Frickin’ Friday

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

– Shakespeare

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Paradoxically…this piece begins:

“Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are in people who weren’t vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day — now down to under 300 — could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine.”

CDC director Rochelle Walensky said the vaccine is so effective that “nearly every death, especially among adults, due to COVID-19, is, at this point, entirely preventable.” She called such deaths “particularly tragic.”

“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”

– Huxley

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I am not in a pleasant mood today. The sources of the distress are physical and mental. (Yeah, talk about mental…)

It seems as though no matter what idea I have, it is utterly rejected. I am indeed destined to spend decades of my life unemployed and underutilized. What would I do if I had to work? I shudder at the thought. I will rage once again: I AM NOT OBSOLETE!

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This article is a somewhat technical discussion of the de facto first automatic transmission for automobiles, General Motors’ Hydra-Matic. According to the piece, upon its introduction GM proclaimed the Hydra-Matic to be “the most important automotive advancement since the self-starter.”

Manual transmission “devotees” (I would call them snobs) would argue with this, but it is clear that, at least in the US, the standard manual transmission is already dead on its feet, but no one has had the decency to knock it over and to give it a decent burial. Electric vehicles are about 2% of the new car market in the US while standard manuals are about 1%. Think about that…

The article claims that Hydra-Matic was first available on Oldsmobiles in October of 1939 (as a $57 option) on 1940 model year cars. I have seen it written elsewhere that the transmission was available earlier in 1939. In any event, it was jointly developed by Oldsmobile and Cadillac, but was introduced first in Oldsmobile because of economies of scale–Oldsmobile produced more cars than Cadillac at the time, providing a larger “testing” sample and allowing for amortization of development costs over more units–and to protect Cadillac’s reputation in case the transmission was a failure.

It was such a success that when Pontiac introduced Hydra-Matic in its 1948 cars, over 70% of them were equipped with it. (In that year, virtually all Cadillacs and Oldsmobiles were built with Hydra-Matic.) Widespread adoption of automatic transmissions is not a recent development. The Hydra-Matic was soon available on non-GM cars. To wit:

Lincoln, 1949-54

Nash (including Rambler), 1950-57

Frazer, 1951 (its last year of production)

Kaiser, 1951-55 (Kaiser’s last year of US car production was 1955)

Willys, 1954-55 (ditto for Willys)

Rolls-Royce acquired a license to produce Hydra-Matics for its cars, including Bentley, in 1952 and continued producing it at least through 1967. The company that advertised its products as “Like Nothing Else On Earth” and “Simply The Best Motor Car In The World” was using transmissions developed by General Motors. The Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission, the spiritual–if not mechanical–successor to the original Hydra-Matic, was also used by Rolls-Royce. From Hemmings a picture of a 1940 Oldsmobile 90 Club Coupe that was, I think, equipped with the Hydra-Matic:

See the source image

It’s amazing how after all this time of writing about cars, the mere act of doing so almost always calms me down and brings me joy. Anyway…just as people may look back at Tesla as a revolutionary event in personal transportation we have to acknowledge that GM’s development of the Hydra-Matic was also revolutionary.

Enjoy your weekend.

#FrickinFriday

#Shakespeare

#IAmNotObsolete

#HydraMaticAutomaticTransmission

#1940Oldsmobile

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Frugal Friday, Hemi On A Budget

“There are more things in heaven and earth…than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.”

– Shakespeare

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The Chrysler Hemi engine has a long history, dating back to the introduction of the first version in the 1951 model year. That iteration was produced through 1958. The second generation, the famous “Elephant,” was available from model years 1966 through 1971. The current generation was first introduced as a truck engine beginning with the 2003 model year.

The “baby” of the modern Hemi family (Chrysler Corporation trademarked the word Hemi) is the version first used in 2003, a 5.7 liter/345 cubic-inch engine with an output of either 345 HP/375 LB-FT of torque or 340 HP/390 LB-FT. A revised version of this engine was introduced in 2009, producing 372 HP/400 LB-FT in the Challenger R/T automatic and 375 HP/410 LB-FT in the manual version. Without further ado, from AutoTrader, a 2012 Challenger R/T Classic:

This car has about 33,000 miles and is in Bright Silver Metallic over Dark Slate Gray (the interior looks black in the photos). The ad copy differs on what transmission is in the car, listing it as an automatic in one place and as a manual in another. Regardless, the asking price is just $18,991 and is actually well under the Kelley Blue Book® value range of $21,359-$23,868 shown at the bottom of the ad. Of course, the fact that the car was, apparently, involved in two accidents between June, 2017 and August, 2018 is the major contributor to the car’s asking price relative to “value.” Some hood misalignment is visible in a couple of the photos and the CARFAX® reports the first accident caused damage to the right front.

