Jeep: Road Chatter

E N D L E S S R O A D

Road Chatter XXXIV
FAX: 301-497-3690
com
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
IN THIS ISSUE
* Car-Guy Trivia Questions
* Formula 1

* Playing in the Dirt

* Recent Receipts

* Car-Guy Trivia Answers
* 10% Off Next Purchase For Your Trivia Questions

======================= **======================

Car-Guy Trivia (answers are later in this email)

With it being Indianapolis season, we rounded up every Indy question we had.

1) How many laps must a driver survive to win the Indianapolis race?

2) What five drivers won Indy and the world Formula 1 Championship?

3) Which driver has won Indy the most times?


4) How many women have competed in Indy?

5) One driver in the Winner's Circle refused Indy's traditional drink and
had orange juice instead. Who was the driver, and what is Indy's traditional
drink?

--- Retreads ---
Usually, the last three questions we ask are from over two years ago. To
list all Indy questions this month, we listed questions regardless of when
we previously had them.

6) Lotus changed Oval racing in America in 1965 when Jimmy Clark won Indy in
the rear engine Lotus 38. The weekend that Clark was winning, the car's
designer, Len Terry, left Lotus to go on to his next assignment, another
beautiful American open wheeler. What was that?

7) Juan Montoya won Monaco in 2003. He is only the second person to ever win
Monaco, F1's crown jewel, and the Indy 500, considered by many to be America's
biggest race. Who was the other driver to do this?

(Come on now, Larry I. and Bill C., you both should know this.)

8) The race at Indianapolis was originally going to be 24 hours. But they
cut it back to insure more finishers. Why did they choose 500 miles?

======================= **======================

Formula 1


FIA to Conduct a Survey with their F1 Fans

FIA is doing something surprising, to say the least. They are conducting a
survey for Formula 1 spectators; that's YOU and ME. Every F1 guy knows our
sport could be more entertaining; this may be our chance to do something
about it. The survey will coincide with this week's Monaco. The results will
be instrumental in the sport's regulations beginning in 2008. Log on to
FIA.com this weekend to find the survey.

2005 Formula 1 World Championship

May 22 Monaco (Monte Carlo)
May 29 Europe (Nurburgring, Germany) CBS Taped
June 12 Canada (Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal) CBS Live
June 19 USA (Indianapolis)
July 3 France

July 10 Britain (Silverstone)
July 24 Germany (Hockenheim)
July 31 Hungary (Hungaroring)
August 21 Turkey (Istanbul)
Sept. 4 Italy (Monza)
Sept. 11 Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
Sept. 25 Brazil (Interlagos)
October 9 Japan (Suzuka)
October 16 China (Shanghai International Circuit)

======================= ** =======================

* Playing in the Dirt


There are less than 20 Formula 1 races a year. None of them are close enough
to be considered a day trip. Summit Point is close enough that you can be
there in about an hour. But, there are only a few races there a year that
cover a particular type of racing, be it sports car, motorcycle, Karting,
whatever is your poison. There is no way that you could attend a complete
season of a chosen racing sport.

But, there's great racing within driving distance all around us, if you don't
mind a little dirt on your shoes and clothes and probably in your hair. Dirt
ovals have some of the most exciting racing you can find. At an F1 race,
unless you have one of the better tickets (at nose-bleed prices) the best
view you will have is through a twenty-foot tall fence, or from a distance
that seems to grow with each season. With dirt track racing, you can get so
close you feel the earth shake when the fender to fender pack of roaring V8s
storm past, into a turn at a speed you expect them all to pile up on the
first lap. You smell the straining engines, the burning oil, the fresh
spilled beer, the cigarette smoke heavy in the air, and those beautiful,
greasy, unhealthy, but delicious, smells from the concession stands.

You may make extensive plans for a weekend to Indy or Canada, or possibly an
airline trip to one of the other F1 tracks. Or, you can decide to go this
weekend to Martinsville, Cumberland, Budds Creek, or Hagerstown Speedway.
There are 800 dirt tracks in the country; there has to be one near you.
Sadly enough, tracks like Beltsville, Dorsey and Marlboro already have moved
on to just sweet memories of our misspent youth.

At an F1 race, you may catch a glimpse of a driver you recognize from the
magazines and TV. At Hagerstown, you may bump into a driver that you
recognize as your plumber.

The F1 guys run within a few feet of each other at over 200 MPH; if they
touch, there is probably a caution-causing wreck. The dirt trackers run
within inches of each other at possibly over 100 MPH; if they touch, it's
probably just another mark of honor to their already much-dented machine.

In the multimillion$ F1, there is always fighting behind the scenes.
Michelin against Bridgestone, team against team, complaining to FIA about
the doings of the others. At dirt tracks fairness, hard work, and chivalry
are still valued.

In F1, the pole goes to the fastest qualifier, and passes are few and far
between, often the pole setter wins the race. Several dirt tracks put the
slower drivers at the front, forcing the faster cars to bull past the rest
of the pack to the front.

In all racing, money talks. An F1 two-car team averages $125 million per
car, per year. The team salary can run from $10M to $25M. A dirt track 'Late
Model' team can spend $17,000 for a car and $30,000 for an engine. A sponsor
may kick in $15,000 for a season.

A 'Pure Stock' may run a 20 year old Chevy, at about $3000 a season. Their
'team' will be a few gung-ho friends that probably chip in a few bucks a
month for the cause.

I still love F1, but the down and dirty, street fight of dirt track racing
definitely grabs you by the gut.

======================= ** =======================

* Recent Receipts

Duel - DVD

They finally brought out this classic in DVD. Steven Speilberg's first
feature length was this high velocity film about a motorist terrorized by a
semi out to do him in. It's a combination car chase & psychological thriller
from the first few minutes to the bitter end.

Enzo Ferrari - DVD

A movie by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. A story of the man who created the
greatest automobile empire in history. He went from poverty to riches
through passion, ruthless and brutal character. We meet Ferrari as an old
man, disturbed by memories of the past and by all the things he lost on the
way to success.

======================= ** =======================

Car-Guy Trivia Answers

1) The Indy 500 winner must run 250 two-mile laps.

2) The five drivers that won the Indy 500 and the World Formula 1
Championship were:

-Mario Andretti

-Jimmy Clark

-Emerson Fittipaldi

-Graham Hill

-Jack Villeneuve

3) Three drivers have won Indy four times: Foyt (61, 64, 67, 77), Al Unser
(70, 71, 78, 87) and Rick Mears (79, 84, 88, 91)

4) Three women have competed in the Indy 500 so far: Janet Guthrie (77-79)
Lyn St James (92-97-00), and Sarah Fisher (00-03). And possibly this year
will be Danica Patrick.

5) Emerson Fittipaldi refused Indy's traditional drink, MILK. I believe he
had an orange juice organization as a sponsor at the time. Larry I. please
correct me if I am wrong.

(Thanks to Monica, my wife and partner, for reminding me of this one.)

--- Retreads ---

6) Len Terry was on a contract to design the Lotus 38 Indy car. His next
assignment was with Dan Gurney to design Dan's beautiful snout nosed Eagle
Formula 1 car - the only car built and driven by an American to win a
Formula 1 race.

7) Juan Montoya and Graham Hill are the only two drivers to win Monaco and
Indy.

(I got this one from Speed Channel. I admit, I would have guessed it was
Jimmy Clark. Although, Jackie Stewart came close in 1966 when he won Monaco
and almost won Indy the same year.)

8) The Indianapolis organizers decided that 500 miles was the longest that
they could run in one day and still have time to get the spectators in and
out during daylight hours.

======================= **======================
10% Off Next Purchase For Your Trivia Questions

Send us an interesting fact of just about anything on wheels: cars, trucks,
F1, Drags, Muscle Cars, weird obsolete car thingies, whatever, and if we use
it, then you get 10% off on everything on your next purchase.



Thanks,

Dave

E N D L E S S R O A D

Road Chatter XXXV
Shop: 301-497-0369
FAX: 301-497-3690
com

www.endlessroad.com

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
IN THIS ISSUE
* Car-Guy Trivia Questions
* Formula 1

* Bits and Pieces

* Car-Guy Trivia Answers
* 10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

======================= ** ======================

Car-Guy Trivia (answers are later in this email)


Let me start by making a correction. In the last Chatter, I said: "The Indy
500 winner must run 250 laps of two miles each." I reversed the two numbers.
It should have been: "The Indy 500 winner must run 200 laps of 2 1/5 miles
each." Once a Marine told me, "It is all right to make a mistake; it is not
all right to make excuses." So, I won't. But I do appreciate John F, James
P, and Hoodoo for bringing the mistake to my attention.

1) In the movie Stroker Ace, what's the name of his sponsor, who is his
rival, and what late NASCAR driver appears in this movie?

2) Le Mans was just run again, the world's most famous 24-hour race. Why did
they choose this weekend? Not because Sunday was Father's Day, and not
because Saturday was Paul McCartney's birthday.

3) In 1955, Ford had a great show car, the Lincoln Futura. A long, low,
slinky convertible. It reappeared later as . what?

4) We all know the Mustang Mach I (Roman numeral one), but what is Mach I?

5) In 1984, Renault F1 driver Patrick Tambay suffered leg injuries in the
Monaco GP. At the following Detroit GP, what driver did Renault ask to stand
by to take Tambay's place in case he was unable to race? (In the end, Tambay
was fit enough to take part in the GP, and the standby did not drive).

--- Retreads ---
These last three questions are from over two years ago. If you remember them
from before, consider this a memory test.
6) Dr. Dick Thompson, the famous Corvette Driver, was once banned from
racing for three months by the SCCA. Why?

7) There is an old saying:
"How do you make a small fortune in Race Cars?"
What is the rest of the saying, and who was the first to say it?
8) In 1950, a few enterprising sports car enthusiasts turned an old military
air force base in the middle of Florida into a racetrack. It was over four
miles long and brutal on the cars. But, somehow, the race always coincided
with Spring Break, and it has been going strong ever since. Do you know what
car won the first '12 Hours of Sebring'? Careful, it's a trick question.

======================= **======================

Formula 1


F1 at Indy
The U.S. is not F1's strongest audience. It would seem that FIA would want
to look good in the one F1 race held here to compete against NASCAR. Who
looked good at this year's Indy race?

Max Mosley and the FIA did not.

Michelin did not.

To most people, the Michelin teams did not.

Because of a few, the fans did not.

The winner, Michael Win-At-Any-Cost Schumacher did not.

