While our family is dealing with a very serious situation at present, I/we received another kick in the teeth yesterday that we certainly didn’t need, but is certainly consistent with my life.
The new HVAC system that we had installed for the second floor just weeks ago has already given up the ghost. The compressor or condenser or whatever you call it outside still runs, but no air–cold or otherwise–comes out of any vent upstairs. I guess it’s a small blessing that this happened in May and not in July, but we’re around 90° for high temperatures with, of course, lots of sun. It’s less than comfortable upstairs; my office where I write this blog is on the second floor and even though it’s just 8 AM and the ceiling fan is on, it’s not exactly pleasant in here.
A small, very small, part of me still thinks the reckoning will come and somehow we will receive some great and unexpected turn of luck. That part is shrinking every day, though.
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For some reason, this post from July of 2019 received some views yesterday. The post is about Nils Bohlin, the Volvo engineer who invented the modern automobile three-point safety belt.
When I read it again yesterday I thought it held up well and is among the better posts of the 1,100+ I have written. Feel free to read it.
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On this day in 1963 the talks collapsed between Ford and Ferrari relating to Ford purchasing the Italian automaker. Supposedly, the deal breaker was a clause Ford inserted into the contract that required Ferrari to submit to Ford, ‘for quick approval,’ any racing team budget over 450 million lire. That equaled $257,000 at the time, the amount of Ferrari’s race budget for the 1963 season.
Ferrari said that provision would compromise the total freedom he had been promised in his new position as Racing Team Director. He flew into a rage and, basically, that was the end of the negotiation.
Of course, most of you reading know the rest. Henry Ford II flew into a rage of his own, vowed to beat Ferrari at LeMans and did with the Ford GT-40 cars.
The lineal descendant of those cars, the third generation Ford GT is–as I have mentioned previously–a contender for Ultimate Garage 3.0, if I ever publish it. Without further ado (from Money Inc):
At $400,000 or $500,000 or whatever this car costs, it is more expensive than any automobile in Ultimate Garage 2.0. I think the GT moniker is somewhat of a misnomer. GT implies Grand Touring, a car with high performance, but one that is more at home cruising on the highway than whipping around corners at a race track. This generation Ford GT is very much at home on the track. Of course, what else could Ford call the car?
So many cars just one life, indeed.
#ItNeverEnds
#NilsBohlin
#FordVersusFerrari
#ThirdGenerationFordGT
#IStandWithIsrael
#somanycarsjustonelife
#disaffectedmusings
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PS, courtesy of David Banner (not his real name) and relevant to comments from yesterday, a picture of a Bentley at a Hong Kong hotel:
Disaffected Musings 
It is interesting that you bring up Nils Bohlin today. I have been working on locating the seats in my truck project which also includes locating the 3-point seat belts. 1948 vintage vehicles did not have seat belts so installing them in my truck with modern day seats from a 2006 Dodge Dakota pickup requires some engineering. I had planned on using the stock Dakota seat belts but finding the space for the safety ratchet reel of the belt assembly is not going to happen. Fortunately, the automotive aftermarket has several sources for 3-point seat belt assemblies that meet the Federal safety standards. Automotive forums generally provide good ideas for the needed ideas and in the process, discussions about 3-point vs. racing seat belts arise and Mr. Bohlin’s name comes up. For those building a street driven project vehicle and installing seat belts make sure you only install belts that meet or exceed the FMVSS 209 & 302 safety standards. FMVSS is the acronym for Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.
WRT your HVAC problem, the communication between the outside condenser and the inside air handler may be the problem which can easily be diagnosed and fixed by a licensed HVAC technician. Also, beware of outside critters such as pack rats who would dearly love to inhabit your outside condenser and chew on the wiring. I speak from experience.
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Thanks, Philip. The HVAC tech is here and thinks the problem was caused (of course, it worked when he arrived) by some looseness in an air conduit that feeds the air handler. It is only when machines fail that they remind us how powerful they are.
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Re your AC unit
I believe you are a victim of Murphy’s Law #18,502;
Any broken machine will function perfectly in the presence of the repair technician
Over the course of my career, I have spent untold hours watching a “broken” machine run perfectly. Until I leave.
(and people ask why I drink)
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Are you sure it’s Murphy Corollary 18,502? I thought it was #1,337…at least the tech was good enough to keep investigating, find what he thought was the most likely cause and fix it.
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I could be mistaken on which number it is. As I age I find I remember less.
One thing I AM pretty certain of; Murphy was an optimist.
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“One thing I AM pretty certain of; Murphy was an optimist.”
LOL!
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I think the GT looks like an elongated version of the Vette. Of course there are enough people who can afford to pay for exclusivity that you otherwise can’t use. The more I see other cars, the more I appreciate the Vette.
As for your AC, here’s hoping all gets resolved. As they say “it’s not the heat, it’s the stupidity…”
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Thanks, Doc. The upstairs HVAC seems to be working now, but I sure as hell am not taking it for granted.
You’re preaching to the choir about Corvettes, as you know, but I do appreciate other cars. So many cars just one life.
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Sorry for the bad news on the A/C… something that’s hard to deal with in Arizona.
I’ve been pretty scarce, out of touch due to a week-long volunteer activity. I will be playing catch-up on my reading for the next few days.
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