There was never a better time to be a young motorcycle enthusiast than being a kid in the early ’80s. My brother and I would make ramps and jump our bikes to feel like the famous Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel.
Evel Knievel was an icon, he was my hero, he was one of a kind, even people who were not into motorcycles, stunts, or daredevils knew of his celebrity. Evel Knievel became synonymous with any “crazy or impossible” stunts and became a household term many adults used to describe us youngsters and our antics.
As kids we latch on to ideas and icons and are often times unaware of the full story and impact of who certain people or things are. As a child we rarely even gave a second thought to any of the details or origin stories of our heroes. They just existed. As we get older, curiosity (disguised as nostalgia) tends to get the better of us as we tend to wonder: who was that masked man? – Despite being a couple years old, I stumbled upon a 2015 documentary titled “Being Evel” which got me excited to learn more about this man, this myth, this legend.
The film is about 1:42 in length and briefly touches on Knievel’s childhood but focuses on his rise to fame, his fall from the spotlight, and his return to glory in his later years thanks to the extreme sports champions that he had inspired.
One thing I did want to highlight from the film: By the end of 1975, Knievel was said to have broken every bone in his body. The Guinness Book of World Record says he holds the record for “most broken bones in a lifetime” at 433 bone fractures.
Back when Knievel was performing there wasn’t the internet, social media and other outlets, so self-promotion was extremely challenging. The stunts were expensive and outrageous, and to pay for all those follow-on medical bills he had to get creative and use his larger than life persona to market his name – his brand, raise ticket sales and also develop memorabilia, toys and games for people to collect. Very forward thinking for the ’70s!
There have even been parodies of Knievel, in particular one you might remember from later in our childhoods: Super Dave Osbourne!
Super Dave was played by comedian Bob Einstein, and was a bungling optimistic stunt man who looked a lot like Knievel and 100% of his stunts went wrong. Some might consider this an insult to Knievel, but I view it as a tongue-and-cheek homage to Knievel’s work. Check out Super Dave on YouTube. But without going into a ton of additional detail, I’ll leave you to do your own research. You can learn more about Evel Knievel through wikipedia and also his career through IMDB and the documentary. There is a large collection of clips and interviews available on YouTube as well. The film “Being Evel” is currently available through the Amazon Prime streaming service. Enjoy!
As DIY’ers and Wrenchturners we can never have enough tools! Sometimes we have to get creative and buy every 12mm available on the shelf at Sears and customize them for a specific job. And other times, we get very clever and/or creative in how we make working on vehicles easier. Which got us thinking… how many items in our arsenal are actually from the home goods aisle of Walmart – and why? We hope the list below will inspire you to share some of your ideas with us (comment below) or just make your next #diagnoseandrepair job that much easier!
Baby Syringe
Despite having kids, which would have made this glaringly obvious, I actually learned this trick from member Greg B. Using a “baby feeding syringe” is a great way to extract excess brake fluid from the master cylinder when changing pads. This also allows you to accurately measure how much to remove. I’ve learned on my cars that 25ml is the perfect amount to pull from the system when the pads are near worn and I have to push the pistons back in. These syringes can come in 5ml and 10ml sizes; I use both.
Condiment Squeeze Bottles
Who knew that those 24-hr Diner bottles would be the perfect dispenser for Grease or Oil? – Easy to fill, includes a small point and you control the flow and amount of fluid you want to use. This is the perfect low-cost alternative to an Oil Can or Grease Gun.
Piping (Icing) Bag
Not just for bakers anymore! – You can use a “piping bag” as an alternative to the Condiment Bottles; depending on your style and access to the area you’re working. Piping bags have different tips, and you’re probably not going to be making pretty flowers or decorations but it does effect the flow of the grease. I use these when rebuilding axles and need to fill CV boots quickly.
Aquarium Air-line Tubing
Ok, maybe not in the home goods aisle… but definitely close by is Aquarium Air-line tubing, which is great for repairing broken windshield sprayer tubing, but also works well for bleeding brakes. This silicone tubing is just resistant enough to brake fluid that it holds up for quite a while, but also soft enough to make a great seal on the brake bleeder valve.
Ice Tea Jug / Olive Oil Bottles
Now that you have the proper tubing to bleed your brakes, you’ll need somewhere to catch all that old fluid. Turns out, most plastic Olive Oil bottles, as well as Chik-fil-A 1-gallon Tea Jugs, are made of some heavy duty plastic that holds up really well to the corrosive properties of brake fluid. Using a screw driver (or drill) tap a hole just smaller than your Aquarium tubing in the cap, slip the line through the cap, and now you have an end-to-end seal for bleeding your brakes. Note: Where do I dump my used brake fluid? – Please never put it directly in the trash, sink drain, or the ground. Most oil recycling facilities have additional places for fluids like used Anti-Freeze, Brake Fluid, etc. Also know that if there isn’t a specifically marked area for brake fluid, most facilities recommend mixing it with Anti-Freeze (not OIL!).
Turkey Baster
I never thought I would be using a turkey baster while working on a vehicle. In my case, this dollar-bin tool comes in handy on vehicles with “upside-down” (top mounted) cartridge oil filters. In the case of my Jeep, it takes what seems like forever for the Oil to escape the filter housing so I use the baster to quickly remove the Oil and speed up the job.
Strainers
Fine-mesh kitchen strainers are perfect for taking larger particulates out of relatively clean fluid, or catching that nut that dropped in the waste oil pan while you were working.
Funnels
I always seem to have that one “go-to red funnel” in the garage – you know which one I am talking about – the one you picked up at the auto parts store, the one that doesn’t really fit anything, and is super hard to clean because it’s not a smooth design. Oh, and because it was from the auto parts store it must be “safe” – well, I’m here to tell you, a 4-pack of kitchen funnels is really what you need. The varying sizes makes them easy to use (and can be labeled) for different jobs. Think: Oil, Coolant, DEF, add some tubing… Transmission, etc.
Cutting Boards
I’m not sure if these should be sold as “cutting boards” so much as “cutting sheets” these are the thinnest of the thin and usually sold in packs of 3 for $2.00. But, if you’re into car setup and perform your own (string) alignments, adding a 50-cent sized dollop of grease between two of these cutting boards makes for excellent: SLIP PLATES! We recommend these over the cheap 1/4″ thick white boards because there is little to no change in ride-height since these are paper-thin. Note: You’ll need 2 per wheel.
Mason Jars
Granddad, why do you have all these jars in your shop? In the old days, plenty of shade tree mechanics used jars to store extra nuts, bolts and screws. We’ve gotten more organized since then, but Mason Jars are on the come back! You can’t beat glass when it comes to storing liquids and greases. Yes – you have to be more careful, you can’t just throw these around the shop floor, but Mason Jars are pretty tough and have great seal (even when not pressurized);
Heavy Duty Kitchen Shears
We’ve all heard the jokes about how Kitchen Shears can cut through Pennies… But I’ve found having a set in my toolbox is useful. Unlike standard (paper) scissors, Kitchen Shears are designed to cut through tougher materials, including bones. Which means they are perfect for cutting wires, zip-ties, or anything else where dikes or knives can’t reach. Kitchen Shears are usually sharp all the way to the tip, and can be re-sharpened when they become dull.
