On this Independence Day it is time to celebrate the ingenuity that makes this country great. This endurance racing kart was built and driven by Duffy Livingstone, a man considered the father of the modern Go Kart. Like so many other forms of mechanized mayhem that later become motorsport, karting started with castaways and discarded junk combined with a crazy idea. Before … [Read more...]
Hot Rodding Electric Cars
It was just a few years into living that we gained knowledge of modifying electric cars for more power and increased velocity. Digging through the Clunkbucket Collection, we found an original Aurora Thunderjet car that was hopped up as a father-son project to beat the guy in the other lane. From what little we can remember, this procedure involved hand wrapping more copper … [Read more...]
Measuring Honda CR-Z Performance
For those who ponder how aftermarket parts and performance upgrades are available as soon as an automobile hits the market, this Honda CR-Z measuring session is the answer. The Specialty Equipment Marketing Association, or SEMA, brings the big car makers together with aftermarket gurus far enough ahead so that the good stuff is ready for action as soon as the automobile is. The … [Read more...]
Distracted by Junk
The Los Angeles Roadsters have wrapped up their 46th exhibition. While we didn't venture into the big show, we did spend quite a bit of time walking the swap meet trying to get our monies worth back from the parking and gate fees. There were certainly many show-quality examples of shaved '32 Fords, pastel-hued Hiboys, and bazillion dollar traditional (don't say rat) rods and … [Read more...]
Tool of the Week: Super Straight Edge
As we approach the beginning of Mitsubishi Astron engine rebuilding season, it is time for the first in a series of tools that can help get the job done. A quality step in transforming a salvaged engine block into a working short block is checking the deck for flatness. One might think they could lay any old reasonably straight thing across the deck and mark it good, but … [Read more...]