Motorhead March 2023 WEB MP

RAPS AUTO PARTS SUPPLY INC. HELP WANTED

RAPS AUTO PARTS SUPPLY INC. HELP WANTED

Raps Auto Parts Supply is a locally owned and operated group of NAPA Auto Parts Stores. We are currently seeking the following positions:

Raps Auto Parts Supply is a locally owned and operated group of NAPA Auto Parts Stores. We are currently seeking the following positions:

FULL-TIME COUNTER

PERSONS

FULL-TIME COUNTER PERSONS

FULL AND PART-TIME DRIVERS

FULL AND PART-TIME DRIVERS

Please stop by any of our locations to complete an application or you can send a resume to: career@rapsautoparts.com

Please stop by any of our locations to complete an application or you can send a resume to: career@rapsautoparts.com

Massachusetts Locations:

Massachusetts Locations:

Shrewsbury, Fitchburg, Auburn, Hudson, Marlboro, Westboro and Seekonk

Shrewsbury, Fitchburg, Auburn, Hudson, Marlboro, Westboro and Seekonk

Rhode Island Locations:

Rhode Island Locations:

West Warwick, North Kingstown, Peacedale, Warwick, Pawtucket, East Providence, Cranston, Johnston and Woonsocket

West Warwick, North Kingstown, Peacedale, Warwick, Pawtucket, East Providence, Cranston, Johnston and Woonsocket

Remember, for all your Automotive Parts needs please stop by any of our Raps Auto Parts Supply locations near you.

Remember, for all your Automotive Parts needs please stop by any of our Raps Auto Parts Supply locations near you.

eally no other felling like taking deliver y of your first Mustang or Muscle Car, especially when e in your early teenage years. The first time you essive stance, the first smell of , the first feeling of that rumble that happens after your first tur y one of us ecall what seemed like the greatest day of our life when we got behind the wheel of our ver y own piece of American Histor For Jason Pjojian of Cranston RI, that amazing sense of ownership and pride came to eality this past summer when he got his hands on his immaculate 1997 SVT COBRA.

Jason is the third owner of the car, but both of the first two owners were ridiculously obsessed with keeping it clean, garaged, and well maintained. As of this ar ticle the car only has 34,000 miles and doesn’t seem to have a single chip, scratch, or fingerprint anywhere on it. Jason credits the car’ ent appearance and brilliant shine to his father Bob Pjojian, who shared many of his detailing secr ently in ch of a new 2015 Mustang GT Conver tible, which will be his four th Mustang. So we know that Jason has ole model to follow

om the outside, the car appears to be mostly stock, with visual enhancements coming from only a handful of tasteful modifications. A Saleen S281 spoiler eplaces the factor y pedestal spoiler and 18 inch Steeda Pentar wheels shine brilliantly at each cor ner

d Meta

POWDERCOATING

services includes cleaning, sandblasting, with rust inhibitor we provide quick turnaround at a very reasonable price. CERAKOTE

applied in house and is capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1800 degrees. perfect for headers, exhaust manifolds and pipes.

WHAT WE COAT

automotive frames wheels & parts

motorcycle frames, wheels & parts atv vehicle frames & parts

antique metal furniture

industrial fabrication

metal fencing and railings

retail displays & fixtures

patio furniture

DRIVE&DINE

880 Victory Highway West Greenwich, RI 401-392-3092

danspizzaplace.com

APPETIZERS Nachos Supreme

Cheddar jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, scallions jalapeños, black olives served with choice of chili, chicken, pulled pork

Large: 12.59 Small: 9.59

+ Guacamole: 2.39

Irish Nachos

Fried potato skins layered with bacon, cheddar jack cheese, and corned beef, served with horseradish dipping sauce.

10.99

Pickle Chips

Dill pickle chips coated in a crispy batter & served with ranch dipping sauce.

6.99

Buffalo Chicken Dip

A blend of shredded chicken, ranch, sour cream, pepper jack cheese & buffalo sauce finished with melted cheddar jack cheese, tomatoes & scallions served with our house tortilla chip.

10.99

Potato Skins Loaded with cheddar cheese & bacon, served with sour cream.

Regular: 8.99 Chili Skin: 9.99

Broccoli Skin: 8.99

Poutine

A canadian comfort food! French fries topped with cheddar cheese curds, & a peppered chicken gravy.

Large: 10.99 Small: 7.59

+Bacon: 1.59

Chicken Tenders Buffalo, bbq, thai or plain.

9.99

Giovanni Calamari

Tossed with roasted red peppers, banana peppers, olives, and scallions in a white wine garlic soy sauce.

12.99

Pollo Loco

Buffalo chicken tenders topped with seasoned spinach & melted mozzarella cheese. Served with ranch or blue cheese.

10.99

Mozzarella Sticks

Served with marinara sauce.

8.59

Loaded Fries

Topped with bacon, and cheddar jack cheese.

Large: 10.59 +Chili: 1.59

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

A creamy blend of artichokes, spinach & cheese finished with parmesan, served with our house tortilla chips.

10.49

Homemade Stuffies

A rhode island tradition, quahog shells stuffed with our own homemade stuffing.

(Each) 3.49

Salmon Stuffies

Our home made stuffing blended with hearty chunks of salmon.

(Each) 3.49

R.I. Style Calamari

Tender lightly breaded & fried calamari tossed with garlic, wine & Banana peppers.

11.99

Tempura Mushrooms

Tempura fried button mushrooms tossed in our Asian chili sauce, served with creamy horseradish dipping sauce.

9.49

Philly Egg Roll

(2) Stuffed with Dan’s own recipe of shaved rib eye, peppers, onions, and American cheese, served with Guinness cheese sauce.

9.99

Dan’s Riblets

Slow cooked ribs smothered with sriracha BBQ sauc

9.99

Cheesy Garlic Dippin Stick

White pizza strips served with marinara

8.00

APPETIZERS

Smoke House Poutine

French fries, smoked brisket, jalapeno, scallion, cheddar cheese curds, poutine gray

10.49

Philly Poutine

French fries, shaved steak, peppers, onions, cheddar cheese curds, poutine gravy

10.49

Fried Ravioli

Served with marinara

6.99

WINGS!

A dan’s place specialty, we take the time to slow roast our wings in our own special blend of spices, then fry them to perfection & toss them in your choice of sauce.

9.99

Classic Buffalo, 5-Alarm, Bourbon, Sweet Teriyaki, Salt & Vinegar, BuffA-Que, Thai Peanut,k Sweet Asian Chili, Garlic Parmesan, Classic BBQ,k Korean BBQ, Mango Habanero, Honey Garlicm Sweet Cajun Rub, Old Bay Rub

SOUPS

New England Clam Chowder

Cup: 4.49 Bowl: 5.99

Chili

Our homemade beef chili topped with scallions & cheddar cheese.

Cup:

4.99 Bowl: 5.99

French Onion Crock: 5.99

Chicken Soup

Cup: 3.99 Bowl: 4.99

PASTA Parmesan

Topped with tomato sauce, and melted provolone cheese, served with garlic bread, and your choice of pasta.

Chicken: 15.99 Veal: 16.99

Eggplant: 12.99

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Choice of pasta tossed with our homemade creamy alfredo sauce, served with garlic bread.

16.99 +Sub Shrimp: 2.99 +Salmon or Steak: 4.99

Pasta & Meatballs

Your choice of linguine or penne topped with our signature marinara and two meatballs & served with garlic bread.

11.59

Mac-N-Cheese

Our house cheese sauce tossed with double elbow pasta and finished with a ritz cracker topping.

12.59 +Pulled Pork: 3.59

+Buffalo Chicken: 4.49

Asian Stir Fry

Roasted red peppers, broccoli, onions, mushrooms and green peppers tossed with egg noodles and General Tso’s sauce

11.99 +Chicken: 4.49

+Shrimp: 5.99 +Steak: 6.99

Roasted Garlic Shrimp

Pan seared shrimp with red onions and spinach in a roasted garlic cream sauce, served over linguine.

