tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52784096629467951892024-03-13T11:45:25.230-07:00Ring and PinionCars, technology, assorted activities, maybe some politics, but that's about it.
Oh, and cars.Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-73001537984179949552009-09-05T22:36:00.000-07:002009-09-05T23:16:18.679-07:00Bitchin'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SqNMyNs5TsI/AAAAAAAAATU/jHMXcvlpyhs/s1600-h/Camaro+Front+3q.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SqNMyNs5TsI/AAAAAAAAATU/jHMXcvlpyhs/s320/Camaro+Front+3q.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378226805565640386" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The dude's asking $3500 for this <a href="http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/1355925129.html">'71 Camaro</a> with the typical array of muscle car add-ons: carb, intake, headers and minor rust.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SqNPI1AfgrI/AAAAAAAAAUE/Z7zv3JwH39Y/s1600-h/Camaro+Engine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SqNPI1AfgrI/AAAAAAAAAUE/Z7zv3JwH39Y/s400/Camaro+Engine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378229393097196210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This car's not good, it's not pretty, it <i>might</i> be fast, and it's not cool. Only one word properly describes a 2nd-gen Camaro: <i>Bitchin</i>. Luckily, someone wrote a song to expand on this idea. Follow along.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EzPr4NkNeSo&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EzPr4NkNeSo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Rod - Well, that's another story; the important thing here is you gotta ask me how I'm gonna get down to the shore.<br />Joe - Uh, how you gonna get down to the shore?<br />Rod - Funny you should ask, I've got a car now.<br />Joe - Oh wow, how'd you get a car?<br />Rod - Oh my parents drove it up here from the Bahamas.<br />Joe - You're kidding!<br />Rod - I must be, the Bahamas are islands, okay, the important thing now, is that you ask me what kind of car I have.<br />Joe - Uh, what kinda car do ya' got?<br />Rod - I've got a BITCHIN CAMARO!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SqNPQJmmp8I/AAAAAAAAAUM/XRBdx4YyjgU/s1600-h/Camaro+Straigh+On.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SqNPQJmmp8I/AAAAAAAAAUM/XRBdx4YyjgU/s400/Camaro+Straigh+On.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378229518884841410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">BITCHIN CAMARO, BITCHIN CAMARO<br />I ran over my neighbors<br />BITCHIN CAMARAO, BITCHIN CAMARO<br />Now it's in all the papers.<br />My folks bought me a BITCHIN CAMARO with no insurance to match;<br />So if you happen to run me down, please don't leave a scratch.<br />I ran over some old lady one night at the county fair;<br />And I didn't get arrested, because my dad's the mayor.<br />BITCHIN CAMARO, BITCHIN CAMARO<br />Doughnuts on your lawn<br />BITCHIN CAMARO, BITCHIN CAMARO<br />Tony Orlando and Dawn<br />When I drive past the kids, they all spit and cuss,<br />Because I've got a BITCHIN CAMARO and they have to ride the bus.<br />So you'd better get out of my way, when I run through your yard;<br />Because I've got a BITCHIN CAMARO;<br />And an Exxon credit card.<br />BITCHIN CAMARO, BITCHIN CAMARO<br />Hey, man where ya headed?<br />BITCHIN CAMARO, BITCHIN CAMARO<br />I drive on unleaded.</span><br /><br />"Bitchin Camaro" By the Dead Milkmen.<br /><br />\m/ \m/Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-89148620776889973242009-09-03T21:19:00.000-07:002009-09-05T09:59:59.014-07:00Team Unknown Fluids: Debrief Part 1: Reflection<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/3838668301/" title="DSC_0364 by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img style="width: 399px; height: 269px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2431/3838668301_a068cc2e4b.jpg" alt="DSC_0364" /></a><br /></div><br />We scrambled to finish it, we scrambled to fix it, and we scrambled around the track to end up at 74th place overall. For more summary, see <a href="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1297464">my post on Bimmerforums</a>, <a href="http://cars.about.com/b/2009/08/17/our-24-hours-of-lemons-racing-weekend.htm">Aaron's writeup at About.com</a>, or <a href="http://www.nadaguides.com/Garage-Blog/24-hours-of-lemons-buttonwillow-day-one.aspx">Jeff's Part One</a> (ever gonna finish that?) at NADAGuides.com.<br /><br />I didn't start this blog to summarize, I started it to analyze and reflect, so let's get to the analysis and reflection, shall we? Let's start with confession. Of the six things that went wrong (exhaust falling off, mirror sucking, fuel leak, hood pins, guibo failure, wreck), four were easily preventable.<br /><br />Not long into having the car, I'd found a decently cheap source for a multi-element "wink" racing mirror. I never got around to buying it, and we ended up picking up clip-over wide mirror on the last weekend before the race. we never really tested it, and it turned out to be utterly useless as it pulled our factory mirror down to pointing at the floor.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2665/3835310079_f5b19af890.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2665/3835310079_f5b19af890.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo Courtesy </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/godblessbotox/3835310079/in/set-72157621940093381/">Jeremy Jozwik</a><br /></span></div><br />When installing the muffler u-bolt clamps, I noticed there was still a little wobble in the system, but a gentle tug didn't seem to dislodge anything; "good enough" I thought. Not so much. I could've tightened them more or at least thrown on a tack weld once my welder showed up.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/3857840759/" title="IMG_1642 by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3563/3857840759_fa24183f3e.jpg" alt="IMG_1642" width="400" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">That Can't be Good...</span></span><br /></div><br />I didn't install the doomed guibo, but it was my job to check it. I noticed it seemed to have some warp-age to it, as if the driveshaft was too far back from the transmission output. "Odd...buy hey, it's designed to flex, right?" I thought. Again: not so much. It bit the dust a few hours into the race. After being more careful with the second one, it lasted at least twice as long as the first, and looked pristine at the end of the race. Funny how that works.<br /><br />We must've installed and removed the hood 20 times in the last week before the race. My father-in-law Mark and a few of the guys on the team took care of installing the 4 hood pins, and did a great job of it...except it doesn't seem the nuts holding the pins in place were ever really torqued all the way down. I noticed them as being kinda loose pretty late in the build, and never did anything about it. Lock washers or loctite were probably in order.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/3839442998/" title="DSC_0317 by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3435/3839442998_71dd24ff07.jpg" alt="DSC_0317" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />As for the other two failures, I <i>swear</i> I would've noticed if the fuel lines were anywhere near the axle shafts, so I'm gonna claim they magically migrated downward at some point in the race (possibly when Ted (Dad, to me) decided to go offroading). Speaking of things that happened when Ted was at the wheel, we're gonna go ahead an blame team Magnum P.I.G. Racing's driver for pulling back onto the track after blowing it on Lost Hill. We're not <i>that bitter</i>...but if you mysteriously find your valve cores missing at the next race, it definitely wasn't us.<br /><br />The moral of this little session? It appears people trust me to be vigilant (but not a vigilante) when it comes to catching stuff that could cause problems. If anyone reading this is putting a car together, take heed: 2/3s of your problems will be the little things you should've taken care of.<br /><br />The true root cause being just how badly we (I, really) procrastinated pretty atrociously. <a href="http://www.autofiends.com/2009/01/la-lemons-a-slight-disturbance-in-the-force/">It all began back on January 6th</a> (I just looked it up), so there's really no excuse for having to scramble to get it together in the last three weeks before the race.<br /><br />That said, we've got roughly 11 weeks to get the car up and running for Thunderhill...