Imperfect'd

2011-10-25T23:19:00.000-07:00

'S been a while.

It's true; getting old, selling off projects, kids, further ambitions, life itself faces us with precious little sympathy for what we used to call our free time.

But there are some things life cannot take from you.

It cannot take, for example, the peace and quiet of a warm garage at somebody else's house when the dishes are done and the laundry is done and one is surrounded by bits and pieces of Suzuki DR200. Or as one carefully eases a pair of Nissin calipers from their mounting bolts, cautious not to scratch the rotors.

It cannot take away the steam rising from a mug (not a cup, mind you, but a mug) of searing-hot black, black coffee as the sun rises over the track housing, sending a giant orange beam into the gray early-morning garage. And your friends roll in one by one to meet you, the dew coagulated on their windscreens.

It cannot take away the malty tang of a cold beer in the dusk of the day, which you savor as you try to figure out (without much success) exactly how that piece of emissions equipment was mounted on the frame in the first place.

Is anyone wrenching anymore?

2011-09-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

What's it been, a year?

I know, we've all been amazingly busy: broke, worried about the economy, getting married, having kids, changing jobs, getting laid off, selling our old projects, getting OLD.

Me too.

But I think it'd be nice to try and breath some life back into this old pile of posts. Surely someone out there is doing something interesting right now. And Fall is basically here, which means some of those long chilly evenings might be spend cowering near a space heater, building a new bike or fixing up the car.

You never know...

Winter's a-comin'

2010-10-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be cool to have one of these new-fangled snow-motors?

Wood Gas!

2010-08-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Check out this pimpin' ride from the seventies—a Wood Gas burning motorcycle!

Booya Bike Parts

2010-07-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, my day job is Your Computer Genius—we build websites and software, as well as doing network administration and computer consulting. An old friend of mine recently came to me with a need for a website, and we've launched the first version of it. You guys should check it out, they sell new oem motorcycle parts for a range of current imports and sport bikes. The website is:

Booya Bike Parts

http://www.booyabikeparts.com

Introducing: "Sparrow the Summer Wagon"

2010-05-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

We had our first family dinner in Sparrow the Summer Wagon last night.

There is, ahem, a fair amount of work to do on her.

MY tasks include: finishing the caulking seal on the roof, sides and windows, making sure the coach 12V and 110V systems work, figuring out the propane and water systems, buying and installing a generator, changing all the automotive fluids and filters...

TSG's tasks include: assembling curtains and curtain rods, stripping the wallpaper, priming and painting, cleaning and painting the cabinets and washing the cushions and various other interior jobs...

Sparrow is a 1975 Roll-a-long 26-ft Motorhome. She was built on a 1974 Ford F-350 Custom 1-ton Dually chassis, with the 8-cylinder 460. (I now one a 2-wheeled vehicle, a 4-wheeled vehicle, and a 6-wheeled vehicle.)

We are looking forward to a very exciting Summer indeed.

Long-lived motorcycles

2010-04-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

"Now it is time for my 150,000 mile writeup (Sept 2009). Once again there have been NO mechnicals and NO parts had to be purchased except those that I consider as 'routine maintenance'.

In the last 30,000 miles: (since the last writeup)

-a new chain at 124,436 mi.
-EBCHH front brake pads at 130,067mi (lasted 18725 mi)
-adjusted vales at 133,021 miles. 5 were a little tight. previous adjustment was at 66,804 mi. (all were within spec)
-replaced rear wheel/sprocket bearings at 135,736. first replacement.
-EBCHH front brake pads at 143,668 mi
-replaced fuel filter at 143,408 miles. first replacement. At this time I purchased a new fuel pump that I will use on my extended range tank. The original pump is still good.
-replaced battery at 147,336 miles. second replacement
-replaced chain/sprockets at 150,001 mi. previous chain lasted 25,000 mi and previous sprockets lasted 48,000 miles
-8 oil changes and 4 oil filter changes. all Castrol 10x40 syntech w/ Fram filters

tires: I prefer Tourances but I have used other tires. There were three rear changes and 2 fronts in the last 30,000 mi.
overall total average rear miles is 12,000 miles. average front mileage is 18,000 mi

Maybe its just luck but in 150,000 miles I've only has to spend a total of $20 for these three items: front brake light switch, exhaust gasket and clutch slave seal. Those might also be considered as wear items!!!

So get on that Strom and ride!!

Kith Burkingstock
Newnan GA"

* * * *

My V-Strom is the DL650 '07 model, not the DL1000 '03 described above - but I hold out high hopes, especially since the pre-2004 1000 has the most issues of any of the V-Strom models.

2010-04-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

Not a week ago the blue V-Strom turned over 54,000 miles. Every time another ten-thousand goes by, which seems to happen with great rapidity, I have a chuckle reminding myself that some people own bikes for years and never put so much as five digits on the odometer. But then I stop chuckling because I know that piling that kind of mileage means sole-transpo, or at least commuting, use and I will never blame anyone for not using a motorcycle to substitute for a car. Piloting the Civic down the 101 freeway in torrential blinding rain last night, heater filling the glass bubble with peace and warmth, I thanked my lucky stars that I wouldn't have to thaw a shivering wet body under a hot shower for 20 minutes when I got home. On the other hand, I had to slightly crack open the driver side window so I could get at least SOME of the rain-smell into my nostrils. These are the things you lose with bodily comforts.

But yeah. 54k. And it's getting to be that time of year again. June. Road trip time. The V-Strom wasn't born to sit at home and chug back and forth every day to work and back. The very first time it came into my life, the very first three days I owned it from mile zero (or mile 2, since you can't register a new vehicle with no mileage) it carried me more than two thousand miles east for a wedding and then home. It wasn't a week old and it had more than two thousand miles on it. It was born for this very thing, to eat continents for lunch. And it's been moping about Ventura County for a whole year since last time I crossed the east California border, moping about, waiting for me to accrue enough vacation time to let it out again to play.

It'll be tough this year. My vacation time is going to be all used up honeymooning on Catalina Island in August. And that's okay. I'm looking forward to that, a different sort of adventure, of course. But it won't fix the wanderfoot, so I'll have to be creative. Another big thing is that the wifey-to-be has to be wandering with me or I'll feel selfish and unfulfilled. The V-Strom and I have a whole big world to show her, but we have to be careful not to overload her with too much adventure at the outset or she'll get sick and not want to do it ever again. She'll have to be eased into it somehow, the timing will have to be right, she'll have to have the right protective gear....it might not happen this year. But it sort of has to. A window in our lives is closing, and she absolutely HAS TO do a long, cold, hot, dry, starving, agonizing, gorgeous Purple Mountain Majesties and Fields of Waving Grain road trip before we can't anymore. She has to have that experience in common with me otherwise she'll never understand America properly. I wish I'd been able to do this earlier, but for health reasons it wasn't possible at all before this year and it may not be possible this year.

We'll see.

In the meantime, I watch episodes of the Long Way Round, I shake out my summer gear and polish the smoked visors for my helmets, I pinch my pennies for a full set of Givi side panniers, and I wait for my chance.

2010-04-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

Do I really need to say anything?

2010-04-09T23:41:00.000-07:00

Faye got some glamor shots!

(Click on the panorama to see it much bigger.)

2010-03-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

http://world.honda.com/automobile-technology/VTEC/

I always wondered how VTEC worked. Here is a rather absorbing animation describing how Honda can generate big hp from a tiny motor without using turbos, high compression or other trickery.

My Civic has this; the technology has been around long enough now to be pretty standard-issue stuff on modern Japanese and German cars. While the storied kick in the pants above 4000 rpm is not present in my particular example, it does rev strongly and sharply to redline without running out of breath or feeling overworked.

2010-03-13T23:34:00.000-08:00

OMG!!!!!

I was farting around on the interwebs looking at pictures of VW Rabbits and feeling all nostalgic about the one I drove all through college, (and subsequently sold), and I randomly found my old car on CarDomain.com...I wasn't even looking for it!!! Now that really hurts. Did you know that I quite literally teared up when the new owner took it away, and I have regretted selling it ever since? It's the only car I really wish I had never sold.

And how do I know for sure that it's mine? First of all, it's a red '77, if you look closely in the pictures you will see several things that are unmistakable:

-uncommon woodgrain dash with dual gauges, and rare under-dash package tray
-8 ball shift knob
-small hole on the corner of the gauge cluster where the tach used to be mounted
-Radio Shack speakers in the door panels and the defroster vents(!)
-missing interior panels in the rear hatch area
-annoying gap in the hatch weatherstripping
-dent in the corner of the driver's side front fender where I hit Emma's truck...

I know my car.

Of course the new owner has changed many things, but it's looking good!

Here's the link....

*Sniff*

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2316592

have computer, will travel

2010-02-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

"Based on engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions, the onboard computer in
your vehicle calculates the remaining
engine oil life." - Civic Owners Manual

With the emergence of fuel injection and consequently the Engine Control Unit as the standard method of "making it zoom", we have at our fingertips a heretofore untapped wealth of digital information that can be used to retire the mileage-based maintenance schedule along with those defunct carburetors. The raw data is available - drive-by-wire throttle inputs, engine temperature information, accumulated number of RPMs, even calendar time. (Shoot, instead of trying to hold it in your brain how long it's been, since your last oil change, why not let some computer do it?) And all of these inputs may be correlated to estimate how hard the car is being driven - patterns of hard acceleration, long periods of steady throttle, stop-and-go ... it's all there, being stored away in a memory chip. The car remembers how you drive. While it can't test its own oil any more than we can test our own blood, it gives us the best estimate yet of when the oil might be worn out. Honda's Maintenance Minder (not a very sexy name, but it is what it says) taps into this capability to simplify life. There are seven maintenance operations designated A, B, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. When the computer has counted enough RPMS and enough time has gone by, one or another of these lights up on the dashboard to say "hey, I need an air filter and spark plugs" or "oil change".

