CanadianRods

Your 3 Favourite Cars From The 70s

2008-12-18T08:46:00.005-04:00

I was recently asked what my 3 favourite cars from the 70s would be. It took me awhile to come up with three favourites from the era that gave us the Chevette, the Pacer, and the Granada but I did come up with my top 3.

Number 3 on my list was the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am made famous by Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit. At a time when lackluster 4 and 6 cylinder cars were common place, the T/A came with a 400 ci V8 and was reasonably priced. I think the 77-79 T/As were the first "me too" cars (as in they were as common as belly buttons - it seemed like everyone had one).

Number 2 on my list was the 1970 Chevelle SS 454. This is one of the few cars from the 70s that looks as good today as it did the day it rolled off the assembly line. The smooth, flowing lines were done to perfection and the 454 Chevelle SS was still true to its muscle car heritage.

My number 1 pick was an odd one. It was a customized cargo van. In the 70s, vans were king and everyone was airbrushing the outside and carpeting the inside. A bed in the back and mirror on the ceiling meant that you were part of the van culture. Of all of the vans of the 70s, there is one that stands out from the rest in my mind and that was the 1976 Ford Econoline customized by Coca-Cola and Hot Rod magazine as the grand prize in a contest that summer. 25 Denimachines were produced by Van Goodies and handed out to lucky winners in Canada and the United States. The flamed red, white, and blue exterior came complete with side pipes, a body kit, window louvers, and 70s denim-styled gold stitched pockets painted on the back looked sharp in its day. Inside was a finished interior, that included a Coca-cola fridge, tv, wood paneling, and lots of denim and carpeting. If you were in to vans, and who in the 70s wasn't, the Denimachine was the van to have for cruising downtown on Friday and Saturday nights.

Read more about the Denimachine here: www.denimachine.com

So those were my 3 picks as favourite vehicles from the 70s. What would your picks be and why?

SUV vs Tow Truck

2008-12-11T12:33:00.002-04:00

Here's the situation: you've double parked your vehicle and have returned to find that a tow truck has latched on to it. Chances are, you are going to be upset and try to talk the tow truck driver in to releasing your vehicle. The driver refuses, so what do you do? I wouldn't recommend trying this, but I do recommend watching it. It's quite funny.

Some things in this video are obvious; the vehicle that got nabbed is a front wheel drive and the tow truck is in neutral without the parking brake on. Some things aren't so obvious, like what will happen when she hits the brakes? Will the added weight just push her forward or will it cause her truck to jacknife? Regardless, there are two things to take away from this: (1) it's hilarious and (2) don't try this at home.

Rick Mercer Comments On Winter Tires

2008-12-03T13:43:00.000-04:00

Economic Downturn Hits Automakers Hard

2008-10-01T21:00:00.004-03:00

The economic downturn that has been pounding the U.S. lately, along with tightening of the credit industry, has hit automakers hard. In this last month, every automaker took a beating. Sales across the board dropped 27% over the same time last year and the casualties are piling up:

Chrysler has put the Viper brand up for sale
GM put a For Sale sign on Hummer
Ford is dropping Jaguar
GM's oldest American dealership, Bell Motors, founded in 1923, has closed its doors.
GM's largest dealership, Bill Heard Enterprises, which at its peak, had revenues of $2.5 billion, has filed for bankruptcy and has closed it remaining 13 stores.
Dan Towbin's Hummer dealership in Las Vegas (one of the largest Hummer dealers in the U.S.), is the 8th Hummer dealer to close. Don't despair though, Dan is reopening - selling Smart cars and Vespa scooters.
Volvo, Ford, and GM are closing plants that make low selling vehicles.
PPG has closed plants.
Dura Automotive has filed for bankruptcy.
Holley has filed for bankruptcy protection.
ASC, Delphi, and others have also filed for bankruptcy protection.
GM reported a $15.5 billion second quarter loss; Ford lost $8.7 billion.

Unfortunately, the forecast is looking pretty gloomy. It is estimated that as many as 400-500 U.S. car dealers could close their doors within the next few months. Auto sales are expected to remain flat or drop even lower, until at least 2010 as consumers struggle with tight credit, high gas prices, and the troubled housing market. While September posted huge losses for just about every manufacturer, the North American Three have seen sales down between 16 and 24% for the first eight months of '08 as well.

What does the future hold? While the news media have been following the $700 billion bailout of the U.S. banking industry, the $25 billion package for American automotive manufacturers seemed to pass by almost unnoticed. The bailout, signed by President Bush yesterday, allows automakers to borrow much-needed funds at half the market rate with no repayment schedule for 5 years.

All I can say is "hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride."

Small Pickups Fail IIHS Side Impact Testing

2008-07-24T22:10:00.004-03:00

Thinking about safety? Don't think about a small pickup if that's the case. If you've got a Chevy Colorado/Canyon, you might want to consider upping your life insurance policy.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently performed their first side impact tests on five of the most popular small pickups and for all but one, the results were nothing to brag about. In this day and age, most manufacturers should hide their heads in shame.

Point Number 1: The IIHS only has three grades for its tests; Good, Marginal, and Poor.
Point Number 2: The five trucks tested were the Dakota, Ranger, Frontier, Colorado/Canyon, and Tacoma.
Point Number 3: The Ranger, which has been around since the K car, did better than the Colorado.
Point Number 4: According to the IIHS, small pickups have the highest driver death rate of any vehicle on the road. Let me repeat that; small pickups have the highest driver death rate of any vehicle on the road.