Rubins Barrichello did for discreetly not saying how he felt on TV.

Third place Tiago Monteiro did for letting out the enthusiasm screaming
inside him.

If it had been NASCAR, somehow they would have raced.

2005 Formula 1 World Championship

July 3 France

July 10 Britain (Silverstone)
July 24 Germany (Hockenheim)
July 31 Hungary (Hungaroring)
August 21 Turkey (Istanbul)
Sept. 4 Italy (Monza)
Sept. 11 Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
Sept. 25 Brazil (Interlagos)
October 9 Japan (Suzuka)
October 16 China (Shanghai International Circuit)

======================= ** =======================

* Bits and Pieces

Politics and F1 make strange bedfellows
October 15th 2001
"He told me just recently one of his ex-teammates is no longer in Formula
One because he was too nice a guy. If you apply that logic, I reckon Irvine
is here for life."

Jordan owner, Eddie Jordan, on Eddie Irvine's F1 future, AutoWeek

Currently

Although Eddie Jordan has sold his team, he remains with the team as an
employee in a "commercial and sponsorship capacity."

Friday, 20 May, 2005

Eddie Irvine, a multi millionaire, was spearheading a group looking to buy
the Jordan team. Although denied, rumors still persist that this is a
possibility.

"Whatever anyone says about him, he is a dynamic guy, and has done
enormously well with his business outside of Formula One," said Jordan of
his potential boss.
I wonder if Eddie Irvine remembers Eddie Jordan's opinion of 2001.

***

Joe's Toys
Two friends and customers of ours got together and put some great machinery
out there for us to enjoy in the June 6 AutoWeek issue. Jan Tegler wrote two
great pages on fantastic machines owned by Joe Willenpart. One page
described Joe's Lotus transporter, the first transporter built specifically
for carrying F1 cars, their parts and crew. What a great piece of history.
Jan also did a page on Joe's 1968 Lotus 49C F1 car. This beast was
originally driven by Graham Hill. After a wreck, Hill was given a fresh
Lotus, and this one was repaired and passed on to Jochen Rindt, making it a
car driven by two world champions. Joe is a great fan of Jochen Rindt and a
great F1 enthusiast; he drives this and several other of his F1 and F2 cars
in vintage races.

***

Ralph's Toys
Ralph Lauren has taste. Yeah, yeah, he does some clothes and stuff, but he's
got some great cars, great enough for about sixteen of them to be on display
in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (http://www.mfa.org). There's a Ferrari
Testa Rosa as a teaser before you even get into the display itself. You see
a light sensuous Bugatti face to face with a hulking Blower Bentley. You
will recognize CMC's Mercedes 'Count Trossi', the 'Black Prince'. There are
at least three other Ferraris, two Porsches (550 and a 959, nice
comparison), the only McLaren F1 (the street version) I have ever seen, a
few Jags, and a Morgan, to name only a few. We spent an hour and a half
there and I could have stayed twice that long. But if you're considering
going, it's a long haul, and the show will only be there through July 3rd.

***

Shelley's Toy Shop

You will remember our friend/customer Shelley, the guy with a Nash
Metropolitan in his rec room. I told you that he got bored being retired and
was going to open a car modification shop. It's up and running now; they've
done a '34 Roadster, they're working on a '55 Nomad, and their next project
car is a '69 Camaro. Plus, they do lots of wheel and tire packages, lift
kits, body kits, etc. They are at Rt. 140 (Baltimore Blvd) and Bethel Rd.
Check their website: http://www.410motoring.com.

***

Last Run

Our friend Warren sent us this news clipping:

It's just been reported by the NTSB that a number of American automobile
manufacturers have been placing 'black boxes' in 4x4 pickups in order to
determine the number of fatal accidents and their causes by recording the
last 15 seconds of the driver's conversation. In 47 of 50 states, the last
words uttered by 4x4 drivers, in nearly 83% of fatal accidents, was "Oh
Sh**!" However, in three rural states, in nearly 90% of the cases, the last
words uttered were "Hold my beer and watch this!"

======================= ** =======================


Car-Guy Trivia Answers

1) In Stroker Ace, the sponsor was Clyde Tuttle's Chicken Pit Special;
Stroker's rival was Aubrey James played by Parker Stevenson, and the late
Dale Earnhardt appears in the movie.

2) Le Mans was run last weekend, as it is run every year, on the weekend
closest to the Summer Solstice, the day with the most hours of sunlight for
the 24 hours of racing.

3) TV had a new show coming and they had to have a spiffy car. George Barris
had the old Lincoln Futura lying around. And within three weeks, an oval
grille opening here, large swoopy wings there, hooded headlights, dual
cockpit windshields, orange trim on glossy black paint, and voila! The
Batmobile we all know and love!

4) Mach I is the speed of sound at sea level.

5) Patrick Tambay's best year in Formula 1 was a fourth in points in '83.
This race, he had as his stand-in: Daytona 500 Winner, Sebring Winner, Indy
Car Champion, Formula 1 Champion, Mario Andretti.

--- Retreads ---

6) There is an interesting story of why Dr. Dick Thompson was temporarily
banned from racing. After the AMA (Automobile Manufacturers' Association)
banned racing participation in 1957, Bill Mitchell bought the SS Corvette
from GM for $1.00. He could race it, but only as a private citizen, and with
no obvious association with GM or Corvette. GM styling came up with the idea
that if they made the body like an inverted airfoil, it would be sucked to
the ground. This new car was named Sting Ray. Good idea but terrible
execution. At speed, the car wanted to fly; the front end became so light
that it was almost uncontrollable. The SCCA had no way of knowing that the
car was at fault and assumed it was Thompson's driving, hence the
suspension. Dr. Dick Thompson was a local guy that made good. He gained
national recognition racing the competition Corvette, but he was a dentist
in the DC area and raced often at Marlboro, Md.
(From 'Corvette From The Inside' by Dave McLellan, Corvette chief engineer.
Thanks to our friend Jeff M.)

7) "How do you make a small fortune in Race Cars?"
"Start out with a large one."
Briggs Cunningham, the creator of Briggs Franks and Cunningham Sports Cars
as quoted by D. Randy Riggs, editor of Vintage Motorsports on The History
Channel.

8) The first '12 Hours of Sebring' was run with an Index of Performance.
Cars were evaluated by miles finished compared to their power. Someone
figured out that the under powered, slower cars had an advantage over the
larger and faster cars. With this in mind, they entered a 26.5 HP Crosley
Hot Shot and won. They ran flat out for the entire race in third, the
highest gear. Briggs Cunningham almost did the same thing at Le Mans in '51,
but the car retired with electrical problems.

(From 'The Great Book of Sports Cars' 1988 by Dean Batchelor, Chris Poole
and Graham Robson.)

***
We try to choose these trivia questions from several groups and still be
interesting. This month, we have movie stars, a NASCAR star, weather facts,
the speed of sound, a couple F1 drivers, a local dentist, a hot dog mavin,
an underpowered winner, and a guy with a cape. Not too bad.

======================= **======================
10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

Send us an interesting fact of just about anything on wheels: cars, trucks,
F1, Drags, Muscle Cars, weird obsolete car thingies, whatever, and if we use
it, then you get 10% off all purchases on everything on your next order.


***

Thanks,

Dave

E N D L E S S R O A D

Road Chatter XXXVI
Shop: 301-497-0369
FAX: 301-497-3690
com

www.endlessroad.com

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
IN THIS ISSUE
* Car-Guy Trivia Questions
* CMC Silver McLaren Mercedes 20% Off

* Formula 1

* Bits and Pieces

* Car-Guy Trivia Answers
* 10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

======================= ** ======================

Car-Guy Trivia (answers are later in this email)


1) What did Mary Anderson invent in 1902 that is now found on every street
legal car?

2) The alternator sits under the hood of all of our cars, quietly doing its
job, making all the electricity we need for the many conveniences in the
modern car. Some of us over a certain age will remember what came before the
alternator - the generator - which was not nearly as powerful or reliable.
What car company was the first to put the alternator into widespread
production and when? Who was second?

3) How fast did the winner travel in the first U.S. auto race, in 1895? 5,
15, or 25 MPH?

4) There are only three Formula 1 drivers that had the pole position on
their first F1 race. Who were they?

5) You may remember we mentioned that the Maserati brothers sold out the
Maserati Company and went on to create the OSCA. What was the reason for the
brothers leaving the company? And what famous person, who was also the
inspiration for a Broadway play, was associated with this event?

--- Retreads ---
These last three questions are from over two years ago. If you remember them
from before, consider this a memory test.


6) What car did Fred Gwynne drive in "The Munsters"?
What car did James Dean drive in "Rebel Without a Cause"?
What car did Shirley Temple drive in "Heidi"?

7) What car was the inspiration for the first Corvette body style?
8) In the 30's, Ford used to advertise: "Safety of steel from wheel to
wheel."

What did it mean?

======================= **======================

* CMC McLaren Mercedes 20% Off

When we closed the retail shop, we had four CMC silver McLaren Mercedes on
order for four of our better customers. This is one of the finest models
available right now. We kept these on order because we knew they would be
hard to get, and we had made a commitment. We have received them, and one
has been picked up. The other three customers backed out. We now have three
of them and no retail outlet to sell them. These $200.00 models are
available for $160.00 (20% off), first come - first serve.

======================= **======================

* Formula 1
The teams have presented two suggestions to the FIA for changes in the
qualifying procedure.

The first scenario would be a one-hour total qualifying time. First would be
a 25-minute session, followed with a 10-minute break, then another 25-minute
session. Drivers could run as many laps as they want, but they would be
recorded in both sessions. The best time in both sessions would be combined
to determine their grid position. There would be no fuel restrictions in
either session.

This sounds workable and would be great for those who have trouble with the
one-chance with one-lap rule now (such as Coulthard).

The other scenario would be a one-hour session. After the first 15 minutes,
the five slowest cars would be pulled, and they would have positions 16
through 20. After the next 15 minutes, the five slowest cars remaining would
be pulled and become positions 10 through 15. For the final half hour, the
remaining 10 cars would compete for the remaining 10 positions. There would
be no fuel restrictions.

The 'No Fuel Restrictions' sounds good, but the rest of this sounds like
musical chairs at 200 MPH.

Suppose they go to the dirt track method, where the fastest drivers start at
the back. Oh, man, would they get some passing that way!

