All the car links I can imagine, are already in one nice format

From the French / English http://laurent-auto-news.blogspot.com/ is the well done alphabetized http://lroy.club.fr/auto/liens.html

Infos sur cette page
Automanufacturer websites 89 of them
performance parts websites 64
Tire companies 12
Customizers
Tools
Fédérations, Clubs, Associations...
Media
Automobile designers

60 bucks a barrel for oil from OPEC, 2.75 a gallon... does the math work?

rounding off all numbers for brevity: 42 gallons of crude - 50% becomes gas =21 gallons gas.
60 bucks a barrel is 60 bucks for 21 gallons at 2.75 a gallon, well that means that the other 50% of that barrel isn't accounted for, or, 1/2 of every barrel becomes pure profit for the refinery company. That doesn't seem unreasonable... I think.

Shell and Dow busted for fixing prices on tire rubber

http://www.rubberworld.com/news.asp?action=showweek

EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes busted 5 companies for colluding to rig prices of rubber ingredients used in tires, Shell was fined €160.9 million and Dow €64.6 million.

Snap On has a cool magazine too!

http://www.snapon.com/techmagazine/ this is coming out quarterly, but can be viewed online in PDF format, look the bottom left of the forementioned website email them at TechMagazine@snapon.com volume 3 Spring 2007 is dropped off at smog shops, and anywhere else you see the Snap On Truck make deliveries, like EXP tires.

Barney Oldfield, American icon, record setter

 the above is a 33 Chrysler with a custom body

the above is a Christie front wheel drive

 the above is a Marmon... with Barney's name brand tires

each of the above photos were found on http://theoldmotor.com/?s=Barney+oldfield a really good website for brass era race cars

Barney Oldfield was the first man to drive a car at 60miles per hour (100 kmh).

On Memorial Day in 1903 in New York, Oldfield drove a mile in a minute flat in another match-race victory. Two months later, he powered the car to a mile run in 0:55.8 and that was enough for Winton to hire Oldfield, complete with salary, expenses and free cars.

His accomplishments led to the expression "Who do you think you are? Barney Oldfield?"

In 1910, Oldfield bought a Benz, in which he broke all existing speed records for the mile, two miles, and the kilometer in special runs at Ormond Beach, Fla. After that, he was able to charge a whopping $4,000 for personal appearances, something he didn't mind at all.

Once suspended by the American Automobile Association, the sanctioning body of the day, because of his "outlaw" racing activities, much of Oldfield's legitimate racing career was lost during his prime.

However, he competed at Indianapolis after being reinstated and his best finishes were fifth in 1914 and 1916. Additionally, he ran the first 100 miles per hour lap in Indianapolis history.

http://digitaldoorway.net/The_Barney_Timeline.html

He helped found the Fisher Automobile Company, was a developer for Firestone tires, beat Winton (the founder of the Winton Car Company) in a Ford (by Fords requesting him as the driver), and had been inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame, and the Motorsports hall of fame of America.

Legend, pioneer, innovator, icon.

http://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/halloffame/1990/Barney_Oldfield_main.htm

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~class/am485_98/sarratt/barney.html

http://www.rumbledrome.com/barney.html

More on the John Deere tractor ball, UPS ball

http://thrillingwonder.blogspot.com/2007/02/vw-bus-ball-and-other-rolling-art.html found the John Deere tractor ball, and the UPS ball.

John Deere ball from Flikr (great photo website) the user on Flikr has quite a few photos of the spheres that Lars-Erik made here http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=390977926&size=o

The story behind the VW logo

It's pretty obvious what the Volkwagen logo is (a V over a W in a blue background, sorounded by a circle). It's origin is rather mundane though. The logo was the result of an office competition to see come up with a logo. The winner of the competition (who won 50 Marks for his troubles) was an engineer named Franz Reimspiess (the same man who perfected the engine for the Beetle in the 1930's).

From a nice design, concept, and logo orientated website http://cartype.com/page.cfm?id=2226&alph=ALL&dec=ALL

Power to weight is the reason a musclecar thrills us

Nuts and bolts 101, or, what is a grade 8?

