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Sunday, July 3, 2011

Eddie Rickenbacker, what you didn't know about his contributions to the Automobile industry

His dad died when he was 12, so he quit school and got a job with the Frayer Miller Aircooled Car Company, road-testing cars.

He then made his way into automobile racing, for Fred Deusenberg, among others. He raced four times in the Indianapolis 500 and set a speed record of 134 MPH in a Blitzen Benz.

Raced in 4 Indy 500's, between 1912 and 1916.

Started a car company, and made the first car to have 4 wheel brakes.

Bought and operated the Indy speedway from 1927 to 1945.. .. improved the track by banking the turns.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Rickenbacker
http://www.acepilots.com/wwi/us_rickenbacker.html

What you probably know, is that he was the WW1 flying ace and CO of the 94th Aero Squadron.
It's famous in San Diego as there is a really good restaurant of this name on Aero Drive, it looks like a French farmhouse with World War I airplanes and sandbagged gun emplacements around it. On the inside it is filled with military aviation memorabilia.

Friday, June 3, 2011

The beautiful AMX-3

http://e-carzone.com/american_motors/ source of the yellow AMX 3 pics, the only one painted yellow. Only 3 exist I think, it's the only yellow one.

The AMX 3 was the design of Dick Teague. A long time hot rodder, and head of design at AMC.

Dick Teague story written years ago, but a good story.

Listed in his current stable are two of only five AMX III concept, European-style sports cars hand-built in Italy in 1968.

He also has a production AMX 2-seater, a '60 Corvette, A '61 Berlinetta, a rare vintage Ferrari, 1906 and 1932 Packards, one of only six 1904 Ramblers extant, an early Polk-Hartford and his most prized possession -- a 1907 American (no kin to AMC) Underslung he recently acquired after a 35-year pursuit.

He considers it "the first American sports car," and its frame uniquely was placed under its springs. The low, hunkered-down appearance that resulted was striking during an era when most cars looked like phone booths on wheels.

Underslung's 476 cu.-in. (7.8L) 4-cyl. engine, good for 50 hp, stood out as well.

A witty, colorful storyteller, Mr. Teague recalls that while dating his wife-to-be, Marian, he told her he'd marry her if she ever located an Underslung.

Only 2,000 copies were built during the Indianapolis automaker's 1906-'13 existence. By Mr. Teague's count, only 27 survive. Marian, to his surprise, soon got wind of four -- all owned by one family in Pennsylvania. "She said 'I found an American Underslung. Now we'll have to get married.'" Mr. Teague chortles. He kept his vow the next year.

All four cars sat idle until restored in the mid-'60s. It took two more decades to convince the family to part with one, purchased new by its patriarch in 1907. Why'd they sell? "I guess it was my persistence," says Mr. Teague. "Maybe they felt it would get a good home."

A moment of style and panache, damn good photo

Would you like to have Jim Wangers come to your car show?

http://sdpoci.com/NewsletterArchives/newsletter.pdf

At the Apr 22 show of D Mac's Auto Parts...

He brought the GeeTO Tiger! , his 69 Judge, and his one of a kind Grand Prix. Very cool.

Dick Teague concept cars for AMC

AMX nose and Gremlin tail... but the color scheme is cool, tires and sidepipes are a damn good look

Bob Glidden

Pinto built by Gapp and Roush

images via http://voiture-jaune.tumblr.com/

Bill Stephens in the Jan 2001 Drag Racer magazine said the following "Bob Gidden's greatest racing accomplishment, besides winning all those races and all those championships, was his ability to make a winning race car out of a Pinto, and a Fairmont, and to really show off, a Plymouth Arrow."

Love that quote.

http://www.nhra.com/50th/top50/B_Glidden04.html has his bio, placing him number 4 of the all time greatest top 50 drag racers. Placing at nubers 1-3 respectively are Garlits, Force and Prudhomme

"Glidden, who amassed a record 16,035 points and lowered the national record to 8.59, fielded two winning cars that year: The first was his tried-and-true Ford Pinto that carried him to victories at the season-opening Winternationals and Cajun Nationals, and the second was his famed Ford Fairmont, with which he won the Summernationals and finished the season undefeated in national event competition. When all was said and done, Glidden had tied Don Prudhomme for most national event wins in a season with seven, including five straight, and had broken the Pro Stock single-season record of six set by Jenkins in 1972.
In recalling his Summernationals triumph, which he attained by defeating the Lombardo-driven Jenkins Monza in the final (8.55 to 8.71), Glidden said, "That was by far the biggest spread that I ever had over the guys in any race that I've ever ran. We didn't clinch the points title mathematically until just before [Indianapolis], but mentally, we felt that we had won the title right there in Englishtown."
Glidden retired his undefeated Fairmont in favor of a Plymouth Arrow in 1979 and lost only three times all year. After finishing the 1978 season with seven straight victories, Glidden opened the 1979 season with a victory at the Winternationals and didn't lose a round until June, when a foul start in the second round of the Mile-High Nationals snapped his streak at 14 races and 50 rounds. That season, Glidden won seven national events, went undefeated in divisional competition, and earned the maximum number of points available at four national events by qualifying No. 1, setting low e.t. and top speed, and winning the race. He did the same thing at all four of his divisional races. "

Steve McQueen

Steve even had this patent. Betcha didn't know that.

http://www.bonhams.com/mcqueen.html has had an auction Nov 11 2006, of a lot of Steve's things, motor bikes, etc. One of the items was a knife Von Dutch made for Steve.

