You must have peeked at my toolbox! I don't throw anything away either, and there are a lot of repurposed tools in my collection. Broken tip on a screwdriver? Sharpen it and it's now an awl. Got a socket that's been used to the point where it is not grippy any more (I'm looking at you, 5/8 twelve-point!) and now it's a great hole punch for making gaskets. A little creative thinking goes a long way! ... View more

You could work in our shop anytime you wanted. Great suggestions, and allow me add one more. Perform a tool inventory twice a day, the first one before you get lunch and the second before you turn off the lights. Remembering that that 11/32" quarter-drive socket fell down under the floor mat and retrieving it before you lose something else will allow you to think about how you will perform another task that must be done while lying on your back, staring up at the assortment of cables, wires and sharp pieces of metal behind that same dash... ... View more

We take square sheets of paper towels and put about a quarter of a cup of baking soda in the center. Bring the corners up and secure them with a strip of masking tape, and put a few packets in the interior and the trunk. Keeps the mildewy smell down to a minimum. Renew them every three months or so. If we think that a car won't be moved for awhile, we trundle over to the local Costco and have them fill the tires (including the spare) with nitrogen.  ... View more

We've been doing this for years as well, and have found another way to do it. Rolls of  self-adhesive door edge guard are available on eBay quite inexpensively, and the better varieties will use genuine 3M adhesive. It will outlast vacuum tubing and stays put (clean the affected areas thoroughly!) until you want it to come off. Regarding the radiator hose/frame interference, we  will custom-cut a clean piece of exhaust tubing and zip tie that to the hose as a protective shield. Paint it flat black and you won't see it. ... View more

People, people, PEOPLE! To all those naysayers that want nothing to do with this, you're missing the point! As members of the car-loving community, you are required to jump on the bandwagon. Electric motive power is the only answer to our ever-dwindling supply of petroleum. We must lead to charge to alternative means of powering our transportation devices so that our future generations can live in world free of harmful emissions and are able to frolic in never-ending meadows with daisies and butterflies... (Urp) Sorry. I can only do this for so long until I start to taste last night's dinner. Why not consider a hydrogen conversion? Byproduct? Water. Still get to run a lumpy cam, still get to have A/C and heat, and still able to polish this shiny rocker covers. And no battery weight. Win, win, WIN! ... View more

After coming face-to-grille with an Atlantic at the Petersen museum a few years ago, I can still remember my involuntary head shake at the sight of it. Walking around it, the dorsal fin seemed to disappear from some angles and to me, it only became noticeable from a three-quarter rear view. The gentle droop of the side windows give the profile view a visual speed that makes the whole thing apeear to leap forward. And this is no typical pre-war dainty cameo locket to be lightly driven on an empty country road on a bright spring morning. No, this Leviathan is a true road locomotive, ready to tackle any paved route to any destination. My six-feet-off-the-ground eyes peered into the center of the windshield, making me think that I ever was fortunate enough to be at the controls, there exists a chance that a random Prius could be boofed inadvertently because it might not be seen down there under that massive nose. This would be the car to have in hurricane country, because it would laugh at puny Nature trying to stop it from going where you want it to go. Not that I would ever expose one to that, but knowing that you're driving something that even an F-250 would shrink from challenging is comforting. Wonder what Mr. Foose could improve on this... ... View more

That deafening whirring sound is not coming from this... car. It's Bill Mitchell hitting 9,000 RPM in his grave. ... View more

I'd like a bit more information on this. The power seems to return when the transmission is downshifted? So that (obviously) means that the RPM increases. This only seems to be noticed after the engine warms up? Is there an automatic choke on the carburetor? This doesn't seem to indicate an ignition issue to me but it does require more information. I would thoroughly inspect the carb base gasket and after the engine is warm and idling, spray some silicone aerosol around the intake manifold where it meets the heads to see if the idle speed changes. While I was at it, I would temporarily install a vacuum gauge in the car and check for a steady needle (no wild fluctuations) under the noted fifth-gear operation. The distributor vacuum advance is only supposed to work during part throttle (ported vacuum source), so a low vacuum signal and low RPM (inadequate mechanical advance) coupled with a high load would cause a slight stumble. Let us know what you find. ... View more

You mentioned that he is instinctively fast in karts. Did it occur to you that it's because he's actively INVOLVED in that pastime as opposed to being a passenger? I've ridden with a lot of people that I really would have preferred not to, but as an instructor/observer it was part of the job. Being a passenger in any conveyance is less than satisfying when you know that you could operate it too, even in some cases operate it better. All of the vehicles that you have been fortunate enough to drive have had an impact on you because you were the driver. How satisfying would they have been had you been the passenger? Your son will display more interest in cars once he has his own.  ... View more

Here in the People's Republic of Kalifornistan, all of your suggestions/examples (except the Datsun) will require a biannual emissions inspection which means one will go broke and crazy trying to find the correct parts to keep the high-mileage engines in compliance with the smog police. So, vehicles made prior to 1975 are much more in demand because we can make them go faster and sound gooder without repercussions. And speaking from experience, one would need treatment for masochism if one were to select the Rolls... ... View more

A C3 with a small block can be the most fun you can have with your clothes on, if the chassis components and running gear are up to snuff. The two that I have had were both four-speeds, and that meant that I could kick the tail out on command and zip through ninety degree bends with a silly grin. The biggest problem I had was keeping up with the myriad of vacuum-operated everything not wanting to work. Beyond that, few cars that you can buy will be as much of a pleasure to wash as an early 'Vette. Those lumps, bumps and curves felt through a wash mitt remind you why you bought it. Great story! ... View more