Dodge Super Bee info, from Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Super_Bee
Pictured is the 69 440 six pack, a12 option. As close to a factory race car as they got at the factory with factory parts, without dealership add ons, or special shop work like the Hurst cars.
Non Functional dress up rear brake scoops, and a fiberglass lift off hood. The hood is unusally interesting, since my superbee looked like this one I'll wax eloquent for a minute.

The lift off hood had about 4 important features that were beneficial to the racers,
1) it was as lightweight as they could be,
2) not in the way at all when you needed to work in or around the engine,
3) had the biggest freaking scoop for lots of cold air to increase the air fuel mixture with denser colder air than would be around the hot engine. Cold air = dense air = more oxygen molecules per square inch = more combustion = more power without adding a dime to the ocst of the engine parts. Ramming cold outside air was determined to be good for 10-15 horsepower.
4) flat black, not glossy, paint on the hood has 10 to 15% more heat transfer than any other color. Ever wear a black cotton shirt in the sun, and notice it was hot to the touch? The heat transfer was important to keep the engine running cooler = more powerful. Similar heat transfer desire is the reason the rear axle housing is black, why radiators are black, and ususally, all the engine bay hoses, components, and inner fender wells next to the exhaust manifolds. Conversely, the white coating on headers helps through a resistance of heat transfer to keep the heat inside the headers, and flowing out of the engine bay, in order to help keep the engine cool.


I didn't know that the 71 Bee could be ordered with a 340, or that any came with 440 four barrels. Learn some thing new every day.

The historical Chrysler factory warranty of Ford cars

The Tiger was an upgraded sportscar model from the base Sunbeam, made by a British company... Alpine. The company was a subdivision of the Rootes group which Chrysler bought and then had to warranty the Ford engine and trans. Now that's got to be unique among the big 3. http://www.sunbeamtiger.co.uk/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbeam_Tiger

Record setter, cool car guy, Don Garlits

I used to watch a LOT of drag racing, all of the 1996 and 1997 NHRA top fuel and funny car championships particularly, and during those seasons a lot of car show programming was getting onto cable tv, the Speed Channel or ESPN 2 I think... getting back on topic, Big Daddy Don Garlits was a feature of one of the show, and the show would spotlight whichever car or truck Don would choose as his "pick of the week".

At the time I had a 69 Superbee, and remember how Don told about the features of the car and how they came about due to the NASCAR evolution of the racecars in 68-69. He pointed out the slight ducktail on the rear edge of the trunklid, the smoothed rear window (in contrast to the 69 Charger's), the wide hips on the sides of the car above the rear tires, and he might have talked about the down force caused by the upward sloping gas tank that used a airflow dynamic to cause suction under the car.

All 4 of these had an additive effect of increasing traction by pushing and pulling the rear of the car down onto the tires for designed aero effects that were incorporated into the looks of the car, while increasing traction. Nice detailed description from the expert that was there from the pioneering days of drag racing, and still is the most recognized drag racer, record setter, PR personality, and frankly- all around nice guy. He is now part of the contributing writers for Hemmings Muscle Cars, that I subscribe to and recommend to you as well, and he's a very good writer.

I won't be filling pages, which would be easy, telling you his current and historical racing life, but want to show a few things you may not know about him, and the Dodge truck that bears his name. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a thing on the net... big surprise since I try for the rare and unusual that you are more likely to be interested in. But I'm going to keep trying, and wanted to post about that truck. 1996 full size Dodge, with an animated looking rat waving a finish flag, if I remember correctly.

By the way, just to blow your mind, http://www.garlits.com/ had a few items that really are knockouts.

Born in 1932.

In 2001 (at 69 years young) he returned to racing, and ran a top fueler at 4.720 and 303, then was also voted the #1 drag racer of the last 50 years, in 2002 he pulled a top fuel race car of his out of his museum... museum.... for pete's sake he used a museum piece for this next one.... and nailed a career best 318 mph and 4.76 second pass.

In a museum car.

Because he's that freaking good, and this was at the NHRA US Nationals.

Kinda makes you want to be that effing cool when you retire don't it? That's just inspirational.

