Showing posts with label informative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label informative. Show all posts
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Zora Arkus Duntov, somethings I knew, some things I just learned
In addition to the galleries of Super Sport Corvettes that Zora made, I've posted very little biographical info about him. I just read the following
The Belgian born son of Russian Jewish parents, Duntov had already outrun the Nazis, revolutionized hot-rodding (with his eponymous line of Ardun accessories for Ford’s Flathead V8), and aided the development of Allard sports cars by the time he saw the new-for-‘53 Corvette at the New York Motorama. He loved the car’s lines and despised everything else. So he wrote a letter to GM telling them as much and was hired shortly thereafter.
Duntov’s love of speed was no mere whim. While helping Allard engineer their sports cars he proved a talented driver as well and later piloted a Porsche 550 to class wins in two 24 Hours of Le Mans; the last of which, ironically, during the same 1955 event that would eventually lead to the AMA ban on racing. Nonetheless, he profoundly influenced American motorsports and, in particular, the Corvette.
By 1955 the Corvette traded the 150hp straight six engines and powerglide automatic transmissions of ’53 and ’54, for 195hp, 265ci V8s and three speed manual transmissions. By ’57 the Corvette added a 283hp 283ci V8, a limited slip differential and fuel injection. All the while, Duntov kept his eyes and talents focused on the racetrack and by the 1957 AMA ban on racing he stood at the center of one of the greatest contradictions of mid-century corporate America. While GM’s brass touted safety, forward styling and advanced color theory, Zora Arkus-Duntov quietly slipped some of the country’s most successful race cars out the back door; among them the championship winning Corvette seen here.
Duntov would have a hard time explaining why his engineers vacationed together in Nassau during Speed Week. Harder still the suitcases packed with Bermuda shorts and prototype intake manifolds.
Duntov’s available speed equipment; since the words ‘speed equipment’ weren’t exactly politically correct in ’61, however, the high performance parts were identified by their harmless sounding RPO or “Regular Production Option” numbers. It seems that while the AMA might wonder why any factory would offer a fuel injected, 315hp 283ci V8, they were far less likely to question “RPO354.”
Ditto RPOs 675, 685, and 687 which, in non-GM-speak are a Posi-traction differential, four-speed manual transmission, and heavy-duty suspension and brakes, respectively. The boxes of uninstalled parts that came with a few cars, on the other hand, are a different story altogether. Known by a select few as the ‘Sebring package,’ the vented hood, stiff front anti-rollbar, aerodynamic headlight covers, and 37 gallon fiberglass gas tank didn’t have RPO numbers and, by all accounts, left Duntov’s office without his bosses’ blessing or knowledge.
Duntov would have a hard time explaining why his engineers vacationed together in Nassau during Speed Week. Harder still the suitcases packed with Bermuda shorts and prototype intake manifolds.
Partnered with Zora to win races in Corvettes were Don Yenko, and Dr Dick Thompson. Dick was a dentist, and such an expert in winning SCCA raes with Corvettes he wrote a book on what a buyer should do to order the things only the insiders knew about (the RPO codes) and items like aluminum flywheels... and that little trick got Don Yenko suspended from SCCA racing for 6 months. FIA racing allowed the aluminum, but SCCA didn't allow them in B-Production
info from http://www.sportscardigest.com/duntovs-secret-corvette-gulf-oil-race-car/
The Belgian born son of Russian Jewish parents, Duntov had already outrun the Nazis, revolutionized hot-rodding (with his eponymous line of Ardun accessories for Ford’s Flathead V8), and aided the development of Allard sports cars by the time he saw the new-for-‘53 Corvette at the New York Motorama. He loved the car’s lines and despised everything else. So he wrote a letter to GM telling them as much and was hired shortly thereafter.
Duntov’s love of speed was no mere whim. While helping Allard engineer their sports cars he proved a talented driver as well and later piloted a Porsche 550 to class wins in two 24 Hours of Le Mans; the last of which, ironically, during the same 1955 event that would eventually lead to the AMA ban on racing. Nonetheless, he profoundly influenced American motorsports and, in particular, the Corvette.
By 1955 the Corvette traded the 150hp straight six engines and powerglide automatic transmissions of ’53 and ’54, for 195hp, 265ci V8s and three speed manual transmissions. By ’57 the Corvette added a 283hp 283ci V8, a limited slip differential and fuel injection. All the while, Duntov kept his eyes and talents focused on the racetrack and by the 1957 AMA ban on racing he stood at the center of one of the greatest contradictions of mid-century corporate America. While GM’s brass touted safety, forward styling and advanced color theory, Zora Arkus-Duntov quietly slipped some of the country’s most successful race cars out the back door; among them the championship winning Corvette seen here.
Duntov would have a hard time explaining why his engineers vacationed together in Nassau during Speed Week. Harder still the suitcases packed with Bermuda shorts and prototype intake manifolds.
Duntov’s available speed equipment; since the words ‘speed equipment’ weren’t exactly politically correct in ’61, however, the high performance parts were identified by their harmless sounding RPO or “Regular Production Option” numbers. It seems that while the AMA might wonder why any factory would offer a fuel injected, 315hp 283ci V8, they were far less likely to question “RPO354.”