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/3857804225/" title="P0001089x by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2563/3857804225_f4b3346f2f.jpg" alt="P0001089x" width="400" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">See ya there.</span></span><br /><br /></div>Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-83746105657225828472009-05-02T22:08:00.000-07:002009-05-02T22:49:06.257-07:00Team Unknown Fluids!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3636/3377310281_3e174b3eb6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3636/3377310281_3e174b3eb6.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />In one of the zanier spur-of-the-moment moves I've ever pulled, I found myself as the primary caretaker of a 1982 BMW 633csi. Not just any '82 633, mind you, but one coming out the other end of a "Donate Your Junk Car" lot.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/Sf0wL-bVyrI/AAAAAAAAAP0/9kxZ3MUerHg/s1600-h/633+on+the+lot.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/Sf0wL-bVyrI/AAAAAAAAAP0/9kxZ3MUerHg/s400/633+on+the+lot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331470516170902194" /></a><br /><br />This 3-speed automatic equipped, non-starting gem of mid-malaise German engineering will be the trusty steed of Team Unknown Fluids at the 2008 24 Hours of LeMons at Buttonwillow, CA. I assure you, this wouldn't have been my first choice, but team Captain <a href="http://www.nadaguides.com/Garage-Blog/author/Jeff%20Glucker.aspx">Jeff</a> (aka <a href="http://jalopnik.com/people/FatBraff/comments/">FatBraff</a>) bought it on an even <span style="font-style:italic;">more</span> spur-of-the-creating-marital-strife-moment move.<br /><br />I won't be going into any of the details of the build here, as that's what the <a href="http://www.unknownfluids.com/">Team Blog</a> is for. I will occasionally use this space take some time to reflect on what it all <span style="font-style:italic;">means</span> (man).<br /><br />For starters...<br />"No start" specials can be a great opportunity if you've got a trailer and some ingenuity. Our car had a bad starter switch and a dead battery. It took 1 day to get it running.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3322025356_3b96f32175_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3322025356_3b96f32175_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />BMW loves complexity. For example, rather than use a set screw on the throttle body to set the idle speed (like almost every other fuel injected car on earth), our car uses an idle control valve, which is a solenoid-controlled valve that serves as a bypass for the closed throttle plate. They use a whole non-adjustable electromechanical doohickey where a set screw would do.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Additionally,</span> in place of a mass air flow (MAF) sensor to measure how much air is coming into the engine, BMW saw fit to equip our car with a big aluminum box with a big aluminum flap in it. Said flap is pulled open with airflow and actuates a sensor. Said flap is also a failure-prone restriction in the air intake path.<br /><br />Given that the car is rife with things like this, it's no surprise that a car that cost over $35k in 1982 was down under $500 26 years later.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3580/3393630015_a04c08aa34_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; " src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3580/3393630015_a04c08aa34_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of BMWs (if I've gotta go German, I'll take Audi, please). When I see the few BMWs I <span style="font-style:italic;">am</span> a fan of (M Coupe, e39 M5, assorted M3s), I can't help but think back to the pile of wires I've pulled out of this older (theoretically) simpler Bimmer, and wonder at what maintenance horrors await me with these newer models.Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-49948406647874792622009-04-11T21:44:00.000-07:002009-04-11T22:57:34.979-07:00My Autobiography, Part 4: The PresentLast you heard, my 2nd 4Runner had been stolen.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/288271454/" title="TJ over Desert 2 by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/115/288271454_49d5e4fe44_b.jpg" alt="Like something out of an ad" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />My dad, taking pity on me after having three cars stolen in three years, decided to offer me a bailout of sorts. He sold me his Jeep at a significantly below-market price. That was fall of 2004, and I've managed to hang onto it since then. For extra piece of mind, it's equipped with Lo-Jack's Early Warning System, which calls my cell phone if the car moves without the Lo-Jack keyfob present.<br /><br />The Jeep has served me well over the years. With a relatively small lift and 33" tires, it's no taller than a stock fullsize pickup and makes a great city car. With 4.10:1 gears and ARB air-locking differentials in the axles and a 4:1 low-range transfer case it's quite the mountain goat. It's such a good match, that The Missus has forbidden me from ever selling it, no matter the justification; she knows that six months later, I'll just either want it back, or would just go buy a replacement Jeep (isn't she great?).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/2073467774/" title="DSC_0109 by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2250/2073467774_214c83e817_b.jpg" alt="DSC_0109" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />Speaking of The Missus, marriage to my lovely wife in May '05 brought her '00 Dodge Ram in to the fold. Her V6, 2wd, short-cab, short-bed pickup (basically as wide as it was long) never failed her in the 101k miles that she had it. Once you live with a truck, it's hard to give up the utility it offers. Finding a great deal on a drill press, giant suitcase and/or a stoplight at a garage-sale never presents a challenge.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/1085434913/" title="Exterior 1 by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1225/1085434913_83e468dd71_b.jpg" alt="Exterior 1" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />Between the Jeep and the Dodge, we never really had the ability to carry both people <i>and</i> things. That all changed with a semi-spur-of-the-moment response to a Craigslist ad for a 1967 Ford Country Sedan. There will be many more posts to come on The Wagon, but here are the basic facts: 390ci engine, seats for 10, needs lots of little things done, and it always starts (after a couple of tries).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/2278414881/" title="Wagon in the Campsite by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2085/2278414881_a568a2ac57_b.jpg" alt="Wagon in the Campsite" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />After I finished grad school at USC, it was off to the salt mines. Without giving up too much detail, The Missus and I commute from Glassell Park (just north-east of downtown LA) to Sylmar, and then Valencia. It's 45 miles one-way, which was a lot of miles to be racking up on a 101kmi Dodge pickup. Alas, the truck moved on a more purposeful life with a contractor down in South LA, and was replaced by a 2006 Subaru WRX wagon.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/3433053265/" title="Our Subaru (2) by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3373/3433053265_8b31c066cc_b.jpg" alt="Our Subaru (2)" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />We couldn't be more happy with our purchase. Bought 1-year used with 8k miles in August 2007 for roughly $6k off the price of a new one, its now got creeping up on 60k miles. The blessing/curse of a compact sportwagon is that it's the right car to take for almost every trip. It'll haul four people and their snowboarding gear for a weekend no problem. Less burdened, it'll haul ass through some of southern California's <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=CA-330+N&daddr=CA-18+to:34.243666,-116.913414+to:CA-38%2FMill+Creek+Rd&hl=en&geocode=FUTFCAIdDKID-Q%3BFWCVCgIdRsAG-Q%3B%3BFQwOCAIdjw4G-Q&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=14&via=1,2&sll=34.229758,-116.915388&sspn=0.054429,0.075874&ie=UTF8&ll=34.159545,-117.04422&spn=0.435795,0.86792&t=p&z=11">best</a> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=CA-76%2FMission+Ave&daddr=CA-79+to:33.469855,-116.954269&hl=en&geocode=FXxY-wEdAZYC-Q%3BFQwG-wEdFkoL-Q%3B&mra=mi&mrcr=1&mrsp=2&sz=13&sll=33.443474,-116.960621&sspn=0.109865,0.151749&ie=UTF8&ll=33.319053,-116.991348&spn=0.440086,0.86792&t=p&z=11">driving</a> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=33.694238,-117.347717&daddr=CA-74&hl=en&geocode=%3BFRA8_wEdTcH8-A&mra=mi&mrsp=0,1&sz=13&sll=33.657353,-117.350979&sspn=0.109593,0.151749&ie=UTF8&ll=33.578587,-117.526932&spn=0.438771,0.86792&t=p&z=11">roads</a>. Since we've had it, we have to make excuses to drive the other cars, because the WRXagon can pretty much do it all.