Saturday, July 19, 2025
not even in the top 3 best looking Thunderbirds, but, it's a very unusual and interesting 67 coming to auction. It was special built at Dearborn Steel Tubing Co
Those five models were used as store display pieces in the company’s sporting goods locations in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and Palm Beach.
4 were made with 428s, one with a 390, and they all got a telephone with deck lid antenna, a Philco television, and a Rover ice detector
I've never heard of a Rover ice detector (term used by the auction house), from what I can dig up online, that is the Icelert freeze-warning system
The system operated from an 85- to 130-volt AC power source and functions within a temperature range of -55 to +160 degrees Fahrenheit. The control center included an amplifier, freezing temperature reference, relative humidity reference, comparators, and a relay that operated the warning sign.
There was an amber light on the instrument panel as part of the Icelert system, which monitors the outside temperature via a bumper-mounted sensor; the light flashed to warn of near-freezing temperatures and glowed continually if the temperature dropped below 32°F/0°C.
The Icelert system was standard on U.S. cars and was optional but rarely ordered in other markets
A curious set of car tools, from an odd catch all tool box I got at the LA Roadster Swap Meet
A Fram brand filter wrench. I don't think it's big enough for a PH-8, but I'll find out eventually
A test light, doesn't seem to have been used, but was seriosuly made well to last for ever
A Dunlap tire puncture electric hot iron?
A set of Wards Taskmaster (I think it was) or WardsMaster ignition tool wrench set. Built to last forever
A variety of lug nuts. Interesting that they are a mix of types, but all 7/16ths
and a very cool cigarette lighter flexi light!
I doubt I will ever use them, true, but, they were in a good ol Craftsman metal tool box from the 60s, with a lot of Craftsman tools, both 1/4, 3/8, and some 1/2 inch drive sockets, three 3/8ths socket wrenches, and you can never have too many of those, a 1/2 drive socket wrench, some 4, 6, and 10" extensions, a handful of pliers from some other brand, good ones, a set of Stanley screwdrivers, a few real vice grips not the bullshit knock off no name brand ones. And one hell of a nice 1/2 inch socket breaker, about 16-20 inch long handle. Also a LOT of craftsman combo wrenchs.
I didn't pass on these, even though I don't need them... because simply, no one makes good tools at this price anymore, certainly not the good Craftsman quality we are familiar with. They'll last forever, even used daily.
you know how very few people have a copy of the first year of Hot Rod magazine, but, because it pretty thoroughly documented the earliest hot rodders, a lot of people would like one? I found a simple cheap way to get a copy... they made a book of them
I've never seen or heard of this before... but it's the complete set, including covers, advertising, etc
I bought this at the LA Roadster Show swap meet a couple weeks ago.
I figured a few of you might want to know, so you too can read the first dozen issues. I've only ever read the reprint of the 1st issue, and only found the late 1949 through to now, issues to get a collection of my own to blog from
This book can be bought on ABE books, or Ebay, or Amazon for between 30 and 50 dollars
Ford Tripmonitor Pre-GPS unit, which ran on the Transit satellite network was the first true GPS system in commuter vehicles it seems... it adapted the DOD GPS system for civilians
In 1983 Ford shocked the world by introducing the Lincoln Continental 100 Concept. Much like Doc Brown‘s DeLorean, this exciting new concept erupted onto the scene seemingly from thin air. Packing more technology than we’d ever seen in one vehicle.
The centerpiece of this concept was, of course, Ford’s new Tripmonitor system. “In the future, motorists may not have to rely on their own sense of direction,” promised the Desert Sun in June of 1983. “Called a Tripmonitor, it employs a nine-inch, diagonal, eight-color cathode ray tube mounted in the middle of the instrument panel. Push a button and a map appears on the screen with the car’s location.”
the “Transit” GPS system. Initially created for operational use, mostly by the U.S. Navy, Transit slowly transitioned to civilian applications as well. The first satellite-based geopositioning system analyzed radio signals to track the movement of receiver-equipped objects. It was a criminally simple yet ultimately revolutionary idea.
The U.S. government restricted this exciting new GPS technology to military use until 1983, however. Thus, Ford’s Tripmonitor was the very first automotive application to incorporate what would eventually become a common feature we take for granted today.
comparison, a vivid way to appreciate performance. And the best way to compare racing times, is at the 'Ring
the 2017 Honda Civic FK8 Type R shattered the existing Nürburgring Nordschleife front-wheel-drive lap record six months after the VW Golf GTI Clubsport S set it; Honda’s time was 7:43.80
A 996-generation Porsche 911 GT3 RS—with racing legend Walter Rörhl driving—laid down a lap of 7:43
That's shocking
Friday, July 18, 2025
The Downtown Tunnel on I-264 westbound from Norfolk to Portsmouth was closed for over two hours Wednesday after a garbage truck's forks hit the ceiling, causing it to get stuck in the tunnel
Reckless Driving General
Over Height Limits
Driving in the left lane where prohibited
Two counts of Disregarding a Flagger
Ontario drivers are voicing growing frustration over the widespread use of speed cameras, as a new petition gains momentum in Brampton calling for their removal. There's only 150. Problem? What problem? They are installing 35 more
Ontario first authorized the use of ASE cameras in 2017 to improve road safety in school and community zones where speed limits are under 80 km/h.