He's got grandkids for krineoutloud, and did 323 mph in the Gator Nats in 2002. Think that over. First guy to manhandle a dragster to 170, 180, 200, 240, 250, 260, and 270. Pioneer is putting it mildly, trail blazer of the 1320 is more apt.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Garlits

He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1989 as the sole representative of drag racing. Probably for the redesign and paradigm shift of the top fuel dragsters layout, which he realized made more sense to drive if you're not going to die from an engine explosion when the motor's behind you instead of just in front of you. When you're doing better than 200mph, all the broken parts and flaming fuel just want to clobber and burn you in the original slingshot design, Don redesigned the way all dragsters are built by getting the engine behind the driver 'cause it's just better to be upwind of all that destruction 'ya know... moving away from it instead of into it.

In 1987, Garlits' record-breaking 300 m.p.h. car, "Swamp Rat XXX" was inducted into, and enshrined at The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Best part, he fired it up and gave them a cacklefest of one... at the Smithsonian.

The rarest musclecars... hmmm

http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclecars/general/musclecars-rarest.shtml


RAREST MUSCLECARS
# YEAR/MODEL BODY STYLE ENGINE TOTAL MT AUTO
1 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible 426 Hemi 2 1 1
2 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible 426 Hemi 2 ? ?
3 1969 Chevrolet Corvette ZL-1 427 2D Coupe ZL-1 427 V8 3 ? ?
4 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Convertible 426 Hemi 3 1 2
5 1970 Dodge Super Bee 2D Pillared Coupe 426 Hemi 4 4 0
6 1966 Dodge Coronet 400 Convertible 426 Hemi 6 ? ?
7 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda Hemi Convertible 426 Hemi 7 5 2
8 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Convertible 400 RA IV 8 4 4
9 1968 Dodge Coronet Convertible 426 Hemi 9 1 8
10 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi Convertible 9 5 4
11 1966 Plymouth Belvedere II Convertible 426 Hemi 10 4 6
12 1969 Dodge Coronet Convertible 426 Hemi 10 4 6
13 1969 Plymouth Road Runner Convertible 426 Hemi 10 4 6
14 1969 Plymouth GTX Convertible 426 Hemi 11 5 6
15 1970 Dodge Coronet 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 13 4 9
16 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda Convertible 426 Hemi 14 6 8
17 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX Convertible 426 Hemi 17 7 10
18 1971 Pontiac GTO Judge Convertible 455 17 ? ?
19 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe & Convertible 427 L88 V8 20 ? ?
20 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 Convertible 20 ? ?
21 1966 Dodge Coronet Convertible 426 Hemi 21 12 9
22 1971 Dodge Super Bee 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 22 9 13
23 1966 Plymouth Satellite Convertible 426 Hemi 27 ? ?
24 1971 Plymouth GTX 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 30 ? ?
25 1970 Dodge Super Bee 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 32 21 11
26 1966 Dodge Coronet 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 34 11 23
27 1968 Plymouth GTX Convertible 426 Hemi 36 ? ?
28 1966 Dodge Coronet Deluxe 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 49 31 18
29 1964 Dodge Ramcharger Superstock 426 2D Sedan 426 Hemi 50 ? ?
30 1969 AMC AMX SS 2D Coupe 390 V8 52 ? ?
31 1966 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 2D Sedan 400 V8 W-30 54 ? ?
32 1967 Dodge Coronet SS/B 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 55 ? ?
32 1967 Plymouth Belvedere II (RO23) 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 55 ? ?
32 1971 Plymouth Road Runner 426 Hemi 2D Hardtop 55 28 27
35 1968 1/2 Ford Mustang GT Super Cobra Jet 428 Ram Air 2D Fastback, Notchback & Convertible Fewer than 60 ? ?
36 1966 Ford 427 Fairlane Various 427 V8 60 ? ?
37 1965 Plymouth Belvedere I 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 63 ? ?
37 1971 Dodge Charger R/T 426 Hemi 2D Hardtop 4 63 30
38 39 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 427 2D Hardtop 69 47 22
40 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi 2D Hardtop 71 59 12
41 1974 Plymouth GTX 440 Coupe 440 V8 79 ? ?
42 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L-88 Roadster Convertible 427 V8 80 ? ?
43 1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Coupe & Convertible 400 RA IV 88 ? ?