<br /><br />Wrapping up, I've got a mental image of the teacher turning on the lights after a riveting nature film, only to find the class half missing or asleep.<br /><br />We've made it to the present fleet of cars...but I suppose there is one more thing I could bring up...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://z.about.com/d/cars/1/7/A/i/1/ag_tuk_dash.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://z.about.com/d/cars/1/7/A/i/1/ag_tuk_dash.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-31134454506440352892009-04-04T00:00:00.000-07:002009-04-04T00:00:00.536-07:00Worth Reading: Classic Jalopnik<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.jalopnik.com/images/2006/05/busamino.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 178px;" src="http://www.jalopnik.com/images/2006/05/busamino.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Chances are if you found your way here, you came by way of now very-big auto blog <a href="http://www.jalopnik.com">Jalopnik.com</a>.<br /><br />In pulling up the El Camino link for my Auto-Biography, Part 3, I knew right where I wanted to go: the El Camino SS was the 50th out of 50 cars in the now-dormant <a href="http://jalopnik.com/tag/jalopnik-fantasy-garage/">Jalopnik Fantasy Garage</a>.<br /><br />Somehow that led me to the <a href="http://jalopnik.com/349990/lovermanout">sign-off post from Jonny Lieberman</a>, who used to write there, which contains a pile of links back to great posts of the early Jalopnik 1.0 days. We're now on Jalopnik 2.0, which has its appeal. But it's no Jalopnik 1.0. Dig around in the archives, there's many a precious nugget to be found.<br /><br />My personal favorite: <a href="http://jalopnik.com/198143/jalopnik-reviews-2007-mazda-mx+5-miata-power-retractable-hardtop-part-3#c395264">Murilee Martin's comment on the Mazda MX-5</a>.Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-33355721102463339362009-03-31T21:38:00.000-07:002009-04-02T22:52:21.457-07:00My Autobiography, Part 3: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/288274226_78ed574dcf_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/288274226_78ed574dcf_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Picking up from my <a href="http://ringandpinion.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-autobiography-part-2-buying-4runner.html">last exercise in narcissism</a>, I'd just had the rug pulled out from under me with my basket case 1985 Toyota 4Runner. "The Compensator" (as my sister called it) was gone, never to be seen again, so where to go next?<br /><br />With roughly $7000 in insurance cash burning a hole in my pocket, I was back in the market. For some truly bizarre reason, it was a toss-up between another 4Runner and an El Camino. As Captain of the (top 10 in the nation) UC San Diego waterski team, I frequently found myself driving all over hauling stuff. Either vehicle was a good fit, and the El Camino had the extra dose of awesome.<br /><br />Any incoming <a href="http://jalopnik.com/385079/1970-chevrolet-el-camino-454-super-sport">Jalopnik</a> readers are hoping this is where I dive into my El Camino phase. Alas, it was not to be. I looked at one semi-seriously, and while very reasonably priced, it needed lots of love. I was pretty burnt out on Project Car Hell from my previous 4Runner, and managed to locate a mildly lifted 87 4Runner that was in super good shape.<br /><br />With 250k on the odometer, it had about 100k on a complete new engine. Yes, this line of reasoning bit me in the ass last time, but <i>this time</i> I was there to see it in person. I'd never before seen such a clean engine compartment. The previous owner was a mechanic, and had dutifully taken care of the car for several years.<br /><br />It was in great shape, and only gave me trouble early-on with a sticky temp gauge that decided to read A-OK while I climbed the 4000' grade out of the desert back into San Diego. A-OK, until it suddenly unstuck and pegged to the red just in time for me to see the steam coming from under the hood.<br /><br />After addressing that little issue, it needed a few things if I was ever to get those 33" BFGs dirty.<br /><br />The 4" lift was a typical mid-90s crappy "<i>let's quintuple the spring rate</i>" special that I had to swap the springs out of. When the lift was put on, they re-geared the rear axle to 4.88:1, but not the front. Luckily, the whole Toyota IFS front axle assembly is a pretty easy swap.<br /><br />The final modification I would make on it is exemplary of why I love Toyota trucks: the electric locking rear differential from the TRD Tacomas is a near bolt-in item to earlier Toyotas. I managed to pick one up for a whole axle drum-to-drum and swap it in over a weekend.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/288274159/" title="1987 4Runner 2 by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/113/288274159_54806f63da_b.jpg" alt="1987 4Runner 2" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />It was just a matter of getting the wiring sorted out. Unfortunately, before I finished that, or ever got an opportunity to test it out in the dirt, the 4Runner was stolen.<br /><br />There's nothing quite like that sinking feeling when you come out in the morning and your car's not where you swear you left it the night before. It's particularly distressing when it's the third time in as many years. Calling work to let them know you probably wouldn't be able to make it because your car got stolen ("<i>Again?</i>") is no fun, but calling your insurance is even less fun.<br /><br />This time around, having done most of the upgrades myself, on the cheap, it was hard to get my adjusters to recognize the value I'd added to the car. After weeks of negotiations, I got $500 less than I'd paid for it, roughly 14 months (and $1200 in upgrades) earlier.<br /><br />So what's the take-home message from The Second 4Runner? The Missus jokes that I should be careful spending a bunch of time working on my cars, as it was stolen on a Monday after I'd spent all weekend working on it. Beyond that, there's not much to be said...it was a good little truck that got swiped. Bummer, dude.<br /><br />The story does carry a bit of epilogue: While my 85 4Runner disappeared without a trace, the Fastrak toll road pass that was in my 87 when it was stolen was still being used occasionally. I tried to contact the CHP to see if they could use the system in place to ticket non-paying drivers to pick up whoever was using my pass. No dice. Essentially, it came down to the fact that the CHP has no interest in actually fighting crime.<br /><br />As great a car as The Second 4Runner was for me, I find myself wondering if the El Camino would've been the better choice...<br /><br />Next up: The Modern Era.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SdWhqDi6fLI/AAAAAAAAAOM/wec-Tqwv8Ak/s1600-h/Working+on+cars+%2816%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SdWhqDi6fLI/AAAAAAAAAOM/wec-Tqwv8Ak/s400/Working+on+cars+%2816%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320336278686432434" border="0" /></a>Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-67599266245849634072009-03-10T00:11:00.000-07:002009-03-13T23:50:31.774-07:00My AutoBiography, Part 2: "Buying the 4Runner"<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/3353246938/" title="Really, it owned me"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1054/3353246938_50aa5facaf.jpg" alt="Working on my '85 4Runner" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />Just as "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_the_shark">jump the shark</a>" and "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuke_the_fridge">nuke the fridge</a>" have special meanings in pop culture, to "Buy the 4Runner" has a special meaning for me and my family.<br /><br />When we <a href="http://ringandpinion.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-autobiography-part-1-whatayamean.html">last checked in</a> with a younger and stupider me, I had three summers of simplified professional wrenching experience under my belt and was just wrapping up my sophomore year of college at UC San Diego.<br /><br />With ubiquitous internet access and lots of time between classes, I was spending countless hours on 4x4 forums. Funny thing about spending 100 times as much time online talking about something as actually <i>doing</i> it: You can lose track of what matters.