Davestuff

" I'd watch an Aaron Sorkin show about people changing cat litter." --Dave The Litter Box INT: Hallway. JIMMY is walking forwards carrying a TRAY OF CAT LITTER in front of him. He is accompanied by LESLIE, a perky Southern blonde; and MICAH, a distinguished middle-aged black man. JIMMY is in the middle of a conversation, which we hear part of as he comes into the frame. JIMMY: So what you're telling me is that the entire litter box changing schedule has been changed? LESLIE: Yes. JIMMY: The entire schedule? LESLIE: Yes. JIMMY: And when did that happen? MICAH: Just now. JIMMY: What do you mean, just now? MICAH: I mean we just changed the entire schedule. JIMMY: But when did you do it? When was there a time when the entire schedule could be changed? LESLIE: At lunch. JIMMY: At lunch? LESLIE: At lunch. JIMMY: As in, today at lunch? LESLIE: Yes. JIMMY: While I was already changing the cat litter, yo...

This got cut by about two-thirds to make it into print. Also the editor hated it. If you’re thinking about buying and selling modified cars, it’s handy if you’re either a complete genius, or don’t mind losing money. We suppose you could just be super lucky, but if you have that kind of kismet you’ll be too busy getting banned from casinos in Vegas and fending off lingerie models to have time worry about hotrods. First, ask yourself  if you’re looking for bang for your buck in a car you’d like to drive; or is money on the other end your ultimate goal? They can be the same thing, but it’s much easier to have a single goal in mind. Either way, if you take the complete genius route, then you have a two-pronged plan of attack. Figure out what the next big thing is and buy it; and at the same time use your massive mental powers to make yourself love that car, whatever it is. Even if you have picked the right next hot car, and on top of that successfully predicted that peopl...

c. 1900 Roberts Electric, one of the oldest known operating electric cars BoingBoing  science editor Maggie Koerth-Baker writes in The New York Times , It will come as no surprise to hear that only a tiny fraction — less than 1 percent — of cars driving along American roads are fully electric. What might be more surprising is the fact that this wasn’t always the case. In 1900, 34 percent of cars in New York, Boston and Chicago were powered by electric motors. Nearly half had steam engines. What happened? Why do we end up embracing one technology while another, better one struggles or fails? Her thesis is that, "Society shapes the development and use of technology," and we don't necessarily end up with the technology best suited for our needs (ie, VHS vs. Betamax). She doesn't really answer the electric car question, but says, We drive gas-powered cars today for a complex set of reasons, Kirsch says, but not because the internal-combustion engine is inherent...

Indistinguishable tall chubby cars from Nissan, VW, Mitsubishi, Vauxhall, Suzuki, Ssangyong, Hyundai, Mercedes, Seat, Renault, Škoda, Toyota, Dacia, Honda, Audi, Ford, Citroën, Kia, Mini, Peugeot and Volvo. Hooray

Apparently, I didn't grasp the seriousness and weight with which they regarded themselves. Also I wasn't being paid enough for what was essentially a complete rebranding, so I really didn't feel motivated to try that hard. It didn't help that the agency I was freelancing for was owned by an ALMS driver . Not at all. ALMS: [like] a 9,000 RPM, 700 horsepower, 200 MPH Swiss watch. America's breathtaking, world class professional racing series. From production-based Corvettes to Aston Martins to Le Mans Prototypes, there's no other American racing series to compare. The world's greatest sports cars prove themselves in the American Le Mans Series. At 200 MPH, you barely have time to think. That's why we serve drinks. The most sophisticated, well-run race teams in the world sometimes make it to the starting line. That doesn’t mean they’re good enough to win. The world’s greatest racers, in the world’s greatest cars, come to compete in front of Americ...

I have bought a new vehicle, a Persian Ivory 1980 Peugeot 103 LVS U3 moped. Top of the line, baby! It could use new seat padding and I think a reed valve; I'll probably save up for a 15mm carburetor. Although as it took two years for me to buy this, don't expect that any time soon. I am considering hand-porting the engine, which should yield some notable gains. In the meantime: Specs! SPECIFICATIONS 1980 Peugeot 103 LVS U3 ENGINE Type                           Two-stroke aircooled piston port single, chromed aluminum cylinder Displacement                       49 CC (2.991-cu.in.) Bore x stroke                        40 x 39 mm Compression ratio   ...

I take a strange satisfaction from a well-formed spec page. After poring though FIA homolgation documents, in Italian, I think I've got them for the OSCA. The story won't use them except perhaps in abbreviated form, so I'm releasing them to the world. Fly, little OSCA specs. Fly! 1961 OSCA 1600 GT Specifications ENGINE Displacement 1568cc (95.7-cu.in.) Bore x stroke 80 x 78 mm Compression ratio 9.2:1 Horsepower @ rpm 125 @ 7,000 Torque @ rpm NA-lbs.ft. @ 6,000 Main bearings Five Fuel system Dual sidedraught Weber 38 DCOE carburetors, electric fuel pump Ignition system 12-volt, Marelli ignition Lubrication system Pressure, mechanical oil pump Electrical system 12 volts Exhaust system Fiat-Osca tubular 4-2 header, single steel exhaust TRANSMISSION Type Fiat four-speed, 8.5-inch single dry plate clutch Ratios: 1st 2.688:1 2nd 1.660:1 3rd 1.254:1 4th 1.000:1 Reverse 2.688:1 DIFFERENTIAL Type Semi-hypo...

