Saturday, June 03, 2023

Turtlewax chrome polish.. 40 years old (the bottle has a 1983 copywrite date...) still really damn good


as always before is 1st, and after is the 2nd image


I think its a noticeable improvement


In the above, I think it's easy to see what side I polished a little... 


but if that wasn't clear, I think this before and after will be. I hadn't cleaned the front bumper in years


Legendary GT in Pennsylvania, which builds continuation Shelby cars for Shelby American, is going to make 5 more Dragonsnakes, at about 3/4M apiece

 https://fordauthority.com/2023/06/1963-small-block-shelby-dragonsnake-cobra-production-revived/

ALUMINATION, the Airstream documentary




In 1929 Airstream founder Wally Byam built his first travel trailer in the backyard of his California home. Nearly a century later Airstream continues as the oldest travel trailer company in the United States and an iconic brand. For many, the word "Airstream" signifies more than just the image of an aerodynamic silver bullet gliding down the highway; it also evokes the spirit of innovation, adventure, resilience, and dynamism. Byam didn't just create a tool for travel — he created a blueprint for modern nomadic living.

the Official ISKY 102 Birthday party July 15th at Lions Drag Strip Museum is July 15th

https://www.facebook.com/LionsAutomobiliaFoundation/videos/742594124277433/

Friday, June 02, 2023

Goldie is a 1903 caboose from the Duluth area that has been repurposed into an Air BNB, in the top 10 Glampys awards for 2022 (nightly under $200)


an original 1903 wooden caboose that ran on the DMIR railroad, re-designed in 1912 to be safer on the railroad, which ran the tracks of the Iron Range until retirement in 1968. Found in 2014





https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/land/minnesota-goldie-in-the-woods-mxvhn0dv/photos?adults=1&children=0

Fiat has revealed its first image of the new (electric) Topolino

 it's cute, but's it's just a different body on the Citroen Ami that has been around for 3 years. Several styling cues are from the 1960s Fiat Jolly beach car, like the rope instead of a door. I bet this gets a lot of sales to resorts and yacht clubs

Volkswagen finally showed off its long-delayed, much-anticipated ID. Buzz “microbus” in US spec, not surprisingly it turned ugly when the bean counters were through making it production ready, and with no price available, it's not going to sell until fall 2024


for bloat *(and ugly reality) comparison to the concept that was promised (and put in movies)




it's impossible to guess wrong about which was the concept, and which is the ugly reality



the ID. Buzz will only be made in Hannover, Germany, a plant with a capacity of 100,000 a year for global demand, many buyers will face an even longer wait than fall of 2024.

if the factory wouldn't make the race car hauler they needed, they improvised, and these two rigs appear to be panel deliveries or vans grafted onto the largest extended wheelbase trucks of the era



https://macsmotorcitygarage.com/another-look-t-vintage-racecar-transporters/

As a pet project of GM Styling VP Bill Mitchell, the Corvette Stingray sports racer was attended by a matching silver 1960 Chevy Parkwood wagon.


British Rail discontinued the Waverley Route in 1969, abondoning many train stations like the Saughtree Station in the south of Scotland... which one guy transformed into a bed and breakfast, and then he added a section of rail and a 1950s train



and now it's for sale for about 600k USD

https://www.insider.com/man-converted-scotland-saughtree-train-station-into-home-photos-2023-3

A Ukrainian military helicopter takes off during drills in the north of Ukraine. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters


Kyiv shot down more than 30 missiles and drones in early morning strikes

A black 11-year-old called 911. Police arrived and shot him, the attorney representing the family states. Was it racist? No. The cop is black. What was the cause? Finger on the trigger and ready to kill.

The family of Aderrien Murry and the community in Indianola, Miss., are calling for the officer who shot him early Saturday morning to be fired. 

 The boy was given a cellphone by his mother and told to call the police during a domestic disturbance involving the father of another one of her children, Moore said. 

After the child called 911, an Indianola police officer who was identified by the attorney as Greg Capers arrived at the home at around 4 a.m., the attorney representing the family said.

When the boy’s mother, told the officer that no one in the house was armed, the officer yelled out that anyone in the home should come out with their hands up, the attorney representing the family said.

Even though th 11 yr old adhered to the officer’s commands and had his hands up, the cop shot him in the chest, according to the attorney representing the family .

Aderrien was released from the hospital Wednesday after being placed on a ventilator and chest tube for a collapsed lung, fractured ribs and lacerated liver, Carlos Moore, the attorney representing the family, told The Washington Post. 

The shooting of the 11-year-old is another recent example in which police have responded to 911 calls by opening fire without reason or doing so at the wrong address.

In April, police officers in Farmington, N.M., were questioning whether they were at the right house shortly before they fatally shot an armed homeowner at what turned out to be the wrong address, according to body-camera video. Robert Dotson, 52, was killed on April 5, when officers showed up to the wrong house in response to a domestic violence call. Three officers who fired their weapons have been placed on paid administrative leave, and the fatal mix-up is being investigated by the New Mexico State Police.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/05/25/aderrien-murry-mississippi-police-shooting-911/

Thursday, June 01, 2023

Joe Pyle's collection of gas station stuff and various interesting bric a brac, tchotchke, collectable Coca Cola machines, etc is getting auctioned off, and there are a couple interesting things in it I've never seen and thought would be good to share


I think I've seen and posted one of these battery service trays before, years ago


but this is the 1st time I've ever heard of a Start O Meter



imagine how rare a new set of unused shocks are for a day two muscle car on display at a car show