15.99

Chicken Fra Diavlo

Chicken, hot pepper rings and olives in a zesty marinara Served over linguin

15.99

Lasagna

Seasoned ground beef layered with ricotta, mozzarella, marinara and noodles, piled high and served with garlic bread and a side salad

13.99

Gluten Free Baked Ziti

Gluten free penne tossed with our house marinara and layered with ricotta cheese and mozzarella

13.99

PASTA Linguini Aglio

Herb and garlic infused oil with broccoli and olives then tossed with linguin

9.99 +Chicken: 4.49

+Shrimp: 5.99 +Steak: 6.99

Beef Stroganoff

Tender marinated steak tips grilled to your liking and sautéed with mushrooms and egg noodles in a creamy beef gravy

17.99

Veal Marsala

Pan seared veal scallopini with mushrooms in a marsala wine demi glace, served over your choice of pasta

Chicken: 17.99 Veal: 17.99

Short Rib Spezatta

Slow braised short rib tossed with bacon, mushrooms, peas and egg noodles, finished with shaved parmesan 15.99

ENTREES

Add Two Baked Stuffed Shrimp - 6.99

Rib Eye Steak*

Our 14oz. Rib eye lightly seasoned & served with your choice of two sides. 23.99

+mushrooms & Onions: 1.99

Sirloin Steak

Our 12oz. strip grilled to your liking, served with your choice of two sides 20.99

+mushrooms & onions: 1.99

Black and Blue Sirloin

Our 12 oz sirloin grilled to your liking and topped with Cajun spices, crumbled blue cheese, chopped bacon, and a sweet port wine reduction drizzle. Served with mashed potatoes and vegetable

22.59

Tenderloin Steak Tips*

Tender marinated tenderloin medallions finished with sauteed onions, & peppers, served with your choice of two sides. Available bourbon style.

19.99

Dan’s Fajitas

With onions, peppers, fajita seasoning, served sizzling hot with warm tortillas, lettuce, tomato and cheese Chicken: 15.99 Steak*: 17.99

Surf & Turf

Choice NY strip plus two baked stuffed shrimp, served with your choice of two sides. 12 oz: 24.99 8 oz: 20.99

Chicken Fried Steak

Breaded, fried steak topped with a white sausage gravy, served with your choice of two sides.

14.99

Fried Chicken Cutlet

Two large chicken cutlets with brown gravy, served with your choice of two sides.

16.99

Short Rib Shepherds Pie

Slow braised short rib layered with corn and mashed potato, then baked golden brown

14.99

Sesame Tuna*

Pan seared sesame encrusted tuna set over egg noodles tossed with red peppers, broccoli, onions and mushrooms in a sweet teriyaki glaze

17.99

Fish & Chips

Generous portion of beer battered cod with french fries, & cole slaw, served fresh, daily.

14.99

Fried Scallops

Battered & fried bay scallops served with fries, & cole slaw.

15.99

Scrod Florentine

Baked scrod fillet topped with sautéed spinach, tomatoes, & melted mozzarella in a lemon wine sauce, served with your choice of two sides.

16.99

ENTREES Baked Scrod

Baked scrod fillet with a buttery crumb topping. Served with choice of two sides.

15.99

Honey Garlic Salmon*

Fresh salmon filet served over vegetable jasmine rice, finished with honey garlic glaze

18.99

Baked Stuffed Shrimp

Four jumbo shrimp stuffed with a savory crab stuffing served with drawn butter, & your choice of two sides.

19.99

Fish Tacos

(3) Beer battered cod served on a flour tortilla with pickled red onion, slaw, cilantro and salsa picante. 12.59

SPECIALTY PIZZA

Make any small pizza Gluten Friendly - $3.99

Taco

Baked pizza shell with taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, scallions & cheese. Served with sour cream & salsa. Try adding jalapenos & olives.

Small or Calzone: 12.59

Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

+Guacamole: 2.39

Town Special Meatball, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions & peppers.

Small or Calzone: 12.59

Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

Dan’s Special Meatball, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions & peppers, bacon & hot peppers.

Small or Calzone: 12.59

Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

Meatlovers

Ham, sausage, pepperoni, meatball & bacon topped with extra cheese.

Small or Calzone: 12.59

Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

Vegetarian Delight

Eggplant, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, onions & peppers.

Small or Calzone: 12.59

Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

Chicken Pesto

Pesto sauce with chicken, garlic, tomatoes & parmesan cheese.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Southwest BBQ Chicken BBQ sauce, chicken, bacon & red onions.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Sweet & Tangy BBQ Chicken

BBQ sauce, chicken, red onions & pineapple.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Chicken Bacon Alfredo

Chicken, broccoli, bacon, & alfredo sauce.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Buff-A-Que Chicken

A blend of our house bbq & tangy buffalo sauce, chicken, & red onions.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Buffalo Chicken

Frank’s buffalo sauce & chicken, served with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Twisted Buffalo Chicken

Our classic buffalo chicken with red onions, banana peppers, bacon & crumbled blue cheese.

Small or Calzone: 12.59

Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

Mac & Cheese

Topped with bacon, and scallions, finished with ritz cracker crumb

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

SPECIALTY PIZZA

Pulled Pork

BBQ pulled pork, and cheese

Small or Calzone: 12.59

Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

Dirty Hawaiian BBQ Pulled pork, pineapple, bacon, and cheese

Small or Calzone: 12.59

Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

Chicken Bacon Ranch

The name says it all with a touch of parmesan cheese.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Four Cheese

White pizza with a blend of mozzarella, cheddar, feta & parmesan cheese topped with garlic & sliced tomatoes.

Small or Calzone: 10.59

Large: 15.59 Square: 18.50

Shamrock Pesto sauce, sliced potato, feta, red onions, corned beef & cheese.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Loaded Potato Cheddar cheese sauce, sliced potato, broccoli, bacon & cheese.

Small or Calzone: 10.59

Large: 15.59 Square: 18.50

Moussaka Eggplant, meatball & roasted peppers, topped with extra cheese.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Greek

White pizza with a blend of mozzarella, cheddar & feta cheese topped with banana peppers, tomatoes, olives & garlic.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Traditional Greek

White pizza with a blend of mozzarella, cheddar & feta cheese topped with spinach, tomatoes, olives & garlic.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Mediterranean White pizza with artichokes, spinach, Kalamata olives, feta, and sun-dried tomatoes, garlic

Small or Calzone: 12.59

Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

Philly Cheese Steak

White pizza topped with seasoned sirloin steak, onions & roasted peppers.

Small or Calzone: 13.59

Large: 21.99 Square: 25.99

Southwest Steak

Seasoned sirloin steak, BBQ sauce, onions, and banana peppers

Small or Calzone: 13.59

Large: 21.99 Square: 25.99

Thai Chicken Chicken, thai peanut sauce & scallions.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Cheeseburger Deluxe

Cheese sauce with ground beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles & red onions with american & pizza cheese.

Small or Calzone: 12.59

Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

Big Dan’s Cheese sauce with ground beef, lettuce, onions, pickles & thousand island dressing with american & pizza cheese.

Small or Calzone: 12.59

Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

King Ranch Cheese sauce, ground beef, BBQ sauce, bacon, and onion strings with cheddar jack cheese and pizza cheese blend.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Swap Meet Special Chourico, ricotta, jalapenos, roasted onions & peppers.

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

SPECIALTY PIZZA

Margherita

Sauce, Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil

Small or Calzone: 11.59

Large: 18.99 Square: 22.99

Ball Park Mustard, Sausage, Roasted Green Pepper, Roasted Onion, Provolone, Mozzarella Cheddar Small or Calzone: 10.59

Large: 15.59 nSquare: 18.50

Picka-Dilly Pizza

Roasted garlic infused dill oil, mozzarella, cheddar, pickle

Small or Calzone: 10.59

Large: 15.59 Square: 18.50

Pesto Inferno

Pesto, parmesan, tomato, jalapeno, Cheddar, mozzarella Small or Calzone: 10.59

Large: 15.59 Square: 18.50

General Tso’s Fried Chicken, Broccoli, Green Pepper, Onion, Scallions, Mozzarella, Cheddar, General Tso’s Sauce Small or Calzone: 12.59 Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

Cuban Pizza Horse radish dijonaise, ham, pulled pork, pickle, swiss, cheddar, mozzarella Small or Calzone: 12.59 Large: 19.99 Square: 23.99

Antipasto Pizza

Ham, genoa, provolone, tomato, red onion, green pepper, pepperoni, banana pepper, roasted red pepper

Scallop Casino Pizza

Alfredo, bay scallop, bacon, scallion, mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, ritz

BUILD YOUR OWN PIZZA

Toppings: pepperoni, meatball, sausage bacon, ham, chourico, ground beef anchovies, taco meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, red onions, olives, pineapple, eggplant, broccoli, spinach, jalapeno peppers, banana peppers, roasted peppers, green peppers, ricotta cheese.

All of our MeAts Are HAnd Cut

Twin Oaks Dinining Rooms and Patio are Open. Take Out Available

A Family Owned Business For More Than Eight Decades Featuring Full Lunch and Dinner Menus

Lunch Specials Under $10

Our Patio Hours are Tues - Sunday 12 - 9pm Open 11:30am - 10:00pm.