<br /><br />I'd become convinced that my Jeep, (now upgraded to 35" tires, a 5" coil conversion and dual air lockers) was underbuilt. The axles would snap at the slightest hint of a hill climb and the transfer case was woefully under-spec'ed. I was doomed. What I really needed to do was sell my Wrangler for the high prices that they could bring, then build up a solid-axle Toyota 4Runner from scratch to be the hardcore wheeling machine I really wanted. After all, you could get a great used specimen for like $4,000, and that 22RE motor would run forever.<br /><br />None of this was true. As long as I didn't make a habit of bumping my way up rocky hillclimbs under full throttle, my drivetrain was been fine. Busy with school, I wasn't doing all that much offroading to begin with. I'm not sure how I thought a 17 year-old 4Runner was going to be a reliability upgrade over a simple Jeep with a 2 year old motor.<br /><br />Regardless, a grandiose plan was hatched: I'd sell the Jeep for a bunch of cash, and use it to build a 4Runner into exactly what I wanted.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/3353272676/" title="If only I'd known..."><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1116/3353272676_25ae6841e7.jpg" alt="1985 4Runner Parked 4" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />While searching for something to buy, I came across the example you see above. 5.5" All-Pro Offroad lift, 5.29:1 gears, 35" Super Swampers and a winch. Sure, it had 160k miles, but it really only had 50k on a rebuilt engine, so it was fine.<br /><br />There were a few <i>small</i> problems...<br />Instead of the $4-5k that I was looking to spend, the guy was asking $9k (<i>but it already had lift/tires/gears that I wanted, so it was really a bargain!</i>).<br />It had an exhaust leak at the manifold-to-head surface (<i>and easy fix</i>)<br />The driver's seat was busted.<br />The transmission was in need of a 2nd gear synchro (<i>but good, used replacements were only a few hundred bucks</i>)<br />The clutch was warped (<i>but I could get it when I did the transmission</i>)<br />Lastly, it was in Sacramento but I was in San Diego. <i>No problem, I'd just have my dad check it out for me, as he was in SacTown at the time.</i><br /><br />Everything in italics came back to bite me.<br /><br />I'd like to believe if I'd been there in person, to hear the exhaust leak, to drive it and realize just how gutless 100ish horsepower feels when yoked to 35", 50lb tires, and recognize the generally neglected state this thing was in, that I wouldn't have told my dad to pull the trigger. Alas, I wasn't, and he didn't want to be the bad guy and tell me this was a terrible idea, so I bought it.<br /><br />The spread between the $12k I sold the Wrangler for and the $8k I paid for the 4Runner disappeared quickly. Straight away I paid for sales tax, 1st insurance premium, a new driver's seat, a (used) replacement transmission and getting the exhaust leak (mostly) fixed.<br /><br />Winter break of that year really epitomizes my ownership experience.<br /><br />I had two weeks to swap the transmission and transfer case to the new (used) tranny and dual transfer case setup I had ready to go.<br /><br />On the way from San Diego to my parents' place in the Bay Area, the front main oil seal went from bad to worse. I added at least 5 quarts of oil over the trip, most of which proceeded to spray down the undercarriage and up the back of the car.<br /><br />After burning a day fixing the oil seal issue, the drivetrain swap was longer and more difficult than expected. My lovely future wife had come up to join my family on a skiing trip, but instead she had to stay back an extra day and help me bench-press 300lbs worth of drivetrain into place.<br /><br />On the way back to San Diego, I had the pleasure of learning that my 4Runner had been equipped with a rear-seat heater. It turns out the previous owner hadn't bothered to remove the coolant lines that fed it, and instead put a "U" hose right were my newly installed second transfer case would rub right through it. This was determined over the course of 4 hours and several hot-coolant baths in a parking lot at the base of the Grapevine.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/288272210/" title="Sidehill 1 by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/120/288272210_2db508ce26.jpg" alt="Sidehill 1" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Later that spring, the head gasket blew.<br /><br />Without the time, money or skill to do a head gasket, I ventured into my own personal Bailout Plan. The Bank of Dad granted me a $3k, 5 year loan to get the better part of the engine rebuilt at an expert shop. I was in debt, but my 4Runner was finally running right.<br /><br />It was stolen 3 weeks later, never to be seen again.<br /><br />Insurance paid me more than I could've sold it for, but nowhere near the total I'd paid into it over 10 months of ownership.<br /><br />For years, I beat myself up over the whole fiasco. Really, the whole thing embarrassed me.<br /><br />In my family to "Buy the 4Runner" came to mean entering into a financial boondoggle with delusions of coming out ahead of the game, when in reality you're just biting off more than you can chew.<br /><br />Five years later, I'm still frustrated by the experience. But when I think about everything I learned as a result, I'm not sure I wouldn't wish it upon myself again. I learned a lot about wrenching, but even more about just how much time, money and space it takes to take on a real project. I'm glad I had that learning experience on an $8,000 4Runner than a $30,000 BMW or a $300,000 money pit of a house.Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-83616149220979882272009-03-09T22:06:00.000-07:002009-03-10T12:15:39.705-07:00My AutoBiography, Part 1: Whatayamean, Water Doesn't Compress?In a <strike>nearly-shameless ripoff of</strike> tribute to Paul Niedermeyer's <a href="http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/category/editorials/auto-biography/">Auto-Biography</a> series on <span style="font-style:italic;">The Truth About Cars</span>, I've decided to chronicle the vehicular history that's led me to where I am today (and where I'd like to be tomorrow).<br /><br />The combination of good grades and wealthy parents lead me to a lifted 1991 Jeep Wrangler for a first car. With the 4.0L I-6, 4.56:1 gears and 32" tires, the thing was the 0-40 drag champ and pretty capable offroad...to say nothing of its popularity with <i>the ladies</i>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/288274376/" title="Awww Yeahhh"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/116/288274376_4e4eabc8d8_o.jpg" alt="Awww Yeahhh" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />Unfortunately, the nut behind the wheel wasn't really up to the challenge of a certain bumper-deep water obstacle at the local semi-legal 4-wheeling destination. It turns out the YJ Wrangler has a cold-air intake that pulls in from below the headlights, rather than the near-hood-level that one might expect on an off-road vehicle.<br /><br />It also turns out that water doesn't compress.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Now</span> I know that if your engine dies due to water intake, you should pull your spark plugs and crank the water out. At the time, I just cranked it. It turns out the OEM Jeep starter has enough torque to bend the connecting rods in this situation.<br /><br />Nearly $4000 and a new <a href="http://mopar.com/serviceandparts/reman/index.html">Mopar remanufactured engine</a> later, and I needed a job.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/3343809374/" title="Everyone needs a shirt with their name on it"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3315/3343809374_65f615100c.jpg" width="400" alt="Goodyear Shirt" /></a></div><br /><br />Being a car fan and possessing enough skills to remove and re-install bolts myself, I got a job at the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/goodyear-los-gatos-los-gatos">local Goodyear Service center</a>. I worked not-quite 40 hours a week mounting tires, changing oil and delivering parts and customers over the southwest Bay Area.<br /><br />That job was pivotal in turning me from a car fan to a gearhead. Being in, out, around and under hundreds — if not thousands — of cars, I got a feel for 5, 10, or 15 year old examples various makes of cars — how they were built, how they aged, and how painful they were to work on.