Okay, so here's the scenario: it's a side impact test where the truck is stationary and a moving barrier with a deformable front end (representing the front of a pickup or SUV) strikes the pickup on the driver's side at a 90 degree angle at 50 kph (31 mph). Two important matters to bring to your attention (especially if you own, or are considering owning, a Colorado), the height of the barrier is below the heads of the dummies and the tests do not assess the risks of head injury from side impacts for SUVs and pickups. Now stop and reread this paragraph; that last sentence is really important, especially if you look back at Point Number 4.

So that basically is the test. One thing to add to this and that is that if side airbags are an option, the IIHS will, as a rule, test a vehicle without them unless the automaker wants to rerun the test with them and is willing to pay the cost of the vehicle to be crashed. The Ranger doesn't offer side airbags (it's the only one that doesn't), the Tacoma has them as standard equipment, but surprisingly, none of the other three automakers requested a test with airbags.

So let's take a look at how they performed. They only truck to get a Good rating was the Toyota Tacoma; the only one with side airbags offered as standard equipment. The Dakota, Ranger, and Frontier all squeaked by with a Marginal rating. The Colorado was the only one to get a Poor rating. Why? Well, remember when I mentioned about the height of the barrier and that they don't assess head injuries? This is where it all ties together. The dummy's head in the Colorado actually came in contact with the moving barrier during the crash. The barrier was lower and outside the vehicle and the dummy's head came in contact with it. Take a minute and work on that visual image for awhile. Think about the forces on the dummy's neck but don't think about it too long if you own one of these vehicles.

So what can we learn from this? Well, here's my summary of today's class:
Lesson 1: Don't buy a small pickup if you're concerned about safety.
Lesson 2: If you are concerned about safety, cough up the bucks for the side airbags. Feel free to berate the dealer for not having them as standard equipment ... that is, unless you're at the Toyota dealership.
Lesson 3: Don't buy a Colorado unless you're Chuck Norris.

In their press release, issued today, July 24, the IIHS stated that the crash worthiness for all but the Tacoma was "dismal" and that "most small pickups aren't good choices for people looking for safe transportation."

In case you're wondering about your chances of having a side impact crash, they are the second most common type of fatal crash, killing close to 9,000 people in the U.S. in 2006.

Autographed Foose F-150 on ebay

2008-07-22T11:10:00.006-03:00

Chip Foose was in Moncton, NB as a special guest of The Atlantic Nationals. After the show was over, he, along with his wife and two children, stayed in the Maritimes for a week-long vacation.

Taylor Ford in Moncton supplied Chip and his family with a new '08 Ford F-150 Foose Edition truck. This truck was designed by Chip for Ford and along with the Foose styling cues, the truck also features a 450-horsepower supercharged Triton V8 that puts out 500 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm, making it the most powerful Ford F-150 since the 2004 Ford SVT Lightning.

Chip and his family put roughly 1,600 kms on the truck (I wonder how he did with the kph speedo?) and autographed the truck in a number of places. That means that this truck goes from being #82 out of 500 produced to being 1 of 1.

Here's a link to the auction:
Foose F-150 truck on ebay

Saint John says 'NO' to automotive tourism?

2008-07-19T22:23:00.009-03:00

The Atlantic Nationals is Canada's largest car show and takes place annually on the second weekend in July in Moncton, New Brunswick. Celebrating its eighth year, the show has annually attracted over 1,500+ cars to New Brunswick and in excess of 100,000 people to the downtown show on Friday and the Centennial Park show on Saturday and Sunday. The show is a not-for-profit event and has been instrumental in building the largest kid's splash park east of Toronto. The park is also fully-accessible for those with disabilities. The Atlantic Nationals and the Greater Moncton Street Rod Association (the show organizers) generously support the Friends of the Moncton Hospital, the Georges Dumont Hospital, the Children's Wish Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Kids Help Phone, Camp Goodtime for Kids with Cancer, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Moncton Zoo, local sports teams, the Santa Claus Parade, and countless other worthwhile charities and endeavors.

From a tourism perspective, the Atlantic Nationals is the largest tourist event in the province, bringing visitors from every single Canadian province, and from states as far away as California, Texas, and Florida. Moncton has played host to the Pope, the Rolling Stones, and will soon add the Eagles and Elton John to that list. My Classic Car has featured the Atlantic Nationals twice, just about every hot rod magazine has written an article on the show, Courtney Hanson (of Spike TV) has been a special guest and so has the living legend of hot rod design, Chip Foose. Chip and his family were so impressed that they stayed in our province an extra week to tour it. Moncton's paper, The Times-Transcript recognizes and appreciates what the Atlantic Nationals means to their city and to the province. In the past few weeks no fewer than 30 articles have been written in that paper on the show; each and every one of them positive. On the Friday of the show, virtually the entire front page was dedicated to the Atlantic Nationals and four pages of photos and highlights were contained within.

New Brunswick has one provincial paper; the Saint John based Telegraph Journal, which for the past eight years, has chosen to completely ignore the Atlantic Nationals. That was until today, Saturday, July 19th.

On page 4 of the Telegraph is an article titled 'Louder, bigger, faster...greener?' written by Adam Huras. Does it mention any of the positives of the Atlantic Nationals? No. It contains an interview with an environmental activist saying that the environmental footprint is regressive; "a celebration of carbon", and that that "it's hard to comprehend celebrating a problem."