Blue Dawn – Liquid Detergent
Who needs a parts washer when we have Blue Dawn? This “mysterious formula” that the folks at Proctor & Gamble have been supply for decades is the ultimate-degreaser. And for whatever reason, maybe it’s a placebo, the “Blue” version is the recommended one. Soak your dirty parts, tools, etc in a tub with Blue Dawn – lather, rinse, repeat. And your item comes out sparkling clean!
Have some household items you use that aren’t on this list? Be sure to share them below in the comments section!
As we all know, racing comes in all shapes and forms. It started when we were kids running to be the first to the table for dinner or first to call shotgun on a long trip. That sense of competition stays with some of us … forever. Some people prefer to use their body as their vessel for racing (Cycling, Running, etc). As for me, it was always going to be something mechanical! What can I say, there is something about the smell of race fuel that puts a smile on my face! – And as I’ve gotten older and learned to appreciate more forms of racing, I also realized there are different ideologies and demographics that go along with each discipline of Motorsport that make up the larger “car culture” we at GTM are a part of. So let’s talk about that and get ourselves a little more familiar with other forms of Motorsport.
Drag Racing
We all had those moments where we “raced” someone on foot or a bicycle, and those “light-to-light” races in high school which eventually made their way onto the back roads, or in some cases Richie Highway in Glen Burnie or Lily Pons Road in Adamstown. It’s not uncommon to place wagers on a drag race, and in some extreme cases “racing for pinks” (in the old days, vehicle titles were pink). With the high stakes (and prize purses) associated with drag racing it can get very interesting as the driver’s push their car to its physical limits. I have seen plenty of engines blow or other serious damage from pushing the cars so hard to win.
In drag racing the idea is to time the lights (aka “christmas tree”, seen above left.) perfectly so you can get “from point A to B” as fast as possible. A-to-B in most races is measured in lengths of 1/8, 1/4, or 1/2 mile. Setting up a car for drag racing has its own preparation style and includes add-ons like wheelie bars, big wide slicks for traction, and a parachute to make sure stopping from high speeds is possible. In professional drag racing they even go so far as to rebuild engines between runs. To make drag racing more interesting they also gather metrics which deal with “reaction time” and “60-ft times”. Drag racers like to tell other racers that if you can turn you aren’t going fast enough!
As a kid I spent a majority of my weekends at the drag strip. In the ’80s going to the drag strip was amazing, professional drivers would walk right by you and even stop and talk, unlike today where many of them are roped off from the masses. There was a camaraderie among them, a fraternity like GTM, and if a guy broke down anyone available would help get him fixed before the next stage. At some drag strips they even began allowing a Jr. Dragster class (starting at 5 years old) to race. In the ’80s they required a small Briggs & Stratton powered rail style dragster which could get costly, but in recent years some tracks have began to allow these young drivers (ages 13-16) to use actual cars for the 1/8 mile only.
4-wheelin’ and Off-roadin’
Since the cost of Jr. Dragster cars was more than most families could afford, we resorted to less costly racing such as 4 wheeling, Karting, Motocross, and Dirt Track. Many of these forms of racing could be held on someone’s property or local parks that would charge a minimal fee for the day.
In the world of 4 wheeling, you can’t take your average street vehicle (a low sitting vehicle with street tread tires) to competitions – trust me, you won’t get far. You need some ground clearance and cleated tires. ATV’s, mud bogs, off-road trails, rock crawling, and monster trucks are all perfect for this sport. And let’s not forget about those crazy Europeans with their “Rallye” (WRC) driving (on Dirt, Tarmac, Snow, you name it). Note: If you want to learn more about serious off-roading, remember to check out GTM memberCorey T‘s article on her experience with the Red Clay Rally.
For me, the thirst for the rough terrain started with my first 3-wheeler riding through the woods and streams. That grew to playing in mud holes and going to mud bogs. Seeing the infamous “monster trucks“ was the ultimate off-roader, even if they mainly crushed cars! I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met that will lift and run off-road tires but never even touch grass – and to the 4 wheeling community these are known as “mall crawlers” (since the mods are only installed for looks). Much like the quiet of the woods they run in, there tends to be off-roading groups that keep to themselves. But no matter what group you may fall into or associate with, if you are going to go off-road, you know at a minimum you are going to get dirty. It is common to see these vehicles dented up and muddy and generally owners do not care about the cosmetic appearance of their vehicle nearly as much as its abilities.
For those of us that rode things like the 3 wheelers and ATVs and wanted to feed that need for speed more than the trails and mud bogs would satisfy, many of us got into sports like motocross and hare scrambles. Using “dirt bikes” we learned to assess terrain and deal with the physical abuse the machines would impose on us. These types of races would be elbow-to-elbow with no cages to protect us and bruises and sometimes accidents being a common side effect. I honestly feel that this built up our courage or insanity depending on how you look at it. Over time, confidence that no harm would come to us, our fear levels dropped and we wouldn’t be afraid to bump another rider to gain a position even when we were 15-20 feet in the air and moving upwards of 60-70 mph. Racing dirt bikes forced you to “feel your machine” and know what every vibration meant, and became one with it… one wrong shift of your weight during a hare scramble could put you into a tree. Unlike other Motorsports in this discipline you have to be more willing to sacrifice your body for that win.
Note:Need help with your Motorcross setup? – check out T7 motorsports.
Karting
If you had that desire to go fast but wanted to “stay flat” you could get into karting and dirt track racing. Karting is always a great lead up to other forms of racing, it builds “race craft” and exposure to some “drifting“. Drifting has become so popular over the years it is now considered an official motorsports discipline but it does have it’s roots on dirt! Since karts have little-to-no actual suspension, you learn quickly how “weight transfer” works, shifting your body to get the kart to react and corner more easily. Karting is all about “maintaining momentum” to keep your average speed high and lap-times low – which translates 100% to driving a Miata.
Even as adults, GTM members still love going wheel-to-wheel in karts since karting is a great equalizer. Be sure to check out some reviews of our previous events: Winter Karting Showdown and Electric Enduro.
Dirt Track & Ovals
Dirt track has deep roots in our country and was the birth place for NASCAR. It was used as a way for moonshiners to race each other and claim the title of being the fastest. Unlike NASCAR, dirt track racing in my opinion is a blast and still has a great grassroots environment. It is generally a bunch of hard working guys that scrape up a few extra dollars and throw a beat up car together and push it as hard as they can for 20-30 laps. Dirt track is truly a sport where “rubbing is racing”. Good luck finding a car with straight panels on it! Much like the off-roaders, cosmetics are the least of their worries. This type of racing can be taken to the extreme, something you might have referred to as: demolition derbies. The rubbing can sometimes cause tempers to flare among the drivers and often leads to “interesting interactions” after a race. Even though they may get in each others faces, they are right back out racing side-by-side the following week.
