Random Thoughts Thread

[Drew Dowdell]

16 minutes ago, balthazar said:

There's no measurable enthusiast base for the 307, c'mon; be serious.

Tell that to the Class of 1980-1989 at just the Pittsburgh Oldsmobile club (of which I am no longer a member).  There was always a row of 307 powered Cutlasses, a few 88s and 98s, and at least one white Toronado. 

Some of those Cutlasses were Hursts

But anyway, except for a couple oddball years (1985 being one), the intakes, headers and other bits from the Olds 350 could bolt right on. The 307 was just a 350 with a smaller bore. 

[balthazar]

OK, but they're not restomodding with a 307 in there. 350 minimum, if keeping it in the Olds camp.
Those caretaking the H/Os are going to keep things original in the hopes of a future payday.
I don't know what the rest of them are doing- these are marketed first & foremost as performance cars... but they have no performance. Yank all the 307s, get some power under those hoods. Or LS 'em.

Just my opinion.

Buddy just asked me today if I would consider my brother's pulled motor for my B-59, but that's a 400 Pontiac. And thusly :

Edited May 21, 2018 by balthazar

[G. David Felt]

I love that Chevy has a dedicated Performance website for all things performance upgrades, power trains, etc. 

Better yet is The Block web site. Covering all events, custom auto builds, etc.

http://www.theblock.com/?article=4754798a-1933-4af0-858f-83eaa0e9a8c4#news

So many awesome rides and builds going on.

100 years of Trucks at the Spring autofair. Totally cool

http://www.theblock.com/?article=1e31188b-30c2-4f2e-8e36-6374d7b0bd92#news

 

[G. David Felt]

Love this latest News release by GM:

http://www.gm.com/mol/m-2018-may-0503-lightweighting.html

Advanced Software Design Technology Leads GM into Next Generation of Vehicle Lightweighting.

GM goes into details about their newest disruptive technology. Rather than cast or many older tech ways of building parts, they have formed an Alliance with Autodesk to use advanced AI-based generative design technology with 3D printing advancements to build parts that will help lighten and transform future vehicles.

Think about this, massive 3D printer at the repair show, no more ordering up parts, just grab the latest 3D template for a part and print it out, install, repair done.

Very cool  

 

[balthazar]

I hope they're not doing structural/ suspension pieces with a 3-D printer. That would be very UNcool.

Edited May 21, 2018 by balthazar

[ocnblu]

Wasn't the Pontiac and Oldsmobile V8 built on the same architecture, regardless of displacement?  So there is no such animal as a "smallblock" Pontiac or Oldsmobile V8?

[Drew Dowdell]

2 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Wasn't the Pontiac and Oldsmobile V8 built on the same architecture, regardless of displacement?  So there is no such animal as a "smallblock" Pontiac or Oldsmobile V8?

I'll let Wikipedia type for me -

All Oldsmobile V8s use a 90° bank angle, and most share a common stroke dimension: 3.4375 in (87.31 mm) for early Rockets, 3.6875 in (93.66 mm) for later Generation 1 engines, and 3.385 in (86.0 mm) for Generation 2 starting in 1964. The 260 cu in (4.3 l), 307 cu in (5.0 l), 330 cu in (5.4 l), 350 cu in (5.7 l) and 403 cu in (6.6 l) engines are commonly called small-blocks.[1] 400 cu in (6.6 l), 425 cu in (7.0 l), and 455 cu in (7.5 l)[1] V8s have a higher deck height (10.625 in (27.0 cm) versus 9.33 in (23.7 cm)) to accommodate a 4.25 in (108 mm) stroke crank to increase displacement. These taller-deck models are commonly called "big-blocks", and are 1 in (2.5 cm) taller and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wider than their "small-block" counterparts.[1]

[Robert Hall]

5 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Wasn't the Pontiac and Oldsmobile V8 built on the same architecture, regardless of displacement?  So there is no such animal as a "smallblock" Pontiac or Oldsmobile V8?

I don't think parts would interchange between a Pontiac or Olds V8.   But within Olds and Pontiac, there as only one engine family for a generation of engines was  my understanding...i.e. no distinct small block or big block.    i.e. a Pontiac 301, 350, 400, 455 had a lot of similarities.  Or not.  

I remember once trying to understand the byzantine world of Ford V8s.  Like all the 351s.   

