Category Archives: Auto Technology

C6 Corvette – Roof Ruckus

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When I first purchased my 07 Corvette and took my wife for a ride.  I was pretty jazzed and noticed the noise emanating  from the roof.

That was the first thing she noticed.  I was so caught up in the handling and power I was ok with the noise.  But after she mentioned it, I wasn’t able to ignore it quite as easily.

The squeaking was very profound and since our roads aren’t the best in the land, it crazy loud.  So the search was on for a cure.

Lots of help on-line including resetting (releasing the front latches) and closing them again.  This came with the sage advice “….I got the wife accustomed to helping me reset the top at stop lights…don’t do it while you are moving….”   I wonder if that little nugget was from a first person experience?

And for a while I would reset the top latches (not while moving) when the noise got frequent.  But that just couldn’t be a long-term solution……”ERRRRRKK….(braking noise)…..I brake for “soap boxes”!!!

I am frankly sick and tired of hearing for Corvette owners the following phrases…”that’s the nature of the beast”….”that’s just something you have to live with”…and the my favorite…”You’ll get use to it.”   That is all BS.  If things are broken…then they are broken.  If doesn’t work like it’s supposed to, then it needs attention.   I’ve heard that ever since I’ve owned my C6.  Those tired phrases, were used for the squeaking roof and the odd activity with my gas gauge after filling it up and the cold weather shifting issue.   No way dawg, I want this stuff fixed!!!  .

So back to top issue.  After checking with a few more Corvette buddies, I ran into to one that gave me this, every valuable tip.  He used it successfully.

Get out the lube…Dielectric grease the rollers / contact point for the front latches and the pins in the back. Lube up the rubber moldings /contact points of the moldings.

Di-Electric-Grease

Lube the rear posts.

Spray a little on a rag and wipe down the rubber weather-stripping.  You don’t need a lot.

I’ve only done one time and not since.  But I keep the rubber clean and no problems.

For those of you aren’t familiar with the top (I’ve talked to a couple that didn’t know the coupe had a removal top.) see the video below.

 

[vodpod id=Video.16243571&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

Top, posted with vodpod
Thanks for reading.
Tim

NASCAR Comment

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My last post  “Dodge Unveils Next-Gen Sprint Cup Car in Vegas…..” (http://wp.me/pKHNM-ZJ), invoked a few comments mostly on Facebook and at least one here that touched on something that ‘bugs’ me about where NASCAR has gone since the 60’s.

Here is an excerpt from Bill:

“….

I’m bittersweet about manufacturers participation in NASCAR, and have been since TOYOTA wrapped themselves in the American flag and joined the series. If manufacturers are to continue participation, then I would like to see rules such as motor sources must be manufacturer sourced, running pump gas, and back to body templates that must match their street versions.

Back when MOPAR was absent from NASCAR, the ideal was that there just was nothing to gain in NASCAR other than name recognition for Chrysler. Even TOYOTA admitted when they joined NASCAR that there was nothing to gain other than getting their logo on the field….”

In another post I talked about loss of innovation and brand loyalty and I have to expand on and disagree a bit with Bill.

When NASCAR started the templates and restricter plates and began the standardization of the cars that participated, I began loosing interest and a lot of other did as well.  One of the biggest complaints I hear among the fan I sit with during a race and talk to is that the cars a so similar there really isn’t much to the racing part.    Those rules are what killed the major benefits for the manufacturers.   It killed individual innovation.   The cars are now tube framed, bland sheet metal, sticker covered shell of what racing use to be, 200 per hour uninspiring billboards.  Headlights and logos…. STICKERS… people!!!!!

How can these compare?

New Dodge Charger for NASCAR

They don’t compare.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Dodge Unveils Next-Gen Sprint Cup Car in Vegas…..

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……OR…WHAT THE CHARGER SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE START
By: Jen Dunnaway
                    Posted On: 3/12/2012 9:14AM

SuzyBruisy

Following the precedent set by Ford with its hot new NASCAR Fusion, Dodge unveiled a muscular Charger that’ll be running Sprint Cup during the 2013 season. Dodge enjoys the distinction of being the only Cup car that’s based on an actual RWD V8 civilian version, but the reveal also comes at a problematic time for the manufacturer: with Penske Racing having just announced that it’ll be leaving Dodge for Ford, the only Charger in the field is run by independent Robby Gordon. SRT Motorsports chief Ralph Giles says all options are on the table, including pulling Dodge from the series altogether. What do you think, does Dodge have a future in NASCAR? After seeing this new Charger, I kind of hope so. More info at NASCAR.com, pics via Autoblog.

Gorgeous ˜Wood Vehicles 1948 – Part II

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In this part we are picking up with Chrysler.

For 1948 Chrysler had the Town and Country (yes…even way back then) model with wood panels, it even came in a woody-vert (vert short for convertible).

