Monday, November 24, 2008
Just a Thought
Today, in 1900, Pierce tested their first car. They were originally a bicycle company, and before long, they changed their name to Pierce-Arrow, by 1938 they were gone. Not entirely their fault, however. They were bought by Studebaker at the start of the Great Depression, and because Studebaker didn't know what they were doing, they ran the company into the ground. They sold the company off, but it quickly faded to obscurity. Its a shame, as they did make some lovely cars.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Accessories Pt. 2
Taking a quick break from alternative power for the moment, let's go back to the accessories. This is a rather interesting idea. When you take your foot off the gas pedal, the brake lights flash, thus alerting the driver behind you that you're slowing down.
It never caught on, and neither did a similar system in which the brake lights got brighter, the harder you pressed on the brake pedal. Students at Virginia Tech are looking to revive the idea, however. I wish them luck, but I'm not going to be holding my breath on it ever making it into a production car. It does, however, make a bit more sense than this idea.
That's right, you wiggle your eyebrows and the car hits the brakes. It would make things pretty rough if you caught behind a truck carrying livestock, I'd think. However, the developer shouldn't be mocked, as apparently he's gone on to doing some pioneering research in the use of powered prosthetics for amputees.
Live in a high crime neighborhood? Worried about gangs of thugs roaming the streets? Then perhaps this little accessory is right for you.
Ah, the 1930s when police could shoot first and ask questions later.
Perhaps that was the inspiration for this invention.
Of course, if it's the cops shooting at you, I don't know who you expect to come help you.
Now, many people like to project a certain "image" with their vehicles and companies have always sprung up to meet those needs. In some cases, you have to ask yourself, "Is it really the responsible thing to meet this need?"
At $2.98, I think they were severely overpriced.
Probably shortly after John Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire, people started cursing the tendency of air to leak out of the tires once they encountered some sharp, pointy object. To this end, folks have tried to come up with solutions to the problem. One of which was this idea for a sprung, solid tire.
Obviously, that idea didn't catch on. I have to imagine that such a wheel would tend to sling mud, water, and anything else that might be on the road, in far flung directions. Some ideas, of course, refuse to die, and the solid tire idea was revived in the early 1940s as a spare tire.
After the war, Firestone looked at making them, it seems.
I imagine that the reason they didn't catch on was because they'd be pretty rough going at highway speeds. Still, folks can't seem to give up on the idea. New car regulations call for pressure sensors to be installed in wheels, so Michelin has come up with the tweel. You'll notice it looks similar to the first tire.
More later.
It never caught on, and neither did a similar system in which the brake lights got brighter, the harder you pressed on the brake pedal. Students at Virginia Tech are looking to revive the idea, however. I wish them luck, but I'm not going to be holding my breath on it ever making it into a production car. It does, however, make a bit more sense than this idea.
That's right, you wiggle your eyebrows and the car hits the brakes. It would make things pretty rough if you caught behind a truck carrying livestock, I'd think. However, the developer shouldn't be mocked, as apparently he's gone on to doing some pioneering research in the use of powered prosthetics for amputees.
Live in a high crime neighborhood? Worried about gangs of thugs roaming the streets? Then perhaps this little accessory is right for you.
Ah, the 1930s when police could shoot first and ask questions later.
Perhaps that was the inspiration for this invention.
Of course, if it's the cops shooting at you, I don't know who you expect to come help you.Now, many people like to project a certain "image" with their vehicles and companies have always sprung up to meet those needs. In some cases, you have to ask yourself, "Is it really the responsible thing to meet this need?"
At $2.98, I think they were severely overpriced.
Probably shortly after John Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire, people started cursing the tendency of air to leak out of the tires once they encountered some sharp, pointy object. To this end, folks have tried to come up with solutions to the problem. One of which was this idea for a sprung, solid tire.
Obviously, that idea didn't catch on. I have to imagine that such a wheel would tend to sling mud, water, and anything else that might be on the road, in far flung directions. Some ideas, of course, refuse to die, and the solid tire idea was revived in the early 1940s as a spare tire.
