There was an attempted revival of the Ford Trimotor in the 1950s. The aircraft - also built from corrugated aluminum was called the Bushmaster 2000, powered by three Pratt & Whitney R-985 engines (450 hp each). On the subject of corrugated aircraft, Germany had a Ju-52 Junkers trimotor first built in the 1930s. Other notable trimotors were from the Stinson Aircraft Company, building a Model SM6000, which was a high wing fabric covers aircraft, and a Model Stinson A, which was a low wing fabric covered aircraft, both powered by three Lycoming R-680 engines. FYI - the 'R' for the engine means it is a radial engine. The number after the R (680) indicates the total cubic inches of the engine. If we are talking trimotor aircraft - so was a Boeing 727 and a DC-10. Regarding a Ford Trimotor - from 1982 through 1985 I was hired by the R.H. Wagner Foundation to be the primary rebuilder of EAA's Ford Trimotor. That aircraft, in 1973 was lifted off of the ground in a severe windstorm, and then thrown nose first into the ground. EAA acquired the aircraft for the museum. At that time, they were not sure if it would be used to sell rides. The EAA trimotor was used in the filming of the movie 'Public Enemies' with Johnny Depp as John Dillinger. You can identify the EAA trimotor by the straight bottom on the entrance door. It was modified to straight when the aircraft was used (in its past life) as a smoke jumper aircraft. Ford trimotors had an oval door. ... View more

My vote is for Charles Kettering, being credited for the electric starter.   Eli Whitney did the interchangeable parts, and Henry Ford did the assembly line - but those can in-door tasks.  The electric starter made it possible to sit inside the car and wonder why it doesn't start versus standing in the rain and other elements, hand-cranking the engine - - and wondering why the car doesn't start. ... View more

HNGR QN stands for Hangar Queen - which is a term used for an aircraft that spends most of its time in a hangar getting repaired - or never flies.  Kinda fits. ... View more

Remember when cars had an AM radio - pre-8-track, pre-cassette, pre-factory sound system?  To 'enhance your listening pleasure' - you bought - and self-installed A REAR SPEAKER with the control knob mounted on the dash below the ash tray.  If you went for the big bucks install - you also got a reverberator.   What made this the greatest sound system was - your friends that didn't have these 'options' - thought you were the coolest person in the parking lot. ... View more

Tongue in cheek comment - but does this article mean in the Red Line Rebuild episodes Davin is going to start wearing nitrile gloves or something protective - when he is disassembling or rebuilding an engine, transmission, brake system, fuel system. etc? ... View more

Several years back I bit the bullet and purchased a brake line flaring tool from Eastwood.  We are talking the $160 version.  I previously used the cheap hand twist with the 'lay the die on the tube' feature when I rebuilt my 1959 Austin Healey 100-6.  Some of the initial attempts could have been used in a dictionary along side of the word ugly.  I was successful in getting a decent flare, but I was never really happy with them.   When I was rebuilding the brake system on my '56 T-Bird (it sat for 12 years), I decided I really shouldn't have to work that hard at making a flare, so I bought the tool.  I later bought the 37-degree die so I could do aircraft flares so much easier.  An aircraft mechanic believes that someday - no matter how deep in the aircraft it is located - someone - someday - will see your work and state "What a lousy flare."   The other professional look that I like is shrink tubing over a crimp connector.  I pull the colored plastic off of the connector, crimp and solder it, and slide the shrink tube over the wire connection.  For me - looking under the hood at cars shows and seeing blue, red and yellow crimps seems to say "Well - it works."   ... View more

My Barn Find was really a Hangar Find.  I found the car, a 1959 Austin Healey 100-6, in a hangar at a local airport.  I really wasn't looking for a car, but it seemed to 'need' me.  Also - I had never restored a car, so this would be a first.  Four years later I had it on the road.  The seller hoped I would keep it pretty original versus putting a V-8 in it.  I did keep the car pretty much original, but a little aircraft hardware and stainless versus asbestos heat shields 'personalized' the car for me.  The license plate is HNGR QN for 'Hangar Queen.'  In aviation terms - a Hangar Queen is an aircraft that either never leaves the hangar to fly - or is always in the hangar getting fixed.  The Healey is no Hangar Queen anymore.   ... View more

What a great timeline of American values.  Someone purchased the Ford brand new.  The car was passed down the line until it was either too broke to fix, to old to impress others that you have a car, so it possibly was parked out back someplace and ultimately became someone's 'Shootin' Car.' Years later, the car is purchased by 'the ultimate hot rod house' - possibly for parts or something that didn't have a bullet hole in it. Along come Ron, see the car, and speaks two of the four most expensive words in the English language - "What If - - -."  The other two most expensive words are "I do." Good article on the car because it leaves the reader thinking about the bullet holes, and what they would do if they found such a project. ... View more

The front and rear shrouds and instrument panel are aluminum on my 1959 Austin Healey 100-6.  A steel frame and steel fenders sandwich the aluminum shrouds - so they are not moisture-friendly areas - unless you like oxidized aluminum.  The hood and the trunk lid are steel.  ... View more

Wouldn't the greatest engine designers include Nicolaus Otto and Eugen Langen who improved on the Lenoir design  to develop the basis of today's 4-cycle engine? ... View more

How could the 1947-48 Davis not be on the list? ... View more