Category Archives: Cars

Auto Factoids for Week of 6/27/2010

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HUGE this week…I mean HUGE…for me at least. 

6/30/1953  – Corvette debuts at NYC Motorama.  That’s a big deal.  6/30 is also my birthday.  Yup…5 years later to the very day the Corvette debuted my parents had another mouth to feed!!! 

1953 Motorama Corvette..And so it began!!!

 What?  You thought my baby pic…No Way!!! 

And 11 years later to the day the last Rambler was produced that was 6/30/1969. 

1969 - Rambler made a few fine cars...um...this wasn't one of them.

 

7/1/1908 United Motors was formed.  They build car components, at one point include Hyatt Roller Bearing Company (anti-friction roller bearings), New Departure Manufacturing Company (ball bearings), Remy Electric Company (electrical starting, lighting, and ignition equipment), Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company, later known as Delco Electronics Corporation (electrical equipment), and the Perlman Rim Corporation. It was later purchased by General Motors. 

Also on 7/1 the Graham auto plant in Canada produced its first Prosperity Six in 1931. 

1931 Graham

 

Again on the same day Pontiac selected Bunkie Knudson general Manager in 1956.  Bunkie Knudson – race car driver and innovator. 

Another biggie….7/2/1992 the 1 millionth Corvette was built.  It was a C4 Convertible.  Grabbed a picture of it at the National Corvette Museum while I was there a couple weeks back. 

1,000,000th Corvette at the NCM. Photo from my trip.

 

Thanks for reading. 

Tim

STevie Award – Fisker Karma 403 hp!!!!

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Since its inception in 2007, Fisker Automotive, a privately owned, premium American car company based in Irvine, California has proven itself as a force in the automotive industry by leading the premium green car segment with the 403 horsepower, 100 mpg Fisker Karma. The Karma could be world’s first premium plug-in hybrid electric vehicle when it arrives in showrooms early next year.

The company was based on the design capabilities of Fisker Coachbuild, LLC, founded by auto design veterans Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler, and the PHEV powertrain capabilities of Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc, a major supplier of clean vehicle technologies to the automotive industry.

Fisker Karma

Wrenchin’ Tip – Priming a Holley 6/16/2010

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YEAH!!!!  I know!! Where have these been…right?  Sorry, but I think I’m back on track. 

My Mustang has an old school 4 barrel Holley and although it starts pretty quick after a few pumps of pedal to get the mechanical fuel pump to push gas where it needs to be.  But if your old school muscle car or race rod sits for a while or you swap carbs often, you can spend some considerable time cranking on the engine.  This might seem like no biggie, but it can cause lobe failure on a flat-tappet cam. 

For my Holley there’s a better way.  

You need to locate your float-level sight plugs.  

Holley - image not from my mustang

 

A different configuration

 

Take a plastic squeeze bottle….  (Do you really need a pic of a squeeze bottle?)  Well just in case… 

Bottle Pic you don't need!!!

 

this type works the best…. and fill the float bowls with fuel until it trickles…(very little trickle…no fires…please.)  

Float Bowls

 

 This should be enough fuel to allow the fuel line to fill from the tank.  According to the specs a Holley can run 45- 60 seconds on full bowls. 

Keep your cam safe!!! 

Thanks for Reading 

Tim

Auto Factoids for the Week of 6/21/2010

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Happy belated Father Day!! 

6/22/1954  Packard and Studebaker agreed to merge. 

6/22/1934  Hitler contracts Ferdinand Porsche to build cars with let to..you know  the VW and later the Porsche!!!!  

1934 VW

 

In 1958 on 6/26…just four days before I was born the first Datsuns was exported to the U.S. 

1958 Datsun.

 

We use to laugh at them.  My father and I once cut a wrecked B210 in half and replaced the entire rear and 1/2 of the roof from a donor car. 
That was kool!!!

Auto Factoids for the Week of 6/13/2010

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Oh..yes I’m behind. 

There was a huge one last week.. 

6/14/1832 – Nicolaus Otto was born in Germany…”Who?”   He invented the gas motor engine. An engineer and experimenter, Nicolaus Otto invented the first practical alternative to the steam engine in 1876 — the first four-stroke internal combustion engine. He called it the “Otto Cycle Engine,” and as soon as he had completed his engine, he built it into a motorcycle. 

