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FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPI15iBEGANWORKINGONCARSbeforeIhadmydriver'slicense,partlysuccessfully.
Gettingmyowncarwascertainlyoneofthemilestonesinmyyounglife.
Myloveofcarshassincediminishedonlyinproportiontomyabilitytodrivethemandworkonthem.
Ihavebeenfortunatetoownmanyoutstandingcars,bothgoodandbad.
HadIalwaysbeenabletokeepwhatIhadingoodcondition,Iwouldhavequiteacollection—butIdrovethesecarsdaily,oftentothepointofexhaustion,andusuallyhadtosellonetobuyan-other.
Mypersonalmemoriesconstituteagoodcross-sectionofthemodernAmericanautomobile.
MuchofwhatIwouldliketohaveowned,butdidn't,somefrienddid.
Readandre-livethedaysofgrowingupwithcars,andmarvelthatIamheretotellaboutit!
FirstCar:1941MercuryWithWorldWarIIobviouslyapproaching,myfatherde-cidedtoproducemeandbuyacar.
Thecarwasagoodidea,althoughitgavehimtroubletoo.
Heboughta1941Mer-cury;productionceasedforthewarshortlyinto1942.
Thiswastobeouronlycarforthenext17years.
Itisinterestingtoreviewthetechnologyinvolved,now60yearsold,asthecarwouldbequiteusableontoday'shighways.
IthadFord'sflathead(valve-in-block)V-8,90hp.
Thecarstillhadaplaceforahandcrank,butwedidn'thaveone;anysanepersonwouldoptforapushstartinemergency.
Antifreezewasmethanol.
Itwasnotperma-nent,butslowlyboiledoff,becausethecoolingsystemranwithlittleornopressure.
Dadkeptarunningsampleinabottleoutside;whenitfroze,headdedmoremethanol.
IthadaDCgeneratorwithamechanical(relay)regulatorandasix-voltsystem.
Idlingorinheavytrafficthebatterywouldrundown,butyoukepttheheadlightsonduringalongtriptoavoidovercharging.
Startingincoldweatherwasiffy.
Ithadamanualchoketoenrichthemixtureforstarting.
Italsohadanauxiliaryhandthrottle,apoor-man'scruisecontrol.
Theoilfilter,anoption,wasnotfull-flow.
Pollutioncontrolswerezero.
Topspeedwasabove90,quiteathrilloncotton-cordtires.
Transmissionwasamanualthree-speed.
Rearaxlewaslive(unsprungdifferential)withasingletransverseleafspring.
Forcewastransmittedthroughatorquetubearoundthedriveshaft.
Frontsuspensionwasbeamaxle,asolidaxlebetweenthewheels,againwithasingletransverseleafspring.
Therewerenoanti-swaybars.
Thecarleanedsobadlyonturnsyouinstinctivelypulledyourarmbackinside.
(Itwascool,bothliterallyandfiguratively,todrivewithyourarmoutthewindow.
Itactuallyhelpedtokeepyouinplace,astherewerenobucketseatsorseatbelts.
)Ithadbothheateranddefroster—probablyanoption.
Hotairwasdrawnfromaroundtheexhaustpipeandavail-ablealmostinstantly.
Theairventwasaflapthatraisedonthecowlinfrontofthewindshield,ahigh-pressurearea.
Ifyouweremoving(anditwasn'training)theblastofairmadeevenahotdaylivable.
Theradiowasvacuum-tube,AMonly.
Itpickeduponlyignitionnoiseuntilourcountygotaradiostation.
Infact,theignitionnoisewassobad(pre-resistor-wiring)thatourfriendswouldalwaysmeetusatthedoorwhenwevisited;theMercwipedouttheirTVpicturefromablockaway.
TheantennawentthroughthePartII:TheAutomobileCarsinMyLife—40Horsepowerto400byArthurD.
Delagrange,MassachusettsBeta'6416FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPICARSTHEAUTHORHASOWNED1941Mercury1956Ford/superchargedCorvette1963FordEconolinestreetrod/rearV-81964Ford427/SOHC1965AC-ShelbyCobra7VWs,including:FormulaVee,trike,buggies,streetrod4Jeeps3Pontiacs2Subarus1981EagleWagon/JeepV-81988Dodgeminivan1992FordF-150pickup1992EagleTalonAWD1994DodgeViper2000DodgeDurangoSUVroofandwasloweredbyhand.
Afterweforgotafewtimes,itwasbentenoughtogointothegarage,butreceptionwasevenworse.
Windshieldwiperswerevacuumoperated.
Thisallowedcontinuouslyvariablespeed,buttheyquitduringfull-throttleoperation.
Headlightsweredimmedbyapushbuttoninthefloor.
Itcouldnothavebeenontheleverfortheturnsignalsbecausetherewasnone.
Allglasswasflat;reflectionofthesunfromanoncomingwindshieldcouldnearlyblindyou.
Thewindshieldwassafetyglass(laminatedglassandplastic),untinted.
Afterafewyearsitwouldbecomecloudyaroundtheedgesandfailinspection,butanewonecouldbecutatthelocalglassshop.
Thefendersweredistinctentitieswhichbasicallyjustcov-eredthewheels.
Theseamscaughtdirtandsaltandrustedhorribly,hencetheexpression"fendersfallingoff.
"Betweenthefrontandrearfenderswasarunningboard,originallyaboardwhereafootmancouldstandwhilethevehiclewasrunning.
Upholsterywascottoncloth,whichdidn'tlastlong.
Itisunnervingtoseehowmanyfeatureswerechanged,onlytobechangedbacklater!
Claimsofprogressbecomedubiouswhenyoulivelongenoughtofindyourselfbackwhereyoustarted.
Stickshiftlaterregainedpopularitynotonlyoneconomymodelsbutonperformancecars.
Anewfeatureonourswascolumnshift,butthiseventuallywentbackinthefloor.
Thefenders,whichsoonmergedwiththerunningboardbeforevanishingaltogether,returnedlaterasfenderflaresoncustomvans,completewith—whatelse—runningboards!
Thekeyswitchmovedtothedash,losingthecapabilityoflockingthesteeringcolumn,whichhadtoberestoredwhencrimeincreased.
Thehoodhingeswerelatermovedtothefront—untilitwasnotedthatinacrashthehoodoftenwasforcedupandthroughthewindshield,decapitatingtheoccupants.
Thehandbrakechangedtopedal-operated,butitreappearedinthenewcenterconsoles.
Whenfront-wheeldrivewasintroduced,thefrontbeamaxlereappearedattherear.