After the war, Firestone looked at making them, it seems.
I imagine that the reason they didn't catch on was because they'd be pretty rough going at highway speeds. Still, folks can't seem to give up on the idea. New car regulations call for pressure sensors to be installed in wheels, so Michelin has come up with the tweel. You'll notice it looks similar to the first tire.More later.
Alternative Power Part 1
I'll post more accessories in the near future, but I figured with gas prices being so high, folks might be interested in some alternative energy ideas that have been proposed over the years. Quite often, what's claimed as "new" is really old. Some times older than folks would think.
Take hybrids, for example. Most folks that Toyota was the first to build them (1997 in Japan, 2000 for the US), not true at all. The first hybrid was built in 1899 and was designed by some guy named Ferdinand Porsche. Perhaps you've heard of him? The technology continued up to the 1920s (sadly, I can't find my pictures of them) with trucks being the primary use of gas-electric hybrids.
In the early 1980s, hobbyists began tinkering with the concept. The Briggs-Stratton developed one at about the same time as part of government research.
Not exactly a pretty car, and it kind of looks like it was based on some Fords built at the time.
Now, alternative power doesn't necessarily mean that you're some kind of wimpy greenie weenie. For example, there's one of my favorites Turbonique. Who amongst us hasn't dreampt of slapping a rocket engine on their car? Turbonique was a company started in Florida during the heady days of the Apollo program and they offered kits to equip your car (or go kart) with rockets! Sadly, they're no longer in business. You can, however, find parts of their catalog on-line, or order copies of their catalogs and other publications. Of course, if you decide to go so far as to build one of those things, you'll need a source for fuel. Thankfully, you can find the information on the internet on how to make your own.
The spirit of Turboninque lives on, with guys like Ron Patrick, who's built his own jet powered VW Beetle! Chrysler started work on a turbine car in 1954, and their 1963 model is the best known. What isn't as well known, is that Chrysler kept working on the technology, and according to the folks at this site, was going to put them into production for the 1982 model year, but had to give up the idea as part of the federal bailout. One has to wonder what might have been, if they'd have started building the cars. The mileage was said to be 22 MPG, which would have been a bit above average for the era, and since turbines can run off of anything that's a liquid and flammable, they would have enabled Chrysler to be ahead of the curve in terms of flex fuel capability. Chrysler's last foray into the world of automotive turbines was the Patriot Car. This was a natural gas powered turbine, which was crippled by the massive (and apparently lethal) flywheel.
Back in the very early days of the automobile, when cars were the internet of the era, lots of folks were trying to come up not only with different designs of engines, but also different means of powering them. The person who could afford a car had a number of choices of fuel to run the car on. You cars like the Baker Electric, steamers like the Stanley, White, and Doble, and, heck, even the Model T could run off of ethanol. Those, however, are all relatively "normal" cars, and I'm all about strange cars, so let's take a look at some of those.
Folks are increasingly concerned about greenhouse gases, well, here's an engine that ran on greenhouse gases!
Truthfully, it's not anything really special. It works like a compound steam engine, using the exhaust pressure to run a secondary set of cylinders. According to an engineer who looked at the article, it's a piece of crap.
Speaking of crap. Folks in Germany in 1949 were running their cars on crap!
I don't know about you, but the thought of riding around with a giant bag of explosive gases strapped on my back is not exactly something I find comforting, ya know?
In the 1800s, someone figured out that if you heated coal or wood, it would give off a flammable gas (hydrogen and a few others). This became known as "town gas" or "producer gas." London used this gas for illumination, as well as heating and cooking. Some time later, someone came up with the idea of running buses on the stuff. They did this by mounting a large bag to the roof of the bus and filling it with gas.
Presumably, the bus was for non-smokers only. The Germans also looked at using wood based producer gas for power.
People still like the idea, for some reason.
This is getting to be a bit long, and my butt's a bit numb, so I'm going to take a break and be back later with more.
