Finally, A Good Use For A Chevy Small Block

You should see the one made out of a 3406 Cat motor,it's suitable for large gatherings.

Hey Fixer, while yer in Germany...

...if yer wonderin' what to get me for Christmas, one o' these'll do. And translate the song too, please. It sounds kinda familiar, but nicked sprekken zee doytch...

And Now, Something Completely Different

Hold on tight Gord, this is a little intense.

Jesus Built My Hot Rod

H/T Phoenix Woman from a thread at TBogg's new joint.

The Great Von Dutch Auction of 2007

Every hotrod and bike enthusiast knows who Von Dutch was. Well, those of us of a certain age, anyway. I met the guy several times. A real character, a friend of Bud Ekins and Steve McQueen.

BTW, I just got my dead tree Cycle World the other day. It has a nice article on Bud in the wake of his passing. I can't find it on line yet, but here's the subhead:

"We all wanted to be Steve McQueen. McQueen wanted to be Bud Ekins."

Now that's a tribute! I'll try to find it later.

Cycle World has an article on the big Von Dutch Auction. Go read. Be sure to hit the Auction Gallery. Have fun.

Cars ...

Since 'Nucks has been posting pics of some great cars (yes, even the Bullitt car; it is a Mustang after all, heh ...), I figured I'd post one of mine. This is the Indian's '23 Ford T. The motor is one of mine, 302 CID, and the Indian and Mrs. Indian did all the rest.

Click to embiggen.

They've taken trophies at a buncha the local shows and it's a really fun ride.

Later, man ...

He was the guy who inspired me to do stupid shit with motor vehicles. I owe him a lot for the fun I've had over the years. We'll hoist one when I get there, Evel.

Old School Teacher

First thing, Look at these pictures then scroll down to the last post and compare.
This is what I'm talking about, do it right.
One name ,Carroll Shelby.Old school super hero does it right with the new GT500KR.
540 HP, and a wicked look for the new Mustang.
Notice what I was bitching about in my last post,then looky here at what style really is.
The wheel/tire combo fits the wheel wells, the spoiler and the chrome SHELBY spelled out make the ass a lot more finished looking.The ride height looks more correct.
The hood scoop makes the already tough looking nose appear to mean business.
Still no cover for the quarter window, although it is a blind spot when driving.
No change to the mirrors, but hey, the first rule of racing is that whats behind you isn't important.The front air dam is lower with functional brake venting for the upgraded 14 inch brakes.
Set for Spring 2008, they are only making 1,000.
This bad boy will run circles around the new Bullit.
Of course, like the saying goes, speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?
Not that I could afford to buy two tanks of gas in the thing right now, I still have an eye for nice rides and this one qualifies.
Shelby ain't going to be around too much longer, he has put his name on some priceless automobiles in his time,nice to see he still knows how to train a pony.

Lots more pictures and a promo video of the debut here.

Steve McQueen Just Rolled In His Grave.

The green 1968 Mustang Fastback became a legend.
Inspired by the movie with Steve McQueen that came out that year, flying through the air and sliding with abandon through the streets of San Francisco for 9 and a half minutes, in the now classic, Bullitt.
Ford Motor Company, sometimes referred to as FOMOCO by us die hards, has decided, in its infinite wisdom, to try and reclaim some of the past glory by coming out with a 2008 Mustang badged as, Bullitt.







Give, me, a break.
The styling on this car blows goats.
The rear wheel arches vs the tire size looks like hell,the ass end looks like it is unfinished.The retro wheels are going to be a hot item but really don't do much for the whole look. The ride height looks to be too high and the rear quarter glass needs a vented cover badly. And what the hell is up with those mirrors?
Damn,it looks to me like a thrown together gimmick car.
Too bad Ford is going to get schooled by the aftermarket crowd who are going to do this thing up like it should have been done from the gitgo.
Note to the boys and girls at the Blue Oval, do it right or don't fuckin' bother.

The rest of the pictures I didn't grab are at Road and Track dot com.

Happy Thanksgiving

Now, go back for seconds and take a nap.
We'll be back after the holiday.

Cool toys ...

More cool shit via the Indian:

Note: Big file. It might take a few minutes to load.

Semper Fi-Yi-Yi!

