Saturday, January 29, 2011
Clearing the Cobwebs
Geez, a little broom work hear and there and this may be a useful tool once again . . .
Saturday, August 8, 2009
#58
Derrick Thomas is to be inducted into the Football Hall of Fame this weekend Long overdue. A complex human being, but an absolute animal on the football field. He died prematurely after an automobile accident on icy roads paralyzed him, and he later developed a blood clot which went to his heart. Seat belts would have saved him (and probably spared him from serious injury).
He was worth the price of admission to Chiefs games for a decade.
He was worth the price of admission to Chiefs games for a decade.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Isetta
Look for the Isetta name to pop up more often in the future. BMW is building a 'sub-brand' to market extremely efficient cars, some which may be all electric, and - horror of horrors - front wheel drive (FWD). Protecting the premium performance cachet of the BMW name will necessitate using a different name to accompany the BMW roundel on the new cars.
It's unknown if or when the hyper-efficient BMWs will come to the US.
Here's an ad being shown in Germany now:
It's unknown if or when the hyper-efficient BMWs will come to the US.
Here's an ad being shown in Germany now:
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Cash for Clunkers
Well, videos are starting to show up demonstrating the creative ways that 'clunker' engines are destroyed. Some of the cars I've seen wouldn't be classified as clunkers by me. But it's nice to know that our tax dollars are hard at work providing dealership personnel with a little entertainment. ; -)
Friday, July 31, 2009
Penske Lining Up Renaults for Saturn?
There was talk of Saturn being saddled with the Korean built, Renault-Samsung badged, one generation removed Nissan products awhile back. But that didn't make much sense, Nissan has already discarded/improved those products for this market and selling a brand new last generation Nissan under a Saturn badge didn't sound like a Penske move.
Now MotorAuthority has put up an article saying Penske is negotiating to bring in Renaults. Yup, French Renaults.
Here's a link to their product line available (in English): http://www.renault.com/en/vehicules/Pages/index.aspx
It's been awhile since new French cars have been sold in the US. If I remember correctly the last French automobile manufacturer with a presence in the US Puegeot and the left toward the end of the 1980s (if I'm not mistaken).
Interesting.
Now MotorAuthority has put up an article saying Penske is negotiating to bring in Renaults. Yup, French Renaults.
Here's a link to their product line available (in English): http://www.renault.com/en/vehicules/Pages/index.aspx
It's been awhile since new French cars have been sold in the US. If I remember correctly the last French automobile manufacturer with a presence in the US Puegeot and the left toward the end of the 1980s (if I'm not mistaken).
Interesting.
No More Cash (at the moment) for Clunkers
Well, contrary to what I thought would happen, the gumint ran through it's $1,000,000,000 pile of dough allocated for its 'CARS' program in less than a week. Looks like there was some pent up demand for purchasing a car with some of yours and my money. ; -)
The dealers were pretty creative in how they worked the program. Ad blitzes, publicity stunts (involving monster trucks and crushed cars in at least one case), and additional financial incentives were enough to draw folks into showrooms and buy.
The next question is will there be an emergency appropriation to add additional funds to the program.
The dealers were pretty creative in how they worked the program. Ad blitzes, publicity stunts (involving monster trucks and crushed cars in at least one case), and additional financial incentives were enough to draw folks into showrooms and buy.
The next question is will there be an emergency appropriation to add additional funds to the program.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
A Holden Commodore By Any Other Name Is a Chevy Caprice
News has surfaced that the Pontiac G8 (and hopefully the hot rod version) will live on as a Chevy Caprice. Having witnessed (and partaken) of many Caprices of yore, this'll be the best of the bunch. Good move GM!!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The Third of July - 1863
The high water mark of the Confederacy came on July 3rd 1863 (though in effect it was doomed from the beginning - a confederacy of states had been tried before but found wanting, giving rise to the federal system of government in America).
On July 3rd, Grant was on the verge of splitting the Confederacy in two by gaining control of the Mississippi river from New Orleans north through St. Louis. He had laid siege to Vicksburg Mississippi and the Confederates were forced to surrender as Union gunboats forced their way past rebel defenses. It was only a question of time given the iron will of Grant.
