An Explanation

I have recieved a few complaints about my last post...some people email me instead of posting a comment, which is OK, but I've had a few complaints about that last one. I explained that I write what I think, and other than using spell check occasionally, I really don't edit my thoughts. Those were my thoughts that day. That's all there is to it. I see this informal medium as a place that I don't need to critically consider each comment and verb choice. I write about what's on my mind that moment. Other than a few required posts for classes, I really haven't planned out an entry, I just type. I hope that explains some of things that may get into these postings and why there may be some wandering thoughts that could be stated more clearly and in fewer words.
I will try to keep them MUCH shorter though...that one was a bit too long. It's a good thing I don't teach english I guess :)

Finally +a soapbox moment...

Lately, I've been pretty busy, but happy too. I've had a few problems with UFL. I've taken 3 classes, passed them all, but only show 2 in my grade history. I paid a bill, that doesn't agree with the fee schedule and don't understand a few things, but figure that it will work out. Everyone has been very helpful so far and feedback has made sense and been appropriate. No real complaints at all :). To this point my professors have done very well and helped so much.
This week has been the first week that I've FINALLY been confident that I could travel in the 'Cuda. Still working the bugs out, I guess. Now all is well, but there's a strong possibility that it will be gone soon. The guy I bought it from ( in New Mexico) was in PA last week and went for a little ride. He sold me the car with a poor paint job and no engine/trans. Most of the other parts were there, but they were in boxes. Now that the body has been straightened, the door handles shaved, the antenna removed and a large new engine installed, he wants it back. At first I thought that there's no way I'm going to sell now. I've put countless hours into it, spent nights and weekends part searching, fixing etc. Then I started to think that, other than the seats, it's pretty well done (They need new covers). Maybe it's time for a new project? I did enjoy the process and would do some things a bit differently. I would like to do it again, but can't afford to keep two of these things at once. In fact, I checked my accounts and I have just about enough money to pay the bills before I get paid again and nothing to spare. (Here we get paid a lump sum for the summer and have to budget from there....I didn't do so well there this year....no surprise there) That's a pretty minor problem I guess: keep it, drive it and enjoy it OR take the money and another project in trade to start all over again. Summer is nearing the end here and driving season on a car like this is nearly over...it will just sit in the garage for the winter with little to be done to it...maybe I need another project to help keep me from going stir crazy during the long winter months here. Maybe I should keep what I've done and enjoy it for another season and enjoy a winter without feeling the need to complete a project to drive the following year. Between the trial fittings of the engine, painting, body work, seemingly endless sanding, engine removal (because my 'machinist' didn't replace 37 year old soft plugs in the heads and chose to paint over the old ones without telling me), electrical demons, fuel pump deaths etc., I've put a lot of time into this. Most of the work was darn cheap because I don't pay myself much. The only real expense was the engine and machine work...everything else was done by me and another teacher here in the area. He teaches math and has been a friend since I can remember...thanks to Misfit Toys!!! That's his small car oriented company. If you ever saw his garage, you'd understand where the name comes from. This has been a fun journey, but maybe it's time to embark on a new one. I have to admit that I do enjoy talking to the younger kids about the car. I get comments from them the most and encourage them to continue the hobby. So many kids are interested in their little 4 banger "sports" cars and the fart cans on the back today, I like to see the all American tradition of the muscle car living on. Really, there's nothing like the sound of a huge V-8 humming with the four barrels sucking air as fast as they can, mated to a well tuned exhaust while gaining speed rapidly.
Now, I know that today is a time when miles per gallon is a selling point and the larger displacements are frowned upon, but I really don't care right now. This little rocket gets the same MPG as my truck does, if not a couple better and does so while looking soooo much better.
That brings me to my gripe of the week: the EPA. Their job is to keep the environment safe for generations to come. During my senior year of college, I had to do a debate. I chose fuel efficiency and pollution from vehicles. During my research, I found some interesting stuff that's pretty obvious now. The first year for EPA regulations on cars was 1971. That was the worst year for pollutants released and for MPG. It was also the end of high revving, high compression engines that used high octane fuels. Today, the high compression, high revving engines are the “efficient” ones and making a come back…HMMM, could they have been wrong 35 years ago? Why hasn’t fuel economy come up? My friend has a ’68 Dart with a pretty stock engine that gets about 25-26 MPG with no computer controls, fuel injection or any of the new “advances” that make today’s cars run. After 38 years, there are few cars with this performance, size and comfort(I’m 6’3) that can compare without spending some cash. What happened? How can an econobox, that is a death trap in an accident get about the same mileage? When one of our old beasts makes contact with another vehicle, the differences are really clear. Were these cars from long ago that far advanced? Are today’s vehicles really that much better? My ’69 had the door locks that keep you from locking yourself out (Toyota did this in the early ‘80’s and made quite a splash with their advertising), fold down rear seats were in the 66 Charger(also later touted by Toyota as an “advancement” many years later), 6 way adjustable power seats in a 65 Sport Furry convertible(with a power top by the way), thermostatic radiator fans go back into the late 40’s, fuel injection back to theWWII aircraft, disk brakes back to WWII too and cruise control from who knows when. The cyclic nature of the automobile is phenomenal and the advancements that aren’t appreciated until someone comes up with a good ad campaign for it, sad.

