Category Archives: Auto Manufacturing

Auto Factoids for the Week of 3/29/2015

By | | , , , , ,
Leave a comment

Here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids) to finish out March and kick off April 2015.

 

March 29, 1980 – Audi introduced their all wheel drive

1980 Quattro - Not a bad looking car at that!!!

1980 Quattro – Not a bad-looking car at that!!!

Here are some specs for the Quattro:

Engine     2.1 L I5 SOHC 10v

Transmission     5-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase     99.4 in
Length     173.4 in
Width     67.8 in
Height     53.0 in
Curb weight  2,844 to 2,976 lb

 

April 1, 1970 AMC debuts the Gremlin.

 

1970 Gremlin. Fastback or 'no back"

1970 Gremlin. Fastback or ‘no back“

 

I bet AMC never envisioned this:

OH...MAN!!!!

OH…MAN!!!!

 

Or this:

BTW..this doesn't end well!!

BTW..this doesn’t end well for the suspension.

 

 

April 1, 1964 Plymouth shows off the Barracuda – There were 23,443 Barracuda produced (called Glassback) and was based on Plymouth’s Valiant platform.

1964 Barracuda - Glassback.

1964 Barracuda – Glassback.

 

April 1, 1961 the very collectable Amphicar debuted – I saw my first Amphicar when I was about 9 or 10.  Grew up on the Great Sacandaga Lake in the Adirondack of upstate New York. The car drove down the beach and right into the water.  Coolest thing I’d seen up to then!!

 

 

The Quandt Group made only 4000 between '61-'68

The Quandt Group made only 4000 between ’61-’68

 

April 2, 1879   Walter P. Chrysler was Born in Kansas.

Walter P with a Chrysler Six

Walter P with a Chrysler Six

 

 

April 2, 1889  Charles Hall patent Aluminum.  –  It was actually a process made extracting Aluminum less expensive.  It involved passing an electric current through a bath of alumina dissolved in cryolite, which results in a puddle of aluminum forming in the bottom of the retort. (Come on…tell me you didn’t want to know that!!!!)  Unfortunately a French guy – Paul Héroult was working on the same process. (No way?!!?!   Way!!!) so the named the process after both “Hall-Heroult process’.

From a puddle in the bottom of a retort to the Ford F150….that’s progress!!!  Thanks Mr. Hall and French guy!!!

Inexpensive method for producing aluminum

Inexpensive method for producing aluminum

 

 

Thanks for reading.  If you like #AutoFactoids – share them!!

 

Tim

 

Jeffrey Faber · Top Commenter

Put on the top of the list the Walter P. Chrysler museum in Auburn Hills, which houses three floors of classic and concept vehicles. Currently, it is open only to employees of Fiat-Chrysler, and occasional special events. The Piquette Plant in Detroit …

walter p chrysler museum

 

Saleen Unveils its 730HP 302 Black Label Mustang via reddit.com

By | | , , , , ,
Leave a comment

 

We have always known that we wanted to create the most powerful production Mustang we have ever built,” explained Sven Etzelsberger, the Vice President of Saleen engineering. “I can happily say that we have accomplished this goal with great success.” And how do we measure success with the 2015 Black Label Mustang? Let us count the ways.

Black Label

Black Label

 

One, the Saleen Black Label will capable of 730 horsepower through its 5.0 Coyote engine by utilizing a twin-screw supercharger. This is a good bit more than the 640 horsepower we were expecting. Two, it will also come with 600 lb-ft of torque that will be eloquently put down to the tarmac with a set of staggered 20-inch tires. Three, as with anything this capable of speed, it must also slow down just as quick, which is taken care of with a set of 15-inch rotors and multi-piston brakes.

 

Finish the count don’t at:  Saleen Unveils its 730HP 302 Black Label Mustang via reddit.com.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

saleen black label mustang

 

Fahrenheit Z06: The Max Operating Temps for the Corvette Z06 Are Insane – Feature – Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

By | | , , , , , , ,
Leave a comment

From the March 2015 issue of Car and Driver

via Fahrenheit Z06: The Max Operating Temps for the Corvette Z06 Are Insane – Feature – Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog.