Whenturnedbackwards,theinsidedoorhandlesontheMercslidbarsintothedoorframelikeabankvault.
Notonlywasthisnearlyimpossibletojimmy,butithelpedtoretainthedoorinacrash.
Withthecurrentemphasisonaccidentsafety,thisisbeingdiscussedagain.
Ibecametheownerofthecarfor$1at200,000mileswhenImovedoff-campus.
IdidallIcouldforit,anditranandlookedalotbetter,butitwaslikegivingafacelifttoacoronarypatient.
Agas-stationownerlookeditoverandcommented,"Iusedtoownoneofthesedeathtraps.
"WhenIwasabletobuyausedcar,still15yearsnewer,Dadboughtitbackfor$1,andIlearnedavaluablelessonaboutnegativeprofit.
Hemanagedtoget$100onatrade-in,andthedealermanagedtoresellit.
1958EdselIn1957,IwastoldIcouldhaveperfectteethorthefamilycouldhaveanewcar.
Ouronecarwas16yearsold.
Ioptedforthecar.
DadhadboughttheMercagainstmuchadvice,theMarquebeingonlytwoyearsoldatthetime,becausemanythoughtitwouldn'tlast.
Fordwasagainintro-ducinganewbrand,andagainDadbit.
Thistimehewasnotsolucky.
Edselturnedouttobeoneofthebiggestbusinessdisastersever,enteringthevocabularyasasynonymforabadidea.
Itwastheproductofthemostextensivemarketresearchprogramtodate,buttheretortwas,"Onwhichplanet"Theideasoundedgood:GMhadfivebrandnamestoFord'sthree,three"intermediates"toFord'sone.
TheEdselwasanattempttodrawbuyersfromGM.
Inpractice,itdrewfromFordandMercury(likeDad).
Worseyet,facilities,parts,andworkersweredrawnfromFordandMercury,basicallycannibalism,damagingthecom-pany.
Corporateinfightingprobablydoomedthecarbeforeitappeared.
Qualitycontrolanddocumentationwereterrible;thecarhadtobefixedfrequently,andoftenthepartsonthecardidnotmatchthoseinthebook.
Edseldealerswerenotallowedtosellanythingelse,andtheyfailedrapidly.
WEUSEDOURRUNNINGBOARD:Onedaymothermadethemistakeofparkingthecarinneutralonourinclineddrive-wayatthetopofahill.
Theparkingbrake(thencalledtheemergencybrake,becausetherewasnodual-brakesystem)wasset—partially.
Shelookedbacktoseethecargoingdownthedriveway.
Ilookeduptoseeitdisappearingdownthefieldacrosstheroad.
Motherwasstandingontherunningboard,reachingthroughtheopenwindow,andpullingonthehandbrake,whichfortunatelywasontheleftsideofthedash.
Havingnobetteridea,Iwaited.
Eventuallythecarreappearedwithmotheratthewheel.
Shehadaverysorearm.
FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPI17Thefirstcartheauthorboughtonhisown,a1956FordFairlaneSunliner.
Thestylingbombed!
Comparedtotheothermakesofthatyear,theEdselwasrelativelymodest,butthegrillhadaverticalovoidcentersectionthatwasunceremoniouslydubbedtheflyingtoiletseat.
(Actu-ally,itwasclosertoahorsecollar.
)Themotifofaverticalcentersectionflankedbyhorizontallineswaslaterusedbyseveralothermakes,butthedamagewasdone.
Thetaillightslookedlikehugeglowingeyebrows.
Thefollowingyear,ratherthanstandingfirm,Edselmutedallitspromi-nentfeaturesandaddedasix-cylinderenginetothehighest-ratedV-8savailable,probablyturningaretreatintoarout.
Amildrecessionhit,andthebuyers'attentionturnedtothenewcompactsbeingintroduced.
Thethirdyear,EdselwasjustamodifiedFord;thefirmbuiltfewcarsbeforeceasingproductionforever.
Fordtookalossof$350M,thebig-gestcorporatelosstodate.
Thecarwasfullofgadgets,mostofwhichgavetrouble.
Theauto-matictransmissionwascontrolledbypushbuttonsinthecenterofthesteeringwheel,whichsoonquit.
Heating/cooling/ventilationwasselectedbyonehugeknob.
Althoughaprecursortotoday'scontrols,itwasme-chanicalratherthanvacuum,anditsoongavetrouble.
Thespeedom-eterwasarotatinghorizontalwheel,likesomecompasses.
Thedamp-ingfluidleakedout,leavingittospinwildly.
Thewheelrimsweremadefromsections;thejointsrustedandleaked.
Thelowerradiatorconnec-tionleakedpersistentlyuntilwetookitoutandfoundthatthelowertubehadbeensmashedflatonthebottom.
Asidefromtheconstantrepairs,welikedthecar.
Performancewasgood;infact,itseemedgreatuntilwefoundoutthespeedometerread17%high.
Dad,beinganengineer,patchedandputupwithproblems,butthegeneralpublicdidn't.
1956FordConvertibleWhenImadeenoughmoneyworkingasaco-opstudenttobuymyowncar,IknewwhatIthoughtIwanted,aT-Bird(Thunderbird).
WhenIfoundthatT-Birds(used)weregoingforthreetimesasmuchasordi-naryFordconvertibles,Iloweredmystandards.
IfoundaFordwithallfourfendersbangedup.
Thestorywas—themanhadboughtitforhiswife,butthepreviousyoungmaleowner"haddonesomeworkontheengine,"andhiswifewasunabletocontrolthecar.
ItwasindeedmuchfasterthanacoupleofsimilaronesIinspected.
Bodyworkandapaintjobwereincludedintheprice,andItookit.
Ienjoyedthecar,butitsoondevelopedaleakattheenginerear-mainseal.
Thedealerinstalledanewseal,buttoldmethattheenginedesignwasn'tstrongenoughtohold.
Hewasright.
(Thedesignwasabandonedafterfouryears.
)Asthecarsoonneared100,000miles,itwasleakingoilfromotherlocationsandhaddevelopedabangingnoisewhichsoundedserious,whichledtoanexperiment(nextsection).
SATURNGeneralMotorslaunchedtheSaturninasimilarmanner,butitdidn'tmakethesamemistakes.
AlthoughtheSaturndealerssellnothingelse,thecarwasacompletenewdesign,builtbynewlyrecruitedworkersinanewplant.
Buyinganewcarforthefirsttimeindecades,mybrother-in-lawoptedforaSaturnandhashadnoproblems.
18FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPI1962CorvetteV-8EngineIneverhadaCorvette,butIdidhaveaCorvetteengine.
TherewasobviouslynopointintryingtorebuildtheengineinmyFord.
Ifoundamechanicwhowouldadaptadifferentengine.
IwantedthenewbigFordengine,then406cu.
in.
and400hp.
Hewasn'tsurehecouldfitit,andfavoredthesmallerChevroletengine,then327cu.
in.
ratedat360hp.
infuel-injectedformintheCorvette.
IdecidedIcouldlivewiththat,althoughwhenIfoundoutthatfuel-injectionrequireda50%sur-charge,Isettledforonefour-barrelcarburetorand20fewerhp.
ItturnedoutthatFordandChevydidnearlyeverythinginoppo-sitefashion.
Ihadtochoptheoilpansumpbecausethat'swheretheFordsteeringrodswere,andtheenginewouldloseoilpressureunderhardbraking.
Butbetweenthetwoofuswegotitworking,anditsur-prisedalotofpeople,includingtheChevroletdealerwhoadjustedthevalves(andlefttherockerarmcoversloose,creatingacloudofburningoilsmokeasIdroveaway).
Afterreducingtheinsidesofastocktrans-missiontowhatthemechanicsaidlookedlike"abagofpeanuts,"Icon-vertedtoaPackardtransmission.
Eventuallythecarstartedtooverheat.
IfiguredifIcouldn'tdriveitfar,Imightaswelldoaquarter-mileatatime(dragracing).
IaddedaGMCRootes-typesupercharger.
JustaboutthetimeIgoteverythingworking,theengineseized.
Theexcessheathadbeenfromafailingbearing.
Ihadtoomuchelsegoingon,soIsoldthecar.
Bythattime,Ihadtwoothercarsthatwerefaster,anyway.
Postscript:IlearnedlaterthattheT-Birdhadtheenginesetbackandtheoilpanreversed;theCorvetteenginewouldprobablyhavefitnicelyinoneofthose.
ThebigFordenginewouldalsohavefitinmycareasily.
1963Air-cooledVolkswagenDad'snextbitewasaVW,anoveltyinAppalachia.
(AbillboardforthelocaldealerhaditspelledVolkswagon.
)Iteasedhim,butwoundupeatingmywords,eventuallyowningthatcar,anotherVWhebought,andseveralothers.
TheVolks-wagen(translation:people'scar)wastheproductofpos-siblytheoddestassociationever—theengineeringgeniusofDr.
FerryPorscheandthepoliticalgeniusofAdolphHitler.
ThestorygoesthatHitlerwasembarrassedbypicturesoffineGermancarsdisabledalongtheAutobahn,reallynotsurprisingbecausetherewasnospeedlimitandmanysimplydrovetheircarstoexhaustion.
Hewantedacarthatcouldbedrivenalldaywideopen,beair-cooledwithnoradiatortoboilover,havetheengineintherearforgoodtractioninmountainsnows,andbeaffordabletothecommonman.
In1934,Porschewasassignedthetask,apparentlysimilartoacarhewasalreadydesigning,andthefirstVWwasproducedin1936.
The"Beetle"(supposedlytheinspira-tionfortheoriginalshape,nowatrademark)wasproducedinsimilarformintothe1990s,achievingthelongestproductionrunandthemostunitssold,surpassingFord'sModelT.
Understandably,theAmericanmanufacturerslaughedwhentwooftheselittlecuriositieswereimportedin1949.
Theyshouldn'thave;VWeventuallytook5%oftheirmarket.
Thecarrancompletelycountertothecurrenttrend:itwassmall(four-passenger),light(1,600lbs.
),un-derpowered(1,100cc/36hp.
),andofferednoinstrumentsotherthanspeedometer.
Aredlightindicatednocharging;agreenlightindicatednooilpressure.
(Wesaidtheymeantreplacegeneratorandreplaceen-gine,respectively.
)Itofferedvirtuallynooptions—arealanachronism.
Itusednoheadgasketsandnocambearings(thecamrodedirectlyinthecrankcasehalves).
Itretainedthesix-voltgeneratorsys-HomemadeVWbuggy,airborne.
FormulaVeeracecar—VWrunninggear.
FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPI19temlongaftertheAmericansswitchedto12-voltalternator,andithadsuchodditiesasmechanicalturnsignals(littlearmsflippedoutfromthesidesofthecar)andarollerinplaceofagaspedal.
Butthereinlaytheappealtoasmallbutgrowingmarketsegment.
Itwassouglyitwascute.
Itwasachallengetodrive,i.
e.
,fun!
Itwouldgo300milesonitslittle10-gallontank.
Itmanagedtoacquireareputationforquality,nottotallydeserved.
VWclaimeditwouldjunkacarforonedefect.
Asidefromthatbeingpatentlyabsurd,Dad'swasdeliveredwithnotone,butthree.
Individu-allythepartsappearedwell-engineered,buttogethertheywereanight-mare.
Step1,tochangethegenerator,wasto"removetheenginefromcar,"—atwo-personjob,mainlybecausetheboltheadswereaccessiblefrombelowandthenutsfromabove.
Itwasunnecessary;ImodifiedminesoIcouldremovetheenginebymyself(usinghandtoolsandafloorjack),andlatersoIcouldchangethegeneratorwithoutmovingtheengine.
Thecaralsohadareputationforpartsinterchangeability,againnotwarranted.
Ihad1965and1967engines,andfewpartsinter-changed.
Theenginewasratherlight,small,andmostlyalloyand,hav-ingnowaterjacket,wascooledbyairdirectlyandbyanoilcooler.
Driv-ersonlong-distanceralliesoftencarriedacompletespareengineinthebackseat.
Itusednoheadgaskets.
Cylinderswereseparatefromthecrankcase,sotheenginecouldbetotallyrebuiltbyanamateurlikeme.
Thecarhadanumberofothernovelfeatures,whichledtoalterna-tiveusages.
Theentirefrontsuspensionwasaunitheldonbyfourbolts.
Theenginewasmountedtothetransaxlebyfourbolts,whichinturnwiththerearsuspensionwasmountedtothebodybyaboutadozen.
Thereartorsionbarscouldbereadjustedforalighterbody,andoneofapairoffrontbarscouldberemoved.
Virtuallyalltherunninggearwasmountedtoafloorpanwhichwasstrengthenedbyalargetunneldownthecenterandtwosmallerrailsalongthesides,althoughitcouldsur-vivewiththelattercompletelyrustedthrough.
