The redesigned Ram includes a number of new features: True Crew Cab model Improved 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 with 380-horsepower and 404-pound-feet torque Coil spring rear suspension system Fuel economy: Dodge expects ...
You ever seen "A Christmas Story?" Remember the end of the movie? You know, at the Chinese restaurant - the duck? Yeah, I kind of feel like the 2010 Ford Fusion may be making a similar facial expression, at ...
A friend of mine from Delaware, Ohio - not too far from where I grew up - recently sent me this clipping from the May 8, 2008, Delaware Gazette that comes close to inclusion in the family album:
Strohls to celebrate 60th anniversary today
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph (Joan Breece) Strohl of Delaware will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary today. The couple were married Sunday, May 8, 1948 in Greenup, Ky. They have four children and five grandchildren.
Belated congratulations, then, Joe and Joan. Coincidentally, my brother, also named Joe, also lives in Delaware. As far as I know, though, the chances of us being related are slim.
As for the bike, O’Clair, our resident Harley expert, said it’s a Knucklehead, from about 1936 to 1938.
Gasoline-powered cars are perhaps the most inefficient devices that many of us use daily. The internal combustion engine is inefficient in term of pollution, gas costs and maintenance costs. Electric motors are comparatively simple devices that do not require much maintenance at all. But, as you may know, it’s difficult to obtain an commercial electric car today. One option is to buy a used vehicle that somebody else has converted to an electric vehicle.
You can search for use electric vehicles on sites like Craig’s List, eBay, or EVFinder. For more advice on buying an used electric car, I would refer you to Shari Prange’s recent article “Finding and Buying A Used Electric Vehicle” (PDF FIle) in Home Power Magazine No 119.
But these used electric cars are certainly limited in their availability, especially if you don’t live on the West Coast. So may wish to take a plunge and do an electric conversion yourself.
Basically, electric conversion involves removing the entire internal combustion engine from a vehicle, installing an electric motor in its place, and also adding a large bank of batteries. A conversion will cost you about $6000 in parts, and about $1000-$3000 for batteries and installation. But, for this up-front expense, you’ll get a zero-emissions vehicle that costs only a few cents per mile to run. Your electric car will also be more reliable and require much less maintenance that a conventional one. Remember that gas-powered cars cost the owner about $1800 per year on average for fuel costs alone, and there is the addition expense of engine maintenance and oil changes. Electric cars have a better resell values, and are more reliable overall because there are fewer parts to fail. Most of the components are solid-state electronics with no moving parts. The engine of an electric car has a virtually infinite lifespan — the components will probably outlast the chassis. The only real expense is the batteries, which will need to be replaced about every 3 to 4 years.
You can expect your converted vehicle to have a range of 60-80 miles, a top speed of 50-90 MPH, and good acceleration capabilities. It will take about 6-12 hours to completely recharge the car. All of these factors will vary, based on the weight of the car you convert, and the type of engine and batteries you install.
So, what type of car is the best candidate for an electric conversion? A light car (2000-3000 lbs. curb weight) with a manual transmission.You want a light vehicle, because heavy ones severely restrict the range of the electric engine. Automatic transmissions use up too much power because they require the engine to be constantly idling. As far as body style, you need something that can hold all the batteries you’ll be installing. Michael Brown, author of Convert It, recommends a car that is light and roomy like a Rabbit, Civic, Sentra, Escort or light pickup truck. The ideal donor car has a good body and interior, sound transmission, but a dead engine.
For electric cars, the best type of driving is an area that is not too hilly and not too cold. Hills obviously put a larger burden on the engine, and thus reduce its range.Cold weather will also reduce performance, but there are many happy electric car owners who live in Canada and Alaska.
There are two types of electric conversions kits available: custom kits that are tailored to a specific vehicles models, and universal kits that can be installed in a variety of vehicles. Universal kits contain all the essential drive-system components but rely on the builder to create custom parts like battery racks or boxes. Custom kits include the entire drive system and battery racks and boxes, customized to suit a particular model. For example, a company called Canadian Electric Vehicles provides kits to convert Chevy S10 trucks, Geo Metros and Dodge Neons. Another company, Electro Automotive, provides kits to convert Volkswagen Rabbits and Porsche 914s.
Here’s a brief history of electric cars.
Here are some online forums about electric conversions: Electric Vehicle Discussion List, DIY Electric Car Forums, EVWorld.
Photso via Russ, Jerry B, GPS Head on Flickr.
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We're starting to see a reverse surge the opposite way we are used to when it comes to the Mexican border. Americans are making the drive into Tijuana to save money at the pump.
