balthazar

Sixty8panther ~ >>"The ultimate evolution, still very close in airframe to the original 1935 prototype, was powered by a Supercharged, inverted V12 built by Daimler Benz..."<< Merlin: water-cooled 60-degree SOHC 48-valve V-12 with single-stage SCer. American licensee Packard fitted a 2-stage SC and boosted HP from 1030 to 1700. Packard also replaced the troublesome Brit SU carbs to Bendix units. British Spitfires topped out at 350 MPH, but Packard-Merlin P-51s went 437 MPH.

^ But could you tell them apart in the dusk ? Aware of the (minor) wheelbase difference, but the cars were unquestionably twins all the same. -- -- -- -- -- 'stang84 ~ >>"In 2000, had you told me that Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, and Mercury would be gone within 10 years, I would have called you crazy. What odd times we live in. "<< Olds & Pontiac: agreed.

Camino ~ >>"A 'Cuda was far more interesting than a Challenger for example."<< A matter of grille/taillight preference, no? Not disagreeing.... I saw much validity in Plymouth prior to the '80s. Plymouth hit it's peak in the late '50s when it defied Corporate directive and did what it thought best, and the (streamlines) Fury upended the vaunted 300 at Daytona. The Corp soon clipped Plymouth's wings, and by '60, the Corporate Engine Hammer fell. There definitely was something there in numerous models over time. I was quite shocked when Plymouth's discontinuance was announced, tho part of me expected it when the PT went to Chrysler.

I came >this< close to buying a white '68 GTO hardtop, red interior & His-n-Hers. I like the '68-72 A-Bodies only slightly less than the '66-67s ; they're all nice. It's the B-Bodies where there is no question, IMO; '63-64 are the kings.

I don't think you weedwacker-lovers are nuts; to each his own. But I don't see it myself- just doesn't sound powerful/impressive to my ear and never will.

Welcome! LeMans sounds nice- let's see a few pics! I would only agree that the Challenger commercial is a smak @ GM if there was no Camaro slap back.

I can certainly visit with my '64s, but they are not going to roll today.

WRT the R32 : Getting the same thing out of that: on throttle/WOT it sounds good (tho raspy), but back off or idling and it sounds sickly.

>>"Anything is possible if you throw enough time and money at it."<<{/i] Exactly right- and the $205K lambo is likewise proof enough of that.

What- you think the Impala's suspension is stock ?? Don't for one second think that a '65 Impala cannot be built to outhandle a lamborghini, because it absolutely can. There's nothing physically preventing that, and the aftermarket is there. The suspension doesn't know what body shell it's under. The other point is- a lambo almost doesn't qualify as a stereotypical 'stock' car, if you get me (550-some HP). I don't care for that high-pitched whine (lambo) in car engines- always sounds overstressed/struggling to me. -- -- -- -- -- And WRT the Aston posted earlier- under load it sounds great, but at idle it sounds like sh!t IMO. The 'exotic's frequently seem plagued with this dichotomy. -- -- -- -- -- I remember working at one client's house, and there were 2 'off-the-boat' Italian painters there, too. We all were out in the garage when the ex- shows up in his ferrari 355 spyder. We watched him start it, roll down the drive & take off at a decent clip, and the one guy sez something to me in effect 'Sounds so nice, eh?' but they scoffed at me when I answered that when it started, it sounded like an old Chrysler. Which it did. -- -- -- -- -- Seen the '55 Merlin- but I don't care for it's sound- too broken up/sickly. I've had fun so far poking around youtube looking at engine vids- neat idea, DF- thanks. The Duesey I linked to on page 1 is by far my favorite tho. Keep in mind with that one: stock 1930.

Duramax Impala against lambo :

Alcohol-injected Caddy 500 :

^ Same here. I will add that here I DO like the 2 red stripes & how they wave flag-like.

I've heard a 427 dual quad Galaxie (race mill) run a foot away... with open exhaust. Nice.

Something uncommon yet topical :

Holy frickin' crap: Just amazing.

How about this one- you get the frequency & pitch of the radial much better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwOVq5aC0As

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TIdQFnUvCA A little rough, but has huge potential. Advance to minute mark 3:15. -- -- -- -- -- Done.

>>"Plenty of space in the bed."<< Could it be any other way in a long bed ? Those 'quaint' appointments are far more durable than plush carpet & power doo-dads, and in a 'work' truck, that's what counts. Same goes for the more durable plastics. I was eyeballing a circa '94 F-150 on the road today- I will likely miss mine (to a degree) for decades to come (same basic XL-Special).

Detroit MI to Pennington NJ. Google maps sez 605 miles. Trip took 8.5 hrs- that's an AVERAGE speed of 71 MPH. We were FLYING... and that included numerous stops to scrape the slush build-up off the headlights. Yes- in the middle of winter, in a messy storm, where maybe 1 out of 15 vehicles WASN'T a tractor-trailer. Pretty sure there were no bathroom breaks. Madness.

I really need to get mine out & running...

I am not nuts about the tumescence in the 'running board' area, but otherwise this is an intriquing melding of a vintage Fruehauf trailer front into the bed on this GMC. http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/gmc/unspecified/1068372.html

Car show down in Jackson tonight. At least 500 cars; one for Roger : Then there was this racist badging : Not sure of the year on this White, but seeing it rolling while my '40 still slumbers was annoying...

>>"Many Americans would probably acknowledge that their concerns about immigration lie principally with those who are undocumented."<< The inarguable, air-tight facts !! What a mushy, begrudging understatement of reality. >>"No one likes being reminded that the world’s most powerful nation hasn’t figured out how to effectively police its own borders."<< Especially Washington & the left. And I don't know that it's not 'figured out' as opposed to 'unwilling to implement'. >>"while undocumented male immigrants are generally low-skilled, they also have the country’s highest labor participation rate: Among working-age men, 94 percent of undocumented immigrants work or actively are seeking work, compared to 83 percent of the native born."<< Impossible to verify- complete guesswork. Love the slimy 'actively seeking work'- I see this every day I drive thru Hub City; I did not realize standing on street corners was 'actively seeking' anything more than 'passing the time'. >>"Today, about one-fourth of low-skilled workers in large American cities are paid less than the minimum wage, including 16 percent of native-born workers, 26 percent of legal immigrants, and 38 percent of undocumented workers. Ending the ability of unscrupulous employers to recruit people to work for less than the minimum wage..."<< This 'ability' was already 'ended' by the federal minimum wage- how is it possible that 16% native-born & 26% legal immigrants are STILL being paid below this ? Simple- Gov = FAIL. >>"immigrants being 30 percent more likely than native-born Americans to start their own businesses."<<{/i] What percentage of THAT is due to subsidies (unavailable to Americans)... and self-imposed ethnic segregation (ie: not in the 'mainstream' market ?

Did not recognize the bottom right one, and the one 2 up from that. Ahhh- gave up & I see.