So yay. We don't need a computer to tell us when to change the oil, right? Well, remember that oil-change time is a guesstimate anyway. People say that oils these days last between 5,000 and 7,500 miles. But unless you pay to have an oil analysis done after three or four oil changes to determine the correlation between mileage and oil life, you won't know and you'll probably change the oil more often (and spend more money) than necessary. And even then, your estimate is based on mileage, inherently less useful in determining oil life than RPMS. The same mileage driven hard will wear out the oil faster than an identical mileage driven gently, given daily operation. In fact, if one has to choose a single criterion to base maintenance on, an RPM based maintenance schedule is probably the most accurate, even more so than hour-based maintenance.

The one factor, of course, that RPM based maintenance doesn't consider is how loaded or unloaded those RPMS are. A lot of hilly driving will put more stress on the oil for the same RPM than driving on level ground. However, a temperature data line (greater engine temps on hills) ought to weed out some of that variable. And of course there is to consider how dirty the air intake is.

In the end, service intervals are all estimates and must be treated as guesses. The question is, how can the most accurate guess be achieved for people who aren't into pulling plugs to look at the soot deposits, or analyzing their oil? Honda's answer seems to be pretty well thought out.

(p.s. Also, the Civic averaged 32 mpg on its fifth tank of gas in ordinary stop and go driving. That ought to improve as it breaks in)

just sneaking by, nobody notices the perfect finish, right...

2010-02-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay. Don't hate me....

It was an experiment, really. Does making lease payments in exchange for a fridge that gets 35 mpg work out as a good idea in real life? I mean, what I already said about the Enabler, you know?

But now I have two, because the Suzuki hasn't started giving me any problems yet.

Well, if it keeps the fiancee happy, it's worth it. I took an honest look a the purchase cost of a 1967 Ford Falcon station wagon, the amount of garage space and wrenching facilities available to me, and the amount of sheer time I had available to me, and it added up to "no".

Don't get me wrong. The love of my life understands and entirely sympathizes with the fact that I have 30weight in my blood; and that I will always own and regularly use a motorcycle, at least for commuting.

But one just doesn't live as a normal member of society with grocery bags and driving friends to the Getty Center and going out for coffee on dark and stormy nights without a car. Sorry. I've tried it. It doesn't work. You have to be either single or weird - preferably both.

So given: car. Also given: reliable car. Well, old simple car or new (relatively simple) car? Old simple car: cheap. Requires time, tools and more time. Usually involves some frustration. Adventures, loving and hating. New car: expensive. None of the above stuff involved, if leasing. Set it and forget it. Honda pays for all oil changes for 3 years, warranty, etc etc etc. Not much of an adventure, not a whole lot of emotional attachment. Yet.

We'll see how this works out.

Also, part of the experiment is sheer geek-out curiosity. How do they MAKE cars these days? All this new stuff; drive by wire throttles (no more cables), oil life tracking (a computer tracks engine temperatures, load, and total revolutions to extrapolate oil life), five-speed automatic with overdrive (yes, I count six shifts) ...does all this shiny stuff do what they say it does? Does it really work? I'm kinda curious about this end of the vehicular spectrum, the bleeding edge of Honda's genius. What have they done to make my life simpler, easier and less expensive at the pump? Are new cars any good? If so, how?

Stay tuned.

Cheers

2010-02-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

Guess that winter wasn't as bad as I'd expected. It's starting to warm up again, and I've already logged 450 miles on the Triumph during the past month. Upon filling the tires back up to 40psi she handles beautifully, still with more power than I deserve.

I've been using KBC's VR2 for about the past year now, and liked it fairly well. My only complaint was addressing the way it rubbed on my forehead towards the end of a day-long ride. So, while I was down at Jeff's place last week, I decided to put a new one on order. I chose Sparx' S-07 and it came in today. After spending just 12 miles in it, the old VR-2 has achieved strictly-loaner status. The Sparx is quiet and comfortable, yet still drafty enough to stay cool in the summer. The padding has cavities on either side that accept big ears comfortably, even with earbuds. There are little elastic straps at the back to route the wires, too. Keep it in mind if you're looking to buy a new bucket with a hundred bucks.

And keep Jeff in mind too, should you find yourself owning a Ducati one fine day; he's running one hell of a good business out here.

2010-02-06T22:07:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted here. But to prove this blog is not dead, here's my latest project: a wood car for Charlie!

Everything except for the wheels was built from scratch. (BTW, it is only sitting on that stick so the paint on the wheels can dry---I just finished it a few minutes ago).

Triumph of human will over aluminum

2009-11-25T09:32:00.001-08:00

Nearly two years and endless amounts of blood and money in the making, Suzi lives and breathes again. She weeps a tiny bit of oil from the revised and siliconed head gasket (gaah!) and she won't idle below 2000 rpm, and the rear brake doesn't work anymore - but she runs DAMN good and pulls like a freight train. I ran her down to the local gas station to fill her up with premium and relived the days of wind-in-my-chest muscle-bike glory with the added joy of vintage rat-bike style.

Now the question remains: can I really sell her? (My Discover card balance will probably answer that one for me)

2009-10-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

It's been two years and change now since I rolled her out of the alleyway next to L.A. Honda/Triumph. Two amazingly uneventful years, from a maintenance standpoint, and two beautifully liberating and exploratory years from an operational standpoint.

She's done it all, gone everywhere I've gone. Oh, there was that one trip where I rented a car to drive up to Idaho, but that's because it was wintertime.

But everywhere else. Minnesota. Colorado.

And every day to work and back. Every dark morning in the dim carport lights, the ignition clicks on in a wash of headlights and LCD, always the same. Always starts on the second or third crank. Almost always hiccups once the first time past 2500 RPM; always clunks the forks on the way out over the drainage-curb; and always hmmmmmmmms up smoothly through the gears in its stiff morning oil. Nothing changes. And some things ought never to change. One's primary vehicle, the Enabler, the thing that makes it possible for you to live your life in a world of freeways....that ought to be one of those things. For my own sanity, I have always determined that I need one vehicle as reliable as a stone ax - anything over and above that is Fun and does not need to be reliable.

This Suzuki has been the most amazing stone ax ever. 48,900 miles now. One problem and one only: a bad start button, the day after the warranty expired.

After that, nothing. Before that, nothing. And, it has been dropped four times.

So, I'm thankful, and deeply respectful. This is a cheap motorcycle, after all. It was built very much to a price point, but such is the miracle of modern engineering that even cheap stuff these days is really, really good. And even now with all those miles on her budget shock and forks, she can still give BMW Z4's a run for their money in the twisties...but that's another story for another time.

Joining the two-wheels-with-motors club

2009-10-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I've joined the two-wheels-with-motors club. Also the club of tons of accessories, like helmets and leather jackets, and the club of low annual insurance premiums.

I picked up a 1978 Yamaha XS 400 for a steal on CL. Only thing I've done to it is dump a bunch of oil in and put a fresh battery. It runs great, not bad for a 31 year old bike!

2009-10-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

It has been dead around here, hasn't it?

Well, I can't speak for other members of the group, but sadly my life has taken a decided turn away from machinery. (But this does not prevent me from noticing a perfectly restored red Sunbeam Tiger at a car show in Redwood City, then going inside to examine it more closely, marveling at the audacity of the Shelby engineers who packed a Ford V-8 inside its diminutive bonnet.)

The 1969 Chevrolet has been given back to its rightful owner. After the thing was made to run, I discovered a massive transmission leak that I was not ready to deal with. So I was reimbursed for my parts, and I'm looking for something with a box that is newer, simpler and preferably with four cylinders.

The 1982 GS1100E is parked, in pieces again, in a garage in Camarillo. It and I are awaiting the delivery of a revised head gasket from Cometic, a revision that I feel personally responsible for putting into action. Cometic's Multi-Layer-Steel head gaskets were designed to be used in racing motors with high-strength studs and therefore designed for torque values in excess of 40 ft-lb.

The problem I had with leakage did not crop up until recently, since who puts an MLS gasket on a stock motor??? The stock studs can only handle 30-35 ft lb at MOST before they break, and that torque is insufficient to mash the little metal ridges around the oilways flat enough for good sealing.

The solutions to this problem are legion: use black silicone around the oilway holes; get high-strength studs ($$$) and torque it to 40 or 50 ft lb; or (free) get Cometic to redesign their gasket, restamp it, and send me one. This latter has been the most time consuming but the most morally satisfying.

I'm supposed to get the revised gasket next week. We'll see. I'll probably use black silicone with the new gasket too, because if I have to tear that motor down one more time I will be seriously tempted to push the whole assembly off a cliff into the Pacific.

Boston Moped Massacre

2009-10-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, folks, it's been dead around here!

For your viewing pleasure:

2 cars for sale

2009-07-29T23:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally put the Silver Bullet up for sale at IPD, and the Merc sedan up on Craig's List.

More IPD Goodness

2009-07-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

Man, if I'd known about these a few years ago, I could have saved the 240 owners I know a good chunk of change.

Trick track bike

2009-07-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

When addictedtowheels came to Ojai for a much-anticipated visit two weeks ago, he helped me to finally lace up the wheels for the new bike build I have been collecting parts for over the last 6-8 months. I got the frame yesterday in the mail, and this morning I put it all together. The biggest reason for this bike is to have something to do tricks on, and this one can do barspins and is geared down a little for easier wheelies and riding backward.

...We'll see if I can actually develop the talents for doing such things.

It's pretty much a full-on hipster machine however; much more so than I anticipated when buying parts one at a time...but I love it.