Edited May 21, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[ocnblu]

Just now, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I don't think parts would interchange between a Pontiac or Olds V8.   But within Olds and Pontiac, there as only one engine family is my understanding...i.e. no distinct small block or big block.    i.e. a Pontiac 301, 350, 400, 455 had a lot of similarities.  Or an Olds 307, 350, 455...etc.    

Right, sorry for the confusion, what I was saying is there were no small/big block Olds or Pontiac V8s as they were all built on their respective same architectures.

3 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I'll let Wikipedia type for me -

All Oldsmobile V8s use a 90° bank angle, and most share a common stroke dimension: 3.4375 in (87.31 mm) for early Rockets, 3.6875 in (93.66 mm) for later Generation 1 engines, and 3.385 in (86.0 mm) for Generation 2 starting in 1964. The 260 cu in (4.3 l), 307 cu in (5.0 l), 330 cu in (5.4 l), 350 cu in (5.7 l) and 403 cu in (6.6 l) engines are commonly called small-blocks.[1] 400 cu in (6.6 l), 425 cu in (7.0 l), and 455 cu in (7.5 l)[1] V8s have a higher deck height (10.625 in (27.0 cm) versus 9.33 in (23.7 cm)) to accommodate a 4.25 in (108 mm) stroke crank to increase displacement. These taller-deck models are commonly called "big-blocks", and are 1 in (2.5 cm) taller and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wider than their "small-block" counterparts.[1]

That is not like Chevy though, where there was a distinct small and big block architecture.

[Drew Dowdell]

3 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Right, sorry for the confusion, what I was saying is there were no small/big block Olds or Pontiac V8s as they were all built on their respective same architectures.

That is not like Chevy though, where there was a distinct small and big block architecture.

Olds also had the aluminum 215.

[ocnblu]

3 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Olds also had the aluminum 215.

No that was Jaguar/Land Rover.  At least in my lifetime.  Perhaps it was Olds when you were young?

[Robert Hall]

7 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Olds also had the aluminum 215.

Which had some differences from the Buick 215 V8 (which went on to be the Rover V8).   I only knew about this engine from reading about its later use in creating the Repco V8 used in the Brabhams that won the '66-67 F1 championships. 

Edited May 21, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Robert Hall]

Random doggo pics for today.  Sitting at a light on the way home from the groomers this afternoon after getting her summer 'do.  Raine--a terrier mix of some sort--my youngest dog at 4 years..she is very high energy.   

 

[ocnblu]

Well my hopes are dashed for an updated Colorado/Canyon for the 2019 model year.  The order guide is up.  No mention of new appearance or the 2.7t four.  In the "color & trim" area, you can click on the new colors and get a preview.  Nice new blue and orange color, a new gray... but the same style from 2015.  New colors, one new wheel design, and some minor upgrades to the interior electronics.  Whoopty do. 

Edited May 22, 2018 by ocnblu

[balthazar]

3 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Wasn't the Pontiac and Oldsmobile V8 built on the same architecture, regardless of displacement?  So there is no such animal as a "smallblock" Pontiac or Oldsmobile V8?

I can't leave you guys back in the past alone for a few hours without you running amok and drawing on the walls, can I?

The Wiki quote is correct RE Olds, they had distinct small & big blocks.
Pontiac did not- the 326 up thru the 455 have the same external size block, so Pontiac does NOT have a small and/or big block.

OK; the 301 is technically smaller, but it's so utterly forgettable that it's shunned for the purposes of this discussion. Still ... the 301 & 400 overlap, so I guess from '77-79, technically, if you want to be a total jerk about it, Pontiac had a SB & BB. ? But nobody cares and everyone hates the 301. There; I said it.

They are relative terms addressing external V8 engine size within one brand. Chevy, Olds & Buick had SBs & BBs, Pontiac did not, Cadillac only had one displacement until the same-family 472/500 of '70, and no SB (or BB) until the 350 of '76 appeared.

Trivia point: even tho Chevy got it's V8 in '55, it wasn't a "small block" until the 348 came out in '58.

Edited May 22, 2018 by balthazar

[Robert Hall]

15 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Cadillac only had one displacement until the same-family 472/500 of '70, and no SB (or BB) until the 350 of '76 appeared.

Not to be pedantic, but that 350 was an Oldsmobile engine I've read.  (In the Seville)

Edited May 22, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[balthazar]

yes- Olds sourced basic engine, tho it did get FI in the Seville. And you couldn't get it in other Cadillacs, so it's not like there'd be a question upon opening the hood of a given Cad in this era, but still- these were co-existing engines in the same brand.