It's rather ironic that just a few days earlier, a photo and story celebrating Rosie O'Donnell visiting the port city took up half the front page. The story didn't mention that the cruise ship that brought Rosie there burned 10 tonnes of fuel an hour.

It's a shame that the Telegraph can't say anything nice about the Atlantic Nationals. No, it's more than that; it's an embarrassment.

Here's a link to the article:
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/actualites/article/359066

Please read it, and using the Contact link at the top of the site, send a note to the newsroom telling them that they should be ashamed of their lack of appreciation of our province's largest tourism event.

GM Puts Hummer Up For Sale

2008-07-15T09:38:00.003-03:00

With its stock trading at historic lows and demand for trucks in freefall, General Motors has announced that the Hummer line is now for sale.

GM is still manufacturing trucks under the Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac monikers for the time being, but that may change as the automaker continues to cut production in response to declining demand.

In addition, GM has also announced that it will reduce its white-collar workforce, suspend dividends, make further production cutbacks, and reduce spending on marketing.

All of which, except for the last item, makes sense. When times are tough, you don't decrease your marketing, you increase it.

Overall, GM is hoping to reduce spending by close to $10 billion and bring in another $4-7 billion from asset sales and new financing.

The Atlantic Nationals in Moncton this weekend

2008-07-09T09:05:00.003-03:00

The Atlantic Nationals Automotive Extravaganza takes place this weekend (July 10-13). It's a 4 day show that has everything you'd want in a show - a day for participants only, an escorted cruise, a BBQ & drive-in movie, a fun run, a cruise night (one where you actually cruise!), an all-day Friday downtown car show, a street party & dance, and then the big event itself on Saturday & Sunday. On those days, you'll find somewhere around 1,600 customs, classics, antiques, hot rods, muscle cars, cruisers, tuners, and other interesting autos on display at Centennial Park.

Just to add to everything else, their special guest this year is Chip Foose. Past guests include Dennis Gage of My Classic Car and Courtney Hanson of Spike's PowerBlock TV.

The Atlantic Nationals is Canada's largest automotive event and it now has Canada's (and possibly North Ameerica's) largest prize pool. They will be giving away not one, but two car packages. One is a new 1969 Camaro convertible and the other is a1932 Ford 3 window coupe (think American Graffiti). One top of that, there is a GM crate engine, a paint package, an F1 trip, 3 different pedal cars, and a whole lot more. The total value of all prizes is well in excess of $100,000.

If you only make it to one car show this year (or in any year for that matter), this is the one to go to. You can check out their website at www.AtlanticNationals.com.

See you there!

Another damning report against biofuels

2008-07-05T16:02:00.003-03:00

Respected World Bank economist, Don Mitchell, has written an internal report that places the blame for increasing world food prices squarely on the shoulders of the United Kingdom and the United States and their consumption of biofuels.

The report, which has not been published yet, is a direct contradiction to claims by the U.S. and by our own Environment Minister, John Baird, who claim that biofuels have only caused food prices to rise by 3 percent or less.

The consumption of biofuels has a direct, powerful impact on the cost of living. Because of this, the World Bank estimates that 100 million people worldwide has slipped below the poverty line as the result of skyrocketing food prices.

According to the study, between 2002 and February, 2008:

Food basket prices have risen 140 percent
increases in energy and fertilizer account for 15 percent of that increase
Biofuels account for a 75 percent increase in food prices.

It goes on to argue that rising food prices are not a result of the economic growth in China and India, and that successive droughts in Australia haven't had much of an impact either.

The report was leaked by the U.K. Guardian newspaper, who suggest that the report has been kept in-house in order to avoid embarrassing U.S. President George Bush at a time when the leaders of the G8 are preparing to meet in Japan. Much of their time will be spent discussing high fuel and food prices.

Take It Like A Man

2008-06-04T12:41:00.003-03:00

In prepping him for upcoming brain surgery, a doctor tells his patient that he may experience some temporary side-effects like a loss of memory or a loss of motor skills. Concerned, the guy asks the doctor "Will I still hate Nickelback?"

Whatever happened to taking responsibility for your actions? In 2006, Chad Kroeger of Nickelback was stopped for speeding and the officer, smelling alcohol on Kroeger's breath, requested a breath sample. The reading was 0.14, almost twice the legal limit and in court, the Nickelback frontman was found guilty, fined $600, and had his license suspended for a year.

His lawyer plans to appeal the conviction, saying that Kroeger's rights were violated when the officer asked him to blow in his face after he got a whiff of alcohol.

Kroeger, who told reporters that he doesn't condone drinking and driving, has not said that he wasn't guilty of the DUI or speeding offence. He simply said that he "made a mistake".

Will the conviction affect his ability to travel to the U.S.? Yep. Will it affect his bottom line? Yep. So what? It does to every other person convicted of DUI, only the vast majority don't have Chad's wealth. While he could retire today and probably live very comfortably off his residuals, most people with a DUI conviction realize a serious hardship as a result.

Chad, you broke the law and you got busted fair and square. It's time to stand up and face the music. After all, you did wanna be a big rockstar.

Classic Car Rentals

2008-06-01T17:37:00.006-03:00

It’s that time of year again; proms, weddings, anniversaries, and people are looking to rent a classic car for their special event.

To be blunt: unless you have a family member or close friend with the classic car, you probably will not find one for your special event.

