I’ve been busy with a whole slew of things this month, but my computer’s keyboard is getting pretty dusty. These are just my excuses for not updating the page this month, but I feel the need to let everyone know what’s been going on. Many of you aren’t interested in this particular post, so feel free to just cruise on past and skip it. Good articles are coming up soon.
Romance: A mysterious or fascinating quality or appeal, as of something adventurous, heroic, or strangely beautiful.(according to Answers)
It’s hard to deny that hand wrenches possess a romantic quality. As convenient as fancy ratchet wrench sets and air wrenches are, old hand tools keep die-hard car lovers coming back to them time and time again.
A hand wrench is like a samurai katana: there is a bond between the two, and each gives the other definition and meaning. There is a personal level of interaction with whatever machine being worked on when using hand tools. Instead of just getting the job done and having a working product at the end, you are investing time and loving care in what you do. You’re forced to take your time and think through each movement, every turn, every bolt that is torqued down. The result is a sentimental bond between mechanic and machine.
Also, hand tools are the most universal of all tools. They are the most likely tool to fit into any given nook or cranny, and the least likely to break (assuming decent quality manufacturing). If one should break, most sets come with a lifetime warranty, as well. Hand tools should be the foundation of any set of tools, regardless of how large or minimalistic that tool set is. If you don’t have a set already, find a full Metric and SAE set
Photo courtesy of flattop341 under the Creative Commons 2.0 license.
I picked up a 327ci small block chevy this weekend. I planned to pay $300 for it, but when it wouldn’t turn over, the previous owner decided he just wanted it out of his garage so he could finish up his project. If it turns out to be fixable and worth keeping, I’ll go back and throw him some money, but we’ll see how it turns out.
I have big plans for this motor, and with the right assembly of parts and machinework, I should end up in the vicinity of 400hp in my little Datsun. Read the rest of this entry »
Hybrids get a lot of press.They’re touted as being incredibly fuel-efficient, getting between 30-45mpg in some cases. Wow. What most of these green fanatics don’t realize is that they’re hurting the environment more than the creepy hippie in his VW bus.
It takes roughly 50,000 miles of fuel savings to recover the cost of manufacturing for the average hybrid car, and that number comes closer to 80,000 for hybrid SUVs (they require more materials to manufacture and weigh more, decreasing fuel economy). That’s a huge carbon debt to pay off, especially if the car ends up in an accident or has mechanical failure resulting in its salvage. Older cars have already paid their carbon debts, so we should do everything we can to maximize their life after the debt is paid off. Every time a new car is purchased, an old (often working) car is crushed. Read the rest of this entry »
I’m just republishing news from Autoblog today, but this particular article really bothered me. Essentially, some Lithuanian guy really wanted to drive around in a concept car, so he made his own body:
You can find the full article here. Unfortunately, I disagree with everything he’s done with this except the polyurethane. Polyurethane is a great material to work with, and is phenominal for skim-coating over a car because, as urethane, it absorbs impact extremely well. If someone bumps into your car with a shopping cart, the worst case scenario is that your paint will chip. While this gives me some ideas of my own, I see no benefit to this approach, especially with a design as over-the-top as the one he chose. It could have been at least mildly aerodynamic.
Think you can do better? Send me an email and I’ll write a post about you!
I am very happy to post that the Madness Shop Manual has now hit 10,000 pageviews (and counting!). Over the past year, a lot has happened. I know that personally, I’ve given every bit of advice I could (and later found that some of it wasn’t necessarily good advice, a big thank you to everyone who pointed those out), and received an overwhelming number of tips and tricks on doing things more easily myself. My projects have multiplied and leveled out, and I’m getting ready to finish up both of my projects soon. The actual site will be going through a few changes shortly.