<br /><br />My time left me with a severe disdain for the following: German lug-centric wheels, GM plastic lug nut covers, and all things Corvette (wheels, tires, pressure sensors and especially their owners).<br /><br />All joking aside, it's a job I'd highly recommend to any budding car fan. You'll make better money than almost anywhere, occasionally get to play hero mechanic for a damsel in distress, stay in shape heaving tires around, and occasionally pick up some pretty good perks in the form of parts or favors. The techs (<i>real mechanics</i>) will teach you a lot if you're willing to listen. The experience will teach you all kinds of skills and random knowledge when it comes to cars. You'll know so much more from working on cars than <span style="font-style: italic;">Motor Trend</span> can ever tell you.<br /><br />Of course, mounting tires and changing oil doesn't make you an <a href="http://www.ase.com/Content/NavigationMenu/Service_Professionals1/Explore_Certification/ASE_Master_Requirements/ASE_Master_Requirements.htm">ASE Master Tech</a>. In fact, having an optimized set of tools and supplies for a very limited range of jobs can lead you to believe all automotive maintenance is as easy as 4 tires on a Civic. Alas, this is not the case, as we'll learn in my next segment...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SbYNWUObwiI/AAAAAAAAANg/u8ro7vWKhU0/s1600-h/Working+on+the+4Runner.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SbYNWUObwiI/AAAAAAAAANg/u8ro7vWKhU0/s400/Working+on+the+4Runner.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311447487567610402" border="0" /></a>Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-83900520958121245342009-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:002009-02-07T00:13:27.606-08:00A Future for PontiacIt appears Pontiac's circling the drain.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/96-98_Pontiac_Grand_Am_coupe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/96-98_Pontiac_Grand_Am_coupe.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><i>They build excitement, all right...</i><br /></div><br /><br />It's certainly GM's prerogative to shut down a poor-selling brand that's largely a clone to Chevy. 20-something years of a brand identity consisting of plastic cladding and crappy fog lights will leave a mark that's hard to wipe off with the occasional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_gto#Revival">decent</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_G8">car</a>. I believe there's hope for the pointy-arrow brand. Let me play <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Sloan">Al Sloan</a> for a bit.<br /><br />GM has a long history of getting it right when they want, particularly when it comes to parts-bin specials. These would be limited production, performance-oriented models largely based on existing platforms. Pontiac's future lies in performance-oriented versions of other mass-market GM products.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/92gmc17059-A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/92gmc17059-A.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Certainly better than the Torrent GXP</i></div><br /><br />The list is long and awesome. There was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Impala#1994-1996">Impala SS</a>, a mixture of Corvette engine and cop car drivetrain. For those feeling a bit truckish, we have the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMC_Syclone">Syclone</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMC_Typhoon">Typhoon</a> evil twins. In recent times, Chevy's managed to give us the platform-mate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_HHR#SS_Turbocharged">HHR SS</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt_ss">Cobalt SS</a>, sporting 260hp of turbocharged Ecotec goodness. Last but not least, there's the <a href="http://jalopnik.com/cars/jalopnik-fantasy-garage/buick-gnx-274485.php">GNX</a>, an uber version of the Grand National, itself a seriously juiced up Regal.<br /><br />As much as it pains me to point them out, the Hummer H2 and H3 fit this mold as well. While Hummer has become the go-to brand for the those wishing to make the wrong statement about themselves, the potential was there. They could've skipped the ridiculous sheet metal and the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL4ZkYPLN38">terrible ad campaigns</a> in favor of more ground clearance, but let's not dwell on it for the time being. The point is, GM has a wide array of powertrains and chassis' that can be altered from the factory for remarkable performance.<br /><br />Back to Pontiac. With the exception of the G8, the entire Pontiac lineup is badge-engineered from other GM products, so why not add some upgrades in middle of the the copy-past operation?<br /><br />Specifically, I propose two tiers of every Pontiac: a "base" that's still a notch sportier than the Chevy counterpart, and the GXP (do we really have to stick with GXP?) that's the over-the-top headline getter. The GXPs will be the attention getters and buzz-generators, but the base models will be the volume sellers (as it's always been).<br /><br />Pontiac By Mad Science™ will need to break from the GM mold in a few key areas, however. Firstly, they must embrace manual transmissions. I know they only represent something like a 10% take rate and cost more to certify for CAFE and EPA, but if you're the performance brand, you need to offer three pedals in every model. Secondly, they're going to need to offer real, substantial performance upgrades and avoid appearance-only "sport" packages. Springs, shocks, swaybars and a decently constructed driver's seat will go farther than you could imagine (particularly when accompanied by a manual trans). Stickers, cladding, and enchaced seat fabric are The Devil's Tools.<br /><br />Lastly, they must take front wheel drive (and even all wheel drive) performance seriously. GM knows how to build kickass RWD monsters, but the ability to build a legitimate WRX, GTI, MINI or Integra/RSX (RIP) competitor will be crucial going forward. $30-50k AMG and M slayers are great, but the $18-25k sport compacts will build your brand. Ask anyone who grew up in the 90s and now makes enough to purchase the car of their choice (hi mom!).<br /><br />Let's move on to specific examples. Namely, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_G5">G5</a>. The Pontiac G5 is a half-ass rebadge of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Cobalt">Cobalt</a>. In my Pontiac, the base G5 would be the 171hp upgraded naturally aspirated Ecotec, with a GXP cloning the Cobalt SS.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Whiteturbocobalt.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Whiteturbocobalt.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo Courtesy CobaltSS.net member 1WhiteSSTC, via Wikipedia</i></div><br /><br />However, in my GM, there would be no Cobalt SS, as Chevy is the everyman's brand and Pontiac is the performance brand. Any performance GM car that doesn't have a brand history (e.g., Camaro or Corvette) would be a Pontiac.<br /><br />Lastly, even the much-ballyhooed Aveo/G3 cousinhood could bear tasty fruit. Take the VW Polo GTI or Fiesta Zetec S as a benchmark. Even low-end subcompacts can be a hoot with lively suspension tuning, 120-150hp and a manual gearbox. The G3 could be the Polo GTI in North America.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.volkswagen.com.au/etc/medialib/vwcms/virtualmaster/en_au/new_cars/polo/multimedia.Par.0197.Image.jpg/Wallpaper_3_1024x768.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.volkswagen.com.au/etc/medialib/vwcms/virtualmaster/en_au/new_cars/polo/multimedia.Par.0197.Image.jpg/Wallpaper_3_1024x768.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Why Not?</i></div><br /><br />However, a niche Pontiac would be unlikely to stand on its own. Putting my Sloan hat back on, I see Chevy existing as a volume selling, complete brand with trucks, cars and performance all rolled into one. The other GM brands, as a group, would constitute a parallel brand, with less emphasis on volume and more emphasis on filling in niches left by Chevy. As such, Pontiac-Buick-GMC (-Saturn?) dealers won't feel left out in the cold.<br /><br />So, could this work? I wouldn't have taken all this time out of my otherwise <a href="http://www.virtual-bubblewrap.com/popnow.shtml">busy Friday night</a> to draft this diatribe if I didn't think so.Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-84901272128301243672009-01-21T00:00:00.000-08:002009-03-09T21:19:58.008-07:00Spelling for Gearheads on the Internet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SXQhRegxVFI/AAAAAAAAALk/dM7gBDqDjNY/s1600-h/shcool.