Every now and then I like to review how the Average Guys’ Car Restoration, Mods and Racing site is doing and since the 2012 is winding down, now’s a good time. This year has been a good one. In just December alone – (specially after moving to the new Domain) we’ve had a excellent response. Here’s some numbers
Monthly Statistics for December 2012
Total Hits
35726
Total Files
19879
Total Pages
25003
Total Visits
8239
That’s not bad for only a couple weeks.
The Facebook companion site is doing well too.
Activity
December
People Who Like This
People Talking About This
2,518
2,714
With 64,134 individuals reached.
So thanks everyone for the viewS and don’t hesitate to drop me a note with your projects or restoration tips.
Follow the link above for a great run down on welding.
Welding is an essential skill for hardcore and even moderate enthusiasts. Nuts and bolts can only take you so far. Eventually, if you’re serious about customizing and fabrication, you’re going to have to learn to weld. This useful skill will open up new fabrication options for your projects that may have seemed impossible before.
While taking a class or going to a seminar is a good idea, the truth is – with practice, patience, and the proper equipment, you can learn to MIG weld in your garage, on your own. We got together with our friends at Lincoln Electric to find out what you should know to get started in the world of MIG welding.
For a variety of reasons you may need to step things up in the drive line department on your project car to a nine inch rear end. Extreme horsepower levels, the need to swap rear end gear ratios more easily, stronger components, less gear deflection, are all reasons that come to mind. Whatever the reason a Moser Engineering MUSCLEPAK nine inch may be the smart choice for your application
Sometimes we forget how things evolved when it comes to the functioning of our cars. Sometimes to understand how they work its helpful to go back in time and view how the problem was solved.
Take for instance this 1937 GM film on how to solve cornering.
As you know (I assuming here), a “sleeper” car is one that on the exterior looks “average” (that it’s normally understood as referring to “slow”) under the wrapper, it’s a fire breather.
I was reading a special edition of ……the best auto periodical publisher in the WORLD (normally understood as referring to “ever existed”) Hemmings’ Muscle Machines – All Modified….and came upon an article entitled “Sleepers” by Richard Brigidi.
He defined a “sleeper” car as one with no engine badges, no chrome or striping, but with a monster engine. The idea was back in the 1960’s as to hide the fact that you had mega HP under the hood. Of course back in the day, street racing was common (although non-legal – just like today) and often it was done for cash or “pink slips”, so hiding (or at least under stating) that fact that you’ve got a super power plant would be a benefit.
I’ve always liked the thought of having a poverty wheeled – rubber burner and always had in mind a plain-Jane Chevy Biscayne.
Or maybe a plain old Mustang coupe?
What’s your idea of a sleeper car? Drop your idea in a comment below.
Meanwhile, I put together a list of Top 5 Sleeper Cars available today. It includes a few American-built vehicles, and a couple more coming from cold, snowy Sweden and rugby-loving Australia. Check them out past the jump and tell me your thoughts in …
I was reading one of the industry standard new car ‘trends’ magazines and they were comparing two electric cars (ok, no offense intended but how ‘boring’ is that?). In the course of the discussion the formula above was that 1.6 is how many kw per hour (kw-h) an ion battery (in one of the cars) carries. That equals about the same amount of energy that 0.4 gallon so gas has.
Is this soon, to be the car guys’ discourse? “Man, I just upped my kilo watts to 1.9 per hour!” I hope not!!
I am getting older, but no, I’m not a technophobe. I’m the Director of IT for my company and I use a MAC and a Windows machine, the latest I-phone and a fairly new Android and, yes, I have all my music and movies in a “CLOUD”!!!! So that’s not the issue. What the hell are we going to talk about in the future? I just can’t see that being the topic of discussion, during a NASCAR race for at the drag strip.
How much of a conversation can you have? Discuss what would the bolt on possibility for an electronic car, oh….I don’t know maybe a Flux Capacitor to provide the needed 1.21 Gigawatts of Electrical Power? (Ok I couldn’t resist – here’s a link – http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/EB00/121G.oap)
Or, maybe, “Hey I just got the new EverReady ion cooper topped E battery for my Prius.”
I’m sure I offended a lot of engineers by this post and guys that love instant torque (hey maybe I’m on to something here….umm…naaah…..) and my hat is off to those chasing energy-saving cars that go fast, like Tesla’s offerings, but I’ll take good old horse power – gas mixed with air and ignited. That’s the way to go!!!!
There’s really no telling what banished this half-finished project to a curb full of weeds. It may have been funds running out, a builder in over his head or just a plain lack of interest but either way, we’ll never know. We spied the primered 1939 Packard sedan in northern Illinois, not far from the Wisconsin border. The vehicle’s interior was completely gutted and a single strap appeared to be the only thing holding the hood of an empty engine bay together. Bodywork has been done on several of the fenders and there’s air in the tires, so we’ll hope that whoever owns this dejected cruiser is just taking a break from a restoration or overhaul. Perhaps the next time we roll through the area we’ll see this curvacious Packard back in road-going glory. Or at least a ‘For Sale’ sign in the window.
