Wednesday, September 02, 2026
These concrete snow sheds at Donner Summit cover the original CPRR Right of way which no longer has tracks. Still owned by Union Pacific and used by UP work trucks and hikers.
this is the first time I've learned of a Gas Ronda signature series of tachs from RAC
Gaspar Ronda was also a dance instructor, restaurateur, and car salesman at George Newtell's Downtown Ford car dealership in Los Angeles, then moved to Covina at worked at Russ Davis Ford
he got a 427 Fairlane, they were eligible for Super Stock, rather than F/X (Factory Experimental), and he beat Butch Leal's Thunderbolt in the final of the 1964 Winternationals, with a 11.78 seconds / 123.40 mph. He also took NHRA's national Top Stock crown that year, at the wheel of a 427 Fairlane
He then was also a member of the Ford factory drag racing team, running one of their 427-powered Fairlane Thunderbolts.
Ronda took a radically different tack after retiring from drag racing, he opened the Funny Car Tavern, in Azusa, the he moved to West Covina, establishing a nightclub called Ronda's Gas House, with three bars and two dance floors, right on Interstate 10 east of Azusa Ave
The revised "Leno's Law" (SB 1392) has now passed the California legislature, and is expected to be signed by the governor this month. (Thanks George!)
If signed, it will mark the most significant progress in over two decades for California classic car laws and automotive preservation.
Leno’s Law introduces a narrow, phased-in pathway strictly for qualifying collector vehicles manufactured between 1976 and 1985.
The proposed rollout schedule for the exemption includes:
January 1, 2028: Vehicles manufactured before model year 1981 become exempt.
2029–2033: The exemption expands by one model year annually.
2033: Full implementation, exempting qualifying vehicles manufactured before model year 1986.
To prevent abuse and ensure the law targets true hobbyists rather than daily commuters, the bill carries strict collector-use requirements.
The proposed rollout schedule for the exemption includes:
January 1, 2028: Vehicles manufactured before model year 1981 become exempt.
2029–2033: The exemption expands by one model year annually.
2033: Full implementation, exempting qualifying vehicles manufactured before model year 1986.
To prevent abuse and ensure the law targets true hobbyists rather than daily commuters, the bill carries strict collector-use requirements.
Vehicle owners must either carry specialized collector-car insurance or verify that the vehicle is driven fewer than 1,000 miles per year.
The existing smog exemption for pre-1976 vehicles will remain entirely unchanged.
Tuesday, September 01, 2026
Gary lived in Ohio and had just purchased a brand new 66 (Hemi) Belvedere I HP2 (one of 32 with a 4 spd) when Vietnam happened
After Uncle Sam asked him to join other young Americans in South-East Asia, he made the painful decision to sell his pristine automobile.
He survived his combat tours, returned to civilian life, got married, raised a family, and eventually relocated to Florida. Yet, the memory of that spectacular dark blue metallic Plymouth never entirely faded away.
After his children grew up and left home, the veteran decided to track down his original vehicle. Miraculously, he found the exact car back in Ohio. It had changed hands multiple times and endured extensive drag racing abuse, which had left it without its original motor. Undeterred by its rough condition, he purchased the battered machine, transported it back to Florida, sourced a replacement engine, and began a passionate, meticulous restoration process.
With the vehicle “about 90 percent completed,” personal issues struck again. His wife demanded a divorce and insisted on liquidating their assets, forcing the heartbroken veteran to sell his treasured automobile a second time.
the HP2 exterior badges stood for “Hemi-Powered Plymouth.”
Maserati South Africa lost in court over a $563,000 Maserati MC20 Cielo that was not delivered to a Grammy-winning South African DJ
The Johannesburg High Court ordered Maserati to pay his company approximately $438,000, plus interest and legal costs.
The dealership offered him R7 million for his existing car as a trade-in. He was expected to pay the remaining R2 million when the new vehicle was delivered, expected by July 2025.
However, the dealership informed him in June 2025 that the vehicle would only enter production in August. No definite delivery date was provided.
He subsequently cancelled the transaction and demanded the return of the R7 million trade-in value.
Maserati was also ordered to pay interest at 10.5% a year from 22 August 2025 until the full amount is settled, as well as the legal costs of the proceedings.
The dealership offered him R7 million for his existing car as a trade-in. He was expected to pay the remaining R2 million when the new vehicle was delivered, expected by July 2025.
However, the dealership informed him in June 2025 that the vehicle would only enter production in August. No definite delivery date was provided.