So, how comfortable would you be buying a car with prior accidents? Sometimes, buying a car on a budget or below “value” means buying a car with some issues. Still, being able to buy a Hemi Challenger built in the last 10 years and with under 35,000 miles for less than $20,000 might be worth the “risk.”

#FrugalFriday

#Shakespeare

#HemiOnABudget

#2012DodgeChallengerR/T

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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☹️😩

As I approach a “Milestone” birthday and my wonderful wife and I prepare to embark on a trip we’ve been planning for months, my body is betraying me. Couple that with the coronavirus-induced stock market meltdown and I am very low. What’s worse is that I have an overwhelming feeling that things will get worse, an overwhelming sense of impending doom.

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

– Shakespeare

Saturday Selection

Automobile Magazine “has” a motto of “No Boring Cars!” However, if one actually reads their website the majority of articles are about SUVs and pickup trucks. I know that the majority of new vehicles sold in the US—more than 70%—are those types, but then change your motto. As I write this their lead story is about the 2020 Mazda CX-30.

For the nth time I will opine that the move to SUVs and pickup trucks is in no small way due to the fact that 70% of American adults are overweight and one-third are obese. I will also note that vehicle manufacturers are very happy with that trend as SUVs, in particular, have higher profit margins than cars. My wonderful wife and I have a small SUV (a Kia Sportage), but we will jettison that vehicle before we move to the desert. Hopefully, that move is in the not too distant future.

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I have the right to vote. I also have the right not to vote. My not voting is NOT a vote for the person you oppose, it is a non-vote. Only a person blinded by political ideology would equate not voting to voting for the person running against their favored candidate. (Not to be confused with Trung Canidate, a 1st-round pick in the NFL draft in 2000.)

“There are more things in heaven and earth…than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

– Shakespeare

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How many of you own or have owned a convertible? My wonderful wife much prefers them and four of the last five cars she’s owned, including her current car, have been convertibles.

I have owned one, a 2009 BMW Z4. Where we currently live is not too conducive to use of a convertible, in my opinion. I must admit that on those few occasions when I drove the Z4 with the top down, it was an enjoyable experience.

As many of you know, American automobile manufacturers did not produce convertibles from the mid-1970s through the mid-1980s, in part because of government regulations. Anyway…some convertibles are very appealing to me and while this is not an edition of Frugal Friday I wanted to share this particular car:

Used 2017 FIAT 124 Spider Classica Tinton Falls, NJ 07753 - 512987385 - 1

From AutoTrader a picture of a 2017 Fiat 124 Spider. Of course, this car is built on the same assembly line as the current generation Mazda Miata. Still, I quite like the design; I just wish the cars had a little more juice. This example, with about 23,000 miles—the car’s been driven, is listed for $14,500. With the current “transaction price” for a new vehicle in the US approaching $40,000, for a single person or empty-nester family a car like this seems like a good deal to me. By the way, limiting results to cars built since 2015 and restricting the search radius to 100 miles from my zip code, the AutoTrader search returned over 1,000 results. I guess convertibles are back…maybe not.

#Shakespeare

#Fiat124Spider

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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25 Should Be The New 18

From this article comes this conclusion that is consistent with most published research:

“Under most laws, young people are recognized as adults at age 18. But emerging science about brain development suggests that most people don’t reach full maturity until the age 25.”

I don’t know why the age of 18 has been considered the age of majority. One could guess that, at least in this country, since that’s the age people graduate from high school and since until the 1950s most people didn’t attend college, then people would be considered adults as they entered the working world. However, the only constant in the world is change. Now, two-thirds of high school graduates are in college the academic year after they graduate. More and more research reveals that the human brain does not reach its “adult” ability to assess risk and reward until about the age of 25. My opinion, based on the prevailing research, is that the minimum legal age of purchase and consumption for substances like alcohol and marijuana should be 25.