Speed camera enforcement has been controversial in cities across Ontario. In Toronto, a camera on Parkside Drive was cut down for the sixth time since November, even after another surveillance camera was installed to catch vandals. In Vaughan, the program was paused after it issued over 32,000 tickets in just three weeks.
Some municipalities, like York Region, have brought in over $11.5 million since launching their programs, raising questions about the role of revenue in the use of speed cameras.
Not that anyone questions that the real purpose of the cameras is an unlimited income stream from the working class, to the politicians who need more money to spend on special interest projects, to please campaign donors
artists took on a massive public art project, 20 new murals, adorning the towering columns beneath the 180 freeway overpass in Fresno’s San Pablo Park, very similar to the cool paintings in San Diego's Chicano park, the support pillars for the Coronado Bridge here in San Diego
A once-overlooked stretch of concrete beneath Highway 180 is now bursting with life and color—thanks to a group of dedicated artists working seven days a week to transform the space into a visual celebration of community strength.
The transformation is part of a statewide effort under Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California Initiative, which aims to turn blank infrastructure into vibrant public art that uplifts neighborhoods.
To see some of the pillars in San Diego's Chicano Park: https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2022/02/mural-is-being-painted-on-bridge-pillar.html
A drug-driver crashed into a tractor, causing it to smash into a row of houses... the tanker trailer was full of liquid manure
A drug-driver crashed into a tractor, causing it to smash into brick houses in Chester.
A 52 yr old drove his Mercedes E-Class through a red light into the path of a JCB tractor hauling a manure spreader
The impact of the crash caused the tractor to veer off the road into a series of brick houses
A 52 yr old drove his Mercedes E-Class through a red light into the path of a JCB tractor hauling a manure spreader
The impact of the crash caused the tractor to veer off the road into a series of brick houses
the UK Monowheel Team was at Goodwood FOS!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1326693499464473&set=pb.100063715050281.-2207520000&type=3
In the beginning of the blog, I had posted a lot about monowheels, as they started showing up in historic photos online... of course, like so much of historic vehicles, I was completely unaware they existed until the internet made most of the things, around most of the world, readily available to learn about.
If you haven't seen the monowheel variety I've posted in the past, take a moment... it's worth it https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search/label/monowheel
Does anyone else remember some public school history class lesson on the 1930s gas station bathroom cleanliness movement, and who was the woman in charge of that?
I thought it was Eleanor Roosevelt. I was just fact checking to see what that was about, and verify it, and that's when I discovered that I was wrong.
A lot of gas station companies made a big deal about marketing their chain of stations as having the certified cleanest... but the 1st lady had nothing to do with that.
I am/was, under the notion, that Eleanor was on the road on some national tour to make a big deal about gas stations, and their bathrooms, getting with the times, and having clean, hygienic, bathrooms for kids and wives to use.
After all, us guys are animals, and most don't give a damn where we empty our bladder. Fishing, hunting, trapping, snow showing, hiking, snowmobiling? I've done it all, and when nature calls - we all know, we often are no where near a porcelain fixture
During the Franklin Roosevelt administration, with a significant push from Eleanor Roosevelt, the Works Progress Administration built 2.3 million sanitary outhouses in rural America to combat diseases like hookworm and typhoid fever.
These outhouses were an improvement on previous designs, featuring a concrete vault below ground, a sealed lid, and screened ventilation to prevent flies.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=800346505561657&id=100067589442135&set=a.193762796220034
https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/04/business/gas-station-bathrooms-history
https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/04/business/gas-station-bathrooms-history
Conversely, or ironically, Eleanor Roosevelt High School has almost five thousand students, but bathrooms are often either closed or left in a state that simply isn’t usable. Why? Adult supervision and oversight is obviously lacking, because bathrooms - and students often using them for smoking, vaping, etc etc. So, the school found that cutting back on the number of bathrooms results in the stalls ONLY getting used for the intended functions, as the long lines and peer pressure don't let clowns screw around instead.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
believe it or not, a 16 year old ordered this hemi Roadrunner new, from his grandfather's dealership in Nebraska, and didn't wreck it or sell it until 1996
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/16-yo-ordered-new-5000-1969-hemi-road-runner-rarity-current-owner-had-to-buy-it-twice-254283.html
I just learned that the Studebaker National Museum has a Concours d’Elegance at Copshaholm, and that they unveiled the recently restored Muppets car from the 1979 Muppet Movie
the UK hits speeders hard with fines... and has damn speed cameras everywhere they have speed limits too damn low, set by retirees gumming pudding in medical assisted living villages. 8 over, in a 30, resulted in a $1400 fine
Emma Watson, familiar to everyone under the age of 60, already had 9 points on her license, when busted for 38 in a 30... and the system just autofines the drivers. They don't even have to show up to court, and what would be the point of wasting your time there anyway? The camera gotcha.
