Friday, February 23, 2024

it's pretty cool to find a photo of a Charger R/T the same color as my Coronet R/T, with the same design of rims I just got last fall.


his Charger has better selected sizes of tires and rims than my R/T. We both have 426 cubes under the hood, him, the hemi, me the max wedge



by the way, to follow up on the last of things that were done:

I had to take it back to the shop that did the upgrade, for warranty work

The good news, the owner was super cool about being responsible for the scratched up rims, and paid to have them polished. 
They got the Hella hi beams connected finally
There was one spark plug that was shorting to a header tube, because both the headers were designed badly for the #3 spark plug, so, the engine wasn't running right. They used a thermal video thing, saw the problem quickly, and pounded some space into the header tubes
The vibration I noticed at 65 mph, well, I had to diagnose that myself. 
How come? That shop didn't do a test drive, they don't do a once over before turning over a car to the customer.... they simply have lower standards and expectations of considering a job done, than I do. 
So, the way I was given my car back the first time? Unacceptable probably to most people, in most places. 
Back to the vibration... which, you probably know, could be a tire, unbalanced rim, transmission mount, pinion bearing, drive train angle changed from upgrading from stock K member to QA1 tubular unit and dropped spindles (maybe) or u joints. So, I asked about the trans mount, if it, or the drive shaft angle was bad. The guy check both the mount and angle. Wasn't them. 
That's when I pushed and said, well, did you check further, to see if anything else was a problem, and I reach over and check the front U joint, then the pinion bearing, then the back u joint, and bingo. 
Well, I looked, and these are the zirc fitting type U joints, and I asked if he had a grease gun and if he would grease them up. Turns out, they were either never greased at all, or hadn't been greased in 20-40k miles. I've only driven it, 8k miles? Not sure, but it hasn't been many, in the 22 years I've owned it. Honestly, I've never had zirc fitting u joints, and the zircs my car had were all in the steering and front suspension, which was wasted when I got it, and there was no point to greasing the joints with torn up rubber sleeves/cups, whatever those are called, at the tie rods, pitman and idler arms (all replaced a couple years ago)
On the next drive home, the vibration was less noticeable. Time to replace those U joints!

MotorTrend + is shutting down, it's tv shows have moved to Discovery+ and Max

MotorTrend+ will be shut down after content from the service is fully migrated to Discovery+ and Max at the end of March.


No mention of what's caused this, my guess? Motor Trend is in dire need of income, as magazines are fading out of the subscription zone

Deere & Co convinced a federal jury in Delaware that construction rival Caterpillar, must pay $12.9 million in damages for violating its patent rights in road-building technology.

The jury determined that Caterpillar's road-milling machines, which remove the surfaces of roads before repaving them, infringe five Wirtgen patents

The jury also found that Caterpillar's infringement was willful, which could lead a judge to multiply the damages up to three times.

those screen doors were a thing, and no commercial business has screen doors anymore. Now, it's all electric sliding doors, and air conditioning.


great combo gas station and general store. Interesting that they left the grain visible above the awning, instead of painting over it. I like the look, hell, I love the look of real woodgrain. Damn shame so many people paint wood instead of polish it down to 3200 grit and varnish it. 

That's some Americana right there, if you can see the words on the screen door push panels, that's advertising something. 

Toyota is recalling 2022-24 Tundras, Sequoias, and Lexus trucks and SUVs

Toyota is recalling about 280,000 pickup trucks and SUVs in the U.S. to fix a transmission problem that can let the vehicles creep forward while in neutral.

The recall covers certain Toyota Tundra pickups and Lexus LX 600 SUVs from the 2022 through 2024 model years. Also included are 2023 and 2024 Toyota Sequoia SUVs.

Toyota said that certain parts of the vehicles' automatic transmissions may not immediately disengage when shifted into neutral.

Those can transfer some engine power to the wheels, then rolling forward at low speeds on flat surfaces if the brakes aren't applied, increasing the risk of a crash.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/toyota-recalls-280000-pickups-suvs-transmissions-deliver-power-107431355

It's a software problem. They intend to fix this with a software patch.