What does this research mean for driving privileges, for the minimum voting age, for the age of being to able to enlist in the armed forces? Would this mean that the military draft would have to be reinstated, for example? Consider that the age group with the highest rate of fatal crashes per 100,000 drivers is the group aged 20-24. The rate for those aged 25-29, while high, is almost 20% lower than the rate for those aged 20-24. Those who are blinded by ideology are unable and/or unwilling to understand the world is more complex and nuanced than their beliefs. “There are more things in heaven and earth…than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” That Shakespeare could write some truths.

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On this day in 1908 General Motors purchased Olds Motor Works, better known as Oldsmobile. It retained its original name until 1942 when it was officially renamed the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors. Oldsmobile was the best-selling make in the US every year from 1903 to 1905, inclusive, selling about 16,000 cars in those three years.

As I have written before, Oldsmobile has/had a long history as an innovator. It introduced “Knee-Action” independent front suspension in 1934, the legendary and revolutionary Hydra-Matic automatic transmission for model year 1940, along with Cadillac the first modern overhead-valve engine in 1949, the first production turbocharged V-8 in 1962 and the first US front-wheel drive vehicle in almost 30 years for model year 1966. Oldsmobile is the only American company that produced automobiles in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

For me, of course, much of my interest in Oldsmobile stems from the fact that it is, sadly, a defunct American make.

Note the Oldsmobile Service sign at the lower left. As for my most desirable Olds car with price not a factor, this might be it:

From Barrett-Jackson a picture of a 1957 Oldsmobile 98 hardtop coupe with a wonderful two-tone paint job. I don’t know the hammer price for this car. On Hemmings the list prices of ’57 Olds 98 coupes are all over the place from $34,000 to $85,000. However, even at the lower price, barring an unforeseen financial windfall, this car is out of my price range as a Z06 companion. I have dreams, but I live in the real world.

On an unrelated topic, it is highly likely that before the end of this year I will delete my Twitter account. The only reason I created a Twitter presence was to drive traffic to my blog, but Twitter has been virtually useless for that purpose. After I delete the account, most of the hashtags at the bottom of each post will disappear.

#25ShouldBeTheNew18

#Shakespeare

#Oldsmobile

#1957Oldsmobile98

#ByeByeTwitter?

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Monday Mulling

This Automotive News article is about the increase in pedestrian deaths even given a decline in traffic deaths. The article states, “Auto safety experts say the growing number of drivers distracted by mobile devices is at least partly to blame.” However, near its end the article also reads, “38 percent of pedestrians killed had some alcohol in their systems.” Gee, do you think that at any given moment 38 percent of the adult US population in general has alcohol in their systems? <end sarcasm>

What is not discussed at all, either, is the increase in distracted pedestrians. On the History show “The Epic History Of Everyday Things” it is stated that 6,000 people die in this country every year because they are distracted by their devices. I don’t know whether or not that includes traffic accidents.

Like every other paradigm, “Don’t Blame The Victim” isn’t always appropriate even if it’s usually appropriate. A society that harps on that concept incentivizes some people to “want” to be a victim. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

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“To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,”

– Shakespeare

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My friend and mentor Bill James is ending his long association (17 years) with the Boston Red Sox. I wish him nothing but good health and good fortune.

In the early 1990s Bill wanted me to write an article for one of his baseball books. We agreed on the fee he would pay. About a month after I submitted the article he sent me a check for more than the amount to which we had agreed and a letter that read in part, “I only had to edit one word in your article and I defy you to find the change.”

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I have discussed my affinity for these cars before. Here is a picture of a 1990 Cadillac Allante taken this past weekend by yours truly:

I have to admit I think cars don’t look as good with the hoods up, but anyway…the failure of the Allante is sad to me. I think they look amazing. I mean the bodies were designed and built by Pininfarina, Ferrari’s coachbuilder.