Of all the times I dearly love, There’s one I love the best; It’s not a song of  turtledove, Nor of a feathered nest; It has a hum that’s all its own, Without a skip or jar, It is that muffled throbbing tone of my big Staver car. The world is striving all the time, To master speed and pow’r, And wise brains full of cog-wheels claim two hundred miles an hour; But what’s the use of  flying when You can’t go half so far? Just take a tip from me, my friend, Go buy a Staver car. Chorus: Staver, Staver, never yield, A wounded stag upon your shield, Swift and pow’rful on your way, Vic-to-ry will crown your day; First upon the road and track, Foemen always see your back; Your speed and strength are on a par, Staver, Staver, you’re a grand old car!

This list will grow as I am able to express additional concepts. As any one model becomes expensive, the market finds acceptable alternatives and makes them expensive. The more a collector car is worth, the more it tends to appreciate. More valuable cars are more easily able to settle on new accepted higher values. The more a collector car is worth, the harder it is to assign an absolute ceiling to its value, and the more easily it can exceed accepted values. The less a model is worth, the more susceptible it is to violent fluctuations in value. (HT to the Auerbach Doctrine ) More valuable cars are more subject to market manipulation. People start being able to afford collector cars in their Forties, and they buy the cars they liked when they were kids. If it was on a poster then, it's going to be collectible when that generation reaches C-level positions. Veteran-era cars are prone to "age creep," the tendency for succeeding owners to assign ever-earlier date...

John Draneas does his usual excellent job looking at the legal complexities of the case of the disputed ownership of a 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K Roadster. But as a guy who has sidelined in auction catalogue write-ups for a major house from time to time, I have to disagree that "RM, like all major auction companies, puts great effort into researching the cars in their auctions." I'd say it's more like the minimum that will suffice. Who can forget the Auto Union that took down Christie's whole department ? It became clear after the fact that it would not have taken much research at all to establish the car's bona fides--or lack thereof. In fact, when he asks "what if the auction company knew about this claim ahead of the auction? That would make things quite different," I think that's the whole reason right there. I feel that for a variety of reasons, auction companies don't want to hear bad news, not only to protect themselves from that ...

I reported on Alex Zanardi and his comeback back when he was injured; now, I'm just going to quote this story out today about his journey to the 2012 Paralympics. He was and continues to be The Man. By Michel Rose PADUA, Italy, May 25 (Reuters) - "The car broke into two pieces, one bit of me stayed with the car and the other bit, which was my legs, went 'arrivederci' in the other direction. And that's how I won the tickets to London 2012," says Alessandro Zanardi with a wry laugh. Nobody gets to the Olympic or Paralympic Games without huge determination, but the 45-year-old Italian's obstinate refusal to give up is jaw dropping. Zanardi has gone from Formula One driver to Paralympics hopeful in a life scarred by tragedy from the death of his young sister to a horrific race car accident which severed his legs. Nothing has quelled his desire to compete and now he is heading to London as a member of the Italian handcycling team. Zanardi w...

Chevrolet Camaro New for 2013: Deletions   (GAP) Imperial Blue Metallic exterior color   (H45) 45th Anniversary Package (including [GAR] Carbon Flash Metallic exterior color)   (RQH) 18" painted aluminum wheels   (R3Z) 20" painted aluminum wheels   (R40) 20" polished aluminum wheels   (DRG) Auto-dimming inside rearview mirror with rear camera display   (SRJ) Convenience and Connectivity Package (content now standard on 1LT and 1SS models) New Features   New ZL1 Convertible model (1EY67)   (GXH) Blue Ray Metallic exterior color   (BRH) Mojave leather interior   (UFU) Color Touch radio with 7" diagonal color touch-screen display (Standard on all LT, SS and ZL1 models) plus (UP9) Chevrolet MyLink, with Bluetooth streaming audio for music and select phones; Hands-Free smartphone integration   (UHQ) Adds Navigation to radio (Available on all LT, SS and ZL1 models)   (DBX) Auto-dimming in...

I know, I didn't do my annual World's First Look at the 2012 GM models last year. So sue me. But 2013? Yeah, I'm all over that. Here's a biggie, maybe the make or break model for Cadillac, the XTS. Highlights Base model and 3 Collections: Luxury, Premium and Platinum (LFX) 3.6L V6 engine in either FWD or AWD configurations All-wheel drive available on Luxury, Premium and Platinum Collections 8 exterior color choices:(GAN) Radiant Silver Metallic; (GBA) Black Raven; (GBE) Crystal Red Tintcoat, available at extra charge; (GBN) White Diamond Tricoat, available at extra charge; (GLJ) Graphite Metallic; (GLK) Black Diamond Tricoat, available at extra charge, not available at start of production; (GWT) Silver Coast Metalllic, not available at start of production and (GXH) Sapphire Blue Metallic, not available at start of production 6 interior color choices: Base-Jet Black and Shale/Cocoa. Luxury & Premium Collections-Jet Black, Shale/Cocoa, Medium Titanium wit...

1956 DeSoto Fireflite Sportsman  A few are famous, many are overlooked and most are affordable Forward Look, Adventurer, Fire Sweep, Firepower, Golden Lion, Letter Car and Hemi: As I wrote those names, a series of images flashed past, each one a pure evocation of a moment in the Fifties. But even with these icons, not to mention NASCAR Grand National titles, world speed records and a Car of the Year award, Fifties Chryslers were at best a distant third place in sales. And how many 1957 Chevrolets do you see for each ’57 Windsor spotted? While Ford and Chevrolet could sell a quarter-million of not just one model, but a single bodystyle, Chrysler or Dodge divisions would have been thrilled with those numbers for the whole lineup, especially considering how many unsold cars they sometimes had at the end of the calendar year. Aside from a few bright spots such as 1957, the Fifties were a decade of decline for Chrysler. They barely sold half the cars in 1959 that they d...