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 395px; height: 301px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SXQhRegxVFI/AAAAAAAAALk/dM7gBDqDjNY/s400/shcool.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292892046199182418" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Until recent times, it didn't matter if you could spell carburetor, provided you could tune one. I'm sorry, Cletus, but those days are over.<br /><br />I'm not such a pedantic tool as to correct someone's spelling online, but that doesn't mean it doesn't bother me. Beyond simple annoyance (your/you're), it gets to be a problem when trying to buy stuff online.<br /><br />While I may know that what you've listed as an "axel" sits under the springs and between the wheels, Craigslist has yet to implement Google's <i>"Did you mean _____?"</i> feature. The means I'm not going to find your "axel", because I'm searching for an <i>axle</i>.<br /><br />That said, here's a list of commonly misspelled car related words:<ul><li>axle</li><li>bearing (<i>not</i> "baring")</li><li>brakes (<i>not</i> "breaks")</li><li>Camaro</li><li>carburetor</li><li>clutch</li><li>convertible</li><li>differential</li><li>Galaxie is the Ford product, galaxy is a bunch of stars</li><li>hydraulic</li><li>manifold</li><li>manual</li><li>torque</li><li>transmission</li><li>viscous (<span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> vicious)</li><li>wrench</li></ul><br />That's enough for now. I'm hoping to link back to this post, and or edit the (unfortunately) growing list as time goes on.Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-41654938306948848922009-01-19T00:00:00.000-08:002009-03-09T21:19:02.300-07:00Just Buy The Classic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SXQcd39ZXXI/AAAAAAAAALM/feg_U0cGmD0/s1600-h/MG+5800+priced.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SXQcd39ZXXI/AAAAAAAAALM/feg_U0cGmD0/s400/MG+5800+priced.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292886761630424434" /></a><br /><br />Today's cars are boring. More accurately: "Today's cars are boring" is a quote I hear all too often amongst auto enthusiasts.<br /><br />The Car of The 21st Century is indeed over-optimized for the purist. What once was handled though screwdrivers and fancy footwork is now contained in the sorcery of silicon. Automotive excellence depends on the kids whose parents provided them with sensible transportation in high school allowing them to focus on their studies, rather than spend Sunday night keeping the moped/Pinto/Chevette running. Opening the hood is like disrobing an alien. The parts are there...but there's no making sense of it.<br /><br />"It's such a shame," they comment "that you can't get a stripped-down sports car/econobox without all that extra crap. I bet it you could get a Camaro under $20k and 3000lbs if they offered a stripper model". There's usually a debate about active Vs passive safety and a "when I was a kid we crawled all over the bench seat..." thrown in for good measure.<br /><br />BMW should've made the MINI smaller, all sports cars should come with the option for no options, and what's with all the airbags?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Well, I tell you what:</span> Shut the Hell Up and just buy the classic.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SXQcMDJADZI/AAAAAAAAALE/0uNc7TWVEPQ/s1600-h/Pontiac+Catalina+7500+priced.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SXQcMDJADZI/AAAAAAAAALE/0uNc7TWVEPQ/s400/Pontiac+Catalina+7500+priced.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292886455394241938" /></a><br />For half the price of most new cars, you can get a beautiful daily-driver grade vehicle from the era you so selectively remember as great. Let me get <a href="http://motors.shop.ebay.com/items/Cars-Trucks___W0QQTransmission3431604ZManual88efd3e6QQLHQ5fPriceZQ2eQ2e12Q2c500Q40cQQModelYearf0c65f14Z1975172306Q7c1974172305Q7c1973172304Q7c1972172303Q7c1971172302Q7c1970172301Q7c19691722ebQ7c19681722eaQ7c19671722e9Q7c19661722e8Q7c19651722e7Q7c19641722e6Q7c19631722e5Q7c19621722e4Q7c19611722e3Q7c19601722e2Q7c19591722ccQ7c19581722cbQ7c19571722caQ7c19561722c9Q7c19551722c8Q7c19541722c7Q7c19531722c6Q7c19521722c5Q7c19511722c4Q7c19501722c3QQQ5ftrkparmsZ72Q253A727Q257C65Q253A12Q257C39Q253A1QQ_fcsfcZ0QQ_mPrRngCbxZ1QQ_trksidZp4506Q2ec0Q2em245QQ_verZ4QQ_sopZ1QQ_scZ1">you started with eBay motors</a>. The cars pictured were harvested from the <a href="http://motors.completed.shop.ebay.com/items/Cars-Trucks___W0QQTransmission3431604ZManual88efd3e6QQLHQ5fPriceZQ2eQ2e12Q2c500Q40cQQModelYearf0c65f14Z1975172306Q7c1974172305Q7c1973172304Q7c1972172303Q7c1971172302Q7c1970172301Q7c19691722ebQ7c19681722eaQ7c19671722e9Q7c19661722e8Q7c19651722e7Q7c19641722e6Q7c19631722e5Q7c19621722e4Q7c19611722e3Q7c19601722e2Q7c19591722ccQ7c19581722cbQ7c19571722caQ7c19561722c9Q7c19551722c8Q7c19541722c7Q7c19531722c6Q7c19521722c5Q7c19511722c4Q7c19501722c3QQLHQ5fCompleteZ1QQ_fcsfcZ0QQ_mPrRngCbxZ1QQ_scZ1QQ_sopZ1QQ_trksidZp4506Q2ec0Q2em245QQ_verZ4?_trksid=p4506.c0.m230">completed listings</a> section and represent actual prices that these cars sold for.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SXQctlCHNNI/AAAAAAAAALU/-kQPjtIU3n8/s1600-h/442+Wagon+13k+priced.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SXQctlCHNNI/AAAAAAAAALU/-kQPjtIU3n8/s400/442+Wagon+13k+priced.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292887031427839186" /></a><br /><br />A funny thing happens if you suggest this. A stream of excuses pours forth, everything from blaming the wife to problems with snow to driveway space/maintenance issues. Never mind that for the difference in price between the classic and a new CamCord/Fusibu, you could afford a second car/bike and pay mechanic's bills for a number of years. Provided we're not talking about a Crosly, anything from the 60s onward still has a usable parts base.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SXQc9DWgnpI/AAAAAAAAALc/CfWcUCSzLSU/s1600-h/Jeep+3100+priced.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SXQc9DWgnpI/AAAAAAAAALc/CfWcUCSzLSU/s400/Jeep+3100+priced.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292887297264492178" /></a><br /><br />Locating it will detract from your blog commenting time, though.Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-5030180346257434912008-11-24T22:25:00.000-08:002008-11-24T23:10:02.951-08:00I Want It: 1971 Corolla 2-Door Wagon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o241/bucketOjonar/Picture232.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px;" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o241/bucketOjonar/Picture232.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />It's no secret that I'm a big fan of wagons. I'm also a big fan of pre-boring Toyotas. <i>Additionally</i>, compact RWD cars are a staple for gearheads the world over. More so when they're cheap.<br /><br />So here we have the Quadruple Threat: a 1971 (Pre Smog!) Toyota Corolla wagon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o241/bucketOjonar/Picture230-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px;" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o241/bucketOjonar/Picture230-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />With a manual transmission, mildly hopped-up engine (probably making 85ish HP) and the beloved 2-door wagon body style, it'd be the perfect mix of economy sporty feel and character that I've been looking for in a <a href="http://jalopnik.com/386572/what-should-mad-science-drive-to-work">commuter mule</a>. At $2500 (asking price), it's a killer bargain.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o241/bucketOjonar/Picture233-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px;" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o241/bucketOjonar/Picture233-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Not sure about those SAAB wheels, though. Yeah...that's the excuse I'll use for not picking it up.<br /><br />Here's the <a href="http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/930147829.html">Current Craigslist Link</a>Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-84379382336971516412008-10-31T21:04:00.000-07:002008-10-31T21:58:36.298-07:00Project Proposal: Diesel Disco Vette<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-Corvette_W0QQitemZ110304582312QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item110304582312"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px;;" src="http://i9.ebayimg.com/03/i/001/17/51/8ed9_3.