2005 Formula 1 World Championship

July 24 Germany (Hockenheim) taped 1:00 Eastern CBS

July 29 Germany (Hockenheim) taped Midnight SpeedTV
July 31 Hungary (Hungaroring)
August 21 Turkey (Istanbul)
Sept. 4 Italy (Monza)
Sept. 11 Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
Sept. 25 Brazil (Interlagos)
October 9 Japan (Suzuka)
October 16 China (Shanghai International Circuit)

======================= ** =======================

* Bits and Pieces

Sightings
To catch a glimpse of a Torch Red '55 Thunderbird on the street is a treat.
To look one over in a parking lot is a delight. To suddenly be offered the
keys to take it for a spin is a memory to be savored! It was an early
evening this month, perfect weather, at a restaurant surrounded by country
roads. When my cousin offered, it took me about a nanosecond to accept.

This car is an icon of its time. Its classic styling still looks good. Clean
straight lines and just enough chrome trim. The V8 was a joy, with that low
rumbling idle and a subtle 'here I am' vibration, just begging to be driven.
It is a boulevard car, not a stoplight warrior, but it pulled easily away
with plenty of acceleration. The interior's stock red and white pleat and
roll looked just right. The view from the then-new wraparound windshield was
panoramic. A couple of kids stopped and watched us go by; the car brings
appreciative stares from all age groups.
Driving a car of this vintage was eye opening. Although the T-bird was
up-to-date in its time, a few things stood out. The 'Deep Dish' steering
wheel seemed two feet wide; it had a thin plastic rim and not an air bag in
sight. The key was on the dash, to the left of the wheel. The seat belts,
quite a new thing at the time, were lap belts only, and you had to adjust
them to fit. The automatic was a two speed. No power steering, no power
brakes, or power windows. And NO catalytic converters. All these things were
gentle reminders of the way things have changed in the last half century.
***

Lyons and Tigers and Stags, Oh My
There were hundreds of kids in their 50's and 60's playing with their
beautiful toys among the lily ponds in Buckeystown, MD for the annual
British Car Day. Walking around so many fine examples of machinery was a
great way to spend a hot summer day. Sensuous Jags, stately Rolls Royces,
several Triumphs (cars & bikes), a swarm of MGBs, even a couple of
Deloreans. Everyone with stories about the ones they had, they drove, they
kept, and the ones that got away. Did I ever tell you about my TR4? Not
pretty, but a great personality. One time in Rock Creek Park .

***

Speaking of DeLoreans,

One of the neatest vanity license plates I ever saw was on a DeLorean.

The tag was: AQUITED

======================= ** =======================

Car-Guy Trivia Answers

1) Mary Anderson invented the windshield wiper.

2) Chrysler was the first to install alternators in their production cars in
1960. Mercedes came out with them three years later, in 1963.

(From the October ' 04 issue of Classic Cars, thanks to our friend, Jeff M.)

3) The first U.S. auto race was won at a heady Five Miles Per Hour. We got
this from Trivial Pursuit Genus IV, but they didn't bother to give any other
data. The first person that tells us what cars raced and where, and where we
can confirm that information, will receive a $25 Gift Certificate.

4) The three drivers that had the pole position on their first F1 race were:

1968 Mario Andretti

1972 Carlos Reutemann

1996 Jacques Villeneuve

5) Maserati also made machine tools and had shipped a large order to
Argentina on behalf of Juan Peron, who was heavily into racing in Europe.
(How do you think Fangio got to Europe?) Unfortunately, the timing was bad,
and Peron fell from grace shortly after the machine tools arrived.
Evidently, they just sat rusting in a warehouse, and Maserati was never
paid. This is when money got tight, and Maserati left F1. Eva Peron was the
wife of Juan Peron. She was a woman that grew from a poverty stricken,
illegitimate child to the First Lady of Argentina. And of course, the play
is Evita.

And you thought Max and Bernie where the only politicos to have an influence
on F1.

(Thanks to our friend, Jeff M, for this one.)

--- Retreads ---

6) -What car did Fred Gwynne drive in "The Munsters"?
The Munster Koach, a creation by George Barris. He also did the Monkee
Mobile, a stretched Pontiac GTO, and the original Batmobile, a modified
Lincoln show car.

-What car did James Dean drive in "Rebel Without a Cause"?
A '49 Mercury Coupe

-What car did Shirley Temple drive in "Heidi"?

Shirley Temple didn't drive; she was too young.

7) The inspiration for the first Corvette body style was the Cisitalia 202
of 1947, one of which is in the permanent collection of the MOMA in New
York. This is not officially documented but is Dave McLellan's opinion, for
which he makes a good case.

(From 'Corvette From The Inside' by Dave McLellan, Corvette chief engineer.
Thanks to our friend, Jeff M for this one too.)

8) Ford's slogan "Safety of steel from wheel to wheel" was bragging that
they were not using hydraulic brakes. And, at the time, not using them may
have been a good idea; manufacturers were experimenting with different
fluids then. Some were using a mixture including alcohol, which would
eventually eat through the lines, leaving the driver with no brakes at all.
(Thanks to our friend, Roger B.)

***

We try to choose these trivia questions from several groups and still be
interesting. This month, we have clean windows, shocking parts, slow races,
fast newcomers, Munsters, a teen idol, a child star, a beautiful Italian
body, bad brakes and a Broadway Lady. Not too bad.

======================= **======================
10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

I want to thank Jeff M and Roger B for so many of this month's questions.
And I want to thank Jack N; I forgot to thank him last month for his Patrick
Tambay question. Next time you three order, you get 10% off of all your
purchases.

Send us an interesting fact of just about anything on wheels: cars, trucks,
F1, Drags, Muscle Cars, weird obsolete car thingies, whatever, and if we use
it, you get 10% off all purchases on everything on your next order.



Thanks,

Dave

E N D L E S S R O A D

Road Chatter XXXVII

Shop: 301-497-0369

FAX: 301-497-3690

com

www.endlessroad.com

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

IN THIS ISSUE

* Car-Guy Trivia Questions

* Formula 1

* Bits and Pieces

* Car-Guy Trivia Answers

* 10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

===================== ** ====================

Car-Guy Trivia (answers are later in this email)

1) So .. What do an average of 20 people do each year while staring at a
Goodyear Blimp?

2) The first Mustangs rolled off of the assembly line with a mistake that is
still part of every Mustang today. What is it?

3) The Duke boys have brought their Dodge Charger, the General Lee, to the
big screen. And Chrysler has come out with their reincarnation of the
Charger. The 1969 Dodge Charger was one of the most famous and most powerful
muscle cars of the sixties. A 69 Charger also starred in Dirty Mary, Crazy
Larry with Peter Fonda. It's anybody's guess what the Charger sells for now;
the price goes up faster than you can say Barrett-Jackson. But how much did
they cost when they new in 1969?

A) $3500

B) $4000

C) $5000

D) $5500

4) A- What 1964 convertible did Nick Nolte drive in '48 Hours'?

B- What make of car did Charlie Babbit import from Italy in 'Rain Man'?

5) His food organization has made over $200 million over the years, and his
face is on every product he sells. He didn't do all that well in golf,
tennis, or several other sports. But once he tried racing (in his mid 40's),
he was hooked. In an ex-racecar from one of Virginia's local guys that made
good, he went on to SCCA championships, Daytona 24 hour wins, and racing in
Baja. He was one of the first to use a HANS device, his name is in The
Guinness Book of Records, and he is now involved in a Champ Car team. Who is
he?

--- Retreads ---

These last three questions are from over two years ago. If you remember them
from before, consider this a memory test.

6) In England, there were many Cottage Industry Automobile Manufacturers:
the TVR, the Berkley, the Fairthorp, to name a few. A Mr. D. H. and his
brother had built up such a company with a fine reputation in the 50's, but
their products were falling behind the times. They found what they needed
when they bought out the Tojiero, a British racing sports car with a clean,
simple roadster body on a crude ladder frame. The brothers' only body change
was to raise the headlights to meet international minimum height
regulations. The original engine produced a measly 40 HP at 3000 RPM.
However, this body style is now famous the world over. Why?

7) What rock group got its name from a fire engine made by the creator of a
popular American automobile that recently went belly up?

8) Many that remember the Blues Brothers on the big screen remember their
personal ride. What car was the Bluesmobile?

Last month, we had a question about the speed of the first auto race in the
US. We said be the first person that tells us what cars were raced and
where, and where we could confirm that information, and you would receive a
$25 Gift Certificate.

.....

Tim P from MAMA sent the correct information, but could not confirm it.

Rick S gave us the correct information and the web-site to confirm it. Tim,
we do appreciate your quick response, you definitely know your Car Trivia.
Congratulations Rick, we hope you enjoyed the videos you chose with your
Gift Certificate.

Rick's response was:

"The race was run at Chicago, IL, from Jackson Park to Waukegan and back, 90
miles roundtrip. The only contestants on Nov. 2, 1895, were Frank Duryea, of
Springfield, Mass., in a car he built based on designs by his brother,
Charles, and Oscar Mueller in a Germanbuilt Benz owned by his father, a
machine shop operator in Decatur, Ill."

http://www.theautochannel.com/mania/industry/history/chap6.html

===================== ** ====================

Formula 1

Last month in the trivia questions, we said: There are only three Formula 1
drivers that had the pole position in their first F1 race. Who were they?

We mentioned Mario Andretti as one of the drivers. Thanks to our friend and
F1 Guru, Jack N, for sending this to us:

Regarding the pole position in his first drive in F1, Mario got pole in his
"first" race in the 1968 U.S. GP at the Glen, but he had actually
"qualified" in the preceding Italian GP at Monza. In Mario Andretti, the
Complete Record by Mike O'Leary, he relates that Mario (driving for Lotus)
and Bobby Unser (for BRM) qualified for the GP, flew back to the U.S. to
participate in a USAC race, and then back to Italy for the GP. On their
return, they were told they would not be allowed to race due to the rule
that a driver could not compete in two international events in a 24-hour
time period. Mario says in the book that, although he can't prove it, he
believes Enzo Ferrari was the one who made sure the rule was enforced, even
though the race stewards had ensured Unser and Andretti before they left for
America that they would be allowed to race, and the cars were ready on the
grid before the start.

