Friday 29 January 2010 at 08:11 am
There's always a danger to being #1, because everybody in the schoolyard dislikes the the kid that's biggest, the best, the braggart, but it gets worse when the kid is a liar & a cheat. We've always said that Toyota has been BS'n consumers for years now, telling them how their "World Class" Engineering & Manufacturing is superior to the rest of the world. The last few months have taught the gullible world just how much "horse-hooey" that statement was.
We also have to question the credibility of the much lauded Consumer's Reports magazine, which has never mentioned the fact that Toyota's junk keeps suffering through recall after recall. CR never said a word about the acceleration issue until traditional media outlets, like the Detroit Free Press made it headline news. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Consumer Reports Automotive Editor Rik Paul is STILL defending Toyota in interviews yesterday. (YIKES!!!)
We've also learned that the pencil-necks @ NHTSA have been bungling this major safety issue since 2004, when it 1st was brought to their attention. (HOLY CRAP!!!)
Many US customers have found out that the transplants can't make a decent truck either, as owners have had to suffer through LOADS of recalls & even a SILENT Buy-Back Campaign on early Tundra trucks.
Drive American, for Quality & for Safety!
You'll find more info posted here:
Toyota Sh**boxes
Tuesday 26 January 2010 at 07:17 am
The techniques may vary, but it will always be a therapeutic product for a lot of us. From the Zen-like satisfaction of going POP, POP, POP & crushing the air out of each individual bubble, to the staccato blast of POPS heard as a 6 year old dances on the stuff. It's all good fun! In fact there's even an electronic key-fob toy for adults!
What was originally envisioned as a way to make padded wall paper has permeated almost every corner of our lives. You'll find the stuff protecting the contents of many items that show up in your daily mail. You see it in adverts, like the pic above or in fashion as seen below. Your wife likes to lay it out in the hallway for those nights you come home late and attempt to tip-toe into the house undetected. Your kids love to idle away bits of time with sheets of this ubiquitous product.
Who knows what uses we'll find for it in another 50 years...
Monday 18 January 2010 at 08:56 am
Age doesn't always improve the breed. That's especially true when referring to 80 or 100 year old automotive designs. However, technology sure can!
Campbell, California's Terry Burtz is an avid fan of the venerable A-bone mill. Terry is combining today's computer design programs with modern casting processes & applying current technology to Henry's early workhorse. Burtz's CAD designers have analyzed the old blueprints & bit by bit, they have eliminated all of the flaws associated with the early design.
This new "banger" will include bigger bearings, high pressure oiling, better thermal transfer, improved breathing, uniform casting walls, etc. These are things that Ford's early designers could only dream of, because the foundry tolerances were so great & the process were crude by today's standards. As soon as the block is complete, his team will focus on the rotating assembly.
We will be following his adventure & hopefully, we'll be lucky enough to get one of these new HI-Tech engines. It'll be a
screamer!
More info in our
Singlefinger FORUM
Thursday 31 December 2009 at 4:19 pm
2009 has been a tough year for a lot of us & now it is finally coming to an end...
Our Wish for You in 2010
May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be those of joy.
May the problems you had, forget your home address!
Simply ...........
May 2010 be the best year of your life!! -- so far!!
Monday 21 December 2009 at 1:25 pm
Despite the crummy economy, 2009 has been an action packed year for all of the Singlefinger Gang. Everybody's been fiddling with new projects, like the Singlefinger Shop Truck, Jocko's Impala, Metz's new T, the 38 that Fry's building for his wife, Todd's new Packard, or the 28 A-V8 that Vern just finished. We've had a blast at lot of different shows this year, from Autorama to the Hunnert Car Pile-up. We've been fortunate to have met many new friends that are now a part of our gang of merry gearheads. A few of our guys have suffered with temporary lay-offs, but thanks to everybody keeping an eye out for each other, new opportunities are on the horizon for right after the New Year.
Overall, not a bad year!
Enjoy the holiday season with your family & friends.
Be safe & have a Happy Christmas!