It also came in a coupe/sedan.

Love the roof rack!!!

The wooden frame was white ash (adding structural rigidity to the doors and deck lid), fitted with interlocking miters.  Mahogany veneer plywood filled the spaces within the frames.

Now that is craftsmanship!!!!

The engine was the Spitfire Straight Eight with 323.5 cubic-inch displacement and 135 horsepower coupled to a fluid drive transmission.

135 HP

The convertible was the most favored of the Town and Country line with 8,368 sold. In 1948, the price tag showed $3,395.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Gorgeous ˜Wood Vehicles 1948 – Part I

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I got this idea from our friend Joe in Florida.  Thanks, Joe,  for the pictures and the reminder of some these great iconic cars.

I’ve always admired the workmanship that went in to the older cars that had wood components and have always disliked the simulating wood on cars with plastic molding and contact paper stuck on the horrible quality 1970’s and 1980’s station wagons was supposed to be a retro look (but only at 15 feet away) and cool (well as cool a station wagon was back then). I recall working in my father’s body shop and how much “fun” it was to put that contact paper back on Ford station wagon. In this mini series “Gorgeous “Wood Vehicles”  I’m going to pick a year and toss you a few facts about the cars that came ‘in wood’.

Wood was used a lot in the auto industry, from all wood wheels to just the spokes to entire frames and interiors (like dash boards and steering wheels).  Some of the best uses known uses were on the outside and truck beds.  They were often referred to as ‘Woodies” either correctly or incorrectly, be most of us know that the term relates to cars with real wood on the outside.  These are the cars I’m going to look in this series.  For no particular reason, other than this was the first picture Joe sent, I’m starting with the year 1948.

A major reason for using wood was the shortage of raw materials and labor issues for producing steel/sheet metal. This was the case in 1948, just a few years after the end of World War II.

Nearly all of the major producer had models that had external wood components.  This 1948 Chevy was one.

1948 Chevy.

This is the two door Fleetwood Aerosedan, but Chevy also made an 8 passenger station wagon the Model 2109 Fleetmaster. This year’s model set the record for Chevrolet woody production with 10,171 wagons built. Both Cantrell and Iona built bodies to fill the demand for the last Chevrolet wagon with structural wood.  The 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Station Wagon was the last true woody (structured wood) from Chevrolet.  What type of wood was used?  Ash the wood used for the structural base, while mahogany was used for the panels. Leatherette was stretched over a wood frame to provide the roof. Approximately 10,171 were built between February 1948 and January 1949.

Most of these cars were powered by the Chevy Straight 6, 216 CID engine.

The 1948 Straight 6 216 engine (The 235 was very similar).

Engine specs:

Bore and stoke 3.5 x 3.75 (in); Displacement 216.5 (CID); Compression 6.50:1; Max Brake Horsepower 90 @ 3300 RPM; Max Torque 174 Lbs.ft. @ 1200 RPM

 

 

 

1948 Packard

Packard was another manufacturer that produced woodies.  They released their Twenty-Second Series cars. They were Packard’s first totally new models were since before World War II.   The wood used was northern birch for the frame and maple panels.  This was purely for looks, because the overall structure was braced by the metal body shell which actually was modified from the Standard Sedan Body, only the upper rear quarters which were removed from the sedan body used the wood as actual bracing. On the door sides and window frames the regular sheet metal was cut away in order to allow the wood to be inlaid, rather than just bolted on top.  These were powered by the Packard’s L-head straight 8.

Some engine specs:

Bore x stroke 3.50 x 3.75 (in.); Displacement 288.64(cid); Horsepower 130 @ 3,600 rpm; Torque 226(lb-ft) @ 2,000 rpm; Compression ratio 7.0:1; Main bearings 5; Lubrication full-pressure; Carburetor Carter 2-bbl
automatic Choke;  mechanical Fuel pump

 

We have Chrysler’s, and Pontiac’s 1948 woodies as well as a Bentley woody and Willys coming up next in this series.

Thanks for reading

Tim

Mustang Concepts for 2015 Redesign

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I’m really liking these concepts. But they are almost on the verge of being too angular.  What do you think?

Content courtesy of American Muscle

Mustang1.jpg
The 2015 Mustang reveal is getting closer and there’s been a lot of hype from the Mustang community about the new model! J. Mays, Ford’s Creative Chief Officer, previously said the new gen model will be less retro and way more modern as to move the Mustang name forward. That has people creating their own renderings of what they think it will look like.

What we do know about the 2015 Mustang so far? Well, it will be smaller, lighter, feature independent rear suspension, and will be offered globally. An Ecoboost has been everything but confirmed.

Check out the Mustang concept that Popular Hot Rodding magazine drew up! These renderings are what they believe the new Mustang model will look like. In my opinion, the red drawing looks more like a squished Bugatti than a Ford Mustang, and definitely very futuristic. Also, the silver concept has more of a Mustang feel with the front and rear end and I can dig it. Definitely cool drawings and concepts, but is this where the new Mustang could be headed?


