Happy New Year (exactly 1000 posts more in 2015 than 2014, by coicidence)

Paraguay is putting 2 World War II Sherman tanks into service for parade duty

Paraguay has 10 Stuart tanks, and decided to re-activate its M3 fleet in 2014, for operational training purposes.They were overhauled with refurbished engines and received M2 .50-calibre machine-guns in place of the original Browning .30-calibre.

The Shermans are serving with Paraguay’s Presidential Escort Regiment.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/wwii-sherman-tanks-back-action-2016-14768 

a lot of the archives of the Henry Ford will be, or are, available online

including,
450 rolls of film from the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair
 Ford Mustang heritage photography
and Countless historic Ford and Lincoln advertising images

http://thehenryford.org/

"The Henry Ford" consists of the Henry Ford Museum,
Greenfield Village,
 The Ford Rouge Factory Tour,
The Benson Ford Research Center
and The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre.

The Benson Ford Research Center, part of The Henry Ford, currently houses more than 14 million documents from Ford Motor Company. This project will enable The Henry Ford to devote more resources to making documents available to digital outlets. The digital assets will then serve the dual purpose of helping Ford connect with consumers and helping researchers worldwide access materials through the museum’s website.

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia-mobile/fna/us/en/news/2013/12/12/ford-archives--the-henry-ford-to-make-more-ford-history-accessib.html

Damn it, Swift had to end the year with a bang, (driver asleep at the wheel didn't make the curve in the road, driver lived, cab smashed)

Found on http://www.livetrucking.com/dash-cam-footage-captures-truck-drivers-head-first-collision-into-a-tree/ 

And some Cobra Jets, are boats.

I was immediately reminded of the Cadillac Boat http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/03/cadillac-boat-company.html  because of the name issue

Don't drive after you get drunk tonight, phone home instead

Here are designated drivers listed by country, or state, in the NDDDS National Directory of Designated Driver Services, with 612 listings, in 44 states, and 309 counties

http://www.drinkinganddriving.org/designated-driver-services/mobile.aspx

there are 2 in San Diego for example,

http://www.bemydd.com/

http://designateddriversservice.com/wine-tasting-in-temecula/

Designated Drivers of San Diego $180 minimum charge. Every hour in addition to the third hour add $35. (example. A 4 hour drive is $180 plus $35 =$215)

the Marx brothers

Found on https://www.facebook.com/groups/344169429110858/

Groucho and Harpo... and I'll just guess Jackie Cooper, and Greta Garbo,. or Betty Davis. I'm probably wrong on the guesses. 

Well played, truck driver

Found on https://www.facebook.com/Truckers-Had-Enough-E-Magazine-699103516829413/

the Sherman tank graveyard of Ireland, created when a ship sank

Found on http://www.argunners.com/sherman-tank-graveyard-empire-heritage-shipwreck/

Car makers of the most powerful engines, had horsepower ratings published at an engine speed below maximum... to try and fool the NHRA and the car insurance companies

Roger Huntington, author and automotive historian, researched these classic muscle engines to determine, scientifically rather than hearsay and rumor, if these monster motors were underrated, and  by how much.

By taking samples from many different areas – dyno tests of exact rebuilds of classic motors, drag race results, and 0-60 times, he developed an algorithm by which he could compare claims to reality.

the Chevrolet L-78 big block was being under-reported by 25 hp, 375 hp at 5600 rpm in the sale literature versus 400 hp at 5600 rpm in his evaluations.

Chevrolet L88 power was rated at just 430 hp @ 5200 rpm. Huntington calculated 480 hp at 6400 rpm

Ford claims 335 hp at 5200 rpm for the 428 Cobra Jet versus Huntington’s analysis which determined output closer to 410 hp at 5600 rpm. Note the difference in engine speed between the two specs. Another clue this engine was underrated, was the smaller 390 V8 with a four-barrel carb was also rated at 335 HP.

the Mopar 440 Magnum was tested only to 4600 rpm, which produced 375 HP. When Huntington’s research found the engine to produce power reliability to 5400 rpm, he revised maximum power to 410 horsepower.

 Chrysler told the public the Mopar 440 Six Pack was making 390 hp at 4700 rpm while in reality its actual capability was 430 hp at 5600 rpm.