2005 Formula 1 World Championship

Sept. 4 Italy (Monza)

Sept. 11 Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)

Sept. 25 Brazil (Interlagos)

October 9 Japan (Suzuka)

October 16 China (Shanghai International Circuit)

===================== ** ====================

* Bits and Pieces

Cumberland, Maryland

To most DC folks, it's just the place at the other end of the C&O Canal.
But, from 1953 to 1970, it was the place to go once a year for the great
road races at Cumberland Airport. This was back in the days when spectator
safety was chicken wire between you and the track. Then, for a lot of those
years, the honchos were threatening to drop it for so long that I remember
going to what we called the third-annual last-ever race.

Great names ran in Cumberland: Carroll Shelby, Briggs Cunningham, Dr. Dick
Thompson, Walt Hansgen, John Fitch, Denise McCluggage, Bruce Jennings, Bob
Holbert, Hap Sharp, Don Yenko, even Roger Penske.

And the cars! How's this? Birdcage Maserati, Ferrari Testa Rossa and 250MM
Spyder, XK120 Jag, D Type Jaguar, Lister Jag, Porsche 356 Speedsters and
coupes, Porsche RS 61, Porsche RS 550 Spyder, Cobra 289 and 427, Mustang,
Camaro Z28, Sunbeam Alpine, MG TC's, TD's, TF's, A's, B's, Midgets, every
flavor of Austin Healey, Triumph and Corvette, Cunningham C61R, Morgans,
Bristols, Cooper Ford, Minis, Siata, OSCA, Fiat Abarth, Cooper Climax, Lola
Climax. If I didn't mention your favorite from that era, it probably ran
there, too.

Roger Penske took his SCCA driver's test in Cumberland in a 283 Corvette in
1958. Roger passed, but the Vette blew its engine and then fell off the
trailer on the way home.

Bob Tullius and his Group 44 were always big winners there, racing
everything Triumph brought out. Then, when TR and MG merged with almost
every other Brit brand, they raced all of them, too. Remember Bob's
screaming Dodge Dart? He raced that there, too.

In May of 1968, the Cumberland Airport saw automotive history in the making.
The Howmet Turbine Car, a futuristic prototype designed around a turbine
helicopter engine, finished a race for the first time and burst upon the
international motor sports scene. By the way, it ran in Marlboro, Maryland
that summer.

Now, the guys in Cumberland are at it again. Mostly, now, they are doing
rallies and autocrosses. Cumberland is only about two hours away from the
DC, Baltimore area. And if you are there on a Friday night, stop by the main
street through town to hear the free music on the bandstand.

Even if you don't go, at least check out the photos on this web site to see
what racing was like in the 60's and 70's.

http://www.nationalroadrally.com

***

Did they do it on purpose?

You have probably seen the Volkswagen commercial where the little symbol of
a guy wearing a seatbelt is having a great time being thrown from side to
side while the VW handles the curves. Cute. But now, every time I turn on my
car, I see that little guy on my dash light up, and I think of the
commercial.

***

Women Drivers

(Source Unknown)

Driving to the office this morning on the Interstate, I looked over to my
left, and there was a woman in a brand new Mustang, doing 65 mph, with her
face up next to her rear view mirror, putting on her eyeliner. I looked away
for a couple seconds and, when I looked back, she was halfway over in my
lane, still working on that makeup. As a man, I don't scare easily. But for
some reason, she scared the heck out of me. So much so that I dropped my
electric shaver; this knocked the donut out of my other hand. In all the
confusion of trying to straighten out the car using my knees against the
steering wheel, it knocked my cell phone away from my ear, which fell into
the coffee between my legs, splashed, and burned "Big John" and the "Twins",
ruined the darn phone, soaked my trousers, and disconnected an important
call. Darn women driver

===================== ** ====================

Car-Guy Trivia Answers

1) What do an average of 20 people do each year while staring at a Goodyear
Blimp? They shoot at it.

(Thanks to Trivial Pursuit Genus IV)

2) The first Mustangs rolled off of the assembly line with a mistake that is
still part of every Mustang. The Mustang in the grille emblem is running in
the wrong direction. The grille emblem horse was to appear as if viewed from
the grandstand at a horse race track.

(Thanks to our friend, Tim P, the Webmaster for Maryland Automobile Modelers
Association, MAMA www.mamasboyz.org)

3) The 1969 Dodge Charger cost brand new $4000.

4) A- Nick Nolte drove a 1964 Cadillac convertible in '48 Hours'.

B- Charlie Babbitt imported Lamborghinis in 'Rain Man'.

5) The food honcho? His food producing organization contributes every cent
of profit to charity; so far that's over $200M. Did we mention he is also in
the movies? Once Paul Newman starred in the movie 'Winning', racing was his
love. From then on, he only scheduled films out of racing season. He bought
the Group 44 TR6 from Bob Tullius and soon moved on to become lead driver in
Bob Sharp's Datsun. His name is in The Guinness Book of Records as the
oldest man to win a professional auto race. Well, yes, coincidentally, we do
have the movie on DVD.

(Thanks to Sam R for this one)

--- Retreads ---

6) The brothers, Derek and Charles Hurlock, were doing well producing their
AC Ace when they were approached by a Texas chicken farmer who wanted to
stuff an American V8 in it. You know it as the Cobra 260, which became the
Cobra 289, and then morphed into the ground-pounding Cobra 427.

(From 'The Great Book of Sports Cars' 1988 by Dean Batchelor, Chris Poole
and Graham Robson.)

7) The rock group is REO Speedwagon, who can thank Ransom E. Olds for their
name. We all know Mr. Olds as the creator of the Oldsmobile.

(From Trivial Pursuit Genus IV.)

8) The Bluesmobile was an Ex-Mount Prospect, Illinois 1974 police model
Dodge Monaco 440.

(From 'Dodge, Plymouth & Chrysler Police Cars' by Edwin Sanow and John
Bellah.)

===================== ** ====================

10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

We want to thank Tim and Sam for the trivia questions. Remember, you both
will receive a 10% discount on your next purchases.

Send us an interesting fact on just about anything on wheels: cars, trucks,
F1, Drags, Muscle Cars, weird obsolete car thingies, whatever, and if we use
it, then you get 10% off all purchases on everything on your next order.

***

Thanks,

Dave Payne

E N D L E S S R O A D
Road Chatter XXXVIII
Shop: 301-497-0369
FAX: 301-497-3690
com

www.endlessroad.com

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
IN THIS ISSUE
* Car-Guy Trivia Questions
* Give Away

* Formula 1

* Bits and Pieces

* Car-Guy Trivia Answers
* 10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

==================== ** ====================

Car-Guy Trivia (answers are later in this email)


1) What American car was called a 'Jelly Bean', Flying Spud, and 'Gel Tab'
when it first came out in 1986?

2) What company was the only US manufacturer to successfully switch from
horse-drawn to gasoline-powered vehicles?

3) What vehicle was named after an American Indian symbol for Power, Action,
Beauty, and Youth?

A- Ford Thunderbird

B- Plymouth Fury

C- Pontiac Firebird

D- Toyota Tacoma

4) Who was the first person to drive a motor car across the country?
Why did he do it?
When did he do it?

What did he drive?
Who made the trip with him?

(Some questions are easy, this one is not, but I like it.)

5) Last issue, we asked: What rock group got its name from a fire engine
made by the creator of a popular American automobile that recently went
belly up?
We had the answer: The rock group is REO Speedwagon, who can thank Ransom E.
Olds for their name. We all know Mr. Olds as the creator of the Oldsmobile.
Our friend Jay D. came back with another group. Do you know that one? It's
not a rock group.

--- Retreads ---
These last three questions are from over two years ago. If you remember them
from before, consider this a memory test.


6) Before there were fast and powerful cars, if you thought of speed, you
thought of the mighty railroad trains that roared across this country.
Walter started his career working with the railroads, but through hard work
and enthusiasm he built an automobile and business bearing his name.
Although his namesake lives on, his company was purchased by one of the
finest luxury car manufacturers of the world. Who is Walter?

7) Which of the Big Three was the first to reach out to short drivers with
an adjustable brake pedal in 2002?

8) They originated with the 1953 Motorama Buick Wildcat II. They then graced
the sides of the 1955 LaSalle II show car, these "scalloped inserts",
looking as if the sides of the body had been carved out with a giant ice
cream scoop. They finally made it into production on the front fenders of
the '56 to '62 Corvette. What was the styling term Chevrolet chose to name
these inserts?

==================== ** ====================

* Give Away

Our regulars know that last month, we had an AMG T-shirt from AutoWeek to
give away. We are happy to say Ben H from Joppa won the shirt.

This month, we have another goody for one of you, our regular newsletter
readers. The video RENDEZOUS is a very short, very intense film. One you
will watch over and over. Oscar winner, Claude Lelouch mounted a camera on
the front of his Ferrari 275GTB for a very fast, very illegal run flat out
from one side of Paris to the other through morning traffic. No special
effects, no stunt people, no blocked off streets. No police assistance, no
police were invited. What you see is as it was run.

The VHS sold for $49.95. Now we have it on DVD for $29.95. We are giving our
last VHS version to one of you, our regular newsletter readers, who makes a
purchase this month. Good Luck.

==================== ** ====================

Formula 1


The FIA has a tentative suggestion for the F1 rules starting in 2008:

- All actuators and sensors will be specified and monitored by FIA

- Standardized FIA approved ECU with FIA approved software

- Standardized FIA specified control system wiring loom connectivity

- Standardized FIA approved single tire supplier

- Standardized FIA approved brakes.

- Standardized FIA approved gear ratios, final drive ratios and
differentials

Has Max been taking notes from NASCAR?

2005 Formula 1 World Championship

Sept. 25 Brazil (Interlagos)
October 9 Japan (Suzuka)
October 16 China (Shanghai International Circuit)


==================== ** ====================

* Bits and Pieces

SBD

There was a series of racing that totally intrigued me when I was a kid.
But, once I hit 16, my interest waned a bit. Thankfully, Soap Box Derby
racing has continued on and, apparently, is doing quite well.

Washington D.C. has had a race for 64 years. For the last 14 years, they
have run on Capital Hill. The cars are no longer wooden wonders built in the
basement. They come as kits now and are reusable year to year.

There are several major races within driving distance from the DC area. The
largest All American Soap Box Derby in the US lately has been
Fredericksburg, VA. Waynesboro, VA is also very large. There are also races
in Frederick, Federalsburg and Leonardtown MD.

This was all sent to us by our friend, Mike Harrigan. Mike is the volunteer
Marketing/PR Director of the DC event. In 2006, he hopes to have a float in
the Cherry Blossom parade. They built a float at his home in Columbia MD
that was used in the National Memorial Day Parade.

