Top photo from http://motorcycle-74.blogspot.com
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The 1936 BMW snow machine
Top photo from http://motorcycle-74.blogspot.com
Round the world trekking Zundapp with sidecar, and damn cool looking for it's utilitarian adaptations for long range use
labeled Zündapp KS601 „Grüner Elefant“ sidecar - 1953
Check out the map painted onto the sideacar fender and the Gerry can, all the stickers gathered along the trip.. my complimentsignore the rider, what do you think about this unique morphing of a motorwheel and a motorcycle
found on http://motorcycle-74.blogspot.com/if you get a kick out of unusual "Motorwheels" from the innovators who kept trying to perfect a great big wheel you rode inside of, take a look through http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search/label/motor%20wheel
Possibly the only tucker to race is NASCAR
it's all written up, from Dan at Hemmings http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2008/12/24/seeing-really-is-believing-a-tucker-did-indeed-race-in-nascar-and-we-found-the-photo-to-prove-it/ helmed by Joe Merola of Braddock, Pennsylvania, at the 1950 Poor Man’s 500 at Canfield Speedway in Ohio. http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2011/07/11/new-nascar-tucker-photo-surfaces/ for an update from July 2011
Formula 1 racing, why Americans (and growing numbers of others) don't care, the stats
Since 1983, the sophistication and technological advancements in race car body and engine design have made the race cars far closer in similar capabilities to the point that they are identical, and once on the track, rarely can pass each other, to the extant that the facts show they finish the race in the order they began the race.
Ergo, there is no race, no competition, and no point to watching cars go around a track for hours without changing anything but the fule tank level. Boring.
http://thechicaneblog.com/2010/04/04/suspicions-confirmed-current-f1-mathematically-proven-less-interesting/ has the stats graphed out.
some reasons:
Decreases in overtaking due in part to 1 engine per race, rev limited engines, equalized horsepower and decreasing amounts of design freedom, aero-grip dependency, exotic technology in brakes, the stopping distances are too short giving no window of opportunity to really take advantage of mistakes... on that topic, cars are more reliable, and fewer fail on the course than decades ago
- 1993 >> 1994: A lot of changes after Imola to make F1 safer
- 1995 >> 1996: 107% Rule, field size down from 26 to 22
- 2000 >> 2001: Traction Control Introduced
- 2003 to 2005: Engines must last longer
http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=115835
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Stats from Automobile Magazine, Feb 2011, page 16
in the 201o season:
there were 19 races, and teammates finished 1-2 no fewer than 9 times
not counting opening laps, and pit stops, there were only 4 passes for the lead all season. Snore fest. Only one was successful, one resulted in both drivers spinning out, one was an immediate repass. The only "successful" pass was a teammate passing another to accumulate points for the championship. Big whoppee I say with emphatic dullness.
Eight of the 19 races in 2010 were won from the pole, 6 from 2nd on the grid, 3 from 3rd, on from each 4th and 5th
In 2010 there were 5 winners in 19 races, compare that to 1982 when 11 winners in 16 races
Ergo, there is no race, no competition, and no point to watching cars go around a track for hours without changing anything but the fule tank level. Boring.
http://thechicaneblog.com/2010/04/04/suspicions-confirmed-current-f1-mathematically-proven-less-interesting/ has the stats graphed out.
some reasons:
Decreases in overtaking due in part to 1 engine per race, rev limited engines, equalized horsepower and decreasing amounts of design freedom, aero-grip dependency, exotic technology in brakes, the stopping distances are too short giving no window of opportunity to really take advantage of mistakes... on that topic, cars are more reliable, and fewer fail on the course than decades ago
- 1993 >> 1994: A lot of changes after Imola to make F1 safer
- 1995 >> 1996: 107% Rule, field size down from 26 to 22
- 2000 >> 2001: Traction Control Introduced
- 2003 to 2005: Engines must last longer
http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=115835
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Stats from Automobile Magazine, Feb 2011, page 16
in the 201o season:
there were 19 races, and teammates finished 1-2 no fewer than 9 times
not counting opening laps, and pit stops, there were only 4 passes for the lead all season. Snore fest. Only one was successful, one resulted in both drivers spinning out, one was an immediate repass. The only "successful" pass was a teammate passing another to accumulate points for the championship. Big whoppee I say with emphatic dullness.
Eight of the 19 races in 2010 were won from the pole, 6 from 2nd on the grid, 3 from 3rd, on from each 4th and 5th
In 2010 there were 5 winners in 19 races, compare that to 1982 when 11 winners in 16 races
the Pits at the race track
called that becuase the race cars would driver over open pit lane to stop above his crew that could then quickly get work completed without using a jack to get up under the car. Remember, cars didn't even have oil filters until, what, the 1920's? The model t didn't have an oil filter and had to have the oil changed every 300-400 miles.
learned about this (should have been intuitive) and photos from http://thechicaneblog.com/2010/08/10/in-the-pits-at-the-vanderbilt-cup/
Duece of Spades movie review
It's a good movie, and incredible that it's the first for the (writer, director, producer, set director, music, editor) do it all - Faith Granger I'd give it a 2 stars out of 4, editing and storyline could have been improved and cut down a bit. Remember, it's a good movie, and I'm not a professional movie critic, I do this for free.
The sets, costumes, cars, realistic dialog, and humor are beyond reproach. In fact, compliments on the dialog not being censored, actually... kudos to Faith fro not censoring any damn thing. You can tell I mean it, I swore. No ratings board bullshit, just real people talking like we do.
