Just A Car Guy

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Do you know what happens to new ZL1 Camaros? They get stolen from Chevy dealerships. How long has this been going on? Since 1969. You'd THINK dealerships would have learned, and increased security. Nope

That's what is left of a new Camaro, the $80,000 kind, after thieves pull it out of a dealership, strip it of everything, and leave the frame in the ghetto. https://twitter.com/fox12oregon/status/976267161412005888/photo/1
http://www.thedrive.com/news/19503/thieves-stripped-this-camaro-zl1-after-stealing-it-from-a-dealership
http://www.kptv.com/story/37746188/caught-on-camera-new-camaro-stolen-from-sandy-car-dealership-in-brazen-heist

Stealing from a dealership is not a new or original concept, it happens all the time, and has been happening for decades. Especially from Chevy dealerships

Back in 1969 5 ZL1s were stolen from ONE dealership.

What's crazy about that? One was found, the insurance company paid to have a 327 put in it, and when Super Chevy Magazine published the VINs of all 69 ZL1s in the 80s, a buddy said to his Camaro owning friends, hey, that looks like your VIN.

He was right. A ZL1 was in his friends garage, and with that 327 replacement the insurance company had installed so they could sell it and recoup some of the payout on the claim.

That Camaro is getting a feature in upcoming Muscle Car Review magazines as it gets restored

Another of the 5 stolen ZL1s was bought as a shell (all the goodies stripped out and installed in a race car no doubt) and sat in a collection for 23 years, until the VIN was checked, and found to be a ZL1 VIN, and then it was restored (with replacement parts) and sold at auction for $171,000

Why hadn't it been noticed that it was a ZL1 before that? The DMV made a mistake in the paperwork. They botched the typing, and goofed up the paperwork.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2013/11/06/lost-zl-1-camaro-sells-for-171562-at-toronto-fall-classic-auction/

As a teenager, Don Martens could always be found at Diney’s Drive-In in Cleveland. “It was the place for hot cars.” Sometime in the summer of 1972, a certain Marlene and her pal, Jill, caught his eye. It wasn’t their looks that drew his gaze but rather their rides. “Both girls drove Camaros with Cragars.” While Jill cruised in her SS350, a looker in black paint with a red hockey stripe, Marlene drove a somewhat plain silver Camaro. “Rumors persisted it was a 427 car,” which turned out to be true—the Camaro was indeed one of the very rare ZL1s. Ordered by dealer Fred Gibb but returned and reassigned to Merollis Chevrolet in Detroit, the car was stolen and stripped before it was sold. Marlene was driving it with a Corvette 327 underhood. In August 1976, Martens bought it from Marlene and drove it for a year before putting it into long-term storage. Over the years he amassed a huge collection of N.O.S. parts and other related goodies for the car’s eventual restoration, which the Super Car Workshop began in May 2018. The final product will debut at this year’s MCACN show.

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/flying-trans-yenko-cars-linda-vaughn-just-highlights-2019-carlisle-chevrolet-nationals/

Don't be fooled... and don't leave your vehicle running while you are outside of it

https://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/1t6ff0/man_pretends_he_needs_help_while_his_partner/

California is finally getting some heretofore unclaimed fines... dealership marketing license plate blanks are no longer going to be legal on the street... dealerships will as of Jan 1st 2019 issue temp paper plates. Anything on the road without a temp paper plate? Instant ticket.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB516

Every "I bought mine at Hine!" and "Courtesy Chevrolet" plastic marketing license plate on the highway, freeway, and in the parking lots will be an instantaneous reason for police to pull over everything that moves.

You don't see them often on blue collar workers vehicles, but every Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Mercedes, and Harely that's rented, leased, or loaned seems to have a plate advertising the dealership that it came from, here in California... and they were legal, as long as there was a temp registration paper taped to the front or rear window.