They are looking for someone to take over the membership director position,
maintain the membership database and receive the email from the web site,
attend 2 meetings per year, and of course the race.

For you SCCA guys, Mike is also looking for info on the RFID system used at
Summit Point.

Here are a few links if you are interested:

Greater Washington D.C. Soap Box Derby http://dcsoapboxderby.org

A news article: http://www.gazette.net/200532/newmarket/news/289047-1.html

http://www.soapbox.fredericksburg.us/content.cfm?cont_uid=1
Waynesboro web site: http://www.brsoapbox.com/

National Web Site: All American Soap Box Derby http://aasbd.org

If you are interested in being involved, call Mike. They are always looking
for help at the races. And it is a good clean sport for a company to be
involved in as a sponsor. It is not that expensive. A sponsor could provide
funds for one or more car kits at $400 each. Or you could be one of the
events sponsors. Sponsorship like this is great for a group like Moose or
Kiwanis.

Mike Harrigan, after 4pm at 410-531-5268.

***

We want to thank Dan McCrary for letting us carry his beautiful line of
prints.

In Dan's Catalog's words:

Combining a photo-realist approach to watercolor technique with a unique and
adventurous sense of composition, Dan McCrary applies his vision to a wide
variety of automotive subjects. The Development of reflection and shine can
be played to the maximum on one piece, and then he shifts into another gear
to depict in amazing detail the rust and pitted chrome of an aging derelict.

In my words, I think his stuff is neat. Check him out in our Posters and
Prints section.

***

For you Brit Car guys, Dan told me he just bought a new Lucas vacuum
cleaner. It's the only thing Lucas makes that doesn't suck.

***

Sightings

The new Dodge Magnum can come equipped with a pretty hot engine, if you
watch the commercials. We saw one on the beltway the other day, the tag was:
YES IT DZ

==================== ** ====================

Our regulars know we used to provide a list of all the local Street Rod
Gatherings. We dropped it when it got too big and it never changed from
month to month. We still have the list, if you are interested, send us a
note and we will email it to you. Plus, if you know of any street rod
gatherings we should add to the list, send that too.

==================== ** ====================

Car-Guy Trivia Answers

1) Because of its gelatinous shape, the Ford Taurus was given many
derogatory names when it first came out.

2) The only US manufacturer to successfully switch from horse-drawn to
gasoline-powered vehicles was Studebaker.

3) The vehicle that was named after an American Indian symbol for Power,
Action, Beauty, and Youth?

It was C, the 1954 Pontiac Firebird concept car.

(From Speed Vision's Car Crazy TV show)

4) In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson was in a club in San Francisco, when he
got into a deep discussion over cars. The result was a $50.00 bet that he
could drive across the country from San Francisco to NYC. Upon the
recommendation of a local mechanic and bicycle racer, 22 year old Sewell K
Crocker, he bought a red Winton for $3,000.00. Jackson's passengers were
Crocker and Bud, a dog they picked up on the way. On return to his native
Burlington VT, he got a speeding ticket for $6.00 plus costs. As an aside
both Packard and Oldsmobile had factory sponsored teams on the road at the
same time, both starting a little later than Jackson, who financed the trip
himself. Packard made the trip in less time overall but Jackson was the
first person to complete the trip.

(Thanks to our friend, Jeff for this one)

PBS did the story, directed by historian Ken Burns. Only to those of you
that receive this newsletter, you can have it this month for 10% off. Look
for it on the front page of our web.

5) Our friend Jay D. sent us a note: Let's not forget the country group
DIAMOND RIO, also named after another Ransome E Olds creation: DIAMOND REO
Trucks.

(Thanks Jay.)

--- Retreads ---

6) Who was Walter with the railroad background? Actually, there are two of
them, Walter (W.O.) Bentley and Walter P. Chrysler. As you know, Bentley was
bought by Rolls Royce and is now part of VW, and Chrysler is now part of
Mercedes Benz.

(From CHRYSLER, The Life and Times of an Automotive Genius by Vincent
Curcio, thanks to our friend Jeff M.)

7) The first of the Big Three to offer an adjustable brake pedal was
Chrysler.

(From Trivial Pursuit 20th Anniversary Edition) Did they assume short people
don't need to reach the gas or clutch pedals?

8) The scooped out sides of the 1956 to 1962 Corvettes are called coves.
(Thanks to our friend Bob W for this.)

===================== ** ====================

10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

To Jeff, Jay and Bob, thanks for the trivia questions. Remember, you all
will receive a 10% discount on your next purchases.

Send us an interesting fact on just about anything on wheels: cars, trucks,
F1, Drags, Muscle Cars, weird obsolete car thingies, whatever, and if we use
it, then you get 10% off all purchases on everything on your next order.

Thanks,

Dave Payne

E N D L E S S R O A D

Road Chatter XXXIX
Shop: 301-497-0369
FAX: 301-497-3690
com

www.endlessroad.com

IN THIS ISSUE
* Car Trivia Questions
* VHS Tapes at Half Price

* Give Away

* Formula 1

* Bits and Pieces

* Car Trivia Answers
* 10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

==================== ** ====================

Car Trivia (answers are later in this email)

1) He designed the first Cadillac; he then went on to bigger things on his
own. Who was he? I promise you know the name.

2) Maurice Gatsonides is a famous professional rally driver name from the 50's
and 60's in Europe. He is known by his many fans as 'Gatso'. However, in our
opinion, he has gone over to the dark side. He was the originator of an
object dreaded and hated by car guys all over America. What is this terrible
thing that Gatso has forced upon us?

3) Those of you who follow the political machinations behind F1 will know
that it is a tale as convoluted as the plot of a daytime soap only, more so.
We will not try to unravel all of it here. You may recognize that SLEC
Holdings is Bernie Ecclestone's main financial entity in his control of the
F1 Empire. But, how many know where the name comes from?

4) When the Catalytic Converter came along, there was much gloom and doom
about how this was going to choke the power right out of our cars, forcing
us to run low powered unleaded gas, blah blah blah. As it turns out, it was
the greatest thing to happen to clean-running cars. But, just when was this
wonderful gadget forced on the US

5) What year is this?
-CNN and Solidarity were born. John Lennon did 'Just Like Starting Over' but
then, he left us. As did Steve McQueen, Mae West, and Alfred Hitchcock.
Mount Saint Helen blew her top. Chris Cross sang 'Sailing'. The Pittsburgh
Steelers were the champs. And The Empire Struck Back. The US boycotted the
Olympics in Moscow. We had another one for politics here, but it would give
the answer away.

Now, let's talk about cars:

- Gas cost $1.15 per gallon (Ah, those were the days.)

- Import auto sales in the US hit 30%.

- Johnny Rutherford won the Indy 500 in a Chaparral, at 142 MPH.

- Watkins Glen ran its last Formula 1 race.
- Alan Jones was the year's F1 Champ.

- Long before the Ford Taurus and the Dodge Aries, Isuzu brought out their
1850cc, 62 bhp, diesel Gemini. It never made it to the states; it wasn't
missed.

-British Iron was touting the MGB, TR7, Spitfire, and the four-cylinder
Lotus Esprit .

- Japan had their Datsun 280-Z.

-The poor Z28, with all its stripes, hood scoops, side graphics, and alloy
wheels, was on the slippery slope, suffering from the gas crunch and
emission laws. Its 350 ci could only pull 190 HP through its four barrel, at
a whopping $9300.

- Chrysler showed off their K-Car, ready for the next model year.

- Pontiac let it be known they were working on a neat little two-seater,
rear engine, five speed, zippy four cylinder, to be released in about three
years. (It took four years.)

-And NASCAR was down-sizing next year; they were thinking about 311 cubic
inches and 3000 pounds.

--- Retreads ---
These next three questions are from over two years ago. If you remember them
from before, consider this a memory test.

6) Every car enthusiast is familiar with the blue and white badge of the
BMW. What does it symbolize?

7) This was related to us as a true story, and we like it so much we wanted
to tell it:

In 1961, GM guru Bill Mitchell debuted the Mako Shark concept car (which, of
course,
gave us a hint at the styling of the '63 Stingray.) One of the car's most
interesting features was its magnificent paint scheme. Several weeks before
the unveiling, while on a fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico, he hooked a
fantastic Manta Ray fish. He had it stuffed and mounted it on the wall in
his office. He decided that this fish was the color he wanted the "Mako"
painted. It was a beautiful silvery-blue, fading into a lighter shade of
white. Chevy's painters worked on the car, but it wasn't right. Bill called
the painters into his office to examine the fish and have at it again, and
again. And again. The third time the car was painted was two days before the
scheduled unveiling at the auto show, but Mitchell was STILL not satisfied
with the car; it didn't look like the color of the fish. "Do it again" was
the order. The painters settled in to crank it out overnight. How did they
satisfy Mitchell's demand?

8) In the glory days of Detroit from WWII until the 1970's the annual
styling and model changes always came like clockwork towards the end of the
year showcasing next year's models. Some called it progress; some called it
planned obsolescence. Whose idea was it, and when did it begin?

==================== ** ====================

* VHS Tapes at Half Price

With DVD becoming so popular, our major supplier is discontinuing all of
their VHS tapes. We just received close to $5,000 in tapes that we will be
marking down to half price. Look for a new HALF PRICE button in the next few
days. If you see a tape you want there, don't wait, the quantities are
limited. Once these are gone, they cannot be replaced in VHS. Not all VHS
tapes are being marked down, only those that have been discontinued.

* Give Away

Our regulars know that last month, we were giving away our last VHS version
of Rendezvous. We are happy to say the winner was our friend and customer,
Joseph J.

This month, we have another goody for one of you, our regular newsletter
readers. For every purchase our regular Road Chatter recipients make, we
will put their names in our drawing, and the person whose name is drawn will
receive a $25 Gift Certificate from Endless Road.

Good Luck.




Formula 1

This year's Formula One Driver's World Champion is Fernando Alonzo, the
youngest driver to hold that position. The previous youngest driver was
Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the title at the age of 26. The age has been
creeping down since Formula One's inception in 1950.


1950 - age 44 -Guiseppe Farina
1951 - age 40 - Juan Fangio
1952 - age 34 - Alberto Ascari
1958 - age 29 - Mike Hawthorn
1963 - age 27 - Jimmy Clark
1972 - age 26 - Emerson Fittipaldi
2005 - age 24 - Fernando Alonzo

But drivers' ages will continue to drop. If you don't think so, ask NASCAR's
Joe Gibbs and his latest driver, Tony Loganos, age 15.