And finally we have the “smooth surface” disciplines most of the folks at GTM are familiar with: NASCAR, Road Course (ALMS, Prototypes, etc) and Formula 1 (F1). Since I am newer to these sorts of disciplines I’ve learned that there are a lot of different details to learn about and to take into account. Note: You can check out some past GTM adventures where we reviewed these types of events in more detail: Rolex-24, Formula 1 at COTA, etc.
Unlike the previous disciplines I mentioned, in these types of Road Racing, aerodynamics can be vital to your performance. Event the slightest dent in your fender can cause drag and change the handling of the car. Much like off-roading, traction and suspension have key roles to play as well. Road Course cars aren’t delicate, but they are sensitive and require stiff, low sitting, suspensions and tire compounds with grippy, smooth surfaces to be able to handle the extreme G-forces while cornering.
Because of the higher speeds the aerodynamics work with the tires and suspension to make these cars have razor sharp handling and look magnetized to the road. These forms of racing tend to have a more technical / scientific emphasis where other racing does not. They are often the cradle in which manufacturers experiment with new technologies that eventually end up in our daily drivers. I even categorize FIM / MotoGP with these types of cars because the style of racing is closer related to F1 than motocross even though both are on 2 wheels.
Whatever discipline immediately appeals to your interest, feel free to get out there and spectate if you aren’t able to participate! – Try other motorsports disciplines, appreciate them for what they are – an extension of the “car culture” we all love. Get your children involved in these motorsports with you. Even if we may dislike other types of motorsports or the types of people commonly affiliated with them, we are all still those kids foot racing in our backyards, and it is up to us to build the motorsports world so that future generations will be able to also enjoy these great experiences. If you are interested in any of the different disciplines that we mentioned or even those not mentioned (I’m sure I missed some, feel free to comment below!) – many of our members in GTM span across varying aspects of motorsports. Feel free to contact us about upcoming events you may have an interest in. Only YOU can keep motorsports Alive!
As we wrap up Classic Car Week here at GTM, some of you might be wondering why a group of petrol-heads like us decided to follow the Classic Car Club of America – Colonial Region, on their 5-day Spring Tour. I can hear you all now: “That’s not a motorsport! It’s not racing!” – well… you’re *wrong.* SCCA actually defines what these folks do as “Road Rally” and it is a sanctioned Motorsport. #classiccarweek
Photo by Crew Chief Eric (GTM)
Road Rally is “a scenic drive with a purpose, a chance to enjoy a day with a friend, the least expensive form of motorsport,” according to the website. And I will tell you, it has to be one of the most intense types of Motorsport I’ve ever participated in.
Photo by Crew Chief Eric (GTM)
So what makes Road Rally a Motorsport?Aren’t these folks just driving around the countryside and stopping to eat at fancy restaurants? Not quite. As a kid growing up in PCA, my parents used to participate in Road Rallies, and I never appreciated how difficult they can be until now. The rally organizers spend countless hours finding interesting stopping points and test driving the route. There are meticulous calculations going on to keep the route and drivers safe and using as little of the highway as possible. The drivers themselves use all sorts of “gadgets” to help them track time, distance, speed and even fuel consumption – even though the cars are equipped with gauges, they aren’t always 100% accurate. It’s all pretty stressful.
Even though these cars seem simple by today's standards they're actually quite different (major changes from year-to-year) and technically sophisticated for the era, which means the members of the CCCA have to be very knowledgeable and mechanically savvy when it comes to operating and maintaining their vehicles.
On any given day, drivers are up early prepping their cars and getting ready for an 8:30am start time. The cars line up together and set out for a 10-12 hour trek. This rally was designed as a “hub and spoke” (instead of a “point-to-point”) where a base hotel was used as headquarters and all drivers would return there each night. Thankfully the weather was in our favor with very little rain and cooler temperatures which these cars prefer and which kept everyone from having overheating issues. We averaged somewhere in the neighborhood of 125+ miles per day; which, for cars from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s is a lot!
If you were following us throughout the week on instagram @grantouringmotorsports #ccca2019springtour you will see glimpses from all the places we stopped along the tour. But as a recap, here is the list of spots we traveled to:
Classic Auto Sport Refinishing
Motion Promotions – Piper Private Collection
Virginia Museum of the Civil War
Southern Kitchen
Shenandoah Caverns
Route 11 Chips
Meems Bottom Covered Bridge
Backroom Brewery
Mt. Pleasant Farm – Private Collection
Boxwood Estate Winery
Middleburg Tennis Club
Mt. Defiance Cider Barn
National Sporting Library & Museum
The Red Fox Inn & Tavern
“Peace and Plenty” and other fine Southern Homes
White Post Restorations
Burwell-Morgan Mill, Carter Hall & “Bunny” Mellon’s House
Hunter’s Head Tavern
Milldale Farm – Private Collection
Region’s 117
Early American Auto Repair
Photo by Crew Chief Eric (GTM)
Admittedly, modern Road Rally events are considerably easier than what the CCCA does because of the types vehicles being used. Participating in this sport using Classic Automobiles is akin to going to the track with vintage formula cars from the ’50s and ’60s. These cars aren’t race cars, these are luxury vehicles made of the finest materials and craftsmanship of the time. As Matt Y’s recent article summarizes, these manufacturers were the leaders of the world at that time. Struggling to reach 60-mph on the larger roads – unless you have “a real hot rod” like Allen R’s ’33 Packard Phaeton or Gunther H’s ’37 Packard Super 8 – it makes the rally a bit more challenging. Most of the cars on this tour were more comfortable cruising at 35-40 mph – which is close to the speed limits of the roads on the route – and means lots of time on the road. Having been given the opportunity to drive Gunther’s Packard, I learned *quickly* that even though the mechanics of driving a car with an 82 year old manual transmission wasn’t much different than my modern daily, the steering and brakes were something else! #savethemanual.
Photo by Crew Chief Eric (GTM)
By the end of the first day I realized that the parallels between other kinds of motorsport and Road Rally are grounded firmly in the “car culture” we all appreciate. The similarities between these adventurers and the trackrats is closer than you’d think. Road Rally’ers are constantly worried about how the car will hold up, weather conditions, making sure the vehicle is in top shape before, during, and after a trip, and knowing which tools and spare parts to have on hand or what stores might carry something they need. Since ethanol-free gas is getting harder to find, even fuel consumption becomes an issue. And if something does go awry (and this week was no exception) the drivers come to each others’ aid in an instant. #fellowship – Where does one go to get a “inner-tube tire” serviced?
Photo by Crew Chief Eric (GTM)
Tune in everywhere you stream, download or listen!
So, I heard you’re running out to buy a Classic now? …Ha! – As many of you know, I am of the VW/Audi/Porsche clan, so maybe a vintage Karmann-Ghia or 356 is in my future, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the sophistication and luxury that brands like Packard and Cadillac provide. I did ask many of the folks on this trip why they chose what they have (some with multiple classics). Bob Montague said it best: “People drive what they remember”. But when asked, “What’s a good starter classic?” the answer always seemed to be “get a Model-A Ford“ – even though technically it’s not considered a classic, it is a gateway to other vehicles.