Ok, so whaty is missing from their list? the 4 door hemi cars, the 4 door police 442's... anything you noticed? Also the number of 1967 427 SOHC Shelby GT 500's, 'casue they used up what was on the shelves then switched to 428's also the S/S Hemi Darts

50 fastest cars from jerks who think they have a copywrite on this info. Like anyone at all can't make a list, mooks!

50 Fastest Muscle Cars

Year/Model ET/MPH ENGINE HP TRANS GEAR
1 1997 Viper GTS 12.05@116 V10 450 six-speed 3.07
2 1966 427 Cobra 12.20@118 427 8V 425 four-speed 3.54
3 1990 ZR1 Corvette 12.8@113.8 LT5 350 375 six-speed 3.45
4 1966 Corvette 427 12.8@112 L72 427 425 four-speed 3.36
5 1969 Road Runner 12.91@111.8 440 Six BBL 390 four-speed 4.10
6 1997 Hurst/Firebird 12.99@103.11 350 350 automatic 3.42
7 1970 Hemi Cuda 13.10@107.12 426 Hemi 425 four-speed 3.54
8 1992 Viper RT/10 13.1@108 488 V10 400 six-speed 3.07
9 1970 Chevelle SS454 13.12@107.01 454 LS6 450 four-speed 3.55
10 1969 Camaro 13.16@110.21 427 ZL1 430 four-speed 4.10
11 1997 Corvette 13.20@109.3 350 LS-1 345 six-speed 3.42
12 1997 SLP Camaro SS 13.20@108.8 350 LT4 330 six-speed 3.42
13 1990 Pontiac Firehawk 13.20@107 350 350 six-speed 3.54
14 1968 Corvette 13.30@108 427 6V 435 four-speed 3.70
15 1970 Road Runner 13.34@107.5 426 Hemi 425 automatic 4.10
16 1970 Buick GS Stage I 13.38@105.5 455 Stage I 360 automatic 3.64
17 1996 Camaro Z28 SS 13.46@106.48 350 LT-1 310 six-speed 3.42
18 1969 Charger 500 13.48@109 426 Hemi 425 four-speed 4.10
19 1973 Trans Am 13.54@104.29 455 SD 310 automatic 3.42
20 1969 Corvette 13.56@111.1 427 L88 430 automatic 3.36
21 1969 Super Bee 13.56@105.6 440 Six Pack 390 automatic 4.10
22 1969 Boss 429 Mustang 13.60@106 Boss 429 375 four-speed 3.91
23 1970 Challenger R/T 13.62@104.3 440 Six Pack 390 automatic 4.56
24 1970 Torino Cobra 13.63@105.9 429 SCJ 370 automatic 3.27
25 1968 Biscayne 13.65@105 427 L72 425 four-speed 3.23
26 1995 Mustang Cobra R 13.67@102.82 351 300 five-speed 3.45
27 1964 Polara 500 13.70@107.37 426 4V 365 four-speed 4.10
28 1996 Corvette GS 13.7@105.1 350 LT-4 330 six-speed 3.42
29 1969 GTX 13.70@102.8 440 4V 375 automatic 3.55
30 1987 Buick GNX 13.70@102 231 Turbo V6 300 automatic 4.10
31 1969 Dart 440 13.71@105 440 4V 375 automatic 4.10
32 1971 Road Runner 13.71@101.2 440 Six BBL 390 automatic 3.36
33 1971 Cuda 13.72@106 440 Six BBL 390 automatic 4.10
34 1971 Corvette 13.72@102.04 454 LS6 450 four-speed 3.36
35 1971 Super Bee 13.73@104 426 Hemi 425 automatic 4.10
36 1968 Hurst/Olds 13.77@103.91 455 W-30 390 automatic 3.91
37 1968 Firebird 13.79@106 400 HO 335 four-speed N/A
38 1967 Corvette 13.80@108 427 6V 435 four-speed 3.55
39 1971 Boss 351 Mustang 13.80@104 Boss 351 330 four-speed 3.91
40 1966 Satellite 13.81@104 426 Hemi 425 four-speed 3.54
41 1969 Coronet R/T 13.83@102.27 440 4V 375 four-speed 4.10
42 1968 Cyclone GT 13.86@101.69 428 CJ 335 automatic 4.11
43 1969 Nova SS 396 13.87@105.1 396 4V 375 automatic 3.55
44 1969 Shelby GT-500 13.87@104.52 428 CJ 335 four-speed 3.91
45 1970 Olds 4-4-2 W-30 13.88@95.84 455 W-30 370 automatic 3.42
46 1962 Corvette 13.89@105.14 327 FI 360 four-speed 4.10
47 1969 Barracuda 13.89@103.21 440 4V 375 automatic 4.10
48 1969 Mustang Mach I 13.90@103.32 428 CJ 335 automatic 3.50
49 1967 GTO 13.90@102.8 400 RA 360 automatic 4.33
50 1970 Trans Am 13.90@102 400 RA 345 four-speed 3.91