The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 posts some impressive performance numbers thanks to its 650-hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8. It also posts some impressive BTUs. A byproduct of that flame-breathing engine is heat, and lots of it, generated ­primarily by combustion, friction, and intake-air compression. These and other factors, such as the low hoodline and pinched frontal openings demanded by stylists and aero engineers, contribute to the complex thermal-management task faced by engineers working on nearly all of this car’s varied subsystems. To assure that the Z06’s maximum performance is attended by minimal risk of failure, GM p­erformed heat-related stress analysis and modeling, as well as conventional hot-weather testing in Arizona. Here’s a look at the maximum operating temperatures of Z06 components:

Fahrenheit-Z06-inline3

These are some extreme temp and they will be higher during an Arizona summer

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Tim

 

2015 z06

Chicago Auto Show: 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

With an MSRP of about $79,000, but with trim levels that’ll take up much closer to $100K, the 2015 Z06 doesn’t mess around with measly six cylinder engines that pretend to be powerful with aid of umpteen turbochargers. It offers a massive, supercharged …
2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06: Top 10 Reasons it Shatters the Supercar Category

Racing Tires for the Street: Michelin engineered two tire options for the 2015 Z06. The standard Pilot Super Sport ZPs are sized 285/30ZR19 in front and 335/25ZR20 in back. A Z06 with the Z07 performance option gets Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZP tires in the …

Auto Factoids for the Week of 2/22/2015 – Firebird, Thunderbird, AMX

By | | , , , , , ,
1 Comment

Got a few huge debuts this week’s Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids), so lets get started.

 

Feb 23, 1954 – Ford shows off the Thunderbird for the first time.

Although the Thunderbird wasn’t available until 1955 it was in design.  Originally it was going to be called the Vega!!

1955 T-Bird

1955 T-Bird

 

Feb 23, 1967 – Pontiac debuts the Firebird

The brain child of John Delorean the Firebird started out as the Banshee in two versions (XP 833 convertible or Hard top coupe).  1966 it was a two seater referred to as XP-798.

 

Look some what familar? Corvette maybe?

Look some what familar? Corvette maybe?

Pontiac brass thought so too and these concepts were not approved.

Pontiac brass thought so too and these concepts were not approved.

The XP 798 Firebird concept.

The XP 798 Firebird concept.

1967 Firebird

1967 Firebird

 

 

Feb 24, 1968 – American Motors debuts the AMX

1969 Hurst version...NICE!!!

1969 Hurst version…NICE!!!

 

Feb 25, 1905 – Jose Piquero crossed the Andes in a Caddy!!

Had to dig for this one. Found it on http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org.   Back in 1905 a Cadillac was the first car to cross the Andes (the mountain range not Andes, New York) that happened on Feb 25th, but I don’t know why, nor does anyone else seem to know.  I can tell you  the Andes are in South American and average about 14,000 feet in altitude.  The ’05 (that’s 1905 not 2005) Caddy was, well, let’s say “airy”.   That ‘brave’ (pronounced ‘Crazy’) soul was Jose Piquero. But wait, some sources say it wasn’t a Caddy at all, but a Oldsmobile.

So I would imagine in either ride the trip was a tad bit chilly.

1905 Olds

1905 Olds

1905 Caddy

1905 Caddy

 

Feb 27, 1934 – Ralph “Corvair Killer” Nader was born in Conn.

You can celebrate that (anyone?  Bueller, Bueller…) if you absolutely can’t find another reason to have an adult beverage.  I wonder if he fell out of a car seat when he was young?

1962 Lakewood

1962 Lakewood

The last Corvair Vert.

The last Corvair Vert.

I'm seeing the Corvair but can't help notice the Nova's on the rail car.

I’m seeing the Corvair but can’t help notice the Nova’s on the rail car.

 

Feb 28,  1940  – Mario Andretti born in Montona, Italy

Mario Andretti

Mario Andretti

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

1955 thunderbird specs1967 firebird specs

Engine Mini-Series – Ford’s 410

By | | , , , , , , , ,
Leave a comment

I love engines!!!  Not just the big block, but some of the off beat, lower production/limited use, power plants.   Of course that’s one of the great things about our hobby – there is a wide variety to choose from.

I haven’t writing a post in this series in some time, but just the other day, while on my hunt for a new project car, I ran across a Mercury project that had a 410 as the engine. I bet even if you are a die-hard Ford guy, you might not have run into this engine.  This prompted me to do a little research which further prompted me to write what I found.

 

The 410 from a 1966 Mercury.

The 410 from a 1966 Mercury.