Attachmentoftheup-perbodymadeastrongunit,butthatwasn'tnecessaryeither—asoft-topversionwasoffered.
Withadditionofmountsforsteeringcolumn,switches,andgastank,thefloorpancouldbedrivenbyitself!
Thisledtothebuggy.
BruceMeyersmadeacutefiberglasstub,oropen-topbody,whichboltedtotheVWpan.
Apatentwasrefused,andhewatchedasothercompaniesmarketedbodiesrangingfromcopiesofhistocopiesofracecars.
Anotherpopularcreationwasthetrike,athree-wheelerconsistingofamotorcycle(preferablyHarley-Davidson)frontendandaVWrearend.
SincetheentireVWdrivetrainwasintherear,itwasaneasyconversion.
Withtheenginebehindtheaxle,ithadgreattraction.
Itwasalsodangerous.
Thefrontwheelhadinadequategripforsteering,especiallywhenitwasupintheairduetohardacceleration.
Itwouldnotsteerlikeacar,norcoulditbeleanedlikeamotorcycle.
Infact,itleanedthewrongdirection,becausetheVWhadlittlerollstiffnessintherear,andaddingananti-swaybarwasinadvisableasitaggravatedthepoorgeometry,allratherdisconcerting.
IhadaKawasaki400withafailedengineandaVWwithacompletelyrustedbody.
Thesurvivingpartsmadeanicetrike,whichIcalledaKarmannkazi(KarmannbeingabodyworksVWused).
Asingle-seatopen-wheelracerbasedonVWcomponentswasbuiltfortheFormulaJuniorclassinSportsCarClubofAmerica(SCCA)racing.
Itwasnotcompetitive,butitwassocutethatitsownclasswascreated,andFormulaVeeisstilloneofthemostpopularandcompeti-tiveclassestoday.
Ienjoyedracingoneforseveralyears.
Thecarweighed825lbs.
(withoutme).
Engine,transmission,brakes,andmuchofthesuspensionwerenearlystockandquitereliable.
Onatypicalhotsummerdaywhiledriversoffrontenginecarswerebeingreducedtopuddlesofperspiration,Iwashavingapleasant,coolSundaydriveinmylittlerear-enginecar.
Itwascontentwithleadedregulargas,andnotmuchofthat!
VW/Kawasaki"trike,"possiblytheworld'sonlyfive-wheelvehicle.
20FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPI1964Ford427In1965Igotmybigblockintheformofayear-oldFordconvertiblewiththe427cu.
in.
NASCARengine,doublefour-barrelcarburetors,ratedatabout425hp.
Iboughtitagainstmuchadvice;theengine,whichexistedfortheprimarypurposeinlifeofrunning500mileswideopen,wasnotavailablewithautomatictransmission,powersteering,powerbrakes,orairconditioninganddidnotcarrytheusualwarranty.
Itdidhavesomeseriousequipment,suchassodium-filledvalves,aforged-steelcrankshaft,andcross-boltedmain-bearingcaps.
Thecarwaswelldesigned,exceptthattheshockabsorbersweresomewhatinadequateandthewheelsandtiresweretotallyinadequate.
Atfullthrottle,therightrearwheelwouldspinallthewaythroughfirstgearandpartwaythroughsecond.
Ieventuallyusedstock-carrac-ingcomponents.
Ifinallyhadtoreplacetheengineafter150,000miles,butonlybe-causethestarterdiedanditwasburied(nopun)underthemassiveexhaustheadersthatwerethoroughlyrustedinplacebythistime.
Iwasabletoobtainoneofthespecialsingle-overhead-cam(SOHC)hemi-head427sthatFordhadbuilttodominateNASCAR(whichdid,andwerepromptlyhandicappedoutofcontention).
Itwasathingofbeauty,withhugecastaluminumvalvecoversoverthecamandopposedvalvesandahugecoveracrossthefrontoverthetimingchains.
Themanualsaiditproduced"inexcessof600hp"withonefour-barrel;Iconvertedminetotwo.
Thiswasprobablythemostbrutalengineeverproducedforapassengercar.
Ihadtoruntheignitionatfixed34degreesad-vancetogetittoidle.
Iwasconcernedwhetherthestarterwouldbeabletocrankit,butthecamwassoradical(360degrees)therewaslittlecylinderpressureatidle.
Withsuchacamandthestrangegeom-etryofarollercam,thecamlobesweredumbellshaped.
TheoriginalNASCARcarburetordidnotworkwellbelow3,000rpm;fortunately,thedualcarbsweretamer.
Evenso,theenginemissedbelow60mph.
Redlineonsuchamassiveengine7,500rpmwith1,000moreover-revspace.
Itgoteightmpgontheinterstate.
IsolditwhenthegascrisishitandIcouldn'tfindpremiumfuel,anecessitywith12.
5:1compres-sionratio.
1965AC-Shelby-FordCobraIn1967,Ihadachancetobuyatwo-year-oldCobraandbecameathree-car(bachelor)family,owningmorethan1,000stockhp.
Nearlyunknownthenexcepttoracers,Cobrahassincebecomeahouseholdword,theoriginalstorynowlostinthemultitudeofmodelsandreplicasusingthename.
CarrollShelby,aworld-classracedriverwhohadretiredwithaweakheart,setouttoproduceaworld-classAmericansportscar.
Corvettewasagoodcar,butheavy,andGMclearlywasnotgoingtoofferthesupportnecessarytocompetewithforeignfactory-backedteams.
ShelbywantedtoputanAmericanV-8intoaEuropeanchassis.
HefoundawillingpartnerinFord,whichnolongerhadacompetitortotheCor-vette.
FordhadanewV-8,similartoChevrolet'sbutsmallerandlesspotent.
Shelbysoonremediedthelatterwithhotroddingtricks.
Ithadthehighestoversquareratio(4.
00"boreand2.
87"stroke)andthebig-gestvalvesavailableatthetime.
Itproducedwelloveronehp/cu.
in.
withcarburetors.
ForachassisheobtainedtheBritishAC(forAutoCarrier)Ace,whichhadbeenusingasix-cylinderengine.
Itwasreasonablysturdy,and,withsomemodificationsandbeefing-up,provedreliable.
Itwassomewhatoutdated,butdidhaverack-and-pinionsteer-ing,four-wheeldiscbrakes,andindependentrearsuspension.
Thesus-pensionusedsingletransverseleafsprings,whichalsoservedasthe1964FordGalaxiewithstockcarengine,shocks,wheels,andtires.
