I sit beside Toner Creek on a bench, regarding building 082, or as I call it, The Crystal Palace. It’s chilly (!) in the shade today. A light Northerly breeze combined with a persistent cold front–we had a record low of 53 degrees this morning. Lunch today is a banana and some ABC-123’s…yep I’m on the Dave Ramsey diet again. Decided last night to plow some more money into the E30. As Whitney said, “It’s something you love. Enjoy it!” So, I’ve planned: ...
I was up at 7 at Dad’s house with one mission for the day–Bike shopping. So, Joey, Dad, and I piled into his 2008 GMC truck and headed for Gateway Cycles in Mt. Sterling. As I’d learned earlier in the week, Dealers just don’t give Test rides. Well, pish-tosh–Gateway DOES. Worked with Robert and he set me up with three very interesting cycles that I tooled around the parking lot for the better part of an hour. ...
GM Loses $15.5 Billion in 2Q …or “What does it look like to lose about $2000 per second?” Alfred P. Sloan is rolling in his grave somewhere. GM has the financial equivalent of flesh-eating bacteria, cannibalizing its own funds to stay afloat, mortgaging its own brands and capital to operate. The estimates I saw yesterday were in the $7 Billion to $9 Billion range. Wow. We need some moniker besides “The Perfect Storm” for this automotive maelstrom…this is more like that 200 ft Tsunami at the end of Deep Impact
I read stuff like this and I have to admit it: Ford is in much better shape than any of the other domestics. Look at it: They’re not the Ivory Tower. GM is, for better or worse, still the face of American automotive industry. They take the flak. They killed the electric car. They build Hummers. Ford is an also-ran…they’re not haulling Mulally in front of Senate panels. They’re hauling-up GM CEO Rick Wagoner. Ford benefits from GM taking all this flack because it can quietly consolidate and grow without too much focus. ...
I’ve been noticing some changes here in the Ivory Tower/Crystal Palace parking lots–there are fewer cars, more newer small cars, and more motorcycles. Though of course the sample size is small and narrow (buncha engineers!), it seems clear that people’s habits are changing where they can, from what they drive to even if they drive. Some examples: More people carpool, meaning fewer cars total in the lot The new cars I’ve noticed in the lot are the new econo-class–Yaris, Fit, Scion, etc. ...
Those guys at Edmunds have done it again–made it stupid easy to see how stupid you are: Try this out: Gas Mileage Savings Calculator. It’s essentially the same thing I did on my own with a Google Docs spreadsheet. The numbers aren’t pretty. ROI is 8-10 years moving up from my 25mpg Camry to something like a MINI or a TDI VW.
The calculation I keep trying to make is how high … Jeff Roberts - Jun 1, 2008 The calculation I keep trying to make is how high gas has to go before I switch from my 550cc motorcycle to Sandra’s dweeby 185 :-)
What an awesome, awesome weekend it was! Productive, surprising, exhausting, with both family time and some time to myself. Friday night Whitney and I watched Juno the indie hit from last year that made Ellen Page an ingenue phenomenon. A nuanced film, it has the same deep characters and self-deprecating humor as Little Miss Sunshine. We both liked it. Saturday was busy, as most Saturdays before Autocross are for me. But man, was I motivated–up at 6:30, TODO list in hand, ticking-off chores. It freaked-out Bella just a tad: “I get freaked out when you’re…organized.” We were the snack-bringers at the final Coach-pitch game of the regular season at 4, but we decided to head into Lexington to buy Bella some new running shoes and head to Sams. ...
Sounds like a full and fun weekend. I’m trying to… Jeff Roberts - Jun 1, 2008 Sounds like a full and fun weekend. I’m trying to decide if my class will go feral if I leave it next weekend and go with Sandra to pick up Kate from camp.
I had a thought today, a shining inkling of something spectacular, something different, something…red. That is a Porsche 356 spyder. Yeah, the thought goes like this: I’m commuting in the automotive novacaine known as my 2000 Toyota Camry. It’s smooth, quiet, and reliable. On the weekends, I’d like to have something to drive and autox. I love my E30, but it’s far from a classic sportscar–it has body roll and understeer like the sedan it actually is. So, does it make more sense to get something less compromised and more focused. (And, more classic?) ...
Saw an ‘87 Porsche 924S on craigslist available fo… Jeff Roberts - Jun 5, 2008 Saw an ‘87 Porsche 924S on craigslist available for trade… :-) (Later that night, Jeff’s front door slams open and there stands Whitney, fuming…) okay, and here’s a list of some things i want: `new running shoes `pants that fit `clothes that fit that arent a size Large `to lose weight instead of gain it when I spend two hours a day working out `not to be used as a human napkin `dyson `new washer/dryer `new dishwasher `new refrigerator `cabinets that arent taller than i am `new cabinets `tilework `in-wall double oven `gas cooktop `hardwood `new paint `wood blinds `solar panel `compost pile `locally sold Allen’s Naturally `Local Whole Foods or similar `no fireplace `basement ...