 

Most engines are derived from an engineered design that came before it.   The 410 came in two different series.  Produced from 1958 to 1968 it was part of the MEL series.  MEL was Ford’s designation for Mercury, Edsel and Lincoln.  From 1968 through 1976 it was in the FE series.  The early MEL series 410 was used exclusively in the 1958 Edsel Corsair and Citation.  It was also called the E-475 for it’s 475 foot-pounds of torque.  It sported a 4.20 bore and a 3.70 stroke and a compression ratio of 10.5:1.  Top that with 4 barrel Holly and it would produce, finish it off with dual exhaust you’ve got enough power to pull around those big Edsels.

The FE Series 410 was essentially Ford’s 390 (as was the 406) only given a bump in the stroke length (0.20″) to 3.98″ from the 390’s 3.78″.  It used the same heads as the 390 (2.04 intake and 1.57 exhaust valves).  Topped with a cast iron intake manifold and a Ford carb, it produced 330 horse power.

 

The MEL Series 410 was, as stated above, only installed in Edsel’s Cosair and Citation and that was only for 1958. That would make it an extremely limited use engine.  It was a 4v Carb, produced about 345 horse power and 475 ft-lbs of torque with a compression ratio of 10.5:1.

The FE Series was also used in just two years, 1966 & 1967 and in just one sub-brand, Mercury. For those years the 410 carried a 4v carb produced 330 horse power and put done 444 ft-lbs of torque using 10.5:1 compression.

 

Production number for the 1958 Corsair was 9,987 units.  For the Citation 9,299 units were produced.  Together those tells you that there were about 20,286 for the 410 engines produced in the MEL version.  I wasn’t able to find true production numbers for the FE series.

 

I haven’t check into the availability of parts for either 410 Series, but the MEL would seem unique and difficult source, however the FE shared most of the FE 390 engine.  I do know that the MEL series engines had unique cylinder heads.  The heads and block were milled at a 10 degree angle, giving them a wedge-shaped combustion chamber.

I did, in fact, pass on the project that prompted this post.

 

Thanks for reading.  And if you have any additional information or want to share your project.  Post here or on twitter (@AGCarRestore) or Facebook  Average Guy’s Car Restoration, Mods and Racing.

 

Tim

 

where to find ford MEL 462 parts? – Hotrodders.com

I dont really want to pull the engine out of the car because i got an estimate on machine work, and the numbers are to high for my salary, Is there anything i can do to flush out the coolant ports(im not sure what the technical …
Eaton Balancing » The Ford Y-Block engine

With the introduction of the FE and MEL engines in 1958, lessons had been learned in regards to exhaust valve placement and the new engines remedied this issue by either placing intake valves next to each other at the …

ford mel engines

 

 

Auto Factoids for the Week of Jan 18, 2015

By | | , , , , ,
Leave a comment

Here is your Auto Factoids for the week of Jan 18, 2015.  It as a slow week in automotive history.

1/20/1942 – Chevy ceases producing cars for World War II.

 

1/21/1954    – First gas turbine displayed in New York.  It was by GM and it was the Turbo-Crusier Bus

 

GM Gas Turbine Bus

GM Gas Turbine Bus

 

1/24/1964 – Volvo debuts the P1800.

The P1800

The P1800

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#AutoFactoids

Janesville’s GM plant to close

Turbocruiser, world’s first gas turbine bus, introduced GM Desert Proving Ground, Mesa, Ariz., established. 1961—Buick introduced first American V-6 passenger car engine. 1962—GM produced its 75,000,000th U.S.-made vehicle. Number of General Motors’ …
Volvo Expands Swedish Production, Honors 50 Years of Torslanda Plant

Today Volvo opened a new manufacturing plant and body shop at its production facility in Torslanda, Sweden, exactly 50 years after the original Volvo Torslanda plant opened on April 24, 1964. The new body shop will build the new 2015 Volvo XC90 SUV …

 

 

ABANDONED!!! 1939 Packard Henny Hearse – Update 6/24/20

By | | , , , , ,
1 Comment

Five years later this car is now spruced up and sits outside the Boot Hill Gift Shop in the “Town too Tough to Die”  Tombstone, AZ. !

 

I don’t know too many car peeps that don’t have a soft spot for abandoned cars.  Either they stir up distant memories of years gone by or inspire you to think of all the possibilities for that misused piece of iron.  One of my hobbies is to photograph abandoned car when I get the chance.  Whether they are just sitting in a junk yard, or field or even being used as advertising they mark the passage of time.