Volvo roof rack

2009-07-17T21:52:00.001-07:00

It's all done except for spraying it with bedliner! I am amazed that I succeeded in getting it so straight and square...it dropped into the rain rails perfectly, first try. Had to modify the hold-down clamps slightly, but it came out alright. Now it's all set for an old tire, a vintage Coca-Cola cooler, and a bunch of battered suitcases.

Just kidding...

2009-07-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today at the Ventura Motorsports car show Charlie got to be the first Cools or Hayden (that we know of) to sit in a real Ferrari---and not just any Ferrari---a 1963 250 GTL! When he is old enough to understand what it's all about, he's sure to be car guy for life, whether he likes it or not!

Volvo roof rack

2009-07-10T19:20:00.000-07:00

I am building a steel roof rack for the 142, Hood Ride style!

2009 IPD Garage Sale

2009-05-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Slideshow here.

Imprfct'd's IPD Annual Garage Sale and Car Show photoset

Saab loving was needed

2009-05-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hey, all-- crashbox tells me that some Saab loving was needed on the blog. I'm game. I look forward to posting this summer as I will be spending the dog days of summer tearing apart the 1987 Saab 900 (Devon) again to take care of a transmission pinion bearing and a leaking power steering rack. The 1990 900 Turbo-vert (Ulla) is being persnickety after a winter in the garage, but I guess it's my fault for putting it away with a few issues. Ball joints, driver's window regulator rebuild, and convertible top replacement are scheduled for the early weekends of June. I'm almost done re-upholstering the seats. Leather is stiff. The 1991 900s (my only naturally aspirated car, Seymour) has been a lucky find- $500 and no real issues. I am replacing the CV's to eliminate clicking and vibrations on sharp cornering, but that's all! New York's safety inspection is picky, and Devon failed (e-brake and power steering need rebuilding) just as Seymour became available. I left a note on the guy's windshield two years ago offering to buy his car if he ever wanted to sell. He saved my note and called me at the same moment, literally, as Devon failed NYS inspection. He told me to name my price. I low-balled at $500 because of the CV's and small amount of body rust. For a one-owner, well-maintained car, I think I got a steal. This takes a little bit of the pressure off the projects with Devon and Ulla. Anyhow, let me know if any hot Volvos need a date with a black Saab.

IPD Garage Sale

2009-05-15T23:02:00.001-07:00

Well folks, tomorrow is the Annual IPD Garage Sale.

I'm hoping to take the camera and do an Imprfct'd exclusive scoop, with lots of pictures.

Stay tuned.

2009-05-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

With all the parts I need to start building the wheels for my new bike assembled, I am finally ready to bust out the Sheldon Brown tutorial and get to work! Though I had good luck with my previous wheels using some clothespins and the frame of the bike for truing(!), I felt that this time I should really use a proper wheel truing stand. There were none on craigslist.org, and ebay was way too expensive and takes too long to ship anyway. I needed an alternative...

There just so happened to be some old aluminum door frame pieces hanging around the shop as scrap, and I started thinking...

Sometimes you've got to make your own tools.

Bike Resurected: Specialized Hardrock Sport

2009-05-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Love and thanks to crashbox for getting a bike up and running for my fiance Alyssa! It's solid, with a cro-moly frame and gripshift/shimano components, and best of all, it's free! We're both very happy about it!

Update: 'Stang's at the Upholstery shop

2009-05-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hope it's done sometime this week, coughed up 300 bucks to get the seats redone and headliner put in. After spending 1200 trying to kill the mechanical gremlins and failing I am feeling very deflated about the car. Hope the fresh interior works out....

Imperfected Perfection

2009-05-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

Just in: rust, dried grease, and a broken spoke.

I picked up a new bike for free from the Ojai church rummage sale today! It is a Volkscycle Mark X, a brand I know very little about as of yet. What I gleaned so far from from the omniscient google is that it is a Japanese brand, build in the early 70s by Bridgestone, and was not considered a high end bike, though it seems to have been decently respectable as an entry-level machine. Mine looks like hell, but after lubricating the drivetrain and brakes and pumping up the tires I found that it works nearly perfectly! It shifts beautifully smooth, brakes reasonably well, and despite the wheels being more than a little out of true, it rolls down the road just fine. I need to find a missing nut for the front brake and the pin for the cotter crank on the drive side broke off when i tried to tighten it, but the rest of it is in working order. I still can't believe that the ancient tires hold air, and surprisingly, though built mostly from cheap steel, it seems to weigh right around thirty pounds; not too bad considering. And check out the sweet rack and seat tool bag! The mustache bars are a nice alternative to the standard drops too.

After some consideration, I have decided that the intense patina this thing sports is way too good to mess with---so my goal is to do as little as possible to keep it reliable and functional, and just revel in the sheer crappiness of it...it will be fun to have a geared bike again too...

Santa Paula Cruise Night 5/09

2009-05-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

Represent!

It was another fun Friday in Santa Paula. Rain tested the meddle of rodders and racers and it was a very interesting show, despite the naysayers. Because of the weather, I was able to only get a few pics so here we are:

The belle of the ball had to be this real-life 300sl. One don't see 500k cars in Santa Paula very often, lol. The owner was a cool old guy who inherited the car from his father. He drives it, lets it get wet, because "noone else does." I can respect that!... though I have to admit I was bummed when he wouldn't let me sit in it. Think that's about as close as I'll ever get to seeing one of those on the street.

Chevy! All really clean cars. 4o9 in the 'vert = win.

But my fav had to be this pair of '69's. That is a great looking camaro. The Charger has an incorrect (I think) a12 option hood, but had LACR stickers to more than justify it's very mean looking existence.

I was delighted to see a pack of Cobra sitting in the drizzle; got to see the blue one drive away... do 427's sound even better than 44o six-packs? Perhapts. The sweetest one was a Factory 5 Dayton, epic and gorgeous, which was constantly surrounded making photos nearly impossible. Other nice fords include a sharp highland green Fairlane and '69 coupe wearing shelby stripes.

Great to see the Imperfect'd gang there! Cross my fingers for my mustang for next month.

Watch Lust

2009-04-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-04-21T22:01:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

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

Nice

2009-04-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

It's nice to stumble on to picturesque moments.

2009-04-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

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!

My new RIDE: 1969 a12 Roadrunner

2009-04-01T16:14:00.001-07:00

This is a numbers matching unrestored factory 440 6bbl car with the original lift-off hood, holley 6bbl setup, aircleaner, 18 spline Hemi 4speed trans, Dana60, and 11" drums all around. My future plans are in the works for a 505 cu. in. stroked 440, 10.5:1 compression, Comp XS290 cam, EDM lifters, and ported aluminum closed chamber heads. That will make the original driveline the weak link, especially with the 4 speed.

I get all the babes with this one!

Of course, I'm totally kidding. What do you do when you have the worst car ever made by Plymouth, new acquired for the princely sum of $300? Why, you put on decals and a scoop with some likeness to what might be the best model of the best car ever made by Plymouth! I will use this until my mustang is fully operational (i.e. for the rest of my life.).

So let's all sing together:

"They see me rollin'
They hatin'
Patrollin'
they tryin' to catch me ridin. dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
My music so loud;
I'm swangin'.
They hopin'
That they gon' catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.

Dream #4326 Smashed

2009-03-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

What was I thinking? Of course racing is really expensive. I've had long-standing dreams about racing SCCA events father & son even since I paged through the first Grassroots Motorsports years ago. Alas. Guess drag (& go-karts?) is still king. Does this article seem accurate to you guys?

Quote:

"Let’s put that in perspective: racing an old VW Golf or Honda Civic once a month costs as much as buying a Nissan GT-R or Porsche Cayman S on a five-year loan."

2009-03-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

Option. $5.20 This Buick-crested beauty is attached to the lower edge of the instrument panel. Designed to hold an entire box of tissues and dispense them one at a time.

Why don't they make stainless steel kleenex-boxes available in Buicks anymore?

For the full 1955 option list for the Buick Special, see this link.

I have a special place in my heart for the 1950's Buick advertising.

stickeration

2009-03-30T00:04:00.001-07:00

Cuz that's how I roll.

(Of course, a bit pretentious: the overbore is only 34 cc, but I feel obligated to use the stickers that came with the head gasket, somewhere not inside my toolbox.)

progress: quick update

2009-03-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

I slapped the valve cover on with only an hour or so to work, today. I didn't want to risk bugs and bits of crap falling into an open motor - they attract that sort of stuff. I buttered the cam chain up with some motor oil before closing up the innards, which I hope will help it through those critical few minutes before oil pressure.

Surprise - the gasket kit I had did not contain the correct valve cover gasket. I am at the point in the project where I am saying to myself with great frequency "screw it, I need to get this thing out of the garage", so I resorted to liquid gasket. I hate using that stuff, so messy and doesn't work very well, but I knew I'd have to peel the cover off to recheck head bolt torque after a thousand miles or so anyway and I could install the proper gasket then.

I discovered one bolt hole stripped and in need of a helicoil, so the #1 front corner can't be tightened down and will dribble oil. Then a bolt committed suicide in the most inaccesible hole right next to the breather cover! Crappity crap crrrraaap! I didn't think of it, but all the valve cover bolts are probably heat stressed and should all be replaced. This one twisted apart pretty easily before torque value was reached, so I'm def going to replace them all. After I get it running. So there will be another oil dribble above the #2 cylinder. The rest of the bolts torqued down just fine, thank goodness.

I feel better now that the motor is closed up. All to do now is connect all the wiring, replace the spark plug caps and boots, slap the flywheel and stator covers on, install the carbs, and...wow, I'm almost done with this thing. It would help if I spent more than one hour at a go on this thing, funny how a five minute procedure ALWAYS takes 25 minutes.