Mickey Thompson's murder solved by jury

The business partner and motocross race promotor Michael Goodwin, 61, now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. He grabbed a sailboat for the Caribbean just after the murder and stayed out of the US for quite awhile. No physical evidence connects him to the murder committed by two black men who took off on bikes, and have never been seen again.

Trial information from the news says that they shot Mickey several times but assasinated his wife in from of him, before fatally shooting Mickey.

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=2771478
http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-thompsonverdict,0,3492982.story?coll=ktla-news-1
http://www.canyon-news.com/artman/publish/article_5176.php
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2007/01/04/goodwin-found-guilty-in-mickey-thompson-murder/

50 fastest musclecars, from Musclecar Review Magazine

A factory four door Hemi Dodge? One of 5 made, never heard of them before.

This may be the world's rarest 426-Hemi car.
Approximately 11,000 cars were made with the 426 Hemi. All of those cars were 2 door cars, except for 5 cars.

That's 10,995 street racers and 5 four doors... hmmm.

One went to Canada, one for export. Of 3 sold in the US, one is in the Ocala Florida museum of Big Daddy Don Garlits, and this one went for.... $660,000.

Definitely a sleeper. What in the world else would this be used for?

ANSWER: Thanks to http://www.classiccar.com/garage/blog/index.php?/archives/154-1966-Hemi-Coronet-Four-Door.html Ted's Garage, posted by Todd Jensen, who did more homework than I did.... and links to a Mopar Muscle article which said that the FBI ordered two for towing and field service (really? a freaking hemi? Whoa. Think they have kept up with muscle cars and now have Vipers?) but the FBI didn't like the maintenance factor and sold them off to civilians, hence the one getting into the Big Daddy Don Garlits Museum in Ocala Fla.

Chip Foose

Some years from now Chip foose will be recognized as a brilliant businessman, and 2ndly for his fantastic career of designs. He is the youngest to ever be inducted in to the Hot Rod Hall Of Fame, 7 time winner of the AMBR award, 3 time Ridler award, and 6 time Good Guys Street Rod of the Year award.

He went through the prestigious Art School College of Design, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Center_College_of_Design which is in Pasadena Ca. and which has had teachers like Ansel Adams, and graduates like designers Dick Teague (GM and AMC), Thomas Kinkade, and Syd Mead (Bladerunner, Aliens, and Tron).

Later he worked for Boyd Coddington as a part time designer and for J Mays (designer of the new Beetle and the retro Thunderbird), then went full time for Boyd, eventually becoming president and designer for Hot Rods by Boyd. Since Boyd is impossible for most everyone to work for (see any episode of American Hot Rod) and the business was on the edge of bankruptcy, soon went solo, and then made himself a household name for the Discovery channel show Overhaulin, and the many featured vehicle teamups for Mustangs, Camaro's, Challengers, Boydster II's. etc. http://www.chipfoose.com/gallery.aspx?LinkID=hplnk1

Bench-racing stats of Musclecars

Quickest and fastest stats from Hot Rod Magazine, June 1984