Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Bob Heine's Auto Emporium

[Bob Heine]

I mentioned Sweden's change from driving on the left to driving on the right. I had no idea it was happening in my own back yard.

I am accustomed to the cloverleaf interstate interchange but in Florida I have always worried about which lane to be in. Some entrance ramps are entered by turning left from the crossroad while others are entered by turning right. Sometimes the first sign indicating which way to turn is on the bridge and depending on traffic, might be impossible to get to.

Transportation geeks in France designed a new interchange in the 1970s and we are building them in the US (about 150 already). It's called a Diverging Diamond Interchange or DDI. The solution these geeks have come up with is to make everyone change lanes twice on the crossroad while retaining the "should I be in the left or right lane?" question.

I often use Glades Road in Boca Raton to get to Interstate 95 and until now it has been a cloverleaf with all westbound drivers using the right lane to get on I-95 North or South (east or west side of the bridge). Same thing for eastbound drivers. The red lines in this picture show Glades Road's new westbound traffic pattern. It appears to show an Armageddon Bottleneck where all traffic eventually comes to a stop. Every day more than 88,000 drivers travel Glades Road. At 78, I'm one of the youngsters using this road. I can't wait to see the Snow Birds, who don't use a car in their home city, freak out when they see the traffic coming at them from the right. They couldn't handle the roundabouts so this is going to really thin the herd.

Here's what it looks like from the driver's perspective. Imagine Glades Road's 88,000 cars stopped in both directions (or not!) during rush hour. Also imagine the carnage for cyclists and pedestrians -- there are pedestrian lanes on both sides that converge in the middle with a fenced walkway and everyone used to looking left before crossing the road (failing to look right in Sydney or London can get you killed). What could possibly go wrong?

If you are into thrill rides, the Florida Department of Transportation has provided a virtual ride through of the intersection/interchange:

FDOT Palm Beach County - Glades Road/I-95 Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) Information Page

 

[Seagoon]

I mentioned Sweden's change from driving on the left to driving on the right. I had no idea it was happening in my own back yard.

I am accustomed to the cloverleaf interstate interchange but in Florida I have always worried about which lane to be in. Some entrance ramps are entered by turning left from the crossroad while others are entered by turning right. Sometimes the first sign indicating which way to turn is on the bridge and depending on traffic, might be impossible to get to.

Transportation geeks in France designed a new interchange in the 1970s and we are building them in the US (about 150 already). It's called a Diverging Diamond Interchange or DDI. The solution these geeks have come up with is to make everyone change lanes twice on the crossroad while retaining the "should I be in the left or right lane?" question.

I often use Glades Road in Boca Raton to get to Interstate 95 and until now it has been a cloverleaf with all westbound drivers using the right lane to get on I-95 North or South (east or west side of the bridge). Same thing for eastbound drivers. The red lines in this picture show Glades Road's new westbound traffic pattern. It appears to show an Armageddon Bottleneck where all traffic eventually comes to a stop. Every day more than 88,000 drivers travel Glades Road. At 78, I'm one of the youngsters using this road. I can't wait to see the Snow Birds, who don't use a car in their home city, freak out when they see the traffic coming at them from the right. They couldn't handle the roundabouts so this is going to really thin the herd.

Here's what it looks like from the driver's perspective. Imagine Glades Road's 88,000 cars stopped in both directions (or not!) during rush hour. Also imagine the carnage for cyclists and pedestrians -- there are pedestrian lanes on both sides that converge in the middle with a fenced walkway and everyone used to looking left before crossing the road (failing to look right in Sydney or London can get you killed). What could possibly go wrong?

If you are into thrill rides, the Florida Department of Transportation has provided a virtual ride through of the intersection/interchange:

FDOT Palm Beach County - Glades Road/I-95 Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) Information Page

We have a vaguely similar junction over the other side of the country from me which I used to use about once every 2 months when I was lorry driving. It took me till the fourth time before I understood the logic of this junction and then it made sense but you can just imagine the problems I caused in an 18 wheeler before I worked it out. I suspect this one will be the same. If you can survive the first couple of times then you will be all right. I must say I wouldn't want to be one of the peple trying to sort out any traffic incident. Even just hooking up one broken down car would mean taking your life in your hands!

 

[madison069]

I'm guessing it's an attempt in reducing their footprint by combining everything into one center road connection.

I'm sure that's going to be great come time when repairs are needed. Also, that bike lane would worry me with how it's suppose to cross over the off and on ramp.

