Saturday, December 22, 2018
Ardun heads, I've seen and learned about them, but today I heard a rumor they were made for garbage trucks originally, to boost power 60%
the originals were built in England because they commissioned Zora Arkus Dontov and his bother to pump up the power of it's commercial fleet (garbage trucks)
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/when-did-ardun-heads-come-out.1038774/
is the rumor that seems to have no data to back it up
New York Times article was dated August 18, 1947.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/when-did-ardun-heads-come-out.1038774/
tells the early history of the Ardun heads, and the rest is worth reading, but nothing is ever mentioned about garbage trucks.
https://books.google.com/books?id=S7E_gXmNbpAC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=Ardun+White+Paper&source=bl&ots=KE0LNK9wBF&sig=lqQL-h8ImnMZs0fgBMH52bUVp5Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiX1_vh443QAhVU92MKHfjYCPUQ6AEIQzAE#v=onepage&q&f=false
Sources of the rumor:
ARDUN cylinder heads, designed and built by Zora Arkus Duntov, for flathead Ford V8’s in NYC garbage trucks that were under powered. ZAD would later become a design engineer with GM on the Corvette https://catchmeifyoucan427.tumblr.com/post/181330225917/ardun-cylinder-heads-designed-and-built-by-zora
and https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1477169
and then there is the frequent complaints about the Ardun heads:
The same book ( "Zora Arkus-Duntov The Legend Behind Corvette") mentioned says it appears the Ardun heads had "a littany of problems, D. Randy Riggs, in an Automobile Quaterly aticle on Ardun wrote: "It's cast-steel pushrods weighed the same as a connecting rod, and valve seats came loose from expansion differences of the aluminum and bronze materials. The stock Ardun valves were too heavy. Exhaust manifolds were constricted and head gaskets were a common failure. The
coke bottle shaped lifters were originally made from Buick components and had a tendancy to gall. Valve springs were inadequate. The two intake manifolds had no balance tube between them and were poorly designed. The spark plug tubes were a menace and the stock Ford ignition was not up to the task.""
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/when-did-ardun-heads-come-out.1038774/
is the rumor that seems to have no data to back it up
New York Times article was dated August 18, 1947.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/when-did-ardun-heads-come-out.1038774/
https://books.google.com/books?id=S7E_gXmNbpAC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=Ardun+White+Paper&source=bl&ots=KE0LNK9wBF&sig=lqQL-h8ImnMZs0fgBMH52bUVp5Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiX1_vh443QAhVU92MKHfjYCPUQ6AEIQzAE#v=onepage&q&f=false
Sources of the rumor:
ARDUN cylinder heads, designed and built by Zora Arkus Duntov, for flathead Ford V8’s in NYC garbage trucks that were under powered. ZAD would later become a design engineer with GM on the Corvette https://catchmeifyoucan427.tumblr.com/post/181330225917/ardun-cylinder-heads-designed-and-built-by-zora
and https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1477169
and then there is the frequent complaints about the Ardun heads:
It goes on to quote Ray Brock who said the heads did nothing to fix the age old overheating problem that Fords were known for.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/blast-from-the-past-1947-popular-science-ardun-heads-for-flathead-fords.522221/
veteran English Rodder Ken Cooper said that the Ardun units were used on (some) refuse vehicles. He had some.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1477169
Around 1941, (obviously the years are wrong, so the rest isn't reliable info either) ten years BEFORE Chrysler unveiled their first Hemi headed engine called the FirePower in 1951, the Ardun Company of New York "designed" a set of hemi-spherical heads for the Ford Flathead V8. Originally designed for military truck's, Ford Motor Company built these "hemi" engines for garbage trucks in London prior to switching to a less problematic and bigger Lincoln engine.
https://www.facebook.com/fordmenlegends/posts/685154864872025
https://books.google.com/books?id=paeyN79nV90C&pg=PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=ARDUN+heads+garbage+trucks&source=bl&ots=rJMkrijSps&sig=XHUwC7XHasVefEW7XfnT_vQaLkk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQvKOzoLXfAhVhl1QKHbMAAuMQ6AEwCHoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
Ford Total Performance: Ford's Legendary High-Performance Street and Race Cars By Martyn L. Schorr
https://books.google.com/books?id=gsFQCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=ARDUN+heads+garbage+trucks&source=bl&ots=LTZzLtjr3g&sig=0-DHx34fwy5c7woPPiTs0KUc34c&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQvKOzoLXfAhVhl1QKHbMAAuMQ6AEwCnoECAIQAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
You can thank garbage trucks for the birth of not only some of the most legendary and coveted hot rod parts known to man in the form of Ardun cylinder heads but also for launching the career of a man who still stands as a giant long after his passing today, Zora Arkus-Duntov. We think of Ardun heads today as pieces used by hot rodders to make their cars faster and they were but the original intention of these babies was to crank the power level of garbage trucks being used in London up after Ford was granted a contract to supply them but their flathead V8s were not making enough power to meet the specs of the agreement. This overhead valve conversion got the power levels up and had the trucks meeting muster. Today, original Ardun heads are among the most prized pieces in the hot rodding universe.
https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/watch-this-table-top-sized-ardun-headed-flattie-fire-up-and-run-the-sound-is-great/
Ghost Rider chainsaw carved wood sculpture by Seattle based Thomas Earing, The Chizel Man, back in 2015
Seattle-based custom woodworker Thomas Earing produces commissioned carvings and designs in stone and wood, as well as custom furniture.