* Bits and Pieces

Road and Track had a column on famous drivers' favorite cars. What a great
read! They say imitation is the greatest compliment. I'm afraid that we don't
have a lot of famous race car drivers to beg stories from. But then, every
Car Guy has a favorite car of his own. The following is from our friend,
Warren M.

In June of 1967, just out of college, I had just secured my first real job
($100 a week), and decided that a new[er] car would be my just reward. After
looking at a number of options, I decided on a used Corvette. My dad and I
looked at a '63 Fuel Injected Split Window that needed a repaint (silver)
with about 53,000 miles for $2300 (yep, $2300!). My dad thought it had too
many miles, so I passed it up (still hurts to think about it) and settled on
a really nice low mileage '63 Corvette convertible (dark blue with a white
top). It was a 327 (250HP), 4-speed, power steering, and posi. What a great
car, and surprisingly quick, considering it only had the base 327 engine. My
best friend at the time had a '66 HEMI Charger with Torqueflyte. Much to his
chagrin, however, I could stay ahead of him until about 55 to 60 mph but, by
then the big inch heavyweight was really cranking out some serious power,
and the little '63 roadster was finished. I can only imagine what the Fuelie
would have done against my friend - oh - if we could only relive our youth.

One cold January day, I remember dropping the top and taking a ride into
town and back, with the heater on full bore. That was one of the coldest
trips in a car I ever remember, not counting those trips when my wife wasn't
talking to me.

After owning the '63 for three years, I sold it for around $2700, which was
just about what I paid for it, and bought a new '69 427 Coupe. After owning
the '69 for about 5 months, some *&^# dirty rotten scoundrel decided it
belonged to him. After receiving an insurance check, I replaced it with
another 427 Coupe, which I still have today. However, the screaming little
327 in that '63 is something I'll never forget. Hummm - think I'll get on
eBay and see what '63's are going for these days.

-- Warren.

Let us know about your favorite car, and if we use it, you get 10% off all
of your next purchases.

***

For you bikers who happened to see the first Harry Potter film (with your
kid, of course) did you notice the bike in the first scene? It was an early
generation Triumph Twin.

***

Progress marches on; and sometimes Progress marches right over a race track.
The victim this time was 75-80 Dragway, a great drag strip in rural
Maryland. It was a family-run business for over 40 years.

Comparing their final Friday Night Drags to drag-racing in its infancy
revealed some interesting similarities and differences. At the first drags
we attended in the mid 50's in Damascus, VA, the paddock was full of chopped
cars, fenderless roadsters, hoodless coupes with many carbs showing, and
every one a daily driver. The hot ticket was a stock looking '54 Ford with a
Cadillac engine. The fastest on the track was 'The Flying Dutchman' on a
British bike. He would go through all four gears and then lay down across
the seat and gas tank with his feet out the back like Superman.

At 75-80's race, the paddock was full of dozens of Japanese coupes (many
with carbon-fiber hoods), lots of Camaros, and a herd of modified Mustangs.
Jeans and T shirts were the thing then, and they still are, but now it is
almost mandatory that the T's are embellished with color. The FTD that
Friday night was a very hot Camaro that was under five seconds. Heck, The
Flying Dutchman wasn't even through the gears by then.

http://www.7580dragway.com/

==================== ** ====================

New Releases

Fifty Years of Formula One - On Board

For you F1 lovers. You may have heard it discussed We searched out the
producers of the neatest F1 DVD around. There are great ON-BOARD, IN-CAR
rides with F1 legends Fangio, Moss, Stewart, Senna, Schumacher and others.
These are on some very famous tracks from Nurburgring to Monaco, Spa,
Suzuka, Monza and more. Narrated by Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, and Mario
Andretti. The first copy went home with me.

Cobra Ferrari Wars

The guys that put Rendezvous on DVD have come out with Cobra Ferrari Wars.
There are exclusive interviews with Shelby, Gurney, and lots of others.
Footage of millions of dollars worth of Cobras and Ferraris assembled and
running at Goodwood. Plenty of archive footage and lots of great photos.
This double disk set is worth seeing for any road-race enthusiast.

==================== ** ====================

Car Trivia Answers

1) Henry Ford designed the first Cadillac. When he designed it, it was for
his own company, the Henry Ford Company. That model, and the company itself,
became Cadillac when it changed its name in 1903, one year after Henry quit.
He later started Ford, the company that lives on today.

2) Maurice Gatsonides was the originator of the traffic light cameras, those
evil things that watch us, and, if we should be in the intersection even a
split second after the red light goes on, it takes a picture of us, and a
computer somewhere sends us a ticket. Yes friends, "Big Brother" is
watching, and he costs us a lot of money.
(Thanks to our friend, Jeff M, for this one.)

3) Bernie Ecclestone's SLEC derives its name from the name of his wife
SLavica ECclestone.
(Thanks to our friend, Jeff M, for this one too.)

4) The Catalytic Converters were made standard on all US-Legal cars in 1975.
Sometimes, the government slips up and does something right.

5) The year was 1980, and the political clue that we did not use was: A
peanut farmer stepped down for an ex-actor. If you don't know that one, you
weren't paying attention.

--- Retreads ---

6) The famous blue and white badge of BMW, called the Roundel, is a
representation of a spinning aircraft propeller. BMW (Bavarian Motor Works)
started out as an aircraft engine manufacturer in WW I. The outer black
circle represents the black tips of the propeller, and the optical fields of
blue and white (only seen when the propeller spins) are the colors of the
Bavarian flag. They were adopted from the original medieval Bavarian coat of
arms.

Another company named Autovelo also used the same roundel. They built on the
remains of BMW's pre-war plant in Eisenach, East Germany. Autovelo built
versions of pre-war BMW cars and motorcycles using BMW's original tooling
and, in some cases, parts. In 1951, BMW took legal action to stop the use of
the logo, which thereafter became red and white on the East German products.

(Thanks to our friends Bob W, and Jeff M, for this.)

7) Rather than paint the Mako Shark concept car one more time, the painters
broke into Bill Mitchell's office and had an airbrush artist re-paint the
fish to match the car! The next day, Bill gave the "Mako" the okay,
commending the painters on their ability to "capture his vision" in matching
the fantastic color of his prize trophy.
(Thanks to our friend, Patrick A, for this one.)

8) Detroit's annual styling changes were not the brainchild of anyone in
Detroit. It was a government-instituted thing started in 1932 in the hopes
of giving a little more boost to the depression era economy.
(From the book "MORE THAN THEY PROMISED - The Studebaker Story" by Thomas E
Bonsall. Thanks again to our friend Jeff M.)


===================== ** ====================

10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

To Jeff, Bob, and Patrick, thanks for the trivia questions. Remember, you
will all receive a 10% discount on your next order.

Send us an interesting fact on just about anything on wheels: cars, trucks,
F1, Drags, Muscle Cars, weird obsolete car thingies, whatever, and if we use
it, then you get 10% off all purchases on everything on your next order.



Thanks,

Dave Payne

E N D L E S S R O A D

Road Chatter XL
Shop: 301-497-0369
FAX: 301-497-3690
com

www.endlessroad.com

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
IN THIS ISSUE
* Car Trivia Questions
* Give Away

* Formula 1

* Bits and Pieces

* Car Trivia Answers
* 10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

==================== ** ====================

Car Trivia (answers are later in this email)

1) James Bond is going through some changes; first, they downsize his Aston
Martin, then they make him a blond, next thing you know, his martinis will
be shaken and stirred. This international spy, hero, lover of all beautiful
women, could not drive around in just any old car. He has to have something
as smooth, powerful, and as good looking as himself. But what was James Bond's
first car?

2) Who are Emanuel Rosenfeld, Maurice Strause, and Graham Jackson better
known as?

3) What manufacturer patented the H shift pattern?

A- Buick

B- Hurst

C- Mercedes Benz

D- Packard


4) One of the big three was coming out with a hot new car to compete with
their number one smash hit of their competitor. But, they still did not have
a name. Being considered were Hep Cat, Beaver, Detroiter, Runabout, Arctrus,
Saville, El Tigre and Coronado. What car in production today was almost
called the Beaver?

5) All Baltimoreans know Fells Point, the area east of the famed Inner
Harbor Baltimore, on the edge of its Little Italy, interesting and charming,
a few nice restaurants, and plenty of not-so-pristine bars and pubs. It also
has a claim to fame for us Car Guys. What would that be?

--- Retreads ---
These next three questions are from over two years ago. If you remember them
from before, consider this a memory test.


6) Previously, we asked where BMW got its M3 name. This month, how about
Aston Martins DB1, DB2, DB2/4, DB4, up to the DB7? They have been using the
DB designation since the DB1 in 1948.

7) The first Chrysler Corporation cop car was the 1956 Dodge 230 Pursuit.
Care to take a guess what engine it had?
8) The first Cobra had a Ford Fairlane 260 cubic inch engine; this soon grew
to the 289. In 1963, it was called the Cobra Mark II by the AC designers.
This had the 289 engine and rack and pinion steering. What engine was in the
Cobra Mark III?

==================== ** ====================

* Give Away

Our regulars know that last month, we were giving away a $25 Gift
Certificate from Endless Road. We are happy to say the winner was our friend
and customer, Chris J.

For Christmas, we are upping the ante. For every purchase our regular Road
Chatter recipients make, we will put their names in our drawing, and the
person whose name is drawn will receive a $30 Gift Certificate from Endless
Road.

Good Luck.

==================== ** ====================

Formula 1


There MAY be a new F1 team this year. Aguri Suzuki has put together a team
running Honda engines. The name will be Super Aguri Formula One. Aguri has
been racing since age 12, starting with Karts and continuing with touring
cars and Le Mans. He ran in F1 with Larrousse, Footwork/Arrows and Ligier.
He now owns a team in IRL.

You may have heard that when Takuma Sato was dropped, Honda got a lot of
flak from Takuma fans. Honda then said they would supply engines to any team
that picked him up. This works out great for both team and driver: Japanese
team, Honda engine supplier, available experienced F1 driver. And it is
especially good for Takuma; if the team looks good, than Takuma's a hero. It
the team doesn't do so well, it's the inexperienced teams fault. Takuma Sato
can be a good driver if and when he sheds some of his cowboy driving style.

And, there MAY NOT be a new F1 team. Super Aguri still has not submitted
acceptable FIA registration documents. And, when they do, the other teams
have to vote them in. That means the teams would have to split the money
from television 11 ways, rather than 10. Hmm, more competition, less money
coming in. Someone is going to have a lot of convincing to do.