Take hybrids, for example. Most folks that Toyota was the first to build them (1997 in Japan, 2000 for the US), not true at all. The first hybrid was built in 1899 and was designed by some guy named Ferdinand Porsche. Perhaps you've heard of him? The technology continued up to the 1920s (sadly, I can't find my pictures of them) with trucks being the primary use of gas-electric hybrids.
In the early 1980s, hobbyists began tinkering with the concept. The Briggs-Stratton developed one at about the same time as part of government research.
Not exactly a pretty car, and it kind of looks like it was based on some Fords built at the time.Now, alternative power doesn't necessarily mean that you're some kind of wimpy greenie weenie. For example, there's one of my favorites Turbonique. Who amongst us hasn't dreampt of slapping a rocket engine on their car? Turbonique was a company started in Florida during the heady days of the Apollo program and they offered kits to equip your car (or go kart) with rockets! Sadly, they're no longer in business. You can, however, find parts of their catalog on-line, or order copies of their catalogs and other publications. Of course, if you decide to go so far as to build one of those things, you'll need a source for fuel. Thankfully, you can find the information on the internet on how to make your own.
The spirit of Turboninque lives on, with guys like Ron Patrick, who's built his own jet powered VW Beetle! Chrysler started work on a turbine car in 1954, and their 1963 model is the best known. What isn't as well known, is that Chrysler kept working on the technology, and according to the folks at this site, was going to put them into production for the 1982 model year, but had to give up the idea as part of the federal bailout. One has to wonder what might have been, if they'd have started building the cars. The mileage was said to be 22 MPG, which would have been a bit above average for the era, and since turbines can run off of anything that's a liquid and flammable, they would have enabled Chrysler to be ahead of the curve in terms of flex fuel capability. Chrysler's last foray into the world of automotive turbines was the Patriot Car. This was a natural gas powered turbine, which was crippled by the massive (and apparently lethal) flywheel.
Back in the very early days of the automobile, when cars were the internet of the era, lots of folks were trying to come up not only with different designs of engines, but also different means of powering them. The person who could afford a car had a number of choices of fuel to run the car on. You cars like the Baker Electric, steamers like the Stanley, White, and Doble, and, heck, even the Model T could run off of ethanol. Those, however, are all relatively "normal" cars, and I'm all about strange cars, so let's take a look at some of those.
Folks are increasingly concerned about greenhouse gases, well, here's an engine that ran on greenhouse gases!
Truthfully, it's not anything really special. It works like a compound steam engine, using the exhaust pressure to run a secondary set of cylinders. According to an engineer who looked at the article, it's a piece of crap.
Speaking of crap. Folks in Germany in 1949 were running their cars on crap!
I don't know about you, but the thought of riding around with a giant bag of explosive gases strapped on my back is not exactly something I find comforting, ya know?In the 1800s, someone figured out that if you heated coal or wood, it would give off a flammable gas (hydrogen and a few others). This became known as "town gas" or "producer gas." London used this gas for illumination, as well as heating and cooking. Some time later, someone came up with the idea of running buses on the stuff. They did this by mounting a large bag to the roof of the bus and filling it with gas.
Presumably, the bus was for non-smokers only. The Germans also looked at using wood based producer gas for power.
People still like the idea, for some reason.This is getting to be a bit long, and my butt's a bit numb, so I'm going to take a break and be back later with more.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Accessories Pt. 1
Even stranger than some of the cars that people have built, are the accessories people have designed for them. First up is the clown tail light.
Ah, for the days before road rage, when sticking your tongue out at an offending motorist wasn't guaranteed to get you shot.
Speaking of which, we have the under dash holster!
Great, isn't it? The thing's designed to handily pop the pistol out at a moment's notice. Can't imagine too many law enforcement types would be happy about civilians running around with that little option.
Of course, the area of automotive security wouldn't be complete without mention of this little alarm beauty which shocks anyone who touches the car!