Photo by Crew Chief Eric (GTM)
I was fortunate to be able to ride with almost all the drivers and learn their stories: some tragic, some romantic and everything in between. Yes, compared to our normal audience, the demographics of the Classic Car Club are much higher than we’re used to. But their love for automobiles, enthusiasm, the stories and the jokes made it all feel like one of our events. #foreshadowing. This trip did include “some new blood” (people under 60) and was a great opportunity for all of us to share and learn from our respective motorsports disciplines. The CCCA folks were just as interested in HPDE, Time Trials, and Club Racing as I was in their restorations and Road Rallies.
Photo by Crew Chief Eric (GTM)
Spending nearly an entire day with Colonial Region president Gunther Hoyt (above) was enlightening as well as entertaining – so many laughs! #getoffmylawn. Alan Becker was a treasure trove of information about the club as well as the history of Packards. I enjoyed chatting with Bob Powell and finally seeing his near complete Powell Pickup. The Perrin’s educated me on the “Knight Engines” and Bob Montague helped me to better understand the significance of many of the places we were visiting in middle-Virginia. Being able to sit with Alan Merkel and listen to him recount the passionate 25 year journey it took to personally restore his gorgeous V16 Cadillac was as awe inspiring as the car. I loved the enthusiasm that the Duke’s brought to every place we visited and how regal it felt to ride with Myles White in his V12 Packard. Thanks again to the Anderson’s for opening their home to us for a tour and brunch. And to Allen “wild man” Richards who was a great bridge between the past and the present. I could go on-and-on and my notebook is full of anecdotes and memories which I will cherish. I certainly can’t capture the entire tour in just one article, but you can definitely learn more by browsing through all the pictures from the event & a handful of videos
Photo by Crew Chief Eric (GTM)
I can’t thank all the members of the Colonial Region CCCA enough for being so welcoming, and letting me spend time with them and capture all the different aspects of the tour. We at GTM wish all the drivers the best and here’s to more terrific tours! We hope to see many of you again soon!!
Photo by Crew Chief Eric (GTM)
And lets not forget that a special round of applause is definitely needed for GTM’s Mountain Region member Matt Y for putting in so much time/effort into organizing, planning and making this tour a huge success.Thank You again Matt!
The pace in which automotive technology and innovation has leap-frogged since the first car was invented in the late 1800’s is astounding! Often times, there are vehicles that don’t make it past the concept stage, or are purpose built racers, or just die off before getting a footing in the community (*cough* Edsel) – and there are some that seem to linger forever. History and popular opinion seem to make those decisions in the end. However, in my latest series, I thought it might be nice to bring to light some vehicles that changed the automotive landscape – some for the better and others not so much, some you may know and others, well… that brings us to the story of “the Tucker ’48”.
Let’s face it, many people may have no idea what a “Tucker ’48” is or that it even existed. Our grandparents might have heard of it referred to as the “Tucker Torpedo” – although it was never officially named that since it was believed people would have had too many fresh thoughts of WW2 on their minds. But looking back, the ’48 was a fleeting dream.
Preston Tucker (1903-1956)
The Tucker ’48 was the creation of Preston Tucker. Preston grew up fascinated with cars and worked for companies like Cadillac, Ford, Chrysler and Dodge. Preston, much like Ricky Bobby“wanted to drive fast” and would eventually join with Harry Miller (famous Indianapolis 500 winning engine builder). And together, in 1935, they would form “Miller and Tucker, Inc” working on race car development until Harry’s death in 1943. Heck! – They even built race cars for Henry Ford! Later, Preston ventured into producing vehicles for the military and aviation in support of WW2 prior to designing the ’48.
>back at the ranch<
During World War II the major automobile manufacturers had shifted their focus on war support which did not allow for development of new automotive designs and very few people were buying. But when a freshly returned G.I. hit our shores, what was the first thing he wanted to do with his money? – “Buy a New Car!” – That being said, when the war came to an end this was an opportune time for small, what we would consider today “boutique” manufacturers, to break into the market. And so, Preston decided to start his own automobile company, The Tucker Corporation.
Another manufacturer you might have heard of: Studebaker was also starting to blossom and like Tucker was the only other manufacturer offering new car designs and fresh ideas, ones the public hadn’t seen since 1941.
Preston designed his vehicles using a “safety first” approach and introduced what people considered then “futuristic concept features.” In his design it called for a fuel injected flat-6 rear mounted engine and transmission with a water cooled aluminum block, four-wheel independent suspension with disc brakes all the way around, instruments within reach of the steering wheel, a padded dashboard, and seat belts! (which were not fully adopted in the automotive industry until President Johnson made them mandatory in all vehicles in 1968).
The birth of the Tucker ’48 was not an easy one.Preston hired car designer George S. Lawson to work on the design for over a year and a half prior to the initial public concept debut (somewhere between February of 1946 and March of 1947). Due to disagreements and various other challenges with the layout, multiple other designers were brought in before the first ’48 rolled off the assembly line. To make matters worse the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission brought about an investigation into the Tucker Corporation and the Tucker ’48s designs… nothing major, just something about fraud and embezzlement. Eventually all the charges against Preston and Tucker Corp were dropped, but the damage was done and public opinion of the company was tarnished (before they even made their first sale!).
[editor’s note] more Tucker-48 photos available in our Shutterfly vault.
The final product was a very unique and distinguished car for the time. The suspension, for example (above, 2nd row, center), was not like a common car of the era with steel springs but was technology carried over from Preston’s racing days with elastomeric (rubber) independent suspension. The center headlight was known as “the cyclops eye” (above, 1st row, left) and would shine in the direction the car was being steered if the turn was greater than 10 degrees, aiding the driver to see around corners at night. Since multiple states had laws at that time making more than 2 headlights illegal, he fabricated a cyclops eye cover for vehicles that would be sold in those locations. Tucker offered transmissions that were also unique including a primitive Continuously-Variable Transmission (CVT) called “the Tucker-matic” which included options that used electro-vacuum shift controls and even an updated version with 2 torque converters.
I could go on-and-on about the Tucker Corporation and the ’48, I find it absolutely fascinating.Meanwhile, in that TL:DR / Cliff Notes way, you can skip all my rambling and watch the Francis-Ford Coppola directed movie starring Jeff Bridges from 1988 detailing Preston and the Tucker ’48 called “Tucker the Man and His Dream“. The movie summarizes Preston’s origin story and focuses on the hardships of making the ’48 and goes deep on the SEC investigation and court cases. For anyone that is interested, the movie is currently available (FREE with Ads) on the VUDU streaming service.
In the end, it was disappointing to see that the Tucker ’48 never made it, and in my opinion most of what happened to the company was a witch hunt inspired by jealousy from the Big-3 because of how different and advanced Tucker’s car was in comparison to the standard / mass produced vehicles at the time. I really appreciate the ingenuity and tenacity of Tucker, and I believe that his car was way ahead of its time. Sadly only 51 (50 road going cars was the legal limit to be a viable manufacturer back then) of these cars were ever officially made, although remaining parts were used to piece together a few others afterwards. A part of me still wants to see one of these up-close, maybe at a Classic Car show, but until then… #neverstoplearning
If you’ve been following my more recent Test Drives, tooling around in vintage sports cars is always fun, but recently I had a unique opportunity to drive both a 2014 Cadillac ELRand a 1937 Cadillac 8 60 Touring Coupe.
