Sometimes we forget how things evolved when it comes to the functioning of our cars. Sometimes to understand how they work its helpful to go back in time and view how the problem was solved.
Take for instance this 1937 GM film on how to solve cornering.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Here are your auto factoids for the week of Aug 26.
Aug 27, 1902 the Cadillac company was founded and on the same day in 1877 Charles Rolls was born in London, England.
1902 Caddy The Runabout
Rolls Royce 1904
On the 29th in 1898 Goodyear was incorporated and on the same day Charles Kettering was born in Dayton, Ohio…who? Well so you don’t have to GOOGLE it ….. He was a founder of Delco, and was head of research at General Motors from 1920 to 1947. Among his most widely used automotive inventions were the electrical starting motor and leaded gasoline.
English: Charles F. Kettering, pictured with his first electric starter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
And that finishes up the month of August.
Last chance this month to Win the 1/32 scale of the 1969 Dodge Coronet Super Bee. Add a comment and you’ll be entered to win our monthly drawing.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Whenever I can I like post up a plea for someone doing a restoration that may need some assistance. The Sarasota County Lodge #45 needs assistance with restoring a 1953 patrol car. This car is a ’53 Chevy Bel Air 150.
Here are some details:
1953 Chevy Bel Air 150
The Sarasota County Lodge #45 of the Fraternal Order of Police is spearheading a project that will involve the restoration of an antique patrol car. The vehicle will match one that was actually used by the sheriff’s office since the office first purchased patrol cars in 1953. Once the restoration is complete, the vehicle will be donated to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for various public uses.
By reviewing photographs in “From Shield to Star,” a book by retired Sgt. Bob Snell that documents the history of the department, several vehicles were identified by make and model. The first fleet of four vehicles consisted of 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air 150s. The project is being coordinated by FOP #45 Vice-President Kevin Lynch, who is a retired SSO lieutenant. Lynch has overseen the restoration of several emergency vehicles including two fire trucks and a Cadillac ambulance that he currently owns.
Tax-deductible contributions to this project can be sent to The Community Foundation of Sarasota County, P. O. Box 49587, Sarasota, FL 34230-6587, marked for the antique patrol car project.
The FOP is also looking for in-kind services and donations such as labor and supplies needed for the project, and possibly the vehicle itself. Storage space will also be needed for the vehicle as well as initial transportation to Sarasota. Questions can be sent to FOP Lodge #45 at P.O. Box 1488, Englewood, FL 34295-1488 or e-mailed to Lynch at floridafop45@yahoo.com. You may also visit the Lodge #45 website at foplodge45.com.
Thanks for help out.
Tim
Even while operating within the huge conglomerate that is (was) GM, the divisions all strived to retain some semblance of their earlier identity or develop a separate identity. Even with continued mounting to conform (within reason) to use standard tooling and
engines parts out of the GM bins they strove to be unique.
The Pontiac division made this effort “job one” with slightly different body parts and paint schemes (Trans Am paint schemes). What I think made them standout was the effort to stuff unique power plants in their offerings’ engine bays.
With this in mind, I selected Pontiac’s 326 CID engine. This short production run engine had some special Detroit steel wrapped around it. But we’ll get to its uses and an interesting note about its purpose as related to circumventing a rule or two.
This engine came about as a need to replace Pontiac’s aluminum 215 V8 engine. (It was actually built by Buick.) It was expensive to
build and not well received by the public, most just couldn’t get over the aluminum part and worried about durability and even about the ability for it to
say lubricated and whether coolant would eat way at the aluminum. Of course we not differently now where aluminum is desired in many, especially with heads.
Coming up how – Pontiac used the 326 – a unique dealer trick that put this engine between the fenders of famous car and the difference between a 326 and a 327.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
