From aa6ade8c1bc51bc8f379442bb00710438d1385fd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Adam T. Carpenter" Date: Sun, 29 Nov 2020 08:53:22 -0500 Subject: organized posts, added profile, started makefile --- ...-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.html | 328 --------------------- wheels/2019-07-04-yabs-yet-another-bad-shop.html | 241 --------------- wheels/2019-08-30-keep-right-except-to-pass.html | 114 ------- 3 files changed, 683 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.html delete mode 100644 wheels/2019-07-04-yabs-yet-another-bad-shop.html delete mode 100644 wheels/2019-08-30-keep-right-except-to-pass.html (limited to 'wheels') diff --git a/wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.html b/wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.html deleted file mode 100644 index e60e5f4..0000000 --- a/wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,328 +0,0 @@ - - - - - - - - - - - - - 53hornet ➙ How to Start and Drive a Hudson Hornet - - - - - -
-

How to Start and Drive a Hudson Hornet

- -

- My understanding is there are a lot of people out there for whom driving - a car from the mid-20th century is an oddity, a curiosity, or a life - experience they can't relate to. This is for the non-experts, and - non-Hudsonites to get an idea of what it's like. -

- -

- There are some significant differences between driving the Hornet and - most other cars you come across today. Some of them are just because - there are sixty-six years between the Hudson and the 2019 model year. - Others are Hudson-specific. Many people who I've talked to have said - that they would feel intimidated driving my car (whether that's because - of its perceived complexity or obvious value to me). So, for those who - just want to know how it's done: here is how you start and drive a - Hudson Hornet. -

- -

The Gauge Cluster, Switches, and Controls

- -

- Open the door, slide onto the bench seat, and sit behind the [massive] - steering wheel. For those who haven't experienced it before, it feels - like you have a whole lot of room at your disposal, almost like there - should be more matter occupying the space around you. In front - of you is probably the shiniest dashboard you've ever seen. It's simple, - and probably slightly familiar. -

-

From left to right above the steering wheel you have:

- - -

From left to right under the steering wheel you have:

- - -

- Also, underneath the dashboard on the left there is a parking brake - handle and hood latch release and on the right there is an arm which - raises and lowers the fresh air cowl vent. Think of it as "recirculate" - in more modern vehicles. If you're looking for the turn signal lever - it's the tiny stick to the left of the steering wheel. The indicator is - the little yellow light on the far left of the dash. There's only one so - it flashes when you're signalling left or right. We also added our own - air conditioning system, something Hudsons never came with from the - factory. -

- -

Dual-Range Hydramatic

- -

- The first thing that might confuse some folks when they first see the - car running is the shift lever. Many Hornets came with three-speed - manual transmissions that were shifted from the column (overdrive was an - option). However, lots of owners paid extra for the optional "Dual-range - Hydramatic", a fully automatic transmission from General Motors. Truly, - this car has a 4-speed automatic that requires no manual shifting during - normal use, making it that much easier to take a boatload of people to - get milkshakes. -

- -

- Behind the steering wheel is a shift indicator that deviates from the - "PRNDL" pattern most folks are familiar with. From left to right (shift - arm fully at the top to arm fully towards the bottom), the 'gears' are: -

- - -

- Neutral isn't just a mid-way point between reverse and drive in this - car. It's a necessity. With automatic Hornets (and Hydramatics in - general), neutral is used to start the car. There is an electric lockout - preventing the car from being started in any gear but neutral, so you do - have to put the car in neutral before you turn the key (if you're on a - hill put your foot on the brake or engage the parking brake). -

- -

- Drive is split into 4-Dr and 3-Dr, which basically decides whether the - transmission utilizes high gear. In the owner's manual, Hudson - recommends using 3-Dr for driving around town (as the low RPMs delivered - by high gear means unnecessary shifting in and out of 4th gear) and 4-Dr - for highway driving. It really depends on what speed you're going to be - driving at but there isn't anything wrong with driving around in 4 all - the time. I typically leave it in 4th at sustained speeds above 45MPH. - You can switch between these gears any time while moving. -

- -

- Low gear basically locks the transmission in 2nd gear so you don't spin - the wheels. The owner's manual says this is for pulling out of sand or - dirt if you get stuck. -

