Locomobile
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Posts posted by Locomobile
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6 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:
so where could anyone drive
120 miles an hour?
Same places they do it now, wherever they can get away with it. Street racing has never been legal anywhere, but I can take you out on Telegraph Saturday night and they still turn many lights into a drag strip. Back in the 60's and 70's at least around here, the cops were pretty cool about it, hell we used to get stopped for drunk driving and they would just tell us to get home and stay there.
Those were fond memories back in the 60's in the "muscle car era", prior to all the emissions BS every American company was putting out respectable running strong cars, about 1970 was the end of it. The 60's were possibly the best and most interesting decade this country ever experienced. Rock and Roll British invasion, JFK, Viet Nam, the hippy movement, Women's Lib and mass bra burnings, halter tops, mini skirts, no incurable STD's, "if it feels good, do it", parties, the civil rights movement, the war protests, the music, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, first man on the moon, I was a young teenager, I wondered how could it get any better than this? it didn't, 1970 was like flipping a switch and our society has been kind of sucky ever since. I see these kids nowadays listening to The Who, Rolling Stones etc, That music is like 50 years old :)
-Ron
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To throw another log on this..
The 11 second claim for 68-69 roadrunner was talked around by many people and even the folks at Ramchargers which is an old Hot Rod shop around Detroit and they did know which cars were running what times at Detroit Dragway which was right near there store. I never seen it for myself, but I heard a lot of people talk it, and Ramchargers would have not been saying that if they hadn't seen it. Prior to the internet, the local Hot Rod shop was the hub for info.
The 68 and 69 Roadrunner had a special engine only used those two years in the Roadrunner only, Plymouth labeled it "The Roadrunner engine". The standard 383 was rated 270 hp, the RR engine was rated 335 hp and it was even claimed that Plymouth de-rated the engine, so teenagers could get insurance. I know, put your boots on.
-Ron
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12 minutes ago, 48Firetruck said:
The 1969 NHRA Winternationals had Funny Car top speed of 8.14 @ 181.4 MPH. Top Fuel set a national speed record of 6.68 @ 229.5.
There is this thing called the "cube law" As speed increases, with the same mass and wind resistance, the power to attain it increases exponentially.
100 mph with 80 hp, 200 mph, takes about 8 times that much hp.
-Ron
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This discussion reminds me of conversations that got us in to street races back then. Boy, were they shocked
The guys with 429's and 440's couldn't understand how they were outran by the smaller 383.
-Ron
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Gee whiz fellas take it easy
it was known fact in the late 60's a stock roadrunner with 383 would run low 11's right out of the factory, if you think or remember it differently, oh well. Add a Holley, Headers, Muncie rock crusher and some meats on the rear and it was a definite force to be reckoned with. Lots of people have roadrunners today and engines replaced with 383 station wagon engines which were a dime a dozen, not even close in comparison. I chuckle when I hear people talk smack about old Mopars. 68 and 69 Roadrunner had a special limited production engine, it was the only Mopar that used it. 440 heads, crank and cam.
Lots of Chevy and Ford guys hated Mopar back then, because they got blown off the road by them. I seen it happen over and over and over. 429 Mach1 Cobra jets, 396 Chevelle's, nothing would run with the old ridgerunner.
None would run better than 14's? Yeah ok..
-Ron
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13 hours ago, Ronnie said:
Watch this.
That is 707 hp? I don't think so.
My old 69 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ would have likely outran both of those slugs, my brothers modified 68 Roadrunner would have run circles around them. He blew the doors off of several "hot rods" in the muscle car era around Detroit with it. That was the only car I ever did 140 mph in, and that was the last time. 2nd gear would rip the glove box open and the maps would be laying in the back seat and apron under the back glass.
-Ron
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49 minutes ago, Xander Wildeisen said:
My insurance agent out here told me about a story where he watched a guy throw a second place trophy through his own windshield.
That would be a great video
I used to shoot archery tournaments a long time ago, every Sunday they gave out trophies and over a course of about three years, I accumulated a bunch of them 1st 2nd or 3rd and sometimes none. I had them on display, and then I got tired of looking at them because staring at my own trophy was like staring at a picture of myself, pointless. I eventually started throwing them in a box. I seen guys almost come to blows over them and several verbal arguments and accusing others of cheating etc. I eventually came to the realization, the competition was ruining the whole thing for most, instead of just getting together and enjoying the sport, people were competing against one another. To get a real understanding of a trophy, watch "The Gods must be crazy" Very similar..