Pontiac Ram Air 400 was also a victim of underrating, advertised at 366 HP at 5100 when in fact maximum power is 410hp @5600.

The Buick GSX 455 Stage 1 was overlooked because of its lowish published horsepower of 360 hp at 5000 rpm. In reality the big Buick produced 420 hp at 5400 rpm,

Olds told the public the 455 W-30 produced just 370 hp @ 5300 rpm, in reality the output at 5600 rpm was closer to 440 horsepower.

The Ford Mustang Boss 429 was sold to the public as producing 375 hp at 5200 rpm while in fact the 429 produced closer to 420 hp at 5600 rpm.

The spec sheet from Chrysler said the 426 hemi had 425 hp @ 5000 rpm but in reality the power keeps producing reliable power to 6000 rpm where the output is a whopping 470 horsepower.

http://gearheads.org/the-true-hp-of-the-10-most-powerful-classic-era-muscle-cars/

Steampunk sand sculpture

Found on https://www.facebook.com/SteampunkTendencies/

Seinfeld drops by the whitehouse with a Corvette

http://digg.com/video/obama-comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee

1930 Bronze Car Mascot by Darel

Found on https://www.facebook.com/groups/1447268078825074/?fref=nf

the most bad ass car I've seen in a long time... just hold on when you see it drift on 3 wheels, Greg Trapnell's Holden Monaro

La Carrera covered by Jeremy Heslup, who, I just learned is the frequent source of Petrolicious videos

he's a damn good photographer and equally as great at cinematography

http://valkyrproductions.com/
http://petrolicious.com/no-race-on-earth-is-like-la-carrera-panamericana

getting an ATV across the swamp, with out NOS, then with NOS, a comparison

http://speedsociety.com/does-nitrous-help-an-off-roading-atv/

in the MASH episode "Dear Dad" Radar mails home a Jeep, one piece at a time

Do you think anyone ever pulled that off? Sneaking an entire jeep, or any other vehicle, out of the Army and the war, and back to their family

A full size monument of the Fairey III-D seaplane to commemorate the first flight across the South Atlantic, Belém, Lisbon

The full-sized seaplane monument is constructed from enduring polished metal. It commemorates the pioneering efforts of the Portuguese Navy in a June 1922 first crossing of the South Atlantic. Three Portuguese Navy seaplanes set out, but only one, the Santa Cruz, completed the crossing from Lisbon via the Azores to land safely in Rio de Janeiro.

Found on https://www.facebook.com/groups/1447268078825074/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kentish/4098033641
http://www.navalofficer.com.au/category/s6-museums/c50-maritime-museums/

Sidecar, which was supposed to rival Uber and Lyft, has quit trying to compete

As of December 31 at 2 p.m. PST, Sidecar will officially discontinue on-demand ride and delivery services. The company’s CEO, Sunil Paul, announced the shutdown in a blog post Tuesday.

 Sidecar’s $35 million in funding paled in comparison to that of Lyft ($1.26 billion) and Uber ($10 billion). So while the latter two firms quickly expanded internationally, Sidecar’s market remained limited to 10 U.S. cities, focusing mainly on the West Coast.

http://www.thedrive.com/article/1485/sidecar-surrenders-to-uber-and-lyft-stops-service

More of Ken Blocks favorite photos from 2015... some really good photography here!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153381479810765.1073742069.139454585764&type=3

the I-40 Westbound was closed from about 3 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. near Albuquerque, New Mexico

a dual set of wheels along with a rim came off of an 18 wheeler, the wheels hit a pedestrian who was walking east on the shoulder of the westbound lanes.

Motorist Kimberly Brumlow witnessed the crash. She said that the tires flew straight at the pedestrian, hitting him head on and sending him flying into the air.

Brumlow said that she followed the truck for about 8 or 9 miles before the driver stopped. She said that the truck was leaning to the side because of the missing tires, but she did not believe that the truck driver realized what had happened.

http://cdllife.com/2015/featured/pedestrian-killed-by-runaway-truck-wheels/

Chuck Norris has taken up trucking as a retirement past time

Yeah, this guy rights his wonky trailer, all by himself. Gotta be Chuck Norris, right? 