Ford427SOHCenginewithoverheadrollercam,hemiheads,four-boltmains,forged-steelcrank,and600+hp.
FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPI21uppercontrolarm—notthebestgeometry,butitwassostiffitdidn'tmattermuch.
Withatubeframeandaluminumskin,itsweightwasbuttwo-thirdsthatofaCorvette.
Itconsequentlywasquicker,althoughitsoldforabouttwiceasmuch.
Thefirstonesin1963didnotofferairconditioning,powerbrakes,powersteering,automatictransmission,roll-upwindows,doorhandles,radio,orheater.
(Mine,fortunately,hadthelasttwo,andlateratleastonewasfittedwithanautomaticforahandicappedperson.
)Butwhenyousteppedonthegas,therewasnotimetoworryaboutsuchdetails.
Cobraswerewinningmostoftheirraces,butCorvettewasabouttoofferitsnewbig-blocksemi-hemimotor.
Nevercontent,Shelbyrede-signedtheCobra.
Theframewasstrengthenedandwidenedtoacceptthe427engine.
Thesuspensionwasreplacedwithdouble-wishbonetype.
Frontdiscswerevented.
Wheelswerechangedfromwire,spline-drive,towideralloy,pin-drive.
Anoilcoolerwasadded,andtheradiatorwasenlarged.
Thetransmissionwaschangedtothenewheavy-dutyFord.
Thisisthecarthat,nowinproductionagainafter30years(Shelbyhadneverfinishedtheoriginalproductionrun),sellsfor$250,000.
Thisisalsothecarthatiscopiedbyaboutadozenvendors,whoarenowbeingsuedbyShelby.
TheCobratrademarkwastakenoverbyFord,appliedtoavarietyofmodels,andisstillinuse.
1972JeepCJ-5V-8AfterWWIImanyoftheubiquitousArmyJeepsfellintothehandsofcivilians.
Willys-OverlandredesigneditintoaslightlymorecivilizedformandsolditastheCJ,forCivilianJeep.
AmericanMotorsCorp.
(AMC),whicheventuallyacquiredJeep,refineditmarginally.
Asonemagazinereviewersaid,thedashboardwas"tastefullydecoratedinhex-headbolts.
"Itbecamesopopularthatin1972AMCaddeditsV-8engine.
Thiswasnowavehiclethatweighedonly50%morethanaVWBeetle,hadawheelbaseafootshorter,satconsiderablyhigher,andhadtwiceasmanycylindersandfourtimesthehorsepower!
Notsurprisingly,theytippedoverrathereasily,andinfactcamefromthefactorywitharollbar.
Igotaslightlyusedonebeforediscoveringanewfrontwheelandtire,newwindshield,newpaintovermuchbodyputty,andscrapemarksonthesideoftherollbar.
Allthewarningsfromsafetyexpertsdidn'thurtsales;wordwasthattheV-8JeepwaskeepingAMCafloatfinan-cially.
Minestillruns,buttherustissoseriousthatwhatisleftofthebodyisnolongerfirmlyattachedtotheframe.
1975ChevroletVegaShowroomStockWhenGMdebutedtheVegain1971,somepredictedarepeatoftheCorvairexperience.
Theywereright.
TheVegahadaradicallynewen-gine,competingagainstcarsbuiltwithprovendesigns.
Itwasoverheadcam,atthetimeassociatedwithracingengines,butitwasunderpow-ered.
Theblockwasaluminum,buttheheadwasstillcastiron,there-verseofmostmixedengines.
(Theheadweighedmorethantheblock!
)Aluminumhasacoefficientofexpansionmorethantwicethatofcastiron.
Furthermore,atdifferentplacestheheadgasketmustsealagainstwater,oil,andcompression.
Thisisadesigner'snightmare,andleakswerecommon.
Thepistonsrodedirectlyinthealuminum,whichwasspeciallytreated.
Thisworkedundernormalconditions,butwouldnottoleratelossofcoolant(seeleaks,above),whichruinedtheengine.
Worseyet,earlymodelshadnocoolant-overflowrecoverytankandnolow-coolantwarninglight.
Ithadanelectricfuelpump,wiredthroughtheoilpressureswitchsoitwouldshutoffiftheenginestopped,asinacrash.
However,olden-gineswouldnotdevelopenoughoilpressureatcrankingspeedtoclose1963FordEconolinewithrear-mounted1972Jeeppowertrain.
1975ChevroletVegashowroomstockracer.
22FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPItheswitch,soiftheenginedidn'tstartwiththeresidualfuelinthecar-buretor,itcouldnotbestarted.
Theunibodyhadnoframeand,infact,hadnoheavymetalatall.
Wherethicknesswasrequired,severallayersweresandwichedtogether.
Thecrackstrappedwater,mud,andsaltandrustedquickly.
IhaveseenrustholesinVegasthree-yearsold.
Ihada1975model,inwhichGMhadcorrectedmanyofthedeficien-cies,anditwasagoodcar.
Iboughtaracecarandconvertedittostreetuse,thereverseofwhatnormalpeopledo.
Theclasswasshowroomstock,inwhichcarsinstreetconditionwithnomodificationsotherthansafetygearareracedonroadcourses.
(Manyweredriventothetrack!
)Thiscarracedfouryearswithseveraldriversandfinishedeveryrace,anenviablerecord.
Itfinishedwithcrackedwheels,steelcordshangingfromthetires,brakessmoking,andmissingfirstandsecondgears,butitfinished.
Themanufacturerswerekeenlyinterestedinwhatbroke,andmanyfailureswerefixedunderwarranty.
Racingdoesimprovethebreed.
Attheendofitseligibility,Iboughtthecarfromitsowner(youcanrentaracecar!
)andusedittodrivetoworkinafour-personcarpool,intimidatingtheothercommuterswithmynameandcarnumberontheside.
Thenonedayalongtheinterstate,thecrankshaftbrokeinhalf.
(Itbrokecrosswise,halveseffectivelylockedtogether.
Imadeithalfwayhomeuntilthewobblingfrontpulleyde-stroyedthetimingbelt.
)Ireplacedthefour-cylinderenginewithaV-8andcommutedsomemore.
Itwentthroughthreemoreownersbeforeitfinallysuccumbedtoterminalrust.
GMlaterredesignedtherearsuspension,theweakestpointinrac-ing.
Thefinalcarwasquitenice,butitneverovercameitsreputationandwasdropped.
1998DodgeMinivanBeforeits1984introduction,aChryslerexecutivetookaprototypeofanewsmallvanhometotryoutonhisfamily.