Unique & Homemade Dinner Entrees Including Our Famous Baked Shrimp Chicken Parm & Veal Parm

Regular Menus plus daily specials. For reservations call 401-781-6677.

6 Separate Dining Room and 3 Bars

Open: Tuesday - Sunday • Closed Mondays

Dining Room Hours - Tues - Thurs. 11:30 - 10:00p Fri, Sat. & Sun. 11:30 - 11pm Sunday: Close at 10pm

SANDWICHES

RETURNING WITH A VENGEANCE

Paulo Valente’s 2000 Camaro SS

By ED YESSAIAN

If you ask my wife, she will tell you that she is al legedly ranked third in our home. The children are first, the race car is second, and then there is my poor sweet wife. And while that is clearly not the case, in some instances our cars do, in fact, become like a member of the family. For Paulo Valente and his 2000 Camaro SS, which is very well known in the area as THUNDER, this scenario holds true, especially after a major mishap on the track had him considering sending the car to the scrap yard.

Paulo’s Camaro started life as all of our cars do; a street/strip beauty which constantly evolves because it is simply never fast enough. He has owned the car for over 12 years and reminisces about the great times he had when the car was a cruiser. He recalls teaching his son how to drive a standard in the car and looks forward to the day his grandson can get behind the wheel, as THUNDER has become somewhat of a family heirloom. There is also the factor of its current celebrity status, with Paulo and THUNDER having travelled to Memphis to run on multiple episodes of the popular television series. Street Outlaws. This was an experience that Paulo describes as “absolutely amazing” and is a memory he will cherish for the rest of his life. But in all honesty, to be on Street Outlaws, you need to have some serious hardware, so what exactly does it take to go to the dance?

THUNDER has gone through a series of driveline upgrades but the foundation of the car is currently built around a 427 stroker that started with a 6.0 block, Dragonslayer crankshaft, custom grind cam, and Precision heads. An F-1A blower making 22lbs of boost sends horsepower numbers well over 1000!! To handle that kind of power, Paulo called upon Anthony Apuzzo Jr of Accurate Transmission to put together a TH400 with Pro-Brake. Capping off the driveline is a Moser axle setup with 3.73’s, that puts the power to the pavement. A full 8.50 certified chromoly cage keeps Paulo safe in his travels down the track and after the first unfortunate incident, he cannot stress safety enough, but he has definitely made an impact since his return.

Since returning to action THUNDER has won two out of the three events it attended, thanks to the determination of Don Kinder at Slowhawk Performance. Paulo says that it was not an easy process but Don

kept plugging away at tuning and suspension changes and got the car to go nose down and straight as an arrow, right to the Winner’s Circle. For 2023 Paulo expects THUNDER to be a serious competitor and there is no doubt his prediction is accurate. I definitely look forward to seeing the car in action this season and especially can’t wait to see his grandson pilot THUNDER to victory some day as well!! Then again, maybe Paulo will have to go one on one with the little guy and you know when that day comes, he will surely have to be at the top of his game!!

STREET LEGAL – RULES OF THE ROAD

By JOE DAIGLE, ATTORNEy AT LAW

VANITY PLATE LEADS TO LAWSUIT

In 2021, a New York State vanity plate reading “New York” was offered for sale for $20,000,000.1 The plate had become a family heirloom. It was offered along with the roughly used Volvo V70 wagon to which it was attached. Whether the family got their asking price is unknown but, if they did, it would not be the first time that a buyer had paid many millions to own a vanity plate. In 2022, a United Kingdom plate reading “F1” was sold for the same price, and a California plate “MM” was recently offered at $24.3 Million. For some people, a car is not ful ly dressed without the perfect license plate.

Until recently, the State of Rhode Island offered vanity plates to drivers willing to pay a small fee but, since 2020, the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles has stopped issuing new vanity plates. The stoppage is the result of a lawsuit over the interpretation of the Rhode Island statute regulating the issu ance of vanity plates (General Laws § 31-317.1), which reads in part:

The DMV argued that the letters displayed on Rhode Island’s license plates constituted “government speech”, and that the state may choose in its discretion how it expresses itself.

The Court rejected the DMV’s argument and found in Carroll’s favor,

MOTORHEAD

“the administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall, in his or her discretion, refuse to issue any letter or combination of letters and numbers that might carry connotations and decency.”

In 2020, the meaning of the “good taste and decency” language was challenged in a federal court lawsuit entitled Carroll v. Craddock . The legal dispute arose when the Division of Motor Vehicles attempted to confiscate a plate it had already issued because it deemed the plate as potentially offensive.

The plate owner, Sean Carroll, had applied for and been issued a vanity plate for his Tesla Model 3 that read “FKGAS”. Several months after it issued the plate, the DMV demanded that Carroll return it because, it had determined, the first two letters of the plate could be read as shorthand for a profane word. (Carroll claimed FK actually meant “fake gas”.) The DMV threatened to revoke Carroll’s registration if he did not comply. Rather than back down, Carroll filed a lawsuit in the Rhode Island Federal District Court seeking an injunction and arguing that Rhode Island’s statute was unconstitutionally vague.

In the suit, Carroll claimed that the DMV’s refusal to allow him to use the FKGAS plate violated his first Amendment Rights. He also noted that the DMV’s track record for deciding what was in “good taste” and “decent” had been wildly inconsistent. For example, the DMV prohibited plates reading AIDS, CHRIST, GAY, JESUS, LESBIAN, REDNECK and YANKEE, but it has issued plates that read CHRIST, JEWISH, REDNEC, and REDNEK. It has prohibited CHUBBY and SLOB, but it allowed FATT and OLDFRT. There appeared to be little rhyme or reason to how the agency made its decisions.

In granting Carroll’s request for a preliminary injunction, the Court found that he had demonstrated that the language of the vanity plate statute was too vague to be enforced.

Following the Court’s decision, the DMV agreed to the terms of a Consent Judgment in which it conceded that the “good taste and decency” portion of the statute was unconstitutional and would no longer be enforced. The DMV then stopped issuing vanity plates, at least temporarily, while it considers its options. The agency has solicited comments from the public about what standards should be used to determine whether a vanity plate was acceptable. Now that the public comment period is over, it is unclear what the agency will do next. But the amount of money the state generates through the sale of vanity plates is significant, so it is likely that the agency will commence issuing plates soon.

As for Sean Carroll, he not only got to keep his plate, but the DMV was ordered to pay his attorneys’ fees.

Sometimes you can beat city hall.

1 duPont REGISTRY, https://blog.dupontregistry.com/features/645429/the-worlds-most-expensive-volvo-isfor-sale-20-million/

(Joe Daigle is an attorney in North Kingstown, Rhode Island handling personal injury claims in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The information provided on this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.)

Simulation for illustrative purposes only, by Mike Poulin, Universal Communications

CARS THAT GIVE US HOPE

By ALLEN HARRIS @ VIPPRIMO Executive Automotive Society

If you’ve opened up the internet or loaded up your favorite social media website you may notice that car news is more like a wall of white noise. The majority may be about electric and hydrogen powered cars with a little sugar coating of hybrid technology, which is all really automakers prepping for their version of the big bang, you may wonder what news is good news. Truth is, this is a moment to capitalize on things that true car enthusiasts still love and fill a void that’s slowly moving in. So let’s review a couple here and see what we still love.

Big Engines, Big Love

So what do you do if you just produced a ton of big power engines and suddenly you’re told to mothball them? Easy, you quickly turn the power up to ten and press the “send it” button. Almost everyone is doing things they either didn’t plan to do or things they never considered doing. Porsche put their biggest motor in their 718 Cayman just because it’s all they had left to do. Dodge ended 2022 with a “Last Call” Horsepower locator while at the same time hinted at a 900 horsepower E85 powered vehicle. Ford is releasing a “Dark Horse” model Mustang with 500 horsepower. It’s my guess we’ll keep seeing this trend up to the

2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Photo source: https://media.ford.com

last second to boost sales and it will continue to prove that demand for the internal combustion engine is still relevant. At the same time supply chains are having a rough time and premium power will come with premium pricing.

Classic Style, Classic Support

The aftermarket parts industry is a $427 billion dollar industry. It’s also an industry that will find no love in the electric car future. EVs don’t have a lot of moving parts and not a lot of tuning options either. As many big companies move toward an electric only future the parts world will need to look toward the past to support their future. We’ve seen companies like Porsche already supporting their classic car industry and keeping supply lines as smooth as possible and doing so successfully. Engine providers offering bigger power and

easier conversions also look like a potential future.