Despite the fact that I receive a regular email newsletter from the national Allante/XLR club, I have never seriously considered purchasing an Allante. A ’90 Allante was offered for sale without reserve at Mecum’s Denver auction in 2018. The car hammered for $1,500; no, I did not leave out a zero. According to Hagerty the average value of a 1990 Allante is $5,900. When new, the MSRP of such a car was $51,500. Talk about falling to the bottom of the depreciation curve and staying there…

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” – Robert Burns

#PlentyOfBlameToGoAround

#Shakespeare

#BillJames

#1990CadillacAllante

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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40 Days To Thanksgiving

Es Verdad, Das Ist Richtig…

This year Thanksgiving falls on its latest possible date, November 28. On that date more than 20 years ago the woman who is my wonderful wife and I first met and had our first date. It was not love at first sight, but here we are many years later and we are very happily married. No one can really predict the future, but we can act in the present.

“Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends.”

– Shakespeare

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The development of affordable central air conditioning is one of the most significant in history, certainly in US history. That development has changed the population map of the country; therefore, it has changed the political map. Take a look at the change in the metropolitan area populations of four “Sun Belt” cities from 1970 to 2010:

	METRO AREA POPULATION
	1970	2010	Pct Chg
Dallas, TX	1,555,950	6,371,773	310%
Houston, TX	1,985,031	5,946,800	200%
Miami, FL	1,267,792	5,564,635	339%
Phoenix, AZ	967,522	4,192,887	333%

Obviously, those areas have grown much, much faster than the US population as a whole. More population means more clout in the US House of Representatives. One example is Texas. It currently has 38 electoral votes, 36 for its number of members in the US House and 2, of course, for its US Senators. After the 1970 Census, though, Texas had 26 electoral votes. Without air conditioning it is inconceivable that the Texas population would have grown so dramatically. (Maybe the table should have shown population by state. However, the metro area data is more dramatic and, therefore, makes my point better.)

Did the people and companies that created modern A/C systems want to change the population map of the US? Does an answer really need to be articulated? Just remember that The Law Of Unintended Consequences is always lurking nearby.

#40DaysToThanksgiving

#Shakespeare

#ThePoliticalPowerOfAirConditioning

#LawOfUnintendedConsequences

#disaffectedmusings

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Ultimate Garage 2.0: The Ninth Car

“O, what men dare do! What men may do! What men daily do, not knowing what they do.”

– Shakespeare

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Reader and long-time friend Carl described yesterday’s car, the Jaguar F-Type, as “sex on wheels.” That phrase has also been used by reader and long-time friend David Banner (not his real name) to describe today’s car, the Lexus LC. You don’t really want to know what results from an Internet search for that phrase, but cars don’t seem to appear anywhere.

The LC was in the first Ultimate Garage that I posted on the blog hosted by the Evil Empire (aka Google). By the way, I did finally receive a settlement from the class action suit involving the Evil Empire and their deleting blogs to avoid paying ad earnings. Fack Fucebook has earned all of the bad press it has received, and then some, but the Evil Empire seems to have faded from view in terms of its wrongdoings.

I took the top photo in January, 2018 (!) and the bottom picture is from Motor Trend. Obviously, I think the Lexus LC is a stunner. It’s also one of only two cars in Ultimate Garage 2.0 that I have actually driven.

The Lexus LC is powered by a 5-liter/303 cubic-inch V8 that produces 471 HP/398 LB-FT of torque. The only transmission available is a 10-speed automatic, which I think is overkill, but helps the car get better gas mileage for EPA testing. I wanted to write about the forced-induction version of the engine for this car (I keep reading about a twin-turbo motor that will pump out 600+ HP), but Ultimate Garage 2.0 is only about cars that have actually existed.

The car is luxuriously appointed, but is more of a Grand Tourer than true sports car. However, it’s not a slug although it’s, perhaps, a tad heavy for exquisite handling. However, it will accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 4.6 seconds, which is very quick.

As for value/price, the LC my wonderful wife and I drove stickered at $101,000, but the salesman offered $10,000 off without my even asking. The base MSRP of these cars is about $93,000. For the “official” Ultimate Garage 2.0 value I am going to use $95,000 because I am going to assume a car with some options, but also with a discount from MSRP.

Once again, I welcome thoughtful comments about this car, any car or any topic. It is doubtful I will post tomorrow as my wonderful wife and I have a busy day planned, weather permitting. Ultimate Garage 2.0 is almost finished, but not quite.

#Shakespeare

#FacebookandGoogleareEvil

#UltimateGarage2.0

#LexusLC

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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