Certainly something that was invented before lawsuits became so common. However, it pales with what they have in South Africa: Flamethrowers! There's even video of it roasting a mannequin!
For the busy traveler, we have the rear seat dining table.
Quaint, isn't it? A pair of unbelted lovelies in the back seat, with a nice hard edged table, suspended from the roof of the car. I really don't want to know what the back of a car equipped with that would look like after an accident. Even if that was designed to breakaway in an accident, you've got a large, hard, object, flying about the passenger compartment. Not to mention that this would have been used before plastic dishes and cutlery, so you'd have the potential of glass, ceramic, and metal silverware going everywhere as well.
If you're over about the age of 30, you no doubt remember back when cars had hood ornaments. These were emblems which stuck up above the hood of the car and proudly declared the make and/or model of your car. These were holdovers from back when cars had large, low-pressure radiators on the front of the car. They disappeared for two reasons. One was that they screwed up the aerodynamics of the car, the other was that they were easy pickings for thieves. Rolls-Royce for a while had one that would disappear into the car when it was parked to prevent this, but I don't know if they still have it, and I don't think that anyone else offered this feature. I do have to wonder what rap culture would be like if this little beauty of a hood ornament had caught on.
Kind of hard to be a bad ass rapper if you've got the words "Thank You" dangling around your neck.
I always thought that car seats were invented in the 1980s. That, however, is not the case, as this one dates from 1935.
Nor was it the only one.
Notice that junior's securely belted in, but there's no seat belts for dad. From the looks of the picture, they weren't even installed on the car when it was built.
Every now and then people worry about folks who are colorblind being behind the wheel of a car. After all, color blind folks tend to have problem with red and green, and those are the colors chosen for use on traffic lights. Folks who are colorblind say that it's not really that big of a deal. Still, someone was concerned enough about it in the 1940s to design glasses to enable the colorblind to "see" colors.
Remember the flap about Mitt Romney hauling the family dog in a crate on top of the minivan? I have to wonder out this would have gone over with folks if it were introduced today.
In some ways, it doesn't really seem to be that bad. After all, you don't have to worry about Fido jumping all over the place while you're trying to drive (or jumping out an open window), but in an accident (especially a T-bone, side impact, or rollover), he's toast.
Slightly less lethal for Fido, is the canine car seat which clamped to the back of the front seat. Sure, it gives the dog a great view of the outside world, but the moment you slam on the brakes, you're going to get the dog thrown into your neck. This would be pretty bad if it was something like a toy poodle, but can you imagine what would happen if you had something like a great dane up there?
Despite what people might think, airbags were first invented in the late 1960s, as this article on it being an option for Mercedes shows.
Ford considered installing airbags in the Pinto, but dropped the idea before the cars went into production. This is somewhat surreal, if you think about it. The Pinto quickly earned the nickname "death trap" because they could burst into flames in a rear end collision, and I have to wonder what would have happened had the airbags been installed in the cars. Early airbags were way over powered, so there was the potential for serious, even fatal, injuries for the driver from the airbag. Admittedly, however, the design which included the airbag also included self-sealing fuel tanks, so in a rear end collision, there wouldn't have been nearly the risk of explosion as production models had.
Most people today aren't familiar with the now extinct Packard Motor Car Company. It was started in 1899 in Warren, OH, by a Dr. Ward Packard. Legend has it that Dr. Packard was dissatisfied with the Oldsmobile he'd recently purchased, and when he went to the dealer to complain he was met with the response, "Well, if you know so much about cars, why don't you start your own car company?" Which he did. Packard was really an American equivalent of Mercedes or Rolls Royce. The cars were extremely luxurious for their time, had a reputation for being fast, and extremely well built. They were also great innovators, and for a time had more automotive patents than any other car company. In 1938, they introduced air conditioning as an option, and they correctly predicted that one day it would become standard equipment.