This time though, her record of speeding violations automatically resulted in the additional forfeiture of her driving privileges.
Hmmm, time to move, to where there are less damn speed cameras, where you don't have a revoked drivers license, and can still get on quite pleasantly, like Andorra, or the Virgin Islands, or Australia. Anyone who has earned over 50 million dollars can pretty much lie where ever the hell they want, and where the govt isn't a pain the ass to drivers, or just hire a driver/chauffer!
What regular person with a need for a job, wouldn't simply agree to have a couple hours of work a week, as a personal driver, and all the rest of the time off, in exchange for a living wage?
Hell, If I had over 50 million dollars in assets, I'd simply start a business were retirees with impeccable driving skills are on call for a client list. There's a LOT of retired drivers, retired ambulance drivers, retired cops, retired teachers, retired taxi drivers, etc... old people on the retirement plan, with little excitement, incredibly good driving skills, and able to cover 10-20 hours a week for a variety of clients who've lost their driving privileges temporarily or permanently - but who wish to avoid the unknown Uber or Taxi driver, and instead, have a long term arrangement with some driver who's basically sedentary
whoa, I stumbled across this behind the scenes video of Larry Chen interviewing invitees to a 7-11 commercial where 7-11 celebrates JDM culture
and when I looked around Youtube for the finished commercial, instead, I found this... from the neighborhood kids who went over to check out the scene while the sun was still up
imagine being told "yes we want you to drift in downtown LA for a video" one night, blocked off streets, professional production of lighting and cameras? (first video, behind the scenes, 2nd, the official video/commercial for Vans and FTP)
skip the 1st 8 minutes 50 seconds
About 20 years ago I was asked to loan my car to a couple low cost, shoe string productions, the kind of amateur videos where you just do it to hang out with people making a cool thing, for fun, in exchange for a copy of the video (that's my one demand)
Late night, quiet neighborhoods, no permit to record a movie, or whatever ... I have only a memory or two, one video filled my tank with gas - and a 20 gallon tank ain't cheap, but that does get you to and from most places in So Cal to most other places, and back, without you having to out of pocket so someone else can shoot a video with your car, or use your car as period correct back ground.
No, I never did get a copy of either video... as soon as that was brought up post production, the contacts talked shit about not wanting anyone to leak a copy early, or post on you tube, and blah blah blah copyrights. Right. But, you agreed to it, and I did my part, you mook
So, anyway, it's a fun little thing to do for the memories, and the interesting people you meet, that sort of thing, but, don't count on getting much else out of broke wanna be film makers. And don't give anyone your keys.... it's your car, you drive it if it needs to move, that way no idiot gets behind the wheel.
(paraphrasing the warden in Cool Hand Luke) there are some cars, that you just don't mess with - because even though it has 6 brake lights and still got rear ended, the chrome ain't even scratched
evidently, it's a 73 Chrysler, and Ukranian tanks need some of those bumpers for tank armor!
for the rest of the story https://www.facebook.com/groups/1649370045277547/permalink/4143782089169651
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
in July 2026, as part of a nationwide effort to curb air pollution, Vietnam is banning fossil-fuel motorcycles and mopeds in the capital, Hanoi. Why? 7 million motorcycles that poor people use, and 1 million cars rich people use... so, rich people win this round too
The phase one directive issued by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh applies to the area inside and along the main ring road that encircles the center of Hanoi. The local government has been tasked with phasing out the two-wheelers by the deadline.
Like the rest of Vietnam, motorcycles are the main mode of transport for most of Hanoi’s 8 million residents. The city has nearly 7 million motorcycles and just over a million cars. But as incomes rise and more people switch to private vehicles, air pollution from traffic has become a growing concern. Hanoi is often enveloped in thick smog, ranking among the most polluted cities worldwide.
Like the rest of Vietnam, motorcycles are the main mode of transport for most of Hanoi’s 8 million residents. The city has nearly 7 million motorcycles and just over a million cars. But as incomes rise and more people switch to private vehicles, air pollution from traffic has become a growing concern. Hanoi is often enveloped in thick smog, ranking among the most polluted cities worldwide.
The ban will hit the working class hardest - motorcycle taxis in Hanoi, delivery drivers, commuters and ride-hailing services, all the people who rely on motorbikes to earn a living
A second phase, set to begin in January 2028, will expand the ban to a wider area and include all fossil-fuel two-wheelers, while also restricting some gasoline-powered carsThe wireless charging pocket... cars in the last 10 years have got some new features that car salesmen don't bother showing or demonstrating to the buyers. The way dealerships deal with buyers has changed a lot, OR, there are too many new tech things for salesmen to bother learning and training buyers on
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)