PS- Thanks to Craig for loaning us his Christmas card art for the blog! Check out more of his art in the forum
Augustin
Thursday 17 December 2009 at 09:33 am
What started out as an offhand bit on the short lived
Tracy Ullman Show, has now turned into the longest running TV show in the US today. Since its debut on December 17, 1989, the show's characters & catch-phrases have become ingrained in the "culture" of middle America.
The family's exploits have been well documented by the show's creator, Matt Groening. The cartoon was patterned after his idea of the average, All-American dysfunctional family. Groenig named the characters in the show after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name.
The typical town of Springfield (location unknown) is the setting for the misadventures of this iconic family. Here, Homer, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant & is married to Marge Simpson, a stereotypical American housewife and mother. They have three "unique" children: Bart- a pre-teen hellion, Lisa a precocious young social activist & Maggie their baby usually portrayed sucking on a pacifier.
(more)
Wednesday 25 November 2009 at 07:17 am
Today, the Parkside Pub in Huntley, IL is holding their annual "Turkey Testicle Festival" fundraiser from 11am until closing. The yearly event allows pub owner Mark McDonald to distribute about $10K every year to help various local charities.
Hundreds of pounds of the "fleshy" delights are breaded, deep-fried, & laced with ketchup or Tabasco sauce for the hungry crowds. Washed down with copious amounts of beer, people go "nuts" over these treats. Despite the fact that over a half ton of the scrota get cooked, supplies typically will run out by 9:30 tonight.
Stop by & then tell us if you went "balls out" & got the T-shirt too.
Official Site
Thursday 19 November 2009 at 11:39 pm
It has been obvious to those of us in Detroit, that for decades NHTSA & our media have reveled in kicking the Big 3's collective ass all over the news. In our view, this abrupt turn around by the wonks at NHTSA, has been long time coming. Thankfully, the media is not ignoring the issue this time around. Conspiracy Theorists all around Cali & DC are quietly clucking about the US Goverment's attack on this "sudden" surge in serious safety issues on many imported vehicles. Could the fact that the US taxpayers now own a real stake in GM & Chrysler be the driving force behind this bureaucratic awakening? Or is it just a coincidental bad luck by a bunch of the import brands?
Now that we've all "got a little skin in the game", the Gov't needs to fully investigate the stories of the deceptive way that many imported cars are being safety tested. For years, rumors have circulated around Detroit about imported, specially prepped Crash Test vehicles found to have extra welds, structural foam, & heavier gauge metals not found in production vehicles. No formal investigation has ever been done.
Maybe, just maybe, somebody'll be able to tell us if those whispered stories & water cooler rumors are true....
I'll bet that I can predict the answer.
More on the Recalls
Monday 16 November 2009 at 12:31 am
The infrequently right & rarely politically correct Senator from AZ
dissed the "good ol' boys" of America when he told them that he didn't agree with the loans to Chrysler & GM. He told a NASCAR crowd that they ought to have gone into bankruptcy without help from the Gov't.
Since he has his wife's millions to support his wrinkled ass, he has no clue that banks haven't written any business loans this year. I'd like him to explain how the industry would have survived Chapter 11 without help.(?) Last year, McCain wasn't shy about sucking up to America's unions when he was running for President, but this year it seems that the thought of putting tens of thousands of Americans out of work forever means little to him.
link
Friday 30 October 2009 at 01:50 am
The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world (PLEASE NOTE: THE SEMA SHOW IS NOT OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC). It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. As part of the AAIW, the SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, and RV markets. SEMA Show 2008 drew over 50,000 domestic and international buyers through two million square feet of exhibits. The displays are segmented into 12 sections, and a New Products Showcase featured nearly 2,000 newly introduced parts, tools and components. In addition, the SEMA Show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and more…
Singlefinger Speed Shop is a registered SEMA member & that allows us to attend THE biggest gathering of aftermarket manufacturers of performance parts in the world! Viva Las Vegas, here we come! Restoration Alley, Hot Rods of every kind imaginable, new performance parts, unique tools, insightful seminars, pretty girls, old friends...
How does it get ANY better than that?
Check out more in our Forum:
SEMA Singlefinger
Don't forget about the
Whaba1000 go-kart race.