Packard fell on hard times during the Great Depression, but managed to survive, and during WW II, built aircraft engines under contract to Rolls Royce, as well as marine engines. (I've seen an interview with Rolls-Royce's corporate historian, and it's hysterical to watch how painful it is for him to admit that the Packard engines were very well made.) Packard, sadly, died a rather ignoble death after the war. They merged with Studebaker, got screwed out of important government contracts by the Eisenhower Administration and disappeared in 1959. In the late 1990s, an effort was made to try and revive the brand. However, the company was put up for sale last year, so it looks like they'll never again grace the highways. Somewhere around here I have a pic of an "Anniversary Edition Packard" that was built in the 1980s, which was a horribly mutilated Pontiac Grand Prix. If I can ever find it, I'll mention it in a future post.
Ah, for the days before road rage, when sticking your tongue out at an offending motorist wasn't guaranteed to get you shot.
Speaking of which, we have the under dash holster!
Great, isn't it? The thing's designed to handily pop the pistol out at a moment's notice. Can't imagine too many law enforcement types would be happy about civilians running around with that little option.Of course, the area of automotive security wouldn't be complete without mention of this little alarm beauty which shocks anyone who touches the car!
Certainly something that was invented before lawsuits became so common. However, it pales with what they have in South Africa: Flamethrowers! There's even video of it roasting a mannequin!
For the busy traveler, we have the rear seat dining table.
Quaint, isn't it? A pair of unbelted lovelies in the back seat, with a nice hard edged table, suspended from the roof of the car. I really don't want to know what the back of a car equipped with that would look like after an accident. Even if that was designed to breakaway in an accident, you've got a large, hard, object, flying about the passenger compartment. Not to mention that this would have been used before plastic dishes and cutlery, so you'd have the potential of glass, ceramic, and metal silverware going everywhere as well.If you're over about the age of 30, you no doubt remember back when cars had hood ornaments. These were emblems which stuck up above the hood of the car and proudly declared the make and/or model of your car. These were holdovers from back when cars had large, low-pressure radiators on the front of the car. They disappeared for two reasons. One was that they screwed up the aerodynamics of the car, the other was that they were easy pickings for thieves. Rolls-Royce for a while had one that would disappear into the car when it was parked to prevent this, but I don't know if they still have it, and I don't think that anyone else offered this feature. I do have to wonder what rap culture would be like if this little beauty of a hood ornament had caught on.
Kind of hard to be a bad ass rapper if you've got the words "Thank You" dangling around your neck.I always thought that car seats were invented in the 1980s. That, however, is not the case, as this one dates from 1935.
Nor was it the only one.
Notice that junior's securely belted in, but there's no seat belts for dad. From the looks of the picture, they weren't even installed on the car when it was built.Every now and then people worry about folks who are colorblind being behind the wheel of a car. After all, color blind folks tend to have problem with red and green, and those are the colors chosen for use on traffic lights. Folks who are colorblind say that it's not really that big of a deal. Still, someone was concerned enough about it in the 1940s to design glasses to enable the colorblind to "see" colors.
Remember the flap about Mitt Romney hauling the family dog in a crate on top of the minivan? I have to wonder out this would have gone over with folks if it were introduced today.
In some ways, it doesn't really seem to be that bad. After all, you don't have to worry about Fido jumping all over the place while you're trying to drive (or jumping out an open window), but in an accident (especially a T-bone, side impact, or rollover), he's toast.Slightly less lethal for Fido, is the canine car seat which clamped to the back of the front seat. Sure, it gives the dog a great view of the outside world, but the moment you slam on the brakes, you're going to get the dog thrown into your neck. This would be pretty bad if it was something like a toy poodle, but can you imagine what would happen if you had something like a great dane up there?
Despite what people might think, airbags were first invented in the late 1960s, as this article on it being an option for Mercedes shows.