Yeah, one of these days I might actually get back to that '69 truck that's on the back burner. Arrgghh...I want my own shop, my own shade tree in my own back yard so I can store all the projects I collect, dammit!

progress: adjusting the tappets

2009-03-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

Here I am adjusting the tappet clearances with the world's most ghetto tappet screw adjuster. Small vice grips + #10 x 3/4" square drive pan screw. The square drive fits the tappets perfectly. It worked - not very well, but I was too lazy to go hunting for a piece of dowel like this guy suggests. The procedure is pretty simple and pretty frustrating: undo the locknut, screw the tappet in or out until the .006" feeler won't slide in and the .005" one will, and crank the locknut down tight - after which both feelers will go in, or neither, and you have to do it all over again ad nauseam. And when you finally get it right, you get to repeat the process another fifteen times. And this every 12,000 miles! Hydraulically self adjusting valves (like on Harleys and Moto Guzzis) are the much mo' betta' way, in my opinion.

The reason I did the adjustment this way is that valve clearances, especially on red-hot exhaust valves, tend to tighten over time, and the purpose of checking the valve clearances is not to check for loose valves but to check for tight ones. A tight tappet will force the valve to stick open slightly, there will be no metal-to-metal heat transfer, and the valve will fry. Valves are 30 dollars apiece. So you want loose valves at the outset, not tight ones.

Also the valve adjustment range for the GS is very narrow: .004 to .005 inches, so checking them at the specified intervals is important!

progress: installing the cam chain tensioner - and oops!

2009-03-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

Installing the manual (locknut) cam chain tensioner. The old spring-loaded one was sticky so I ordered up a billet aluminum one from APE.

The instructions say to tighten until light resistance is felt (i.e. you are touching the the chain with the chain guide) and then back out 1/4 turn.

However in practice this will result in a cam chain that will jump the sprockets IF you do not have all the chain slack behind the intake cam!!! One thing I've learned about this job is WHEN REBUILDING A TOP END, KNOW WHERE THE CAM CHAIN SLACK IS. I actually came across a scary situation related to this - after installing the tensioner I realized that my careful job of setting the cams was wrong. I had not ensured there was tension on the cam chain from the exhaust cam straight down to the crankshaft and, when I turned the engine a few times after installing the tensioner, that slack in front was taken up and both cams were five or six teeth out of whack. I had to loosen up all the cap bolts and painfully work the chain across several teeth to fix it. So...word to the wise - install the tensioner (loosely) to take up all the cam chain slack before you button those camshafts down.

I won't know if the tension on the cam chain is correct till I start the motor and hear what kind of noise it makes. You are supposed to set it somewhere in the vicinity of tightish, so the chain doesn't slip, then loosen it till you hear clatter, then tighten it till clatter goes away and lock it down.

Gasket sealant really stinks, by the way.

Another one for the blog roll

2009-03-29T01:55:00.001-07:00

I am completely confident you all will find this new blog SO full of win.

http://clunkbucket.com/

Mechanical Art

2009-03-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

I was at the Robert Mondavi winery last weekend and I came across what I gather is a grape crusher.

Elegant.

Garage Love

2009-03-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent photos from certain imperfect'd adventures in the TAChouse. Denim, you're lubing to prep for the cam in these photos? CB, what are you up to?

New Car: another 1969 mustang

2009-03-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

So I've got to throw this post up or I'll never do it. Short Version: sold green car, got blue one.

Loong Version:

About two and half months ago, as most of you know, I hesitatingly decided to put (what I have found myself calling "Numero Uno") my green mustang up on Craigslist. It was after a series of mechanical irritations but mostly the sinking realization that my hope of getting the rust fixed this year was totally irrational given the amount of grad school and wedding prep I was doing.

At about the same time, this blue one had just been sitting for weeks on CL for for near the same price as I was offering mine. I actually went and checked it out with another guy interested in it and got a better look at it.

While it was no trailer queen, it was nearly totally rust free (it's been SoCal car its entire life), had a f-code 302 just like numero 1, and the paint, though a single coat & shoddily done, was hella better then Numero Uno. Moreover, there had been entry-level work on the suspension (big sway bars, air shocks, poly bushings, and it was lowered 1.5 inches), & it came w/ a edelbrock 4bbl setup and power steering (still don't know if I like that last item). Cons also included the interior was @ 50% and it wasn't running.

I decided sadly, but once and for all, that I was game for selling numero uno.

Soon enough a kid with LA's skyscrapers in his backyard decided he was serious about my car after I drove it down there. This was after a series of mishaps including (quite embarrassingly) him and his dad driving up from LA and finding my car not running (points needed adjusting)... but nevertheless, SOLD for 3k, with a trunkful of parts I figured I wouldn't need. This was $500 more than what I payed in December '08 so I was ok with this (I figure I about broke even after all).

Then came the finagling for the blue one, and I got it! The owner moreover offered to get it up and running, which would entail, he claimed, just a new battery. Things were looking good: interiors are cheap on this car so I bought a bunch of upholstery, and I also bought the owners claim and hope for the best about the engine-- after all, 302's are famously stout.

Well the owner was wrong, and after a month of sitting in a deadbeat shop in Moorepark, car wizard Ricky in Santa Paula towed it over and got it running after another week and a half of experimenting ...thankfully no serious problems, it just needed a new alternator and distributor. And it needed brakes all around. Ouch. But hey, it was drivable, and, with the above mentioned mods, it felt waaay faster than my other one.

This basically leaves me where I am today. I'm pleased with the first mod on my part: OEM Mag 500 wheels, 14x7. Classic look IMO, and they were only $450 with tires on CL. Lots cheaper than Cragars, Torq-Thrust, or the crazy awesome Trans-am style wheels out there.

Right now it's at Ricky's again because the windows came screwed up: misaligned and non-rolling. Easy to break into. This fix has gone from a 6 hour attempt on my own part, a day job at Manny's, to 8 days there and counting. Tomorrow at 2 he says. Manana, Manana. Well, hopefully it will be ready to drop off at the upholsters sometime on Monday for new front seat upholstery and a headliner.

Though I'm deflated at the lack of driving I've gotten with this car because of all of the hang ups (I havn't even mentioned the fuel pump problems I'm still having--more on that in another post), I'm genuinely relieved to have a car whose body doesn't need work.

I'm also excited about the steady stream of good deals I've gotten on performance and restoration parts off of eBay including:

-Built Ford Racing aluminium heads (Previous owner put down 353 hp with a Ford x Cam and intake upgrades (!))
-Hooker long tube headers
-A holley carb which needs rebuilding (sort of an impulse buy, but I want to learn how to rebuild carbs--I think. We'll see if I regret this)
-Shaker ram air assembly and hood (actually the hood was freaking expensive). This will replace the overkill fiberglass hood which is also cracked and saggy.
-Fresh Grant steering wheel to replace the old and beat-up Grant steering wheel.
-Other interior goodies like an original AM/FM radio (subject to future experimentation)

With the interior done, the parts installed, painted, and cleaned up, a set of flowmasters (another $300), and a cam, I think I'll have a great cruiser. I'm hoping to sell my fastback shell because the roof swap would be overkill for this car. Oh, and the car has a slush box. That will change this summer.

For the long-term this car feels like 'the one.' A clean body will become all the more precious and rare as I move back to midwest, and getting married soon means the likelyhood of getting another car like this is next to none anytime soon.

So there it is! I hope to post in the future the little projects I can manage myself, gathering from the sagacity of the imperfect'd crew along the way.

P.S. I also recently got a horribly awesome beater car worthy of its own story, soon to come. Here's a hint...

progress: setting the timing

2009-03-25T14:43:00.001-07:00

The manual says the number of pins between the arrow labeled 3 on the exhaust camshaft sprocket, and the arrow labeled 2 on the intake camshaft sprocket, needs to be 20 inclusive. Adjust the crankshaft so the T tick mark (not the R tick mark) lines up to the guide tick in the stator window. Set the chain, count the pins three times (then count them backwards), then torque down the camshaft cap bolts in diagonal sequence to 70-100 inch-lbs. Then don't touch anything till the tensioner goes in - more on that later.

FWIW, according to Paul the rule of thumb in setting timing is to make sure the camshaft lobes on one side or the other are diametrically opposed: either facing each other or facing away from each other; but it is necessary to reference the manual for your specific motor. There are also rectangular notches machined in the ends of the camshaft to help with this.

A five-year-old could put a Suzuki motorcycle engine together. I could seriously give my little brother the book and some tools and tell him "here, build this".

2009-03-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

I remarked recently at supper with crashbox and ho mathetes that auto mechanics seemed to partake both of art and of science. Art insofar as learned techniques exist, esp. in manipulating the dynamics of fuel and air through available adjustments on a motor; science insofar as the parts of the whole motor exist to each other in a planned order and that order can be grasped.

Now the art aspect of this has mostly to do with tuning, which is undeniably an art, the art of making an engine run well for a specific purpose. And as with all arts, in it one moves away from the theoretical and toward the practical. What works is paramount; not what is supposed to work. It seems to me appropriate to be constantly meditating on the function of this part in the whole while I have my fingers seating nuts and bolts. One views the motor teleologically, as an organism whose design is to, well, run properly. Like any organism, its parts (organs) act toward this end synergistically and any disturbance is rejected. It is better not to take apart a well running motor for this reason, and why part-specific performance upgrades must be approached with such caution. Disturb the part and you disturb the whole.

The science aspect is much easier to deal with, so much easier that most people substitute it for the art. Numbers, settings, volts, psi: it all adds up to a functioning machine. Or not, and when it doesn't clearly some number or setting is wrong. Black and white, find the missing term. Accessible to logic, easy to work out when you have all the data. The laws of physics are laws because they are constant, the variables act according to formulae. A machine acts in accordance with its assembly, its metallurgy, its structural design, all of which may be analyzed.