The ELR is utilizes the Chevrolet Volt hybrid-motor, battery system and drive-train with a completely different chassis – the ELR was offered as 2-door coupe with a fairly limited production run of 2500 units. The car is packed with bells and whistles, some that are a bit excessive such as powered cup holder covers and an electronic glove box release. But as far as creature comforts the 20-way adjustable seats that include move-able “wings” are fantastic. Since the ELR is riddled with gadgets and gizmos that all require electricity to operate it poses a huge draw on the battery system limiting the ELR to approximately 30 miles of electric-only driving before the gasoline motor engages to both recharge the battery and provide additional power. The engineers seem to have over complicated the regenerative braking system with a myriad of configurable settings that almost require a degree in Electrical Engineering to understand them all.
Entering the ELR, you’ll notice that the door handles, like those on the late model Corvettes is also electric. The interior is luxurious with thick, supple leather (not the cardboard junk used in most every other car sold today) and even an alcantara headliner. The center console is reminiscent of the Porsche 928 by extending to the rear seats and effectively separating them. Head and legroom for the rear seats is limited to people under 5’6″ with no legs but who buys a coupe for the back seats? As with many modern cars, the ELR is push-button start and when the vehicle “starts”, the brake pedal drops slightly to indicate that it is “on”. Having driven a Camry-Hybrid in the past, the only indication the car was “on” was a light on the dashboard, so this physical reminder was a welcome change.
The instrument cluster is an LCD that integrates the navigation map into the speedometer which is surprisingly useful and convenient. The display includes both an electric and fuel level readout as well as a range readout for both electric and gasoline power. The display screen is good sized and straight-forward – thankfully the HVAC controls are separate, mounted on a swing away panel below the screen. Perhaps the most interesting interior feature is the Active Noise Suppression system – this isn’t the miserable fake sound speaker such as on the new BMWs but a system that apparently sends out sounds to cancel noise.
Driving the ELR is almost surreal because of the (virtually) complete lack of sound. The ride is well controlled but almost without feeling which is the current trend in a lot of automobiles today. Steering feel was surprisingly good given the electric power steering. Throttle response was good – in electric-only mode, the ELR offers 157 hp but when the gasoline engine is engaged, it adds an additional 83 hp to the fray – I didn’t engage the gasoline engine as there was no need because the electric power is more than sufficient, but if needed the 240 combined horsepower should be more than enough to merge/pass in traffic.
Overall the ELR is quite a pleasant hybrid that is a true hybrid – not a plug-in only or a gas/electric like the Prius. Instead, this is a plug-in that can be be driven on electric only and will activate it’s gasoline engine to recharge and supplement the batteries. The best or worst feature of the ELR is it’s resale value – the owner revealed that this particular car was a fully loaded $83K model that was purchased used, 3 years old for $25K. Holy depreciation, Batman!!
>> Later that Same Day
The same afternoon, I had the opportunity to drive an unrestored 1937 Cadillac Coupe, a car that technically doesn’t exist because it is a coach-built coupe that is one of two produced by Fleetwood. On the outside, it’s rough – peeling, flaking paint, surface rust and tonnes of “patina”. Underneath, it’s solid and an phenomenal driver especially given it’s 82 years old! – My test drive was from Warrenton, VA to Delaplane, VA – about 25** miles unless one misses an exit and adds about 10 miles, oops! (** by the time you read this, I will have logged a couple hundred miles in this caddy as part of the Classic Car Club of America, Spring Tour. #ccca2019springtour on IG.)
This particular Caddy has a fair number of options including a heater (with a fan) but no radio. The power plant is a 346 CID (that’s 5.67-litres for those using the metric system) flathead V8 coupled to a 3-speed manual transmission with manual steering and manual brakes – no sissy power assists or nannies!! Since this was the normal state for vehicles of this era, the steering doesn’t require He-Man strength to turn nor does it require legs of iron to slow and/or stop the car even without power assists. The only real catch is that while the gearbox uses synchromesh gears, first gear will grind slightly unless the gearbox is dropped into 2nd gear first – something that happens with modern cars as well.
The seats offer a surprisingly low seating position and have the same shape and feel as the side chairs in your Grandmother’s parlor. The rear seats, while not incredibly wide, are also directly from your Grandmother’s house – the original Love Seat. Once seated, the dials and gauges are very period – unlike new cars, the Cadillac (aka “the World Standard“) at the time had a FULL GAUGE SET – water, oil pressure, fuel level and voltmeter!! No tachometer but that was for those race car folks.
True to form – I sat down, inserted the ignition key, turned it own and immediately panicked because the starter wouldn’t function. It helps to press the “Start” button on the dashboard. Ha! Push button Start in 1937. Admittedly, I had the same problem with a ’59 MGA that I brokered many years ago – It won’t start…Oh, wait, I’m an idiot.
Even with the original 6-volt system, the flathead fires up without a hitch. The V8 produces 135 hp but is a long-stroke motor so it makes oodles of torque and is virtually silent. With 155 ft/lbs of torque at 1000 rpms – yes, 1000 rpms – it pulls away from a stop with absolutely no effort. Max HP is at 3400 rpms and out of respect for the Caddy the goal was to shift early and rely on the torque. With torque coming on so low, it’s possible to drive the Caddy almost like an automatic – leaving it in top gear (3rd) at any speed over about 25 mph. Ironically, the shifter is very solid and feels very much like the shifter in my Ford F-350!!
Even though the car is older than many of our parents, it moves effortlesslythrough traffic. It cruises comfortably at 60 mph – that alone isn’t impressive BUT think about the roads that existed in 1937. The Lincoln Highway, finished around 1938 was NOT a paved highway but rather an amalgamation of roads that provided travelers a roadway to follow rather than a hunt-and-peck method of traveling. That being said, the ride is supple – not pillowy-soft like your Grandfather’s Cadillac from the ’60s and not bone-jarring like an old pickup truck. The brakes are 4-wheel drum, hydraulic, and does require a bit more pressure to stop than the newer cars with ultra-assisted brakes. Keeping these things in mind and doing something that modern drivers don’t do (looking ahead), braking is a non-issue.
A few weeks back, I followed this same Caddy while test driving a ’72 Pontiac Grandville convertible. Admittedly I wasn’t hustling because the car isn’t mine and the Grandville is HUGE. But more than once the Caddy left me behind – I was amazed that an 82 year old car was cruising away from me on some relatively twisty primary roads in rural Virginia with such ease. Having driven the car myself, now I see why the driver was able to get away – even in the twisties, the Caddy turns in without any wallowing or bump steer. Yes, suspension design has evolved since ’37 and compared to new cars, it’s ancient BUT it works.
The more I’m around the Cadillac, the more I’m impressed – it truly drives and rides like a modern car. And it was quite interesting to see how far Cadillac has advanced and also how little has changed in 80+ years. From the outside it certainly looks like a barn find but the proof is under the fluff. Cadillac was a leader in the automotive industry for many decades – “the World Standard“ – in fact, Cadillac made the Fastest Car in America for 1956. That was when Cadillacs were driven by industry leaders, company presidents and movie stars – NOT your aging grandparents. To their credit, Cadillac has re-invented itself as a top-shelf luxury brand although they’re struggling to retain the new market as competition in that market segment increases.
