What Did You Get Today? (Not Model Related)

[Ace-Garageguy]

More tech reference books.

Several times during my 50+ year love affair with machines, I've worked as an aviation A&P (airframe and powerplant) mechanic, doing everything from general maintenance (100 hour inspections, etc.) to pioneering composite structure repair techniques. I have a particular fondness for big air-cooled radial engines, so when I came across this 1943 issue gem, I had to have it.

Picked this one up as well. Much of the stuff in here applies to race car fabrication too.

And as I'll be building engines again in my upcoming "retirement", I've also updated some of that part of the library.

     

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy
Booglaritynessomnipoo

[Snake45]

Didn't get it today, actually a couple weeks ago. Springfield Armory/Air Venturi M1A .22 air rifle. It's as heavy as the real thing and almost as much fun to shoot--I've been trying to get in a few shots every day in the basement. Here it is with my real Polytech (legal semi-auto) M14 and my old faithful Crosman/Mendoza .22 air rifle. 

[cobraman]

Nice ! I wish I had a basement. Can you do .22 shorts in your basement ?

[Snake45]

40 minutes ago, cobraman said:

Nice ! I wish I had a basement. Can you do .22 shorts in your basement ?

I've done .22 CB Long caps down there on occasion, but they're hard to find and expensive now. I do still have most of a box of them I save for very special use. 

[blunc]

My wife is getting me this microscopy-thing from Amazon for free with these codes: (not sure how long the codes are good for) just put the item in your cart then apply the codes, if it doesn't work, just empty your cart.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LVN5J3Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://l.messenger.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB08LVN5J3Z%2Fref%3Dppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00%3Fie%3DUTF8%26psc%3D1&h=AT1CJs1RQR3QDclzLFMTiyfeba9OhDHLVmR-BJ_1-agVj2CTkjm-RGvqQ1ykP-WkZPp4v2ex1jIX1W_R9U_kTyhHbywvwvn4QTDh8Cw2MjOuSFJebPsSAtRUbX7xcQpP2LT7Cg

codes: EOH9YZU4 , YJZYLQAI

 

Edited May 26, 2021 by blunc

[cobraman]

On 5/25/2021 at 8:57 AM, Snake45 said:

Didn't get it today, actually a couple weeks ago. Springfield Armory/Air Venturi M1A .22 air rifle. It's as heavy as the real thing and almost as much fun to shoot--I've been trying to get in a few shots every day in the basement. Here it is with my real Polytech (legal semi-auto) M14 and my old faithful Crosman/Mendoza .22 air rifle. 

Snake, do watch the TV show American Airgunner ?

[cobraman]

[Snake45]

22 minutes ago, cobraman said:

Snake, do watch the TV show American Airgunner ?

No, but I'll see about giving it a look. Thanks! 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Finally picked up the '87 XJ6 I bought a couple (?) years back. Thought it was an '86, but the the third brake light and VIN say otherwise. Last year of production.

This one was almost perfect cosmetically not too long ago, having been treated to a beautiful new interior and an excellent respray by its next-to-last (the original) owner. But after being in a basement full of semi-feral cats since 2009, it's a little fuzzy on the outside, and blistering on the hood where the leaky litter box was for over a decade. The interior, however, still presents...and smells...new.

She cleans up pretty well, and doing the hood and a few rust spots is no huge deal.

She also needs some work to complete what the last owner had started, repairing the climate control system, but that's no huge deal either. Only other problem I'm aware of is a weeping porous cylinder head casting. Lucky I have spares for almost everything.

[cobraman]

Wow ! Look at all the wires !  I would not know where to begin. What are your plans for the car ?

[Ace-Garageguy]

3 minutes ago, cobraman said:

...What are your plans for the car ?

First get her drivable enough to make it across the country for the move. Then after I'm settled in the new place, upgrade everything that's prone to failing (like relays and switches) and convert to Euro lights and bumpers. I'll probably swap the GM 700R4 gearbox from my '86, and then keep her. They're great cars to drive on long trips, have very good brakes, handle and ride exceptionally well, and you'd never think they were 35 years old from the way they feel. With the 4-speed automatic 700R4 (which has a lockup torque converter too), my '86 would get around 25MPG on the road...not bad for a big comfortable car at 80MPH. The '87 is also the last of the "real" Jags, with the essential vintage English build style still very much in evidence. It's also the last Jag built with the legendary XK engine, dating back to 1949. The '87 version is a little gutless, with emission-tuned EFI and very mild cams, so I'll probably address the power issue when the EFI finally dies. Webers, cams, and headers ought to easily get her up to 300HP, a lot better than the 185 she makes stock.

[cobraman]

Sounds like fun. Your not planning to move during the summer heat here are you ? 99 here where I am today.

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 minutes ago, cobraman said:

Sounds like fun. Your not planning to move during the summer heat here are you ? 99 here where I am today.

Yeah, but it's a dry heat.   

Seriously, when it's 85 here and 70% humidity, by halfway through the day I'm beat...and soaking.