Creative solution, but human error is going to be high in the US.

 

[LutzTD]

to me, this is just another case of wanting something to be true and ignoring reality. Logically these intersections are nice, BUT, people are used to the old way, and 99.99% of intersections are still the old way. the local residents will figure it out, but this is FLA, no one is local . It will be interesting to see the stats on wrecks at this intersection in a few years.

 

[Geoff289]

Philip, I lusted after an Oldsmobile 215 engine when I owned the Triumph Herald because it was the only V8 that could possibly fit in that tiny engine compartment. By 1968, when I inherited the Herald, there were very of those aluminum V8s in the junkyards I visited.

Thank you Jim!

Hewey, sorry to be so tardy. Happy New Year to you and yours. The iguanas in our yard slowed down in the cool weather so Jasmine dispatched #21 and #22.

Steve, may you and yours have a healthy and happy 2023 as well!

Rian, we could all use a great year! I hope yours is rewarding and secure.

Drives, I hope 2023 brings you and yours health and happiness.

Kirk, Happy New Year to you and Robin. I was a huge fan of the big block Can-Am cars. The Chaparral was my favorite, with the giant movable spoilers.

Geoff, I gained a real appreciation for the ingenuity and quality motorsports products down under while living there. Friends introduced us to the Outback Challenge (Celia Barry was the first woman to be invited to compete). The ARB locker is a standard around the world.

In the 1966 Formula One season Brabham became the first – and still, the only – man to win the Formula One world championship driving one of his own cars. He never won the Indy 500 but within five years his rear-engine design became the standard at the Brickyard. I copied the article so I can go back through it again when I have more time.

Philip, if you google "Hemi powered PT Cruiser," you'll find more than a handful of them. This one looks pretty stock until he starts the engine.

Happy New Year to you Cody!

Pete, I think there were more aluminum 215ci V8s in British vehicles than American ones.

Mac, I never got to drive a Griffith 200 but did get to ride in the passenger seat. That short wheelbase made it feel like an out-of-control go-cart. It would have been a lot less scary in the driver seat. Not a lot of them on the road anymore. The US version was built on Long Island so we saw more of them when visiting my parents in the mid-60s.


@Seagoon, I was a huge fan of V8s in small cars. I was delivering mail in 1964 to a house with an MG TD in the driveway. The owner was out working on the car and explained how 'easy' it was to put a small block V8 in the car. It was a Chevy 327 with 4-speed and narrowed Ford rear end. He had big and little tires on the car and didn't have the engine compartment side panels on it. He had built his own headers with an easy to remove collector plug for the track. He had a dual exhaust with mufflers exiting the rear for driving on the street. I asked if he would sell it and he said $1,800 -- way too rich for me. Looked a lot like this one:

In re your observation about Sir Jack Brabham and Indy, his son David went round the brickyard a few times and while not winning acquitted himself well.

David Brabham - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

On the roundabout discussion currently the topic du jour on your thread Bob, they are as you know pretty common here. Conceptually they work well if everyone understands and observes the pretty simple rule of the first to arrive at the roundabout having right of way. In practice, hardly anyone understands and observes the rules so extreme caution is the best idea.

They are very keen on them in France I found. On our first day leaving Nice and commencing a two week driving tour that ended in Paris we decided on the first day to stay off the major freeways both to avoid the exorbitant tolls (and inconsistent payment methods that challenged us linguistically and in terms of the options we had available to us to pay) and in the hope we'd enjoy nicer scenery on the back roads. This was a mistake. On all the back roads they have a roundabout every 500 metres or so, I would just have wound the six speed manual Renault hire car up to top gear and I'd have to start braking for the next roundabout. We were on the freeway toll roads after that first day.

 

[gearhead1960]

The DD intersection is all the rage here in NOVA. Not bad once you’ve been through one a few times.

 

[Lou's Garage]

We had a couple of diverging diamond interchanges when I lived near metro Atlanta. I still find them disorienting every time I go through. On the plus side, it causes me to really, really pay attention!

Lou Manglass

 

[Wiz02]

Philip, I suspect there are quite a few incomplete Cheetah projects.

I look at this website periodically, but I am resigned to the fact that building one isn't going to happen in my lifetime, unless I win a lottery that I never play.

