Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association in Las Vegas, or SEMA, is the largest hot rod show and convention in the world, and the 2021 event was the first in the COVID-19 era. The travel plan was that Dusty Price and I were going to drive the Bluebird (the 1962 Pontiac restomod that I introduced to you … Read more
At long last, my number came up in the sewing shop, and the 1962 Pontiac, or “Bluebird,” will get its interior. I had to make a decision on the color of the upholstery. I thought about a nice light tan to go with the bright blue paint and was promptly informed by the upholsterer, Chris … Read more
When I started my effort to design and market a fuel injection system for flathead Fords, I suspected it was a business designed to fail, and it was successful in that regard. The concept was too radical for the market, and even with a very low profit margin, it was too expensive for the average … Read more
Another Christmas has passed, and another tumultuous year is closing. My very concerned neighbors must have thought that since I now live alone I might be starving to death, so they furnished me with more goodies and delicious food than I eat in a month. I have such thoughtful neighbors! I am past the point … Read more
The internet age has introduced a new plague to the world. Fortunately I have not (yet) been tackled by the beer virus. (It is the “Corona” virus, not the “China” virus. If it were the China virus, they would have called it the “Chop Stick” virus.) This new plague is technical, not biological, in nature … Read more
Here is the latest update on the 1962 Pontiac restomod. When making a car that has never been made before by taking an old design and adding new components, there are a significant number of unique design and fabrication tasks that have to be accomplished. If these tasks are conducted with attention to detail and … Read more
It has been a busy month, so I thought I would give the gearheads among you a quick update on my progress with the restomod of the 1962 Pontiac Catalina. As a refresher, a “restomod” is where you take an old car and install new mechanicals. For my Pontiac, the donor was stripped totally bare … Read more
This will be a short update as I am focusing a lot of time on my restomod. When I refer to a “ground up restoration,” I am thinking about what I am doing to my 1962 Pontiac Catalina, not what a butcher does to make hamburger. However, if you get clumsy during a restoration, the … Read more
Enough talk about wandering bad bugs named after a Mexican beer. Let’s dismiss them for the moment and shift to more pleasant thoughts, such as gears and grease! In my last blog, I revealed that I obtained a 1962 Pontiac Catalina for a restomod. I refer to it as a “Poncho,” which I (as the … Read more
I am a surviving remnant of the “Do Nothing Generation” of the 1950s. We were born to parents caught up in the Great Depression of the 1930s. Perhaps more by mistake than on purpose as it was tough just to put food on the table for yourself much less for a new mouth. That may … Read more