Build it Yourself Cars

The kit car industry has always been a struggling industry, but with new technology, 3D printing, the ability to literally build your own car or customize your car however you like isn’t a far-fetched future, it’s the solid present. A young and entrepreneurial type can simply Continued Next Page

itself in big demand. Brands like Factory Five could see an influx of buyers looking for ready-made kits where they can order the largest combustion engine and put that unmolested power to the ground with an armada of shops that are willing to take on any build they can get their hands on.

The Car Club is Back!

It seems that everyone is trying to get on the car club bandwagon. Support has always been something that the car scene needed more than anything else and usually we did this through engaging groups and friends that formed into clubs and organizations. That changed as the internet came into play, but the quick realization that it’s too accessible by arm chair technicians that knew little about the applied science sent us back to the street. This has slowly become more and more about supporting the community through businesses. Hagerty has been opening galleries where your favorite enthusiast friends don’t just store their cars for the winter, but can see displays of vehicles, storage and in-house technicians. The idea of dropping something off is taking a back seat to a community sitting

a museum quality piece in the waiting room. It’s compelling and we hope to see more. These are just the start of what the future holds. BMW has stated that they’ll be offering manual transmission to at least 2030 and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Porsche and other high end brands want a piece of that action as well. Many brands still want to pay exceptional homage to past vehicles and this could become a running thought to always offer one or two combustion engines that will require special order and pick up in gas friendly states. This little loopholes could

Photo source: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news

ed to push up pricing. Seeing an old Honda or Datsun going for the $100,000 range is becoming more and more common, meaning the car you have now could be worth more than you think in a world where we usually think it is worth more than it is. It will make for an interesting dynamic to say the least. What will be important about this future is we be ready for that future and remember that we may need to fight for it more and more to make sure that we can keep our precious cars legal. Let’s hope our next generation is ready for it. We will have to see.

Photo source: https://www.bmwblog.com

ZOOMIN’

ACCURATE TRANSMISSION

Photos provided by Ed Yessaian and

TIRE TECH

By DAVE MccLAIN

Choosing your next set of tires is always a challenge. Especially for older cars. I have been searching re cently for a new set of tires for my 1996 Pontiac Trans Am WS-6. Originally, it came from the factory with Goodyear High Performance Summer GS-C tires P275/40/17, which ironically were quite good in all weather conditions...even 4-5 inches of snow.

This was an exceptionally good tire and I remem ber buying a second set after about 48,000 miles. If I’m not mistaken…I believe they were a 180 or 220 thread wear rating. Not exactly a high mileage compound, but I rotated the tires and only did the occasional burnout at New England Dragway. These tires were amazing! Their unique tread pat tern was developed for Formula 1 and Indy Car wet weather racing.

At high speeds, they literally would expel water off the outer edge of the tire. Hydro-planing would only become an issue after about 30,000 miles of wear. As with any rear wheel drive car, snow traction was always a little complicated especially since I live at the top of a hill.

Hazzard style driving came in handy, but surprisingly if these tires were under 30,000 miles I would make it up my snow covered hill on many occasions. I believe I only got stuck once over the years.

My 3rd set of tires of tires for my Trans Am was a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 Steel. At the time these were the replacement for the GS-C. Can’t remember the tread wear specs, but I was not impressed with these tires. Dry, wet, and snow traction were a few steps below the original tires. They were considerably worse than the GS-C and I believe they were discontinued after only a few years.

Around 75,000 miles on the car I upgraded to a 383 Stroker LT1 with a ported intake, AFR 190 ported cylinder heads, Hooker long tube headers, and a baby Lingenfelter cam. Very mild set up made 350ftlbs and 312HP at the rear wheels. Not really impressive by today’s stan-

dards, but the car picked up a 1 second in the quarter mile and 9 mph on the GS-C street tires.

In 2005, I rebuilt my 383 with a larger camshaft, 195 AFR LT-4 heads, custom ported LT-4 intake, and a Vortech T-Trim supercharger. Now the car makes around 620 rwhp and needs a set of good street tires. Looks like I only have two choices for the rear. Either Mickey Thompson E/T Street SS or Nitto NT555RII. I have talked to a few local racers and they say the Mickey offer the best traction at the dragstrip but the Nitto’s are a better overall street tire for handling and tire balance. I think my best option is a second set of rear rims with Mickey’s on them for drag strip use. For street driving I think my best bet is the Nitto NT555 G2 up front and a NT555RII drag radials in the back.

Precision Dyno offers custom tuning for most late model GM, Ford, and Dodge vehicles. Contact Precision Dyno for all your tuning needs at 401996-2166.

Goodyear GS-C Tire

Mickey Thompson ET Street

Nitto NT555RII Drag Radial

In our towing division, Shea's Towing, we offer 24/7 On-Call Roadside Assistance, Lockouts, Jump Starts, Tire Changes, Winching, Local & State Law Enforcement Towing, Light, Medium, & Heavy Duty Towing, Contruction & Rental Equipment Hauling, and Construction Material Towing.

In our mechanic division, S&D Road Service & Auto Sales, we offer Scheduled Service Maintenance, RI State Inspections, Engine and Transmission Repairs, Brakes and Suspension Repairs, Electrical & Computer Diagnostics, OnRoad Mechanic Services, and Auto Sales & Vehicle Sourcing

In our collision repair division, S&D Collision Center, we offer Collision Repair, Paintless Dent Removal, Digital Color Matching, Computerized Frame Alignment, Small Bumper to Heavy Damage

Repair, Complimentary Pickup & Delivery, Rental Car Arrangements, Interior Repair

THE HONDA SUPER CUB

The Honda Super Cub or Honda Cub is a Honda underbone motorcycle with a four-stroke single-cylinder engine ranging in displacement from 49 to 124 cc (3.0 to 7.6 cu in). In continuous manufacture since 1958 with production surpassing 60 million in 2008, 87 million in 2014, and 100 million in 2017, the Super Cub is the most produced motor vehicle* in history. Variants include the C100, C50, C65 , C70, C90, C100EX and C70 Passport, as well as the Honda Trail series.

The Super Cub’s US advertising campaign, You meet the nicest people on a Honda, had a lasting impact on Honda’s image and on American attitudes to motorcycling, and is often used as a marketing case study.

DEVELOPMENT

The idea for a new 50-cubic-centimetre (3.1 cu in) motorcycle was conceived in 1956 when Honda Motor’s Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa toured Germany and witnessed the popularity of mopeds and lightweight motorcycles. Soichiro Honda was primarily the engineering and production leader of the company, always with an eye towards winning on the racetrack, while his close partner Fujisawa was the man of finance and business, heading up sales and formulating strategies intended to dominate markets and utterly destroy

Honda Motor’s competitors. Fujisawa had been thinking about a long term expansion strategy, and unlike other Japanese companies, they did not want to simply boost production to cash in on the recent economic boom in Japan. A small, high-performance motorcycle was central to his plans. Upwardly mobile consumers in postwar Europe typically went from a bicycle to a clip-on engine, then bought a scooter, then a bubble car, and then a small car and onwards. Fujisawa saw that a motorcycle did not fit in this pattern for the average person, and he saw an opportunity to change that. Soichiro Honda was at the time tired of listening to Fujisawa talk about his new motorcycle idea; Honda came to Europe to win the Isle of Man TT race and he wanted to think about little else.

1954 KREIDLER K50

http://www.indianapolis-hondasales.com/index.php?p=articles/honda-news/youmeet-the-nicest-people-on-a-hondahttps://web.archive.org/web/20100516175221/ http://indianapolis-hondasales.com/index.php?p=articles/honda-news/you-meetthe-nicest-people-on-a-honda, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34527501

Fujisawa and Honda visited Kreidler and Lambretta showrooms, as well as others, researching the kind of motorcycle Fujisawa had in mind. Fujisawa said these designs had “no future” and would not sell well. His concept was a two-wheeler for everyman, one that would appeal to both developed and developing countries, urban and rural. The new motorcycle needed to be technologically simple to survive in places without up-to-date know-how and access to advanced tools or reliable spare parts supplies. The common consumer complaints of noise, poor reliability, especially in the electrics, and general difficulty of use would have to be addressed. Because Honda was a large company growing larger, it needed a mass-appeal product that could be produced on an enormous scale. The design had to be sorted out before production began because it would be too costly to fix problems in the vast numbers that were to be manufactured. The scooter type nearly fitted the bill but was too complex for developing countries to maintain, and the small wheels did poorly on badly maintained or nonexistent roads. Another of Fujisawa’s requirements was that it could be ridden with one hand while carrying a tray of soba noodles, saying to Honda, “If you can design a small motorcycle, say 50 cc with a cover to hide the engine and hoses and wires inside, I can sell it. I don’t know how many soba noodle shops there are in Japan, but I bet you that every shop will want one for deliveries.”

