Thursday, May 21, 2026
A Corvair engine used for a small airplane, cost some lucky owner only $1522 for a rebuild
disassembled the engine, inspected it, replaced the cam, with the gear and lifters, both the main and rod bearing sets, and all the gaskets, honed the cylinders on GP, assembled it, put it on the test stand and did a break in run.
I put it back in its crate and took it to the shipping point. Total Bill: $1,522.
a Pennsylvania Republican and an Illinois progressive plan to introduce an amendment in today's House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee markup hearing to prohibit federal highway funding for states using automated license plate readers for any purpose other than tolling
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will mark up the underlying bill—a $580 billion, five-year reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs—at 10 am ET on Thursday.
The amendment runs a single sentence: “A recipient of assistance under Title 23, United States Code, may not use automated license plate readers for any purpose other than tolling.”
The amendment is brief, but its reach would be vast. Title 23 funds roughly a quarter of all public road mileage in the US, including most state and county arteries and many city streets where ALPR cameras are becoming ubiquitous. Conditioning that funding on a ban of the technology would, in practical effect, force any state, county, or municipality that takes federal highway money (essentially all of them) to either remove the cameras or restructure their use around tolling alone.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
some scrap metal art!
Not the first time I've posted a big damn centipede... https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2025/08/what-type-of-giant-creepy-crawly-would.html
a Ford dealership in Kansas has a bird problem...
a robin built a nest directly on the top of an F250 tire on the dealer's lot.
Since then, a group of baby robins have hatched, immediately turning the truck into a federally protected no-touch zone - which means that nobody can move the Super Duty, nor can they disturb the nest.
It's a free publicity scenario, set up a web cam, make a facebook page, and milk the publicity!
it's turning out to be a Smokey Yunick day, by coincidence! Lance is putting together a 55 Chev for his son... magnesium ZLI block, mag trans, mag Ramchargers Dana 60 for it, mag Hurst brakes, and mag Halibrands.
Lance says he bought these magnesium T10 cases for 20 bucks at a garage sale. He doesn't say that it wasn't Smokey's Garage sale - but, how damn cool to have some parts from Smokey?!?!?!
FYI, there is a single book, made from the 3 hardcover books, and used copies on Amazon start at about 130, on Ebay, there are a dozen copies and the price starts around 95.
Thrift Books Seattle has 2 copies and the other is for 155
the 3 book set is said to be fantastic, but ridiculously overpriced by anyone with a set for sale. I don't believe I've ever seen a set.... whoever owns the rights to the books, should really print a 2nd run, and make a killing from the imaginary demand for a 1200 dollar set of books. Sell them new for 100, and it's probably 40 dollars of profit.
There are 10 sets on Ebay, and everyone of them is stupid overpriced compared to the set for sale at 225 bucks
A new story about Smokey clashing with Nascar
Everyone gathered around to look at this creation. In his 24 foot white Chevy box truck that he drove in, there were 6 turbo engines on the floor, 3 on either side
First thought. Smokey is serious about this engine. Second, Smokey may be expecting trouble. Smokey was asked "how much HP'? The answer directly from Smokey "over 1,300 HP"
The comments,: That thing is going to spin the tires all the way down the front stretch.
What kind of brakes on it?
The paint will come off that car.
Well, there was a reason for the amount of engines Smokey brought with him.
Listen to this, he had one helper with him, Ralph Johnson. One, yes one.
They blew engine after engine. When I whispered to Ralph (did not want to upset Smokey) what is the problem? He said burnt pistons. Problems with the injectors. Those two guys worked day and night. Changing engines. They made the race and it lasted about 20 laps or so in the race (burnt piston, go figure).
They were working on only a few hours of sleep. Smokey and Ralph were at the North end with the board and the wave off flag and they took the time.
They then started to walk down pit lane for the photo and the entire crowd and there were huge crowds back then, erupted in cheers, whistles and a standing ovation. What a sight to see.
By the time he got it figured out by year three, they finished 10th. Now Smokey is full of enthusiasm and ready for 1976. Got a note from USAC, they are outlawing the stock block engine.
Years later, when I was with Newman Haas, I'm sitting on the pit wall with Smokey. NASCAR was running at Talladega with the new plates to slow them down. They were blowing engines left and right.
I asked Smokey, how come they are blowing the engines at Talladega? He looked at me and said "those G.D. drivers. Now Smokey is deaf. I figured he didn't hear me. I said again, why are they blowing all those engines? He said again, those G.D. drivers in his rough voice.
Being the guy I am (not to smart) I said, I don't understand. Smokey says. I did all the dyno work for Chevy with the restrictor plates. When you have that engine at top RPM (didn't tell me what that was, I wanted to know), you come off the gas to shift, because of the stupid, dumb, #%#^&*@ plate, the engine leans out and burns the pistons.
I told those stupid #$&%@# NASCAR people the problem they have, but those $%#&^# idiots won't listen. I told them the drivers cannot come off the gas to shift, they have to keep the revs up. Got it, it's the drivers. Smokey says it's NASCAR, they don't know anything over there. They couldn't find their ass with both hands.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Flossie Beadle's attempt to stop the destruction of the cork elms 1960s, trees that were doomed by the road expansion from horse and buggy use to 4 lanes wide
Lakeside Historian Flossie Beadle blocking the excavator
Flossie Beadle tried to save them from being cut down on Woodside but in the end even her shotgun could not stop the removal the the trees to make the road wider, so, instead she talked the community into helping her transplant seedlings/offshoots to all the lakeside schools, like Lindo Park school.
the Cork Elms on the West side of Lakeside were imported from Australia in 1893, by the El Cajon Land Co, and planted by the school kids in Lakeside
There were 50 planted on each side. These were the only lane of Cork Elms in the USA.
In Feb 1956, seven of the shade trees were cut down from the south lane for an entrance to a proposed shopping center (Safeway Vons) and though the promoter was on record as having promised that the trees would be preserved as an asset to the shopping center, of course, he was lying his ass off. By 1967 all the cork elms were cut down, or destroyed by pipeline construction destroying their roots
In 2021, history repeated itself just feet away from the Cork Elm location.
Volunteers planted them on a property along Woodside Avenue, in tribute to some trees long gone.
Others interfered with the construction of the parking lot and number of spaces for the library and construction of the building itself.
Nearly 130 years ago, and a few feet away, school children planted 50 cork elms. In 1956, county officials wanted to take the trees down to widen the road. In the way was town historian Flossie Beadle.
According to a county spokesperson, the cost of relocating the trees is $10,000 for each tree and not financially "viable."
shout out of respect for Kenny from Dakota Fluid Power in Rapid City, SD
Luke hit a pot hole that destroyed the front hub.
A part that you CANT buy new and is insanely rare to find used.
Kenny literally picked it up, welded it back together, machined it for new bearings and returned it to Luke on the road same day. Simply amazing
I stand and begin the slow clap, join in when you can!
Monday, May 18, 2026
the most adorable movie you're likely to see soon, Mrs Harris Goes To Paris (1958 book)- has two adorable leads and great 1950s cars like this Renault, and Vespas
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the main character goes to Paris to buy a Christian Dior dress, and meets one of the models and quickly becomes her friend... she drives this great choice for a movie car, a drop top Renault Caravelle
Just my opinion, but the ADORABLE supporting actress looks a bit like Audrey Hepburn
according to what I read on a facebook post, this is a 1928 aftermarket hub cap
Again, I think this winged wheel was what gave Von Dutch the idea for the flying eyeball
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