Hiskidslovedit.
Hewentbacktoworkandgaveinstructionstodoubletheplannedproduction.
Eventhatturnedouttobeinadequate.
Theminivanbecametheve-hicleofchoiceforwhatwouldbecomeknownassoccermoms,floodingthestreetsofsuburbiaasasortofpersonalschoolbus.
Itwasmodifiedbyyoungsingleswithcurtainsandotheraccessoriesasthelovevan;somelivinginthem.
Theoldergenerationgotinontheactwithcustomvans,typicallyidentifiedbyraisedtops,widefendersandrunningboards,andhavingsuchamenitiesasgametables,TVs,andwetbars.
Theminivanbecameabigmoney-makerforChrysler,especiallysincedevelopmentcostwassurprisinglylowforsuchanewidea.
ItwasbuiltontheexistingK-car(Aries/Reliant/LeBaron)platform,thefront-wheeldrivepowertrainadaptingreadily.
Onemightquestionthewis-domofbuildingalighttruckoncomponentsofacarthatwasnotpar-ticularlyoutstandingtostartwith.
Butthistimetheindustrydidagoodjob,possiblylearningfromapreviousbadexperience;earliermicrovanshadbeendevelopedfromcompactcars.
Thesewereunder-designedandhadatendencytoassumeaninvertedposition,andmostdidn'tlastlong.
Theminivanreplacedthestationwagonasthefamilyutilityvehicle.
Ithadmoreroom,moreseating,andmoreadaptability,allinthesamefootprint.
Itsweakpointswerehandling,styling(abox),airdrag(again,abox),andcrashsafety(noextendednoseortailtoabsorbimpact).
Butforatriptotheschoolyardortheconveniencestore,whocaredOursjustpassed200,000miles,makingstrangebutapparentlyacceptablenoises.
CHEVROLETMONZATheMonzawasbasicallyaVegaun-derneath,butitwasintroducedlateraftermostbugswereworkedoutandmanagedtoavoidthebadreputation.
Oddly,itofferedafour-cylinderoraV-8engine(whichtheauthorhad).
Itwasfancierandmoreexpensiveandneverfoundthenichethatitprobablydeserved.
FORDPINTOWhileVegawashavingitsproblems,itschiefrival,thePinto,washavingoneofitsown.
Thegastankwaspronetoexplode(catchfire,really)inarear-endcollision.
Fordhadachieveditsgoalofproducingacarweighinglessthan2,000lbs.
forlessthan$2,000,butsomesafetyhadtobesacrificed.
Itwasquestionablehowmuchprotectionoccupantsofacompactcarwithnoframeshouldexpect,butaninternalmemowasfoundstatingthatitwouldbecheapertopaythehumancost(readlawsuits)thantofixtheproblems.
AsympatheticjuryfoundFordneg-ligentandgavethebiggestdamageawardyet,$128M.
FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPI231992EagleTalonAll-WheelDriveAsIwasapproachingretirement,mywifefacedtheprospectofdrivingtoworkbyherself,30mileseachway,inaregionwhereyoumightgotoworkwiththewindowsopenandcomehomeinablizzard.
Forthefirsttimeinourlives,wedecidedtobuyanewcar.
Iwantedasportyperfor-mancecar.
Shewantedacarthatcouldhaulusandhertwinsisterandherhusband,ifnecessary.
Ithadtohavefour-wheeldriveandgetgoodgasmileage.
Atallorder,butweagreedonanEagleTalon(marketedbyChrysler,designedbyMitsubishi).
Twothingsimpressmeaboutthiscar.
First,howmuchitresemblessomeracecarsthatIwatchednottoomanyyearsago:lowprofile,slopingfrontandrearglass,chopped-offrear(Kammeffect),four-wheeldiscbrakes,four-wheelindependentsuspension,rack-and-pinionsteer-ing,double-overhead-camengine,five-speedtransmission,big(16"x7")magwheels,andtiresthatlookremarkablysimilartotherainracingtiresIusedtohave.
Plusithasaturbochargerandall-wheeldrive!
Indeed,Ihavehadthecaronaroad-racingcourse,anditisimpressive.
OnenegativeistheMacPhersonstrutfrontsuspension,probablynec-essarybecausetheengineismountedtransversely.
Ontheotherhand,alltheusualcreaturecomfortsandgadgetsarejammedinsomehow.
Thedownsideisthatevenwithashopmanual,itisdifficulttorepair.
Ithasmadeitpast100,000mileswithnowarrantyworkotherthantwofactoryrecalls.
ThereareanumberofannoyingproblemsIchoosetoignore,butIhavespentlessthan$50inactualrepairs!
1992FordF-150Formanyyearsthemostpopularsinglemodelofcarwasatruck—theFord1/2-ton(standardsize)pickup.
Nowanotherdubioussuburbanicon,itwasoriginallyafarmer'svehicle.
Theaveragefamilyatmid-centurycouldaffordonlyonevehicle.
Thesmall-farmownerhadtobeabletohaulbothhisfamilyandfertilizer;therewasnochoiceofvehicle.
Anicetylikeaheaterwasanaftermarketitem,notalwayspurchasedbyfrugalfamiliesaccustomedtounheatedbedroomsandoutdoorplumb-ing.
Butaseveryone'sstandardoflivingshotupafterWWII,themanu-facturersrealizedthatthecabneednotbemuchdifferentfromthefrontseatofacar.
Andascarinteriorsbecamemoredurableandtruckinte-riorsbecamemorecomfortable,thetwomerged.
Indeferencetoactualuse,anoptionalcabwasextendedtoseat-and-a-halftoaccommodate2.
5children,attheexpenseofasomewhatshorterbedorjustalongervehicle.
Aseverythingbecamebiggerandstronger,therealcapacityofpickupscametoequalthatofhonest-to-goodnesstrucksofthepre-warera.
Ineededavehiclethatwouldplowsnow,haul4'x8'sheetsofbuild-ingmaterial,towacartrailer,orsimplyactasasparecar.
Iboughtmyfirstpickupwithsomereluctance,butIamnowaddicted.
Inadditiontomeetingmybasicneeds,thevehiclehandlesandridessurprisinglywell.
Inapinchitcanhaulfouradultsand/oratonofcargoforareasonabledistance.
ItisatributetoAmerica'scan-doengineering.
Thetruckhaspassed100,000mileswithnohugerepairs,butmylistoflittlethingsthathavefailedorneverworkedproperlyisupto36items.