[daves87rs]

It seems to rain every time I mow now.....

[ocnblu]

4 hours ago, daves87rs said:

It seems to rain every time I mow now.....

Sooo... them's your doin's?  MAKE IT STOP! 

[Drew Dowdell]

9 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Not to be pedantic, but that 350 was an Oldsmobile engine I've read.  (In the Seville)

 

9 hours ago, balthazar said:

yes- Olds sourced basic engine, tho it did get FI in the Seville. And you couldn't get it in other Cadillacs, so it's not like there'd be a question upon opening the hood of a given Cad in this era, but still- these were co-existing engines in the same brand.

Isn't that the one GM got sued for? Or was that some other divisional cross breeding?

[Robert Hall]

13 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

 

Isn't that the one GM got sued for? Or was that some other divisional cross breeding?

I think it was the Chevy V8s in Olds 88s that they got sued over.    

[G. David Felt]

14 hours ago, balthazar said:

I hope they're not doing structural/ suspension pieces with a 3-D printer. That would be very UNcool.

I am wondering the same thing, I think it would be for a superior die to create the molds, but one can only wonder. Gonna search for this info more.

[G. David Felt]

15 hours ago, balthazar said:

I hope they're not doing structural/ suspension pieces with a 3-D printer. That would be very UNcool.

OK, Learned a few things and checked with my brother in-law who heads up the Boeing propulsion project for the Dreamliner. They have been 3D metal printing for the last few years core suspension parts and mounting parts for the engines and the huge fans are 3D metal printed. Save considerable on metal waste, built stronger and lighter being superior parts.

I can see this as a way for GM to reduce weight and have much cleaner suspension parts and other body, frame, power train parts moving forward.

Some good links to read up on and see demos on 3D metal printing.

https://all3dp.com/1/3d-metal-3d-printer-metal-3d-printing/

https://markforged.com/metal-x/

This site shows a wide variety of printing, there is a great story also on NCSU (North Carolina State University) that has figured out how to 3D print using Glass.

https://3dprinting.com/metal/

I am excited by what we are seeing as a future way to creating items faster and better.

 

[balthazar]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

 

Isn't that the one GM got sued for? Or was that some other divisional cross breeding?

Pretty sure the lawsuit was the 350s in X-Bodied cars, circa '73-75, or before the Seville.

[G. David Felt]

More evidence the American economy is starting to overheat and we are headed for a correction. Shipping costs have almost doubled in recent years. Biggest problem is the huge increase in trucking product around America.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/america-doesn’t-have-enough-truckers-and-it’s-starting-to-cause-prices-of-about-everything-to-rise/ar-AAxAyYC?li=BBnb7Kz

$80,000 a year starting wage for a Trucker. ?

[trinacriabob]

On 5/17/2018 at 4:42 PM, dfelt said:

I loved these car with the straight 6 motor.

Hahaha!  The inline 6s would have been 170, 200, or 250 cubic inches.  The price leader would have been a 170 L6, a 3 on the tree manual, no carpeting, no cigarette lighter, plaid seats with horrible fabric texture, one metallic driver's outside mirror, blackwalls, and moon styled hubcaps.  And they probably ran forever if taken care of.

I knew this guy who worked at the same place I did when I lived in SoCal and he was an ass, albeit a funny ass, and he remarked to someone that their Maverick looked like a toad.  It very much does!

Seeing a Maverick IRL always brings on the biggest of laughs.

[G. David Felt]

23 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Hahaha!  The inline 6s would have been 170, 200, or 250 cubic inches.  The price leader would have been a 170 L6, a 3 on the tree manual, no carpeting, no cigarette lighter, plaid seats with horrible fabric texture, one metallic driver's outside mirror, blackwalls, and moon styled hubcaps.  And they probably ran forever if taken care of.

I knew this guy who worked at the same place I did when I lived in SoCal and he was an ass, albeit a funny ass, and he remarked to someone that their Maverick looked like a toad.  It very much does!

Seeing a Maverick IRL always brings on the biggest of laughs.

That is still one Toad I like!   

[balthazar]

59 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I can see this as a way for GM to reduce weight and have much cleaner suspension parts and other body, frame, power train parts moving forward.

Looked at the links and came away with this:
>>"Ideal for jewelry, statues, home hardware, or replica artifacts"<<

Sounds like a far cry from suspension or structural pieces at this point.