With seven Musclepaloozas under our belts now, we see many recurring themes, not only in what shows up, but also in what grabs our eyes (lenses) as we roam the show and the pits. For example, much of the event revolves around nostalgia, especially for drag racing, as we saw on Jim House’s all-original 1969 Camaro (see HMM #53), with its Lebanon Valley Dragway class champion fender cover on display.
Former Englishtown class winners weren’t shy with their souvenirs. Either that, or somebody’s reproduced the stickers and is selling them over the Internet.
And another tradition, of a brigade of front bumperless brown Spirits showing up for drag action and beckoning my lens, easily continued this year.
Definitely not a muscle car, but I couldn’t help grab a shot of this cool hauler. Gas prices be damned! Full speed ahead!
And finally, another non-muscle car, but only by technicality. I really wanted this awesomely clean 1969 AMC Ambassador to have a 390 and four-speed so it could be in contention for Favorite AMC, but alas, it had only a 343 and auto. Reeves doesn’t believe any Ambo came with a four-speed after 1968, for what it’s worth.
From David Greenlees:
After all this time inspecting, engineering, machining of new parts and rebuilding, it is fun to actually reach the point were it can start to go together again. The cams after straightening and machining are set. The newly machined bronze center and rear cam bearings, along with new front ball bearings are installed on the camshafts. All three bearings on each shaft are a .0005 interference fit into the cam bearing supports of the crankcase. This ensures that they will not loosen up in use.
The rear bearings are pressed in and the center bearing is split and assembles onto the cam after it is part way in. Next the two shafts with the middle and front bearings on are carefully pressed in so as to not harm the ball bearings. Note how wide (duration) the lower right cam lobe is, this is one of the secrets to the Mercer”s racing success. It is comparable to a modern racing cam.
Previous - Mercer Maximus, part 4
Gasoline-powered cars are perhaps the most inefficient devices that many of us use daily. The internal combustion engine is inefficient in term of pollution, gas costs and maintenance costs. Electric motors are comparatively simple devices that do not require much maintenance at all. But, as you may know, it’s difficult to obtain an commercial electric car today. One option is to buy a used vehicle that somebody else has converted to an electric vehicle.
You can search for use electric vehicles on sites like Craig’s List, eBay, or EVFinder. For more advice on buying an used electric car, I would refer you to Shari Prange’s recent article “Finding and Buying A Used Electric Vehicle” (PDF FIle) in Home Power Magazine No 119.
But these used electric cars are certainly limited in their availability, especially if you don’t live on the West Coast. So may wish to take a plunge and do an electric conversion yourself.
Basically, electric conversion involves removing the entire internal combustion engine from a vehicle, installing an electric motor in its place, and also adding a large bank of batteries. A conversion will cost you about $6000 in parts, and about $1000-$3000 for batteries and installation. But, for this up-front expense, you’ll get a zero-emissions vehicle that costs only a few cents per mile to run. Your electric car will also be more reliable and require much less maintenance that a conventional one. Remember that gas-powered cars cost the owner about $1800 per year on average for fuel costs alone, and there is the addition expense of engine maintenance and oil changes. Electric cars have a better resell values, and are more reliable overall because there are fewer parts to fail. Most of the components are solid-state electronics with no moving parts. The engine of an electric car has a virtually infinite lifespan — the components will probably outlast the chassis. The only real expense is the batteries, which will need to be replaced about every 3 to 4 years.
You can expect your converted vehicle to have a range of 60-80 miles, a top speed of 50-90 MPH, and good acceleration capabilities. It will take about 6-12 hours to completely recharge the car. All of these factors will vary, based on the weight of the car you convert, and the type of engine and batteries you install.
So, what type of car is the best candidate for an electric conversion? A light car (2000-3000 lbs. curb weight) with a manual transmission.You want a light vehicle, because heavy ones severely restrict the range of the electric engine. Automatic transmissions use up too much power because they require the engine to be constantly idling. As far as body style, you need something that can hold all the batteries you’ll be installing. Michael Brown, author of Convert It, recommends a car that is light and roomy like a Rabbit, Civic, Sentra, Escort or light pickup truck. The ideal donor car has a good body and interior, sound transmission, but a dead engine.
For electric cars, the best type of driving is an area that is not too hilly and not too cold. Hills obviously put a larger burden on the engine, and thus reduce its range.Cold weather will also reduce performance, but there are many happy electric car owners who live in Canada and Alaska.
There are two types of electric conversions kits available: custom kits that are tailored to a specific vehicles models, and universal kits that can be installed in a variety of vehicles. Universal kits contain all the essential drive-system components but rely on the builder to create custom parts like battery racks or boxes. Custom kits include the entire drive system and battery racks and boxes, customized to suit a particular model. For example, a company called Canadian Electric Vehicles provides kits to convert Chevy S10 trucks, Geo Metros and Dodge Neons. Another company, Electro Automotive, provides kits to convert Volkswagen Rabbits and Porsche 914s.