So there I was, following Nucks directions from the post just below and clicking around Ernie's House of Whoop Ass when I ran across this:

Click it for the Corps!

Many more. Click around his right sidebar. Does an old Jarhead's, er, heart, yeah, that's it, good...

Click around both of his sidebars! I can honestly say I've never seen a "Swallow...or it's going in your eye" tee-shirt before!

Heck of a site! Good goin', Nucks!

Powered By Ford

For Fixer;

Video of a Mustang pulling a wheelie 3/4s down the strip before flipping on it's side the last 1/4 and then flipping back upright. TA DA!
Follow the link, H/T to Ernie's House of Whoop Ass for the original link.

Where I work* ...

Between Harry, Indian, and me there's about 125 years of automotive experience. We've all built hotrods and custom cars either in our free time or as a vocation.

When we're slow around the shop we like to make shit. Usually modified tools to help us do a job better. One of us will get an idea and the three of us will put our heads together and come up with something. A little welding, a little fabrication, a couple whacks with a hammer, and we got us a great new tool.

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but Indian and Mrs. I are avid campers (probably that Cherokee blood). When they're not going to NASCAR races, they're in the mountains. So, the other day, Indian comes up with this great camping accessory for his grill. Now, as I said, with all the experience and wisdom running around, you'd think we'd come up with something revolutionary.

Nah.

Presenting the Weenie Cooker:





We think it's the greatest thing since the internal combustion engine. Sam, on the other hand, has a different opinion. Heh ...



To quote her: "So my mom is right, boys never grow up."

You betcha, dahlink.

*Part of an ongoing, semi-regular series.

Click pics to engorge embiggen.

It's a V-8!

Indian sent me this YouTube of a 1/4 scale monster truck with a V-8 gas engine:



I did a little digging around and found another detailing the engine kit. Nice 'dyno' the guy made by the way:



Way cool!

The Green Room

Go check out Jay Leno's eco-friendly garage. Video and photo gallery.

"My thing with the green situation is: Even if you don't believe in global warming, don't you want to screw the oil company or gas company or utility company?"

Oh hell yeah!

His parts cleaners are eco-friendly -- one uses microbes to eat away grease and grime, the other employs ultrasonic cleaning bubbles. Instead of a gas-operated plasma cutter to saw parts out of sheet metal, a water jet does the job using sand. And refillable canisters of brake and carburetor cleaners take the place of throwaway aerosol cans.

Walking over to the power meter to confirm what he'd just read on the computer, he tapped the screen.

"Right now, I'm using all the power I want, and I'm generating more power than I'm using. Why would anybody get mad at you for that? To me, you want to be a good citizen. It's important to try and be a good citizen. And you can."

It's just expensive.

That's the rub, but it's still the dawn of time for solar. The more folks who use it, the cheaper it'll get.

Until the oil & power companies figure out a way to switch the Sun off if you don't pay.

I Got Your Hybrid Grocery Getter...

PETERBILT TO UNVEIL ADVANCED HYBRID TECHNOLOGIES

DENTON, Texas (November 6, 2006) – Peterbilt will display a production-representative, hybrid-electric medium duty truck – outfitted with a fully integrated bucket lift body – at the Hybrid Truck Users Forum National Meeting in San Diego this month, Peterbilt Motors Company recently announced.

The Class 7 Model 335 is ideal for municipal and utility applications and features advanced technologies that provide improved fuel economy while reducing noise and emissions. The hybrid Model 335 will be in limited production in 2007.

They are already on the road.
The latest models should be out by now for 2008.
Here is some detail of how it works;

According to Peterbilt Chief Engineer Landon Sproull, the truck uses a parallel hybrid system that was developed with Eaton Corporation. A parallel hybrid system has an electric motor that assists the mechanical diesel engine with supplemental torque for improved fuel economy. The system stores energy during stopping through a process called regenerative braking, and then reuses it for acceleration. The system also stores energy during idling and uses it to power the vehicle’s PTO.

Basically the same ideas used in the smaller puddle jumper class of cars being touted, just on a much bigger scale.

The reduced maintenance requirements, Sproull says, result from less wear on the engine, as its workload is supplemented by the electric engine, and the brakes, since the charging of the batteries retards the motion of the vehicle.