Earing, 31, a Colorado Springs native, has gained a bit of social media buzz for the 6.2 million views earned by his Batman carving on Reddit in 2015
The Ballard-based artist has been carving with a chainsaw for 15 years, crafting totem poles, animals, and even a giant Batman. Much of his lumber is recycled from trees that fall down in stormy weather or are removed by homeowners in landscaping projects, he said.
https://twitter.com/TheChizelMan
https://www.facebook.com/totks
https://www.facebook.com/ReEvolvingtheChizel/
http://seattlerefined.com/lifestyle/icymi-seahawks-fan-goes-beast-mode-on-bark
https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood-blogs/fine-woodworking/custom-bill-esler/The-Bark-Knight-Saw-Sculpture-Brings-Fame-to-This-Woodworker-288201171.html
Thanks Gary for clanging the tip jar!
The tip jar humor is my way of saying thanks! (and incentivizing anyone that is still on the fence about a tip)
Friday, December 21, 2018
The Barris' Dune Busting Bronco was finished and displayed at the first annual Las Vegas National Off Road Vehicle and Equipment Show in June 1965, but by 1970, it went through a make over to appeal to the flower power generation
Body modifications included the NHRA-approved roll bar with integral headrest, exposed chrome exhaust pipes, hood air scoop, built-in step over door panel, alloy hubs with knockoff caps, walnut appliqués, stainless-steel rail bars and performance-type gas filler. Interior was upholstered in suede with wood accents.
it was also on display at the 1966 Chicago Auto Show.
By 1970, the Dune Buster had been painted and reupholstered and was now the swinging flower power concept called the Wildflower. In reality not much had changed though. The exterior wood was gone and a psychedelic flower paint job replaced it. Inside the seats were given matching flower power center sections. Sadly, no one knows what became of this celebrity show car once it was no longer fashionable.
The Wildflower, a specially customized version of Ford Division's popular four-wheel-drive Bronco, is sure to be one of the most colorful show cars on display at automobile shows this year.
The unique vehicle, planned in Ford's Design Center in Dearborn, Mich., was extensively modified, inside and out, to achieve a lively carefree appearance with added luxury and safety features.
The dominant exterior characteristic of the Wildflower is the lively multi-colored paint treatment. The psychedelic design of blues, yellows and reds is topped off by a pink grille.
Modifications include a National Hot Rod Association approved roll bar with integral headrests, a windshield design coordinated with the contour of the roll bar and exposed chrome exhaust pipes.
The heating shielding rocker panel behind the pipes is formed of black and white anodized aluminum. Chrome wheel lip moldings accent the machined steel alloy wheels, which are equipped with knockoff hubs.
The hood was redesigned to incorporate an air scoop for added engine cooling. Rubber "snubbers" protect the bumpers from scratches and a performance-type gas fill enhances the car's sporty flair. Completing the exterior modifications are unique stepover door panels with padded sills, built-in steps and assist handles.
Custom interior appointments are highlighted by front bucket seats covered in brightly flowered vinyl upholstery with vinyl bolsters. A walnut steering wheel and walnut-trimmed control knobs highlight the colorful padded instrument panel.
Red loop carpeting covers the floor in both front and rear compartments, and both the front seats and the jump seats in the rear are equipped with deluxe push-button seat belts.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1874328205999679&set=gm.1624987344314542&type=3&eid=ARDWuFwndcrlvcZ0y98tjjI5KiXRm4ZLxK4erd-Spu_R2ySmzMC_xIfqP31bRw72yQKBLhaPzv_t5AlH&ifg=1
https://www.ford-trucks.com/how-tos/slideshows/the-strangely-awesome-george-barris-bronco-dune-buster-photos-470906
https://www.ford-trucks.com/how-tos/slideshows/the-strangely-awesome-george-barris-bronco-dune-buster-photos-470906#6-wildflower-bronco
https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/pr701106/broncohistory
http://offroadaction.ca/2010/02/05/more-george-barris-dune-buster-bronco-photos/
Tuesday Weld on her 190 Mercedes
a rare moment of levity for a young woman with a terrible childhood, but epic Hollywood career and co-stars
Tuesday Weld, who was forced to be the family bread winner by age 8 due to her father's death, by 9 she had a nervous breakdown, by 10 was a drunk, and by 12 attempted suicide.
At age 18 Tuesday had an affair with co-star Elvis, later she married Dudley Moore but turned down the starring roles in Lolita, True Grit, and Bonnie and Clyde, but did star with Steve McQueen and Jackie Gleason in Soldier in the Rain, and was on Many Loves of Dobie Gillis for one season along with Norm Grabowski.