1992EagleTalonAWD—withapaintjobandabignumber,itcouldpassforaracecaroftwodecadesearlier.
Some"tricks"fromhotroddingandracingthathavefoundtheirwayintoAmericanproductionvehicles:Tall,wide,one-piecealloywheelsWide,low-profiletiresDualbrakingsystemsDiscbrakes,ventilated,four-wheelDoubleshockabsorbersIndependentrearsuspensionRearanti-swaybarsAll-wheeldriveLockingdifferentialsFrontspoilersandrearwingsStreamlining(windtunneltest)AutomatictransmissionfluidinstandardgearboxesSyntheticoilBucket(individual)seatsSeatbeltsRolloverbarsHalogenheadlightsBatteryvoltmeterTachometerElectronicignitionElectricfuelpumpsElectricradiatorfansFuelinjectionWidefanbeltsOilcoolersRollercamshaftsSuperchargingEnginecompartmentventsTubeexhaustheadersRaminduction24FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPI1994DodgeViperIn1992,Iplacedadeposit(constitutingasignificantpartofmylifesav-ings)onacarIhadneverbeenin,knowingitmightneverbedelivered.
WhyIn1989,Dodgehadpresentedashowcar,asportscar,somethingtheminivancompanyhadneverdone.
Theresponsewasincredible.
Inspiteofthecaveatthatnoproductionwasplanned,enthusiastssentthefac-toryordersandevendeposits(whichwerereturned).
However,Dodgejudiciouslyhadbuiltaworkingprototype(manyshowcarsarenothingmorethanstagemockups)outofmore-or-lessavailableparts.
(Theen-ginewasborrowed—theonlyexistingprototypefromtheV-10truckprogram.
)SoonChryslerannouncedthatnotonlywoulditbuildthecar,butthatthecarwouldbeasadvertisedandwouldbeavailablein30months,arecordshortdesigncycle.
Therewasmuchskepticismonallcounts,butthecompanymadegood.
WhythefurorInanageofsmallerandtechierisbetterthecarseemedastepbackwards.
Ithadthebiggestengine,biggestbrakes,andbiggestwheelsandtiresavailableonacar—andthesmallestcarry-ingcapacity.
Itwouldnotbeavailablewithhighlytechnicalgadgets,whichmeantnotonlyvariablesuspensionandautomaticbrakesystem(ABS),butcruisecontrol,automatictransmission,retractiletop,orevenroll-upwindowsanddoorhandles!
Actually,Iwantedonepartlybe-causeitdidnotrelyongadgets,butgoodsolidengineering.
(ItappearsfromtheshopmanualthatIcanworkoneverythingbutthecomputer-controlledEFI.
)ItwasbilledassuccessortotheCobra,andindeedCarrollShelbywasinvolvedintheinitialplanninguntilhehadtostopforahearttransplant.
Editorialopinionsrangedfrom,"Nobodywantsthiscar!
"to,"No-bodyshouldbeallowedtohavethiscar!
"Theseprobablyhelpedsales;Viperhashadatwo-yearbacklogeversince.
Proponentssaidthatacar/drivercombinationcapableofsurvivingnearly200mphwouldbeverysafeat70;therealproblemwascombinationsthatwerealreadymar-ginalat70.
WhenpeopleaskedmewhyIneededsomuchhorsepower,Ipointedoutthattheengineintheircommutercarproducedmorepowerthanwasconsiderednecessaryin1950.
That'sprogress!
Dodgeproduced285Vipersin1992,notexactlymassproduction.
1994DodgeViper—onehorse-powerand400horsepower.
FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPI25Butitwaspurposelyatestbedfornewideas,andsomedidn'twork.
Thehoodwasthelargestpieceoffiberglassevermadeforacar,andtheinitialrejectratewas50%.
Butthecarsstartedarrivingattheshow-rooms—andstayedthere.
Thedealerswereinnohurrytosellacarthatattractedattentionlikethey'dneverseenbefore,andtheyweredemandingdoublethelistprice.
Upsetthatfewappearedontheroad,Dodgedecreedthatthenextbatchoforderswouldallgotoprivateowners.
Iorderedone.
Somethingbigwashappening,andIwasgoingtobepartofit,successorflop.
Ifinallyreceiveda1994Viper—wrongcolorandnoA/C.
Thedealergraciouslyofferedtokeepitforhimself,andInot-so-graciouslyre-fusedhisoffer.
AmIhappywiththecarSufficeittosaythatitresidesinalockedgaragewiththealarmsystemonandthekeyshidden.
Ididn'trealizethattherewerenocupholdersuntilitwaspointedouttome.
ItisnotaCobra,butIknewthatwouldbeimpossibleunderthepresentregula-toryclimate.
Giventherestrictions,itisnothingshortofamiracle.
(Minehassideexhaust,sinceoutlawed.
)Thereislittleontheroadthatcanmatchtheperformanceofmyseven-year-oldcar,certainlynotattheprice($50K).
Ihavehaditonaroad-racingcourse,andthemainlimita-tionwasthedriver.
(With400hp.
and450ft.
-lb.
oftorque,yousteerwiththeacceleratormorethanthesteeringwheel.
)Thestyling,now10yearsold,stillattractsattention.
Thegrillde-signpermeatestheChryslerlineup,eventhelowlyminivan.
Thehugegills(airvents)onthesideofthehoodareatrademark.
Iimpresspeoplewiththesizeofthefronttires,thenpointoutthattherearsare25%widerandthatthetreadwearindicatorsaredisappearingat13,000miles.
Viperisoneofthosecarsthatbecameaninstantlegend.
Thiswashelpedsomewhatbyasecond-rateTVshowwherethecarperformedsuchnonsenseaschangingintoanoff-roadvehicle.
(ThecarsintheshowhadneitherViperenginesnortransmissions.
)Thankstomoderntechnologyandcarefulengineering,thecarmeetsawidelydisparatesetofgoals—aSuperman/ClarkKentwithalittlebitofLoisLane.
Itwillpinyouintheseatwith0.
6gforwardaccelera-tion(limitedmostlybywheelspin)orthrowyououtwith1.
0gintheotherthreedirections.
(Thefederallymandatedtrianglebeltiswoe-fullyinadequate;fortunately,mountingpointsareprovidedfora5-wayracingharness,whichIhave.
)Itcanbedriven,somewhatgrudgingly,intraffic.
Itisplentycomfortablefora500-milejaunt.
Ihavemeasured25mpgoninterstates.
Youcanputthetopandwindowsinthetrunk—ORyoucancarrysomeluggage.