- -

- Reverse works just about how you might expect but with an added catch: - if the engine is off it acts as park. That's right. When you turn the - car off you can put it in reverse and the transmission will engage a - lock pin to prevent the car from rolling. You can't start the car in - this gear because of the lockout however so you have to shift into - neutral to start the car. So for starting, put it in neutral, for - stopping, put it in reverse. -

- -

Choke and Gas

- -

- For cold starts, our Hornet (and I believe this was common for other - Hudsons of the time) is equipped with an automatic 2-stage choke. Push - the pedal all the way to the floor once to set the choke. After the car - has started and has warmed up, kick the gas quickly to the floor and - release to cancel the choke. -

- -

- For warm starts the engine doesn't need the choke but likes to be given - just a little bit of gas while cranking. -

- -

The Keys, Ignition, and Warning Lights

- -

- Hudsons like mine come with two keys. The octagonal one is for starting - the car, it's used in the ignition. The round one is used for the door - and trunk locks (and I believe in my case the glove box). My - understanding is this is actually reversed from the majority of Hudsons - and is due to a locksmith error at one point or another. -

- -

- The ignition switch sits so that the teeth of the key enter vertically. - Turning the key left powers accessories like the radio. Turning the key - right once switches the car to "ON" which will allow the engine to be - started and remain running. -

- -

- Here's where some things may vary depending on the year of the car. For - '51 Hornets, there's a separate starter button located all the way on - the left control pod. For these cars, you put the key in and turn it to - "ON", and then press and hold the button until the car has started up. - For '52 Hornets onwards, the ignition switch also activates the starter - if you turn the key past "ON" (like in most modern vehicles). -

- -

- If you turn the key to "ON" you'll see two red warning lights appear on - the dash next to the indicators marked "AMP" and "OIL". These are - [alternator] charging status and oil pressure status lights. Our car is - equipped with a 12-V alternator system so the AMP light really comes on - if there is low voltage while the oil pressure light comes on when - there's low oil pressure. These lights will only appear with engine off, - key "ON" or if something has gone very wrong. -

- -

Starting and Driving

- -

- So now that I've gone over the basics of all the components, here is the - normal starting procedure. It actually varies depending on whether the - engine has been warmed up. That's life with carburetors. -

- -

From cold:

- - - -

From warm:

- - - -

Stopping and Parking

- - - -

- Note: I usually engage the parking brake AND put the car in reverse, - just to be safe. If you had to pick one however I would use the - transmission in case you're on a steep hill and your brakes fail for - whatever reason. -

- -

- And there you have it! Not much is different from most cars around today - but there are one or two quirks (more about old cars than about Hudsons - in particular). The only major thing to keep track of while driving is - that you have no power steering, so get ready to anticipate turns sooner - and use more of the wheel with every turn. -

-
- - diff --git a/wheels/2019-07-04-yabs-yet-another-bad-shop.html b/wheels/2019-07-04-yabs-yet-another-bad-shop.html deleted file mode 100644 index e1dcaa2..0000000 --- a/wheels/2019-07-04-yabs-yet-another-bad-shop.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,241 +0,0 @@ - - - - - - - - - - - - - 53hornet ➙ YABS: Yet Another Bad Shop - - - - - -
-

YABS: Yet Another Bad Shop

-

- Today I received a text message from a local mechanic/auto shop asking - me to leave them a Google review. It was an automated message from a - shop that I know well and have used many times in the past. - Unfortunately, I have had several poor experiences (at the time they - seemed horrific) with them in the past year and I can honestly say - they'll never receive my business again. Now I could have used this as - an opportunity to leave them an anonymous nasty-gram but instead I'm - going to do the opposite. I'm going to write about everything I don't - like about them without telling you who they are or hiding who I am. Why - would I do that? Well for one, they were an excellent shop for many - years. I believe a recent change in management is to blame and I'm not - going to ruin their chances of making a comeback (because frankly I - would like for them to rebound). And secondly, I don't believe in - hiding. This page and its author are public knowledge. Now, in no - particular order: a sample of awful work from yet another bad shop. -

