!
“She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.”
I mean you could just do a US Ford falcon, no need to bring anything that far. Just gotta be older.
Ah, but the AU model Falcon was sold between 1998 and 2002, so it was a true ‘Millennium’ Falcon 🙂
“twrenchfoot”
I. Love. This. 😀
CSRoad definitely rocked it with that identification. \m/
And thank you for the kind words. It’s nice to be around other like-minded people. 🙂
This is so cool. Heading to Florida soon and I hope they have this there too so I can shed some dad facts on my 10 year old.
Out-nerding kids nowadays is pretty difficult.