Once interested, Soichiro Honda began developing the Super Cub on

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By Mj-bird - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12356587

his return to Japan. The following year Honda displayed a mockup to Fujisawa that finally matched what he had in mind, Fujisawa declaring the annual sales would be 30,000 per month, half again as many as the entire monthly two-wheeler market in Japan. His goal was to export motorcycles on a scale yet unseen in the economic disorder of postwar Japan when most companies halting trade efforts were handled through foreign trading companies. Honda would have to establish its own overseas subsidiary to provide the necessary service and spare parts distribution in a large country like the US. To this end American Honda Motor Company was founded in 1959. In 1961 a sales network was established in Germany, then in Belgium and the UK in 1962, and then France in 1964.

The Honda Juno had been the first scooter to use polyester resin, or fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), bodywork, and even though production of the Juno had stopped in 1954 as a result of Honda Motor’s financial and labor problems at the time, Fujisawa continued to encourage research in polyester resin casting techniques, and these efforts bore fruit for the Super Cub. The new motorcycle’s fairing would be polyethylene, the most widely used plastic, which reduced weight over FRP, but Honda’s supplier had never made such a large die cast before, so the die had to be provided by Honda. The Super Cub was the first motorcycle ever to use a plastic fairing. Motorcycling historian Clement Salvadori wrote that the plastic front fender and leg shields were, “perhaps the Cub’s greatest contribution; plastic did the job just as well as metal at a considerably lower cost.” The technology developed in the Isle of Man TT racing program was equally vital to the new lightweight motorcycle, making possible 3.4 kilowatts (4.5 hp) from a 50 cc four-stroke Honda engine, where the first engine the company built a decade earlier, a “fairly exact copy” of the 50 cc two stroke war-surplus Tohatsu engine Honda had been selling as motorized bicycle auxiliary engine, had only a 0.37–0.75 kilowatts (0.5–1 hp) output. Honda’s first four-stroke, the 1951 E-type, had just a little more power than the Super Cub, 3.7 kilowatts (5 bhp), with nearly triple the displacement, 146 cc (8.9 cu in).

To make the new motorcycle, Honda built a new ¥10 billion factory in Suzuka, Mie to manufacture 30,000, and with two shifts, 50,000, Super Cubs per month. The factory was modeled on the Volkswagen Beetle production line in Wolfsburg, Germany. Until then, Honda’s top models had sold only 2,000 to 3,000 per month, and observers thought the cost of the new plant too risky an expenditure. Edward Turner of BSA went to Japan to see the motorcycle industry in September 1960, and said that investments the size of the Suzuka plant were “extremely dangerous” because the US motorcycle market was already saturated. When completed in 1960, the Suzuka Factory was the largest motorcycle factory in the world and was a model for Honda’s mass production facilities of the future. The economies of scale achieved at Suzuka cut 18% from the cost of producing each Super Cub when Suzuka could be run at full capacity, but in the short term Honda faced excess inventory problems when the new factory went into

operation before the full sales and distribution network was in place.

DESIGN

LATE 2000S SUPER CUB

The Super Cub has been compared to the Ford Model T, Volkswagen Beetle and the Jeep as an icon of 20th century industry and transport. The C100 used a pressed steel monocoque chassis, with the horizontal engine placed below the central spine, a configuration now called the “step through” or “underbone” motorcycle. By some criteria, the type of motorcycle the Super Cub falls into is difficult to classify, landing somewhere between a scooter and a motorcycle, and sometimes it was called a moped, “step-thru”, or scooterette.

The plastic fairing ran from below the handlebars and under the footpegs, protecting the rider’s legs from wind and road debris, as well as hiding the engine from view. This design was like the full enclosure of a scooter, but unlike a scooter, the engine and gearbox unit was not fixed to the rear axle. This had several benefits. It moved the engine

down and away from the seat, detaching the rear swingarm motion from the drivetrain for lower unsprung weight. It also made engine cooling air flow more direct, and made it possible to fit larger wheels. Placing the engine in the center of the frame, rather than close to the rear wheel, greatly improved front-rear balance. The fuel tank was located under the hinged seat, which opened to reveal the fuel filler inlet. The 17 inch wheels, in comparison to the typical 10 inch wheels of a scooter, were more stable, particularly on rough roads, and psychologically made the motorcycle more familiar, having an appearance closer to a bicycle than a small-wheel scooter.

THE SUPER CUB EARLY PUSH-ROD ENGINE

The pushrod overhead valve (OHV) air-cooled four-stroke single cylinder engine had a 40-by-39-millimetre (1.6 in × 1.5 in) bore × stroke, displacing 49 cubic centimetres (3.0 cu in), and could produce 3.4 kilowatts (4.5 hp) at 9,500 rpm, for maximum speed of 69 km/h (43 mph), under favorable conditions. The low compression ratio meant

the engine could consume inexpensive and commonly available low octane fuel, as well as minimizing the effort to kick start the engine, making the extra weight and expense of an electric starter an unnecessary creature comfort. Though some of the many Super Cub variations came with both kick and electric start, the majority sold well without it. Even the latest 2011 model year Japanese domestic market (JDM) Super Cub 50 and Super Cub 110 versions, with modern technology and conveniences like fuel injection and a fuel gauge, were not offered with an electric start option.

The sequential-shifting three- or four-speed gearbox was manually shifted, but clutchless, without the need for a clutch lever control, using instead a centrifugal clutch along with a plate clutch slaved to the footshift lever to engage and disengage the gearbox from the engine. While not intuitive to learn, once the rider got used to it, the semi-automatic transmission, “took the terror out of motorcycling” for novice riders. Unlike many scooters CVTs, the centrifugal clutch made it possible to push start the Super Cub, a useful advantage if the need arose.

The early Super Cubs used a 6 volt ignition magneto mounted on the flywheel, with a battery to help maintain power to the lights, while later ones were upgraded to capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) systems. The lubrication system did not use an oil pump or oil filter, but was a primitive splash-fed system for both the crankcase and gearbox, with a non-consumable screen strainer to collect debris in the engine oil. Both the front and rear brakes were drums. On both the front and rear wheels were 2.25” × 17” wire spoke wheels, with full-width hubs.

Honda recommended daily checks of the lights, horn, tire pressure, brakes, fuel and

Rt. 495 to exit 19, Route 109W, left to Birch St, right to Industrial Dr, left to Commercial Way

By Dbratland - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index. php?curid=9013767

oil level, and a weekly check of the battery electrolyte level. The new engine break-in maintenance was done at 320 kilometres (200 mi), requiring adjustment of the valve tappets and contact breaker points, and an oil change, and the rider was advised to stay under 48 kilometres per hour (30 mph) for the first 800 kilometres (500 mi). Every 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) the spark plug needed cleaning, and the chain adjustment checked, and every 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) an oil change, breaker point check, and valve adjustment was due. At 8,000 kilometres (5,000 mi), major maintenance was due, requiring the removal and cleaning of the carburetor, drive chain, exhaust silencer, and wheel bearings. The rider closed a manual choke to aid in starting at cold temperatures. By the standards of the day, this was a simple motorcycle, with minimal maintenance demands, and it earned a reputation for high reliability.

50 CC CA100, US VERSION

In June 1963 in US media, Honda began the 12-year-long advertising campaign You meet the nicest people on a Honda, created by Robert Emmenegger, creative director, Grey Advertising. Grey had bought the idea from an UCLA undergraduate student named Mike Curb, who had created the concept for a class assignment. The event marked the beginning of the decline of domestic and British motorcycle brands in the US market, and the rise of Honda and the other Japanese companies. In December 1965, Edward Turner said the sale of small Japanese motorcycles was good for BSA, by attracting new riders who would graduate to larger machines, not anticipating that the Japanese would advance over the next 5 years to directly threaten British bikes with technically sophisticated models such as the Honda CB750, and the Kawasaki Z1.

Specific elements of the Super Cub’s design were integral to the campaign, such as the enclosed chain that kept chain lubricant from being flung on the rider’s clothing, and the leg shield that similarly blocked road debris and hid the engine, and the convenience of the semi-automatic transmission. Presenting the Super Cub as a consumer appliance not requiring mechanical aptitude and an identity change into “a motorcyclist”, or worse, “a biker”, differentiated Honda’s offering, because, “the dedication required to maintain bikes of that era limited ownership to a relatively small demographic, often regarded as young men known for their black leather jackets and snarling demeanors.”

