Saturday, December 28, 2024

The caboose design of the entry to the depot? Genius... why weren't railroad depot built that way back when materials were dirt cheap, and old equipment was so easy to find it was thrown away? Anyway, what a great way to give an old railroad depot a new life! Make is a pizza joint!


above, 1919




Thank you Marc! 

According to https://www.west2k.com/ohstations/sandusky.shtml the area depots (one made in 1875) are now part of a Moose Lodge, one is a barber shop, and this one is a pizza joint

great photo

https://thetracksidephotographer.com/2022/07/28/mill-marks

I just discovered Thetracksidephotographer.com moments ago, and see that there is no new content for about the last 18 months... that is a damn shame that it only lasted 7 years, March 2016 to March 2023, it's got great photos and articles








Based on the above link, the top 10 from the 7 years of posts, the editor knew the end was near, he wrote about he retiring as a New Years Resolution 2 years ago

the New York Central railroad's 4-8-4 "Niagara" could accelerate to 90 MPH in just 2 minutes with a 20 car passenger train

and there is a video that Marc sent me, (thank you Marc!) which mentions but does not show, this "Niagara" pulling something called an "eye test car" and the video narrator says that there was only one of those, a new thing because of a new requirement the New York Central had made that the engineers be tested for visual acuity 





the Engineer pointing to his eyes in a joking manner as his locomotive is pulling the company eye test car. From the Herron Rail Video show "Niagara’s Last Stand, NYC Steam 1953 – 1955"








I looked around and yet could NOT find ANY thing about the "eye test car"

But enjoy this early 50s steam locomotive 90 second video, it's great sound and visual quality is superb https://www.facebook.com/HistoricSteamGiants/videos/523930973388590/

Margaret Kloecker of St. Louis has hung on to her 1971 high school graduation present, a Plum Crazy 1970 Charger with a 383... she got it for the last 2 months of high school, and used it to deliver tools and drive to ballet classes



the first time she laid eyes on the Plum Crazy machine; “That fun day began in April, and I began cruising around my town and rolling through the parking lots of the Steak ‘N Shakes where the high school kids hung out. They’d do a double take on a girl driving an awesome muscle car with high-impact purple paint.”

 But it wasn’t all about looking cool for young Margaret among her peers. “I delivered tools in the Charger for my dad’s business and drove to my ballet classes, rehearsals and performances"

her father was a Mopar guy, a mechanic and a Mac Tool Salesman.  Her dad accepted a Cornwell Tool Distributorship in 1973 and Margaret went to work for the Tool Company in 1974

85 Shelby Charger


 This is owned by Brock Yates Jr, who the article mentions was hosting an annual charity drag racing fundraiser for the McDonalds House, but I can't find anything online about that

I found that Denny Parisan has a charity drag race annually for the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald's House  https://www.facebook.com/ToyDriveAndRaceForRonaldsHouse/  at the Maple Grove Raceway

Murphy's Law never gives up on seeing how far it can push my credit card, and ruin my weekends.

 I intended to spend a pleasant weekend looking around the internet to find cool stuff to blog. 

Instead, my phone had a heart attack, and my now be a really small brick, and all my passwords are locked inside

So, it suddenly occurred to me how much I rely on my phone for a LOT of stuff, and yeah, storing a list of passwords was high on the list, as was use as a camera, notes, checking the news feed daily for stories to post, use as a a note pad, playing music, hands free phone use while driving, Google Maps for seeing a map to get to places I haven't been to yet, or can't recall the streets. 

I also realized that I use my phone for all the verification texts for everything, like when you apply for new jobs, etc

So my afternoon, and about a thousand bucks, was wasted on the new phone, phone safety case (dang, an "Otter case" is a really good insurance / investment on protecting your phone during accidental drops) and I realized that it's damn near impossible to have an active working life without a phone now. Communication aside, there's a LOT I use that damn gadget for. 

Friday, December 27, 2024

A real Tasca 1968.5 R Code 428 Cobra Jet, 1 of 102 with a 4 speed, 1 of 15 this color, 1 of 5 with standard black bucket seats and just 1 with the 3.50-geared rear axle, making this worth about $135,000

https://fordauthority.com/2024/12/1968-5-ford-mustang-r-code-demo-car-is-one-of-just-102-built/#google_vignette

Ford has donated a flood damaged/totaled 2024 Ford Mustang GT coupe to a tech schools, because they are the newest of the new technology.

Ford donated a flood-damaged 2024 Ford Mustang GT to SUNY Morrisville in New York for a very special reason – its Ford ASSET (Automotive Student Service Educational Training) program is among the top 15 in the U.S. this year in terms of enrollment. As Ford Authority previously reported, the ASSET program – which is currently offered in 41 colleges across the country – is a two-year offering that provides students with on-the-job training at nearby dealerships while they work to earn their Associate in Applied Science degree in automotive technology, along with multiple Ford certifications.