The truck and body communicate through a new J1939 digital controller. This interface senses hydraulic demand from the body and automatically engages the hybrid system. Under a full charge, the PTO can operate for approximately 25 minutes at which time the vehicle will automatically start the diesel engine and recharge the hybrid’s batteries. “It takes about three minutes to fully recharge,” Sproull says. “So, during eight hours of operation, the diesel engine will run for less than an hour.”

A PTO, for those who don't know, is a Power Take Off.
It is a device usually mounted on the side or bottom of the transmission that, when engaged, powers different add on mechanisms,typically a hydraulic pump.

For more info.


I expect almost all big rigs will be going to this soon, the cost of fuel will demand it.Already, long haul tuckers are adding supplemental fuel tanks to take advantage of price differences between states that can be as much as a fifty to seventy cents a gallon for diesel.
2007 required innovative engine management strategies and new technology to use the highly de-sulphered fuel mandated.These new engines suck, to be honest. The 2006 models had been back ordered to no end from people trying to extend the life of their investment and avoid the hefty price increase that went with the new technology.

More on Mr. Goodwin

Fixer hilights Mr. Goodwins high performance aspects below.
Here is more of Mr. Goodwins story, including the reference to Chinese food;

Two years ago, Goodwin got a rare chance to show off his tricks to some of the car industry's most prominent engineers. He tells me the story: He was driving a converted H2 to the SEMA show, the nation's biggest annual specialty automotive confab, and stopped en route at a Denver hotel. When he woke up in the morning, there were 20 people standing around his Hummer. Did I run over somebody? he wondered. As it turned out, they were engineers for GM, the Hummer's manufacturer. They noticed that Goodwin's H2 looked modified. "Does it have a diesel engine in it?"

"Yeah," he said.

"No way," they replied.

He opened the hood, "and they're just all in and out and around the valves and checking it out," he says. They asked to hear it run, sending a stab of fear through Goodwin. He'd filled it up with grease from a Chinese restaurant the day before and was worried that the cold morning might have solidified the fuel. But it started up on the first try and ran so quietly that at first they didn't believe it was really on. "When you start a diesel engine up on vegetable oil," Goodwin says, "you turn the key, and you hear nothing. Because of the lubricating power of the oil, it's just so smooth. Whisper quiet. And they're like, 'Is it running? Yeah, you can hear the fan going.'"

One engineer turned and said, "GM said this wouldn't work."

"Well," Goodwin replied, "here it is."

And the best part;

His latest project?

Goodwin leads me over to a red 2005 H3 Hummer that's up on jacks, its mechanicals removed. He aims to use the turbine to turn the Hummer into a tricked-out electric hybrid. Like most hybrids, it'll have two engines, including an electric motor. But in this case, the second will be the [jet] turbine, Goodwin's secret ingredient. Whenever the truck's juice runs low, the turbine will roar into action for a few seconds, powering a generator with such gusto that it'll recharge a set of "supercapacitor" batteries in seconds. This means the H3's electric motor will be able to perform awesome feats of acceleration and power over and over again, like a Prius on steroids. What's more, the turbine will burn biodiesel, a renewable fuel with much lower emissions than normal diesel; a hydrogen-injection system will then cut those low emissions in half. And when it's time to fill the tank, he'll be able to just pull up to the back of a diner and dump in its excess french-fry grease--as he does with his many other Hummers. Oh, yeah, he adds, the horsepower will double--from 300 to 600.

"Conservatively," Goodwin muses, scratching his chin, "it'll get 60 miles to the gallon. With 2,000 foot-pounds of torque. You'll be able to smoke the tires. And it's going to be superefficient."

He laughs. "Think about it: a 5,000-pound vehicle that gets 60 miles to the gallon and does zero to 60 in five seconds!"

And here's the punchline:

Goodwin's work proves that a counterattack is possible, and maybe easier than many of us imagined. If the dream is a big, badass ride that's also clean, well, he's there already. As he points out, his conversions consist almost entirely of taking stock GM parts and snapping them together in clever new ways. "They could do all this stuff if they wanted to," he tells me, slapping on a visor and hunching over an arc welder. "The technology has been there forever. They make 90% of the components I use."

Article stolen and reprinted from Daily Kos.

Bonus, there is a video now at the bottom of the article of the Impala
smoking the Lambo.


The original article is worth every bit of time and consideration spent reading it..

Biodiesel?