That doesn't happen with a stick shift manual mechanical transmission.... someone should tell Toyota

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Huh... I'm pretty sure this is some advertising trackless train, the Cord has a cow catcher, the train has truck tires, but doesn't look like a "sound train" modified car

 

the middle of the boiler on the train seems to say Majestic, National (I can't read the middle word) Tour

the rail car has "Majestic Radio" on the side

https://forum-auto.caradisiac.com/topic/376665-photos-des-trains-avec-des-anciennes/page/59/#comments

It looks a little similar to the MGM trackless train, but the rail car has a few small differences http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/m/mcgee/mcgee.htm

"As pictures of the ‘second’ locomotive appear to be identical to the original McGee-built vehicle, it is anyone’s guess if an entirely new locomotive was recreated. However no simultaneous appearances of the ‘Trackless Train” are recorded, and I believe the original locomotive built in 1924 was simply refurbished and presented as new."

cool photo


https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/traditional-images-that-need-no-explanation.1143737/page-27#post-13221439

a Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine last year, was last week found shot dead in an underground car park in Spain

The Spanish Civil Guard said it found false documents on a body, which identified the man as a 33-year-old Ukrainian, though with a different name. It is believed Kuzminov was residing in Spain with a Ukrainian passport under a new name.

Spain’s state news agency, EFE, reported the body had been hit by half a dozen bullets and was run over by the car used by the attackers.

Maksim Kuzminov had been living in Spain with a Ukrainian passport under a different name, according to Spanish media. Kuzminov crossed the frontline in an Mi-8 helicopter last August while on a flight between two Russian airbases.

According to Ukrainian intelligence services, Kuzminov contacted Ukrainian agents in December 2022, saying he wanted to defect in exchange for a large monetary reward and a new life for his family in Ukraine. He was awarded the equivalent of $500,000 to relocate to Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a luxury Russian-made car.

 
a full-sized luxury sedan of the type used by Mr Putin himself. 

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the gift breached UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, which prohibit supplies of certain categories of vehicle including luxury cars.

Rick recently discovered a 70-year-old love letter in a toolbox he won at an auction, and he’s trying to find the relatives of its sender, who asked a woman named Mary Cribbs to marry him


A Michigan man recently discovered an Air Force veteran's love letter from more than seven decades ago inside a toolbox he purchased years prior.

It was 2017 when Rick Trojanowski, of Grand Rapids, purchased an old toolbox at a farm auction, according to FOX affiliate WXMI.

Trojanowski waited a few years to open the box and was astonished by what he found inside: a 70-year-old love letter.

The letter was addressed to Mary Lee Cribbs in Grand Rapids, WXMI reported. It came from Corporal Irvin G. Fleming in San Francisco — more than 2,200 miles away.

https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/70-year-old-love-letter-from-army-veteran-found-in-grand-rapids-mans-toolbox

Just in time for Valentines news, the news channel that had this story was able to find a relative of Mary Cribbs, and ran the following follow up:

 a place Cpl. Irvin G. Fleming mentioned in his letter to Mary Lee Cribbs, Johnson Park in Grand Rapids, was where the reporter met Abby Cribbs.

 “Mary Lee was technically my great aunt,” Abby told FOX 17. “So, she was one of seven, and my grandpa was her older brother.”

However, Abby never got to meet her great aunt. Mary passed away in 2004 at the age of 73.

Mary would have been 22 when the letter was written. Abby says she doesn’t recall hearing any stories about Cpl. Fleming and isn’t sure if the two ever reconnected or if her great aunt ever even received the letter.

She did move on and marry. She did end up moving out to San Jose, California, with her husband,” Abby explained. “And that’s…where she ended up passing.”

Mary never had any children, according to Abby.

As for Cpl. Fleming, records show he served in the United States Air Force before getting married and having children. He passed away in 2017 in Hudsonville, at the age of 87.

and that is your human interest WW2 tool box news! 

baseball vs progress 1954, Norman Rockwell



Rockwell gathered up models for this scene in midwinter by knocking on doors (in Stockbridge, Mass.) and rousting up members of the Little League team. 

Tiny Scott Ingram is sucking his fingers as the negotiations proceed. The boy in the baseball suit is big brother, Kenneth Ingram.


For a good look at a LOT of Rockwell paintings, without buying a coffee table book, see https://totallyhistory.com/norman-rockwell-paintings his April Fools Day paintings were just terrific