Cheetah Replica

Shell Valley Classic Wheels - Replica and Kit Car Manufacturers

www.shellvalley.com

 

[kaymccampbell]

Diverging diamond interchanges are supposed to be multi level with overpasses at the crossovers. No lights, no intersections, just continuous movement. Some ahole in your DOT really pooed the scrootch by flattening the crossovers.

 

[Chrisb62]

We have one of the diverging diamonds on this side of the peninsula and another being built. When it was first opened, I was sitting at one of the lights waiting to creep through and suddenly surrounded by vehicles coming at me head on. Needless to say, a little discerning, but then 2 of the cars did a u-turn right behind me and took the side exit right beside me. Only good thing is because I was on my way to work it was 4:45 AM.

 

[driftpin]

For my steel needs, I use a warehouse in Miami on N. River Dr. just west of NW 27 Ave. At this intersection immediately before that (State Rd. 836 & State Rd. 9/NW 27 Ave.), it's a diverging diamond, 'flattened,' as Kay said. It's OK if people stay out of the intersection and don't gridlock it because they are trying to squeeze through. I've yet to see any accidents as I've passed through, being cleaned-up.

I've been through another one in Miami FL done in the recent past, and it seems to work OK.

 

[jbmatth]

I first drove on a DDI in 2009 only months after taking my first roundabout, interesting fact, the first DDI in the USA was in Springfield, Mo. opened only a day or so before I drove on it. It was certainly odd for a country boy like me but really seemed to work pretty well. It really does take up a lot less space than the clover leaf style intersections, but would like to see the data on one to see if it really does help traffic flow.

JB

 

[xtremek]

They have a DDI in Auburn Hills, Mi, that I went through once. Ughh. If I did it frequently, I think I could get used to it.

 

[kaymccampbell]

They have a DDI in Auburn Hills, Mi, that I went through once. Ughh. If I did it frequently, I think I could get used to it.

You can get used to the screaming green shits, too.

 

[Bob Heine]

We have a vaguely similar junction over the other side of the country from me which I used to use about once every 2 months when I was lorry driving. It took me till the fourth time before I understood the logic of this junction and then it made sense but you can just imagine the problems I caused in an 18 wheeler before I worked it out. I suspect this one will be the same. If you can survive the first couple of times then you will be all right. I must say I wouldn't want to be one of the peple trying to sort out any traffic incident. Even just hooking up one broken down car would mean taking your life in your hands!

@Seagoon, two years driving down under (1989-91) gave me some confidence driving on the proper side of the road. The right turn sign in downtown Melbourne did give me a WTF moment (street had a tram track).

Because of my experience, our two-week drive through Great Britain (2,500 miles in 1996) in a little Ford Mondeo wagon was fun.

I wish I had a photo of our daughter and her husband in the back seat when I entered our first double mini roundabout with a bus coming at us from the right in the second roundabout.

I'm guessing it's an attempt in reducing their footprint by combining everything into one center road connection.

I'm sure that's going to be great come time when repairs are needed. Also, that bike lane would worry me with how it's suppose to cross over the off and on ramp.

Creative solution, but human error is going to be high in the US.

Cody, with 21.3% of its population over 65, I don't think this is the best place to install these. The FDOT claims it will reduce left turn accidents. My expectation is large portions of our drivers will freeze and not even enter either lane crossover. In the wee hours of the morning I expect recent bar patrons will keep right at the crossover and have a sad encounter with an oncoming car cresting the bridge in their lane.

to me, this is just another case of wanting something to be true and ignoring reality. Logically these intersections are nice, BUT, people are used to the old way, and 99.99% of intersections are still the old way. the local residents will figure it out, but this is FLA, no one is local . It will be interesting to see the stats on wrecks at this intersection in a few years.

@LutzTD, it seems the Florida Department of Transportation's has a warped sense of humor when it comes to roads in Boca Raton. The next interchange north of the Glades Road comedy show is the Spanish River/Yamato Road interchange. I'm sure it made perfect sense to someone.

In re your observation about Sir Jack Brabham and Indy, his son David went round the brickyard a few times and while not winning acquitted himself well.

David Brabham - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

On the roundabout discussion currently the topic du jour on your thread Bob, they are as you know pretty common here. Conceptually they work well if everyone understands and observes the pretty simple rule of the first to arrive at the roundabout having right of way. In practice, hardly anyone understands and observes the rules so extreme caution is the best idea.

