Just A Car Guy
Cool things with wheels since 2006
Thursday, November 30, 2023
car shows are a good way to try and raise funds for charities, and here's one that seeks to intervene in young people's drug use / accidental overdose, by showing the drug users how much they are valued
the parents of a young woman in Penn State University were motivated by her accidental overdose on heroin to try and prevent other young people from dying by accidental overuse of drugs, and be a parent support group to help other parents whose kids have died from drugs, and pay for therapists to help the support group
Money raised by this program is used to fund our community efforts throughout the year including our Recovery Residence Scholarships, our purchase of Naloxone for free distribution at our events, and to compensate professional therapists that lead some of our support groups.
Thank you Doug!
More good news from Harbor Freight's Tools For Schools program
Jay Abitz was a winner of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence® in 2021, and ever since, he has leveraged funding to improve his community of Freedom, WI. This year, Jay and his automotive students used a grant to refurbish and outfit an RV for a local disabled veteran experiencing homelessness.
update on my car upgrade
Murphy's law sure is tricky, and never lets an opportunity pass.
Well, that didn't turn out well. He recommended Edelbrock Vic Jr heads.
Huh. Damn shame that I blew a couple thou on them.
Seeing's how I would benefit from the port and polish... we came to a compromise. I'd pay half, and not have to argue who was in the wrong. Seemed like a reasonable outcome.
I wanted the heads upgraded to aluminum, so I asked for the input of someone that has a lot more experience than I have.
Well, that didn't turn out well. He recommended Edelbrock Vic Jr heads.
It turns out, those don't have the same dimensions as the stock heads, and the 440 six pack intake that's on my 426 Wedge won't bolt to them. The intake ports on the heads, are about an inch higher than where the intake rests.
Huh. Damn shame that I blew a couple thou on them.
Then (not knowing about the heads being I wanted them port matched to the headers I bought... the old headers have rusted and the noise of exhaust leak coming out of the` holes that annoy the hell out of me.
So, on the recommendation of that guy, I went with the guy he knows who ports heads.
That guy, not immune to Murphy's law, didn't stop at a port match. He went full port and polish. That's about 600 dollars more than a port match.
So, he expected me to pay for work I didn't ask for, and didn't want, and didn't budget for.
Seeing's how I would benefit from the port and polish... we came to a compromise. I'd pay half, and not have to argue who was in the wrong. Seemed like a reasonable outcome.
So, Now I have heads I can't return for a refund, because they've been worked on, and I can't use them without wasting money on whatever intake bolts on but I don't want to waste money on, then I'd have to waste money on a carb, and linkage, gaskets, etc.
Meanwhile, when bolting on the QA1 steering/suspension upgrade, it was discovered that the oil pan on the big ol mopar 426 bonks. So, a different oil pan, dipstick, and oil pickup tube need to be bought. That's about 350 bucks. But what's a guy to do... ya gotta have an oil pan that doesn't interfere with the steering.
so, 4 full days after dropping the car off, and problems and complications are just the path I'm on because the shop that's doing the work hasn't done this upgrade to a big block Mopar before. It's different than every cookie cutter Mustang and Camaro, and it's more pioneering a new direction, than following a path everyone else is on
I'll have the only 426 wedge topped by a 440 six pack, in an autocross ready 69 Coronet R/T.
just outside Boston, Casey’s Diner has been going strong since 1890, when it was a mere four-stool operation in a horse-drawn wagon that Fred Casey purchased. The current diner was built in 1922 by the Worcester Lunch Car Company and it has passed from father to son for four generations.
It was originally a lunch cart wagon, and was located in Framingham, Massachusetts.
It was relocated to South Avenue in 1977 to make way for a bank parking lot.
The tiny establishment has only ten stools, all of which are frequently occupied by locals
things that are difficult, often get cursed with Murphys Law.. and become a real pain in the ass... like helping a damn hiker with a twisted ankle get down off a mountain (Hint, telling them it's their damn problem to solve wasn't what happened)
Members of the four-person Seahawk crew reported minor injuries, but they and the hiker were off the mountain within 12 hours
Marines from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 were in Yuma, Arizona, supporting the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course in mid-October when they officially got tasked with retrieving the Navy helicopter
Before the Marines could remove the Seahawk from the mountain, they had to do a site survey
Complicating these efforts was the remote location of the mishap site, which could be reached on foot only by hiking uphill for five miles
The road to get to the trailhead was under construction, so the team had access to it for only 20 minutes each morning and evening.
The Forest Service contributed pack mules to haul heavier equipment up the mountain
The King Stallion, which can externally carry up to 27,000 pounds for 110 nautical miles, is part of the Marine Corps’ plan for hauling Marines, heavy equipment and supplies from ship to shore. It’s the most powerful helicopter in the U.S. military, according to Naval Air Systems Command.
Back when the King Stallion was still in the test and evaluation phase, in September 2021, it executed a remarkably similar mission to the one in October: After a Navy Seahawk experienced a hard landing in the California mountains while attempting to rescue a lost hiker, a King Stallion transported the downed Navy helo to a nearby airport.