That day also, Pickett's men charged towards 'the angle' on Cemetery Ridge only to be repulsed in bitter hand to hand fighting. Pickett moaned the loss of his division, but in the grand scheme of things, the battle on the western frontier was the mortal blow to the confederacy, not the loss at Gettysburg.
Later, in 1864, Sherman's infamous march to the sea split the confederacy again. It was a devastating campaign that exploited the weaknesses of the CSA's system of government as much as anything else.
But it was through that bloody period that the last vestiges of sovereign statehood, that could place one state's interest above the whole, was laid to rest. And remarkably - and finally, on this continent - slavery was put to rest.
The last civil war veterans were still alive in the late 1930s and the blog 'About Last Night' put up these two YouTube clips of the Civil War vets.
The first clip is at 'the angle' on Cemetery Ridge - the recreation of the rebel yell is interesting - imagine 2,000 young men advancing on your position making that noise!
This clip is a montage of footage from the 1938 reunion of Gettysburg veterans - these were all young men (many but pre-teen drummers, color guards, etc.) at the time of the battle given that it is the 75th anniversary:
My only known tie to a civil war veteran was my grandfather's acquaintance with Texas John Slaughter of Douglas, Arizona. I suspect that my grandfather and possibly my father, as a boy, knew a number of civil war veterans.
To veterans all, we salute you and thank you for the freedom you have purchased for us. We are eternally grateful
On July 3rd, Grant was on the verge of splitting the Confederacy in two by gaining control of the Mississippi river from New Orleans north through St. Louis. He had laid siege to Vicksburg Mississippi and the Confederates were forced to surrender as Union gunboats forced their way past rebel defenses. It was only a question of time given the iron will of Grant.
That day also, Pickett's men charged towards 'the angle' on Cemetery Ridge only to be repulsed in bitter hand to hand fighting. Pickett moaned the loss of his division, but in the grand scheme of things, the battle on the western frontier was the mortal blow to the confederacy, not the loss at Gettysburg.
Later, in 1864, Sherman's infamous march to the sea split the confederacy again. It was a devastating campaign that exploited the weaknesses of the CSA's system of government as much as anything else.
But it was through that bloody period that the last vestiges of sovereign statehood, that could place one state's interest above the whole, was laid to rest. And remarkably - and finally, on this continent - slavery was put to rest.
The last civil war veterans were still alive in the late 1930s and the blog 'About Last Night' put up these two YouTube clips of the Civil War vets.
The first clip is at 'the angle' on Cemetery Ridge - the recreation of the rebel yell is interesting - imagine 2,000 young men advancing on your position making that noise!
This clip is a montage of footage from the 1938 reunion of Gettysburg veterans - these were all young men (many but pre-teen drummers, color guards, etc.) at the time of the battle given that it is the 75th anniversary:
My only known tie to a civil war veteran was my grandfather's acquaintance with Texas John Slaughter of Douglas, Arizona. I suspect that my grandfather and possibly my father, as a boy, knew a number of civil war veterans.
To veterans all, we salute you and thank you for the freedom you have purchased for us. We are eternally grateful
Fireworks
The city decided it couldn't enforce the fireworks ban so it bowed to reality and made selling fireworks in the city legal (and taxed - gawd I love common sense ; -).
The local display (all of the neighbors on the block) was no bigger or more sumptuous than in years past, but they were not breaking the law (with the exception of a few M80s you could hear down by the creek).
At one point last night the eastern horizon was lit up by flashes for a good five minutes. It's as if they started the siege of Moscow all over again. ; -)
The local display (all of the neighbors on the block) was no bigger or more sumptuous than in years past, but they were not breaking the law (with the exception of a few M80s you could hear down by the creek).
At one point last night the eastern horizon was lit up by flashes for a good five minutes. It's as if they started the siege of Moscow all over again. ; -)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
1953 Studebaker Ute
It's pretty bad when you're old enough to know people who actually had Studebakers, it's even worse to have known them well enough to know they were called 'Steady Breakers'.