Pretty awesome (if mundane) weekend: Saturday, we went to Sam’s Club and filled two carts in supplies for our new Chest Freezer (thank you, Tax Rebate!) Then, I mowed & trimmed the yard while doing an oil change on the Odyssey. Pretty quiet, stress-free day. Sunday was just…perfect. Church was great–our pastor preached a message on how unbiblical debt is (unless for urgent necessities), complete with a “come forward and shred your credit card” alter call. (only 1 person did). Then, Maria and I cruised down (at 55mph!) to Mom & Dad’s in the Camry. ...
* After talking to Jeff, looks like there’s a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) class just across the street from me. Don’t know if it’s something I’d like to do or not, but seems like a good way to learn. Bit pricey, though. Though, as my in-laws commented the other day, it’s not so good to announce you’re riding a 600cc motorcycle in a residential neighborhood w/o a license (or even a learner’s permit). Have been researching, and sounds like most 250cc entry-touring bikes get like 66 mpg and don’t have a problem cruising down the interstate. (Put the phone down, Mom…) ...
First there was Car and Driver, the irreverant magazine full of gearheads who told the truth. But, that was before the internet era. Then, there was a little-known beacon of truth, Bob Bowden’s The Car Place (now defunct), where a guy told even more truth. Then came the grand poobah, Peter DeLorenzo’s AutoExtemist, from an insider who ranted and raved about how uncompetitive and doomed Detroit was. Selling Chevy’s is nothing like selling Tide detergent. And it was very good. ...
Nevermind. Peter DeLorenzo got his panties in a w… HarryC - May 1, 2008 Nevermind. Peter DeLorenzo got his panties in a wad over TTAC’s announcement and proclaimed the deal dead. Whatever, Pete.
There’s a market out there for old, efficient cars. And somebody is going to figure-out how to fill it. Let’s face it, cars used to be more efficient: The Honda CRX HF from 1990 was rated at 50mpg, and was a simple, dead-reliable transportation appliance. Cars also used to be less expensive and less complicated. Here’s the secret–new cars can’t be made like cars from 20 years ago. Regulations won’t allow it. Today, you must have airbags, side impact beams, stability control, etc. ...
How is it that I’ve lived 29 years (21 of those a gearhead) and not seen Vanishing Point? This film is hard to pin down. It’s like: Easy Rider, in a car Smokey and the Bandit, but no midget and it’s not funny Cannonball run…no Dom DeLouise, and it’s not funny. Apocalypse now/Heart of Darkness but no jungle Homer’s Odyssey but no boat More precisely, this film has the same overall theme as “Cool Hand Luke”–an ordinary man comes back from war (in the case, Vietnam), knocks around awhile and gets into trouble, and pays the price. As the audience, we’re supposed to identify with the main character, and see how “the man” and “the squares” are hell-bent on destroying the utopian hippie vision of freedom and love. ...
You win your first event in 2 years In the cold, in the rain, the Beamer was awesome. I set the tires at 35psi front and 40psi rear, and let ’er tailslide around the 4 on-course sweepers. This was CKR’s first points event of the year, and it was an inspired and safe course design, using the small dump-truck training pad to the utmost. Braindump of me out there: _ First gear, rev to 4k…sidestep the clutch. Okay, wheelhop, wheelhop…HOOK! Pick-up your slalom cone, now BANG second. Both hands on the wheel. Floor it into the braking zone for the first left hand sweeper. Brake, okay now crank your neck left to pick-up the second cone on the slalom. WOOOO…feel that rear come around. ...
Wow, I understood like 25% of that, but the happy … Jeff Roberts - Apr 1, 2008 Wow, I understood like 25% of that, but the happy happy joy joy I got :-)
a.k.a. Nothing like brake fluid that’s so old it’s green…. Installed the new Brembo rotors and Akebono ceramic pads from the Tire Rack yesterday on our 2000 Camry, and for once I did it right. - I jacked the car up one night. - I disassembled everything another night - I did the install, brake bleed, tire rotation, and power steering belt adjustment yesterday. Nice having zero pressure to get the Daily Driver back on the road before morning. I took my time, read through the Haynes procedure 3 or 4 times, and did each piece meticulously. I regreased the pins the caliper slides on, and made sure I put plenty of Moly-Lube on everything as it went back together. ...