Here’s why:

Insurance. The vast majority of classic and antique cars are insured as pleasure vehicles and the policies specifically state that they can not be hired out. If anything should happen to you or the car, chances are it won’t be covered by insurance and the car owner would then be personally liable.
The risk of damage by kids, well-wishers, and anyone with a camera, purse, cell phone, or anything else protruding. These cars are valuable. In some cases, the paint jobs alone can be worth tens of thousands of dollars. At car shows, most people know enough not to touch the cars, but at weddings and proms, you run the risk of sticky-fingered kids, purses with sharp buckles, and other items coming in contact with your paint. I know of one guy who offered to chauffeur for a wedding and made the mistake of leaving the car alone for 20 minutes while he attended to other things. He returned to find people taping signs to his car and sprinkling confetti inside. It was not a pretty scene and no one walked away smiling.
No, you cannot drive my car. An antique car has become what it is today because it has either been meticulously maintained or lovingly restored. In order to ensure that the car stays in that condition, it is typically only driven by the owner and in the rare case, a close friend who understands the value of the car. If you think anyone is going to lend you that car, don’t get your hopes up too high. As for chauffeuring you around, remember the risk of damage, the fact that they’re taking time out of their day for you, and that should anything happen to you or their car, it probably won’t be covered by insurance.
Time. To get a car ready for an event means washing, waxing, detailing, polishing, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the windows, scrubbing the tires and then getting yourself ready by showering, shaving, polishing the shoes, getting the suit pressed and essentially doing everything that you’re doing to get ready. There is an expectation for the car and driver to look good for your day and it takes a lot of time to get ready for that special moment.
Parades. Most proms today mean sitting in traffic lineups that could take 45 minutes or more to get through. Cooling systems have improved dramatically over the past 40-80 years and these cars weren’t designed to handle the stresses that idling for extended periods of time can put on them. No classic car owner enjoys seeing their car overheat, boil over, or get so hot that if they shut it off it won’t start again.
Weather. The majority of classic cars are fair-weather cars and do not see inclement weather. What might be “just a little rain” to you, means hours of work for the owner to get rid of the muck and dirt that has just gotten splashed on to the chrome, paint, and trim of their car.
And last but not least, the number of requests are overwhelming. I live in a fairly small city, but I would not be exaggerating to say that I get upwards of 15-20 requests before the end of May. I try to politely decline the requests, but some people just don’t handle rejection very well.

If you should be lucky enough to find someone willing to chauffeur you in their car on your special day, remember to reward them for their kindness. They cannot legally ask for payment because that would put them in the same category as a taxi and void any potential insurance claim that may arise. So how much would be enough? Well, for starters, you’ve just saved the cost of a limousine and they have probably spent many hours over several days to get themselves and their cars ready for you. On top of that, they may have left work early or taken the day off to get prepared and they are giving up their free time for your event. Add the value of all of those things together and you’ll have an idea.

Need just a little more help in coming up with the number? I did find one business in the U.S. that does rent classics. Their rates start in the $3-500 range and go up from there.

Sit Down And Shut Up

2008-05-28T12:15:00.003-03:00

A California Ford dealership has been running radio ads on a local station since February that basically tells non-Christians to "sit down and shut up" and if you don't like it, then too bad.

Here is the transcript of the ad:

Did you know that there are people in this country who want prayer out of schools, "Under God" out of the Pledge, and "In God We Trust" to be taken off our money?

But did you know that 86% of Americans say they believe in God? Now, since we all know that 86 out of every 100 of us are Christians who believe in God, we at Kieffe & Sons Ford wonder why we don't just tell the other 14% to sit down and shut up. I guess maybe I just offended 14% of the people who are listening to this message. Well, if that is the case, then I say that's tough, this is America folks, it's called free speech. And none of us at Kieffe & Sons Ford are afraid to speak up. Kieffe & Sons Ford on Sierra Highway in Mojave and Rosamond: if we don't see you today, by the grace of God, we'll be here tomorrow.

Well I guess that answers the question of WWJD (What Would Jesus Drive).

I'll leave it up to you to comment on this one.

The Times, They Are A-Changin'

2008-05-09T12:56:00.004-03:00

In George Bush's America, ethanol was the be-all and end-all to the U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Never mind the naysayers (which even included the EPA itself for awhile), ethanol was going to save the U.S. and save the farmers as well. In Bush's world, the sky wasn't blue, it was the golden colour of corn.

With each passing day, those in charge are being pinched by the cold touch of reality and waking up from their dream.

This past week, 24 Republican senators, including presidential hopeful John McCain, wrote to the EPA urging it to repeal or roll back its ethanol output targets. Two weeks ago, lawmakers tentatively agreed on a bill that would scale back the tax subsidy on corn ethanol from 51 cents to 45 cents a gallon. Yes, that's right, 51 cents of taxpayers' money in the U.S. is subsidizing every gallon of ethanol production.

Over the past two weeks, shares prices for several major ethanol producers have dropped as much as 19 percent.

While the political climate has radically shifted, with several senators and all three presidential candidates reconsidering their position on ethanol, the top 10 ethanol-producing states account for half of the electoral votes needed to win the White House.

Let's see what can be done to wake them from their dream before it's too late.

Presidential Candidates Speak Out Against Ethanol

2008-05-06T12:52:00.005-03:00

Could there be light at the end of the tunnel?

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama recently stated that the Feds need to rethink their support for corn-based ethanol, given its impact on food prices. He's stated that his top priority is making sure people have enough to eat and if that means changes to the ethanol policy, then so be it.

Senator John McCain has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to loosen it mandate to blend ethanol and other renewable fuels in to the gasoline supply because of its impact on food costs.