They are very keen on them in France I found. On our first day leaving Nice and commencing a two week driving tour that ended in Paris we decided on the first day to stay off the major freeways both to avoid the exorbitant tolls (and inconsistent payment methods that challenged us linguistically and in terms of the options we had available to us to pay) and in the hope we'd enjoy nicer scenery on the back roads. This was a mistake. On all the back roads they have a roundabout every 500 metres or so, I would just have wound the six speed manual Renault hire car up to top gear and I'd have to start braking for the next roundabout. We were on the freeway toll roads after that first day.

Geoff, the Brabham family is royalty at its finest in the racing world. I don't recall anyone having a bad word to say about them.

I never got to try it but there's an amazing roundabout in Swindon UK. There's probably someone in that roundabout who lives like Tom Hanks in The Terminal.

The DD intersection is all the rage here in NOVA. Not bad once you’ve been through one a few times.

Mark, I think it will be OK for the locals but visitors might panic and just stop in the intersection -- happened to me the first day driving in Sydney -- driving down a one-way street I made a right turn onto a two-way street -- staring into the faces of three rows of drivers headed my way.

We had a couple of diverging diamond interchanges when I lived near metro Atlanta. I still find them disorienting every time I go through. On the plus side, it causes me to really, really pay attention!

Lou Manglass

Lou, I had to really, really pay attention every time I drove in Atlanta. It wasn't so bad when Liane and I were in the car and using the HOV lane.

I look at this website periodically, but I am resigned to the fact that building one isn't going to happen in my lifetime, unless I win a lottery that I never play.

Cheetah Replica

Shell Valley Classic Wheels - Replica and Kit Car Manufacturers

www.shellvalley.com

@Wiz02, I think the roadster is a better idea than the coupe, based on those headers being wrapped around your legs. I would be well suited to the coupe, not needing any elbow room on the driver side.

Just read a little more about the original Cheetahs and it seems that #2 restored car has an aluminum body -- the rest were fiberglass. I noticed something odd in that Shell Valley kit. One of the things you have to provide is a driveshaft. It uses a Ford rear end, while the originals used an IRS from a '63 Corvette. With that IRS, the Muncie 4-speed and 327 SBC, the transmission connects directly to the IRS with one u-joint.

Diverging diamond interchanges are supposed to be multi level with overpasses at the crossovers. No lights, no intersections, just continuous movement. Some ahole in your DOT really pooed the scrootch by flattening the crossovers.

Kay, I don't think any DOT deserves high marks but Florida's is a short bus festival. It may not be obvious but that whole mess involves a bridge over a 6-lane and a 2-track railway line (extra high) so it's hard to see what's coming when the road is filled with the biggest SUVs the auto industry offers.

We have one of the diverging diamonds on this side of the peninsula and another being built. When it was first opened, I was sitting at one of the lights waiting to creep through and suddenly surrounded by vehicles coming at me head on. Needless to say, a little discerning, but then 2 of the cars did a u-turn right behind me and took the side exit right beside me. Only good thing is because I was on my way to work it was 4:45 AM.

Chris, Glades road was a 2-lane road with bean fields on both sides when we moved here in 1975. I think this re-design is meant to reduce traffic and I suspect a huge number of people will use it once and then find another route.

For my steel needs, I use a warehouse in Miami on N. River Dr. just west of NW 27 Ave. At this intersection immediately before that (State Rd. 836 & State Rd. 9/NW 27 Ave.), it's a diverging diamond, 'flattened,' as Kay said. It's OK if people stay out of the intersection and don't gridlock it because they are trying to squeeze through. I've yet to see any accidents as I've passed through, being cleaned-up.

I've been through another one in Miami FL done in the recent past, and it seems to work OK.

Philip, I don't see how that Diverging Diamond Interchange isn't in perpetual rush-hour gridlock.

I first drove on a DDI in 2009 only months after taking my first roundabout, interesting fact, the first DDI in the USA was in Springfield, Mo. opened only a day or so before I drove on it. It was certainly odd for a country boy like me but really seemed to work pretty well. It really does take up a lot less space than the clover leaf style intersections, but would like to see the data on one to see if it really does help traffic flow.

JB

JB, I discovered that first DDI when trying to find out how many we have in the US. I would be happy if the US just standardized the interstate interchanges. Pick one and stick to it.

They have a DDI in Auburn Hills, Mi, that I went through once. Ughh. If I did it frequently, I think I could get used to it.

Kirk, I expect to take as many visitors as possible through the new intersection (driving the PT Cruiser). Hopefully it will convince them not to move to Florida -- it's getting crowded (#3 most populous state).

