Silicon Investor - The no EV Car Nut Thread

[Tom Clarke] [X] Electric F-150 was supposed to be the big EV turning point. ... https://t.c...

Tom Clarke — 11/7/2025 4:55:25 PM

[X]

Electric F-150 was supposed to be the big EV turning point. ... https://t.co/Pr1nJWCuBR
— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) November 6, 2025

[/X]

[miraje] Since I own a Cherokee.. :-) [graphic]

miraje — 8/2/2025 6:36:11 PM

Since I own a Cherokee.. :-)

[kidl] I agree. Red for typical American classic cars is wrong but it’s oh so right fo...

kidl — 7/29/2025 1:19:16 PM

I agree. Red for typical American classic cars is wrong but it’s oh so right for European (classic) sports cars.

[miraje] One color that turns me off is red. Seems that every classic car auction or sale...

miraje — 7/29/2025 12:52:34 PM

One color that turns me off is red. Seems that every classic car auction or sale has a bunch of nice old cars that have been resprayed "Resale Red". I don't get it, but a lot of people like it. And there are the anecdotal stories about how red cars get the cops going after you like a cape in front of a bull.. :-)

[kidl] Purple is essentially equal to black and even a pure white. Great colours. That...

kidl — 7/29/2025 12:40:15 PM

Purple is essentially equal to black and even a pure white. Great colours. That is if you also own a car wash :-)

[miraje] My mother loved purple. My dad bought her a new 1967 Chevy Caprice exactly like ...

miraje — 7/29/2025 12:27:45 PM

My mother loved purple. My dad bought her a new 1967 Chevy Caprice exactly like this one, although it had a 327 and the one pictured here has a big block. Wish I still had it, but the rust bug ate it long ago..

1967 Caprice hardtop - Royal Plum

[kidl] Car Color Popularity: What's The Most Common Color Globally? | ShunAuto

kidl — 7/29/2025 11:30:13 AM

[miraje] As I look around the development I live in, I see every car, SUV and pickup, exc...

miraje — 7/29/2025 11:19:35 AM

As I look around the development I live in, I see every car, SUV and pickup, except mine, painted black or white or silver of grey. So dull and boring. I do like black, but it's too hard to keep nice and clean. My Jeep is a gold/tan color and I like it..

[Tom Clarke] Good riddance to the mediocre era of auto design. [graphic]

Tom Clarke — 7/29/2025 5:54:10 AM

Good riddance to the mediocre era of auto design.

[miraje] re: CAFE standards One way to get the high power that buyers want, along with h...

miraje — 7/28/2025 6:41:16 PM

re: CAFE standards

One way to get the high power that buyers want, along with higher MPG, is to take tiny little motors and boost the hell out of them with turbos or superchargers. Lots of fun until they blow up..

Hybrids are another way to squeeze out more power, although they can get quite complicated and expensive to repair..

[Tom Clarke] Car Lovers Rejoice! After 50 Miserable Years, CAFE Standards Are Dead . . . One...

Tom Clarke — 7/28/2025 9:45:10 AM

Car Lovers Rejoice! After 50 Miserable Years, CAFE Standards Are Dead

. . . One of the most important provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill has gone completely unnoticed, but promises to make the auto industry great again.

For 50 years, the federal government has been forcing fuel economy standards on auto companies. If the average fuel economy of the cars sold in a year exceeded a federal standard, the companies had to cough up enormous penalties.

Passed in 1975 as a way to deal with an energy crisis (that was caused by government price controls), “corporate average fuel economy” (CAFE) standards – required the fleet of cars sold by an automaker to achieve an arbitrary miles-per-gallon goal. If they missed the goal, they paid hefty annual fines.

issuesinsights.com

[miraje] I drove a rental car that had this "feature" with no on/off switch. I hated it. ...

miraje — 5/13/2025 12:34:39 AM

I drove a rental car that had this "feature" with no on/off switch. I hated it. Just another annoying "innovation" adding to the cost and complexity of modern vehicles. Wonder how many stop/start cycles before the starter burns out? Full article and comments at the link below..

dailywire.com

Trump Admin Sets Out To ‘Fix’ Everyone’s Least Favorite Car Feature

"EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it."

President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is on a mission to “fix” the despised start/stop technology in newer cars that shuts down a vehicle’s engine when stopped in traffic or at a red light in the name of conserving fuel and saving the planet.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said on Monday that his agency would begin looking into how it can modify the start/stop feature. The EPA currently incentivizes car manufacturers to make cars with the start/stop system...

[miraje] Jay Leno Backs California Bill 712 To Exempt Classic Cars from Smog Checks he...

miraje — 3/14/2025 9:47:31 AM

Jay Leno Backs California Bill 712 To Exempt Classic Cars from Smog Checks

hemmings.com

...So, what is Senate Bill 712? It’s a bill sponsored by Jay Leno and introduced by Senator Shannon Grove in hopes to, in Leno’s words, “remove unnecessary and burdensome smog check requirements for classic vehicles, ensuring they remain a celebrated part of California’s culture and economy.”

The main purpose of SB 712 is to take the partial smog check exemption for collector motor vehicles out of the existing law and make vehicles 35 years old or older fully exempt from smog check requirements.

“California’s smog check laws for classic cars need to be updated—they vary too much from state to state, and California’s rules don’t match up with neighboring ones,” said Jay Leno, adding; “Our classic cars are only driven for special occasions, weekend drives and car shows. I am excited to work with Senator Grove on SB 712 to make it simpler for us to preserve these pieces of history.”...