Here’s a brief history of electric cars.
Here are some online forums about electric conversions: Electric Vehicle Discussion List, DIY Electric Car Forums, EVWorld.
Photso via Russ, Jerry B, GPS Head on Flickr.
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Designed by Pininfarina
Chassis no. 16941
Specifications:
352 bhp, 4,390 cc, DOHC 60° V-12 engine, six Weber 40DCN 20 carburetors
five-speed manual transmission
independent front and rear suspension via A-arms, coil springs and telescopic shocks
four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes
Wheelbase: 2,400 mm. (94.5 in.)
In 1965, with an unchanged stroke but an increase in bore size to 81 mm, 4.4-liter overhead camshaft Ferrari engines became 365s. In the racing 365P, the engines were developed to produce 380 bhp at 7,000 rpm while the road version, like that fitted in 1968 to the 365 GTS and GTC, produced 320 bhp at 6,600.
It was at this time, between 1966 and 1967, that Ferrari was producing the 275 GTB/4 as an interim model, which was replaced with a new design as soon as possible. Pininfarina was briefed to produce a design for a new berlinetta based on the 330 GTC chassis.
The homologation documents show that the American market, very important to Ferrari, was seriously considered, and new stringent emission regulations came into force in the U.S. as of January 1, 1968. This caused Ferrari to experiment with a very interesting engine, the Tipo 243, which was based on the 330 V-12 Colombo and called the Testa Piatta. This had three valves per cylinder and twin overhead camshafts. The very narrow valve angles meant that the camshafts were very close together, so a single cam cover covered these. This engine was only fitted to the prototype of the new car, while the second prototype used the 275 GTB/4 engine (Tipo 226).
The 275 GTB/4 had been created by fitting DOHC cylinder heads to the short block 3.3-liter V-12. Ferrari engineers followed the same formula for the new engine, using a 4.4-liter long block as fitted to the 365 GT 2+2, 365 GTC and 365 GTS, as its basis. The production version of the 365 GTB/4 engine, which produced 352 bhp at 7,500 rpm, was capable of powering the new berlinetta to 175 mph (280 kmh). The favored 2,400 mm wheelbase was again retained. Independent suspension was used at both front and rear, and Ferrari used a braking system with four ventilated discs, two master cylinders and separate hydraulic systems. The extremely robust gearbox was mounted at the rear with the differential (transaxle). The clutch was mounted on the engine flywheel and connected to the gearbox via a torque tube as on the 275 GTB/4.
The 365 GTB/4 was launched at the 1968 Paris Motor Show, and was immediately nicknamed the Daytona in recognition of Ferrari taking the first three places at the Daytona 24 Hours in 1967.
American customers did not receive their cars until 1971 after the new berlinetta had shown itself to comply with all the stringent safety and emission requirements in the U.S. The safety changes included the modified nose section with pop-up lights. Road & Track published a road test of the car in 1970 which finished with the sentence, “The Daytona—the best sports car in the world or the best GT—make up your mind—it is the best of both.”
Every Ferrari ever made could be described as a landmark car. The Daytona, however, truly was. With competition from Lamborghini’s mid-engined Miura, it would have been easy for Ferrari to follow the same route. Instead, Maranello made a statement by producing a front-engined supercar. With stunning, aggressive, Pininfarina designed looks, the Daytona was the fastest production car in the world.
So was the small-car showing at the first Hemmings cruise-in two weeks ago just a blip on the radar? Perhaps: Last night’s turnout included just the regular number of vintage Beetles and British cars, though we did see a remarkably nice 1965 Midget that Richard Delorey drove up from Clifton Park, New York, more than an hour distant.
We did note a few more motorcycles than usual, including the above 1969 Enfield, parked between a 1940s Indian and a 1980s Honda.
We also noted more, well, fringe vehicles - those that you’re not gonna see at just any cruise-in (or maybe it’s just that I’m drawn to these fringe vehicles).
For example, Elbert Van Orden of Shushan, New York, showed up in his 1926 Dodge C-cab truck, powered by a 3.8-liter Chevrolet V-6 and set up with a third axle. Too bad we couldn’t locate the sixwheelrabbitamino for a side-by-side photo opportunity.
Or a 1991 Talbo…
…or a 1957 Dual Ghia that had people swamped all over it all night and that took home our Favorite Import award.
So will we see a preponderance of small cars, of unusual cars or of some unexpected classification of cars at our next cruise-in, scheduled for June 12? Guess you’ll just have to show up to find out.
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