That ends this New Years, and parking enforcement will be running out of paper and envelopes by Valentines. The state will be pulling in a hell of a lot of money in fines that until now, they couldn't.
And you know what the govt hates, it's not getting more money from the residents.

PLUS the amount of tickets and fines for expired TEMPORARY plates will double or triple. Ditto the fines for toll road violations, stop light cameras, and I expect, speed limit cameras which will likely get installed on California freeways and back roads. You have any idea how much money the state can make by speed limit cameras in So Cal? There's about 25 million people, and most are speeding when not stuck in traffic.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-paper-license-plates-20160725-snap-story.html
https://www.laweekly.com/news/say-goodbye-to-new-car-paper-plates-7184315

If you wonder what the motivation is to get more tickets written, and increase the revenue from fines? Look at this weeks news about the DMV wanting nearly 30 million dollars for upgrades, more employees, etc

1) the DMV Director Jean Shiomoto is blaming unreasonable wait times at its offices on the new ID applications. Last week, Shiomoto asked for $26 million on top of $226 million the DMV asked for and received last year.millions the California DMV already received to hire more staff.

To help with the crush, the DMV is in the process of hiring hundreds more workers, expanding Saturday hours and opening some offices earlier during the week.
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/08/14/driver-license-dmv-director/

2)California lawmakers are seeking answers from the Department of Motor Vehicles about hours long wait times that have prompted public outcry. When Assemblyman Phil Ting visited a San Francisco DMV office in his district last month, he said the line snaking around the block looked more like a queue for rock concert tickets than for people trying to renew their licenses.

Lawmakers have given the department millions of dollars in additional funding to accommodate higher demand as Californians update their licenses to comply with federally mandated security upgrades known as "Real ID". The federal law was enacted in 2005 and requires new ID cards to carry special markings, and why do people need these NEW IDs? After Oct. 1, 2020, airport security checkpoints won’t accept non-"Real ID" cards. Californians must apply for new cards in person at DMV offices.

You can be an illegal alien and vote without a drivers license, but you CAN NOT use an AIRPORT

The California DMV expects to spend almost $70 million and hire more workers in the next two years to process the millions of people who need "Real ID" cards.

At the Tuesday hearing, Assemblyman Ting says he plans to ask DMV officials whether the money allotted to the system is enough and whether the DMV is making technical improvements to ensure the Real ID transition runs smoothly.

“The DMV is bringing employees from various state agencies and departments to strengthen our hiring surge and help triage the longer lines at our offices,” DMV Director Jean Shiomoto said in a written statement. “This year we have already hired 500 new employees, added Saturday service at 60 offices and opened offices an hour earlier in the most impacted areas. We expect the additional surge of employees will help further combat these wait times.”

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/08/07/california-dmv-long-lines-real-id-lawmakers-hearing/
https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/tag/dmv/

further more, 160 cities in California already have automated licence plate readers, and with the law stating that you must have a paper plate or DMV issued metal plate on the front and back of your vehicle, they will instantly be able to get into the business of issuing missing license plate tickets

https://www.eff.org/pages/california-automated-license-plate-reader-policies

and malls in California have license plate readers, and share that info with law enforcement: https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/10/alpr-license-plate-recognition-ice-irvine-company/

In civil litigation, it was revealed that the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department, which share data, are together able to collect data on about 3 million vehicles every week. That means that over time, these two agencies alone may have amassed a database with billions of hits since the program began. Automated license-plate readers can be used to identify stolen cars and catch up with people with expired licenses or active warrants. And when they’re not piggybacking on police cruisers, plate readers are often affixed to utility poles or freeway overpasses, scanning the passing traffic below. They can be used to keep track of customers in parking lots and garages too.

https://ncdd.com/eyes-on-the-road-automatic-license-plate-readers/

How to cut costs on a subway tunnel... step one, don't let the govt manage the project. Step 2... make bricks of the dirt and rock you dig through, and sell them.