You can get used to the screaming green shits, too.

Kay, sadly you're right. Still, neither is fun.

 

[sawduststeve]

Bob,
Well remembered, “The Magic Round a bout”
Swindon , an exciting day out.
I’ve driven in London, Paris and Barcelona,
Florida was a doodle, mostly

Steve

 

[gearhead1960]

Bob,
Driving in NOVA has in some respects gotten better, although the speed limit is still a suggestion. Recently, they added Express lanes on I-66 from Gainesville, VA to DC. The speed limit in the Express lanes is 70. I've cruised down those lanes and are still passed by cars in the non-Express lanes like I'm standing still. Those lanes are supposed to be 55/60 speed limits.

 

[stillp]

I used to live and work in Swindon (for Square D) When we had visitors from the US I took great pleasure in driving them through the Magic Roundabout. It's 5 mini roundabouts grouped around a large roundabout. As long as you obey the rules at each individual roundabout you can go though the junction any way you like, so I'd take a slightly different route each time. Great fun with a US passenger who thought they were on the wrong side of the car.
Pete

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob,
Well remembered, “The Magic Round a bout”
Swindon , an exciting day out.
I’ve driven in London, Paris and Barcelona,
Florida was a doodle, mostly

Steve

Steve, mid-town Manhattan was one of my early driving challenges that prepared me for life behind the wheel. Other countries helped fill out my resume but Great Britain was the best. Sharing hedgerow lanes with buses was fun and explained the scratches on the outside mirrors and driver side of the rental. The one-lane roads on the Isle of Skye were perfect for Chicken races (timing arrivals at the wide spots). Our daughter suggested her husband ride in the front passenger seat and he lasted about an hour. Hopefully the rental company didn't find the deep depressions in that side's floorboard.

Bob,
Driving in NOVA has in some respects gotten better, although the speed limit is still a suggestion. Recently, they added Express lanes on I-66 from Gainesville, VA to DC. The speed limit in the Express lanes is 70. I've cruised down those lanes and are still passed by cars in the non-Express lanes like I'm standing still. Those lanes are supposed to be 55/60 speed limits.

Mark, I always knew politicians passed laws to benefit themselves but the Dulles express road was the absolute best example. A limited access road specifically designed to get their butts to their flights in the least amount of time says it all.

I used to live and work in Swindon (for Square D) When we had visitors from the US I took great pleasure in driving them through the Magic Roundabout. It's 5 mini roundabouts grouped around a large roundabout. As long as you obey the rules at each individual roundabout you can go though the junction any way you like, so I'd take a slightly different route each time. Great fun with a US passenger who thought they were on the wrong side of the car.
Pete

Pete, that sounds like my kind of entertainment. Driving into the Swindon roundabout and making the most elaborate U-turn possible could fill most of an afternoon.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Sioux Falls is currently getting one of these on the 41st street interchange off of I29 (I believe). My best friend that lives there has been commenting on it. Should be comical.

 

[Bob Heine]

Sioux Falls is currently getting one of these on the 41st street interchange off of I29 (I believe). My best friend that lives there has been commenting on it. Should be comical.

Mark, they are closing the whole interchange down the weekend of January 27-30, 2023 and completion in late 2023. I expect the traffic jam to include my driveway.

 

[Craptain]

I never personally drove on (around?) The Swindon roundabout but we had our own in Sheffield. It was right by the University, where I worked at the time, back in the early 70s. Very busy and initially confusing, but after a couple of times it worked very well and actually did speed up traffic flow.

 

[y'sguy]

As a kid I grew up in an area in Tulsa, Oklahoma that had a (traffic circle) as it was called. The most remarkable thing about it was that I imagined the center bowl section could be filled like a pond and then we could all enjoy it swimming and playing in. Luckily, that never happened! Historically I believe it was built to facilitate worker traffic flow to the "Douglas bomber plant". How times change. It is still located on local Admiral street or more famously, Route 66. Traffic flow around this area is quite different these days. I can't remember the last time I drove around it, and don't frequent the area. I don't think the area gets much traffic today.

 

[sawduststeve]

Bob,
This is just up the road from me, Sadlers Farm roundabout, one large five small, any direction you like.

Steve

 

[Bob Heine]

I never personally drove on (around?) The Swindon roundabout but we had our own in Sheffield. It was right by the University, where I worked at the time, back in the early 70s. Very busy and initially confusing, but after a couple of times it worked very well and actually did speed up traffic flow.