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />As my screen name might suggest, I have some experience with the world of science and research. Funny thing about research: you can't sell it. Well, not in the traditional sense. With a normal good or service, the buyer pays upon delivery of the good or service. In the case of research, it's really the opposite. They pay you...and you get back to them with a report or something eventually.<br /><br />And so is launched what might be an ongoing series I call "Project Proposal". Essentially, I'm selling you on my cockamamie schemes. Not like I think someone's going to fund me with a Project Car Hell Grant, but more because my wife wants me to stop sending her this stuff on IM while we're both at work.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">That said...here we go...</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SQvgPHbKJ-I/AAAAAAAAAKk/eHUXb-W-bPw/s1600-h/gm6265enginelarge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 327px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/SQvgPHbKJ-I/AAAAAAAAAKk/eHUXb-W-bPw/s400/gm6265enginelarge.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263547139808176098" /></a><br /><br />My current (and for the foreseeable future) commute is a 45 mile (one way) dash against traffic from northeast LA to sprawltastic Santa Clarita, CA (ever been to Magic Mountain?). The '06 WRXagon is a fine steed, but I'd really love something more <i>optimized</i> for commuting, you know?<br /><br />Thus I propose one of many Super Commuter Projects: the Diesel Disco Vette.<br /><br />The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvette_C3">C3 Corvette</a> served as an unfortunate bridge for GM's premier sports car. Form the 425HP ZR-2 of 1970, it fell to the Malaise-o-riffic high 100s HP by the late 70s, the years most associated with the car in this author's mind.<br /><br />With little in the way of prestige to be lost, I propose to swap a 6.2 or 6.5L GM diesel into a pre-smog (gotta love Kali-fuorneeya) C3 vette. As <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Diesel_V8_engine">Saint Wiki</a> will tell you, the Detroit Diesel engines were designed for economy, not power. Knowing these engines can return mid-20 MPG in the Blazers or military CUCVs of the day, I've no doubt it could deliver mid-30s MPG in something as light and pointy as a Vette.<br /><br />...and it can all be had at bargain prices! <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-Corvette_W0QQitemZ110304582312QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item110304582312">Here's</a> a project-special C3 with a (reserve no met) price of a little over 3 grand. It'll probably go for about 5, but I've seen rougher examples go for much less. Complete reman GM diesels can be had for a little more <a href="http://www.rhinoengines.com/gm6265engines.htm">here</a>. Thrown an NV4500 manual in there, and I figure you're cruising in oil-burning style for around 15 grand.<br /><br />Oh, and then there's that whole <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=biodiesel&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a">biodiesel </a>thing...<br /><br />I could think of nothing better than to show up at a Corvette meet with a clattering, smoke-belching C3 with a matte green paint job, smelling of french-fries.Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-18026322980583273652008-10-29T22:06:00.000-07:002008-10-29T22:52:45.656-07:00Supra-Powered Ranchero, Why Must You Tempt Me So?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.craigslist.org/1251g41323n53oe3pc8asdef9f4b9774b1159.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 224px;" src="http://images.craigslist.org/1251g41323n53oe3pc8asdef9f4b9774b1159.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I'm talking about <a href="http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/897714305.html">this guy</a>. Here's a <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3221/2985373989_d10783353c_o.jpg" title="Rachero_Supra_CL_Ad by Mad Science, on Flickr">screenshot</a> if the ad goes down.<br /><br />I've got a soft-spot for truck-cars (El Caminos and Rancheros, et <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Rampage">al</a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Ranchero#1960-65">60-65 Ranchero</a> holds a special place in my heart.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.craigslist.org/1171271303k73ma3l98asfafe690c591c17bc.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 224px;" src="http://images.craigslist.org/1171271303k73ma3l98asfafe690c591c17bc.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Unfortunately, that generation has some of the worst front suspensions ever fitted to an automobile. To add insult to injury, the majority (particularly the early years) come with an undesirable I-6 + two speed auto or three-on-the-tree combo. (V8 and 4 on the floor only for Mr. Mad Science).<br /><br />...and so I'm intrigued by this '63 with the 2.8L 5M-GE I-6 from an '83 Supra. It even comes with the Toyota's 5-speed transmission, addressing the typical highway insufficiency of older cars' non-overdrive transmissions.<br /><br />At 150ish HP, the 2.8L 5M-GE isn't going to be King of the Strip, but&mdash lets be honest here&mdash the 260, 289 and 302 V8s of old didn't put out much more that 150HP anyway. Not sure about the 300ZX seats...but we're already in 80s Japanese Invasion territory, so why not expand to the interior as well?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.craigslist.org/1141g713b3n83ka3pd8as7df25cb111f11912.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 224px;" src="http://images.craigslist.org/1141g713b3n83ka3pd8as7df25cb111f11912.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I guess the final attractor is the price: $3000, while not on-a-whim money, is a pretty decent price for what could be a pretty cool car.<br /><br />Assuming you've got $3k in <strike>your girlfriend's savings account</strike> lying around, it really comes down to whether you can stand the black-on-yellow bumblebee paintjob (or stand to repaint it).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.craigslist.org/12713a1g83n93ke3l68as68ae10870e161e97.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 224px;" src="http://images.craigslist.org/12713a1g83n93ke3l68as68ae10870e161e97.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />This thing's been on Craigslist for a few months now...any takers?Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-65595680588902020952008-02-20T21:30:00.000-08:002008-02-20T21:28:02.215-08:00Maximum Wagon Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/442931556_325a8fbcc6.jpg?v=0"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/442931556_325a8fbcc6.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Today (what's left of it) was <a href="http://jalopnik.com/tag/maximum-wagon-day/">Maximum Wagon Day</a> on my #1 time-waster, Jalopnik.<br /><br />...and I'd like to take credit for it for having sent in the tip about the ailing <a href="www.stationwagon.com">stationwagon.com</a> site.<br /><br />The Wife and I are proud owners of two wagons, an <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/1184558952/in/set-72157601576471053">'06 Subaru WRX</a> and the aforementioned '67 Ford Country Sedan. I've been a long-time favorite of wagons, whose virtue I have expounded upon in the past and will expound upon in the future. You may even see a semi long-format essay thing on this site about how wagons are superior to "Crossovers" and most SUVs in every single way.<br /><br />In the meanwhile, I'll hand it over to <a href="www.jalopnik.com">Jalopnik</a> for all your wagon-loving desires.<br /><br /><i>Credit to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brainfag/">Nate Beaty</a> the picture.</i>Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-27416249610375828322008-02-20T20:50:00.000-08:002008-10-29T23:10:16.525-07:00The San Fernando Valley Illegal Soap Box Federation<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/1098206157/" title="The Pack (7) by Mad Science, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1039/1098206157_c05ea7decf.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="The Pack (7)" /></a><br /><br />The San Fernando Valley Illegal Soapbox Federation is a collection of handy individuals who love gravity but show much ambivalence towards their own personal safety.<br /><br />They meet on the second Sunday of every month, at roughly 6am in a random parking lot. Yes, 6am. Don't worry too much, because thus far everywhere they've met contains a coffee dispensary. Where will they meet next month? You'll have to check <a href="http://www.sfvisbf.com/">their website</a> to find out.