Car Shows – Strange Things – Engines

You put WHAT, in that thing?

As I’ve blogged before, I love engines!!!

Another entertaining aspect of car shows is to  see what some people will stuff under  their hoods.

Check these out.

1956 Nomad....what's under the hood?? See below.

If You guessed an LS2 Engine, you'd be correct!!!!

Oh..let’s not forget this guy!!!!

Is that a V8 emblem? Yup!! Is that an MG? Yup!

Yes it's a V8. And no I don't know why!!!

And what would a V8 MG be without………………………………

Of course side exhaust!!!! Yes there is one on the other side too!!

Got any good pics?  Drop them off and I’ll post them up.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Shows – Favorite things – Painted Dashes

I love going to car shows. I recently attended one of Tucson, AZ largest car shows called “Cops and Rodders” (for my 3rd year).  It is huge by our standards, over 500 cars, trucks, military vehicles, emergency response vehicles and a lot more. Entering my cars is a lot of fun and getting to talk about them we complete strangers, often having nothing in common with you except that love of cars, is a great way to spend a day.

Besides having conversations with anyone that stops by, I enjoy wandering around the shows.  There aren’t too many cars that don’t interest me.  Oh I don’t really care for the tricked out PT Cruiser with the giant stereo or limo-Hummers (or any other SUV in that configuration), but there’s something about most cars I can find to like.

One of my favorite, all time favorite thing are the painted dash boards of the 60’s and earlier cars.  The lines are clean, the surface is smooth and rather than dull down the interior it makes bright and colorful and the contract between the paint, the chrome that normally accompanies them and the gauges just stand out that much more.

Take this 1960’s Impala.  It’s bright and clean.  Not the dull, padded dashes of today’s cars.  Yes..I get the safety aspects and that’s a good thing, but come on, look at this and say you don’t like it…I bet you can’t.

 

1960 Impala

It's a thing of beauty!!!!

 

Got a painted dash?  Send me a pic and I’ll post it up.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

timsweet@cox.net

A Note About Blogging – Original or Run of the Mill

In two months I will have been writing this blog for 1 year and I have enjoy every minute of it.

When  you blog like I do, to share a specific area of interest, you are always trying to increase readership.  Now if this were a commercial enterprise for me, then increasing my readership would be Job One. (Come on, which car company’s slogan was that?  If Ford jumped into your head that would be correct.) However, it is not, but still I’m always searching for a way to make this blog a place more and more folks want to view.

There are a lots of ways to do that, none of them huge as far as bringing in the masses and some aren’t inexpensive and others are labor intensive. (Guess which one I do…oh…yeah…cheap and labor intensive…Average Guy….say it!!!!……Average Budget!!) While searching for ideas or processes I could take advantage of,  I ran across some helpful hints. One in particular makes sense, namely, keeping the site updated regularly.  This suggestion dictated that it be daily, which is really a good idea.  However, the method it promoted was to jam the blog with other folks news feeds, articles and automatic updates from outside sources.

I thought about this a bit and I tooled around the web and looked at commercial blogs and forums and I realized that everyone had read this particular tip and employed it.  And I thought, I just don’t see the point.  The blog is no longer the owners writings, but really just a reorganization of things floating around on the web.  Nope, not for me.

I still think keeping up the daily effort is the right way to go, but I can’t do it in that manner.

Although I do pop on videos that I think are cool and maybe a link to a forum or another blog,  I’m going to keep the core of this blog full of original material, meaning my own scribblings and occasionally notes from the readership.

The life’s blood of a blog run like I run this one, are comments and readers.  So drop me a note, ask a question, or give me a suggestion  ( I do requests).

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

C6

 

 

Auto Factoids for ..Oh..Man..it’s Nov. already!!

Christmas is coming!!!….oh

We’ve got a couple debuts this week and a couple of birthdays.

11/1/1955 – Studebaker offers the public the Studebaker Hawk.

 

This is the '56 Studebaker Golden Hawk

 

 

 

11/2/1935 – Cord debuts is 810 model and at the same time Ford does the same with its Zephyr – both on the same day????!!!!!

 

1936 Cord 810

1936 Lincoln (Ford) Zephyr

 

 

James Packard was born 11/5/1863  – Founder of the Packard Car company – his company’s first car was 36 years later.

Edsel Ford was born 11/6/1893 – Henry’s kid, oh yeah..there’s was a car brand named after him

Carlo Abarth was born 11/6/1908 – I recently read about Carlo – racer (motorcycles/cars), auto designer linked up at one point with Porsche in Italy.

First Car show at the national level was held on 11/3/1900

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

Auto Factoids for Week of Oct 3 2010

A lot happened this week in auto history.

 

10/4/1962 Buick shows off the Riviera

 

 

1963 Buick

 

 

 

10/4/1983 A new land speed record is set by Thrust2 a British jet propelled car.  It was driving by Richard Noble and reached a top speed of 650.88 but the actual record was 633.468 base on the average of two runs within one hour.

Thrust 2 - but ya know..it's a rocket..not a car

 

10/6/1955 – Ford takes is Lincoln Continental to the Paris Car Show

 

1955 Continental

 

 

 

and on the same day ll years later (1966  — so you don’t have to do the math) Cadillac give the world a peak at the Eldorado.