Ford considered installing airbags in the Pinto, but dropped the idea before the cars went into production. This is somewhat surreal, if you think about it. The Pinto quickly earned the nickname "death trap" because they could burst into flames in a rear end collision, and I have to wonder what would have happened had the airbags been installed in the cars. Early airbags were way over powered, so there was the potential for serious, even fatal, injuries for the driver from the airbag. Admittedly, however, the design which included the airbag also included self-sealing fuel tanks, so in a rear end collision, there wouldn't have been nearly the risk of explosion as production models had.Most people today aren't familiar with the now extinct Packard Motor Car Company. It was started in 1899 in Warren, OH, by a Dr. Ward Packard. Legend has it that Dr. Packard was dissatisfied with the Oldsmobile he'd recently purchased, and when he went to the dealer to complain he was met with the response, "Well, if you know so much about cars, why don't you start your own car company?" Which he did. Packard was really an American equivalent of Mercedes or Rolls Royce. The cars were extremely luxurious for their time, had a reputation for being fast, and extremely well built. They were also great innovators, and for a time had more automotive patents than any other car company. In 1938, they introduced air conditioning as an option, and they correctly predicted that one day it would become standard equipment.
Packard fell on hard times during the Great Depression, but managed to survive, and during WW II, built aircraft engines under contract to Rolls Royce, as well as marine engines. (I've seen an interview with Rolls-Royce's corporate historian, and it's hysterical to watch how painful it is for him to admit that the Packard engines were very well made.) Packard, sadly, died a rather ignoble death after the war. They merged with Studebaker, got screwed out of important government contracts by the Eisenhower Administration and disappeared in 1959. In the late 1990s, an effort was made to try and revive the brand. However, the company was put up for sale last year, so it looks like they'll never again grace the highways. Somewhere around here I have a pic of an "Anniversary Edition Packard" that was built in the 1980s, which was a horribly mutilated Pontiac Grand Prix. If I can ever find it, I'll mention it in a future post.
Monday, December 10, 2007
It's the 21st Century. Where the Hell's My Flying Car?
Avery Brooks demanded to know the answer to that in a commercial at the beginning of the decade, and I suppose it's a good question. After all, we've been promised them for a long, long time.
Not very pretty is it? And nobody seems to know if it worked or not, as it promptly burst into flames the first time it was tested and the driver/inventor had to be pulled from the flaming mass by the photographers.
More on the other side.
In the 1930s we were promised the "gyrocar."
Of course, right now, we have the Moller Skycar, which we're promised will be available for sale "any day now." There's also the Terrafugia Transition which is supposed to be ready at about the same time as the Moller (i.e. never). And while they might be nice and all, I have to say that, if I'm going to have a "flying car" type of vehicle, they're really not what I want. No, what I want is a:
Flying Tank!!!!
Can you imagine the fun you could have with one of those? Spot some jerk illegally parked in the Forbidden Handicapped Zone and "explain it to him" as to why he's wrong! Are you "Employee of the Month" but some jerk's taken your spot? Let him know you're not happy with a quick blast from your cannon!
If I can't have a flying tank, can I at least have this flying spotter "bike"?
In the late 1920s/early 1930s, the Federal government shelled out money for a car called the "Triphibian." It was supposed to be able drive on roads, fly, and travel on water.
Not very pretty is it? And nobody seems to know if it worked or not, as it promptly burst into flames the first time it was tested and the driver/inventor had to be pulled from the flaming mass by the photographers.
More on the other side.In the 1930s we were promised the "gyrocar."
Of course, right now, we have the Moller Skycar, which we're promised will be available for sale "any day now." There's also the Terrafugia Transition which is supposed to be ready at about the same time as the Moller (i.e. never). And while they might be nice and all, I have to say that, if I'm going to have a "flying car" type of vehicle, they're really not what I want. No, what I want is a:
Flying Tank!!!!
Can you imagine the fun you could have with one of those? Spot some jerk illegally parked in the Forbidden Handicapped Zone and "explain it to him" as to why he's wrong! Are you "Employee of the Month" but some jerk's taken your spot? Let him know you're not happy with a quick blast from your cannon!
If I can't have a flying tank, can I at least have this flying spotter "bike"?
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