[trinacriabob]

Random thoughts?

I just had a random thought.

Damn, do I ever miss mid-sized GM coupes.

* sigh *

[G. David Felt]

57 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Looked at the links and came away with this:
>>"Ideal for jewelry, statues, home hardware, or replica artifacts"<<

Sounds like a far cry from suspension or structural pieces at this point.

I tried my best to find commercial printers, I know they exist as Jim said I can this summer come up and visit him and he will show me the commercial Metal 3D printers. Like everything, if it can handle the needs of airline planes and get the sign off by the FAA, I would think it could handle being a part on an auto.

[Drew Dowdell]

3 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I think it was the Chevy V8s in Olds 88s that they got sued over.    

 

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

Pretty sure the lawsuit was the 350s in X-Bodied cars, circa '73-75, or before the Seville.

I went and looked it up and @Cubical-aka-Moltar had the right answer.  In '77 they got sued and it was for using Chevy 350s in Olds 88s.  It wasn't so much that they used the Chevy engine, it's that it had a sticker on it calling it an Olds Rocket V8 when it wasn't.  It was considered false advertising.

(1996) Setting the Pace, Publications International Ltd. (384 - 385) - One of the best Oldsmobile reference books out there.

There were other Olds models using Chevy engines, and Cadillac Seville using an Olds 350 variant... but the Cadillac Seville didn't say it had a Cadillac engine... the air cleaner just says "Electronic Fuel Injection".   Besides, the 350 Olds V8 had a reputation for refinement and quality that Cadillac customers didn't seem to mind it in their Cadillac, where Oldsmobile 88 buyers thought having a Chevy V8 was a downgrade regardless of actual performance. 

The whole thing was Olds being a victim of its own success. In 1977, 1 million Oldsmobiles were built. Only the third time to that point that a single brand had sold 1 million vehicles in a single year. The Olds V8 plant couldn't keep up with demand, so Chevy engines were substituted in. 

[Robert Hall]

Did a bit of reading on the X-cars..talk about identity confusion...the X-body Skylark was available during the '75-79 generation with a Pontiac 301, Chevy 305, Chevy 350 and Buick 350.   Buick V6 was the only 6.

Similarly, the X-body Olds Omega was available w/ the Chevy 250 inline 6, Buick V6, Olds 260 and 350, and Chevy 350. 

[daves87rs]

5 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Sooo... them's your doin's?  MAKE IT STOP! 

Well, then I could play "Welcome to the Jungle"....?

[Drew Dowdell]

1 minute ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Did a bit of reading on the X-cars..talk about identity confusion...the X-body Skylark was available during the '75-79 generation with a Pontiac 301, Chevy 305, Chevy 350 and Buick 350.   Buick V6 was the only 6.

Similarly, the X-body Olds Omega was available w/ the Chevy 250 inline 6, Buick V6, Olds 260 and 350, and Chevy 350. 

Yes, but again those were sold that way up front.  The reason Olds got in trouble was because they were marketing the 88 with a Rocket V8, but some of them got Chevy V8s instead because Olds couldn't build enough V8s to meet demand.  It's one thing if you buy a Skylark and you know it is coming with a Chevy 305.  It's another if you think you're buying an 88 with an Olds 350 and it even has a sticker saying so, but when you get to the parts counter for an oil filter (or whatever might be different) you find out its actually a Chevy 350. 

[Robert Hall]

Must have been really weird back then when each division had their own line of V8s, often w/ the same displacement.   I grew up in the Ford world where regardless of it being a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury, it was a Ford engine (my folks had a bunch from each brand over the years as I grew up). 

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

Looked at the links and came away with this:
>>"Ideal for jewelry, statues, home hardware, or replica artifacts"<<

Sounds like a far cry from suspension or structural pieces at this point.

I've heard of DIYers 3d printing at home various plastic interior trim pieces for their cars, but not mechanical dirty bits...

[G. David Felt]

Very cool video of the erupting Hawaii's volcano via a drone. 

http://www.thedrive.com/tech/20922/fly-around-hawaiis-erupting-kilauea-volcano-with-this-up-close-drone-footage

[G. David Felt]

Morons with more money are born every day than common sense.

 

Hypercar racing, $50 million of amazing driving fun.

 

[ccap41]

21 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Morons with more money are born every day than common sense.

Hahaha I actually saw the video a week or so ago but it was from the passenger seat.. IDIOTS. 