OK, here’s where I just can’t help myself and skirt the world of politics, science, environment, the future etc….feel free to just stop here, avoid my soapbox moment and say OK…

With that in mind, I get to my big point. Currently our country is heavily dependant upon foreign interests to feed our need for oil. At the same time thousands of acres of prime farmland lay fallow because our ever brilliant politicians choose to pay farmers NOT to grow corn and grains to keep prices at a “fair” level. Why not supplement them to help with the ethanol? Why not cover large portions of these fields with switch grass (twice as many gallons per acre as corn and soybeans and this stuff comes back every year without replanting!) in order help? Even my 69 will run on a percentage of this stuff and I’m sure could be adapted to run on nearly pure ethanol(at least the 85% that the newer GM vehicles do) and be quite happy. Other sources are “in the works” but have been for a LOOOOONG time. To this point, nothing has really changed. The internal combustion engines rule the world and have been around longer than most people think. Generally speaking, these engines are about the most ancient piece of “technology” that we use on a daily basis. Sure the fuel delivery systems and computer controlled spark, multiple cams, multiple valves etc, are improvements, but the same thing happens: a volatile liquid is vaporized, forced into a small container where compression is added and an explosion occurs, leading the same thing happen in another cylinder…not that much different than what those crazy brothers developed to help the first airplane get off the ground and countless tinkerers and inventers before them to drive machines of the future. Until we really start letting our greatest minds free, we’ll be stuck where we are and dependent upon others that may or may not like us. I remember a Popular Science article from when I was really young that dealt with nuclear powered cars…a tiny radioactive pellet providing years of driving for a car, Chrysler had a turbine powered car in the ‘60’s that would run on just about anything from kerosene to gasoline to corn oil to the alcohol in your liquor cabinet. These ideas didn’t last for one reason or another. Today, the idea of hydrogen fuels is pretty interesting, but the easiest and currently the most efficient method for procuring the H needed comes from natural gas, which is a hydrogen-carbon (can you say hydrocarbon?) chain. The big problem is that it releases all of the C into the atmosphere, which is a greenhouse gas that we’re worried about (Global Warming, real or imagined)…so that’s not really the answer. The oceans are full of H, but this requires so much energy to isolate that it’s currently not feasible, unless the atomic capabilities are embraced to generate the electricity for this process in a RELATIVELY “clean” and efficient manner. As soon as the word nuclear comes up, people tend to freak. Wow, I guess that there really isn’t current and truly good replacement for the tried and true black gold. It’s easy to manipulate into whatever we need and we have the infrastructure to send it globally. What would happen to the economy if something were to crop up (haha, that was a pun :)) to change this dominance? Are we ready for that? Imagine the consequences…what could happen, both good and bad. How would that huge transition occur? How many years would it take to ease into a new world of non-petroleum based motivation of our goods? Oh, the problems that arise! This is a complicated arena and one that so many people seem to have the answer to. My oil patch friends (yes there is still oil coming from NW PA) say that they could produce so much more if the DCNR(Department of Conservation of Natural Resources) the DEP(Department of Environmental Protection) here in PA would let them, and of course the ever present EPA regulates too. One says that the DEP won’t be happy until we’re all riding bicycles. The nuke people see it as the solution, the Hydrogen fans see that as the answer and the LNG(Liquefied Natural Gas) fans see it as the future. Electrical vehicle fans say that’s the way to go, but seem to have no good way of generating the electricity without damming a river, burning coal, oil or natural gas. Ya, there’s solar, and wind but they really aren’t showing that well yet…plus here in PA, you’d have a rough time with our weather and lack of sunny days….what a mess…I guess I’ll just continue to place my two cents where I can and continue to enjoy the benefits that the oil based economy brings.

I have to end with saying that I REALLY REALLY appreciate all of those who are in the military doing what they are told, whether or not they believe in what they are doing, and see them as so much more than protecting our oil supply. Keep up the good work and stay safe! THANK YOU for your contributions!!!! I’ll leave a nice long, smoky patch of rubber, like a pair of dancing snakes, on some back road for you :)

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