Ace-Garageguy

CVTs continue to evolve and improve, like all technology does over time. But the CVT has an inherent limitation, and that's the "traction" the steel belt can achieve working on the variable steel sheaves. This limitation is often the cause of faults in operation, from belt slippage. And any belt stretch in a CVT is a potential failure mode, as is poorly synchronized variation of the driving sheave and the driven sheave, both problems resulting in belt slippage as well. Conventional automatic gearboxes use special friction surfaces, or "linings", on bands and clutches to progressively decrease and finally eliminate slippage between components that actively transmit power. These surfaces wear away over time, eventually failing completely. When they wear away enough so there's metal-to-metal contact, the trans slips because these parts are no longer able to transmit torque. But older 3-speed auto gearboxes like GM's TH350, TH400, Ford's C4, C6, and Chrysler's 721 Torqueflites would routinely make it to 200,000+ miles with no problems if they weren't abused, and rebuilding was straightforward, with parts readily available. Newer auto boxes of conventional design are failing much earlier across the board, as the increased number of "speeds" means that internal components are smaller, and more highly stressed...leading to earlier failure, and parts availability can be a serious problem. The CVT may ultimately solve that issue, if the inherent limitations of the design can be overcome in a way that's cost-effective for relatively inexpensive, mass-produced vehicles.

Pattern recognition is supposedly one of the things human consciousness excels at, but like all abilities, it varies wildly from individual to individual.

Cauliflower looks a little like brains, but it's not.

Kinda makes me pine fer the days of yore when drugstores had model kits.

Me too.

"Imagination" and "sustainable" can mean many different things; considering the USA has between 200 to almost 500 years worth of recoverable coal reserves, and the technology exists to remove everything harmful from a coal-burning powerplant's exhaust and REUSE it in a carbon-neutral cycle, it's beyond idiotic to be rushing headlong into a forced reliance on solar and wind power generation.

Overload of the electrical grid, manifesting in brownouts and blackouts, will be the inevitable result of failing to build enough new peak-load generating capability (which renewable sources aren't good at) to keep up with increasing demand from charging electric cars.

Unsolvable is what on some days I begin to think the world's ills are, as there just don't seem to be enough highly intelligent, rational folks left to keep things going much longer; ala Idiocracy, stupid is the new smart, and if you pay attention, you'll see it everywhere.

"Car art" can refer to art depicting automobiles, or in some cases, automobiles or parts thereof themselves.

PC DISCLAIMER: This GIF does not advocate hitting frogs, toads, or any animals with a hammer, so don't go crying about it.

Really like the low-key sleeper vibe. But some narrow cheater slicks on the rear would sure help her hook up.

Best to not wear a necktie or long braids when setting the ignition timing on an old 911 Porsche.

Wow. Takes the concept of "wretched excess" to a whole new level, but in a good way. Great job on that crazy thing.

Thanks for posting this. It's a kit I keep forgetting to get. Looks like it has a lot of potential.

Yours is not to reason why, but to shut up and do what you're told by a class of people who can't drive a nail into a board without putting themselves in the hospital, and destroying the nail, the board, and the hammer (and it takes a very special kind of stupid to break a hammer).

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals is poised to increase in value, decrease in value, or stay the same, according to expert stock market analysts.

Likes on YT be hanged; posting links to verifiable scientific research papers will get you banned forever, if they disagree with the infinitely rebleated dogma du jour.

Funny thing for the folks who want a photo of the actual model on the box...most of the warts that kit has are readily apparent in the "built" photos, but unless you've ever actually tried to make a nice model out of it, you just can't imagine the magnitude of the struggle from the photos alone.

Appropriation of the cultural kind has been charged recently about folks getting a suntan.

Eons ago when I worked for a Triumph dealership, a ditzy woman bought a new TR6 from us. Dog knows why. A fashion statement I guess. Anyway, it comes in on the hook repeatedly with the plugs so sooted up the poor thing won't run. We changed the plugs several times, tested everything imaginable (remember, these were simple cars), road-tested it extensively, and couldn't find anything wrong. She'd pick it up, and sure as shootin' it'd be back on the hook a few days later. Finally she came in with it, exasperated, wanting a new car because this one must be a "lemon". And this time when questioned, she said it would start running bad shortly after she picked it up every time, get worse and worse, and then just quit. I put another set of plugs in it, warmed it up, and asked her to take me for a drive. First thing she does is pull the choke knob all the way out and hang her purse on it.

"Kit and caboodle" always made me wonder just exactly what is a caboodle?

Very nice. I'd be really happy with that one.

One of the main reasons diesels replaced steam as railroad motive power was the constant labor cost of keeping the steam engines running properly. This British film from the 1950s is one of the best I've seen to go into detail about the regular work required to maintain the boiler, firebox, and smokebox...and this is only a small part of the loving attention that was routinely lavished on these beasts.

Raise you a Porsche 917K...