Andrew, I had to look it up. It's listed as #18 of the 20 worst roundabouts in Great Britain.

As a kid I grew up in an area in Tulsa, Oklahoma that had a (traffic circle) as it was called. The most remarkable thing about it was that I imagined the center bowl section could be filled like a pond and then we could all enjoy it swimming and playing in. Luckily, that never happened! Historically I believe it was built to facilitate worker traffic flow to the "Douglas bomber plant". How times change. It is still located on local Admiral street or more famously, Route 66. Traffic flow around this area is quite different these days. I can't remember the last time I drove around it, and don't frequent the area. I don't think the area gets much traffic today.

Alan, the folks in Sheffield, England have you beat. One of their roundabouts, built in 1967 has a huge hole in the middle to let light and air into an underground plaza. They filled it in in 1994 and built a Supertram station in its place.

Bob,
This is just up the road from me, Sadlers Farm roundabout, one large five small, any direction you like.

Steve

Steve, I'm starting to think roads engineers have a sadistic streak. I guess it isn't that crazy from ground level behind the wheel but passengers really should have their own pedals to stomp.

 

[Bob Heine]

Winter up north has its benefits. Not the snow but the pause in the yard work. First week of January in South Florida and I'm doing a little trimming. Not a huge pile but enough to keep the city's yard cuttings truck in business.

All the cuttings came from the stand of White Birds of Paradise in the front yard. Thinned it out enough to give the new growth a chance. I'm not a big fan of these plants but the garden maiden does and I just work here.

On the way to the shed to put power tools away, I stopped to enjoy the flowers.

I don't understand orchids. Liane bought a bunch of them that had already bloomed for $2 each and they're blooming in winter.

In the back yard the oak trees have started dropping their leaves even though our worst cold snap a couple of weeks ago only dropped into the upper 40s.

Same with the Maple tree. It appears a different kind of Staghorn fern is growing on it

The banana plants are doing their thing. For once, the two bunches are not ripening at the same time. These are smaller and sweeter than the Cavendish you find in the store.

The second bunch should be ready to eat in a few weeks.

When we're tired of eating bananas, they make excellent fertilizer for Staghorn ferns and the two in the front yard seem to like them.

 

[Bob Heine]

Actually did a little work in the garage. After all the work I did on the '87 Corvette intake and fuel injection, I turned the key and it started right up. I was extremely happy and got out of the car after turning it off. I don't remember why (probably called away for a crisis) but I turned the ignition back on and left. When I returned a week later the battery was dead (the battery tender couldn't keep up). A day with the tender trying to charge the battery didn't work so I got out my antique low-amp charger (not the big one that will start a car without the battery) and it brought the battery back from the dead in a few hours.

Started the car and the lights on the dash went a little crazy and the oil pressure gauge read 3.0 lbs. Shut it off and tried again -- oil pressure came up to 50 lbs right away but the engine seemed to have a knock. It's possible the injectors leaked gasoline while it was sitting all that time with power to the in-tank fuel pump. I'm going to change the oil and filter before proceeding.

I wanted to see if there was a code thrown by the ECU so I got out my Innova OBD 2&1 tool. No codes detected.

I was concerned that the ECU might have been damaged so I looked for a refurbished one. They made some changes to the ECU a few years after mine was built so I got the later model. While I had the new one on the bench I installed the Hypertec chip performance upgrade. If it doesn't do anything to bump up the performance, I can swap the ECU with the original chip back in the car. I had a premonition of broken plastic clips on my original baked in Florida 36-year-old ECU when trying to swap the chip.

 

[Squankum]

Sir Jack is one of only two Australians to have won the F1 championship and he did it three times in '59, '60 and '66. Alan Jones is the other, who won for Williams in 1980. As it happens this is the same as the number of Americans who have won the F1 championship - Phil Hill in '61 and Mario Andretti in '78 but you guys have more than 10 times our population.

I don't mean to be pedantic, but... we don't care! Americans like racing in circles or straight line. Not a very large talent pool for road racing. Also, there are ways to make a living racing in a circle or straight line. The noble ideals of amateurism aren't scaring off talent!

 

[Grizz1963]

Yard looks absolutely lovely Bob.

I am sure we have had answers to the following two questions before, but I cannot recall reading them.