Mustang1.jpg 2015_1.jpg Mustang4.jpg

Parking Lot Spot Light 1939 Ford Coupe

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Well  I’m beginning to think that my local grocery store is really a car show 7 days a week!!!

Case in point is this ’39 Ford coupe I saw over the weekend.

Great Hub Caps, Great Paint.

You’ve got to love that split rear window.

Pretty stout looking tail pipes.

Besides the tail pipes I’m liking the chevron tail lights.

1939 brought hydraulic brakes to the Fords for that year.   Ford produced 487,031 cars that year, coming in second to Chevy.

Love the rolling fenders and the dog dish hup caps with the V8 log pressed into the centers.

Love the grill and the V8 and Ford badges.

You can't tell from my 'most excellent' photos, but there is a huge difference in the width of the rear vs. the front.

The V8 engine was the Flathead, which was originally developed in 1932.  For 1939 the flathead was the V8-91A, compression increased to 6.15:1, power rose to 90 hp.

This is a great looking car.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

The Lockheed Lakester One More Time

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I thought I’d share the an interview of Ed Pettus (previous owner of this unique vehicle) conducted by Dave Rasdal in is column “Ramblin'”  in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa  Thegazette.com.  I’m interested in his next project.

The Crow Lakester

 

When Ed Pettus finished building his bullet-shaped Lockheed Lakester a year ago, he didn’t plan to sell it. But, after a whirlwind tour of the car that’s a cross between a jet airplane, a Bonneville Salt Flats racer and a 1930s biplane, he changed his mind.

“I do all of these projects and when I’m done, what do I do?” says Ed who with son Eddie Pettus Jr. has Eddie’s Rod & Custom in Cedar Rapids.

The Lakester, which I wrote about last July, is built around a wingtip gas tank of a 1950s Lockheed Super Constellation and has a steering yoke from a 1948 airplane. Parts came from 1930s Packards, a 1940 Ford tractor and a 1959 Chevy pickup. It has a turbocharged Toyota engine.

From shows in Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities, it went to Chicago’s World of Wheels, a two-month stay at the Experimental Aircraft Association museum in Oshkosh, Wis., and on display at El Mirage near Long Beach, Calif., where dry lake bed speed runs originated.

“I thought, you know, after that I’m going to take it home and put it in the garage,” Ed says.

But, as a fan of the famous Barrett-Jackson vehicle auction in Arizona, Ed inquired about selling the Lakester. Told it was too late, he sent information anyway and was surprised to become a last-minute entry. It went on the block Jan. 21.

But, this auction doesn’t allow sellers to set a minimum price — if the high bid is $100, the car sells for $100.

Ed had insured the Lakester for $100,000. Bidding opened at $10,000.

“We were a nervous wreck,” he says, referring to his wife, Kathy, and friends in attendance.

Bidding quickly rose, though, to $100,000. Two bidders pushed it to $170,000, the winner from Georgia adding it to his collection.

“We feel so blessed with what we got,” Ed says. He’ll use the extra funds to retire the mortgage on Ellis Boulevard NW property (home and vacant lot) destroyed by the Floods of 2008.

Unsure about what they can do with the property, Ed, 60, isn’t waiting around for another hot rod project. All he says is that it’s a unique truck. “Let people wonder.”

We are going to wonder.  Thanks for reading

Tim

Ford’s Windsor and Cleveland Engines Prt II

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Ok, so one engine plant is located in Canada and the other Ohio.  What else is different?

The 351 Windsor (biggest displacement of the Windsor family  – which included the 289 and 302) had a beefier block than the Cleveland, which in theory allowed for more abuse and longer life-span.

The Windsor also came first in the history  being used from 1969 to 1998.

The Cleveland was used from 1970 to 1974 (much, much shorter run), with 1971 bringing 351 C Cobra Jet.

Unlike the Windsor the Cleveland had canted multi-grooved valves.  It also required larger rounded intake and exhaust ports.

There is another major difference and that was how the engined were cooled.  No we aren’t talking water vs. air (these weren’t VW engines) we are talking about water flow.

Like the 289 and 302 the 351W used a front cover and water existed the intake manifold face of the cylinder head through intake manifold to the radiator.  The 351C don’t have the front cover.  The block is extended and the covered with a flat stamping.  Water existed the combustion face of the head and into the block and then to the radiator.  This is important to note, particularly for me.  Why:

The Cleveland and Windsor heads are interchangeable only with modifications to the water passage.  I currently have a set of 351C Cobra Jet heads to put on my Windsor family 302.  I’ll have to have those mods done when I have the heads rebuilt.

Not the same location as the 302 Windsor.

There you have the basic differences between the Cleveland and Windsor families.

Thanks for reading.

Tim