2005 Schedule

March 12 Bahrain
March 19 Malaysia
April 2 Australia
April 23 San Marino
May 7 Nurburgring
May 14 Barcelona
May 28 Monaco
June 11 Great Britain
June 25 Montreal
July 2 Indianapolis
July 16 France
July 30 Germany
August 6 Hungary
August 27 Turkey
Sept. 10 Italy
Sept. 17 Belgium
Oct. 1 Japan
Oct. 8 China
Oct. 22 Brazil


==================== ** ====================

* Bits and Pieces

MY FAVORITE CAR This month is from our friend, Rodger D, a true Car Guy.

In 1968, my wife Karen and I ordered a car to replace our 'used up' 1965
Plymouth Satellite. That car had been subjected to two years of hard drag
racing, many Road Trips, and the last year as a tow car.

The end result was a 1968 Charger R/T in Turbine Bronze with black interior.
It had the 375 bhp 440 cid engine, a Torqueflite transmission and Sure-Grip
rear, no power steering (to minimize front-end weight), and G70x15 Polyglass
Goodyear tires (standard for the Hemi cars).

The Charger arrived in mid April, so we broke it in. I had a set of 4.30
gears installed, and we went to my favorite drag-strip, a small strip called
Kings Dragway near Savannah, NY. Running time-trials in drive, I was
rewarded with a 14.12 ET. Considering that the best I would ever run with my
Satellite (383, Torqueflite, headers, 3.91:1 rear) was 14.22 ET. I was very
pleased. Later runs, shifting manually, were better. I lost to a 1967
Plymouth GTX convertible; not used to the 4.30s, I ended up floating the
valves.

I then put in street hemi outer valve springs (6-pack valve springs), Cloyes
roller-timing chain, a Mallory full-mechanical distributor and coil, and
full-metal distributor wires. Back to the track in July, I got my revenge on
the GTX.

I added Hooker under-chassis headers and 24-inch long header collector
extensions. Time trials revealed that the extensions were good for 0.3 to
0.5 seconds ET reduction. I ended up running a best of 13.12, but apparently
staged too deep in competition and red-lighted against a good-running GTO.

One Christmas, my wife gave me a B&M valve body and deep sump tranny pan.
Really made the shifts crisper; I could hear the slicks chirp in second.

After an aborted shot at serious racing, I eventually detuned the car, but I
did continue racing in pure stock. One Sunday at Kings Dragway, I beat a 427
Chevy Impala through the traps by a bumper. Pure stock hemis were never a
real problem to beat, since they generally were not geared properly. One
Sunday, there must have been 30 cars in the class: a mix of Mopars, a couple
of GTOs and 442s, and even a Z-28. My fellow racer in the GTX was there, as
well. Obviously, the top of the class, we "conspired" not to race each other
until the final round. I ran the Z-28 and simply blew his doors off. I then
beat the GTX in the final round.

In 1973, I had the Charger repainted, all the R/T emblems removed, and a
6-pack hood scoop added. Looked pretty neat. In 1974, we moved to
California. One evening on Route 280 (a beautiful highway), a 1968 or so
Corvette came up behind, indicating he wanted to play. I hit the pedal and
pulled away from him. When I felt the front end starting to get a bit light,
I noticed we were doing 120 mph, and the speed was still rising. By then,
the Corvette was quite a ways behind. So, I came back down to more
reasonable speeds, and we proceeded on home.

In 1977, when gas prices were at the unheard-of level of $0.75/gallon, I
decided it was time to sell the car. I bought a 1969 Jaguar E-type coupe,
which I had for the next 22 years. But, that is another story.

Rodger D.

Thanks to Rodger for bringing back so many memories of my own 1964 MOPAR,
with a Chrysler 440 engine that we picked up at a junk yard.

Let us know about your favorite car, and, if we use it, you get 10% off all
of your next purchases.

***

65th Greater Washington, D.C. Soap Box Derby
June 17, 2006: Area youth 8 to 17 will be racing their gravity-powered cars
down Capitol Hill from 9 am til 5pm (setup begins at 6am).

The three DC SBD division winners go on to race in the July international
event in Akron Ohio. Over 500 champs from 150 US and a few international
cities will be competing for limited college scholarship funding. Parents of
the winners will receive funding to help lower there expenses while
attending the 69th All American Soap Box Derby.

The SBD organization is looking for new entrants to participate in this
great family sport. They also need SBD car sponsors. A great way to get
involved with some very enthusiastic kids, pure Car Guys in the making. And
you do not even have to leave town.

Stop by the SBD display at the 2006 Washington, DC New Car Show or come see
their float in the DC Saint Patrick's Day parade.

Contact: Mike Harrigan
Director, Greater Washington Soap Box Derby Association

Web http://dcsoapboxderby.org
email com


==================== ** ====================

Car Trivia Answers

1) James Bond has driven many great cars. Look at the machines he has
manhandled in his movies:

Aston Martin V12 Vanquish Die Another Day

BMW Z8 The World Is Not Enough

BMW Z3 Golden Eye

BMW 750iL Tomorrow Never Dies

Aston Martin DB5 Thunderball and Goldfinger

Citroen 2CV For Your Eyes Only

Aston Martin V8 The Living Daylights

Lotus Esprit The Spy Who Loved Me

Alfa Romeo GTV-6 Octopussy

Ford Mustang Mach I Diamonds Are Forever

Toyota 2000GT Convertible You Only Live Twice

AMC Hornet The Man with the Golden Gun

Aston Martin DBS On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Bentley 4 1/4 litre VDP Tourer From Russia With Love

Sunbeam Alpine Dr. No

Author, Ian Fleming, first had his man, James Bond, driving a Blower
Bentley. It was a monster of a car of mythic status, with its huge
supercharger protruding out of the front. A tall imposing brute of a car, it
looked like a stripped down MG TC on steroids. It dominated Le Mans with
five wins in seven years.

2) Emanuel Rosenfeld, Maurice Strause, and Graham Jackson are better known
as Manny, Moe, and Jack - The Pep Boys!

(Thanks to our friend, Tim P, the Webmaster for Maryland Automobile Modelers
Association, MAMA www.mamasboyz.org.)

3) The H pattern was patented by Packard in 1902.

(Thanks to Car Crazy on Speed TV.)

4) After Ford considered Hep Cat, Beaver, Detroiter, Runabout, Arctrus,
Saville, El Tigre, and Coronado, the name Thunderbird was finally suggested
by a company employee, Alden Giberson. He got a new suit worth $250 in today's
dollars for his inspiration.

(Thanks to Car and Driver's 'Car a Day' calendar.)

5) Fells Point's bygone shipyards, famous for building the 'clipper ships',
is also believed to have built the very first car ferry in the US, according
to the menu of Slainte Irish Pub & Restaurant in Fells Point, MD. (I'll tell
you, you don't know the trouble I go through gathering all this stuff.)
--- Retreads ---

6) Aston Martin had struggled since their inception in 1914, not selling
their first car till 1921. But in 1947, the company was bought by
industrialist David Brown. They immediately renamed their car on the drawing
boards DB1 in his honor, and the series was begun. The company still was not
profitable, but that didn't matter, David Brown admitted later he bought it
just to "have a bit of fun".

7) The 1956 Dodge 230 Pursuit cop car had Chrysler's hot 315 ci Hemi engine.
To quote Car and Driver's Pat Bedard: "Cops have all the fun. Not only do
they get to write tickets, they ride around all day in trick cars."

(From Dodge, Plymouth & Chrysler Police Cars by Edwin Sanow and John
Bellah.)


8) The familiar Cobra Mark III with the wide wheel arches, alloy wheels, and
revised nose for better breathing had Ford's most powerful 390 BHP 427
engine, a close relation to Ford's NASCAR and GT40 engines.

-But they also came with Ford's more tame 355 BHP 428 engine, as used in the
Galaxies and Thunderbirds of the time.

-And the Mark III's sold in Europe retained the original 289 cubic inch
engine.

===================== ** ====================

10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

To Tim P of MAMA, thanks for the trivia question. Remember, you will all
receive a 10% discount on your next order.

Send us an interesting fact on just about anything on wheels: cars, trucks,
F1, Drags, Muscle Cars, weird obsolete car thingies, whatever, and if we use
it, then you get 10% off all purchases on everything on your next order.


Thanks,

Dave Payne

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
E N D L E S S R O A D

Road Chatter XLII
Shop: 301-497-0369
FAX: 301-497-3690
com

www.endlessroad.com

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
IN THIS ISSUE
* Grammar Problems

* Car Trivia Questions
* Give Away

* Formula 1

* Bits and Pieces

* Car Trivia Answers
* 10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

==================== ** ====================

Grammar Problems
Because of how various browsers treat special characters such as
apostrophes, quote marks, and multiple dots, we will use as few special
characters as possible. We apologize for the grammatical errors this will
cause.

==================== ** ====================

Car Trivia (answers are later in this email)

1) When Chrysler built the Plymouth Road Runner, they had to find a way to
produce the sound of Warner Brothers cartoon figure Road Runner's famous
Beep Beep. Where did they find a donor for that iconic sound?

2) The Ford Flathead was the hot engine to have when Hot Rods were in their
infancy. For those of you that were not around during those dinosaur days, a
flat head engine had its valves in the block beside the pistons. This was
obviously not the greatest layout for producing power. One of the best
modifications to the Ford Flathead was to install Ardun heads. You model
collectors may have seen them on the So-Cal Coupe by GMP. Very few of the
famous Ardun heads were ever produced; they were highly desirable then and
are quite a rarity now. The designer was actually trying to produce more
torque and power for Ford trucks. What made the heads so powerful? And
whatever happened to the designer?

3) What kind of car did Laurel & Hardy drive?
What kind of car did the Keystone Kops drive?

4) The Michelin Man is the star of their commercials; driving fast, getting
emotional as each tire leaves the plant and so on. Clearly work for a young
man, but he is actually older than he looks. Just how old is the Michelin
man? 88, 100, 104,106, or 108?
What is his name? Any idea of where the name comes from?

5) Tyrell is one of the F1 Greats, the team that rose to glory with Jackie
Stewart. Ken Tyrell was not afraid to be innovative; his greatest leap away
from the norm was his Tyrell P34. What was the major difference with this
car from any other F1 machine ever?

--- Retreads ---
These next three questions are from over two years ago. If you remember them
from before, consider this a memory test.