But here's the story of a fifty year old customized Studebaker Utility Vehicle (geez that means it really is an SUV. ; -)
It is for sale on eBay. Here's the link.
But here's the story of a fifty year old customized Studebaker Utility Vehicle (geez that means it really is an SUV. ; -)
It is for sale on eBay. Here's the link.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Cash for Clunkers
The Cash for Clunkers bill, formally titled, "Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act", is now law. So what does it do for anybody? Well, the congress has dipped into our pockets (sometime in the future no doubt) and allocated a wad of our cash to rid our streets of bad old polluting cars.
How old? Not that old (at least not from my perspective ; -); 1984 or newer are the model years covered. So the notion that a Chevy Nomad from the golden age of American hot rods would end up being scrapped is off the table.
Further the car to be scrapped (and it is scrapped - the drivetrain must be intact and the entire vehicle must be crushed or shredded once it is in 'government' ownership) has to meet a max fuel economy target. A 2001 Honda Insight wouldn't be eligible. The dollar amount of the voucher are based on the previous and new fuel economy.
Additional restrictions are in place to prevent people from going to Joe's Salvage Yard and plucking a POS from the bowels of the yard and plopping it at the dealership as a 'down payment' on a new car. Those restrictions ensure that the car has been continuously licensed and insured for at least a year prior to being turned in.
So who is going to take advantage of this? If the clunker is worth more as a trade in than the voucher, the clunker will hit the used car market. It's then off the table - the cycle of insurance and registration starts over. The folks driving really nasty clunkers tend to miss renewing their licenses and forget about insurance, so those won't come off the street either.
The only case of a car worth using this program for that I can imagine is my mom's 1987 Plymouth Caravelle (the dreaded Pink Panther ; -) which is on its last legs and is worth absolutely zero as a trade in. At least some of my tax dollars will stay in the family. ; -)
How old? Not that old (at least not from my perspective ; -); 1984 or newer are the model years covered. So the notion that a Chevy Nomad from the golden age of American hot rods would end up being scrapped is off the table.
Further the car to be scrapped (and it is scrapped - the drivetrain must be intact and the entire vehicle must be crushed or shredded once it is in 'government' ownership) has to meet a max fuel economy target. A 2001 Honda Insight wouldn't be eligible. The dollar amount of the voucher are based on the previous and new fuel economy.
Additional restrictions are in place to prevent people from going to Joe's Salvage Yard and plucking a POS from the bowels of the yard and plopping it at the dealership as a 'down payment' on a new car. Those restrictions ensure that the car has been continuously licensed and insured for at least a year prior to being turned in.
So who is going to take advantage of this? If the clunker is worth more as a trade in than the voucher, the clunker will hit the used car market. It's then off the table - the cycle of insurance and registration starts over. The folks driving really nasty clunkers tend to miss renewing their licenses and forget about insurance, so those won't come off the street either.
The only case of a car worth using this program for that I can imagine is my mom's 1987 Plymouth Caravelle (the dreaded Pink Panther ; -) which is on its last legs and is worth absolutely zero as a trade in. At least some of my tax dollars will stay in the family. ; -)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tort Reform We Can Beleive In
Seems the Chrysler that emerges from bankruptcy does so with a bit of a CYA shield. They are immune from suits filed against cars sold prior to June 10 this year.
Of course there is pending litigation against Chrysler but Chrysler is no longer liable. The plaintiffs may win a suit - but win nothing in the process.
It's as if they aren't really Chrysler anymore, isn't it? ; -)
Of course there is pending litigation against Chrysler but Chrysler is no longer liable. The plaintiffs may win a suit - but win nothing in the process.
It's as if they aren't really Chrysler anymore, isn't it? ; -)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Go Like Hell
"Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans", by A.J. Baime is worth a read.
A.J. Baime deals with the epic battle between Ford and Ferrari with a sensitivity to context and a sympathy for the characters involved that elevate what some might consider just another car book to literature.