Science provides the background from which the art may be better understood, and art contributes real-world experience from which the science may be better known. They depend upon each other. Only a proper view of their mutual contribution to engine building will ensure the success of the builder. (A few expensive tools and some good tunes don't hurt, either)

progress: installing the head

2009-03-09T23:15:00.000-07:00

mmmm...glistening scrubbed metal. The 34cc overbore necessitated the appropriate Wiseco gasket, an elaborate 3-layer affair stamped together by brass pins. The entire process of installation required almost an hour and a half, of which approximately an hour was spent by me either (a) rearranging the playlist in Winamp or (b) laying out nuts and washers on a paper towel in the EXACT pattern they were to be installed in the head. The remaining half hour was a sweaty-palmed threading of an oily cam chain through a clean shiny gasket and clean head surface (thanks Jerry for the extra pair of hands!!), the setting of the head upon the studs and settling thereof upon the gasket and thumb-tightening all twelve bolts.

Then they were torqued, according to the pattern, to about 10 lb-ft. I'll let the head sit and relax the gasket overnight while I scrummage through my tools and see if I have a more rigid 3/8 extension than the articulated Great Neck one in the Garage.

Note concerning torque wrenches. If you're building an aluminum motor, buy the best dial wrenches you can possibly afford. I'm not kidding. The length of time an aluminum motor holds together is greatly dependent upon the uniform tightness of its fasteners. Also, buy two torque wrenches. One in inch-pounds and one in foot-pounds. Most bike fasteners seem to require less than 20 ft-lb of torque, which is right on the edge of the margin of error of my 100 ft-lb big Precision Instruments torque wrench. Also, when torquing down bolts, remember that you are setting up a lot of internal stresses in the bolt and threads. When the torque level is reached hold the pressure for a few seconds to let those internals stresses stabilize, for example let the bolt untwist itself in the nut - otherwise you'll end up with a loose nut.

Homemade tappet adjustment tool coming up next...stay tuned.

(how does one caption photos? I continue to be frustrated by blogger's clumsy photo interface. insertion in text is not always what it seems)

Two Loves Combined: Diesel Motorcycles

2009-03-09T09:46:00.001-07:00

At left is the M1030M1 JP8/Diesel Military Motorcycle.

Apparently NATO standards have switched to a 'one fuel' requirement. In the near future, petrol/gasoline will be banned from US Navy ships, and so the Marines have been working to develop a usable diesel motorcycle.

A quick search of the internet reveals a small cult following of diesel motorcycles, especially across the pond.

Here is a beautiful example of a Royal Enfield

running a 440cc Italian 15LD Lombardini Engine.

Here's the site for the British/European diesel motorcycle rally.

And then there is the world's only production diesel motorcycle. And the only available commercial model.

And these Dutch beauties.

2009-03-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I am pleased to report that after six months or so I finally have the GS1100's engine back in my possession, freshly ringed and honed and cam-chain-guided and base-gasketed; and just about one year to the month after beginning this project I am in a position to finish it.

All the pieces and parts are carefully wrapped and boxed in various scattered locations about the Garage; the frame is washed and scrubbed; the two plastic parts are painted flat black, and I have a drawing in hand detailing the various things I need to do in addition to the shop-manual assembly procedure.

So, the legos are ready to stack and snap, the directions laid out on the floor; but unlike simply complaining to mom that I don't want to eat supper I have to conform to the hours available between the twin iron fists of work and of night.

(I wish I knew something about posting photos. Blogger doesn't seem to handle pics in sequence very well. Oh well, I'll have to do what I can.)

5000 miles in a 300D

2009-03-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

This summer, I'd like to do a cross country trip in the 300TD Wagon, perhaps after I add a secondary fuel tank for SVO, and a filtering station for WVO.

But this is pretty cool. I mean, Nova Scotia, after all.

TheStar_0507.pdf

2009-03-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

Charlie just got his first bike!

We found this vintage wooden bike on craigslist; it is all real wood and has steel wheels with solid rubber tires---no plastic here. He's not big enough to ride it yet, but it won't be too long until he is scooting all over the place on it. And from his expression, he can't wait!

2009-02-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

This is very tragic (for a car buff), and the comments are hilarious...Spokane is MY crappy hometown too, so I had to post this little absurdity:

http://jalopnik.com/tag/1963-corvette-stingray/?id=5160110

Imperfect'd in Muscle Car Review Magazine

2009-02-25T16:48:00.000-08:00

I recently wrote the editor of Muscle Car Review regarding a bit of a dispute happening amongst readers, and he mentioned it in his column! I've taken pics which I think are readable...enjoy!

'79 Mercedes: New Dash Console

2009-02-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

So this lovely item (out of my $500 car) sells to collectors for $100.00+. The average retail value on my '79 is apparently $9,400, with the mint specimens reaching up to $15K. So out the ashtray comes, and up on eBay it goes!

In its place, I decided to wire in a custom dash accessory panel, complete with fuse, indicator light, and on/off switch.

Wiring the panel in on a mock-up cardboard cut-out.

Deciding to reconfigure it, and add a voltmeter.

Wiring the panel in.

Screaming deal

2009-02-13T11:26:00.000-08:00

dirt cheap...which I have no excuse for, sadly. So much potential!

Exhaust Manifold Gaskets

2009-02-12T21:42:00.000-08:00

I'd been saving these to show off... My, aren't they a mess! Tsk, tsk...

Silver's exhaust manifold gaskets I replaced a while back. They really need to be next to some new ones...

2009-02-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

My CAR is re-CYCLED, what!

2009-02-11T22:51:00.001-08:00

2009-02-10T23:46:00.000-08:00

This is probably my favorite Volvo 140 picture ever.

Recycled Model A

2009-02-10T14:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Hemming's auto blog for what might be the most hardcore recycled truck ever!

"Owner Lawrence David of Mill River, Massachusetts, said that he purchased it nearly 50 years ago to plow the local roads and that it always starts, even with its original six-volt electrical system. He said the rear axle is a Ruckstell two-speed, but those wheels look odd. I know a lot of doodlebug builders used big Packard and Pierce-Arrow axles to get the low ratios..."

2009-02-09T18:48:00.001-08:00

"So, I have a question. There were all those leaves and crap stuck in that radiator, right? Well there's something that concerns me about that and I wanted to run it by you. You know how wet leaves never really decompose? How the decayed leaf fiber is sort of indestructible and will still be in that engine 25 years from now?"

Crashbox looks up from the cigarette he is rolling. "Yeah?"

"Well here's the thing, I figure it would be easy to take that thing off and flush it out backwards with, well at least pouring, some water through it." Here I go again. The OCD is never going to recede completely no matter how hopeless, how lost the subject may be. Face it dude, this project is going to get the same princess treatment that the V-Strom gets when I change its oil. This is just a fact of the universe. The radiator gets flushed before the engine is started for the first time in its (rebuilt) life. Because this is proper. And the wiring will be sorted and made reliable. Oh sweet mother, the wiring.

(the thoughts that have going through my brain lately about redoing the wiring are insane, I quite assure you. In my sleep I have Pixar visions of following a little electron from the battery to the starter to the ignition switch to the start button to the fuse box hence outwards to the headlights to the gauges to the gauge lights ad nauseam infinitum wondering which switch which relay where switch where relay. I mean, I don't really care - I just think that since there is so little to making the old anvil of a truck and all of its two accessories run, that there is doubly no excuse for whatever works to be unreliable. No excuse whatsoever, so I think I will end up rewiring all of it. Just 'cuz.)

Crazy, crazy. And it is, frankly, things like this that make me doubt myself and my own sanity in even being part of Imperfect'd. For someone who places so much stock on perfection and the journey thereto....it seems wrong, somehow.

2009-02-05T23:31:00.000-08:00

It's funny, I think to myself. Here we are, it's the middle of Superbowl Sunday afternoon, and I'm in the woods next to a barn with a straight razor in one hand and an empty oil quart in the other.

Most people are getting all situated for the festivites to begin later in the p.m., driving out to their buddies' houses or to expensive, sweaty, noisy sports bars or to the grocery store to buy chips and booze but here we are with our hands full of rust and dirt and our stomachs empty. And I can't find a damn funnel to pour oil into the engine with, and I just spent 20 bucks on a gas can, and I'm laughing.

Do you realize, I say to crashbox, how retarded this is. How utterly....retarded this has become. I hold up the razor and the quart bottle, and he looks, grins and goes back underneath the dashboard to install the oil pressure gauge. I slit the bottle all the way round, taking extra care not to slit my hand open and contract tetanus. I balance the half of the bottle with the spout in it carefully against the brake fluid reservoir and dump five more quarts of oil into the crankcase.

It was my job to feed the thing with fluids while crashbox tried to massage the kinky electrical system into some form of functioning order. The expensive gas can and it's star trek child proof spring loaded plastic schnozz actually functioned somewhat and I was able to dribble 4.5 of 5 gallons into the rusty maw of the gas tank. This complete, I proceeded to fill the radiator with water from the barn hose. (Coolant is cheap, yes, but time isn't and one can transport only so many bottles of liquid on a motorcycle, even a motorcycle with an epic tail box like mine. All the space was taken up with oil) Leaves bubbled up from the inner depths of the radiator and floated about near the filler neck. This can't be good. This, in fact, necessitates removal of radiator, a brisk turning-upside-down and shaking. Something I will do next time I come, because here we are with the electrical system and it's 4 pm already and for all intents and purposes the working day is over. We were supposed to be done by about 3 pm.

And still nothing from the ignition switch. crashbox curses silently to himself. I lean on the fender glumly. Electrical's a pain in the ass, literally, but the good news is that there's only so much of it on a 1969 Chevrolet truck with one option: an AM radio. We wonder aloud exactly where in the inaccessible area of the starter we are ceasing to have electrons move.