On the outskirts of Tombstone, AZ. is where you’ll find this car.  It’s easy to spot as it is the ‘landmark’ advertising car to get you to stop at the Boot Hill gift shop.  Clearing abandoned at some point, it was dragged to its current post many years ago and is a bit of a tourist attraction.

 

Greeting you at the edge of the town "that's too tough to die" Tombstone, AZ is this 1939 Packard.

Greeting you at the edge of the town “that’s too tough to die” Tombstone, AZ is this 1939 Packard.

 

 

As you can tell it purely used as prop now.

As you can tell it purely used as prop now.

 

This Packard 120 still retains it 288 Straight Eight engine. Look like with a little TLC it will roar to life.

This Packard 120 still retains it 288 Straight Eight engine. Look like with a little TLC it will roar to life.

 

The 288 (sometime called the Super Eight) produced 150 hps. Not a lot for all that American Steel.

The 288 (sometime called the Super Eight) produced 150 HP. Not a lot for all that American steel.  But speed wasn’t a factor when you are headed to the local ‘boot hill’.

 

It's a fair piece to bring a body to Tombstone, AZ from Texas.

It’s a fair piece to bring a body to Tombstone, AZ from Texas.

 

Although the Arizona heat is tough on car interiors this one still retains all of its details.

Although the Arizona heat is tough on car interiors this one still retains all of its details.  Has the shift column and I’m betting the new for 1939 Overdrive.

 

Henny began using the Packard chassis 1937 replacing the stretched Model A chassis.

Henny began using the Packard chassis 1937 replacing the stretched Model A chassis.

 

This old hearse has a ton of character and prominent place at the edge of town.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

On The Road To Pebble Beach In A 1939 Packard

One by one, the engines of 22 classic cars come alive. Some cough with a wheeze, some need coaxing and some hum with precision. Whatever their personality, they all start. This is the first miracle of the road trip. Gathered in a semi-circle around …

Powers, beloved journalist, dies at 93

Murphy owns a 1939 Packard Super 8 Henney Hearse and Powers always wanted a ride in it. Murphy was willing, but somehow it never worked out. A funeral has yet to be scheduled at St. John’s Cathedral, but Murphy vows that when it happens, Powers will …

 

 

 

60,000 Classic American Cars, and Three Good Ones

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

So many times I have marveled at the seeming multitudes of vintage American cars in the country of Cuba. There’s never been a lot of press on these cars but now that some of the barriers are down, I’m hoping there is a lot to learn about the car culture that as grown our of necessity.  I’m not expecting to see a vintage Buick with the original V8 and perfect body and interior.  I am hoping to see is what has been done to these cars.  Some purists would might not be able stomach what has been accomplished but it is truly a unique sub-culture that has flourished on its own without all the trapping we have surrounding our beloved hobby.

 

The article below is from CarGurus blog via Throttel Response.

Cuban Car Culture

Cuban Car Culture

 

The cars of Cuba are somewhat legendary in the United States, because the vehicles that roamed the roads there in the 1950s are the same ones being driven today. Since we’re not allowed to go there, very few of us have seen them in person, yet we know they exist.

Does that mean American collectors should start salivating over the prospect of virtually untouched classics if Cuba and the U.S. become friends again?

Probably not. The 1959 Cuban revolution essentially put an end to imports of American cars, so Cubans have had to make do for the last 55 years with what they had, or buy Soviet-era imports. That means no new parts, no new cars and lots of Chevrolets and Buicks running with Soviet-made engines.

With over a half-century of neglect and little real maintenance, it’s a miracle that somewhere around 60,000 of these classics are still being driven. If the U.S. and Cuba do rekindle their old flame, it won’t be the Americans who benefit.

 

Read the rest at 60,000 Classic American Cars, and Three Good Ones.

 

I believe I have a few readers that may have first hand knowledge of the Cuban car culture.  I’m always looking for more information.  Have any images?  Contact me via this blog and we’ll make a deal.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

Could Classic Cuban Cars Be En Route to the United States?