He subsequently cancelled the transaction and demanded the return of the R7 million trade-in value.
money specifically from California's motor vehicle account, which drivers pay into through registration fees, has been siphoned to pay for current and former politican's personal security detail (state highway patrol officers)
The State Senate's Republican Vice Chairman of the Budget Committee, Roger Niello, told KCRA 3 in an interview Monday night, the account is forecast to be bankrupt in 2 to 3 years.
"It is in my opinion inappropriate, and it might even be unconstitutional," Niello said.
He noted California already passed a bill allowing campaign funds to be used for security purposes.
"He has a sizable account for his campaign," Niello noted. "As opposed to the people paying their registration fees paying for that."
"It is in my opinion inappropriate, and it might even be unconstitutional," Niello said.
He noted California already passed a bill allowing campaign funds to be used for security purposes.
"He has a sizable account for his campaign," Niello noted. "As opposed to the people paying their registration fees paying for that."
Reminder, that politicians don't pay for vehicle registration, they use the govt fleet vehicles... and they don't pay for gas, they expense account it.
Jim has owned his ‘64 Comet for going on 6 decades (since 66)
the engine is a Boss 302, built with the best parts Ross Racing Engines in Ohio, with a 4 speed, a Winters 9" rear, Baer Brakes, strut front suspension, and the hood? Is TERRIFIC, and made from pulling a mold from one of the 21 original A/FX Comets (Chrisman's was one of the 21) and fabricated his hood from that... and he still owns the mold! Awesome! The wheels are American Rebel
1975
Thank you Jim! I love your Comet!
the 40th World of Speed at Bonneville is cancelled, the water is 8-10 inches deep at the end of the access road
Monday, August 31, 2026
A rare four-horse chariot rock carving has been discovered in the Helan Mountains of Northwest China, it's about 3000 years old
Fewer than 20 chariot-themed petroglyphs have been recorded across the Helan Mountains, and all previously discovered examples were of two-horse chariots. Previously, four-horse chariot images had only been found in Central Asia, Mongolia, southern Siberia, and China's Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia regions.
always check the internet to see if a security system has already been found to have an achilles heel. It probably has. . . take this innovative way to keep your bicycle parts from getting stolen by diabling the hex head bolts (Hexlox)
First, the remarkable security tool I just learned of... then, how easily and fast, it's defeated
Just thought you oughta know
Dozens of aspiring entrepreneurs hoping to own their own food trucks were scammed, and lost nearly $1 million in a sprawling Central California fraud scheme, by a 30 yr old that promised customers custom-built food trucks and trailers.
Many of the customers were immigrants who had spent years saving money to start businesses of their own, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times. They included farmworkers, cooks, custodians and construction workers, some of whom entrusted Ochoa with what amounted to their entire life savings.
Customers paid thousands of dollars for custom trucks and trailers, but prosecutors say many of the vehicles were never built.
Two investigators in a Georgia Sheriff's office are the latest to lose their jobs for stalking women using Flock, just a single example of police without strong ethical leaders, without morals, and without citizen oversight and transparency
https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/hall-county-investigator-joins-growing-list-of-georgia-officers-fired-over-flock-camera-misuse/
Three more police officers have been arrested after using Automatic License Plate Readers supplied by the surveillance company Flock for non-law enforcement purposes.
In Savannah, Georgia, four police department workers were hauled into custody last Friday, when an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation uncovered they’d been abusing their city’s Flock system to track personal acquaintances and family members
Three of them were active police officers, while one of them was employed as a community service specialist. Two more employees had been fired weeks ago for similar offenses
The incident has become a huge scandal for Savannah over the past few weeks, turning the historic Georgia city into a poster child for police abuse of AI-powered surveillance.
https://futurism.com/future-society/mayor-livid-police-flock-alpr-abuse-savannah
In July, five former Albany police officers were arrested after investigators said an internal audit found they had accessed retained Flock license plate data on multiple occasions for non-law enforcement purposes. Other reported cases across Georgia and the country have included allegations that officers used law enforcement databases to track romantic partners or people they knew personally.According to the Washington Post's review of police and court records, at least 50 officers nationwide have been accused of or charged with misusing license-plate reader systems, often to track women in their personal lives. In 46 of those cases, Flock's system was involved.
https://www.techspot.com/news/113325-dozens-police-officers-accused-using-license-plate-cameras.html
Investigations are underway in at least two Chicagoland police departments regarding officers accused of abusing Flock automated license plate reader technology.
“This is a massive surveillance system that is set up across the state of Illinois and across the country in a way that is, for the most part, unregulated and doesn’t have any accountability that it’s serving the purpose that was intended.”