Sadly Cadillac, like every luxury brand, is forced to add more and more fluff to attract buyers. The buyers are no longer “car people” but rather they are gadget fanatics. They’re more interested in which navigation system is more slick or which one has a better seat heater/cooler rather than quality. The ’37 speaks volumes about what really matters about automobiles – simplicity and durability. The quiet ride is so modern that it shows how little cars have changed. The ELR is quite impressive as well but the electronic gizmos concern me from a longevity standpoint. Yes, everything works TODAY but what will happen when something fails when the car is out of warranty? I won’t be around to see it, but if taken care of I would venture a guess that with proper maintenance and care, the ’37 will still be driveable in another 80 years (that’s 2097 for those pretending to do the math) unlike the ELR.
Taking the good with the bad, both Cadillacs are amazing in their own right and should be considered prime examples of American automotive manufacturing as the Standard for the World! Until next time … #merrymotoring
In November 2018, I transported an ’87 Porsche 924S from Ohio for a friend – Allen R, who you all may recognize from a recent review of his Renault 5 Turbo-2. Since that time, Allen has asked for help creating a driving tour for the Classic Car Club of America. As expected, this requires a bit of pre-work to ensure the routes are suitable for cars from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. Given the opportunity to do this pre-drive in the 924S, instead of my Land Rover, I figured it was a great time to share my impressions.
Tune in everywhere you stream, download or listen!
The 924 is the Volkswagen designed predecessor to it’s more famous younger sibling the 944. The 924S is the last of series spanning a production run from 1976 through 1988. The 924S is special in that it is the narrow body shell with the more modern 944 drivetrain which makes it less aggressive in appearance but it is actually faster because it is a wee bit lighter more aerodynamic.
Unlike the 944 which underwent a complete interior restyling in 1985, the interior of the 924S stayed very true to it’s original design and doesn’t come slathered in leather and fluff which makes it a great throwback car. Even the seats, while thin but relatively supportive were (gasp) MANUAL! The 924, 944 and 928 all share a common downside in that the seats are nearly flush with the floor pan and the low seating position starts to bother my back after a few hours.
The road feel is exceptional – the clutch is mildly heavy for being hydraulically actuated especially compared to the feather-light pedals associated with Japanese cars. The gear shift is typical German – nicely weighted and precise. The handling is confidence inspiring owing much to the near perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Despite the “narrow” wheels and tires, the 924S handles like it is on rails.
Power is a bit lacking with only 150 hp being pumped from the 2.5-litre 4-cylinder but the motor is willing and able, it just needs some stirring of the gears. The 924S is over 200 lbs lighter than the 944, weighing in at 2623#, which helps make it feel even more nimble and responsive. The lower power numbers forces the driver to be involved in driving – none of the simple “press the pedal further to the floor”. Instead, dropping down a gear or two is necessary BUT the rewards are a nice push from behind. The 924S will never win a drag race but that’s not the intended purpose of the car.
The 924S is perhaps the last of the “cheap” Porsches – they’re unloved because the don’t have aggressive jack-knifed fender flares or flashy looks. They don’t have the panache of the 911 but that’s OK. The 924 is what I would consider “a Driver’s Car” – something you jump in, don’t think twice about, but puts a smile on your face when exiting a corner on a back-road. Its really a car for someone that can check their ego at the door, enjoy a spirited drive and doesn’t need to look flashy or brag about HP while doing it.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more classic car reviews later in the season!
There are certain engines that no matter how old they get will always sound good.
Flat-6 early 911s, Ferrari 12-cylinder, Mustang 5.0 V8s… but I can’t help but add the VW VR6 to that list. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of great sounding 6-cylinders out there from BMW, Alfa Romeo, Nissan, etc … but I won’t deny that every time I take my 24v VR6 to the track, someone runs up and says “man! that thing sounds AWESOME!!!” – and to prove that point, here’s a lap around Road Atlanta at full song for your acoustic pleasure.
…and the VR6 is unique among its 6-cylinder brethren
Six cylinder engines no matter the configuration (V or in-line) are silky smooth compared to other motors and this has a lot to do with the natural balance of a 6 cylinder engine. However, in most small cars, there isn’t enough room to fit a proper 6-cylinder because they tend to be either too long or too wide. In some cases they’re physically bigger than even some V8s and definitely larger than any 4-banger. And up until the 1990s it was deemed impossible to fit a 6-cylinder into a front-wheel-drive (FWD) vehicle. Space efficiency designs in a typical FWD require the engine + drivetrain to be mounted transversely while finding a way to include cooling, exhaust, steering and just about 70% of the vehicles mechanics in one tiny box in front of the driver to maximize “people space” in the cabin.
1992 VW Corrado SLC VR6
In 1991, a breakthrough was achieved by the folks over at Volkswagen.
Unlike traditional V6s with a 60° or 90° design, VW took a risk and developed a narrow-angle (15°) V6 displacing as much as 2.8 litres which were able to be arranged without cylinder overlapping because the adjacent cylinders are all widely spaced from each other. This engine design became known as the “VR” a combination of the V engine (German: V-Motor), and the German word “Reihenmotor” (meaning “inline engine” or “straight engine”) – literally translating to “Vee-Inline engine” (VR-Motor); how clever! The VR6 was introduced to the world in 1992 as part of the hottest of hot-hatches, the VW Corrado. And so the VR6 took the world by storm, with marketing claiming “a V6 that takes up the same space as a 4-cylinder” – and it did.
Seen above: A typical in-line 4-cylinder (left), a standard V6 (center) and the VR6 (right); note that the VR6, though longer than a V6 is only a “quarter size” longer than the 4, and less than double it’s width. Impressive and Compact! – Complications needed to be addressed before the engine could go into production by ’92: most importantly the valvetrain.In most engines valvetrain design is symmetrical; meaning intake air is separated from the exhaust air such that “cold air in, hot air out” – and in some cases exhaust air is split on exit (as seen in V-shaped engines) or banked (like in-line engines). VW had to develop an entirely new “asymmetrical” cylinder-head and valvetrain to accommodate the VR block, and in keeping with their new “cross-flow head” mantra as seen below.
Like an in-line engine, intake air enters the VR from the front bank, and hot exhaust air exits rear bank. By pairing the valves and using unequal length runners that ran through the head it allowed VW to continue to save valuable space in the engine compartment. Since the VR was complex enough and the rest of the world was fascinated with “multi-vario-cam multi-valve” engines VW simplified things and stayed with a 2-valve per cylinder single-overhead cam (12 valve; SOHC) design. Since the VR shares many similarities with an inline-4, the result is that not only is it smaller, but also lighter than a typical V6 (which would have a larger block and 2 cylinder heads.). It would have also been cheaper to manufacture if not reinforced with a 7-bearing crankshaft.
It’s been a while, time for an upgrade!