[balthazar]

^ NONE of those cars are remotely interesting to me. I 'like' some of them, but still find them, to a large degree; boring.

[trinacriabob]

This became a random issue all of a sudden. 

I've got electrical extension cords but, for the first time in my life, I need to buy a male-to-female (or vice versa, whatever) USB 2.0 extension cable about 6' to 10.'  The big box stores with recognizable names charge ridiculous amounts for these.  From unknown third party retailers through known merchants, they run from $3 to $10.  Just as good?  Never bought one before.

Thanks!

[Robert Hall]

1 hour ago, trinacriabob said:

This became a random issue all of a sudden. 

I've got electrical extension cords but, for the first time in my life, I need to buy a male-to-female (or vice versa, whatever) USB 2.0 extension cable about 6' to 10.'  The big box stores with recognizable names charge ridiculous amounts for these.  From unknown third party retailers through known merchants, they run from $3 to $10.  Just as good?  Never bought one before.

Thanks!

I've bought the Amazon Basics ones from Amazon with no problems..in general, the cables, (phone charging cables, etc) from Amazon's in house store brand (Amazon Basics) have been fine in my experience.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Extension-Cable-Male-Female/dp/B00NH136GE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1527033764&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=usb+2.0+extension+cord

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I've bought the Amazon Basics ones from Amazon with no problems..in general, the cables, (phone charging cables, etc) from Amazon's in house store brand (Amazon Basics) have been fine in my experience.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Extension-Cable-Male-Female/dp/B00NH136GE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1527033764&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=usb+2.0+extension+cord

Thanks.  And all because I placed a cube type shelf perpendicular to the desktop, and a little further away!

I know I'll be able to use it for other things at one time or another.

[daves87rs]

7 hours ago, dfelt said:

Very cool video of the erupting Hawaii's volcano via a drone. 

http://www.thedrive.com/tech/20922/fly-around-hawaiis-erupting-kilauea-volcano-with-this-up-close-drone-footage

Now that is cool! Would like a drone for reasons like that!

[balthazar]

Circa 1947 ~
 

[trinacriabob]

9 hours ago, balthazar said:

Circa 1947 ~
 

There was an "institution" in the L.A. area called the Helms Bakery truck.  I remember the jingle.  It was way more popular than the ice cream truck.  Can you imagine a moving Dunkin' Donuts, with exceptional and better baked goods, in a contraption like the one above?  The Helms Bakery itself then became one of those commercial hubs with leased space and a huge antique mart, which smelled frumpy just like an antique mart.  I had no use for it without the baked goods.

[Robert Hall]

^ Yum...now there is a business opportunity...a truck driving around neighborhoods in the morning peddling coffee and donuts..

[G. David Felt]

2020 Mid Engine Corvette. Very cool pics and read.

https://www.motor1.com/news/242513/2020-mid-engined-corvette-spied/

Love the pictures and info on the XT6 from Cadillac. A 3 row CUV sloted between Escalade and XT5.

https://www.motor1.com/news/242805/cadillac-xt6-spied-testing/

[G. David Felt]

Cool customization job of a Tesla S that makes it an attractive auto.

https://insideevs.com/meet-project-malibu-tesla-model-s-p100d-by-tsportline/

TS Sportline edition.

[G. David Felt]

1965 James Bond DB5 Aston Martin to go up for Auction July 13th.

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/goldeneye-1965-aston-martin-db5-set-auction/

I would love to own this baby! ?

On 5/21/2018 at 1:58 PM, dfelt said:

Love this latest News release by GM:

http://www.gm.com/mol/m-2018-may-0503-lightweighting.html

Advanced Software Design Technology Leads GM into Next Generation of Vehicle Lightweighting.

GM goes into details about their newest disruptive technology. Rather than cast or many older tech ways of building parts, they have formed an Alliance with Autodesk to use advanced AI-based generative design technology with 3D printing advancements to build parts that will help lighten and transform future vehicles.

Think about this, massive 3D printer at the repair show, no more ordering up parts, just grab the latest 3D template for a part and print it out, install, repair done.

Very cool  

 

Back to my original post on 3D printed auto parts. Found this on Autoline, very cool video to watch of actual auto parts and the ability to weld them and build a much better auto. 

 

[balthazar]

^ That's an hour & 14 minutes long. Hope they can 3-D print a simple bracket quicker than that (which I'm not going to watch).