Rather than remaining limited to trying to convince traditional downmarket male buyers to switch to Honda from other brands with the macho approach of most motorcycle advertising at the time, Honda broke new ground. The ad campaign sought to improve the image of motorcycling in general and expand the overall size of the motorcycle market by attracting new riders. In a stroke of good fortune for Honda, Brian Wilson and Mike Love composed the 1964 song “Little Honda”, extolling the joys of riding the Honda

DEVIL’S SHOOTOUT

SPONSORED BY SUITED DEVILS TATTOO & PIERCING

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21ST AT NEW ENGLAND DRAGWAY, EPPING, NH

INDEX CLASSES

$100.00 Buy-In plus New England Dragway Test Session fees- WINNER TAKE ALL!!

8.50 INDEX

1. 400 Pro Tree, heads up start with 7 second auto start.

2. NHRA Pro ladder.

3. Deep staging allowed, but auto-start will be on at all times. Courtesy staging

4. Minimum weight 2800lbs

5. Full bodied street appearing cars only. No roadsters, altereds or dragsters allowed.

6. Full round tube chassis PROHIBITED.

7. Stock style front suspension mandatory, bolt on aftermarket parts permitted.

8. Trans brake & two step permitted.

9. Throttle stops/controllers, delay boxes/devices PROHIBITED.

10. After market automatic shifters or shifting devices PROHIBITED. Car must either be shifted by driver or must be a function of OEM stock equipment.

11. Mufflers mandatory on all vehicles except turbo charged vehicles inserts are not mufflers.

12. Gasoline, E85 and alcohol permitted. Nitro-methane PROHIBITED.

13. Maximum tire size of 33x10.5w or any size drag radial.

**Car & Driver must meet NHRA & track safety rules- NO EXCEPTIONS**

10.00 & 11.50 INDEX

1. 500 Pro Tree, heads up start with 7 second auto start.

2. Full bodied street appearing cars only.

3. Finished interiors with either a full front bench seat or 2 front seats mandatory.

4. Mufflers mandatory except on turbo charged entries, inserts are not mufflers.

5. DOT tire maximum size 30x13.5, any size drag radial or slicks maximum size of 29.5x10.5(non w)

6. Gasoline, E85 & alcohol permitted. Nitro-methane PROHIBITED.

7. Stock frame and back half cars permitted. Full round or square tube chassis PROHIBITED.

8. Tubbed cars permitted.

9. Throttle stops/controllers, delay boxes/devices PROHIBITED.

10. After market automatic shifters or shifting devices PROHIBITED. Car must either be shifted by driver or must be a function of OEM stock equipment.

11. Any type power adder permitted

12. NHRA Pro ladder.

13. Deep staging allowed, but auto-start will be on at all times. Courtesy staging

14. Wheelie bars PROHIBITED.

**Car & Driver must meet NHRA & track safety rules- NO EXCEPTIONS**

PRO DIAL

$100.00 Buy-In plus New England Dragway Test Session fees- WINNER TAKE ALL!!

1. 500 Pro Tree, dial your car

2. Full bodied street appearing cars only.

3. Mufflers mandatory except on turbo charged entries, inserts are not mufflers.

4. Throttle stops/controllers, delay boxes/devices PROHIBITED.

5. After market automatic shifters or shifting devices PROHIBITED. Car must either be shifted by driver or must be a function of OEM stock equipment.

6. Trans brake & two step permitted.

7. Deep staging allowed, but auto-start will be on at all times. Courtesy staging

**Car & Driver must meet NHRA & track safety rules- NO EXCEPTIONS**

DEVIL’S UNLIMITED- HEADS UP

$250.00 Buy-In plus New England Dragway Test Session fees- WINNER TAKE ALL!!

1. .400 Pro Tree

2. Trans-brakes and two-steps permitted

3. Any style rear suspension

4. E85 permitted

5. 2 stages of nitrous permitted with no shot restriction

6. No maximum Turbo size

7. Super charger cog drivers OK

8. No exhaust restrictions

9. Any size drive tire, no wheel width restriction

10. All makes and models welcome

11. Street appearing cars only. No roadsters, altereds or dragsters allowed.

12. Gentleman’s Agreement on Traction Control deactivation

**Car & Driver must meet NHRA & track safety rules- NO EXCEPTIONS** WHEELIE COMPETITION

$50.00 Buy-In AFTER ELIMINATIONS ARE COMPLETED- WINNER TAKE ALL!!

1. Must complete one qualifying pass in competition to be eligible

2. Judged on height and distance by panel of three peer racers

3. Photo and video for review to the best of our ability

CRUISIN’ WITH XANDER

HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY “CRUISE NIGHT GENE”

Photos provided by Ed Yessaian

Arcadian

Blue Bird

Photos by Kayla Conti

“Easy steering feel, great ride quality and into this vehicle on the drawing board

By JOHN CONTI

Two pretty ladies with a sincere love for the classic 1960s cars decided upon this beautiful ’66 Thunderbird convertible as their cruising vehicle to share the summer sunshine days. After enjoying previous vehicle ownerships including early 70’s T-birds, 90 small body Jaguar, PT Cruisers and Volvo convertibles, nothing met the Melissa and Sherri’s criteria like this Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheeled, blue convertible with the Ford Bright White top (Ford had three whites during this era). The vertical one inch, white vinyl interior pleats with the radius corner back seat is absolutely beautiful from most perspectives and is symmetrically correct with the entire interior dimensionally. The polished, anodized aluminum

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good high-speed stability were all factored and were very advanced for its era...”

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chrome trim that surrounds the front and rear seat uprights accents this interior in a fashion that Ford also practiced during this era, but made it look pleasing to the eye.

Under the hood, the 390 “FE” fourbarrel engine produces in excess of 300 horsepower for cruising and passing power when needed and supports the power steering, power brakes, power seats and all windows and electrical systems. The retraction of the convertible top represents a combination of mechanical, hydraulic, and actuator motors and cylinders, resulting in a total function that intrigues any onlooker when witnessed, with the deck lid rising to accept the folded top and the “flip

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lid” covering the rear top window area’s lower compartment.

The 3-speed C6 automatic transmission provides smooth upshifts and acceleration at any given throttle position, with its advanced (for the time) torque converter. A 9-inch Ford differential provides cruising 70 MPH effortless speeds with exciting off the line acceleration with its 3.00:1 gear ratio. Front disc brakes and rear drum brakes make smooth stopping power occur with minimal pedal effort due to a hydraulic vacuum booster braking system.

If you study the body lines that are stamped into each panel from side, front or rear views, you will see that Ford engineers have

emphasized the aircraft stance of design that was dominating during the late 1950s and most of the 60s; but also integrated the frontal chrome trim and bumpers, both front and rear, and added quite an elaborate tail light scheme. The dual horizontal headlights are spaced perfectly with the hood and fenders shape and keep the same styling concept throughout the whole body. Windshield angle was laid way back, which is enhanced by the side glass chrome trim.

Easy steering feel, great ride quality and good high-speed stability were all factored into this vehicle on the drawing board and were very advanced for its era, along with hydraulic windshield wipers–which is what these lovely ladies enjoy now that this vehicle is parked in their garage. However, the wipers get no use since the top is always down.

HOT RODS & FLAMES

JIM WEICHERDING

When it comes to hot rods and hot rod shops, one of the first things that comes to my mind are the cool flames graphics features on vehicles and shop, garage and man cave items and walls. Flames are the most popular graphics you will ever see when it comes to hot rods, street rods, trucks, motorcycles and muscle cars nationwide.

Flames have been featured on hot rods since the early 50’s and 60’s during the introduction of hot rodding. It all began when builders transformed stock manufacturing vehicles into souped up hot rods eliminating as much factory stock appearances, added features with motor modifications along with increased horsepower and drag racing capabilities at the makeshift drag ways and race tracks across America. These flames graphics were a sign of rebellion against the establishment with younger vehicle owners adding these paint schemes to separate themselves from everyone else on the road and making their hot rods their own personal

Photos provided by Jim Weicherding

with tape and newspaper or magazine pages protecting the rest of the hot rod paint jobs.

