Watch Lust

The connection between timepieces and auto racing is historic. Here are two watches I've found recently which are simultaneously absurd and spectacular in their draw from automobilia.

Well, there still are no pictures of my shirt on the Hell Yes Clothing website, but apparently THIS GUY (nice review of a very sweet bike) likes it!

If you want one of your own, follow this link and read though the list; you'll find it:

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/hell-yes/inventory/index.htm

Pictures of Faye Valentine

Here are some more shots of the 142 with the suspension work finished...

Nice

It's nice to stumble on to picturesque moments.

Finally, after many hours of excitement and frustration, bloody fingers and black nails, and a number of attempts using all my physical strength, the suspension on the 142 is done in its entirety, front and rear; and I am very pleased with the resulting stance---it is exactly what I wanted. There are a few things I would have approached differently given the knowledge I have now: notably, finding a way of pressing out the old bushings from the upper wishbones without beating up the arms so much, and cutting too much off the front bump stops (there is now potential for the lower wishbone to contact the frame spring pocket at extreme compression)---but overall things went very well. And it drives nice!

Here is the rundown of what was done:

New tires (Hancook performance all seasons).
New brake pads, front and rear. Everything in the system cleaned and bled.
1 brake hose replaced on the front, all others carefully inspected.
Emergency brake shoes repaired and adjusted.
Emergency brake cable replaced (ebay NOS from Israel!)
Differential cover and input seals replaced and filled with new fluid.
All new polyurethane bushing, front and rear.
New upper and lower ball joints in front wishbones.
New Bilstein shocks on all four corners.
New IPD sway bars, front and rear.
New Skandix non-progressive springs, front and rear: fronts cut 1.5", rears 1" coil compressors added. (As a side note, I wanted a stiff and very predictable ride, which is why I opted to not put in progressive springs---the behavior of progressives can be somewhat unpredictable at the limit).

The thing I am perhaps most proud of is that I did absolutely everything myself!



Despite what it looks like, the tires do not hit the fenders even when turning sharp over bumps; steering geometry is a mystifying thing...



You can barely even see the spring between the lower A arm and the frame pocket! The front end still has a little over two inches of travel at the tire though, which is enough for a decently comfortable and very usable ride on the highway.

Santa Paula Blog picks up on our story!

http://ci.santa-paula.ca.us/blog/2009/04/first-cruise-night-of-year.html

Welcome Santa Paula Bloggers! Thanks for supporting great events like your cruise night! Enjoy our blog!

For your pleasure

Because I am feeling slightly guilty about the low-res quality of the photos of my last post, here is a desktop-worthy shot compliments of Bring-a-Trailer. A decent camera is on my wedding registry, so I am hopeful.

Santa Paula Cruise Night April 2009

Car shows are art shows. And like 'real' art showings, every one has different styles, periods, and a mix of the great and the terrible. They also are sources of admiration, appreciation, inspiration, and learning. They are also a source of community. Perhaps what is most satisfying about car shows is seeing the instantiation (and the concrete potential) of those things which (at least for me) are sort of an abstraction, either in our own minds, or in the pages of magazines or catalogs. For these reasons it seems the free-thinking mechanic should especially appreciate the car show.

The corvettes were out in full force tonight; there were about 5 or 6. I'm learning to appreciate first gens more; while I'm still not sold on front fascia (icon that it is), the interior on these cars are gorgeous and intricate, and as I noticed for the first time, have a great rear end. Who doesn't think C2's and C3's are anything but some of the best looking cars ever? I've always thought the C3's (one of my top five favorite cars ever) are the most beautiful, but lately I've been seriously reconsidering after getting a good look at C2's. They are so muscular and purposeful. I want to drive one soo bad.


There were plenty of chevs in general too, never a bad thing.

A great Nova, these cars have very sharp center counsels.

Another car perhaps on my top 5: Bel-Air bubble top w/ a 409 (a spectacular engine).

Cool beige Malibu was the t-shirt car. Cutlass w/ the W-30 hood looked great.

Who car argue with a first gen GTO? The flowing sheetmetal is taunt yet opulent. Love those taillights too.

Coolest Ford was only sort of a Ford. I'm imagining those Weber's on CB's volvo and drooling.


Lots of Ma Mopar's fam too. This is an later satellite dressed up in Roadrunner garb. Horrible wheels.

Been way into Dusters lately myself. Notice the ram air on the Dart. Cool!

I dug this GTS clone. 340 w/ 318 badges...what a sleeper!

Another icon. I've seen this car around Ventura before. The engine shot is the new one. Are Hemi's the best musclecar engine ever?

AMX! Right engine, color, stance. Wrong wheels.

Randoms. I love pinstriping. I dream of getting a bobber just to get it pinstriped. Evan dug the flames on this caddy.

This Plym easily had the coolest story of all the cars at the show! Amazing! I see this car around Santa Paula about once a week, and have a new found appreciation of it.

Plenty of Hot Rods present too, but I hardly know anything about them so I'm limited to a purely aesthetic appreciation of them, but I kind of like it that way, so I haven't worked to hard to learn about these fabulous and extravagant older coaches.

See you there next time!