Ace-Garageguy

All the Columbias under Fords and Ford products were delivered with buggy springs. Anybody who says otherwise is blowing "internet expert" smoke. "Buggy springs" are, by the way, nothing but transverse leaf springs. AND...you can set one up with parallel leaf springs or even coils (either of which can be put under virtually any car) but that usually requires changing the torque-tube snout on the housing to an "open" style universal joint...all standard practice on Ford "banjo" rear ends in non-stock applications for more than 70 years. And for credibility's sake...part of what I've been doing for a living for over 5 decades is building "period" hot rods.

Shameless lies, including bizarre revisionist history that has no basis in reality, being presented as truth by mainstream and social media. It's called "retconning". It used to only be done to fiction. Anyone who disagrees has their comments disappeared. AND THE VAST MAJORITY APPARENTLY DON'T KNOW OR JUST DON'T CARE.

Their inept tinkering with the functionality of the site continues unabated, and highlights the fact that there appears to be ZERO OVERSIGHT as to whether changes actually WORK or not. The latest glitch is the disappearance of written descriptions in the listings across the site. While the descriptions display for a second or two, they disappear shortly, leaving prospective buyers with nothing to rely on but the listing header and the photos. Good job.

"Speed kills" they told me, but I always thought it was the sudden stop.

A wise starship engineer once said "the more you over-think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drains".

Balanced personalities are easier to deal with than those who are unbalanced.

"Rotate your tires" they told me, but I thought that was silly because they're ALWAYS rotating.

Sunbeam Alpines got semi-factory rodded into Tigers with the swap of a Ford 260 or 289 V8 and necessary uprated gearbox.

And if a 14-71 on the street isn't enough fer ya, how 'bout sumpin from a locomotive? (Yes, it's real.)

Yup, liking everything about this one. Color, paintwork, wheels, rake...spot on.

Well, they were yupps in Volvos, after all...

If I'm seeing the turbo plumbing on that jackwagon right, it looks to me like any boost from the turbos will be dumped out the throttle butterflies on the hat as soon as they open. What am I missing???

There are almost always things in life to be grateful for, no matter how bleak the situation may seem.

Things that go "bump" in the night include raccoons, possums, the cat, burglars, and the monster hiding under the bed.

There are definitely two versions of the LP400 Countach...one full detail and one de-contented. I went through this just recently, making sure I got the full-detail version, as some box photos are identical...but one says "enthusiast series" on it, and photos online of the contents back this up.

I remember this ridiculous thing...

Very nice upgrades...and without a lathe too. I'm impressed. Really.

Managed a 2 hour hike, first time since I broke my ribs. Started out a buncha times earlier, but something always came up. Took some ibuprofen and a stick, 'cause my hips need some rehab, but overall it was pleasant. Not fast, but OK time, and towards the middle of it all my parts seemed to be working more-or-less right again.

Monogram T'rantula...which was pretty much the go-to SOHC Ford before the aftermarket 3D guys came in. EDIT: There have been other SOHC Fords kitted in competition cars, but they're all kinda lame. EDIT 2: Here's a thread about what was previously available:

I could answer that, but I'd be banned for life.

If it wasn't a roller cam I'd be more concerned. I can't feel any texture on the cam lobe nose, but there's a slightly different color on it than the rest of the lobes. That's why I'm thinking roll-the-dice and load her up with ZDDP. Roller cams are much easier on cam lobes than flat tappets. ALSO...the head that's coming off is definitely in better shape than the junkyard head that's going on, and I'm thinking if A) I can find a manual gearbox to swap in later, that would be the time to build the original head and do a cam and headers (I already have a set of 40mm sidedraft Webers and a design for an intake manifold and cold-air box, which ought to get little car up to around 175 HP...enough to be entertaining), or B} if. I can find an SRT-4 or a B16 or B18 Honda to swap in, there's no point wasting effort on the little 2-liter. I don't have any idea what the potential is for the 2.0 SOHC, but I've seen folks say 150HP is easily attainable. The last Neons weigh right at 2600 pounds, the SRT-4 makes about 230HP, so if I could get around 200 out of the 2 liter and get it to stay together, I could probably get enough weight out of it to match an SRT-4's performance. Of course, Honda B16 and B18 engines will make a LOT more than that and stay together...but they can be spendy.

I believe in large part because the image of "truck" has evolved from "working man's tool" to "compensatory fashion statement". Who can you impress with your pretend masculinity driving a little truck?

Taking a day off from cars for a hike...though I might do a little touchup on the black trim on the Blazer later. Tomorrow I'll start serious cleaning of the '05 Neon head, which I got torn down and checked for several things on the 4th. The valves and guides are pretty good and it's flat enough, so after everything is sterile, it's time to hand-lap the valves, then another very thorough cleaning to get rid of the lapping compound. Even though the cam is a roller, there is a little visible wear on the surface hardening of one lobe, so I'm on the fence as to what to do there. I'm thinking maybe a mild cam, but the cheap part of me is leaning towards just running it, with a little extra ZDDP, until a few other things in my life stabilize. She ought to be good for at least another 50,000 miles after the head and cam belt and water pump and front seal are done, either way. If she was a 5-speed car, I'd definitely do a cam and headers at this point, but under the circumstances, probably not, as she may need to find a new home after I get either the drop-top Celica or the white XJ-6 or the PT back on the road. Long term plan for the PT if I live long enough...

It depends on the specific modeling project. Real-car guys add temporary bracing when doing extensive heavy mods like top-chopping because...doors. Model cars with solidly molded in doors don't require this step, but bodies with opening doors do. And model builders who strive for quality work don't rely on poorly thought-out sloppy craftsmanship and buckets of filler any more than competent real-car guys do.