The original VR6 was in production for 10 years and during that time VW engineers under Ferdinand Piech were determined to solve this “4 valves per cylinder” requirement for the VR and catch up to the market, and by 2003 – they did. By then the Corrado and other VR6 equipped VW models were gone, but the first VW model to get a 24v VR6 was the 2001 Beetle RSi which included a 400cc boost, taking the engine to 3.2-litres. #onlyineurope
It took the VW engineering team 8 years to solve the problem, and here’s how they did it. Inspired by what Honda was developing with V-TEC, the engineers decided that instead of having 4 cams, which would have made the cylinder head physically bigger and more complex, they borrowed from past experience using a flat-6 Porsche design by adding overhead rocker arms to control the valves. Then they inverted and reoriented the cam and carefully positioned the cam lobes to operate the rockers from a center pivot point rather than acting as a lever. (seen below). Woah! #mindblown
Reality is often stranger than fiction, so what you ended up with was 2 cams, merged into a single camshaft, but operating as “twin cams” because of the rocker arms.
But let’s not forget that the VR6 cylinder is asymmetrical, so now that they solved the cam + valving design, they need to readdress the intake/exhaust flow design.
All of the valves in the 24v VR6 are oriented in such a way that their distances are accessible by either cam. So what’s really going on here is that, Cam 1 is controlling the intake valves of Bank A & B, and Cam 2 is controlling the exhaust valves of Bank A & B; which creates more of that “cross-flow” black magic we talked about earlier. But as you can see from the picture above, the runners are still oriented in the “cold front / hot rear” configuration despite doubling the number of valves. VW was able to further modify the 24v VR6 by adding variable valve timing on the intake side only. So in this case, you could say: 2×2 = 2. #newmath. There were also rumors brewing that further development would bring about full VVT or in BMW-terms “double vanos!” – but the VR development was stalled before that could happen.
Overall the VR6 is a remarkable invention. Complex and Compact, the VR revolutionized the way we looked at FWD vehicles. By comparison the 12-valve is torquey and peaks out on power early and has a deep unmistakable note, whereas the 24-valve is high-strung, revvy and very-very angry sounding. The 2.8-litre 24v was produced until 2005-ish, while the 3.2-litre carried on in the Golf R32, Audi TT as well as the Touareg models until about the 2010-ish timeframe. The VR6 saw one final redesign for the Passat CC circa 2008 when it was bumped up to an astonishing 3.6-litres developing numbers just shy of 300 hp. #sleeper.
But VW, in their infinite wisdom … couldn’t leave well enough alone.
Imagine a 12-cylinder than fits in the space of an 8… You’re crazy! – The first “W” motor from VAG was in the 1991 concept car the “Audi Avus“ (below) although scrapped due to complexity, the engine configuration was basically 3 banks of cylinders arranged as a W sharing one crank think: \|/ – makes total sense, right? #howhardcanitbe.
Well, that is not the W we have come to appreciate in the Bugatti Veyron, Audi A8, Bentley Continental and others. Look at the shape of the letter “W” – do you notice anything? – In English we say “Double -U” which is a terrible bastardization of the french word “doubler-vay” which literally means “Double-V”. Starting with the VW Nardo concept, VAG introduced a new engine whereby they mated two 24v 2.8-litre VR engines on a single crank at 72° thereby creating a proper 5.6-litre W (or double V-motor). #newmath.
Understanding that the W could not have been invented without the VR design, you probably have a good understanding of how the W engine works without too much additional man-splaining from me. But just know that even today, while the VR is no longer being developed, the W is being further refined – Quad-turbos and all. Despite developing VR5s, VR8s, W16s, W8s and the like, VAG seem content with their 1.4, 1.8 and 2.0-turbo 4-cylinders and the return of the 5-cylinder in their FWD-based offerings for now. The larger vehicles with more available space and longitudinal configurations are using standard V6 and V8 configurations which have been developed in-house at Audi for decades. Maybe one day we will see the return of the VR with technology carried over from the never W engines. But until then, I will continue to tear up the asphalt and bring joy to those that appreciate the unique sound that my strange little narrow-angle V6 has to offer!
If you want to dive deeper and learn more about the VR and W engines, below are some extra sources of reading material for you to enjoy:
These days there really is a mobile APP(lication) for just about anything you can think of. And we’ve taken to searching the app stores to put together a curated list of “must haves” for our Motorsports Enthusiasts friends out there. We’re not suggesting you download all of these, but take a look and decide what might be helpful for your next Motorsports adventure. To make things easier we’ve broken the APPs into functional categories. Note:unless specifically mentioned, all of these apps are available for Apple (iOS) and Android mobile devices; please use your corresponding App Store to search for these items.
Automotive Care & Diagnostics
It never ceases to happen… you’re having a spirited drive and next thing you know the dreaded CHECK ENGINE light fires up! (though, for some of us, this just means our car is functioning normally).
Scan your ECU, Lookup and Clear Codes; get real-time info through digital gauges. Requires a bluetooth adapter to communicate with your mobile device.
Scan your ECU, Lookup and Clear Codes; get real-time info through digital gauges. Requires a bluetooth adapter to communicate with your mobile device.
Scan your ECU, Lookup and Clear Codes; get real-time info through digital gauges. Requires a bluetooth adapter to communicate with your mobile device.
Can’t make a trip to your local sears or lowes for a tool? Try the next best thing and check out what GearWrench has to offer!
The one, the only – TORQUE. (Only available on ANDROID devices). Get real-time information, digital gauges event CHKE code lookup. Requires a bluetooth adapter to communicate with your mobile device.
Car & Parts Shopping
Car shopping is a definite side effect of Motorsports, even if you don’t need another vehicle you’re always looking, right?
Some might say “I just use Waze” ; and that’s great for traveling local routes and to that new brewery across the state; but what if you’re pulling a trailer? or in an area with poor reception?
HERE includes offline maps and operates like a traditional GPS (Garmin, Magellan, etc); low power and data consumption compared to other apps.
Providing routes, fueling and rest information for larger vehicles – Perfect for trailers!
Racing
Keep up with SCCA Club Racing information in real-time.
Keep up with SCCA Pro-Solo/Solo information in real-time.
If your Time Trials group is using MYLAPS compatible hardware your times and results can be posted real-time on Speedhive.
Monitor Racing Results, Scores and Lap Times in real-time!
Follow the F1 racing in real-time
Follow the WRC race weekend in real-time
Follow the NASCAR races and your favorite drivers in real-time
There are different “tiers” to Harry’s LapTimer which bring additional features and capabilities. Start with the basic package to see if it works for your needs. Video Recording with overlay Timing makes for great post-session review or sharing with your friends.
Harry’s Lap Timer with some extra features commissioned by the ROUSH team.
A direct competitor to Harry’s; similar features but you can try the basic package for free.
Another alternative to Harrys and Track Addict.
If you’re using a MYLAPS transponder your data can be pushed to Speedhive automatically (if your organization is uploading).
Waylens offers an alternative to GoPro having developed a purpose built camera with GPS timing and OBD-2 overlays.
In-car Video
Have your GoPro app handy to make sure your in-car videos are angled/focused properly. Adjust camera and lighting settings, review videos and perform some minor tweaks all from the app.