Solution, make a law that hikers are to post a billion dollar bond in escrow for their mishaps and rescues, becuase the military budget was not padded to cover helicopter rescues of broke loners on remote mountains with weak ankles
Surfing on top of cars, an 80s movie fad that disappeared
The Teen Wolf movie had a lot to answer for with this craze, after showing Michael J. Fox‘s character surfing on the roof of his friend’s van
“A rash of mishaps followed, and the activity disappeared for a while,” according to the safety center.
According to the CDC research, 70 percent of those who were injured or killed were males, and the average age was 17 years. Three out of four deaths were caused by head injuries.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
the stripped down 1902 6hp special racer built by George Cannon, who was a student at Harvard University
another iteration of probably the same vehicle
Cannon entered his car at a race meet at the Brighton Beach Race Track on Long Island, N.Y., in August 1902, but was not allowed to compete because of an obscure rule which required the driver to have exclusive control of the car (Cannon's car was steered by the helmsman in front, while the mechanic in the rear controlled the boiler, engine, throttle, brakes, etc.).
Cannon was allowed (after a crowd protest) to make two exhibition trials, setting a new speed record for the mile in 1:07 3/5. Cannon's racer had a tubular frame and a 24 inch boiler with 1,050 tubes heated by a Forg burner. The stack provided a draft that could be controlled by the rear operator. More than 400 pounds steam pressure were carried.
A two cylinder 3 1/2 x 4 inch Mason engine was geared one-to-one to a differential beneath the rear seat. The car's weight was 1,000 pounds.
the Hawthorne Diner in the movie Pulp Fiction, is now an Auto Zone
Chuck and Josh did an episode about diners on the Stuff You Should Know podcast
Moran Sq Diner Fitchburg Massachusetts
1939 Wochester Lunch Car #765
was restored after 8 consecutive decades of operation
Local to Fitchburg, the couple frequented the diner for years before it shuttered. When it closed, the restaurant veterans, who share more than 25 years in the service industry, saw a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put their own stamp not only on a historic restaurant, but one they also had a personal connection to.
The two announced their purchase of the property via their Kickstarter in July 2020. Willoughby said their ultimate goal from the outset was to maintain the restaurant’s historic atmosphere and put their own, fine dining spin on the menu.
“It’s all a part of the experience, people eat with their eyes first,” he said. “Part of coming here, part of the reason people love diners, is that feeling that you’re in another time.”
“With the food, there are endless possibilities, whether it’s the staples of Americana, whether we want to experiment or explore different takes on things,” he said. “We want everyone to feel like Grandma just cooked them breakfast, but elevate it.”
While the only change of significance to the interior was the kitchen, which was modernized and moved to the back of the restaurant in order to preserve the front end’s ambiance, the couple spent over a year cleaning and renovating the space.
“We wanted to give everything a fresh start and spent months cleaning the tile floor, scrubbing the woodwork,” Willoughby said. “We tore up and repaved the parking lot, built planters and laid down a deck for an outdoor dining section.”
The two announced their purchase of the property via their Kickstarter in July 2020. Willoughby said their ultimate goal from the outset was to maintain the restaurant’s historic atmosphere and put their own, fine dining spin on the menu.
“It’s all a part of the experience, people eat with their eyes first,” he said. “Part of coming here, part of the reason people love diners, is that feeling that you’re in another time.”
“With the food, there are endless possibilities, whether it’s the staples of Americana, whether we want to experiment or explore different takes on things,” he said. “We want everyone to feel like Grandma just cooked them breakfast, but elevate it.”
While the only change of significance to the interior was the kitchen, which was modernized and moved to the back of the restaurant in order to preserve the front end’s ambiance, the couple spent over a year cleaning and renovating the space.
“We wanted to give everything a fresh start and spent months cleaning the tile floor, scrubbing the woodwork,” Willoughby said. “We tore up and repaved the parking lot, built planters and laid down a deck for an outdoor dining section.”
I hadn't realized that diners are not derivative of the word "dinner" but are from the dining car on the railroads of that early era 100 years ago
a wave of Greek immigrants in the early 50s, resulted in 90% of the diners being owned by Greeks.
A 1996 New York Times article states that about two-thirds of New York City's diners are Greek-owned.
New Jersey has more diners than any other state, most of which are Greek https://www.tastingtable.com/1069533/the-reason-so-many-diners-have-greek-roots/
the Series 681 Military Payment Certificate featured Vietnam War Fighter Pilot and Jets
Because using U.S. currency at military establishments was out of the question thanks to the threat of black market trading and counterfeiting being far too great, U.S. troops were issued a variety of Military Payment Certificates (MPC) in several wars, from WW2 through Vietnam. Unlike standard U.S. currency, these notes were issued only to soldiers serving overseas, and were created to be tightly controlled and demonetized at a moment’s notice.
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