Some of the auction items were at the Peterson Auto museum and had a video taken of them on you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNBbXJV7bR4 and http://youtube.com/watch?v=9XGaIldfSaE

Cheryl Crow's tribute song has a good video, nice Bullitt tribute car chase http://youtube.com/watch?v=UbjEbsd16qs

The original Bullitt chase scene http://youtube.com/watch?v=_cTU5DRfAuI

The cool 2005 Mustang commercial, corn field, build it and they will come, Steve takes the new stang for a drive http://youtube.com/watch?v=UZzXHq7gKN8

The daily driver was a Rolls-Royce and while the car was driven conservatively over the cobblestone streets of Boston's elegant Beacon Hill district, one gets the feeling he was enjoying that experience, too. By the way, McQueen's contract during the period when he was Hollywood's highest paid and most popular star called for him to be given the cars he drove in his movies. His Jaguar XKSS, one of few ever built, is a road-going version of the beautiful and charismatic racing D type.

On the first day I bought my LAST musclecar, I was introduced to the coolest Burbank drive in

Pic from http://thehollywoodextra.blogspot.com/ cool website. Vince, if you read this, check through this blog for the AMX 2, and AMX 3 pics... Re: a comment you made about how it's a shame they weren't produced. Come to San Diego, in the Balboa Park Auto Museum, Dick Teague's wife donotated one, it's on permanent display.

Great movie, American Graffiti, the cars

The American Graffitti duece

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Blue and orange, the Gulf iconic colors

Via: http://www.atimetoget.com/2009/04/1967-gulf-mirage.html

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Why doesn't El Cajon have a "Jimmie Johnson Street"?

Is there something wrong with the El Cajon town council, do they have no pride in a native son?

One that is a household name for his achievements in NASCAR while ranked first (season champion) for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009? You may not know that Jimmie is the only driver that has ever accomplished this, in all of NASCAR history.

One that reinvested in his home town with a Chevrolet dealership, and has been invited to the White House, has a charity foundation that helps the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and Make a Wish... and so on. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmie_Johnson

Want to do something about it? Monday March 22nd at 7pm the planning commission will be having a meeting... lets crash it. I'm planning on being there... this I gotta see and hear!

Support of Resolution No. 10604 - Jimmie Johnson Avenue

Please pass this along to any and all who could write in a short e-mail to the address below or show up on Monday, March 22 at 7:00 PM.

Please show up to the El Cajon Planning Commission meeting scheduled for:
Monday, March 22, at 7:00 pm, at
Council Chamber
200 Civic Center Way
El Cajon, CA 92020

…and wear your Jimmie stuff to show your support

OR IF YOU CAN'T ATTEND :
If physical letters are not possible
to Anthony Sottile,
Chairman – City of El Cajon Planning Commission,

emails of support for Resolution No. 10604,
(Jimmie Johnson Avenue), can be forwarded to:

Melissa Ayres, Director, Community Development.
(mayres@ci.el-cajon.ca.us).

Include first name, last name, email address, and comments in support of the resolution.

(FYI – http://www.ci.el-cajon.ca.us)
Points to mention:
- Agree with El Cajon City Council’s decision to honor JJ with “ Jimmie Johnson Avenue .” (Approved by Council on January 26, 2010).
- Fitting tribute for ON track accomplishments, (i.e. 4-Time NASCAR Champion, Future Hall of Famer, etc.).
- Most importantly, OFF track accomplishments - a true humanitarian who continues to support his hometown.

Thank You again,
Go Jimmie (Johnson Ave.) Go !!!

Tom McGrath from Alpine opinioned that East County road naming is best left alone and chided Union Tribune readers to keep our noses out of it, and stick with North County issues. Boo and hiss to you Tom. 4th story down http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/13/oceanside-rejects-saving-1-million/

this reader had it right http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/25/jimmie-johnson-way/

Is there a city in the South that doesn't have a street named after a stock car racer? Isn't this country founded with ideals of naming locations after important contributors to civic pride? Washington DC, Washington state, Pennsylnavia state, Boone county, Crockett County, and there almost was a state named Franklin... but that is a real history lesson. We even have states named after European royalty... why? Why not rename a state for a hero? Well, if that is too much, then I guess renaming a street for a NASCAR champion is good enough for me.