It's a hell of a good collection of gas pumps, cans, Sun tuning machinery, signs, gun cabinets, safes, pedal cars, neons, vintage gas station stuff, vintage Barber Shop stuff, vintage toys and games, a LOT of Studebaker stuff and parts

the Retrologist, finding and sharing the appreciation for iconic roadside architecture and disappearing Americana signage


with a focus on classic Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen, McDonalds, and diners

A pair of unattended sunglasses magnified the sunshine, which then melted the dashboard and left this car destroyed as the reflected sunlight melted through the interior




this reminds me of two other news stories from a couple years ago, the light reflected off a skyscraper damaged a Jaguar, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-23930675  
and the sunlight reflected by a side mirror on a motorcycle melted the seat

unusual design for a bridge


The Kawazu-Nanadaru Loop Bridge, in Japan, is an example of how to build a bridge from one mountainside to another when the sides of the mountain are so steep that it is not possible to build a road at the same elevation on both sides.

I just learned there is a high speed rail project from Washington DC to Boston... but they haven't replaced the old freight tracks yet, and high speed trains aren't going to work well at high speed on crappy old tracks, and for 2 billion dollars, they saved one hour travel time

Amtrak’s $2 billion effort to replace its fleet of Acela express trains on the Washington-to-Boston corridor has hit a foreseeable snag: The new trains have to run on an old railroad.

Boston New Haven New York Philadelphia Wilmington Washington is the route

The new trains are capable of traveling up to 160 miles an hour. But unlike their factual high speed rail European and Asian trains, they must cope with century-old infrastructure, bridges, tunnels, and roadbeds with numerous curves.

“Alstom, the builder of the Acela trainsets has confirmed the delays are due to difficulties in replicating certain movements of the trainsets and requires further refinement to receive the FRA’s (Federal Railroad Administration) approval to conduct qualification testing on the Northeast Corridor, which is necessary to achieve compliance to launch revenue service,” Amtrak stated.

Amtrak cannot operate them for passenger service until Alstom has completed testing and met all safety requirements.
https://delawarebusinessnow.com/2023/05/new-amtrak-acela-train-service-delayed-until-2024

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

on his Memorial Day fishing trip to Cheney Reservoir in south-central Kansas, a fisherman discovered an 80s Jeep 15 ft underwater


A woman reached out about about the vehicle. Her Jeep disappeared in 2007 or 2008, and she wondered if it was hers. 

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is still trying to determine where the vehicle came from. A Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said deputies could not find the vehicle identification number, but they think it appears to be an 80s model Jeep.

fads don't make much sense, and too many trucks are bought be insecure people scared of driving a car, who instead should have bought vans


the world is a strange place where people do strange things for strange reasons

The college football team, Georgia Bulldogs, have had an oddly large number of players busted for reckless driving and high speed tickets. 9 in the last 14 months.

receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint busted 90 in a 45

Chandler LeCroy was speeding excessively, reaching 104 mph, just before a fatal crash

Carter was driving 100 mph in a 35 mph zone on the night of the crash, driving side-by-side with LeCroy

Carter was also pulled over last September for going 89 mph in a 45 and received three citations including speeding.

Carter later struck a plea bargain that would ensure no jail time, clearing the way for him to be a first-round NFL draft pick, because priorities, right?

De’Nylon Morrissette was arrested less than two weeks ago on charges of driving too fast for conditions, following too closely and driving under the influence of drugs

team captain Jamon Dumas-Johnson was arrested on charges of street racing and reckless driving 

In total, nine Georgia players have been arrested in the last 14 months.

Running back Kenny McIntosh crashed at 4 a.m. going 20 miles over the speed limit when he collided with a Kia Sol driven by a woman from Stone Mountain. She was taken to a hospital. McIntosh was charged with reckless driving and failure to wear a seat belt.

Outside linebacker Nolan Smith was busted doing 89 mph in a 55, which was a construction zone 

Defensive back Javon Bullard, the defensive MVP of the Peach Bowl and national championship game, was arrested on a DUI charge on Sept. 25. That was one of seven misdemeanors he faced including failing to maintain lane and improper turning.

Hagerty now has a weekly "original owner" article.... a new series showcasing people who bought a classic car new and still own it. The cars don’t need to be factory-original, just still in the hands of the first owner and still getting driven.




In the summer of 1969, Ray Eugenio was 19 in army service in Vietnam. He was stationed at the 29th Evacuation Hospital on an airbase and ordered a 1970 Plymouth ’Cuda 340, through the PX

https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/original-owner-a-young-soldier-buys-his-dream-car-in-a-warzone/

This was all Apple Tv had to show to indicate that Masters Of The Air is still on track to be released eventually... but they mention nothing of what year, what month

https://tv.apple.com/us/show/masters-of-the-air/umc.cmc.7bxcni0vwgll9kmicq738k5q2

built by Frank Mack and it starred at the first Detroit Autorama in 1953, the track nose was made from two ’41 Chevy fenders

https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/6-hot-rods-from-the-3-dog-garage-collection/

What can they do with a nice old train station when the train companies go out of business? This one was made into a library, and like the original train station, the roof is slate, the gutters are copper, and the doors are made of white oak


The Mount Pleasant Community Centre is in a restored historical Canadian Pacific Railway station that has been converted into a cultural facility in the Mount Pleasant Village Square. 

It was built way back in 1902, and closed by CP Rail in 1969 when it had outlived its original use.