Serious praise for the sets, 1950s without error, nothing distracting or out of place, so if you'd like a look at the way it was, bingo, she nailed it. The production value is high, terrific
Funniest scene, the main character is determined to convince his love interest that she should get in his car, and tries every single day to give her a ride to school (they are both teens, it's cool) and without any dialog it's damn funny, this has to be directed to the actors and directors credit. Like Pixar, a short or scene does not rely on dialog to keep the audience riveted.
Segway is now obsolete, the Honda U3-X
The U3X is an electronic unicycle manufactured and distributed by Honda. Currently only available in Asia, the U3X would retail in North America at about $660. The U3X is said to be a technology breakthrough and the world's first driving system capable of 360 degree movement.a compact experimental device to provide free movement in all directions just like human walking - forward, backward, side-to-side, and diagonally. Honda will continue research and development of the device including experiments in the real-world environment to verify the practicality of the device.
This new personal mobility device makes it possible to adjust speed, move, turn and stop in all directions when the rider leans their upper body to shift their body weight. This was achieved through application of advanced balance control technology, robotics research, and the world's first* omni-directional driving wheel system (Honda Omni Traction Drive System), which enables movement in all directions, not only forward and backward, but also directly to the right and left and diagonally. (think of the wheels on the "I Robot" vehicles)
In addition, the compact, one-wheel-drive personal mobility device was designed to be user friendly and unimposing to people around it. This is achieved by making it easy for the rider to reach the ground from the footrest and by seating the rider at roughly the same eye level as a person standing.
Tere posted a bit more about it, with images that make it easy to understand the multi-wheel that this rides on, it can go forward/backward or side/side: http://justacargal-s.blogspot.com/2011/02/honda-omni-personal-mobility.html
There is a similar wheeled thing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOoFEKiK8A that doesn't have a seat, or a chance at succeeding when the Honda has a seat, the Segway has a hand hold, and this has a reliance on the balance of the operator. Never going to make it.
Friday, February 11, 2011
The bullet bus (aka: while taking on the improbable, meeting people and finding out that fellow VW fans donate parts)
This 21 Window Deluxe was abandoned and partially stripped in the Nevada desert and then promptly used as target practice for passersbys. After being rescued from the desert, a massive donation project started as bus owners from across the country donated parts and services to get this bus driving again. (that is so awesome! I believe the praise must go to the Samba.com, great VW website)
1)beltline trim
2)front bumper
3)oh shit handle
4)battery strap
5)parking brake handle (bent 90 degrees to floor)
6)brake pedal
7)clutch pedal
8)throttle pedal (found in the pile of dirt and broken glass on cargo floor)
9)headlight switch (also on cargo floor)
10)4.5 pop-out frames
11)the driver's seat bottom
learned about this on http://thegreasylens.tumblr.com/post/2837493790/whats-that-youve-never-heard-of-the-bullet-bus
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=227232&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=240 for the full thread of 20 pages dedicated to this project
If you suddenly feel like looking at a great gallery of VW busses: http://www.oldcarspirit.cz/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10
For the other most amazingly beyond salvage kombis I've posted about that people have went crazy for:
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/12/1957-deluxe-vw-23-window-bus-pulled.html
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/08/not-too-far-gone-to-save-because-in.html
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-happened-to-bury-this-1950-vw-213.html
CGI hot rod school bus but not real, not yet
Found on http://www.sportschrono.com/from http://www.drive2.ru/users/benderlog/blog/288230376151750948/#post
For a photo of a real one from John, the http://oleragtop.blogspot.com/ see it at http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_i_AovfzNXgQ/TF4THmJ11GI/AAAAAAABQYo/_oKZ_l1_JHw/s1600/tumblr_kycm7vpiiL1qakmcfo1_1280.jpg
I'm impressed, this "Mini Ripsaw" looks like it can go over anything
if you aren't impressed, and aren't sure you want to play on this thing, see a bit of the video athttp://www.howeandhowetechnologies.com/video.php?Id=14
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Sandy Belond's 1931 roadster, one of the first to race over 100mph on the dry lakes, in 1938 he went 125, fastest prewar lakes record
Sandy joined the USMC, entered the war late and was back by '46.
When Sandy returned he went to work for Archie Porter where he reunited with Bob Hedman, later to be known as the founder of Hedman Hedders. It is believed that Sandy learned the muffler business from Archie Porter in the mid 30's at the Porter's Muffler Shop and Sandy returned to work there for a short stint after the war.
But Sandy was anxious to open his own shops again, so he along with Bob Hedman and Bud Gregory proceeded with the manufacture of a couple of ideas Sandy had for a new equal length V8 60 header for midget cars. Karl Orr lent him the money and offered him a space in the back of his speed shop. Sandy installed a drive on lift on the west side of the Orr's Speed shop, and he moved into a small apt behind the speed shop on the east side of the Orr's property with his wife Ruth and their daughter Donna. This was '47, Bud came over with Sandy as the shop foreman and Bob joined them shortly thereafter.
Sandy began building the midget headers with Bud and they were a great success. He saved some money up and ventured into his next project creating the Sandy Belond Equa-Flow Exhaust System which revolutionized the header industry by creating the first ever jigs for exhaust systems.
Information from a full post by the owner, on the HAMB http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=359942
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