Found on http://cdllife.com/2015/video/video-worlds-most-self-reliant-trucker-rights-tipped-trailer/

Get your 70s vibe back with this van cruise

the 1963 Rupp Dart Kart

Found on https://www.facebook.com/groups/321577158048111/

even mailing a letter was a part of a beautiful romanticized dream of cool transportation means, once when such things were new marvels of technology and machinery

I see a plane propeller, a ship, and on the bottom, a cool locomotive.

Found on https://lunaguitars.wordpress.com/2013/05/

Hope Memorial Bridge: Formerly the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge, Cleveland Ohio, the "Guardians of Traffic" statues designed by sculptor Henry Hering and architect Frank Walker

The 8 figures were carved in sandstone and created by sculptor Henry Hering and architect Frank Walker. They were meant to “typify the spirit of progress in transportation”, so each figure holds a different form of ground transport.

http://www.clevelandclimateaction.org/lorain-carnegie-bridge/

http://www.davidschwartzphoto.com/Fine-Art-Prints/Cleveland-Ohio/Cleveland-Hope-Memorial-Bridge/i-7mzDbCx

https://www.pinterest.com/chrisarnotlouis/deco-details/

The Hope Memorial Bridge was renovated and christened as such in the 1980's in honor of a family of Cleveland stonemasons, who also happened to be the family of native son, Bob Hope.

The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, the year that then County Engineer, Albert Porter, threated to remove the historic pylons, calling them "monstrosities".

Romanised assyrian genii, with wrap around wings, that guarded the cities and palaces were given mercury helmets, bookended the four pylons. The 43' pylons were cut from local, Berea, sandstone. The bridge was opened in 1932 after more than a decade of carping, and delays. This is the most monumental display of Cleveland deco.

http://rustbeltvoice.blogspot.com/2011/07/art-deco-cleveland.html

The first yacht hauling trailer from the 1930's I think I've ever seen.... very cool

Found on https://www.facebook.com/groups/yachtclubdesavionsdelaroute/?fref=nf

1967 drivers ed film from GM

found on https://www.facebook.com/groups/thefreewheelers/

The EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle

Found on https://www.facebook.com/groups/thefreewheelers/

the only way this is justifiable is if it's to cause your mom in law a cardiac arrest, or punish your ex for cheating... something vile like that.

found on https://www.facebook.com/groups/1631935880418477/  via  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thefreewheelers/

Keeping it inside the rails and not bouncing off anyone is just fine, now go buy a lotto ticket, it's obviously your lucky day

Found on http://www.legendaryspeed.com/changing-lanes-like-a-boss-with-an-insane-360-spin/

best Caterpillar trivia question I've ever learned... Why did the Caterpillar company decide to switch it's official colors to yellow and black, from gray and red?

Because yellow and black are the universal caution colors.

but also intriguing is that the Caterpillar basketball team from the 1950s, (the Peoria Cats) made up of all Caterpillar employees won the gold medal in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.

inside the Caterpillar Visitors center in Peoria, is the largest vehicle they have ever made... and it's so big they use it as a theater.. but this is also the coolest place I've seen in a while, and you can do a virtual tour thanks to Google

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20121014/News/310149967

You’ll start your tour in the theater where a Caterpillar representative will give a brief overview of the company. Very likely, your host will be a Caterpillar rehired retiree. Who can better tell you about the company than someone who had a long Caterpillar career, like Jean who worked at Caterpillar for 42 years, retired, and then came back when the Visitors Center opened in 2012? Your host will introduce you to an orientation film, where you’ll learn about Caterpillar, its products, and its customers.

https://www.enjoyillinois.com/thingstodo/details/6047281

http://www.visitflyovercountry.com/2014/05/peoria-il-caterpillar-visitors-center.html

https://www.google.com/maps?q=caterpillar+visitors+center&ll=40.690203,-89.588625&spn=0.000016,0.010396&sll=40.690847999999995,-89.587435&layer=c&cid=1491318796988562772&panoid=Pel3peCefi4AAAALCqagRQ&cbp=13,148.99,,0,0.78&hq=caterpillar+visitors+center&t=m&z=17&cbll=40.690203,-89.588625

http://midwestwanderer.com/a-peek-inside-caterpillar/

http://www.caterpillar.com/en/company/visitors-center.html