- -

Mom's Truck -- Balls Out

- -

- Mom's truck is a 2007 Chrysler Aspen that she loves very much. Dad does - a whole lot of work on it himself (the both of us do pretty much - everything we can in-house so long as we have the right equipment). - We've been taking her truck into this shop for years because we've found - them to be reliable, efficient, and economical. As I said before, at - some point in their recent history they changed hands -- either - ownership or management, I can't remember which. It was around this time - that Dad decided to overhaul Mom's front suspension. He replaced the - ball joints, tie rod ends, and a few other worn out parts. He then did - his own best-guess front-end alignment, but left everything loose so - that YABS could finish up the alignment and tighten everything. Now read - that again because it's important. Dad did his own alignment in our - driveway (as a cost-saving measure), got it decently close, but then - instructed this shop to finish the job and tighten everything up. -

- -

- Now here's where things fall apart. This shop full of professional - mechanics took one look at the alignment Dad did and decided it was good - enough. Hooray for Dad and supernatural mechanical skills, but the shop - didn't even touch the car. They called Dad back to come pick up the car, - telling him it was already good to go. They never tightened a thing, - even after Dad explicitly told them everything was loose and needed to - be tightened but they didn't to touch a thing. So what happened? Dad - picked up the car assuming everything was A-OK and Mom drove the car for - about a week before the two front tires wore down so badly they had to - be replaced immediately. Everything fell out of alignment as things - loosened further and further and the tires wore unevenly until they - ripped themselves to shreds. The worst part? These weren't tires with 6+ - years on them. These were brand new tires. So YABS got to install two - more front tires and then tighten everything. They did not cover the - costs, presumably because it was Dad who had done the alignment. Strike - one. -

- -

Friend's Minivan -- Crude Necessities

- -

- A good friend of ours drives a 2005-2006 Chrysler Town and Country. It - was actually Mom's car before upgrading to the Aspen (the minivan was - perfect in every way but it couldn't tow). Our friend has been using - YABS for just a long as we have. Once again, things started getting - kinda strange after several years of good service. She started getting - charged extra for simple repairs she had them doing very consistently. - They also started tacking on extra items for routine jobs. She would go - in for an inspection and they would claim she needed a new Part X. Now - this in and of itself isn't an uncommon or even strange request to make. - As cars age they need things and sometimes you don't know what they need - until you visit a professional mechanic. They remember the things you - forget about. -

- -

- One day they did all the forgetting, and they forgot a pretty important, - nay, crucial engine component: motor oil. Our friend took her minivan - into YABS for a routine oil change. Good diligence on her part. And - she's not the type to do that change on her own. She's too old to get - under a car anyway (no offense!). So she took the van to YABS and they - did a job they've done thousands of times: drain oil, replaced the - filter, and gave her back the car. Easy peasy right? Now I know I'm not - a professional but I'm thinking someone might have wanted to - double-check that several quarts of synthetic had left the shop shelf - and gone into the car they just backed out of the bay door. Now this - part of the story I'm a little fuzzy on so take it with a large, heaping - grain of salt, but I can say for a fact that they failed to - completely refill the engine oil before returning her car. - Supposedly there was enough in there such that the minivan survived long - enough for them to realize it before she drove off. -

- -

Monty, My 2013 Ford Focus -- Nut Allergy

- -

- I decided to give YABS another try after a long leave of absence. I - needed new tires all around for my daily driver. I also needed an - inspection and an alignment. A simple set of tasks for any shop (you see - where this is going). I initially tried to go to another local shop but - they were all out of the tires I was looking to get so I caved and went - to YABS. About halfway through the job they gave me a call and told me - they had some bad news. They said that there were some issues getting - the lug nuts off my wheels and that they had all been stripped, warped, - or otherwise destroyed in the process. They told me the only fix was to - get new ones from a supplier in town for about $160. Keep in mind the - entire job (inspection, tires, etc.) was going to cost $650. - Furthermore, dad and I had no problem getting those lug nuts off and - back on again just a few weeks prior when we changed the transmission - fluid. -

- -

- They didn't have an explanation that I could reconcile with. Joe Schmo - over the phone told me this is typical of Fords and Chryslers these days - and that they'd like to keep my lug nuts for a class action lawsuit - they're participating in. Now why on Earth would any sane mechanic, with - full knowledge they are dealing with a defective set of lug nuts, take a - high power impact wrench to those wheels without speaking with the owner - about it first? Smelled fishy to me honestly. But what was I gonna do? - Dad went out and grabbed twenty new lug nuts for cheaper than they - wanted to sell them for. -