Waylens offers an alternative to GoPro having developed a purpose built camera with GPS timing and OBD-2 overlays.
Harry’s LapTimer is capable of recording your session and overlaying GPS timing data. With higher level packages you can also include OBD-2 data with an external bluetooth adapter.
TrackAddict is capable of recording your session and overlaying GPS timing data. With higher level packages you can also include OBD-2 data with an external bluetooth adapter.
Entertainment
Note:unless specifically mentioned, all of these entertainment apps are available for iOS (Apple) and Android mobile devices; however many of these are available as a “streaming service” on major devices like: Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. Some are also available on Sony PS4 and Microsoft XBOX.
Anywhere you find a RedBull logo-ed person or vehicle, RedBullTV is recording in 4K! Watch coverage of Formula 1, WRC, Dakar, T1/T6-Raid, Powerboats, Aero-acrobats, FLUTAG and more!
IMSA.tv posts coverage on all aspects of an IMSA race weekend, but not in real-time; you can review the qualifying, super cup, full races, etc after they have aired live.
Disclaimer: GTM’s high-level assessment of these apps is based on our member experiences and we urge you to do your own research and fact-checking before committing to any one application. GTM isn’t responsible for your satisfaction, happiness or overall experience with the apps you choose. GTM has no direct affiliations with any of the companies or application developers listed here. Apps are subject to change without notice, and additional fees may be applied and are imposed by the application developers or your wireless carrier. Please be sure to visit the company/developer websites for highly detailed and first-hand information on any app you might be interested in.
Sitting around the airport, I was listening to a segment on NPR where folks from Consumer Reports were interviewed in response to their latest New Car Issue. Much of the broadcast was spent describing their processes and testing methods. And since I had a long flight ahead of me, I figured it was an opportune time to run over the local newsstand, grab a copy, and re-ignite our continuing debate on Which Car Should You Buy?
This time we take a look at the “available at your local dealership” offerings that fit our – Spirited Driving + AutoCross + Track Days – criteria and do some semi-science by reanalyzing Consumer Reports findings to determine which car comes out on top! There are absolutely too many vehicles in this issue to talk about each one individually or in any sort of detail. And after reading through the 200-or-so pages of this issue, we were able to boil down the list from 248+ to roughly 25 by pulling our track worthy vehicles from the “Luxury Compact and Sports/Sporty Cars over/under $40K” categories. (seen below)
Time to stack rank these new track toys and see which one comes out on top!
Now let’s review the magazine itself #soapbox #rant
Depending on your age bracket you probably grew up with different “gold standards” for being able to determine if a product was good, bad or indifferent. In my grandparents generation there was Readers Digest, my parents generation Consumer Reports, and us… well, we have Amazon Reviews and we all know how those measure up.
Opinions are like… especially in the Automotive world. But every year one publication stands out above the eye catching “Top 10s – Best Car Ever – Must Drives” and the rest of the marketing hype, it’s Consumer Reports (CR) annual Best Trucks, SUVs + Cars issue. Consumer Reports tests everything from tech products and automobiles, to food, financial, and health services. The magazine allows no outside advertising and has a strict no-commercial-use policy, and prides itself on being objective. But I found it amusing that CR does target it’s audience, as seen via the different cover art it offers, depending on where you find the magazine to help draw you in.
East Coast (as purchased at BWI)
Mid-lands
#spoiler-alert: Subaru is brand of the Year
West Coast (as seen at SFO Airport)
Admittedly, I have strayed away from this particular issue of CR for quite some time. In the past I found it riddled with comparisons and information that as a non-standard consumer – aka “car enthusiast” – didn’t make sense. Yes, I can hear you all now, “it’s not intended for you, idiot.” #facepalm.
– And I understand and respect that…but considering the overwhelming number of cut’n’pasted comments like: “Agility, ride, quietness, braking, fuel economy, controls” denoted as high points in the comment sections, the feedback doesn’t really provide the average car buyer any sort of useful impression.
When you get to the individual vehicle entries (pictured above), versus high-level comparisons like our table in the first section, everything becomes a bit confusing. The compact tables take some deciphering and leave you looking for which car has“the most green bubbles” rather than evaluating each vehicle on its own. Using the excerpt from the Audi A3 above, you can see plenty of green double arrow bubbles which means “best” in CR speak. And for the purposes of this discussion, let’s compare the Audi A3 to the Subaru Legacy entry. The Legacy has less “best” marks than the A3, lower fuel economy, etc, but carries a score of: 88 while the A3’s overall score is: 70 – wait, what? – Both vehicles are given a “recommended to buy flag” (see black check mark, next to opening paragraph), but cross correlating the information left me skeptical and thinking this system might be too subjective.
More importantly, the Average Joe doesn’t probably understand the vehicle manufacturing process as well as some of us do. Many manufacturers have moved to consolidated platforms where chassis, engine and part sharing is used to save on costs across models. Which makes reading a review on the Audi A3 with glowing marks and then jumping over to the VW Golf which shows average scores, frustrating. Folks – these two vehicles are the same car, different sheet metal – but don’t take my word for it – take a look at the VW MQB platform for yourself. But its not just the VAG products, you see it throughout the GM reviews and even down to oddly different ratings between cars like the Subaru BRZ and the Toyota 86 – seriously, its the same car with a different badge.
I am always disappointed when the cars we hold dear don’t make the CR cut list, for example: true ///M BMWs, Cadillac’s V-series (CTS & ATS), the Porsche Caymen, or the Audi “RS” series cars. Sometimes they do get a passing reference at the end of a paragraph for the base model, as pictured earlier: “A nicely detailed convertible and a sporty RS3 are also available” (at the tail-end of the blurb on the Audi A3). So that leaves me wondering … if the readership of this particular issue of CR is as high as they claim, aren’t they doing a disservice to their audience by not showcasing these vehicles? And how do these alternate versions play into the scoring system? #outofsight-outofmind. #savethemanual.
In the end, despite the overall fit & finish of the publication being 100x better than the last time I read one, I feel that CR doesn’t offer anyone real-life information that’s much different than if we walked up to 20 people and asked “what do you like / not-like about your car?” – There are too many nuances and variables left unchecked. Even though CR puts a lot of effort into capturing its metrics, there is something to be said for “brand loyalty” and “toughing out the issues/bugs” – and in my opinion, sometimes customer service is more important than where the controls are in relation to the radio. IMHO: It would be awesome to re-review these vehicles in 5 years, and see where things actually ended up.
In the meantime, the 2019 issue of Consumer Reports “New Cars” will be available on bookstore shelves until about the end of April. If you would like a copy, be sure to catch one before they are gone – or borrow mine, I’m done with it ;-).
</rant>
Disclaimer: GTM’s high-level assessment of these cars is based on our member/owner experiences and we urge you to do your own research and fact-checking before committing to any one vehicle. GTM isn’t responsible for your satisfaction, happiness or overall track experience with the vehicle you choose. Make sure to visit some vehicle specific online-forums and/or owners clubs for highly detailed and first-hand information on any vehicle you might be interested in.