The Proprietor of The Ranch emerges from the inky depths of the shop with a length of lampcord. "All you have to do is wire this end" he holds up one end "to the battery" pointing "and the other end to there and bypass the starter completely. It's stupid. I don't know why they wire it that way. Has nothing to do with getting to the switch." Crashbox gathers his crimper and wire crimps and begins to twist the two wires together. They won't fit inside the largest crimp he has. So he begins to strip one strand of wire from the outer housing. He glances at the sun and thinks better of it, abandons the stripping and crimps one strand to the battery lead leaving the other loose. The other end of the same strand goes to the purple wire that snakes down behind the rotted hood raingutter and disappears. The unused strand of wire glistens next to the the battery. This is goofy, but it will work and we will fix it later.

...there are so many things we WILL fix later...

2009-02-01T22:47:00.001-08:00

This post is roughly two months late, but I wanted to catch up on the bicycle work I have been doing recently. For AC's birthday I built a removable basket for her Specialized single speed conversion out of an old wooden crate that I refinished, and I also put together a fixed gear bike for her to try out of an old Nishiki I stumbled across. It turns out she's not too crazy about riding fixed after all (acquired taste, I guess!), but the basket was a big hit. We sold the fixed gear bike to a very nice girl in Ventura and little bit ago, and hauled groceries in the basket on the other bike for the first time this weekend. Fun and satisfying projects, both of them; and, because it seems I always have to have multiple things going at once, I am currently collecting parts to put together another bike, this time for doing tricks on. Money dictates that it will be a long time before that one is finished---even though I have sold most of the bikes I have built so far in order to pay for the next ones in line---but I'm not in a hurry on this one. Speaking of bikes I have sold, AC has seen the first fixed gear I built around Ventura and Ojai twice now. Pretty cool that it is still being ridden and looks just the same six months later!

2009-02-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

It all started one dark and chilly January evening, by the arid light of a halogen lamp trained on the hulk like a spotlight on a sunken battleship....

Crashbox and I spent a good deal of time rummaging about in the barn looking for an attachment for the air compressor, so we could remove the first layer of eucalyptus leaves, mouse leavings, hanging moss. Failing in this quest, further diligent searching turned up a water hose that we managed to coax a trickle from, a trickle like that from a drinking fountain. With this and a kitchen scrub brush we spent half an hour on the interior. We vowed then and there that the first priority would be to Get the Thing Running...and then move it somewhere we could Get the Thing Clean (and refix all the temporary fixes needed in the first phase, such as the tranny cooler dangling by its own entrails, and the transmission spout stuffed with a rag). This cold, dark, depressing arrangement needed to change before morale could be sparked and the will to conquer, awoken....

I feel very late to the scene. As conversation goes on I learn exactly how much this old truck was a part of everyone's life at The Ranch, and everyone seems to regard it with the same sort of bemused bewilderment that they would a crazy sheep dog...always there, tolerated gently, but always under the skin, and practically speaking it would be better if we put a bullet through its head....

Maybe that's all it takes for the crazy sheep dog, though...just another fresh attitude, a spark of optimism in someone who doesn't know the history (doesn't know about the dead sheep, all the hundreds of dollars spent in time, frustration and desperation)

2009-01-29T22:27:00.000-08:00

Hell Yes!

My New Favorite Mercedes Website

2009-01-26T00:43:00.000-08:00

http://mercedessource.com

And you gotta check out these; stainless steel zipties!

2009-01-23T21:54:00.000-08:00

For some projects, the most fitting words, the most poignant observations, can only come from a third party. A mother, a girlfriend, a boss, an employee, or just a good friend has a message that simply strikes the essence of the whole project.

Here is such a message, a quote from my dad upon his learning that I was about to pull an old truck from the weeds:

"You should take pictures of the truck only for the sake of reminding you (when truck troubles come along), it is a heap you pulled from under an oak tree, after 4 years of rest, you have forced it back into service, it may be ugly for a good reason, but, it seemed like a good idea at the time and (hopefully) you are no worse off than before.

If you want to name the truck I suggest you call it FERDINAND.

As you know the story of the reluctant bull, he wouldn't fight in the bull ring or be fierce as they wished him to be, so they had to take Ferdinand home. And for all we know he is sitting there still, under his favorite cork tree, smelling the flowers just quietly and is very happy."

Project XXI

2009-01-22T23:18:00.000-08:00

Project XXI is still in the concept phase, but this is where it stands thus far:
I’m thinking a second chain-ring on the other side of the crank driving this three barrel gatling gun. Handlebar mounted trigger (say in a bell position) will disengage a clutch in the receiver allowing barrels to spin and gun to fire.
Snail-drum magazine loading from the bottom.
Chambered for 9mm or .38 Super maybe--that’s still in the air.
Laser sight on the handle bars.

Tell me what you think.

Bike shirts from Fixed Gear Gallery

2009-01-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

It has been a number of months now since I started following the daily updates over at Fixed Gear Gallery, and that site was one of my main inspirations for riding and building fixed gear bikes. As some of you know, I am a total convert to the whole 'fixie' thing, and ride it literally every day; (and I don't mind if you make fun of me or shake your heads---I still enjoy it every time I get on it). I submitted my first two builds as well as a few of my bicycle drawings to the site, and actually got a few emails from folks wondering how I got the frame of my Trek to look the way it does. The drawings produced a few compliments too, but I was still surprised to receive an email from Mr. Fixed Gear Gallery himself: one Dennis Bean-Larson. Now, when it comes to the fixed gear world, Mr. Bean-Larson is sort of like a benevolent godfather, organizing events and contests and feeding his fellow 'fixters' with a continual stream of bike pictures. When he asked me about making a shirt from my design, I was amazed that from all the submissions he wanted to print mine! Well, we made a deal and he has started printed shirts with my drawing on it for his clothing line, Hell Yes Clothing. Neither he or I will get rich from this assuredly, but I am stoked to have my work being produced by someone well-known! You should check out his website---in the 'coming soon' section you'll see my name(!); I don't know for sure when they will be out, but soon, so watch for it!

contemplation of four-wheel ownership

2009-01-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

I suppose it is inevitable. That's the sentiment that looms, whenever it rains or whenever it becomes necessary to transport large picture frames, motorcycle engines, motorcycle rear wheels, or the occasional comfy chair.

While a motorcycle or a scooter is the perfect personal transportation device, its limitations as a general transportation device have been a bit under the collar of late. I'm eagerly chomping at the bit to expand my career experience in landscaping, which means taking on minor side jobs for little or nothing. I admit to having a brief, mad fling with the thought of constructing a motorcycle trailer or purchasing a sidecar hack, but the Russian hacks get about 20 mpg and require a good bit of tinkering to keep on the road, and I don't have the resources to build one myself.

So I'm facing the reality of carting about lengths of PVC pipe, shovels and rakes and occasionally a broken motorcycle, and this will place me once again amongst the huddled masses of cage drivers. I don't like the idea; I'm trying to avoid acquiring stuff which costs insurance and registration (which will inevitably cost more than insurance). And I won't be able to let the car/truck sit. I'll have to drive it occasionally to keep it alive. So between the DL650, Suzi and another vehicle, I'll have to keep all of them going - that's going to be a lot of burning gas and wearing out tires and final drives. Can't sell the DL; it is and will remain my primary transpo, can't sell Suzi, she's in pieces; and it's pretty certain I'm going to absolutely, positively need to have this car or truck about 1.5 times a month. So yeah. One man, three vehicles (four if the Motobecane is included); how obscene is that...

If only I had any friends that I trusted with an 1134 cc overbored superbike...maybe I can get crashbox to borrow it periodically just to keep the juices juicy. Ideally, I'd like to sell it to someone who will properly appreciate it, but I don't know anyone like that, and I have to put at least a few miles on it myself before it goes.

There is also the thought of having the right tool for the task; and that is also part of my approach to life. I absolutely HATE using the wrong tool for the task, an aversion probably running somewhere deep in my old-world wood-carver ancestry. That thought makes things easier, but...still...I'm all out of carport space....

2009-01-10T21:51:00.000-08:00

I think it is time we actually printed those 'Recycled Vehicle' stickers you saw on crashboxing a little while back. As I said before, the lowest price I can find is $90 for 250, from the same company that printed the imperfectd stickers for us. We are all tight for money I know, but if there are at least three of us in on it we won't have to spend to much and we can divide the quantity.

Who's with me?

On the Road Again

2009-01-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I bought a new-to-me recycled car here in the Bay Area.

The scrap man was going to give this fellow $500 for it, but he'd rather have it go to a good home.

Ol' girl needs a few things before we get on the road to PDX.

We did have Fernando come out and put a new windshield in, and Paul hooked us up with some new tires, too.

I changed the oil -- didn't realize synthetic was SO expensive. The AAA discount at Napa's helped, I think it was 10 or 15%.

Luckily the previous owner left a new windshield gasket (~$50), a new oil filter (~$8), and a couple of glow plugs (~$20-30). That and an assortment of specialty wrenches, which probably cost a pretty penny. A shop manual (Haynes, but still) and a Mercedes Benz A/C and climate control systems manual. In fact, I'll bet I could just sell the excess parts and so forth and recoup my money!

Things left to do:

Fix the water leak in the thermocoupler valve
Put in a new speedo cable
Fix the dash lights
Plug the rear speakers back in
Get rear headrests?
Get sidemarkers?
Get one more hubcap?

Brake for a brakeless fixed gear

2008-12-24T15:58:00.000-08:00

I think this is an awesome idea for a fixed gear---you can't stop pedaling anyways, so why not? Beautiful bike too...

240 Parts on eBay

2008-12-19T18:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I was cruising eBay to see what parts I should pull off my Volvo and sell, looking out for any expensive parts that I can do without, and whaddya know -- you can buy whole engines (or transmissions) pulled from wrecked 240's for just a couple hundred bucks. Wow!