Senator Hillary Clinton expressed a desire to make ethanol from cellulose waste products so that it does not undermine food production and accelerate prices.

It's great to see that all three candidates want to stop the insanity supported by George Bush and senators representing farm states. It still amazes me that they are too blind to see that they are harming the world in order to artificially support the few.

Now, if we could only open John Baird's eyes .....

Texas Calls Renewable Fuel Standard Misquided

2008-04-28T12:43:00.003-03:00

The Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, has asked for a 50% waiver from the US Federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), calling it a misguided mandate that is significantly impacting food costs.

The mandate requires a percentage of ethanol be added to petroleum and Gov. Perry's request is in response to the rapidly rising food costs that are a direct result of the US involvement in food-based fuel.

Corn prices rose 138% globally over the past three years and global food prices increased 83% in that same time period. With the new RFS mandate, corn prices are expected to rise another $8 per bushel, resulting in a $3.6 billion negative impact to Texas alone.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 25% of the corn crop was diverted to produced ethanol in 2007 and 30-35% will be diverted in 2008. How stupid is that? 25% of a basic food crop removed from the food chain to provide fuel?

Ethanol is still the wrong choice and I commend Governor Perry for speaking out against it.

Tax Freedom Day

2008-04-23T19:15:00.002-03:00

April 23, 2008 is Tax Freedom Day in the United States. That's the day that the nation, as a whole, has theoretically earned enough income to cover its annual tax burden. In other words, every penny that you earned until that day has gone to cover what you would normally shell out for taxes over the course of the year. Everything earned after that is yours to spend however you would like.

In Canada, Tax Freedom Day won't hit until around June 20th.

Oh Canada,
Our home and over-taxed land .....

Manitoba Considering A Ban On Pre-1995 Vehicles

2008-04-15T19:16:00.005-03:00

Bill 15, which is currently before the Legislature of the government of Manitoba, would, among other items, ban pre-1995 vehicles from being brought in to the province. It may also restrict your classic from the highways.

The act reads as follows on importation: (click on the title of this post to see the Province of Manitoba's website version of the Bill)

The Drivers and Vehicles Act is amended by adding the following after section 108:

Importing older motor vehicles prohibited
108.1(1) Subject to the regulations, no person shall bring a motor vehicle into Manitoba for the purpose of resale if its model year is older than 1995, or another model year that is prescribed by regulation.

Regulations re older motor vehicles
108.1(2) For the purpose of subsection (1), the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations
(a) prescribing a model year that is more recent than 1995 but which is at least 10 years older than the current model year;
(b) defining "model year", and prescribing the date in a year on which a model year begins;
(c) establishing the following classes of motor vehicles, and authorizing vehicles within such a class to be brought into Manitoba for resale, despite the vehicle's model year being older than 1995, or the model year prescribed under clause (a):
(i) antique motor vehicles,
(ii) classic motor vehicles,
(iii) vehicles with low emissions;
(d) authorizing a person to bring a motor vehicle into Manitoba for resale to a person who holds a collector number plate, despite the vehicle's model year being older than 1995, or the model year prescribed under clause (a).

And on highway restrictions:

Regulations re low-speed vehicles
319(1.2) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations
(a) permitting zero-emission and other low-speed vehicles to be driven on highways;
(b) establishing rules of the road for low-speed vehicles;
(c) restricting low-speed vehicles to certain types of highways, including highways with a specified maximum speed.
_____________

Forget about that beautiful 40th Anniversary Corvette that you had your eyes on. The Manitoba government won't let you have it. Thinking about a Buick Grand National, Mazda Miata, a Ford Mustang, a Nissan 300 ZX, a Chevy Impala SS, Dodge Viper, Subaru SVX, or any other car built between 1984 and 1994? You won't be able to bring them in to the province!

Do you have a pre-war vehicle? The low-speed regulations (designed for the electric ZEN car built in Canada) does not exempt antique vehicles. Your classic may no longer be allowed on roads where it cannot maintain the speed limit.

I urge all car enthusiasts in Manitoba to call on your clubs to immediately contact your government with your concerns on the impact of this legislation.

Contact:
Minister Ron Lemieux, Department of Infrastructure And Transportation
Minister Stan Struthers, Department of Conservation
Premier Gary Doer

Do it today! Tomorrow may be too late!

Reader's Rides - Steve's '66 Galaxie 500

2008-04-13T15:19:00.002-03:00

Our first Reader's Rides entry is my car. This is my 1966 Ford Galaxie 500, 2 door hardtop. I purchased this car in 2005 from its third owner.

The car is pretty much all-original; paint chrome, trim, interior, hubcaps, etc. The only non-original part on the car is the radio (due to change shortly since I have found a factory-correct replacement).

The car spent the first 20 years or so of its life in Hollywood, Florida and was used as a winter car by its first and second owners. It features a 289 with a 3 speed auto tranny and the warm weather package that included factory-installed air conditioning (still functioning), a 5 blade fan, and a three core rad.

Having lived in Florida for most of its life and then spending the Canadian winters in a heated garage, this car is completely rust-free and in amazing condition.

We've had fun going to different outings with this car and have participated in the Atlantic Nationals with it, and have gone on several tours including a tour of Cape Breton in 2007.

Reader's Rides

2008-04-13T15:10:00.006-03:00

I've started a new feature call Reader's Rides. In it, I will feature a picture of your car and a write-up on it.

Here's what I need from you:
- A photo (the higher quality, the better) of your vehicle
- A write-up on your vehicle
- Your name, city, and province

On the sidebar is an "About Me" section. Click that to find an email link.

