Ron's Log

Ford Fiesta

It starts out like a million other dull automotive reviews, but builds from there. You've got to stick with it to the end.

3M Headlight Lens Restoration

Last time I went to Jiffy Lube they tried to sell me some sort of lens de-oxidation thing to remove the cloudiness. I was suspicious and turned down the offer. But then I discussed it with Darrel, who told me it was possibly real, and pointed me to this video:

Here's the product's page at 3M.

Today, Darrel decided to give it the test on his own car and invited me over for the pure entertainment of it.

Before.

During.

After.

More photos here. I'd say it works and, even more importantly, is fairly easy and seems to run a very low risk of destroying your headlights. Less than $20.

Faithful Steed Returns After 35 Years

"Steed" being a 1965 VW Van, stolen July 12, 1974, in Spokane during the World's Fair (Spokane had a World's Fair?!). Found in Los Angeles October 19, 2009. It was being shipped by a restorer to Europe, so it's back in near-cherry condition. Allstate Insurance owns it now, and the value is estimated at $25,000. Photo.

Great Autos of Yesteryear

Yesterday I went to the car show organized by Great Autos of Yesteryear which really is a gay car club, a fact that brought a string of endlessly humorous comments on the Desert Sun's announcement of the event.

1947 Chrysler Town & Country.

1942 Studebaker Land Cruiser Commander.

1940 Packard Custom Super 8.

1936 Hupmobile Coupe.

1934 LaSalle Sport Coupe.

1953 Cadillac Fleetwood 60S.

1950 Studebaker Commander.

1970 Buick Electra 225.

1970 Buick Electra 225.

Yes, a 1975 AMC Gremlin X. The Levis model.

1958 Lincoln Continental Mark III.

1947 Ford Convertible.

1958 Cadillac DeVille.

1958 Cadillac DeVille.

1954 Buick Super.

1956 Chrysler New Yorker.

1956 Lincoln Premiere.

1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk.

1958 Edsel.

1958 Edsel Bermuda. Note the huge floor-mounted air conditioner.

1958 Edsel Bermuda.

1958 Edsel Bermuda.

1958 Lincoln Premiere.

1959 BMW Isetta 300.

1959 Cadillac Eldorado Seville.

1961 Plymouth Valiant.

1959 Pontiac Bonneville Safari.

1959 Lincoln Continental.

1959 Desoto Firedome.

1961 Buick LeSabre.

1958 Lincoln Continental Mark III.

Many more photos here.

Another Rambler American

The Boys At MIT Do It Again

MIT researchers are working on an electric car that dramatically overcomes some of the usual limitations of electrics. In ten minutes you can give the batteries enough charge to travel 200 miles. Coupla drawbacks that keep it from being ready for the market right now. That ten minutes of charging requires 350 kW of power. In case you are wondering if your household 120 volt outlet is good for 350 kW, one of the researchers comments "That's enough power to blow the fuses on 20 residential homes at once." Also, the array of 7,905 lithium iron-phosphate batteries costs about $80,000. But give 'em another six months and they'll get over that hurdle.

Here's the research team's blog.

Another Chrysler Product

Slightly less sleek than the Three Hundred pictured earlier.

Chrysler Three Hundred

Blowout: Or, Did I Hit A Cow?

Michelin Tires, who send their announcers to the Troy McClure school of acting, provides this video which teaches that in the event of a blowout you should ACCELERATE.

Feedback from those who have had the opportunity to use this technique is requested.

Todos Santos Plaza

The Thursday before July 4, Todos Santos Plaza in Concord, California, was full of people listening to a concert, shopping at the farmer's market and admiring the cars parked around the perimeter.

1955 Chevy Belair.

1955 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

$3,406.20 for a 1970 Mustang. That price includes $565 in options, one of which was a $61 AM radio.

More photos here.