I don't like trophy's anymore, I was awarded one for my Locomobile this past summer, it's under the backseat of my truck tangled up in the jumper cables the last time I seen it. The only thing that has kept me from throwing it away is out of respect for the people that gave it to me. It was the same thing, guys next to me kind of looking over at it and me with contempt. Screw all that, I do things to spend time with like minded folks, joke around with the public and enjoy myself. We don't need no steenkin trophies.
My experience with the whole award thing is, the people that want them, need them.
-Ron
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1 hour ago, edinmass said:
Henry is rolling over in his grave.
They still have the huge Newcomen and Watt atmospheric pumping engines there, I joked with the guys I was with, that probably the only reason they still have them is because they are too expensive to remove. They had a very rare Doble steam car that is no longer on display and no one knows what happened to it, a good friend of mine is a retired curator from over there and keeps me posted on the happenings. I told him I wanted the engines from the Suhwanee, he told me he would put me on the list and it's a long one
-Ron
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Without sounding like a curmudgeon, the museum was definitely a lot better 30 years ago, they had more old iron in there, and they had displays up near the front where people did metal crafts/jewelry and sold souvenirs. The steam engine exhibits were a chronology of development starting with Newcomen and right up in to the early 1900's. They had more cars and airplanes on exhibit as well. It is understandable that they have to change up the displays to attract visitors, but the direction they have been going is the wrong one, delving off in to social and political subjects that simply don't interest me or any of the people I go with (gearheads). I was there back in the summer and they said they are putting in a retro race car exhibit, so apparently they are getting the message.
-Ron
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38 minutes ago, JACK M said:
I have two cars that I really need to sell but am hesitant to use Ebay any more after reading on this site lately.
Here is what can happen:
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3 hours ago, auburnseeker said:
On Friday, all the label purchasing and printing system went down in the middle of the day for several hours.
I rarely use their shipping because it is more expensive. Just open an USPS membership on their website to get the best price without the middleman like Ebay or Stamps.com etc. Once I print the label, I right click and copy the tracking number and send it to the buyer. I just shipped an item to Montreal, Ebay wanted 60, USPS did it for 40, same service.
3 hours ago, auburnseeker said:You think they could send a message out to their regular sellers atleast that ship every day,
They don't care one iota about the sellers, and I told them that over the phone, when they were trying to steal $180 from me, a guy returned the item/refunded and they wanted to keep the seller fees. I think their opinion is the sellers are just a sad lot hard up for cash or cleaning out their garage and they have no choice but to accept whatever Ebay states. I got the fees back but I had to threaten to sue them. It's always "at their discretion", since when is keeping someone's $180 for no reason at their discretion? All I list on there now is low dollar items that I can afford to lose.
The people that sell electronics on there really get worked over.
-Ron
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21 hours ago, Frank DuVal said:
This I don't get. If the area is so crime ridden one needs to live in a gated community to stay safe, I want no part of it!👍
I agree and that is why most "gated communities" exist, it's to keep out the local troublemakers. I live in Detroit metro and people tell me i should get a CCW, my reply is I'm not going to live anywhere that I feel I need to pack a gun. When I feel I need to, I will leave. It isn't worth the hassle, a friend of mine carries all the time, he forgot and left his gun in his girlfriends car and she didn't know it was in there and tried to enter Canada, she got in a big hassle on the bridge and they made her turn around and go back.
-Ron
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13 hours ago, keiser31 said:
I practically grew up at that place!
Same here. My interest in steam began when I rode the Suhwanee steamboat which is sadly not there anymore thanks to the insurance companies and their ignorance and paranoia of steamboat explosions. Of which, one has not happened since the 1800's.
The first year I did Old car festival, it felt really strange driving my car around the village. We are lucky they let us do that.
-Ron
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47 minutes ago, auburnseeker said:
IF he didn't cancel the auction and you actually won it, you can always nail him with negative feedback.