Here's what I'll do:
- I'll post your picture and your write-up on this site. I'll also add your photo to the slideshow on this site.

Here are the rules:
- Canadian entries only. There are thousands of sites featuring U.S. and European owners and their vehicles. This one is Canadian only.
- Send in anything from your project cars to your show cars, but don't send your daily drivers. I'm looking for your classic, antique, collectible, hot rod, muscle car, street rod, cruiser, or ... you get the picture.
- Don't send info on cars that you have for sale. This is not a classifieds section. If I post your car/write-up and find a link to it from a classified ad or website, I'll delete it, plain and simple.

To view all of the Reader's Rides entries, click on "Reader's Rides" located on the sidebar under the heading "Keywords".

Fact: Older Vehicles Pollute Less

2008-04-06T19:34:00.005-03:00

I've always said that common sense isn't as common as it use to be. Under the category of common sense, I would put the following statements:

People who use older vehicles (12-15+ years) tend to have less disposable income to spend on transportation.

If that statement makes sense to you, perhaps the following might as well:

People who own older vehicles have less disposable income available for transportation and because older vehicles are more likely to suffer a serious breakdown, these vehicles tend to be driven significantly less than new, or newer, vehicles.

As John Baird gets ready to announce a spending spree on retiring "older vehicles", Environment Canada actually realized that the 2005 Canadian Vehicle Survey said just what I did; older vehicles are driven less than newer ones. They also came to the following realization:

"While older vehicles produce more than their fair share of air pollutants, they produce fewer than average GHG emissions because Canadians tend to drive them less."

There's an important snippet to pay attention to in that previous statement: "they produce fewer than average GHG emissions".

Environment Canada goes on to say that "older vehicles emit fewer greenhouse gases - an average of 2.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide compared to 3.8 tonnes for a newer vehicle, annually."

So why is our Federal Government getting ready to announce a $90 million program to get older vehicles off the road? Well, being a cynic, I would say that rather than tackling the heavy polluters like coal-fired generating plants and industry, low-income earners are an easy target. It also allows our government to strut like peacocks without really doing anything other than wasting more of our money. Another reason is because auto industry analyst, Dennis Desrosiers gets plenty of media time by using derogatory terms like "old smokers" and "beater" that he claims are belching pollutants at alarming rates and destroying our environment. Personally, I blame political posturing and the spewing of hot air, but that's beside the point. By announcing a system to get older vehicles off the road, Baird gets to appease industry analysts like Desrosier and the industry itself. The old "Big 3" weren't too happy with our government over their ill-conceived ecoAUTO program that promoted companies like Toyota while punishing companies that continue to roll out inefficient vehicles at ever-increasing rates, so it almost looks like Baird has been sent in to make the government look industry-friendly. As a sidenote, I called the ecoAUTO plan ill-conceived because one (in my mind, stupid) rebate was for poor mileage flex fuel cars that are capable of burning ethanol; a product that is only available at 2 or 3 stations in all of Canada. Please refer to my previous entry on ethanol and my first statement above on common sense.

Getting back to Desrosier; he even goes so far as to recommend "a large bounty on older vehicles" (DesRosiers Automotive Reports - Vol. 15, Issue 7) and that "keeping these old 'war horses' around is also at the root of the quality perception issue that continues to plaque GM, Ford, and Daimler Chrysler." (DesRosiers Observations - Vol. 21, Issue 7). Again, refer to my first statement. Personally, I would blame actual quality issues for GM, Ford, and Chrysler's quality perception problems, not older vehicles, but hey - that's just me.

So: older vehicles pollute less and they are driven less (and therefore use less fossil fuels). Yet, John Baird and Dennis Desrosier want these vehicles off the road and use derogatory terms in an effort to make their statements more grandiose. Meanwhile, Transport Canada is still giving rebates to flex-fuel vehicles that would normally be punished with a guzzler levy - and the rebate is because they use a fuel (E85) that you can't buy in 99.9999% of the country.

Makes sense to me.

Bringing Your Car Out Of Winter Storage

2008-03-25T19:30:00.004-03:00

The work that you do to prepare your car for coming out of storage is just as important as the work done to get it ready for storage. See the Winter Storage link for details on that process. Taking your time and doing the job right will help you on the road to many years and miles of trouble-free driving.

Winter is winding down and it's time to bring your car (truck, motorcycle, or other motorized vehicle) out of storage. Before you jump in and turn the key, there's a lot of work to be done in order to get your car ready for that first start-up and test drive.

Change the oil: Oil will build up condensation over the winter months. It can also become contaminated with water and acids that can lead to premature bearing failure and rust inside your engine. Before starting your car, change the oil and filter.

Charge the battery: Even if your battery has been on a trickle charger over the winter, test it and give it a fresh charge up to full strength.

Check/replace ALL fluids: As with your oil, other fluids can also be prone to water and other contaminates. Check all fluids (brake, coolant, transmission, windshield washer, rear end) to ensure that they are clean and the levels are where they should be. Winter storage can be hard on all fluids and they should be changed more frequently than on your daily driver. Even if you don't do a lot of summer driving, fluids can break down and cause damage. Consider replacing all fluids on a 2-4 year cycle. A handy way to remember is to change all fluids every leap year or every even-numbered year.

Check/replace all filters: Check all filters (air, PCV, fuel) for dirt or contaminants and replace them if necessary.