- -

- Oh the tires were Cooper GTs by the way and they're amazing. They're - smooth and quiet and came with a very nice warranty. They're also made - in the USA, which is very important to me. 10/10 would recommend. -

- -

Ol' Blue -- Tunnel Vision

- -

- This was the real kicker. And this one doesn't really have any trailing - narrative. I got four new tires on Ol' Blue, my 1953 Hudson Hornet. They - were delivered to our house: four brand new Diamond Back wide white wall - radials. Super nice tires, with a super nice road hazard warranty (as a - side note I totally recommend you - check out Diamond Back's website if - you're looking for white wall radials). So we brought the car to YABS - with the new tires and asked them to mount them on the car. -

- -

- When we went to pick up the car everything looked great and I drove off. - I made it all the way to the Monitor Merrimack Memorial Bridge Tunnel - before I heard a loud rattling and a bang. I looked in the rear-view - mirror and swore I could see my precious hubcap rolling off to eternity. - When they replaced the hubcaps they didn't fully press one of them on. - And it's not that difficult. These hub caps are very secure when pressed - on the rim, we've never had problems with them. Oh and we're talking - about Hudson hubcaps that came with the car, and aren't super easy to - find. And I couldn't stop to get out and grab it because I was right at - the mouth of the tunnel. We went back later to try and see it but we - couldn't. And it was probably destroyed getting thrown from the car - anyways. -

- -

- The worst part is, the hubcap took a chunk out of my white wall on its - way out from under the wheel skirt. So the day I got the tires I had to - take a picture and redeem my road hazard warranty. Luckily, Diamond Back - were true to their word and sent me a new one no questions asked. The - beat up tire is now my spare. -

- -

Not All Bad

- -

- Like I said before, YABS used to be a very nice shop with friendly - people that did good work. And they didn't charge exorbitant prices for - their work. Times have changed, and I believe management has as well. - I've stopped visiting their shop completely. I found a new one that I - trust and will be taking all of my cars to. They've already done a - safety inspection on Ol' Blue and didn't put up a fuss. They're clean - and friendly and don't seem to be out to screw me. But as with - everything else, your mileage may vary. -

-
- - diff --git a/wheels/2019-08-30-keep-right-except-to-pass.html b/wheels/2019-08-30-keep-right-except-to-pass.html deleted file mode 100644 index 61f329f..0000000 --- a/wheels/2019-08-30-keep-right-except-to-pass.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,114 +0,0 @@ - - - - - - - - - - - - - 53hornet ➙ Left Lane is for Passing, Not Cruising - - - - - -
-

Left Lane is for Passing, Not Cruising

- -

- Greetings fellow drivers of Hampton Roads. You may have noticed a new - sign on I264 today that befuddled or confused you. It went something - along the lines of -

- -
LEFT LANE IS FOR PASSING NOT CRUISING
- -

- Believe it or not this has been the law throughout Virginia for years - (read about it here - and - here). The law states you keep right except while passing. In most other - states things work this way but in Virginia, especially around here, the - left lane is treated as a moving, cruising lane. If you're in the left - lane and you've completed a pass please be mindful of the cars behind - you and move back over into the right-hand lane(s) so that other drivers - can do the same. -

- -

- It's really nice when this is practiced (like I said, I've experienced - it in other states) because you can easily move over when there are slow - vehicles ahead and then continue on your merry way. It reduces - congestion and prevents people from having to pass in the right lane, - which is both annoying and dangerous. Especially since this is typically - the lane cars from entrance and exit ramps are merging with. -

- -

- Don't forget too that it isn't rude or road-rage-y for someone behind - you to honk their horn or flash their lights if you're moving too slowly - in the passing lane. This is a perfectly polite request to pass you. You - don't set or enforce the speed limit. The correct (and legal) thing to - do, believe it or not, is to move over and slow down to let them pass - you. It's all about safe and sane driving etiquette. If you aren't - actively passing other cars, move on over to the right. It goes a long - way. -

-
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