If the seller withdraws, I don't think the buyer can leave any feedback because there was no transaction. Ebay has been changing their policies a lot over the last few years. Used to be, once the deal was made that was it, both parties were obligated, I think that caused a lot of problems for Ebay, now all the seller has to do is cancel the sale and provide any reason such as, the seller can't find the item, the item was damaged etc. I'm pretty sure the buyer cannot leave any feedback once it is cancelled.
Ebay is a joke now. I've had some really good antique steam related items on there for the past month and they just aren't moving. Ebay implemented a lot of idiotic policies and many people aren't selling much on there because of the fees, which results in fewer shoppers/fewer sales.
-Ron
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Cool old truck, they built vehicles for the logging industry. They also built these. The Lombard log hauler.
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The odd thing about mice, I've been working in machine shops for over 40 years, I can only think of a few brief encounters with mice and they didn't hang around. Some say they don't like the metal shavings, others say it's the smell of cutting oil and water soluble oils and noise.
One night in the summer I was working late and I had the front door propped open a bit to let some fresh air in and this mouse wandered in, walking around I spotted it, I opened the roll door and watched to see if it would run back out it never did. The next day, I had the doors closed and that mouse went to the door and sat there, I walked up and opened the door and it ran out, it waited for me to open the door. It wanted out of there really bad. True story
-Ron
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3 hours ago, Digger914 said:
the thought of chaining a couple of cats to the car did cross my mind
I think all that would get ya is a mouse problem and two frozen cats. And yeah, not cool.
Cats need to be kept in during cold nights. But weather permitting they will forage around and hunt for small rodents, that's what cats do. Seems like Siamese are best for that, they are born hunters. Every where I've lived, I've had mice problems, I've set traps, put out poison, tried the moth balls in the crawl space, which only made me about half sick, eyes watering, congested etc. The whole house stunk like moth balls. None of that was a long term solution, the best thing I've found for mice is a couple of good mousers. Where I live now there are two cats that hang around in the yard, I've lived here for 10 years and have only seen one mouse. They are the neighbors cats, but every few days, I give them a can of Albacore tuna as a way to say thank you.
-Ron
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4 hours ago, Digger914 said:
Killing mice is easy, suggestions on how to keep them away is what I need.
Nothing better than a couple of good cats.
-Ron
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In the parts that I have experience with 1899-1910ish, I've never seen any brass plated steel parts. I've seen nickel plated steel parts that are copper plated first, then nickel over brass is very common.
Showing a steam car, I overhear conspiracy experts at shows comment that these cars run on water and the oil companies banded together and put them out of business etc. Oil companies would love the steam car with their 5-10 mpg. I just act busy with something else.
-Ron
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6 hours ago, edinmass said:
would like to put my skills to use at a museum somewhere.
When I received the info pack this year for Greenfield Village Old Car Festival, there was a little note thing in there and they are looking for Model T mechanics to keep their fleet running. Not sure if it was a paid gig or not.
-Ron
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A few summers ago we took the Tug up the Champlain canal 63 miles from Waterford up to Whitehall, the Whitehall area is really nice and one place I would consider moving to. Very old historic region, nice scenery. Whitehall is where the US Navy was founded.
-Ron
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Speaking of GM and what went where, here is a video seen recently that may be of interest, some great shots of early 70's classics.
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Our neighbor had one of these Opel GT's growing up, same color, it was a new car and he could never get it started, I still remember going over there as a kid and helping him jump it. If it rained, forget it.
-Ron
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3 minutes ago, Zimm63 said:
Generally speaking, the lower the taxes, the lower the service level.
It can also be said and is known that high taxes are indicative of generous social programs which are an attraction to those who wish to receive those benefits and not work, and bring the associated social ills along with them. Think LA, New York, Newark, Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago etc.
Lower taxes overall are a definite consideration to companies looking to relocate, those same companies provide jobs. Michigan has made little effort to attract new business, in the past few years they switched to a right to work state and that didn't really change much, generally speaking companies aren't relocating here, there are more leaving. Same with the population, the baby boomers are retiring now and getting out of the frozen north, and moving for better weather and lower cost of living. Although the population is unchanged, those fleeing boomers are being replaced by immigrants.
-Ron
Do any survive? 1911 Reeves Octoauto
in General Discussion
Posted
Here is a picture of one I have in my "archive"
Never seen a survivor.
-Ron