John Fitch Corvair Sprint
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 | |  | Published by Diavolo on 30.10.2006 at 12:45. |
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John Fitch was particularlyinterested in the Corvair as the basis for a spirited road and track oriented car, due to its handling. The basic Sprint receivedonly minor modifications to the engine, bringing it to 155 hp (116 kW), but upgrades to the shock absorbers and springs, adjustments to the wheel alignment, quicker steering ratio, alloy wheels, metallicbrake linings, the obligatory wood-rimmed steering wheel (leather available for anadditional $9.95) and other such minor alterations made it extremely competitive with Europeansports cars costing much more. Body options such as spoilers were available, but the most visually remarkable option was the"Ventop", a fiberglass overlay for the C-pillars and rear of the roof that gave the car a "flying buttress" profile.
Fitch went on to design and build a prototype of the Fitch Phoenix, a Corvair-based two-seat sports car, superficially resembling a smaller version of the Mako Sharkbased Corvette. With a total weight of 1,950 pounds (885 kg), even with a steel body, and with the Corvair engine modifiedwith Weber carburetors to deliver 175 hp (130 kW), the car delivered spiritedperformance for $8,760. Unfortunately, the
Of 1966 placed restrictions on theability to produce automobiles on a small scale; this was followed by Chevrolet's decision to terminate production of theCorvair, which confirmed the end of Fitch's plan. He still retains the prototype however, and occasionally exhibits it at carshows. The car may be glimpsed briefly in the documentary film Gullwing at Twilight: The Bonneville Ride of JohnFitch[1].
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V8 Corvairs
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| | | Published by defenderBG on 30.10.2006 at 11:45. |
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The Corvair engine rotated in the opposite direction from most other engines, so that if a V8 was placed in the rear seatarea (the added weight of a V8 in the original location of the Corvair engine would be abominable to drive) and coupled to thefront of the transmission via a supplied custom made clutch gear and input shaft, this would drive the car in the properdirection with four speeds forward and one reverse.
A radiator occupies the former trunk, in the front of the vehicle. However, the former engine compartment in the rear now isavailable as luggage space. A complete kit to adapt a Chevrolet small-block V8 to a Corvair was manufactured by a company namedCrown Manufacturing, for $600. The resulting vehicle weighed only 2,750 pounds (1250 kg), compared to 3,700 pounds(1680 kg) for a small block Corvette, and possessed independent rear suspension of almost the same design. Crown's prototypewith 350 hp (261 kW) Corvette engine recorded an elapsed time of 12.22 seconds and 105 miles per hour (169 km/h)in the quarter mile (402 m). An advantage of this modification is that the mid-engine designprovides optimal handling characteristics for the road, as well as excellent drag striptraction without the need for slick or "cheater slick"tires as seen in front engine cars, let alone modifying the wheelbase as on the FX funny carsof the time. Although a few Corvairs have been modified to accept the Chevrolet big-block engine, the added size of the enginemakes the work significantly more difficult, and the result, although a great performer, tends to be unreliable. Yenko CorvairYS99 was one of the 300 or so CORV8 conversions made. It is also possible to install a reverse rotation small block chevy inplace of the flat six with many modifications.
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Legislation
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| | | Published by MickTux on 30.10.2006 at 10:25. |
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Legislator Seeks to Declare All Inoperable Vehicles Junk
Rep. Dan Brady's bill would strike out a single line in the Illinois Counties Code, Section 5-12002--one which exempts cars more than 25 years old from the junk vehicles law. HB0025 has been floating around the Illinois legislature for almost a year and was still in the rules committee when the legislature adjourned. However, it is still live and may yet see action for the 2006 session.
Currently, the statute reads: "The county board may by ordinance declare all inoperable motor vehicles, whether on public or private property, to be a nuisance and authorize fines to be levied for the failure of any person to obey a notice received from the county which states that such person is to dispose of any inoperable motor under his or her control. However, nothing in this Section shall apply to any motor vehicle that is kept within a building when not in use, to historic vehicles over 25 years of age, or to a motor vehicle on the premises of a place of business engaged in the wrecking or junking of motor vehicles."
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Trucks
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| | | Published by manuels on 30.10.2006 at 19:49. |
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It's not completely clear when it first got started, but sometime approaching the mid-1800s, the town of Lenox, Massachusetts, became a retreat of choice for both the wealthy and the arts communities of Boston and New York City. Today, Lenox is famed as the home of summertime music and arts festivals that draw thousands. This town clearly loves its culture--even the kind that rolls and roars.
Antique fire apparatus, you see, is very much a part of Lenox's history. That's because a raging blaze consumed the downtown business district on Easter morning in 1909, killing six, before Lenox even had its own fire department. The town fathers moved quickly to avoid a recurrence of the disaster, and bought two pieces of fire equipment, a horse-drawn 1873 Amoskeag steam pumper and a 1910 American La France chemical and hose wagon -- with serial number 1, making it the very first motorized apparatus the firm ever built.
Today, The Lenox Fire Antique Apparatus Association maintains custody of the earliest fire vehicles that protected its hometown for so many years. It's a non-profit organization that exists independently of the Lenox Fire Department. It has fully restored the steamer and hose wagon, along with a horse-drawn aerial ladder truck built locally in 1911. The association is now seeking donations for its latest project, the full restoration of Lenox's 1924 American La France pumper, which served the town until 1957. It's in rough shape: The group is trying to raise $125,000 for the restoration, and for an endowment to preserve the rest of the collection, and it's asking for your help.
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Motorcycles
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| | | Published by NaiL on 30.10.2006 at 16:41. |
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I've ridden all kinds of classic motorcycles, from svelte singles to
big-bore Italian V-twins, but I've never had a bigger smile on my face than when I'm riding a classic Italian motorscooter. They're slow, cheap, easy to restore, and get more attention than anything this side of a $100,000 Orange County Chopper.
Brothers Michael and Eric Dregni have made something of a career writing
books about these absurd little conveyances and they've just released a new book, published by New Hampshire-based motorcycle publisher Whitehorse Press, entitled: The Scooter Bible.
The Scooter Bible is a colorful, authoritative, and ultimate history of the little motorbikes that could. Starting from the first scooter craze nearly a century ago, the authors chronicle the American scooter boom, the golden age of scooters, and the rise of the Mods in
England.
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Help Me To Find Gullwing At Twilight Info Please
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| | | Published by Dece on 30.10.2006 at 16:53. |
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Great Site!
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