The Otto Motor powered Cycle

6/16/1903 – The BIGGIE….Ford Motor Company was established. On the same day in 1953 Ford introduced the power steering.  (Two for the price of one) 

Also on 6/16/1896 Jean Peugeot was born in Paris.  Founder of Peugeot the auto maker.  The family began with coffee mills and bicycles and then cars. 

6/18/1943  Tom Gale was born in Michigan, Flint to be more exact.  His Dad was a designer for Buick and his grandfather worked the assembly for Buick.  Guess where he went to work when he finished school….nope….Chrysler.. Gale became head of design in 1985.  He previously worked on the some of the iconic cars such as the E-bodies-Barracuda and Challenger and was a major contributor to the  Chrysler Portofino concept car. 

1987-Chrysler-Portofinow Concept Car

 

6/19/1947 the Tucker shows up in Chicago. 

The Tucker-Torpedo - I love these cars!!!!

And on the same day, 1969 GM produced the 4 millionth Cadillac.   

This isn't actually "THE" 4 Millionth Caddy..but you get the idea.

Thanks for reading 

Tim

New addition to the C4

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It’s been a few days since I posted last, every once in a while life gets a little busy, business travel and a vacation.

However, this blog might have been idle but I wasn’t.

For as long as I’ve owned my vette, I’ve dragged around the original Bose stereo.  Yup, 1980’s technology, with a cassette  and AM and FM radio.  (You kids won’t remmmbbberr….hang on while I put my teeth back in…there…better…remember these and I use to walk to school when I was a kid, up hill both ways and snow up to here!!!!) It sounded really bad.  The cones were mostly dried out from the AZ heat and I think I’ve spent enough on original used speaker and amps (each speaker had its own amp) to buy four stereos with big amps and have the vette vibrate down the street without starting it.  I just didn’t want to get read of the thing….because it was original equipment.

Well, I finally broke down and replaced it.  HOWEVER, not with just a cd player and radio.  Nope.  I wanted something a little more fitting for the car. 

The 1984 C4, as more Corvette peeps know, was the most technologically, advanced car at the time.  It was the first car with computer controlled fuel injection, electronic shifting, and a dash-board with digital and graphic displays….and you can switch it from English to Metric.  So I wanted a stereo, befitting the other technology, but…..say it with me….Average Guy with and Average Budget!!!!!

So I couldn’t go to crazy.  What I did find was an all digital Pioneer Media Center.  No CD.  USB connection for IPODs or just a thump drive.  HD Radio that finds adds all the radio stations and …..wait for it…..drum roll………blue tooth phone connections.  KOOL or what…my wifes’ 08 Lexus has got nothing on my 84 Vette now…..ok..well she does have air-conditioned seats and navigation (…but my phone has that)  and the rear camera and a back seat (over rated!!!) and moon room (but my roof comes off!!)…away there’s more.

I did not want any thing to happen to the original speaker covers nor did I want any new holes, I wanted great sound and an original look.  So I added Alpine SPS 699’s in the rear, 260 watts and 85 RM and Alpine SPS 400 for the door speakers, 140 watts peak and 45 RM.  She sounds great.

 The original Bose system is safe,  all packed and stored.

Thanks for reading.  Drop me a note.

Tim

Auto Factoids for 6/6/2010

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Here ya go:

1928 Plymouth Code Q

7/7/1928 First Plymouth is made, some research suggest that it was actually  built on June 11, 1928.  It had  engineering code (or model) Q and had a 4 cylinder engine.  Check out the video on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGfwjTI1ahA

6/10/1951  A Jaguar wins the 24 hours Le Mans – it was a C-type version of XK120.  Here are a couple pics:

Jaguar at a race

XK 120 C

C Type

6/10/1927 – The Graham boys purchased what was Paige_Detroit Motor Cars.  The Grahams started out as farmers and glass bottle makers.  One of  the brothers invented a rear axle that would allow converting Ford car platforms in to light duty trucks.  Oh they are still in business – owning/running Madison Square Gardens and hosting sporting events.