Check it out.

Side mirrors up to ... $60
Grills up to ... $100
Instrument clusters for $80
Pair of Wagon tail-lights ... $80
Seats ... $75
Used Sun Visors ... $85
Third row seat (Wagon) ... $79+45 shipping

Wow!

2008-12-16T09:03:00.000-08:00

This might display a degree of poor taste on my part, but I thought this was pretty funny and ironically appropriate. After all, if the LA Times is to be taken as truthful (!), 80% of Americans are against government involvement with Detroit.

(Courtesy of CarDomain.com)

2008-12-13T20:05:00.000-08:00

I didn't want to spend $63 for a high-quality 200-lumen Knog headlight on Amazon, even though that's a screaming deal on a light that typically retails for $179....

I found this instead. I could install the handlebar mount where the rear brake hood used to be. Now it's off to Lowe's to acquire the necessary hardware...

(an hour passes. Tinkering with a Mini-Maglite and twist-ties, ensues)

Ok, never mind. Sorry guys, I'm spending the $63. One Knog 105 coming up...the last one in stock at that price....*fingers crossed* (If you have a cheap life, buy a cheap headlight)

But check out the link. I think the idea has merit for people who ride in town with streetlights.

***

The derailleur cable and housing has been replaced, front to back. It doesn't shift any better. My suspicions of the fundamental inadequacy of the budget AllVit derailleur are confirmed. It will suffice, however, albeit in 8-speed rather than 10-speed form.

New brake pads! Joy! No longer will I need to broadcast my presence to surrounding neighborhoods by the echoing, tortured squeal of hard 30-year-old rubber against the rims.

2008-12-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

One of these days I'm really going to have to have some photos of my bicycle in its proper habitat: the outdoors, but today is not the day for that. I'm strategically pre-empting an imminent flu by not working today. Unable to stay in bed past noon, I was blearily rummaging about the kitchen for soup and tea, and my eye fell upon the pile of parts in my apartment corner with the bicycle suspended over them, like a half finished model airplane. I remembered that there was an Upgrade Not Gotten To last week and perhaps my forced inaction would provide me with an opportunity to remedy this.

So out came the 14mm wrench, and I was soon loosening mangled bolts from their mangled nuts to remove the borrowed Specialized seat and install a new Bontrager one.

Someone should write a book about this creating a roadable, century-capable road bike for $90, which includes its purchase price of $40. The author ought to be a lazy person who can't be

bothered to get good deals on parts by rummaging through used bike websites. Can't even be bothered buying new stuff at a discount on Amazon since he hates paying for shipping. He would buy everything brand new at MSRP at his local dealership (or dealership SALE prices *smirk*)

I'm not saying that's what I've spent on it, I'm not saying that's even NEAR what I've spent on this project altogether, for I assume the author of such a book would not include kit such as miniature (6") Trek tire pump ($30), a frame pack ($20) tire spoons and associated patches ($6) and various allen wrenches and spanners that I refuse to leave home without.

And then there was all the spandex, which added up to, well, a lot.

So I'm not saying that serious road riding for the lazy person is cheap, but I am saying that the actual bicycle is but a small fraction of the overall cost.

Anyway, the new seat. No it's not fancy or anything but it retails for $59.99 and I got it for $18 at the local Trek store:

2008-12-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

I found this calculator (from Portland, OR of course!) very interesting, though I still love cars and won't be giving mine up if I can help it:

The Cost of Car Ownership

Oh no

2008-12-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

This is not 'shopped...volvo fans I am sorry... I couldn't resist...

The Silver Bullet: Exhaust Manifold Gasket

2008-12-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

I haven't been lazy in working on the cars and bikes, just lazy in posting about them.

On the Silver Bullet I installed a new battery terminal on the positive post with a stud and wing-nut combo, and redid the main electrical connectors in 4 GA brass ring ends... (I also had to put a new battery in, but the other one did last me since 2002).

But the main project this time around was the exhaust manifold gaskets. I forgot to document the process with the camera, but I should find those old gaskets and post a photo of them -- they are pretty gnarly looking. And yes, they were responsible for the horrendous engine noise and lackluster performance, the rough idle, and so much more.

In the middle of that job, I took a break and rewired the rear door harnesses. After I had hacked them all to bits, I found that the kits are less than $20 from IPD. Oh well. I saved most of the connectors, so maybe I could rewire them in later... The way they are now I have to implement an alternative cable channel anyway... This little bit of wiring fixed the license plate lights, the rear door power lock, and presumably the rear wiper/sprayer.

I hadn't really done much exhaust work before this manifold gasket job, but it's pretty easy. The only difficult part was leveraging the manifold on and off. While I was trying to detach the header from the header pipe connection, I badly stripped a bolt that's in a place where it is impossible to get leverage, so I ended up manhandling the exhaust manifold off whilst leaving the header pipe in place. I don't recommend this, but my friend was 3-foot section of pipe that I once found by the side of the road. It was my wrench-extender, and lever-bar -- my best friend for this job (I should post a picture). When I found it on the side of the road, stopped, picked it up, and put it in the car, I swear I thought my Wife was going to get out of the car and leave, but she didn't. And now it really came in handy.

At some point I'll have to get in there and bust that bolt out, and redo the header gasket while I'm at it.

Since I don't have job-specific photos this time, I'll leave you with a couple shots of the infamous switches cluster.

2008-11-30T19:07:00.000-08:00

I have been mystified for some time by the terms 'Keirin' and "NJS' in reference to fixed gear bicycling, and now I have answers. (The following was taken from Norwegian Fixed Gear Online).

Saturday, November 22, 2008
What is Keirin?

During the early days of cycling, as far back as 1880, track cycling was popular in America and in Europe. By 1893 cycling had a large enough following to permit a World Championship. Just three years later bicycle racing made its way into the first inaugural modern day Olympic Games. By the 1920's indoor track racing had become one of the most popular spectator sports, drawing enormous crowds. Track racing reached the peak of it's popularity in the 1930s in the United States, when 6-day relay races were held in Madison Square Garden in New York, from which the track discipline "Madison", a relay cycling race, still takes its name. Interest in bicycle track racing declined during the late 1930's and early 40's, principally due to the rise of soccer and motor sport, and bicycle track racing lost its former position as the number one spectator sport. It enjoyed a revival in Europe after the Second World War, due to the reintroduction of 6-day racing, and in the late 1950's and early '60's, the European public's interest in track cycling gradually rose, though never again to the same level. However, far away from the traditional cycling nations and little known to the rest of the world, bicycle track racing is enormously popular.

Keirin, meaning "racing wheels" or simply "bicycle race", originated in Kokura City in November 1948. It has become a Japanese social institution attended by around 57 million spectators every year, who place bets amounting to1.15 trillion Yen annually. Keirin compares most closely with greyhound or horse racing in the West. Races are held almost every weekend at 50 tracks around Japan. The events are usually held over 4 days; entry costs only100 yen (90 Ct), there are 11 races per night with 9 riders per race. The crowd is mainly made up of older men who gamble on the races, there are very few women spectators. There are seven different types of bets, combinations of the placing of two or three racers. Picking the winner of a Keirin race is a complicated matter; the punters have to examine the background of each rider who is participating in the race. Blood group, astrological sign and thigh measurements in addition to starting position and seasonal form are only some of the factors taken into consideration when placing a bet. Form and information about the athletes can be studied in special newspapers, and for the punters having successfully analysed the riders is part of the reward when they win. Paradoxically most people don't watch the races 'live' but watch on the TV screens, even though they're at the track.

After the riders come out of the tunnel, "the racers gate", they ride slowly to the start, fix their bikes in position in the starting machine, and bow once before getting into the saddle. There are usually nine racers but six, seven, or eight competitors can start. They are clad in brightly coloured jerseys and helmet covers, to make them easy for the crowd to identify. The colours were standardized in the mid nineties, the numbers one through nine wear the colours , white, black, red, blue, green, orange, pink and purple respectively. The races are usually 2000 m (5 X 400 m), although some tracks are 333m or even 500m long. The track is steeply banked at each end making for a very dramatic racing atmosphere. The race starts slowly, the riders jockeying for an advantageous position behind the pacemaker, who goes off the track after 3 laps and a bell rings opening the sprint. During the last two laps the pace rises, and the riders begin a furious battle, fighting to get into gaps. In the final sprint for the finish line the racers reach speeds of up to 70 km/h.

There are four standard strategies in Kerin;
Senko, leading with high speed from the front.
Makuri, passing from behind in the final straight.
Mak, sprinting past from second place.
Oikona, coming out from behind the leaders back wheel to win.

All this is however only theory. There are a lot of tactics involved, and some riders will work together in a race to gain an advantage, so observing ones opponents is of utmost importance. A certain amount of pushing and shoving is tolerated by the rules and as the speeding riders manoeuvre in the fight for the best position spectacular crashes are not uncommon. The surface of the track is hard and rough to provide good traction even in the rain, so the racers wear plastic body armour under their jerseys to prevent serious injury should it come to a crash. The races typically require photo finishes, the riders who win going on to compete in higher-staked races the next day.

A Keirin pro will race 80-100 times a year, prize money can be upwards of 100,000 € for the winner of a large keirin event, the top riders earning up to 1.5m € a year. The riders all use similar steel framed bikes, specially built racing machines. They have some choice over the gear they ride, 12-16 teeth on the sprocket and up to 55 on the chainring, but only frames and components approved by the Nihon Jitensha Shinkokai ( Japanese Bicycle Association) NJS, are permitted to compete at Keirin races.mThe bikes are checked before each race by the "Kencha" the technical inspection authority , no flat spokes, disc wheels, carbon fibre, or aluminium frames are approved, meaning a whole industry of frame shops dedicated to building high quality racing frames has grown up around Keirin.