6) When a major manufacturer is planning and designing a new car, it will be
given a code name to be used by those involved. What was the code name for
the Corvette when it was first being designed in 1952?

7) What do Iron Butt Association members ride while competing in the
BunBurner 1500?

8) What miles-per-gallon goal were the Chevette, Escort and Lynx the first
U.S. cars to attain?

And the last two are from four years ago.

9) Our first question from our first edition; we started with an easy one:
John Z. DeLorean is known for his famous stainless steel bodied DeLorean.
What other high-performance car did DeLorean bring into production before he
went on his own?

10) We can all figure out that a Ferrari 512 BB has 5 liters and 12
cylinders, and the 308 GTB has 3 liters and 8 cylinders. But what was
Ferrari's numbering system for the earlier models like the 275 GTB/4 and the
250 Testa Rosa? (For anyone who doesn't know, Testa Rosa is Red Head in
Italian, for the red valve covers on the Testa Rosa engine.)


==================== ** ====================

* Amelia Island: How The Other Half Lives

We were driving to Florida anyway. Amelia Island is just a couple miles
right off of Rt 95; we were driving right by it. That is just like a
freebie. Yeah, right, only an extra night in a motel, a couple extra
restaurant meals. Plus, about fifty extra miles to and from right-off-Rt-95.
Plus entry fees. And it was well worth every bit of it and then some.

The Ritz Carlton is the most beautiful place to hold a concours. On Friday,
the extra parking was on part of their golf course. Our car has never driven
on such beautiful grass. Just park over there by the silver Ferrari and the
yellow 300SL convertible. The shuttle busses to and from the hotel were two
stretch golf carts and a gold Escalade. Lined up at the entrance to the
hotel were the most expensive street machines you could find. Mercedes had
AMGs and three SLR McLarens. The silver paint on the SLR was so deep it
looked wet. They were giving rides in two Maybacks and three Bugatti
Veyrons. Over by the two Gallardo roadsters, a very nice guy tried to
interest us in a new Cobra Daytona Coupe.

It was a great mix of cars. There were several woodys from a 1919 Overland,
through an early Packard and a 50s Buick to a 51 Ford. A Model A, with brass
gleaming, had a six-step instruction list for starting it taped to the dash.
A 1949 Caddy convertible sat next to a black Chrysler 300C. A 50s Hudson
with racing disks and bullet headlight covers seemed right at home with the
Lagonda, Bentleys, Duesenbergs, and Delahayes. There was an Aston Martins
sharing a grassy spot with a Ghia, Mr. Bond, Mr. Sinatra, your cars are
ready. The pony cars were represented by a couple of Shelbys: one white and
blue competition and a black and gold 350H. And there was the most beautiful
1968 Z28 tucked over by the hedge. Jags from XK120s to glass-eyed E types.
Of course, there were Ferraris. How about a 250 GT, a 308 GTB, and an F40?
One 289 Cobra seemed almost plain till you saw that it ran at Le Mans. As
soon as the Stutz Bearcat cleared its throat with a loud rumble, it
attracted guys like a magnet. Cast your eyes beyond all the great
metal-work, and there were palm trees and the ocean. This sure beats Dairy
Queen on Saturday nights.

For those that followed Can Am, it was THE place to be. There were over 20
original Can Am racers. On Saturday, there was a discussion panel with 13
drivers and builders, from jog-your-memory names to Gods of Can-Am. Peter
Bryant, George Drolsom, Vic Elford, George Follmer, Hurley Haywood, Charlie
Kemp, Oscar Kovaleski, Jackie Oliver, Sam Posey, Brian Redford, and the
great Jim Hall. Even the audience was name-worthy: Denise McCluggage, Rick
Ceppos, Brock Yates to name-drop a few. The large hall contained one each of
the four most famous Can-Am cars: Chaparral, McLaren, Porsche, and Shadow.
Two hours of Car Guys talking on a personal level about the greatest road
racing in America. Jim Hall said that his partner, Hap Sharp, had an idea a
minute. Only nine out of ten were no good, but who else do you know that has
a good idea every ten minutes? Jackie Oliver explained how his name changed
from Jack to Jackie. Hurley Haywood got in a plug for Grand Am. Oscar
Kovaleski had lots to say, most of it interesting. Charlie Kemp told how on
his first day driving for Oscar, while Charlie was in the car waiting to go
out, Oscar leaned in the window and barraged him with rapid-fire Polack
jokes. Sam Posey told the best story; too bad we cannot repeat it.

==================== ** ====================

* Give Away

Our regulars know that last month, we were giving away a $30 Gift
Certificate from Endless Road. We are happy to say the winner this month was
Wayne from NY.

Again this month, for every purchase our regular Road Chatter recipients
make, we will put their names in our drawing, and the person whose name is
drawn will receive a $30 Gift Certificate from Endless Road.

Good Luck.

==================== ** ====================

Formula 1

Some things are the same this year. Alonso and Renault are still the team to
beat. Kimi is still super-fast when his mount does not break.

And some things are quite different. New engine size. A new, more
interesting qualifying procedure. The return of tire changes. A larger field
by two more cars. At least three very competitive teams capable of winning
the championship. Ferrari is back in the action again. There is an American
driver in F1 for the first time since Michael Andretti in 1993. There is
much more passing than previous years. And, rather frequently, one of the
new V8s up-chucks its parts in the middle of the race. This is going to be
an interesting season!

2006 Schedule

April 2 Australia
April 23 San Marino
May 7 Nurburgring
May 14 Barcelona
May 28 Monaco
June 11 Great Britain
June 25 Montreal
July 2 Indianapolis
July 16 France
July 30 Germany
August 6 Hungary
August 27 Turkey
Sept. 10 Italy
Sept. 17 Belgium
Oct. 1 China
Oct. 8 Japan
Oct. 22 Brazil


==================== ** ====================

* Bits and Pieces

Do not get rid of your VHS machines; there are many great racing videos that
are available on VCR tape and not scheduled to be put on DVD.

***

The last few months, we have had a MY FAVORITE CAR story here. They were
well received, and we want to continue. If you have fond memories of one of
your fine machines and want to tell about it, send us your story, and, if we
use it, you will have your pick of any one item we have on our web.

***

Jeff H sent this note:

I remember a movie way back in the early 70's that was almost all car-chase.
I can not remember the name and I have been looking for years. I have asked
several movie buffs, several motor heads and no one has been able to help.
Your section in your latest newsletter sparked the interest again and maybe
you can tell me. As I remember there was a white 70-73 Camaro, a 69 Road
Runner with the vacuum hood scoop, and a wicked little Gremlin. I thought
Steve McQueen was in it but his web site mentions nothing of it. I really
don't think it is a figment of my imagination but who knows. Can You Help?

Jeff, if anyone out there knows what film it was, we will try to find it.
And if anyone does tell us, we will give them 10% off on their next order.

***

Two of our favorite license tags this month:

Our friend, Dave M, sent us this:
VW New Beetle: LDY BUG

And our friend, Patrick, owns this one:
2001 Vette convertible: RAINH8R

==================== ** ====================

Car Trivia Answers


1) When Chrysler searched for a Beep Beep-sounding horn for their Plymouth
Road Runner, the closest they could find was the horn from the Volkswagen
Beetle.
(Thanks to Speed TV's Barrett Jackson Auction.)

2) When Zora Arkus Duntov first built the Ardun heads (Arkus DUNtov, get it?
Huh?), he was building the first engine head with hemispherical combustion
chambers, a Hemi Head. The head design went on to fame and fortune with
MOPAR. Duntov, a poor Jewish immigrant, went on to launch Corvette on the
path to becoming the accomplished performance car it is today.
(From Hot Rodders Journal, issue #23. Thanks to our friend, Jared, for this
one.)

3) Laurel & Hardy and the Keystone Kops drove black Model Ts. If you are
over 40, this one was too easy for you.

4) The Michelin Man is actually 108 years old, having first appeared in
April of 1898.
His name is Bibendum. The name comes from their original slogan of Nunc Est
Bibendum, which translates as quote: He Drinks Nails
(Thanks to our friend, Jeff, for this one.)

5) The Tyrell P34 was the only Formula One car to ever run four wheels in
the front. They were ten inches tall, putting lots of rubber on the road
while having a very low profile. It was the center of attention in the
Kendall Garage in Watkins Glen in 1976.
(Thanks to our friend, Mike H., for reminding us of this one.)


--- Retreads ---
6) The code name for Corvette? To quote Completion Corvette - From Street to
Strip to Speedway Star by the Editors of Consumer Guide:
In the fall of 1952, a Chevrolet public relations executive named Myron
Scott struggled to come up with a name for a new two-seat sports car being
developed under the code name Opel. The Project Opel was cloaked in secrecy.
The name was chosen perhaps to confuse outsiders, since Opel is the name of
GM's German subsidiary, Adam Opel, AG. Knowledge of the secret sports car
effort was limited to those with a need-to-know. If an employee was not
directly involved on the "Opel" project, odds were he would never have heard
of it.
(Thanks to our friend, Warren.)

7) Iron Butt Association members ride motorcycles, driving many, many miles
in a day, such as the SaddleSore 1000 (1000 miles in 24 hours), BunBurner
1500 (1500 miles in 24 or 36 hours), and the 50cc Quest (50 hours
Coast-to-Coast).

8) Chevette, Escort and Lynx were the first U.S. cars to attain a heady 30
miles-per-gallon. You know, after all these years, there are still not very
many cars that get more than that now
(From Trivial Pursuit 20th Anniversary Edition.)

9) DeLorean was one of the fair-haired boys at GM. He is known as the Father
of the Pontiac GTO.

10) Originally, Enzo used the number of Cubic Centimeters (cc's) in one
cylinder as part of the name of a car. Hence, the 275 GTB was a 12-cylinder
car, 12 X 275 = 3300 cc's or 3.3 liters; the 250 Testa Rosa was 12 X 250 =
3000 cc's or 3 liters. (Actually, they were 3286 and 2953, but close
enough.)


===================== ** ====================

10% Off Purchases For Your Trivia Questions

To Jared, Jeff, Mike, and Warren, thanks for the trivia questions. Remember,
you four will each receive 10% discounts on your next order.

Send us an interesting fact on just about anything on wheels: cars, trucks,
F1, Drags, Muscle Cars, weird obsolete car thingies, whatever, and, if we
use it, then you get 10% off all purchases on everything on your next order.



Thanks,

Dave Payne