http://video.wired.com/watch/elon-musk-boring-company-tunnel-to-dodger-stadium

https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-boring-company-tunnel-los-angeles-dodger-stadium/
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/08/elon-musks-boring-company-proposes-one-way-3-6-mile-tunnel-to-dodger-stadium/

the number of people trying to dance alongside their cars, and instead, failing... is astonishing. But there are some REALLY good renditions of it too

roller skates, or skate boards... a very early version of one of them, 1898

There is one Avro Lancaster flying in England that you can pay for a ride on.... and another getting restored (thanks Steve!)

https://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/

https://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/news/lancaster-nx611-return-to-flight/avro-lancaster-nx611-winter-restoration-2017.htm

more banners have came my way

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202681028335793&set=a.4705775571281.184479.1501025670&type=3&permPage=1

warning, be careful, do not park where it aggravates people with fork lifts...

Thanks Mike!

When the AI gets nervous...

http://darkdraggon.tumblr.com/page/18

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

For hunting in Morocco and Algeria. 1920 5th wheel travel trailer

5 TONS, 30 HP, 10.5 m long, 2 m wide, equipped with: 4 Convertible Beds, 1 bed for driver Electric Kitchen, and toilet

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203376825970299&set=a.4705775571281.184479.1501025670&type=3&permPage=1

News from the salt... it's silly fast out there this year... 4 vehicles over 400, and this Stude went 326. Serious.

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?107342-Fast-Bonneville-Stude

Challenger 2 over 470
Carbiliner went over 400,
Speed Demon went 452.255
and Turbinator went 463.038

McLaughlin Buicks, 1st I've heard of them

When Samuel McLaughlin was a young man, he worked for a short time in a local hardware store, then became an apprentice in the upholstery shop of his father's company, McLaughlin Carriage Works in 1887. It had opened in 1867 and at one time was the largest manufacturer of horse-drawn buggies and sleighs in the British Empire, producing 140 models.

The demand for his complete carriages spread across Canada and before the end of the century there was a McLaughlin sales office in London, England. In 1898 McLaughlin produced more than 25,000 carriages, and in 1901 produced 15,000 units, this time in 140 different models.

A few years later he moved onto an upholstery job in Watertown, New York. A couple years after that he and his brother George become junior partners in their father's company in 1892, just as motors were being fitted to buggies and carriages.

With engines from W C Durant of Buick, he produced the McLaughlin-Buick Model F, establishing The McLaughlin Motor Car Company in Nov 1907. Durant was a partner in Durant-Dort and like Sam McLaughlin had been the largest carriage manufacturer in his country, the USA, then ran Chevy so well it bought GM.

William Durant is credited with having brought about the outstanding success of such automobiles as Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and Oakland, and other important enterprises, among them Frigidaire. The Durant company bought up well respected competition like Star, Chandler, and Hupmobile http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2018/02/this-is-how-crazy-big-durant-motor-car.html

The following year Buick, controlled by Durant and partner McLaughlin, formed General Motors Company with Mott. Durant borrowed heavily and bought other automotive businesses for his General Motors but vehicle sales collapsed, factories were closed and in 1910 Durant lost his control of GMC to his bankers. Meanwhile General Motors retained the former Buick shareholding in McLaughlin.

With McLaughlin's financial help Durant started a new business in partnership with racing driver Louis Chevrolet. Durant took control of Chevrolet and sold stock in a new business, Chevrolet Canada, so successfully he was able to regain control of General Motors and in 1916 General Motors Corporation was formed with Sam McLaughlin Director and Vice President. McLaughlin began manufacturing Chevrolet automobiles for Durant and General Motors

That's how in 1910, McLaughlin became a director of General Motors. He became president of General Motors of Canada in 1918, continuing to sell cars under the McLaughlin-Buick brand until 1942. He retired in 1945, but remained chairman of the board until his death.