Alongside that GrandAm has to be the Olds Cutlass Supreme. It could be had with a 455 if you had the money to feed it. And talk about velour overload! ... View more

Rich history of the original Bronco's off-road prowess. My favorite will always be Rufus' (you know him as Parnelli) Big Oly Bronco with the fuel altered wing on top. Beyond bad to the bone! ... View more

I'm reminded of the work of Ken Dallison, David Kimble and other true artists that I deeply respect. How can these people have so much talent? It must ooze out if their pores when they sleep because there is just so much of it. And since my Spanish is rusty and I don't know what Bangla is, I can't order any prints from the included link. I can see them, but it won't let me buy anything. ... View more

I've only ridden in one Checker cab and that was in Las Vegas. We hailed three hacks to whisk us from a hotel/casino to a "gentleman's" (!!) club for a bachelor party. Horrible rear seat and I think the sole of one shoe was still stuck to the floor of that thing when it was finally crushed. Ah, the good old days... ... View more

Would you desire to endure the treatment that you subject your son to? ... View more

In the early days of IMSA, a team that shall remain unnamed tasked us to improve the sealing of the rotary engine in their racecar. We devised a ceramic Apex seal backed by a high-temp Belleville spring that worked great... on the dyno. Real world testing in the racecar showed a distinct dropoff in power after about two hours of run time. A teardown revealed that while the ceramic seals were intact, they had decided to become very effective lathe tools and had enlarged the housings dimensions to the point where it wasn't as designed. We tried an experimental compressed carbon (very early version of carbon/carbon like current brake rotors) design, but it flaked badly in short order. We had a well-known piston ring manufacturer ready to produce a moly-filled seal, but the team pulled the plug on the program. We kind of pursued it in-house for a bit by designing a ceramic housing liner, but that octopus kept growing more arms and we shelved the whole deal.  ... View more

I have a magnetic multi-angle bubble level stuck to my toolbox, which is great for chassis set up. And if you are going to use feeler gauges for valve adjustment, get a good set of go/no-go's. When you get deep into engine building, you'll need a quality leak-down checker (which can also be used to set the initial barrel valve open point on a vintage Enderle fuel injection unit.) ... View more

Well, they have to mop the floors once in a while and the desert is low on water.  ... View more

You have to remember that Emporer-For-Life governor General Nuisance has declared everything in California non-essential EXCEPT his two wineries. I'm amazed that he hasn't fined the Pacific Ocean for making waves without a permit. ... View more

While I was in the Army in the early '70's and stationed in Louisiana, one of my platoon soldiers bought a lightly used Beetle from it's elderly first owner. Unbelievably, it had A/C and it cooled and dehumidified the cabin very well. Unfortunately, when it was on, one was limited to 45 MPH in 3rd gear, even downhill. And I think the signs are still on I-15 in California near Baker saying "Steep grade. Turn off AC next 5 miles." ... View more

Does the knock volume increase when the vehicle is under load? If it does, that would indeed indicate a possible rod bearing issue. If it stays consistent, I'd wager that the crankshaft is walking a bit, and the thrust bearing faces are getting thin. A backyard diagnosis would involve disconnecting one plug wire at a time to see if the noise changes. If it does, then that would be a hammered rod bearing. If not, then the crank thrust bearing would be suspect. ... View more

Hmmm. My 1963 GMC 4000 with a "granny low" offset first gear will run about three MPH at 2500 RPM. What's old is new again... ... View more

There was one in 1990 that with a little tuning and massaging to the engine caused some to tremble: 454 SS. And I wonder if Ford will recapture the past by bringing out a Big Oly Bronco... ... View more

Let's see here now... 450 horsies galloping through Dana 44's. Yep, those axles will last about ...that long when the tires finally get a grip on pavement. I foresee 3500-series Ram Dana 60's being ordered. Lots of Dana 60's. And the drivelines will be sacrificed to the gods when the lift kits are bolted on, along with the biggest Redeye superchargers that can be found (and some nitrous just because!) ... View more

The green translucent plastic that backlit the speedo on the 1955 and '56 Ford's was pretty cool. And the art deco font on the 1946 GMC truck just takes you back in time. ... View more

The Sturgeon General (P.I.T.A!) isn't always right... Let Mr. Iskenderian serve as a beacon of living life to the fullest! ... View more

And when the dust settles? ... View more

My mantra is "make the part fit the car, not make the car fit the part." As stated by others, make the upgrades and modifications bolt on as much as possible so as to preserve the originality of the car. Conversely, they are just cars, and cars are just things that in the so-called final analysis won't amount to a hill of beans. Express yourself (but tastefully!) ... View more

In 1986, I had the honor of being employed as a "fly in guy" for Peerless Racing, which at the time was campaigning a GT-O class Camaro. One of our competitors was the famous Mr. Newman, who would occasionally retreat to our hauler to escape the hordes at the Planters Peanuts Nissan pit. He was a genuinely nice human being first and foremost, and just wanted to be regarded as a capable race car driver. Another visitor we used to shelter was the then-Bruce Jenner. I once loaned him a Peerless crew shirt so he could get some lunch in peace at Laguna Seca. Fun times, great people. And then there was the time I got to chat with Dan Gurney when we were racing at Del Mar... ... View more