Several characters get star billing; Carrol Shelby, John Surtees, Ken Miles, and Enzo Ferrari. Sketches of Henry Ford II and several Ford managers are fairly well fleshed out. And there's a wonderful cameo appearance of our native son, the Kansas City Flash, Masten Gregory.
But the beauty of the book is A. J. Baime's capturing the zeitgeist of racing in that era (and it touches on almost all aspects of big league racing in the day).
Deep technical specs are avoided - but where technology provided an edge it's explained. (In particular Ford's use of data logging, one of the first cases of it's use in motorsports.) But the characters come to life and jump off the page.
One reviewer mentioned that there would be great heros and villians in the book. I didn't find any villians though. Rather, I saw fear, lives, huge egos, and money ground into dust in the high speed crucible of international motorsports.
A.J. Baime deals with the epic battle between Ford and Ferrari with a sensitivity to context and a sympathy for the characters involved that elevate what some might consider just another car book to literature.
Several characters get star billing; Carrol Shelby, John Surtees, Ken Miles, and Enzo Ferrari. Sketches of Henry Ford II and several Ford managers are fairly well fleshed out. And there's a wonderful cameo appearance of our native son, the Kansas City Flash, Masten Gregory.
But the beauty of the book is A. J. Baime's capturing the zeitgeist of racing in that era (and it touches on almost all aspects of big league racing in the day).
Deep technical specs are avoided - but where technology provided an edge it's explained. (In particular Ford's use of data logging, one of the first cases of it's use in motorsports.) But the characters come to life and jump off the page.
One reviewer mentioned that there would be great heros and villians in the book. I didn't find any villians though. Rather, I saw fear, lives, huge egos, and money ground into dust in the high speed crucible of international motorsports.
The Second Waltz
This collection of commercial footage has a surreal aspect that marries perfectly with the Shostakovich waltz.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Another British LSR
In this case a wind powered vehicle - at an astounding 126 MPH.
It is the Ecotricity Greenbird. Here's the link to their website. But the amazing thing is that they can travel at three to five times the speed of the wind. Truly special engineering, and I'm sure, given Great Britain's history of sailing, another source of national pride. Good on them!
It is the Ecotricity Greenbird. Here's the link to their website. But the amazing thing is that they can travel at three to five times the speed of the wind. Truly special engineering, and I'm sure, given Great Britain's history of sailing, another source of national pride. Good on them!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Update to British LSR Steam Car
From Reuters, a nice overview of the UK steam car land speed record team. It's always nice to see the UK and USA flags together on a nice British Racing Green car.
F1 Follies: Part Deux
Eight F1 teams have broken ranks with the organizing body (the FIA) and have announced that they will run a competing series next year.
At which tracks? ; -)
That was the problem CART had when the IRL split from it. The IRL was more than a mere breakaway - it also took with it THE race, the Indy 500.
The new F1 (it will have to be called something else) will have an assortment of tracks (heck, maybe even one or two races in the US) and name drivers at their disposal. They won't have one key race probably - the Grand Prix of Monaco, and they won't have the legitimacy of a recognized sanctioning body.
Regardless, they will have the manufacturers support, the key technical people, and the 'name' drivers. The 'legitimate' F1 will have to make do with scratch entries and pick-up teams (those who currently have little or no chance of fielding a competitive entry).
So let's welcome the 'World of Outlaws' version of F1. (The cars probably won't look like this though. ; -)
At which tracks? ; -)
That was the problem CART had when the IRL split from it. The IRL was more than a mere breakaway - it also took with it THE race, the Indy 500.
The new F1 (it will have to be called something else) will have an assortment of tracks (heck, maybe even one or two races in the US) and name drivers at their disposal. They won't have one key race probably - the Grand Prix of Monaco, and they won't have the legitimacy of a recognized sanctioning body.
Regardless, they will have the manufacturers support, the key technical people, and the 'name' drivers. The 'legitimate' F1 will have to make do with scratch entries and pick-up teams (those who currently have little or no chance of fielding a competitive entry).
So let's welcome the 'World of Outlaws' version of F1. (The cars probably won't look like this though. ; -)
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