Bleed the brakes: Also make sure the master cylinder is topped up from a new, previously unopened can of brake fluid. When doing the next step (tires) check your brake shoes while the tires are off. Also check to make sure all four brake mechanisms (disc or drum) are functioning properly with no fluid leaks or cracked hoses.

Check the tires: Block the car up on axle stands and take off all four wheels. Carefully check your tires for sidewall or tread cracks. If you find any, replace the tire and consider replacing all four. Regardless of their condition or mileage, tires will degrade over time. Bridgestone recommends a maximum tire lifespan of 10 years, regardless of mileage. Also check your tire pressure and, if you haven't already done so, take them to a tire shop to have the air replaced with nitrogen. You'll get better tire pressure retention, cooler running tire temperatures, and less temperature fluctuations. All this will lead to improved handling, better gas mileage, and a longer tire life.

Lights!: Do a walk-around with an assistant and check all lights to ensure that they are working properly. Replace any bulbs that are dim or burnt out. Now is also a good time to walk around the car to ensure that everything is as it should be on the car and there is nothing stashed around or under it that could cause you grief when you move the car.

Lubricate your cylinders: Starting your engine is when you cause the most wear. If your car has been sitting for an extended period (3 or more months), your cylinder walls are more than likely bone dry. Remove the plugs and squirt some oil or upper cylinder lubricant into the cylinders. This is also a good time to check the wires for cracks and the plugs for wear or build-up and replace them if necessary.

Turn the engine over, but don't start it: With the battery charged and the spark plugs or coil wire removed, turn the engine over several times. This will help to lubricate the cylinders (assuming you didn't skip the last step) and will also prime the oil and fuel pumps.

Prepare for ignition: The battery is in, the plugs are in place, the wires reattached, and the fluids have been changed. Remove the breather and prime the carb with Ez-Start or similar engine starter fluid. Gasoline isn't recommended as it can spray back and catch fire. The flames may look cool to the casual observer, but they won't do the paint or rubber on your classic any good at all. They can also wreak havoc on the garage.

Add gas de-icer to the tank: Condensation can build up in your tank even if it was full when you parked it. If you added a fuel stabilizer to your tank, your gas should be good but it will still break down to some extent. Gas de-icer will help improve combustion so that you can burn off any bad gas or water in the tank. Make sure the de-icer that you use is the proper type (carb or fuel-injected) for your car.

Fire it up: When you do finally start the car, let it warm up slowly and let it come up to operating temperature without revving it. The easiest way to to this is to adjust the idle speed on the carburetor, but remember to set it back once the car has warmed up. Replace the air breather and let the car run for a few minutes. If it's still up on blocks, check the brakes and transmission by putting the car in forward and reverse gear. Use caution when doing this so that you don't pull a "Bueller" and have your car go flying off unintentionally. Shut the car off and check for fluid leaks. While the car is off, double-check the oil level.

The test drive: Fire it up again, double check the brakes, and take it for a 20-30 minute run. Try to go somewhere with little traffic so that you can drive without the stop and go congestion. Take along a cell phone or a buddy in another vehicle in case of break down. Listen to your car for any odd or unusual noises and lightly test the brakes and steering.

One final check: Once you return home and have shut your vehicle off, check again for any fluid leaks. Once it has cooled off, give it the first wash and wax of the season and get ready for another fun summer of safe and fun cruising.

Why Ethanol Is The Wrong Solution

2008-03-24T13:48:00.004-03:00

Ethanol has been touted as the solution to the U.S. dependency on foreign oil. Its usage as a vehicle fuel has sparked debate from the scientific community with as many studies extolling the benefits of ethanol as there are the drawbacks. Some will say that the only studies favouring ethanol are the ones sponsored by those with an economic or political interest in its success, but in this ongoing series of blog entries, I will attempt to give you the undisputed facts and why I think that ethanol is the wrong solution to the problem of oil dependency.

First, a little history on ethanol and the auto industry:

Ethanol has been around since 1840 in North America. It first served as lamp fuel and in 1908, Ford adapted the Model T to run on it. Henry Ford called it “the fuel of the future” but in a few short years his plan had failed. Even back then, ethanol production needed to be subsidized by the federal government in order to survive.

In the 70’s, ethanol was once again brought forward as a solution to the oil embargo. Federal money went in to help build 163 ethanol plants in the U.S., but even with a tax credit of 40 cents per gallon, 89 plants closed within a few short years.

So why is ethanol gaining popularity today? There are several reasons and I’ll try to highlight a few of them here.

The price of oil: Oil has more than tripled in price from under $30 per barrel in 2000 to over $100 per barrel in 2008. As the price at the pumps rose, the public started to complain and the government started looking at alternatives.

CAFE ratings: The U.S. Congress enacted a law that would allow car manufacturers to take excess mileage credits for vehicles that were capable of using E85. I’ll have more on CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) ratings in a later post, but suffice it to say as SUV that gets 16 mpg on gasoline and 12 mpg on E85 would get a CAFE rating of 29 mpg. I call it "The New Math" by George Bush. Back on topic, CAFE ratings were going up in order to increase fuel efficiency and American manufacturers were facing multi-million dollar penalties if they didn’t reach the targets that were set for them. While import manufacturers were focused on the car market, the American producers were selling more and more trucks. By fudging the numbers of E85, or flex fuel, vehicles, American manufacturers could still produce fuel-inefficient vehicles and still meet the higher CAFE ratings. On a side note, the poorly thought out ecoAUTO rebate program in Canada gave cash incentives to consumers who buy flex fuel vehicles even though these vehicles got poorer mileage than other vehicles in their class and E85 was only available at a grand total of two gas stations in all of Canada.