Why was there a GMC of Canada, just across the river from GMC of America? Well, taxes and tariffs. The other countries in the British Empire hadn't yet fought for their independance from England, and so the countries of the British Empire – England, India, South Africa, Australia and others – charged much lower import taxes on goods from another member of the empire, such as Canada.

Taxes were adjusted to the proportion of Canadian content, so Canada made and supplied General Motors vehicles to those countries. But then WW1 came along, and things got financially difficult all around, for example, Canada went to the dollar, and didn't go with the British Empire Sterling Pound.

Since the British were struggling to repay US War Loans and unwilling to allow their businesses unrestricted access to Canada's currency to buy Canadian cars, this just after Britain erected high tariff barriers during WW1 to protect their own industry from America's low-priced mass-produced but high-quality cars, resulting in Canada creating the world's second-largest automotive industry for a short while, until the stock market crash.

How lucrative was running GMC Canada? Well, in n 1951, he established the McLaughlin Foundation which, from 1953 to 2003, donated nearly $200 million to the University of Toronto and other causes. You might say being the head of GM is a very profitable career choice

His older brother founded the Canada Dry company

In 1936 a McLaughlin-Buick was purchased by the Prince of Wales.

In 1936 the Dunsmuirs, a coal magnate family in Victoria, British Columbia, ordered 3 special order 1936 Buick-McLaughlin Phaetons , and a year later, one of those 3 was used to drive US president Franklin Roosevelt around Victoria, BC during his state visit.

Two McLaughlin-Buick Phaetons were built for the 1939 Royal tour. One of these later carried Prince Charles and Princess Diana during their 1986 visit to Canada

https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1934-BUICK-MCLUGHLIN-96C-CONVERTIBLE-195949
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_McLaughlin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaughlin_Motor_Car_Company

http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2016/08/mclaughlin-carriage-co.html

On 18 April 1924 the Pescara model 2F set a world helicopter record flight and flew 736m at 8 mph

Argentinian engineer Pescara started helicopter development in 1916. Alberto Santos-Dumont helped fund experimentation on designs in France.

If the name Santos-Dumont sounds familiar, maybe it's from the post in '16 https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2016/02/in-early-marvelous-days-of-heavier-than.html

Multiple examples were built, demonstrated, crashed, improved and rebuilt owing to conflicting and different names for the various versions. Anticipating success with the counter-rotating mechanism, Pescara patented a design with a streamlined fuselage with one set of rotors above, and one below the fuselage.

The model three was the first example to use control mechanisms as modern helicopters. The helicopter is based around a central shaft with counter-rotating rotors. Each rotor was doubled into a biplane arrangement with cable supports. It used a cyclic stick for forward and lateral control with rotor warping, and wheel for yaw anti-torque control. The main rotor shaft was able to tilt slightly for forward control. The rotors were also capable of autorotation in case of engine failure.

Operational history In September 1923, a 1 km flight attempt was nearly completed, before the vehicle crashed. On 24 May 1924 Étienne Oehmichen set a world helicopter record flight of 358m. On 18 April 1924 the model 2F bested the record and flew 736m at 8 mph to set a record in sustained vertical flight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pescara_Model_3_Helicopter

A very rare armored Rolls Royce

https://www.facebook.com/transportofyesteryear/photos/a.702889669897491.1073741828.702863399900118/931294217057034/?type=3&permPage=1
https://www.facebook.com/transportofyesteryear/

It's been over a year since underage LAPD cadets went joyriding in a police cruiser or two... a lot of dirt was uncovered when the facts were flushed into the light by the LA Times

Seems like just one officer, a 10 year vet, and son of a carreer LAPD, was investigated... and he was found guilty of raping the 15 year old, at an amusement park, then they found illegal guns at his home while investigating him.

He only got 2 years in prison.

Tell me that the law enforcement system isn't corrupt, and the courts rigged to get cops the lightest possible sentence, no matter what, if they even make it as far as a trial.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-robert-cain-guilty-plea-20180813-story.html

It's been 3 years with NOTHING on the internet to follow up on, but now, that 150 Hp Case Steam Road Locomotive I posted about in '15 is getting a public unveiling Sept 7th!

all made from scratch, with a foundry and machine shop, the old fashioned way!