Ditto RPOs 675, 685, and 687 which, in non-GM-speak are a Posi-traction differential, four-speed manual transmission, and heavy-duty suspension and brakes, respectively. The boxes of uninstalled parts that came with a few cars, on the other hand, are a different story altogether. Known by a select few as the ‘Sebring package,’ the vented hood, stiff front anti-rollbar, aerodynamic headlight covers, and 37 gallon fiberglass gas tank didn’t have RPO numbers and, by all accounts, left Duntov’s office without his bosses’ blessing or knowledge.
Duntov would have a hard time explaining why his engineers vacationed together in Nassau during Speed Week. Harder still the suitcases packed with Bermuda shorts and prototype intake manifolds.
Partnered with Zora to win races in Corvettes were Don Yenko, and Dr Dick Thompson. Dick was a dentist, and such an expert in winning SCCA raes with Corvettes he wrote a book on what a buyer should do to order the things only the insiders knew about (the RPO codes) and items like aluminum flywheels... and that little trick got Don Yenko suspended from SCCA racing for 6 months. FIA racing allowed the aluminum, but SCCA didn't allow them in B-Production
info from http://www.sportscardigest.com/duntovs-secret-corvette-gulf-oil-race-car/
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Autoweek’s Vinsetta Garage
Named for a storied auto-repair shop on Detroit’s legendary Woodward Avenue, Autoweek’s Vinsetta Garage originates in the Motor City, for people who live for cars everywhere.
http://www.vinsetta.com/
here's my opinion of it after watching it:
http://www.vinsetta.com/
here's my opinion of it after watching it:
Started with a look at Bruce Meyer's cars, and some other collector guys with a LeMons Caddy and Bobcat, then a discussion on what is a car person/guy, a dialog with Courtney and Auto Week editor, in a E type Jag.... which the editor calls a Drophead Coupe. Get off your high horse, it's a convertible you egotist. Why are so many editors full of themselves? Ditto Jag owners.
Then a self promoting Auto Week dream week rundown of what the lucky 20 will get to do if they win.
Every moment of the show has a music bed soundtrack as if the watcher can't get enough music, or needs a sound bed to get them through the show. It's too loud. It's not necessary. It's annoying.
Every 5 minutes is a commercial, and self promoting commercial among others. So half the 30 minute window was commercial or self promotion.
So, in a nutshell, mediocre to annoying. Better than Hot Rod TV, but not by much. It's no wonder so many of us keep watching British Top Gear
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Ruth Law, first of many record setting barnstormer pilots, bought her first airplane from the Wright Brothers
Ruth Law Oliver, the first woman to loop the loop in an airplane, the first to make a night flight and the one- time holder of the Chicago to New York aerial speed record bought her first airplane in 1912 from Orville Wright when she was 21 years old. "I purchased a Wright biplane because it seemed to me they had the greatest success"
in 1912 she went to work as a commercial pilot, flying passengers to and from the Sea Breeze Hotel, in Florida.
From that time she proceeded to pile up new records in flying and was the outstanding woman barnstormer of her era. She was so successful that, in 1917, she earned as much as $9,000 a week for exhibition flights.
In 1917, Miss Law was the first woman authorized to wear a military uniform at America's entry into World War I. She applied to the United States Army to fly combat missions, when she was turned down she wrote an article for Air Travel ("Let Women Fly!") that inspired many future women aviators. She was told that she could do a lot of good just by teaching others to fly. (Sexism is such bs)
She was sent to Europe - directly to the battle fronts in order to gain first hand knowledge of the actual fighting. She returned fired with enthusiasm, and enlisted in the U.S. Aviation Corps, as a recruiting officer. Her efforts were responsible for recruiting many of our fighter pilots.
While doing this important war work, Miss Law found time to break a few records on her own. In 1916 she set the world's altitude record of 11,200' at sheepshead Bay, N.Y. In the same year she flew 511 miles non-stop, from Chicago to Hornell, N.Y.. then on to New York City in 8 hr. 55 min. 25 sec. using a Curtis bi-plane.
She carried the first official air mail to the Philippine Islands in 1919
After the war, there came the Ruth Law Flying Circus, a three plane troupe that left crowds at state and county fairs astonished. She flew her old Curtiss plane, with Wright controls, and the two male pilots flew Jennys in close formation with her 25 feet above racing cars on county tracks.
Wilbert Robinson, manager of the Dodgers went down in baseball lore for his attempt to catch a ball dropped from an airplane. In 1908, Gabby Street had caught a ball dropped from the Washington Monument. Robbie scoffed that this was all that difficult a feat and so Ruth Law, a famous aviatrix, was enlisted to fly a plane higher than the Washington Monument and drop a ball for Robbie to catch.
When Robinson, now 53 years old, caught the object he saw falling from the plane, he was splattered with warm juice from a grapefruit. The impact knocked him to the ground whereupon he exclaimed: "Help me, lads, I'm covered with my own blood."
Law explained that she had forgotten the baseball back in her hotel room and when she discovered the situation it was too late to retrieve the ball. So she took a grapefruit from the lunch of one of the ground crew and dropped it instead
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
240Z trivia
Mr K. renamed the Fairlady to the masculine number for the American market. If you have no idea who Mr K is... I'll post about him one of these days as I greatly respect him. But to do the biography justice and respect will take more time than I have right now, and what is worth doing... is worth doing right.
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