Flames schemes eventually became part of the entire hot rod universe when these same graphics were applied to many shop, garage and man cave decorations on display with a personal touch and appearances. Flames have always been a popular graphic theme when it comes to hot rods and remains popular to this very day with these automotive enthusiasts. I don’t think I have ever seen two identical flame schemes on any two hot rods or classic car or truck. Probably why flames are so cool to look at on pretty much anything you can think of when it comes to hot rods and hot rod decor.

schemes with enamel spray paints and hand held paint brushes. Some, had the option of applying these flames by using spray cans and

Biker Safety: Look Twice… Save Lives!

JIM WEICHERDING

It’s the month of March everyone. Spring is here and so are the folks out enjoying their motorcycles on our streets, roadways and highways. It has actually been very mild this winter and plenty of motorcycles have been seen and heard across the state and region over the previous few weeks.

Saw many bikers ride by my shop and studio on plenty of days in the month of February. It’s rare to see but it happened frequently in January and February of this year. I’d like to remind everyone reading this article to please “Look Twice” when driving in your cars and trucks this spring, summer and fall. It could save a life, if not lives, of those riding on their motorcycles.

Try to keep a safe distance behind motorcycle riders and passengers when you roll up behind them. Don’t crowd bikers and stay as far behind them as possible. If they need to stop

motorcycles. I would also suggest giving all bikers the right-of-way when you see them approaching from other streets and roadways heading your way. I always wave them on first at intersections to try and avoid a collision and let them know my intentions before I put my foot on my gas pedal. I’m driving a big fourwheel drive pick up truck and they are riding on a two-wheel motorcycle. Even if trikes, or quads are near me, I give them the go-ahead because they are still on a vehicle without very much protection and it’s safer for them and myself when we are both on the open road at the same time.

Highways are extremely dangerous for bikers so please use caution and keep your distance from them when traveling at the higher rates of speed. Always follow speed limits and stay safe around motorcycle riders and their passengers. If you happen to be a biker, please wear a helmet, obey speed limits and ride safely this motorcycle season. Your family and friends want you around for a long time. Stay

Photos provided by Jim Weicherding

The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world’s largest industries by revenue (from 16% such as in France up to 40% to countries like Slovakia).

The word automotive comes from the Greek autos (self), and Latin motivus (of motion), referring to any form of self-powered vehicle. This term, as proposed by Elmer Sperry (1860–1930), first came into use with reference to automobiles in 1898.

History

The automotive industry began in the 1860s with hundreds of manufacturers that pioneered the horseless carriage. For many decades, the United States led the world in total automobile production. In 1929, before the Great Depression, the world had 32,028,500 automobiles in use, and the U.S. automobile industry produced over 90% of them. At that time, the U.S. had one car per 4.87 persons. After 1945, the U.S. produced about 75 percent of world’s auto production. In 1980, the U.S. was overtaken by Japan and then became a world leader again in 1994. In 2006, Japan narrowly passed the U.S. in production and held this rank until 2009, when China took the top spot with 13.8 million units. With 19.3 million units manufactured in 2012, China almost doubled the U.S. production of 10.3 million units, while Japan was in third place with 9.9 million units. From 1970 (140 models) over 1998 (260 models) to 2012 (684 models), the number of automobile models in the U.S. has grown exponentially.

Early car manufacturing involved manual assembly by a human worker. The process evolved from engineers working on a stationary car, to a conveyor belt system where the car passed through multiple stations of

more specialized engineers. Starting in the 1960s, robotic equipment was introduced to the process, and today most cars are produced largely with automated machinery.

Safety

Safety is a state that implies being protected from any risk, danger, damage, or cause of injury. In the automotive industry, safety means that users, operators, or manufacturers do not face any risk or danger coming from the motor vehicle or its spare parts. Safety for the automobiles themselves implies that there is no risk of damage.

Safety in the automotive industry is particularly important and therefore highly regulated. Automobiles and other motor vehicles have to comply with a certain number of regulations, whether local or international, in order to be accepted on the market. The standard ISO 26262, is considered one of the best practice frameworks for achieving automotive functional safety.[8]

In case of safety issues, danger, product defect, or faulty procedure during the manufacturing of the motor vehicle, the maker can request to return either a batch or the entire production run. This procedure is called product recall. Product recalls happen in every industry and can be productionrelated or stem from raw materials.

Product and operation tests and inspections at different stages of the value chain are made to avoid these product recalls by ensuring end-user security and safety and compliance with the automotive industry requirements. However, the automotive industry is still particularly concerned about product recalls, which cause considerable financial consequences.

Economy

In 2007, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road, consuming over 980 billion litres (980,000,000 m3) of gasoline and diesel fuel yearly. The automobile is a primary mode of transportation for many developed economies. The Detroit branch of Boston Consulting Group had predicted that, by 2014, one-third of world demand would be in the four BRIC markets (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). Meanwhile, in developed countries, the automotive industry has slowed. It is also expected that this trend will continue, especially as the younger generations of people (in highly urbanized countries) no longer want to own a car anymore, and prefer other modes of transport. Other potentially powerful automotive markets are Iran and Indonesia. Emerging automobile markets already buy more cars than established markets.

According to a J.D. Power study, emerging markets accounted for 51 percent of the global light-vehicle sales in 2010. The study, performed in 2010 expected this trend to accelerate. However, more recent reports (2012) confirmed the opposite; namely that the automotive industry was slowing down even in BRIC countries. In the United States, vehicle sales peaked in 2000, at 17.8 million units.

In July 2021, the European Commission released its “Fit for 55” legislation package, which contains important guidelines for the future of the automotive industry; all new cars on the European market must be zeroemission vehicles from 2035.

The governments of 24 developed countries and a group of major car manufacturers including GM, Ford, Volvo, BYD Auto, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz committed to “work towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero emission globally by 2040, and by no later than 2035 in leading markets”. Major car manufacturing nations like the US, Germany, China, Japan and South Korea, as well as Volkswagen, Toyota, Peugeot, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai, did not pledge.

Environmental impacts

The global automotive industry is a major consumer of water. Some estimates surpass 180,000 L (39,000 imp gal) of water per car manufactured, depending on whether tyre production is included. Production processes that use a significant volume of water include surface treatment, painting, coating, washing, cooling, air-conditioning, and boilers, not counting component manufacturing. Paintshop operations consume especially large amounts of water because equipment running on water-based products must also be cleaned with water.

In 2022, Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg ran into legal challenges due to droughts and falling groundwater levels in the region. Brandenburg’s Economy Minister Joerg Steinbach said that while water supply was sufficient during the first stage, more would be needed once Tesla expands the site. The factory would nearly double the water consumption in the Gruenheide area, with 1.4 million cubic meters being contracted from local authorities per year — enough for a city of around 40,000 people. Steinbach said that the authorities would like to drill for more water there and outsource any additional supply if necessary.

Source: Wikipedia

4x4 ‘66 Mustang

By ROB MAY and CHRIS MANTHEY

Off-Road Mustangs are not common. This 4x4 1966 Mustang’s stable is in Foreston, MN along with its owner, Chris Manthey. Previously, Loran Manthey’s Gold Mercury Cougar was featured in Motorhead. Loran helped his son on this project restoration. They both love classic cars. A White 1986 Mercury Cougar XR-7 with 302 motor and automatic transmission was Chris’s first car.

“My Dad helped me find that Cat. I had the Cougar for several years, then decided to sell the car and try something different.” Chris wishes he never sold the Cat. “It was starting to show rust. When I bought the car, it was pretty clean. That was my only classic car until the 1966 Ford Mustang 4x4.”

Loran’s best friend Rob Schminkey found the 4x4 car in a local paper at that time. “He was looking for a plow truck to plow his driveway. The story goes he saw an ad listing a ‘66 plow. As a collector of classic Mustangs (he had every year in between ‘64 1/2 to ’68), Rob had his interest in knowing what this was ‘66 plow vehicle.” It turned out to be a 1966 Ford

Continued Next Page

Mustang on a 1988 Chevy S10 4x4 truck. The previous owners were two young men who created this Mustang 4x4. Rob bought the car and drove it home. While owning the vehicle, he did use it to plow his own drive way. Rob started to do some body work; sadly, due to a bad heart, he passed on. “The car was willed to his wife, Lori. However, she did not want the car and so, it was given to me as a gift for helping her out with the other cars Rob had.”

The Mustang was in rough shape with rust when he received the car in 2018. “At first we let the car sit for a while, but in the spring of 2019, I said to my Dad ‘lets fix it up and make it look nice again.’ My Dad has always done bodywork and painting. They installed new wheel wells and quarter panels on both sides. They put in new interior and truck floors. Before the floors were added, the uni body (frame) of the Mustang needed some new rails so that the car would be more safe and stable to sit on the 4x4 frame.