Ford has also gifted other flood-damaged pony cars unable to be sold – yet still functioning properly – to Detroit-area schools, and earlier this week, a Michigan-area Ford dealer also donated a Ford Transit for precisely the same reason, too.

I can't understand why I haven't posted this on the ugliest cars list before, 62 Dart

Did have 2 cool options for engines, a 12 to 1 compression cross ram dual quad 413 Max Wedge

and a solid lifter dual quad 383

 https://www.dodgegarage.com/news/article/events/2024/07/paying-homage-to-a-legendary-drag-strip.html

Where Carlsbad dragstrip was, it shut down 20 years ago


the trophy that Jack Lewis won in 1961- and that got him grounded at home for a week.


Jack Lewis began going to Cotati Dragstrip in the late '50s as a spectator and began running his car in time trials or grudge races at the Half Moon Bay. 

In July 1961, he had my '56 Plymouth dyno-tuned by Andy Brisio at the Champion Speed Shop in South San Francisco. He said the car impressed him with the dyno readings and he recommended entering the class eliminator races C Stock Automatic or C/SA. 


They still had a flagman starter and after being coached on how to stand on the brake and push the throttle to set up the launch Jack survived eliminations, tied in the championship run, and came back to win the rerun for the trophy. When he got home his Dad saw the trophy grounded him for a week!

Tri-County Drag Strip, Cotati, 1961

https://dragstriplist.com/ca

in 1958 Denny Weinberg and his "Coast Grain Special," a Chrysler-powered Kurtis 500 that consistently turned 11 second times.

A mouthy owner of a new Corvette challenged Denny to a race. Denny accepted and even offered to spot the Corvette 100 yards. 

The officials complied and the Corvette was spotted and given his own starter. 

The Kurtis won handily.

https://dragstriplist.com/ca

cardboard and tape

 
Mickey Thompson set the top speed at Pomona on July 4, 1955. Look close at this one-of-a-kind race car body. Regarding it, Don Jensen said, "And yes, that body is cardboard and tape!!"

Possibly the coolest drag strip autographed item idea I've ever heard of, just a concept

 A dragstrip timing light tree.... with autographs on each bulb of the legends
and the other famous people on the tree post

So, who would be the dragstrip legends to autograph the bulbs?
Here's my list:
Mickey Thompson
George Hurst
Tommy Ivo
Don Garlits 
John Force
Don Prudhomme
Bill Jenkins
Bob Glidden
Warren Johnson
Joe Amato
Kenny Bernstein 
Dyno Don
Ronnie Sox
Willie Borsch
Linda Vaughn
Austin Coil
Pete Robinson
Don Schumacher
Wally Parks
Connie Kalitta
Bob Hoover
Keith Black
Isky

these companies probably deserve a sticker on that timing light, as they have probably done more than most companies for drag racing:

Goodyear
Deist
Chassis Research

Someone you've probably never heard of, Leonard Harris, won 18 top fuel eliminators in a row at Lions

By the way, besides Tiffany, do you know what the 2nd most famous blue box is?
Chrondek!

I hope it's not bragging to say that I got lucky one time at the swap meet, and for 20 bucks, bought a Chrondek M3 clock and light (below)


https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/03/chrondek-photo-electronic-timer-model-m.html

By the way, I was looking to see what were the other most reputable old school original timing systems, as I couldn't recall the names, Crocker, and Fosdick

great old cover of Drag Times, and Drag Racer 1959




pinstriping by Dean Jeffries




Looks like he put a character in the middle of the license plate too!

Thursday, December 26, 2024

dedication and commitment to being pit crew! I love it!

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=995224655968965&set=a.599363832221718

back in April I posted a Great Dale House Car 65 Mercury, and just came across this 66 Coronet Great Dale House Car

 


https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122197589852207492&set=pcb.122197590938207492

To see the Mercury: https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2024/04/this-is-nuts-65-merc-made-into-rv-great.html

Pro Rock Engineering is the winner of the King Builder of the 2024 IMX (Indonesia Modifications Expo) contest in Indonesia! Thank you DD29 for letting me know about this!






This is NOGO BONDO a masterpiece based on Toyota Dyna highly modified by MakingCars.id ProRockEngineering built in just 2 months, and succeeded in becoming the winner at IMX 2024




2.5 months from start to finish!


 

https://www.instagram.com/prorockengineering/reel/DAr8etsPLd6/

Grand Cherokees were good looking, but Grand Wagoneers? This is not the evolution of design, this is not better looking, it's worse. It's ugly


I don't think I've seen a Toronado driving around in decades