Thereisaspace-saverspare;adamagedtirewillfitinthetrunk(lidup),buttheluggagemustthenbeleftbehind.
WhatmorecouldonewantWhenTeamViperposedthequestiontotheconvenedowners,theanswerwas,"Morepower!
"Andwe'regoingtogetit.
That'sprogress.
Epilogue:2000DodgeDurangoPreparingtoenterthenextcentury,Ionceagainhadneedofreliabletransportation,havingnonewithlessthan100,000miles(theViperandstreetrodarenottransportation).
Ineededavehiclethatcouldreplaceeithertruck,van,orAWDcar,dependingonwhichexpiredfirst.
Nochoice.
Iboughtaspecimenofthelatestcraze:aSport-UtilityVehicle(SUV),acontradictioninterms.
Thesearenowavailableinmostbrands,rangingfromeconomy(economybeingthepriceofmyWestVirginiahouse)toluxury.
Minecamestandardwithsuchoff-roadnecessitiesasoverhead-camV-8,automatictransmissionwithoverdrive,cruisecon-trol,powerwindows,anddoorlocks.
Thesehybridsaretypicallybuiltonamodifiedlighttruckchassis,usually4WD,butwithlittlesacrificeonthepassengercarinterior.
ViperV-10enginewith400honesthorsepower,450ft-lbsoftorque,and$16,500.
FordGT40MarkkIV—LemanswinnerandFord427NASCARpower.
26FALL2001THEBENTOFTAUBETAPIEvaluation:Toosoontotell,althoughsomeannoyanceshavepoppedup,suchasaheadlightpatternwithablackholeinthemiddle.
Theseaside,itseemstobearemarkablecompromisebetweensecurityandcomfort.
Postscript:FordGT-40MarkIVIfIcouldhaveanycarintheworld,noquestionsasked,thechoicewouldbeeasy,anditwouldbea33-year-oldcar!
Fordwantedtowinthepres-tigious24-hourLeMansrace.
TheoriginalCobrashadnochanceonahigh-speedtrack(200+mphonstraights);aCobrawithaspecialstream-linedbody(DaytonaCoupe)wasstillunlikely.
SoFordcommissionedarealracecar,theGT-40.
Whenitbecameapparenttheracestillwouldbeatightone,Fordreplacedthesmall-blockenginewiththeNASCAR427.
Whenaskedwhytheydidn'tusetheSOHCengine,theengineersrepliedthattheydidn'tneedit!
Theywereright.
Theonlyquestionswere:(1)Woulditstaytogether(2)Coulditbekeptonthetrack(3)Woulditcollectoneoftheslowercars(allothers)inthegrillThean-swerswereyes,yes,andfortunatelyno.
ThedriverswereDanGurneyandA.
J.
Foyt.
Gurneywasknownasexperiencedandconservative,butFoytwasnewtothisparticulargameandhadareputationforahottemper.
Indeed,theinitialpacethecarsetcausedsometothinkitspurposewasjusttogoadthecompetitionintotoofastapace.
Butitneversloweddown.
TheAmericanswonit,withAmericanequipment,inAmericanstyle.
Aftertheraceitwasfoundthattheenginecouldhavecontinuedeasily;itwasproducingslightlymorehorsepowerthanwhenitstarted.
Recallalsothat,accordingtotherules,thiswasacarthat(theoreti-cally)couldbedrivenonthestreet.
Ithadasparetire,mufflers(barely),seatingfortwo(ifthepassengerwasamasochist),andaplaceforasmallsuitcase(iffireproof;nexttotheexhaustpipes).
Thequestionis:willIsomedaybeabletobuyacarlikethisfrommylocaldealerAnd,equallyimportant,willIbeabletoafforditNotes:Thisarticleiscontinuedfrom"TheAutomobile,PartI,"whichwaspub-lishedintheSpring2001issueandisavailableatwww.
tbp.
org.
Sincethisfeaturewaswritten,Fordhasannouncedthatitisconsideringpro-ducingastreetsportscarbasedontheGT-40.
Thisarticlewaswrittenprincipallyfromtheauthor'smemory,withtheinformationcheckedandfilledinfromthereferenceslistedbelow.
TheauthorthanksWilliamPettit,owneroftheformerMuseumofMo-toringMemories,NaturalBridge,VA,forproofreading.
HealsothanksRobertL.
LaGrace,whoduringaninterviewbeforeelectiontoTauBetaPiaskedtheauthor"WhatcanyoudoforTauBetaPi"InsurvivalmodeatMIT,theauthorwasstunnedandadmittedthathehadnotthoughtaboutthat,butwoulddowhathecould.
"Hereitis,Bob.
"References:Autoweekmagazine,variousissuesAutomobilemagazine,variousissuesAmericaonWheels,CoffeyandLayden,GeneralPublishingGroupTheCompleteEncyclopediaofMotorcars,G.
W.
Georgano,editor,E.
F.
Dutton&Co.
TheHistoryoftheAutomobile,MarcoRuiz,GalleryBooksTheAutomobile,theFirstCentury,Burgess-Wise,Boddy,Laban,GreenwichHouseGuyEaversMuseum,MintSpring,VA540-337-1126HenryFordMuseum,Dearborn,MI313-982-6116WalterP.
ChryslerMuseum,AuburnHills,MI888-473-2822Auburn-Cord-DuesenbergMuseum,Auburn,IN219-925-1444ArthurD.
Delagrange,MassachusettsBeta'61,isholdinga1,200cc.
air-cooledVWengine.
HereceivedaB.
S.
andM.
S.
fromtheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnologyin1962andaPh.
D.
fromtheUniver-sityofMarylandin1974,allinelectricalengineering.
HeworkedattheNavalSurfaceWarfareCenterinSilverSpring,MD,(nowclosed)during1959-94.
Sinceretiring,ArthasdoneconsultingasafreelanceandforAdvancedTechnology&Research,Burtonsville,MD.
HeandhiswifeJanicelivenearMt.
Airy,MD,whichisontheOldNationalPike.
Arthasauthored68governmentalreports,22articlesintrademagazines,andonechapterinTheArtandScienceofAnalogDesign,editedbyJimWilliams(Butterworth-Heinemann).
HehaswrittenarticlesontheC&OCanal(THEBENT,Fall1999)andontheB&ORailroad(THEBENT,Spring2000).
Artholdsninepatents,andhishobbiesincludeelectronics,audio,music,cars,water-skiing,andcycling.
Hehasbeeninterestedincarsaslongashecanremember.