“The previous owners who first built the car made the front bumper heavy duty with plow brackets on it so a plow could be put on and taken off. The Mustang factory lights did work, but my grandfather had some plow lights so we utilized them. At night, the extra lights really light up the road.”

Cherry Bombs on the exhaust means the Mustang is loud and has a bark to it. The tail end of the exhaust uses trampoline legs to allow them to stick straight up and even with the roofline. A curved top of the pipe ensures they don’t fill up with rainwater. The former emergency brake lever now activates the four-wheel drive. We installed a sunroof that lifts and closes with one handle. To open the trunk, my Dad used a hood latch and cable because we did not have a key and welded the trunk hole shut.”

“The car is a hoot to drive. It goes straight down the road as it should. The car is so much fun to drive because of its uniqueness of being a 4-wheel drive Mustang. Yes, it is street legal. The color was a light blue, now it looks nice in black. I get a lot of people giving us thumbs up. I show the car with my wife Keirsten next to me when I drive the car. I haven’t had the chance to get to many car shows with it yet. For now, it is parked for the winter to keep it nice looking as long as I can. The Mustang’s main attribute is that is different from all the rest of the others because of the height of the body and the aggressive tires.”

A MOTORHEAD PRAYER

“Dear heavenly Hot Rod Jesus, please bless Motorhead readers, families, staff and advertisers with health and happiness.

May we all have a life of prosperity and abundance.

Please protect us from all demons...except the ones from Mopar...they are ok.

May we all have a life of eternal combustion and deliver us all from electric cars.” ~ Amen

By GEORGINA and ROB MAY

On a clear sunny Mid-February day, the May family traveled northbound in California along highway 101. In a flash, a glimpse of an early seventies Citroen heading southbound proved that these rare vehicles were not extinct as previously feared. While this particular sleek looking vehicle escaped into the wild, the encounter inspired them to seek out other Citroens to feature. Luckily, a Citroen den was found at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard California (30 minutes south of Santa Barbara). Georgina Garcia May Photography provides us with a look of these fantastic cars while they are hibernating awaiting Spring.

Founded in 1919, Citroen is known for making unique vehicles. In 1934, the firm established its reputation for innovative technology with the Traction Avant. Citroen was the world’s first car to be mass-produced with front-wheel drive, four-wheel independent suspension, as well as unibody construction, omitting a separate chassis, and instead using the body of the car itself as its main load-bearing structure. The world’s first hydropneumatics self-levelling suspension system arrived in 1954. This was soon followed in 1955 with the revolutionary DS model, the first mass-

DEN

produced car with modern disc brakes. Later, in the late sixties, Citroen introduced swiveling headlights.

Known as a luxury vehicle, they also tended to be sporty. Citroen purchased Maserati in 1968. In the 1970s, they were interested in putting more power through their front wheel drive system. Maserati’s V6 engines were added to the Citroen platform. The front track was wider than the rear creating a tapered look. These high performance coupes were produced from 1970 to 1975.

No jack to change tires? Citroens have the uncanny ability to raise and lower their own tires. A jack stand was included with the vehicle; however, a jack wasn’t needed. This built-in “trick” also gives a Citroen the capability of driving on only three wheels!

Their advertising marketing program was no less remarkable. The name “Citroen” shined brightly along the Eiffel Tower with the addition of 250,000 lights on the Eiffel Tower. This platform formed the world’s largest advertising sign, as recorded in Guinness World Records for nine years

Vintage Citroen popular in the movies

Photos by Georgina Garcia May

beginning in 1925. For a 1957 exhibition, a sculpture was built to highlight the aerodynamic body design. The futuristic body style helped to improve airflow increasing the cars top speed with better fuel mileage. This sculpture was updated five years later to display the updated nose.

Citroens appeared in several films ranging from comedy, action, and science fiction including Back to the Future James Bond, and Pink Panther. Typically,

three wheeled versions appear in comedies, antiques are in classics, while the sleek aero bodies often represent the future in these films. It is always interesting to see a car from the past represent time ahead.

While it was neat seeing these Citroens in a nearby museum, the real treat is having them appear in the wild. Perhaps films are correct, and we will see more out on the roads as time goes by.

Citroens in a line on the 2nd floor of Mullin museum

1957 Advertising Display

Citroen advertised very creatively

High end sport model Citroen

Citroen

Motorhead Car Show Calendar

JIM WEICHERDING

It’s that time of year again all of you diehard Motorheads. In just a couple of weeks, this region will see the start of the Cruisin’ Car Show Season and the launch of the 2023 car shows and cruise nights across the area. Motorhead Magazine is a big part of this automotive events seasons that begins in April and ends late October every year.

Last year, I launched our Motorhead Car Show calendar page and it was one of the most popular pages in the magazine. Everyone used this page as a car show and cruise night events referral guide to keep up-to-date on the automotive events happenings throughout the entire season.

Each month, starting in our April Issue, you will be able to find not only car shows and cruise nights dates across the region this year. You will also find race track events, swap

As of submission date here is a short list of confirmed events and car shows:

Thompson Speedway Ice Breaker; April 1 & 2

Ty-Rods Event; April 2, Stafford, CT.

Wheels of Time Car Show & Hebert’s Candy; Thursday Cruise Nights, Starts April 13

Bass Pro Shop Bi-Weekly Thursday Car Show, Starts April 20

Tri-State Cruisers Pomfret CT. Start Date, Saturday April 29

NSRA ( National Street Rod Association) Event April 29

Ford V-8 Club Event Fitchburg and a Swap Meet at New England Dragway are both on Sunday, April 30, 2023

model year and just your name and city, town, community or state that you live in. It’s that easy. You can send photos to jwpisces14@ aol.com with Motorhead Car Show Calendar in the subject box so your photos don’t end up in a spam twilight zone forever. We receive many emails, and space is limited, but don’t let that stop you from trying.

If we didn’t publish your ride last year just let me know and I can see what I can do for you this year. We might even reach out to you about featuring your vehicle in one of my upcoming Readers Rides articles this year too. Please submit sooner rather than later. I get real busy this time of year and want to make every possible effort to feature your ride on the Motorhead Car Show calendar page.

The

empty bottles of

that ar of unnecessar person hasn’t considered is the actual probability of their products being “expired” or well past use.

When perusing through your stash of goods on top of your toolbox and shelves, you might want to keep one basic question in mind. “How long have I had this?” One of the most prominent contaminants that will unfold right befor eadful har hydr oscopic mean? Hydr something that will readily take up and retain moisture.

A common hydroscopic fluid that would cause quite a conundrum is brake fluid. When brake fluid absorbs moisture, the boiling point of the fluid becomes lower and will cause the fluid to compr e within your braking system will give the fluid the ability to limit your braking power, and in tur n rust out your brake lines and all necessar y hardware and components. Being a New Englander during the winter months will accelerate your fluid’ -sucking habits and this is why it is discourage to keep larger containers on your garage shelf. If possible, buy the smallest bottles at your local Auto Par

One other thing that most Motorheads will store in case of emergencies is fuel. Yes, it may be necessar y to keep a gallon or two for that snow blower over these

Etch sees some parking lot lights shining about a half a mile ahead of him. It’s a restaurant. Time for some grub. He slows down and pulls the OUTLAW GTO behind the building to keep it out of sight long enough to get some food and water. He shuts the beast down with a turn of the key. Now, to make it inside the restaurant. Etch slowly makes his way to the entrance of the restaurant when he suddenly stops to watch three police cruisers race by the restaurant headed down the roadway quickly with overhead lights ashing and sirens on. He watches

them disappear around the bend in the road and walks into the restaurant. He sees an empty booth at the end of the counter right next to the back door. He looks around to see that the restaurant is packed with people and that particular seating spot is the only one not occupied. He walks over, sits down and grabs a menu o of the table top. “Would you like a cup of co ee?” Etch looks up to see a waitress with a co ee pot waiting for his reply; “Sure. That’s ca einated co ee, correct?” She replies, “Yes, it is.” “Then keep it coming, thanks.” Etch reads the

menu as the waitress walks away from his table. “That’s a mighty ne car you pulled into the parking lot with a few minutes ago. Isn’t that vehicle illegal to drive?” Etch looks up from his menu and sees a woman standing over him. “What’s it to you, if it’s illegal to drive or not?” She smiles at Etch, “Just starting a conversation with you hun. Not looking for any trouble.”

To be continued...

OUTLAW RUN Author, Jim Weicherding, Contact jwpisces14@aol.com

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