This week, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) launched an investigation into Flock, saying it’s an “unprecedented national surveillance network” with more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states that conducts 20 billion vehicle scans every month.
Florida DOT orders removal of license plate readers from state rights-of-way, highways
The Department of Transportation ordered all license plate readers be removed from state highways and rights-of-way.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Monday he supports giving law enforcement tools to investigate crimes, but he doesn't want Florida to become a surveillance state.
FDOT says local law enforcement agencies will need to remove the cameras from all state highways and rights-of-way within 30-days.
this may be the most impressive looking garage I've ever come across, Plaza Service Station, 121 E. Maryland Street
the nationwide City Beautiful Movement promoted monumental-looking filling station designs. One local example is Vonnegut, Mueller, & Bohn’s little-remembered architectural design for the Plaza Service Station, formerly located at 121 E. Maryland Street. The building was Indianapolis’s most up-to-date station.
when you have nothing else you can do to save your crew, ram the bastard..... because if that turret swings round and fires one off... you're done for
This is one of the more extraordinary tank encounters of the Normandy campaign — and the famous photograph really does show the two tanks involved.
On 18 July 1944, during the opening day of Operation Goodwood, Lieutenant John Gorman of the 2nd (Armored) Battalion, Irish Guards, Guards Armored Division, was advancing near Cagny, east of Caen, in his Sherman named Ballyragget.
Gorman's Sherman suddenly encountered German armor at extremely close range, including a Tiger II (King Tiger) of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503.
This was particularly significant because the Tiger II was only just appearing on the Western Front. Its combination of extremely heavy frontal armor and the powerful 8.8cm KwK 43 gun made it a frightening opponent for a standard 75mm Sherman.
Gorman's crew attempted to engage the Tiger II, but the situation rapidly deteriorated. Accounts differ slightly over the precise sequence — some state that a 75mm round bounced off or proved ineffective, while others describe the Sherman's gun jamming. What is consistent is that Gorman realiszd he was in an extremely vulnerable position while the Tiger II was bringing its 88mm gun around towards him.
So Gorman chose an extraordinary solution: He ordered his driver to ram it.
Ballyragget charged into the much heavier Tiger II. The collision immobilized both vehicles and the crews abandoned their tanks.
In the confusion, one member of Gorman's crew reportedly ran towards some men taking cover nearby — only to discover that they were members of the German tank crew. Most of the Tiger crew were subsequently captured.
But Gorman wasn't finished. After getting clear, he obtained another Sherman — a Sherman Firefly, equipped with the much more powerful British 17-pounder anti-tank gun — and returned to the scene. Accounts credit him with firing on the immobilized Tiger II and completing its destruction.
The famous photograph taken later in July shows the Tiger II and Gorman's Ballyragget still together following the collision.
these calculations relate to the load/deflections (delta) for two bars with an overlapping range: one for hard range and one for a softer range. These traditional non-driver-adjustable) interchangeable bars consisted of a torque tube with two welded cantilever arms.
Calculations written by Steve Nichols, at McLaren, relating to the fixed RARB for the MP4/2 as used by Niki Lauda and Alain Prost.
Calculating to optimize weight, for the maximum stress in the torque tube to occur at exactly the same time as the maximum stress in the two cantilever arms.
Furthermore, Steve calculated the profile of the arms such that they had an even stress distribution. This meant they had a slightly elliptical profile rather than a straight line.
see https://www.facebook.com/Carprofileart for more engineering math papers
Sunday, August 30, 2026
a search for airworthy Douglas DC-3s to photograph has grown into a worldwide research project, aviation photographer Rene Ligon has documented nearly 600 surviving airframes
Ligon has now documented 657 surviving airframes, as of August 22, 2026.
To make the information manageable, he maintains two principal lists: one for aircraft that are airworthy or close to airworthy, and another for static examples.
The flying category also includes aircraft capable of taxiing and those being restored to airworthy condition.
To make the information manageable, he maintains two principal lists: one for aircraft that are airworthy or close to airworthy, and another for static examples. The flying category also includes aircraft capable of taxiing and those being restored to airworthy condition.
the Shoei HUD-integrated helmet is now available to own, It’s called the GT-Air 3 Smart, will cost about 1500$... I wonder what this will do for F1, Gran Prix, Nascar, and Rally drivers?
These features can also be customized with the ones that you feel are most important to you while you’re riding around.
Another little trick that EyeLights and Shoei worked into the system is a projection of 3 m (9.8 ft) in front of you, helping us gain up to 32% more time to react since you’re always looking at the road ahead and not in some corner of the visor that requires you to rely on your peripherals for reacting to a hazard in the road.
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