 

1966 Eldorado - Here's a Pink one.

 

 

 

10/8/1959 – Ford introduces the Falcon and thus started a racing legacy. These cars were light and are still round as they make great drag racers.

 

 

1969 Ford Falcon - notice on much the tail lights look like a Maverick's

 

 

10/8 – Two birthdays on this date

1890 Edward Rickenbacker – World I U.S. Fighter ACE, created the Rickenbacker Motor Company which only lasted 7 year before bankrupting him – make the first cars with 4 wheels braking system. Owned the Indianapolis Speedway between the Wars.

 

1922 Rickenbacker Touring Car

 

 

 

1869 Frank Duryea – Created Duryea Motor Wagon Company – first gasoline powered car.

Duryea
Thanks for reading.  Coming up more wrenching tips and the first  installment of the next engine series featuring Chevy’s 283 power plant.
Tim

Wrenchin’ Tip for 10-14-10 Back Cut your Intake Valves

If you are work on your older cars engine, there are a good many tricks that you can use save a couple bucks and gain a little horsepower.

This one is an oldie but a good.

Have your intake valves back cut, you’ll get a similar boost as if you use high lift rocker arms or cam.

The procedure is best done by a qualified machinist.  So while you have your engine apart and laying all around our garage on pieces of cardboard (come…you know that’s what happens!!!) have him take a little off the port side of your intake valves.  This creates the same effect as an earlier opening a later closing action like  just a like a the addition of a an upgrade cam.  The lighter valve means less spring pressure is required to control the valve at higher rmps.

A 30 degree cut is what they do on vortex engines.

 

The backcut is at the edge of the normal valve cut.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Sports Car Club of American (SCCA) event “EVO” Comming Up”

What the heck is Evo you might ask?

Well let me tell you.

Evo is short for Evolution Performance Driving School. Evolution Performance Driving Schools are hands-on, foot to the floor autocross driving schools. With programs designed to improve the driving skills of 16 year old novices to multi-time Solo II National Champions. (I didn’t write that it from their web site.)

This even is sponsored  by the SCCA Tucson, Arizona Border region and will be held at the Marana Airport, Marana, AZ .

This weekend two instructors Brian Peters and Tom Kotzian will we taking us through our paces with our cars.  Both of these guys have plenty of experience with National level Solo with the SCCA, including multiple National level wins, and Championships.

Yes I’ll have my  07 Corvette there and Well see how I do.

I’ll report back with pics and vids.

Thanks for Reading.

Tim

Car People!!

People love their cars.  Some people love only a specific make or model.  I case you haven’t noticed I have a thing for Corvettes and thing for Mustangs (yup Ford and Chevy).   I enjoyed this comment from a guy who left it on my Facebook

Andy from my Facebook wrote this:
Part of the reasons why I Love Corvettes, the heritage, history and traditions. To some it’ ll be just be a car, to others it’ s part of their lives. A true Corvette owner/enthusiast will appreciate all aspects of the Corvette, from whateve…r generation. They may have a least favorite but none should be hated or looked down on, because without the last there would be no present. I Love the great community behind this Car, it makes owning one so much better. Owners all across the world willing to give others a helping hand, worldwide Corvette events are held, some over 500 owners attending, a lot for good causes. To me, that’ s something very special because this doesn’t just represent a “Car”. It represents a special select group of individuals willing to enhance the past traditions, that is Loyalty!!. I plan to hold onto it for as long as I live. Something this special is hard to come by and shouldn’t be let go. Just felt like sharing this thought!! Have a great Sunday.See More
 
Brent worte:  Beautiful and well written Andy!
 
Tim Sweet –  As a previous owner of a C4 and the new owner of a C6. You are right on Andy.  Save the Wave!!!!

Auto Factoid for Week of Sept 12 2010

I’m head out on vacation.  There will one or two more post prior.  Please enjoy and thank you for reading my “Stuff”!!! 

9/13/1945 – Pontiac began producing cars for the first time after the war. 

 9/15/1881 – Ettore Bugatti Born, Milan, Italy – I just so a Bugatti (modern) sold at Barrett Jackson for  over $700,000 

Bugatti W16

 

9/16/1908 – General Motors Incorporates – Aren’t we close to their new IPO…yeah..I think so…oh wait…I’m a tax payer..I already own a piece!!! 

9/17/1854 – David Buick was born on this day in Arbroath Scotland – yes they named a car after him – sorry…not funny. 

Thanks for reading 

Tim

Auto Factoids for Week of Sept 19 2010

Yes I’m playing catch up with these. I’ll have another engine series coming up.  Enjoy. 

9/19/1970 – The Pinto debuted 

1970 Pinto

9/21/1895  Duryea Motor Wagon Company was created. One of the first companies in the US to build gas powered cars.  Their first was the one-cylinder “Ladies Phaeton”. 

a one-cylinder "Ladies Phaeton"

 9/23/1969 – Here’s a biggie….the debut of the Dodge Challenger. 

1969 Challenger (this is the TA)

9/24/1909    Virgil Exner was born in Ann Arbor, Mi   Who?  Oh..you didn’t just ask that!?!?!?!    Car designer for Chevy, Studebaker and Chrysler. 

Some of his work.

 Thanks for reading. 

Tim