I recommend taking the video speed up to 2x

They were 25 feet long, 10 wide, and had 8 feet tall rear wheels
Each wheel weighs 6,500 lbs and the flywheel weighs 1,500 lbs.

https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/09/kory-anderson-is-trying-to-recreate.html for the post when I leaned that Kory Anderson was going to build one, replicating the originals, of which none exist.

https://www.facebook.com/Anderson-Industries-LLC-115448931876302/
https://www.facebook.com/kory.anderson.14

For info on the unveiling: https://www.facebook.com/events/133566784119843/
Come join us at the James Valley Threshing Show, Andover, South Dakota, for the unveiling of the 150 Case Road Locomotive! The event will be the first public display of the engine and will include presentations and a ceremony recognizing all the people that brought this engine back to life.
https://www.facebook.com/jvthreshers/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXMiJ6VSdJmZdUkxFZi1LPg

a simpler, cheaper version of the Hemi, in 400 and 444 cu in, that would replace the 426 hemi in 1972, and delete the variety in big block Mopars by consolidating all the company’s big-block V8s—the 383/400, 426 hemi and the 440, into a single, all-purpose engine family: The Ball-Stud V8

it was significantly cheaper and lighter than the 426 hemi’s rocker-shaft system. The Ball-Stud engine was 6.5 inches narrower and over 100 lbs lighter.

https://macsmotorcitygarage.com/phantom-mopar-muscle-chryslers-ball-stud-hemi-v8/#more-62732

1938 Ihle Schottenring micro car, basically a fair or carnival ride – these little cars ran on a wooden track and had bumpers (thanks Gary!)

Ihle Brothers in Bruchsal Germany produced some amazing vintage micro cars which were used at fairs in autodromes. The Brothers Rudolf and Fritz Ihle started their company in 1930 in Bruchsal and soon realized that in 1933 the body of the BMW Dixis were out of style, mostly because it was based on the shape of a 1922 Austin seven. So they introduced a more sporty shaped body the Ihle 600, which could be mounted on any Dixi frame. Customers could change there old body for these modern shaped cars on their old frames. These models were only available in Signal Red.

https://www.oddimotive.com/rare-ihle-schottenring-car/

Dozens of vehicles washed off a Jeep dealership in Little Falls NJ during a flood, then jammed up under a bridge, and the resulting lack of a culvert to drain the river, caused houses to flood. Those homeowners blame the dealership!

The area of Caldwell, in the Passaic Valley of New Jersey, received about 5 inches of rain on Saturday before 8 p.m. the National Weather Service reported, on top of already saturated grounds, resulting in severe flash flooding of the Peckman River, on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 11.

Peckman River, which runs through Little Falls and Woodland Park, overflowed its banks causing flash flooding throughout both towns.

Woodland Park Mayor Keith Kazmark said that the situation was exacerbated in the area by a pile up of multiple vehicles at the Route 46 Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealership. About eight vehicles were swept with the current into the river and, ultimately, into the highway bridge.

Video of the vehicles from the dealership being swept away by the flash floods and piling up against a bridge in the Peckman River quickly went viral after the storms Saturday. Forty-two cars in all washed away and stacked atop one another, and officials said that created a makeshift dam that diverted water to the streets and flooded homes around the river.

The owner of the New Jersey car dealership (Rt 46 Dodge/Jeep) where dozens of vehicles were swept away by flash floods over the weekend is now blamed by neighbors who feel the dealership car are the cause of diverting floodwater into their streets and homes.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Cars-Swept-Flash-Floods-Dealership-President-Speaks-490882301.html
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/passaic-valley/articles/flash-flooding-wallops-passaic-valley-area

but here is what that river looks like without a storm caused flash flood