The war in Iraq and misplaced patriotism: We’re all familiar with George Bush’s “you’re either with us or your against us” attitude and the effect that it’s had on misplaced patriotism (remember Freedom Fries?). Well, GM started an ad campaign with the slogan “Live Green, Go Yellow” that touted E85 as a way to reduce the dependence on foreign oil and promote fuel production in the US. The ad campaign neglected to tell you that your mileage would suffer by 25-40%, that your annual fuel costs would rise, that your tax dollars were subsidizing the ethanol industry, and that GM was in the flex-fuel business so that they could reach their increased CAFE ratings without actually increasing their vehicles' fuel efficiency.

So beyond all this, why is ethanol the wrong solution?

Ethanol is not compatible with older fuel storage tanks: More on this in a later post, but ethanol is a solvent. It is not compatible with fuel storage tanks manufactured prior to 1986 or lined single-wall steel tanks. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment issued an advisory in February, 2006 stating that fibre-reinforced plastic storage tanks are not compatible with ethanol (even at a 5% blend) and that it will cause a 30-50% reduction in structural strength. It states that pre-1979 tanks cannot use ethanol blended fuel and those built between 1979 to 1986 would require a leak detection system. It’s important to note that ethanol is absorbed in to the walls of these tanks and destroys the protective liner.

Ethanol is not compatible with older vehicles: If you own an antique or classic car, ethanol is not compatible with your fuel system. Since it is a solvent, any rubber hoses or gaskets will be damaged and could result in a fuel leak. Any sludge buildup in your tank will be released and could potentially clog fuel pumps, filters, and carburetors or even cause engine failure. Another problem is that ethanol absorbs water. While this may not be a problem for vehicles that run year round and constantly replace the fuel in the tank, an infrequently run classic car that gets stored for the winter will suffer from this. A lot of antique vehicles can be adapted to run on ethanol by replacing tanks, lines, filters, and rubber components. Switching your car from a carburetor to fuel injection will also help, but for Concours, show cars, or fully restored cars, this isn’t an option.

Ethanol production fuels inflation: It’s simple Supply and Demand economics. As farmers switch to corn production to meet the ever-increasing demand, production of other crops fall. The increased demand causes corn prices to rise and the lack of supply of other grains causes their prices to increase. The U.S. Department of Agriculture warned in late 2007 that the diversion of corn to ethanol production will cause record corn prices. Since corn is used as a primary feed source for livestock, beef and poultry prices will rise. The move from other grains has already caused the wholesale price of flour to double and it is expected to double again by year-end. Expect the price of your bacon and egg breakfast to go up, as well as your pasta lunch, the side order of bread, that glass of pop or beer, and your dessert to increase significantly this year.

Ethanol doesn’t target the real problem of consumption: The reason ethanol is being proposed as a fuel source is to combat dependency on foreign oil. We simply consume too much oil. Ethanol doesn’t reduce that consumption, it just replaces it with something else. As stated earlier, it will actually cause an increase in consumption. All things being equal, if your driving habits don’t change, you’ll use 25-40% more fuel, plain and simple.

To summarize: Ethanol is wrong on so many levels. Let’s abandon this ill-conceived experiment before it’s too late.

God Bless Texas

2008-03-24T11:24:00.002-03:00

Despite Texans' tough talk about individual rights, the Lone Star State isn't afraid to take them away when it wants to. Case in point: get pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence in certain Texas counties, and the police will take your blood whether you like it or not.

It's called the "No Refusal" program, and it's designed to "streamline the blood drawing process", something that it does quite well. Here's how it works: you're pulled over and suspected of driving while intoxicated. The police take you downtown and ask you, on videotape, to take a breathalyzer test. They don't tell you that if you refuse, a nurse, or sometimes the police themselves, will get a warrant from a judge who is on call specifically for the purpose, and take your blood anyway, using whatever force is required.

In a related story, Texas continues to take the DUI crime and their battle against it seriously. Earlier this month, a Texan was sentenced to 60 years in prison for his 10th DUI conviction since 1979. This guy had previous convictions for DUI (9 of 'em), as well as theft, assault, and forgery.

God Bless Texas!

I'm Starting To Hate Winter

2008-03-24T10:57:00.003-03:00

Here in Atlantic Canada, most regions are experiencing a "good, old fashion winter". In other words, we've received more than our fair share of snow.

We had more snow by the end of December than we have had in the past two winters combined. The total accumulated snowfall has broken records in just about every region and as of this writing (one week after St. Patty's Day), I still have snowbanks at the end of my driveway that are 5+ feet high. This year, March came in like a polar bear and is going out like a sled dog.

On the bright side, I have a trusty Honda snowblower, a 4 wheel drive SUV, and good winter tires. Yes, I know that 4WD is only an advantage when it comes to giving you extra traction for moving forward, but it's nice to know that when you come home from work to find that the plow has worked its magic on your driveway once again, you can still pull in and park. I've also been able to play the good samaritan role a couple of times and help people extricate their vehicles from the grips of snow and ice.

I have a theory that the cold and flu symptoms that people are experiencing this time of year is actually an allergy to winter. Once you've reached that certain level where your body can't take it anymore, you have an allergic reaction to winter. My prescription: head for a warmer climate until winter or your symptoms dissipate.

Our first car show of the season is just 3 weeks and 4 days from now. While it may be an indoor show, I'm wondering how many people will be in a position to actually get their vehicles out.