For years, importing cars between the United States and Cuba has been illegal, forcing Cuban mechanists to be resourceful in fixing up old cars. With the recent easing of trade embargoes between the two countries, Cuba’s vintage cars could now be a …
Cuba’s scrappy vintage cars may be better for scrap heap than collectors

“I can see the first couple of cars that are shiny and have some sort of interesting drive-train – Russian tractor diesel, for instance – bringing $50,000 or so at a Barrett-Jackson auction, if they are the first Cuban cars to sell publicly in the US …
Classic Cuban Cars Coming to US? Think Again

Classic Cuban Cars Coming to US? Think Again. By: Chris Cybulski; 12/19/2014 10:09 AM; ShareThis Facebook Tweet Email; Text size: + -. TWC News: Lower Restrictions to Bring Changes to Cuba Play now. Time Warner Cable video customers:

This Fascinating VW Prototype Would Have Been Revolutionary

By | | , , ,
Leave a comment

By the late ’60s, VW was in a legitimate full-on panic about replacing the Beetle: somehow, they never really managed to figure this out. The Beetle was just selling too well for too long to worry until it was almost too late. Eventually, the Golf saved the day, but there was a brief moment where it looked like VW’s salvation would be much weirder.After VW bought NSU and Audi in the late ’60s, the much more conventional water-cooled, transverse front-engined Golf/Rabbit was derived from NSU/Audi designs and saved VW’s bacon, as well as set the company’s fundamental technical DNA to this day. But this was a sort of last-minute desperation plan. The goal of replacing the Beetle as VW’s core product went back much further, and almost culminated in a surprisingly sophisticated and unusual car, the EA266 prototype.

via This Fascinating Stillborn VW Prototype Would Have Been Revolutionary.

 

ES-266

EA-266

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Tim

Auto Factoids for Week of Dec 14, 2014

By | | , , , ,
1 Comment

Dec 15, 1861  Charles Duryea was born in Canton, Ohio.  He grew up to be an engineer and with his brother Frank, they began production bicycles.  By 1893 they test driving the first U.S. gasoline powered vehicle.  It was a used horse drawn buggy they purchased fro $70.00.  It sported a single cylinder 4HP engine with friction transmission, spray carburetor and low tension ignition.  The car was then stored in 1894 and found and given to a museum.

Charles and Frank - left to right in there first car.

Charles and Frank – left to right in there first car.

1994 Duryea

1894 Duryea

 

These brother went on to create Duryea “Motor Wagon Company” and produced 13 hand-made cars out of their garage.  These were the first commercially produced automobiles in the U.S.   This wasn’t their only ‘first’.   The Duryea car won the first American car race and was involved in the first traffic accident.   Charles and Frank parted ways in 1898 and Charles died in 1938.  Frank formed the Hampden Car company. To actually produce the cars brother Frank sought out the services of J. Stevens of J. Stevens Arms and Tool Company.  This eventually lead to the Stevens-Duryea cars being produced.

This is the Model C Touring car. Production continued until 1927.

This is the Model C Touring car. Production continued until 1927.

 

 

New York City creates the first one way street Dec 17th 1791.

 

Ford names Lee Iacocca as president 10/18/1970.

 

Dec 20, 1892 Pneumatic automobile tire patented.  The original patented was by Robert William Thomson who invented the first pneumatic tire but apparently never caught on, however, John Dunlap’s did.

Harvey Firestone was born in Columbia County, Ohio on Dec 20, 1868.    After high school Harvey  worked for the Columbus Buggy Company .  In 1890 before starting his own company making rubber tires for carriages.  By 1900 he began marketing tires for automobiles and then founded the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, a pioneer in the mass production of tires. In 1926 he published a book, Men and Rubber:

Sears, Roebuck & Co show off the Kaiser built Allstate, Dec 20, 1951.  The Allstate was built on Kaiser-Frazer platform and marketed by Sears.   It was a 2 door, fastback and came in a Series 4 and Series 6 with several different trim levels.

The Allstate

The Allstate

 

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#AutoFactoids

 

Auto Factoids for Week of June 8, 2014

Let’s get right to the glory and the tragic historical events of this weeks Auto Factoids. June 10, 1927 the Graham brothers purchased Paige-Detroit Motor.
 
Auto Factoids – 1970 Mustang – Ford Assembly Line …

Auto Factoids – 1970 Mustang – Ford Assembly Line http://timsweet.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/auto-factoids-1970-mustang-ford-assembly-line/ December 1, 2010. Today is the anniversary of the assembly line created by …