<br /><br />August 2007's <span style="font-style:italic;">Home Invasion</span> was the first race I attended: two gentle curves followed by a long downhill, followed by a <span style="font-style:italic;">90 degree right turn</span>. My brother and I parked ourselves on the inside of the curve, wondering just what we were in store for. Nothing could've prepared us for what came next. When it comes to describing incredible events in detail, sometimes I'm good with words, other times I'm good with embedding video:<br />(please turn up your volume)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rRC_0XfFWJc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rRC_0XfFWJc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Needless to say, from that day forward I was hooked.<br /><br />Following races will be covered in detail in the future, but for now the reader can go into more detail in our <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/collections/72157602781054569/">flickr sets</a>.Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-74349429610524965082008-02-20T20:47:00.000-08:002008-02-20T20:47:52.908-08:00HooptyRides HQWe received the unique opportunity to tour Hooptyrides HQ, home of <a href="http://hooptyrides.blogspot.com/">Mr Jalopy</a>. If you don't know who that is, follow the link, do some reading and come back.<br /><br />Basically, this was as close to a real-life Wonka factory as it gets. Secret location? Check. Eccentric Recluse? Check. Oompa-loompas? Ummm...not really, but he does have one helper-guy helping him out. I was hoping all the other visitors would be eliminated in one way or another, leaving only Daisy and I to inherit the place. No such luck.<br /><br />Mr Jalopy has managed to acquire crazy-old-hotrodder-guy-who-just-died quantities of junk. While the quantity is certainly impressive it's the <i>quality</i> of his junk that sets Mr Jalopy apart.<br /><br />A wall of metal containers: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2361/1570565934_26e7be6618_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2361/1570565934_26e7be6618_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />A glass case full of Gauges:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2403/1570624242_e4ed65b1fd_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2403/1570624242_e4ed65b1fd_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />A great collection of large-size jackstands:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2146/1570758230_61950286f7_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2146/1570758230_61950286f7_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />He's in the process of Frankensteining two fluid-coupling dynos together, the detailed workings of which he was happy to lecture:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2391/1570806830_29f23ee620_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2391/1570806830_29f23ee620_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Don't think that just because Mr Jalopy is such a ravenous collector that he's incapable of vetting his possessions (for a price, that is):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2345/1569959667_a18008820e_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2345/1569959667_a18008820e_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />There is one problem with the crowd that assembled for the event...they almost all fit the same description. I was trying to describe someone to Daisy on the way home, and it went a little something like this:<br />"You remember, the guy with the kinda shaggy beard?"<br />"Ummm..."<br />"He had glasses"<br />"Not helping"<br /><br />Case in point:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2007/1570841974_3628ed1203_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2007/1570841974_3628ed1203_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />A look around that picture shows the assortment of scruffy-faced gentlemen (and a few not-so scruffy ladies) that were in attendance.<br /><br />Your reward for reading or scrolling all the way to the end is a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157602409017186/">set</a> of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coop666/sets/72157602410301380/with/1566164193/">links</a> to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hackaday/sets/72157602410791592/">pictures</a> of the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_science/sets/72157602416144028/">event</a>. (The last one's mine)Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-77793389612697799522008-02-20T20:25:00.000-08:002008-12-11T05:11:35.745-08:00The WagonOne of the cool things about LA is the abundance of cars. This is a problem, to be sure, but it's also awesome, as you can find some sweet old cars for dirt cheap. A personal favorite is the craigslist <a href="http://losangeles.craigslist.org/search/car?query=&minAsk=200&maxAsk=3500&addTwo=&hasPic=1">cheap car search</a>.<br /><br />This search netted us a great find: a 1967 Ford Country Sedan (click to make bigger):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/417198817_6a2b402b10_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/417198817_6a2b402b10_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/432844985_7220a28e9c_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/432844985_7220a28e9c_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here it is with the rest of the fleet:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/417201269_1ae8533b10_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/417201269_1ae8533b10_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here's the rear. You'll note the Ford-exclusive tailgate that opens like a tailgate or a giant hinged door:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/133/417199732_0144eb1e92_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/133/417199732_0144eb1e92_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/175/417200215_515113b990_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/175/417200215_515113b990_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's got a 390 with a 4 barrel, and seating for 10. One of the things that sold us on it is the old-school Cragar wheels:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/417197852_64c74de3c9_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/417197852_64c74de3c9_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A closeup on the aged-to-perfection center cap:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/RqBDBHTwfVI/AAAAAAAAAB0/fQaHbaRDxJk/s1600-h/Cragar_center.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TT-hETITM_o/RqBDBHTwfVI/AAAAAAAAAB0/fQaHbaRDxJk/s400/Cragar_center.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089141265349508434" /></a><br /><br />Yes, those are the <i>front</i> drum brakes. I'd also like to add that when we took it home there was no fluid in the master cylinder for the rear drums. The brake pedal was really more of a suggestion.<br /><br />So far, maintenance has consisted of:<br />-Adding brake fluid (see above) and bleeding rear brakes<br />-A few quarts of oil<br />-Removing an odd piece of chrome trim that was rubbing on the tailgate. This of course required the entire rear bumper to be unbolted, which was an exercise in frustration because the bumper is held on with bolts that lock in place in little square holes, which easily strip when loaded with the torque required to break loose nuts that have been in place for 40 years.<br />-Replacing the rear wheel bearings. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find a shop that'll press wheel bearings off of axleshafts. Also, the parts Pep Boys supplied were wrong. <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=undercar&sll=34.113239,-118.241111&sspn=0.006689,0.009774&ie=UTF8&ll=34.142143,-118.263273&spn=0.053491,0.078192&z=14&iwloc=A&om=1">UnderCar</a> for the win!<br /><br />Modifications have consisted of adding a 3 gauge cluster for oil pressure, water temp and volts. Apparently Ford engineers in the 60s assumed issues regarding oil pressure and water temp would be so rare, we only need idiot lights to alert us to the problem. There will be pictures when they're properly installed and wired up.Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278409662946795189.post-7466047234065233352008-02-20T20:23:00.001-08:002008-02-20T20:24:16.285-08:00Hello WorldI'm enough of a geek to know it's best to open with that. More and better content to come.Mad Sciencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10493587566789119172noreply@blogger.com0