Graham-Paige auto

6/11/1955 Horrific crash at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Here are the details from History.com

Prior to the race, Levegh complained that the course was too narrow near the pit-stop area and the grandstand. This observation proved prescient. As Levegh was racing for the lead near the pit-stop area, he swerved to avoid fellow racer Mike Hawthorn s Jaguar as it moved toward the pits. Levegh s car, going about 150 miles per hour, came up too fast on Lance Macklin s Austin-Healey and was catapulted upward. The car crashed into the grandstand and its exploding parts went straight into the crowd. Levegh and more than 80 spectators, packed into the grandstand, lost their lives in the fiery crash.

6/12/1954 – Packard offers the first tubeless tires.

6/12/1975 – The last Chrysler Imperial was made.

1975 4 Door Chrysler Imperial

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Auto Factoids for the Week of 5/30/2010

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5/31/1927 – Mr. Ford produces the last Model T

6/2/1899 – Locomobile Co. Founded – they were in business until 1929.  They made a lot of cars, I hadn’t realized that.  Here are a couple.

1901 Locomobille - Cool..wonder what the 1/4 mile time were??

Love this one..Steam powered????

1923 48 Series Sport

6/3/1864 Ransom Olds was born in Ohio.  He developed and build cars named after him,  Oldsmobile and REO (his middle name was Eli, hence REO, hey that was a band name REO Speedwagon.

An Reo Speedwagon

I’ve never heard of the next guy, until now and did a little reading.

Barney Oldfield was born 6/3/1878.  He was a race car drive, but started out racing bike and wining silver medals in the process.  Here are a couple pics:

Early 1900's

Oh Yeah..that Henry Ford standing next to his car.

Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant Tour…AWESOME!!

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I attended the Bowling Green Assembly Plant tour today.  It was really!!!!! awesome!!!!!

Corvette Assembly Plant Bowling Green, KY

 

The walk from the parking lot to the plant was filled with the smell of new car.  They must pour it out of every chimney and window.

They were building the Z06’s, ZR1 and Grand Sports…a lot of Grand Sports!!! (that is a damn nice car!!!) Amazing!!!!    Sorry no pictures were allowed.

Seeing all the parts everywhere and the hanging panels and frames…was a sight to be hold.

The tour was pretty quick..well maybe an hour…but I could have hung there all day!!!  I lagged behind the tour group and spoke with a couple of the workers.

At one stop, where they fill the newly married body, chassy and engine with fluid, the tour guide was going blah, blah, blah and I was looking over the cars and one of the guys walked over asked me if I had one picked out yet.  He said they seemed to be selling a lot of GS’s.  I asked him about the fender stripes and he said they normally just get tossed in the back and the dealership installs them.  He asked me if I liked the wider body and I said what’s not to like!!!!

We watched them marry up a Zo6’s mufflers, while another guy stuck in the tail lights and then on to the chassy.  Tire position was at a stop.

Actually got to watch a new Grand Sport come off the line and run over the ‘suspension’ activation section (floor) and then into the section where they align the headlights.

We  got to see a Z06 enter the final test chamber where they run 200 + tests in two minutes.  This one passed.

It was MOST EXCELLENT!!!! (Wayne’s World).

The NCM was good, but the plant tour overshadowed it…by far.   I’ll post up pics from the  NCM in the next post.

corvettte assembly plant

Auto Factoids for Week of 5/23/2010

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Few major milestones this week. 

Brooklyn bridge opened for traffic on 5/24 1883 and the Golden opened 5/27 in 1937. 

Race car driver Mauri Rose was born 5/26/1906 currently in the racing hall of fame, placed second in the 1927 Indy 500.  Actually won the Indy in 1941, but that was a tough victory, spanning two Maserati-powered Elgin Piston Pin Specials cars, after the first one had mechanical issues.  He tossed a fit and the car owners pulled one of the other drivers on the time from the race and give Rose that car. 

The Pin 

Elgin Pin

 

What powered that thing? 

Power Plant

 

The first Kaiser-Frazer was produced 5/28/1946 – cars weren’t sold until 1947. 

1947 Willow Run Plant