Does your garden refuse like the pile you put out there in the first pic, get collected loose from there, or do you process them into a manageable bundle or bale ?

Question two, again I am surprised at my own lack of memories of it, but then, I am getting older.

That faded red, Jeeplike vehicle hiding in two of the pics….?

Any more info ?
thanks.

 

[Geoff289]

I don't mean to be pedantic, but... we don't care! Americans like racing in circles or straight line. Not a very large talent pool for road racing. Also, there are ways to make a living racing in a circle or straight line. The noble ideals of amateurism aren't scaring off talent!

Well I guess I don't care either. Similar to here, any American kid aspiring to an F1 career really has to have a family that's not only well healed but prepared to basically move to Europe to support the kid in F3 to kick things off etc.

The racing in a straight line of which you speak is my main motor sport interest but the sport is in a very sorry state down here and I fear it will never recover from the division, fragmentation and vested interests that have beset it for a few years now. NASCAR and a local version AUSCAR was tried here for a while in the '80's but never really captured the public's imagination and the only banked oval we have, here in Melbourne, is tumbleweed central these days.

Thanks for hosting this discussion Bob.

 

[jon72vega]

Bob,
Your yard looks great!

 

[shortykorte]

Don’t be talking about the Florida DOT. It is our mission to give you the #1 rated transportation system in the nation.

 

[y'sguy]

Yard looks absolutely lovely Bob.

I am sure we have had answers to the following two questions before, but I cannot recall reading them.

Does your garden refuse like the pile you put out there in the first pic, get collected loose from there, or do you process them into a manageable bundle or bale ?

Question two, again I am surprised at my own lack of memories of it, but then, I am getting older.

That faded red, Jeeplike vehicle hiding in two of the pics….?

Any more info ?
thanks.

Grizz, you have a sharp eye there! I spotted it as well. It's possible it's a 1964 ford f100. BUT, most likely a 1966-77 FORD Bronco. Highly popular resurgence here in the USA, Also highly overpriced and overrated in MHO as I have had both.

And I would have to agree with you Bob and Liane's yard does look inviting. Lucious! Love the Staghorn ferns.

 

[Bob Heine]

I don't mean to be pedantic, but... we don't care! Americans like racing in circles or straight line. Not a very large talent pool for road racing. Also, there are ways to make a living racing in a circle or straight line. The noble ideals of amateurism aren't scaring off talent!

@Squankum, I think it has to do with the cost of racing. Much of our non-televised racing is within reach of a dedicated member of the middle class. There are Enduro and Crown Vic track racing events requiring bone stock vehicles with a few safety modifications allowed. Same with drag racing, with lots of race what you drive events. Only billionaires and multi-millionaires can afford to put together a NHRA Top Fuel, Funny Car or Pro stock, NASCAR or Indy Car team so we sit at home watching those on our TV or video simulation game setup.

Except for Haas, Formula 1 teams are all European. None of the 1,000 hp hybrid 1.6 liter (97.638 ci) engines in the cars are based on American designs. With a rev limit of 15,000 rpm, why would we? Most Americans don't relate to vehicles that require a $50,000 steering wheel. I grew up loving all kinds of racing because so many of the vehicles used hot rod technology. Chevy small block V8 engines, Buick Turbo V6 engines. I enjoyed going to Daytona to watch King Richard and Dale Earnhardt race but these days it's like watching traffic. The cars have computer controls on almost everything, including the ubiquitous automatic transmission. I expect to see collision avoidance systems controlling the brakes and steering real soon.

Yard looks absolutely lovely Bob.

I am sure we have had answers to the following two questions before, but I cannot recall reading them.

Does your garden refuse like the pile you put out there in the first pic, get collected loose from there, or do you process them into a manageable bundle or bale ?

Question two, again I am surprised at my own lack of memories of it, but then, I am getting older.

That faded red, Jeeplike vehicle hiding in two of the pics….?

Any more info ?
thanks.

Thank you Rian! The lawn has gone from grass to weeds over the past few years and bare ground under the large trees in the yard. At some point I'll have to remove the weeds and put down sod. Mindless work but satisfying result.

The City of Boca Raton collects our trash twice a week and provides containers for trash, recycled paper [yellow bin] and recycled plastic, glass and aluminum [blue bin]. One of those days they pick up bulk items (furniture, washers, dryers, water heaters, etc.) and vegitation. The metal bulk items are often snatched by roving scrappers before the city gets to them. The rules for vegetation are not strictly enforced so we don't 'bundle' the big stuff but do bundle leaves and clippings. The city web site states: "Vegetation can be placed curbside, either bundled and/or bagged... Vegetative waste such as tree trimmings and palm fronds cannot exceed 4 inches in diameter and 5 feet in length."