I'm a babe in the woods when it comes to biodiesel but this looks promising:

...

Goodwin's feats of engineering have become gradually more visible over the past year. Last summer, Imperium Renewables contacted MTV's show Pimp My Ride about creating an Earth Day special in which Goodwin would convert a muscle car to run on biodiesel. The show chose a '65 Chevy Impala, and when the conversion was done, he'd doubled its mileage to 25 mpg and increased its pull from 250 to 800 horsepower. As a stunt, MTV drag-raced the Impala against a Lamborghini on California's Pomona Raceway. "The Impala blew the Lamborghini away," says Kevin Kluemper, the lead calibration engineer for GM's Allison transmission unit, who'd flown down to help with the conversion. [my em]

...

If there's one thing we got in NY it's Chinese restaurants. It's about time Chinese food came in handy for something.

Love Ride

LATimes

Think Love Ride, and images of Jay Leno and Harley-Davidson race to mind. But a nitro-fueled cacklefest? Flat-track racing? Stunt-rider pyramids?

The Love Ride is looking a little different in 2007. Now in its 24th year, Southern California's annual cruiser mecca is getting a face lift, with a change of venue and a new three-day adjunct called California Bike Week. Instead of the usual 35-mile pilgrimage to Castaic Lake, the 15,000 bikers expected to turn out for the world's largest one-day motorcycle fundraiser this Sunday will head east to the Pomona Fairplex.

That's the venue for two racing events that will take place earlier in the weekend - the All Harley Drag Racing Assn.'s Nitro Drag Races on Friday and Saturday and the Pacific Coast National Flat Track Series Debut Saturday night. It's also the site of weekend-long freestyle stunt shows, demo rides, a 150-vendor trade show and musical performances, including Gregg Allman, who headlines Sunday afternoon.

"We thought: If we can do the racing in Pomona and have the Love Ride at the same venue, it would really focus a lot of motorcycling activity into one venue and turn it all into a much bigger pie," said Oliver Shokouh, Love Ride founder and owner of Harley-Davidson/Buell of Glendale. "The Love Ride is not a Harley lifestyle event but a motorcycle event open to all motorcyclists of all brands. It's about anybody on two wheels."

I mostly put this in as a plug for Oliver. He gave me my first job in the Harley-Davidson field in 1978. At the time, he was living at his brand-new fresh-bought dealership, on the roof I think, and hadn't even brought his family to California yet. He's of Persian descent, from the Middle East. Detroit. He's a helluva good guy.

He spent his last dime getting that dealership. Don't worry about him. He has plenty of dimes now. The Love Ride is his way of giving back and has raised more than $20,000,000 for Muscular Dystrophy and children's charities over the last 24 years.

Go to Harley-Davidson/Buell of Glendale or Love Ride. You'll be glad you did.

Crossposted at the world's other best blog.

Slippery Sam

Click to increase displacement

I just changed to a fresh month on my Classic Triumph wall calendar (So sue me. It's damn hard to find a picture of the '07 one!) and was regaled by one of 33 (or 28, or ?) road-going replicas of arguably the most famous Triumph roadracer of all time. The photo above is of a replica of a replica, but it looks good. It has a later BSA-style T160 'sloper' engine than the original '70 T150 with vertical cylinders. Either engine is a 750cc 3-cylinder OHV. More pix and hear it clank 'n roar here.

Motorcycle UK Web Directory and Search Engine

The most celebrated Triumph racer of all time, the only machine ever to win five TT races in the Isle of Man in five consecutive years.

Slippery Sam was one of three similar models built for the 1970 Production TT, one of which, ridden by Malcolm Uphill, won the race at 97.71 mph. Tom Dickie was Sam's rider and, unused to Sam's ways, fumbled the Le Mans start and was last away. He rode to finish fourth.

The fastest lap was Alex George in 1975 at 102.82mph

The Slippery Sam nickname was coined during the 1970 Bol d'Or 24 Hour Race in France when a malfunctioning oil pump plastered the bike- and riders Tait and Jolly with oil.

Better the rider than the rear tire, I always say!

During my search, I found the Allen Motorsports Collection. The original Slippery Sam is long gone to the best of my knowledge, but you can see a replica of it in road race trim. Check it out. Noodle around a little. Lotsa neat bikes.