Out there, long as I drink enough water, high 90s feels good if I'm mostly in the shade and the wind's blowing (which it always is), and at the end of the day I'm not dog tired.

Besides...it's 10 degrees cooler today where I'll be than where you are.

When I worked out there, we also got to the shop at about 06:30 and knocked off around 3 PM to beat the worst heat. That's the way I'll be living. Plenty of time in the early evening to work more after it starts to cool down, too.  

[JollySipper]

Just ordered myself four Playstation 2 games from Lukiegames.com...... On the way are Stuntman, Spy Hunter, Smuggler's Run, and Magix Music Maker Deluxe Edition. Really looking forward to getting them within the next week......

[mchook]

The other day I got a huge box of original 80s Transformers given to me. There is close to 40 of them.

[DonW]

On 5/27/2021 at 11:27 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

First get her drivable enough to make it across the country for the move. Then after I'm settled in the new place, upgrade everything that's prone to failing (like relays and switches) and convert to Euro lights and bumpers. I'll probably swap the GM 700R4 gearbox from my '86, and then keep her. They're great cars to drive on long trips, have very good brakes, handle and ride exceptionally well, and you'd never think they were 35 years old from the way they feel. With the 4-speed automatic 700R4 (which has a lockup torque converter too), my '86 would get around 25MPG on the road...not bad for a big comfortable car at 80MPH. The '87 is also the last of the "real" Jags, with the essential vintage English build style still very much in evidence. It's also the last Jag built with the legendary XK engine, dating back to 1949. The '87 version is a little gutless, with emission-tuned EFI and very mild cams, so I'll probably address the power issue when the EFI finally dies. Webers, cams, and headers ought to easily get her up to 300HP, a lot better than the 185 she makes stock.

I put an XJ6 sideways up the kerb turning right out of a T-junction. I was 18, the Jag belonged to my schoolmate's dad and I couldn't feel what the front wheels were doing because of the over-light power steering, Being a UK one, it probably had more than 185 horses but I'd have done a lot more damage with 300. So upgrade with care! Decent steering feedback is what was lacking in the one I drove.

Good luck. 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

i got 4 new tires put on my truck this morning 😎

[RSchnell]

I collect Ford memorabilia and finally got one of my holy grail pieces at a decent price. This book is the compilation of a series of articles Engineering Magazine did on the Ford Highland Park plant starting in 1914. Covers every aspect of the plant from hiring the worker to the finished car. This book is extraordinarily hard to find & expensive when you do- typically $300-850.  I paid nowhere near that for this excellent copy. The reprints just don't do the original medium format photos justice!

[Snake45]

6 hours ago, RSchnell said:

I collect Ford memorabilia and finally got one of my holy grail pieces at a decent price. This book is the compilation of a series of articles Engineering Magazine did on the Ford Highland Park plant starting in 1914. Covers every aspect of the plant from hiring the worker to the finished car. This book is extraordinarily hard to find & expensive when you do- typically $300-850.  I paid nowhere near that for this excellent copy. The reprints just don't do the original medium format photos justice!

 

Congratulations! I too know the pure joy of tracking down a rare, long-wanted book and buying it for an affordable price. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

15 hours ago, DonW said:

 ...Decent steering feedback is what was lacking in the one I drove.

Interesting. All the Series III cars I've driven have had very communicative steering feel...one of the things I particularly like about them.

The rack bushings are notorious for going to poo fairly rapidly, however, and that can be the cause of a vague, imprecise feel.

[Ace-Garageguy]

7 hours ago, RSchnell said:

I collect Ford memorabilia and finally got one of my holy grail pieces at a decent price. This book is the compilation of a series of articles Engineering Magazine did on the Ford Highland Park plant starting in 1914. Covers every aspect of the plant from hiring the worker to the finished car...

Nice score. Fascinating material.

[Kromolly]

That is fascinating material.  Great find.  Anybody else notice in these 80-100 or more year old photos of Americans that America has indeed gotten heavier.  Maybe that's my diet motivation!

[Ace-Garageguy]

23 minutes ago, Kromolly said:

... Anybody else notice in these 80-100 or more year old photos of Americans that America has indeed gotten heavier.  Maybe that's my diet motivation!

Not even that far back.

Look at car and racing pix (or just crowd scenes in general) from the '60s and '70s.

It's like a humans were a different species.

[Kromolly]

19 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Not even that far back.

Look at car and racing pix (or just crowd scenes in general) from the '60s and '70s.

It's like a humans were a different species.

Yeah, you're right, now that I think about it, through '50s, '60s and '70s, same story.  "humans were a different species."  Nice!  🤣

[DonW]

21 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Interesting. All the Series III cars I've driven have had very communicative steering feel...one of the things I particularly like about them.

The rack bushings are notorious for going to poo fairly rapidly, however, and that can be the cause of a vague, imprecise feel.

I was driving a Series 1 XJ6, it was back in 1975 or 6 and the car was in pretty good shape (before I put it up the kerb, anyway!). I imagine tat Jaguar improved steering feel on the later series cars.