Tuesday was also in the Private Lives of Adam and Eve with Mamie Van Doren, and Norm Grabowski, she also starred in Teacher's Pet with Clark Cable and Doris Day, and Jet Pilot with John Wayne, and The Big Operator with Mel Torme.
How about that, start 2018 by learning of her, end 2018 with the only photo I've ever stumbled across of her
if you need your brain melted, watch Falling Down with Michael Douglas, and then take a while to deal with the fact that Mrs Pendergrast is played by Tuesday Weld. Yup, Robert Duvall has Tuesday Weld playing his wife.
https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2018/01/how-to-sell-records-101-borrow-any-one.html
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1922986354417512&set=gm.1625731734240103&type=3&permPage=1&ifg=1
https://therake.com/stories/icons/tuesday-weld/
Hawaiian hotel tourist buggy... 1960
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1875670192532147&set=gm.1625775110902432&type=3&permPage=1&ifg=1
appears to be a Sand Chariots Ocelot
The 1951 Kroboth Convertible, from West Germany,
the louvers on the front and the portholes by the rear wheel look pretty damn cool and better than the Vespa and Lambretta designs
Thanks Kim!
Compliments to Hyundai, for getting onboard with recognizing, and rewarding, a million mile driver
For Farrah Haines, it took just five years behind the wheel of her 2013 Hyundai Elantra. An auto-parts delivery driver in Olathe, Kansas, she covered just over 200,000 miles per year since she bought her car new.
Surprisingly, it’s still on its original powertrain. As Haines approached one million, she reached out to Hyundai. Understandably, the company was skeptical of how little time it took. After techs validated the million-mile Hyundai Elantra by pulling onboard data, checking service records, and inspecting engine-block casting numbers, Hyundai presented Haines with its first ever “1M” odometer badge. Now, thanks to her, the 1M badge is available to any other Hyundai owners who have also crested the million-mile mark.
Despite the great lengths her car had traveled, Hyundai felt she was due for an upgrade. As part of the celebration, the automaker surprised her with an all-new 2019 Elantra.
https://www.automobilemag.com/news/million-mile-hyundai-elantra
Edsel Ford, wasn't content to be seen driving around in a regular production Ford... he needed something special, but still Ford
Seems strange to see a dual cowl Model A, but Edsel felt he needed it.
Brewster and Co. was one of America's earliest carriage builders. Established by James Brewster at New Haven, Connecticut, in 1810, the firm won international acclaim at the Paris Carriage Exhibition in 1878. In 1905, Brewster built its first body for the burgeoning automobile industry; by 1911 it had abandoned carriages entirely and moved the workshops to Long Island City, New York.
In 1914, in what would become a long association, Brewster took a Rolls-Royce franchise.
Not surprisingly, many imported Rolls-Royce cars bore Brewster coachwork. When Rolls-Royce of America was established at Springfield, Massachusetts in 1919, Brewster became one of the companies supplying "Rolls-Royce Custom Coachwork," bodies built in small series and listed in the catalogs. The Brewster relationship was sufficiently close that Rolls bought Brewster in October 1925.
By the early thirties, however, all luxury automakers were reeling, Rolls-Royce among them. Chassis assembly at Springfield ceased, leaving only a few imported Phantom II chassis for Brewster to clothe.
Rolls-Royce of America was shut down in 1934; by then its president, John S. Inskip, was running Brewster and steered the coachbuilding company back to auto manufacture. With the deepening depression, Inskip reasoned that America's wealthy, faced with belt-tightening, might be interested in a coachbuilt car on an economy chassis. This led to the Brewster Ford.
For his own car, however, Edsel specified a standard Model 40 grille and a hood without louvers. Bearing Brewster number 9002, it was reportedly the third built, and was still being finished while in transit to Michigan in a railcar. Delivery took place on June 1, 1934, the first Brewster Ford to reach the public. It has headlights of the 1936 Ford style, 16-inch wheels and a 1938-type banjo steering wheel.
Brewster Ford No. 9002 was sold through the New York Ford agency in 1941, at Edsel's request. The new owner, reportedly a New Jersey resident, kept it until his death. After his passing, it was left to his only daughter and transported to her home in California. It then remained in storage until 2005, when the current owner was able to buy it. The car was transported directly to the Meadow Book Concours d'Elegance, where it was welcomed back to Michigan for the first time in 55 years and displayed as a special, non-judged exhibit. It appeared in March 2006 at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, receiving the Amelia Award as runner-up in a class for custom-bodied Fords, in competition with seven other cars with high-quality restorations.
The heart-front Brewster Fords are the only Ford V8-based cars recognized as Full Classics by the Classic Car Club of America.
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/4961005_253-1934-brewster-ford-town-car
http://carzhunt.blogspot.com/2018/07/hiding-in-plain-site-gullwing-motors.html
Thursday, December 20, 2018
the best banners of 2018
the above are my top 5, in order, of my favorites
and those are my top 21 favorite.. the others are better than the rest that didn't make the cut, but they didn't make it into the top 21 either
for the best banners of 2017 https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2017/12/best-banners-of-2017.html