That faded red vehicle is a 1965 Ford F100. My neighbor was born in 1965 so he bought it when he turned 55. He starts it up every once in a while but it normally sits under a tree in his front yard. Not sure it has a current registration because he doesn't take it out on the road. Aside from the surface rust it's in really great condition and the engine sounds strong.

Well I guess I don't care either. Similar to here, any American kid aspiring to an F1 career really has to have a family that's not only well healed but prepared to basically move to Europe to support the kid in F3 to kick things off etc.

The racing in a straight line of which you speak is my main motor sport interest but the sport is in a very sorry state down here and I fear it will never recover from the division, fragmentation and vested interests that have beset it for a few years now. NASCAR and a local version AUSCAR was tried here for a while in the '80's but never really captured the public's imagination and the only banked oval we have, here in Melbourne, is tumbleweed central these days.

Thanks for hosting this discussion Bob.

Geoff, it's almost like the sanctioning bodies' goal is to drive people out of the sport. Not to mention making pit stops more important than driving skill.

Bob,
Your yard looks great!

Thank you Jon. It's kind of a refuge for us.

I suspect a fair number of homes in this area will be sold and torn down by people who have a lot of money and want to live close to a high-speed train station that can get them to Miami. Our house is 2 blocks from the station. It's a 56-minute ride each way for as little as $25 or as much as $128 for a round trip (like I said, for people with lots of money).

 

[Bob Heine]

Don’t be talking about the Florida DOT. It is our mission to give you the #1 rated transportation system in the nation.

Shorty, you're right. Florida ranks #19 because very few of our bridges fall down and there are very few frost heaves on our roadways. It comes in at #44 for commute time for some reason. My commute from the bedroom to the garage and even the office are reasonable at less than a minute.

Grizz, you have a sharp eye there! I spotted it as well. It's possible it's a 1964 ford f100. BUT, most likely a 1966-77 FORD Bronco. Highly popular resurgence here in the USA, Also highly overpriced and overrated in MHO as I have had both.

And I would have to agree with you Bob and Liane's yard does look inviting. Lucious! Love the Staghorn ferns.

Alan, you were real close. I would have given the surface rust a little conversion treatment to turn it black and then applied a few coats of satin clear. His car, his choice.

The yard really helps with the winter blues. Once the holidays are over, winter up north was the Dark 90 for us. From January to April you lived with cold weather and long nights. Now they call it SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Our days are not as long in Summer or as short in Winter and it helps to see flowers. Best part of Winter down here is driving a convertible -- day or night -- with the A/C off and tunes turned up (maybe Beach Boys and Jimmy Buffet).

 

[scooterbum46]

Don’t be talking about the Florida DOT. It is our mission to give you the #1 rated transportation system in the nation, someday.

There, I fixed it for you..

 

[Grizz1963]

Thank you for the replies Bob.

Looking at those Detroit Steel wheels, it may have some more magic going on under the hood.

 

[y'sguy]

.

 

[loganb]

Love seeing the great looking yard Bob! Kinda mixed on what's better...landscape work in January like you have or 20 degrees and not having to do any outside work...well except dealing with snow as mother nature requires. I think you have the better outdoor activities right now!

And all this traffic talk brings me back to college. A couple of my college professors were into road safety projects(cause there was grant money) to supposedly convert "safer" intersection design if they could prove it reduced the "cost" of accidents. And of course there was grant money to study the accident rates, modeling the probability and potential severity of accidents in the various design options...fairly certain at least 1 of the group projects we did in a class was directly supporting the research efforts. Couple years later I heard that in typical .gov form the resulting best options were all tossed out and the least effective solution was used at a trial installation...the public hated it and accidents increased and never went down and was ripped out a couple years later....go figure. When done well the newer designs seem to work....but doing them well is far to rare

 

[shopnut]

Happy New Year Bob. I hope 2023 treats you well.

Thanks for mentioning the mobile tire guys, I had no idea something like that even existed. That might have saved me a risky drive into town when the Corvette tires need changing. The guys at the tire shop asked "how old are those tires?!?" I told them, at least older than 1988 when I bought the car!

Have fun with whatever 2023 brings you!