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Racing tires - which is better on a 1st generation Honda CRX?

Posted by Andrew Lydecker on

I sat down and listed all my autocross events for the last 5 years, my finish order, and what tire I was using (not hard, I already have the data from my notes). For the sake of comparison, I used a multiplier for each event to "convert" it to a 100 participant event, and then computed an average finish for all events using that tire. I threw out any low finishes that were due to corded or flat tires. It's a rudimentary analysis and I didn't control for the length of the course or the skill level of the different participants,...

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Ford's short lived 60 HP flathead V8

Posted by Andrew Lydecker on

At just 136 cubic inches and 60 HP, the V8-74 flathead was the smallest production V8 made by Ford Motor Company.  Produced from 1937-1940, it was used as a budget, entry level engine in Ford passenger cars, but did not achieve much popularity due to its low horsepower rating.  It was eventually replaced for the 1941 model year by the 226 L-6 (referred to as the G-Series, or G-Engine), which produced 90 HP.  The 60 HP flathead is easy to identify due to its small size: This engine enjoyed a resurgence in popularity following World War II.  Because of it's...

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It's a bearing blitz! (sung to the tune of The Ballroom Blitz by the British glam-rock band The Sweet)

Posted by Andrew Lydecker on

I'm continuing to sort through the 135+ totes of parts I bought from Little Dearborn in Minneapolis.  Lately I've been focusing on engine bearings - specifically bearings for the Ford flathead V8s.  They were pretty well organized on the shelves, and I took care when boxing them up to maintain provenience (there's that hundred dollar scientific word again), so I've been largely successful in identifying aftermarket brands like Thompson, Federal Mogul, and Detroit Bearing, with the actual Ford application. But with this lot of bearings came numerous boxes of mixed bearings.  What the heck am I supposed to do with...

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Retirement of an old friend

Posted by Andrew Lydecker on

After 19 years of Ebay sales, I decided to replace my old tape gun.  It's a Duck brand, probably the cheapest one I could find at the time I bought it back in 1998 when I started selling regularly on Ebay.  It's the only one I've ever used. I'm actually surprised that it has held up this long.  But, the last 5+ years of nearly daily duty has taken its toll.  It no longer holds the tape on the roller, instead often letting it fall back on the roll, where I have trouble finding the end.  The spool has become...

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Swap Meet Dates for May and June 2017

Posted by Andrew Lydecker on

Springfield Ohio May 26-28, Row EE spaces 27B, 28A, and 28B Summer Moultrie June 2-3, space TBD

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