There are 4000 registered Keirin riders in Japan. The average age of the riders is about 35. It is not uncommon for a keirin racer to compete into his fifties, the oldest Keirin racer ever, Uemura San was 60 years old when he retired. In 1969 women racers were taken off the Keirin registers. Women's racing was stopped due to a lack of interest which resulted mainly from the lower level of performance, in comparison to men's Keirin. Prospective Keirin competitors must attend the Japan Bicycle Racing School at Shuzenji, in the Izu area. The only Keirin School in Japan was founded in 1968 and is dedicated to teaching the academic and practical skills the students will need to compete. The 10% of applicants fortunate enough to be accepted then undergo a strict, 15-hour per day training regime. During the 10-month period of training and study, the students aged between 18 and 22, learn the rules and tactics of the sport, bicycle mechanics and physiotherapy as well as riding technique, and endurance. The goal is to achieve harmony of heart, body and technique. The Keirin competitor is trainer, manager, mechanic, and racer. Those who pass the graduation exams, and are approved by the Japan Keirin Association, are then registered by the association as competitors and are eligible to take part in Keirin events. Every year 150 new riders are admitted, first to a four-month stint in the newcomer's league, following which they are assigned a ranking. Rankings are adjusted, based on a competitor's performance, every four months.

There are three 'S', four 'A' and two 'B' groupings.
S1 with 130 riders.
S2 and S3 with 150 riders each.
A1-A4 with between 2400 and 2500 riders.
B1-B2 with between 1460 and 1560 riders.
Only 'S' level riders are eligible for the Grand Prix events, 'Normal' events are the province of 'A' and 'B' class riders. The riders of the S class wear shorts with a red stripe and white stars, the A class a green stripe, the B class blue. Formerly the A and B class riders wore shorts with simple white stripes, the stars reserved for the S class athletes.

Although the Keirin stars are national heroes, they and their sport are little known outside Japan. One exception was Koichi Nakano, an expert sprinter, who won the World Championship Sprint title for ten successive years from 1977 to 1986, bringing himself much recognition, and attracting the interest of the outside world.
International Keirin races have been held in Japan since 1981, and the international series has become a popular event in the Keirin calendar. For the international series, held annually in April and May, the top international track racers are invited to compete against the local stars.
Until now the only countries to hold Keirin events outside Japan have been Korea, where events have been staged since 1994, and some South America nations.
Keirin was adopted as an official discipline at the Track World Championships in 1980 and as an Olympic discipline at the games in Sydney 2000. At these events the riders are paced by a motorized cycle known as a derny. Other than this the races are identical, just as exciting and unpredictable as the original. Keirin has become an established international track cycling event, enjoyed by fans throughout the world.

Volvo updates

2008-11-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks I have been tinkering with both my Volvos quite a bit. As I said in my Oct. 25 post, I have very serious dreams of putting a Ford 302 in my 142; and toward that end I have made a couple of modifications that, along with just being cool, will help clean up some space under the hood and drop some front end weight too.

To begin with, I eliminated the badly leaking brake booster canister and adapted the mounting bracket for a non-power setup. The brakes require a noticeably firmer leg now, but the booster had not been working very much anyway (besides also adversely affecting engine behavior because of leaking vacuum), and the overall result is quite reasonable. I still feel perfectly safe driving the car because the only difference is in pedal effort, not actual braking ability...but I have yet to try them out on the highway.

Below are some pictures of the booster bracket marked out for the grinder, and the bracket pedal plunger with a new bolt in the end for the proper depth with the booster.

Pictures of the finished job next time.

The other modification was moving the battery to the trunk. Between losing the battery tray altogether and 40-odd pounds of battery from far ahead of the front wheels, just behind the grill, I think the engine bay and front suspension are ready to contemplate how to accommodate the beastly Ford mill. The actual engine swap is still a ways off, but my mind is made up on this point, and I am collecting in preparation: this old family sedan is going to be faster than the Little Old Lady from Pasadena's Super Stock Dodge!

Like my under seat battery quick-disconnect?

biodiesel!

2008-11-19T12:21:00.001-08:00

I really want this emblem, but I can't justify $25 for it!

Totally, Absolutely Classic

2008-11-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

glumbert - Tiny Car Review

2008-11-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

I discovered another anomaly about my old 1982 motorcycle last week.

It has been about a month since I've given my motor over to professional, equipped hands, right? Something like that. Too long, anyways. Much too long. Paul clearly does not require much business to stay afloat in his dingy little alley in Oxnard. One fine warm morning, Thursday of last week, in fact, I receive a message asking to call back.

I call back.

"It's a real questionable situation here. You have some irregularities, some corrosion" (leakdown from me washing the engine, I bet) "and it's one of those, well I don't want to TELL you what to do. It's right on the edge there, of whether to bore it out, or not to bore it out, you know. There's a few irregularities in there. I ran the flat hone through it, took it to two thousandths, you can run it out to four, four and a half thousandths and be within spec. So what do you want to do?"

What do I want to do. Paul says a new cylinder kit costs 600 bucks. I'm not liking the sound of that.

"It's curious here, it's already overbore, 2 mm over already. And look at this, it's got the old style circlips on it, really old school, the spiral kind" So this thing was bored out very shortly after it was bought in the early 80's. Really. The surprises keep coming. Rearsets. K&N pods. Now this. Why didn't he, if this mysterious previous owner bothered to go all the way to have it bored out to 1134 cc, (1134? From 1097? I mean, come on!) why didn't he bother to put a V&H four to one on it and rejet the carbs? Hell, maybe he DID rejet the carbs. Does he know more than I give him credit for? Who the hell rebores a motor and leaves the exhaust STOCK? And leaves the cams stock??

I drove out the next night to talk to Paul and look at the bores. They do have some imperfections. It would, more than likely, eat some oil. So do I do it right? Is it only money? Will I hate myself for having to add oil to a 26-year old bike with a fresh top-end?

Reality is, when it was running I wasn't having to add oil between changes, and it had a leaking head gasket and crumbled exhaust valves even then. It can't be that bad.

It's hard, because it's not just money, it's my future. I'm facing the difficult reality that I may have to sell this machine sometime in the not too distant future, a future that involves a four-wheeled, practical vehicle that costs insurance and crap like that. And I'm not going to get more than 2 grand for it. Hell, with say 110k, it won't fetch more than $1500, tops. Tops. And if the tranny does decide to go, it will be worth whatever lifeless steel is worth. Nothing.

And "top end rebuild, 1134 cc" sounds exactly the same in a craigslist ad as "top end rebuild, 1167 cc" since modified bikes are worth less than unmodified bikes, at least in the world of UJM's. They're like used Honda Civics.

Fact of the matter is, I can afford to re-ring, but with nearly 2 grand sunk into this project already I can't afford to put shiny new hammers in. So I guess that answers that....

The True Stand Cometh

2008-11-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

So I was in a conversation with a friend of ours, and next thing I know he's handing me this ancient True Stand. It belonged to his now-deceased step-father, and is a family heirloom of sorts.

Though lacking in modern features, it is amazing in its own, historical beauty. I am learning to true wheels, with the help of Brandt and Brown.

One for the blogroll

2008-11-13T15:12:00.000-08:00

Cool barnfind blog which I found today...tons of interesting cars....

2008-11-12T20:20:00.000-08:00

I know this isn't a proper project or even my car, but I had to share it anyway:

One of the sweetest examples of imperfected awesomeness ever!

More here.

Tales of the weird and wonderful

2008-11-12T13:11:00.001-08:00

Today when I was driving to work I noticed that a fuzzball appeared on the left side of my hood. Whoops.

...

Two days ago on Ebay I bought a '70 Mustang fastback sight unseen in WI an hour away from my folks. My coupe needs roof work and for ballpark the price of these repairs I'd rather just convert the car to a fastback (yes, I know it isn't an equivalent job). It appears that the one I bought was a rare-option 'grabber special' is one of nine known to exist; but I can't say for sure until I get a Marti report. The administrator of the linked Grabber registry seems to think it is, but we'll have to see. I now have an immense project.

If it is a "grabber" I can convert the car back to stock and have something rare, but I'll need to get a '70 donor car to make that happen.

The other more appealing option is use my '69's parts and make a Boss 302 clone--the 'scoopless' rear quarters, unique in '69 (amongst teh fastbacks) for the Boss 302, would make my car look pretty convincing. And nowadays, ford is offering a new tooling of the original Boss 4-bolt main block, and the rest is all out there supported by aftermarket. Yeah, I'm dreaming, but why not?

Back to Work on the Merc

2008-11-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't introduced my latest automobile here yet, but that's only for lack of time and want of pictures -- I need to get out there on a sunny day and photograph the beauty.

She's a 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300 SDL, and I've got her cooking up a storm on biodiesel. She's actually in really good shape, especially for a 22 year old car. I can't see ever buying a newer car, and in fact, if I continue at this rate, of buying older and older cars... the possibilites are amazing. Custom registration, no seatbelts, and so forth.

Anyways, I've got the basic overhaul to do on this car, the one you do when you buy a new-to-you vehicle with either an uncertain past or missing records, or both.

From left to right we've got a new brake wear sensor (cool!), a couple of oil filters (it uses a reusable case and an replaceable internal filter, and a permanent, washable air filter!), a new primary fuel filter (transparent so you can diagnose water in the fuel, a must for diesel), semi-metallic brake pads for both the front and rear, a Fram primary fuel filter (which I think I forget to delete out of my cart when I changed my mind to order the Beck/Arnley one instead -- good to have a backup anyways, and its only a few dollars), and a secondary fuel filter.

The other things I need to do will be check the water level on the battery, flush the tranny, check brake fluid, and do some minor repairs.

This batch of parts came from Kragen/Schucks/Parts America, and I ordered what I guess many consider the premiere work on Mercs.