[miraje] [graphic]

miraje — 1/12/2025 8:02:56 PM

[miraje] [graphic]

miraje — 12/14/2024 2:42:32 PM

[miraje] Car returned to dealer from disgruntled customer. Dude walks away after "deliver...

miraje — 12/12/2024 12:47:32 AM

Car returned to dealer from disgruntled customer. Dude walks away after "delivery" LMAO! Video at link below..

foxbusiness.com

Angry customer crashes recently purchased Subaru through doors at dealership

The incident reportedly caused some $10K worth of damage

A disagreement at a Utah car dealership escalated on Monday, when a customer crashed the vehicle he purchased there into the building...

[OldAIMGuy] Back when Shaguar's were Cool!!! [graphic]

OldAIMGuy — 12/9/2024 9:04:38 AM

Back when Shaguar's were Cool!!!

[miraje] Shaguar is now Draguar.. [graphic]

miraje — 12/9/2024 12:10:12 AM

Shaguar is now Draguar..

[miraje] Austin Powers' Shaguar movie car up for auction. Was in all three flicks. Yeah, ...

miraje — 12/5/2024 11:18:32 AM

Austin Powers' Shaguar movie car up for auction. Was in all three flicks. Yeah, baby. Groovy.. :-)

Lots of pics at the link below..

hemmings.com

[miraje] [graphic]

miraje — 11/25/2024 10:56:49 AM

[OldAIMGuy] ...... better than a gold metal flake bowling ball..............

OldAIMGuy — 10/18/2024 4:05:16 PM

[miraje] our 50th year of marriage Congratulations! And a gold car for a golden annivers...

miraje — 10/18/2024 3:42:33 PM

our 50th year of marriage

Congratulations! And a gold car for a golden anniversary. Well done.. :-)

[OldAIMGuy] Ours is a 50th Anniversary model (2005) and my wife and I are 2 weeks into our 5...

OldAIMGuy — 10/18/2024 1:13:32 PM

Ours is a 50th Anniversary model (2005) and my wife and I are 2 weeks into our 50th year of marriage.

So, it seemed an appropriate gift for her!

However, she sees it as me buying her a new bowling ball that has holes drilled to fit my hand!!!

34K miles on it and in need of some TLC only because it wasn't used much. I purged the old brake fluid (about the color of yesterday's coffee!) and replaced it with DOT 5 Silicone. I checked the trans fluid and that's the right color and fill level. Engine oil is new and good. Power steering fluid is good. Radiator level is good. I bought it sight unseen and drove it 450 miles home. No incidents! (Phew!)

It's a nice "Used Car......"

Best wishes,
OAG Tom

[miraje] Nice, and nice color. A future collectable classic for sure. I bought one for m...

miraje — 10/18/2024 1:00:37 PM

Nice, and nice color. A future collectable classic for sure.

I bought one for my ex wife, an '05 (last year made), black on black, got plenty of compliments (German tourist wanted to buy it from me at a gas station) but it was somewhat of a lemon, unfortunately. It had engine knock (detonation) even with the highest octane gas I could find and the dealer could never get the tires and wheels properly balanced. Sold it when we split up..

[OldAIMGuy] We're having a string of beautiful Fall days here in WI. It begged me to get the...

OldAIMGuy — 10/18/2024 10:50:49 AM

We're having a string of beautiful Fall days here in WI. It begged me to get the latest toy out and go find some spots for photography.

(Elkhart Lake, WI)

(Winner's Circle at Road America)

There are some roads we wish would just go on forever on a day like this............

[miraje] .[graphic]

miraje — 10/5/2024 3:35:52 PM

[miraje] .[graphic]

miraje — 10/5/2024 1:57:51 PM

[miraje] IMO, California needs a good smack down.. Message 34830819

miraje — 9/19/2024 12:38:58 PM

[miraje] I thought that tri-five Nomads were expensive until I saw this '56 Pontiac Safa...

miraje — 8/14/2024 12:00:56 PM

I thought that tri-five Nomads were expensive until I saw this '56 Pontiac Safari version listed for $175K..

seattle.craigslist.org

[OldAIMGuy] Here's a photo essay of this year's Hot Rod Power Tour. Around 7000 cars partici...

OldAIMGuy — 8/14/2024 10:28:34 AM

Here's a photo essay of this year's Hot Rod Power Tour. Around 7000 cars participated this year!

motortrend.com

Best wishes,
OAG

[miraje] [graphic]

miraje — 7/13/2024 1:44:04 PM

[OldAIMGuy] I don't think we'll find a single EV in this review of the oddities of this year...

OldAIMGuy — 6/27/2024 8:13:13 AM

I don't think we'll find a single EV in this review of the oddities of this year's Hot Rod Power Tour.

Just take some time to look at these beauties! Think of the hours spent to create them!!

motortrend.com

Participation was huge this year with over 5500 who did the entire Long Hauler (entire tour) and lots more who did day trips to participate. Here's more info on this year's event:

motortrend.com

Best wishes,
OAG - 2022 HRPT Long Hauler

For me, I started in and returned to Wisconsin - 2600 miles round trip!

[miraje] car jokes.. .. [graphic]. [graphic] . [graphic]

miraje — 6/1/2024 3:51:30 PM

car jokes..

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[OldAIMGuy] Honey, I shrunk the Hot Rod!!! [graphic]

OldAIMGuy — 5/26/2024 10:50:34 AM

Honey, I shrunk the Hot Rod!!!

[OldAIMGuy] Hi JB, I think the over-drive gear was 0.72 in it. We would have gone faster h...

OldAIMGuy — 5/22/2024 2:12:07 PM

Hi JB,

I think the over-drive gear was 0.72 in it. We would have gone faster had the water and oil temps been better. They were around 230°F for water and 280°F for the oil. Not ideal. I'd been watching those gauges and backed out of the throttle and held at around 140MPH. On a cooler day we'd have gone a bit faster!

A funny story from that day:
We'd met and become friends with a guy from Alabama. He was driving a '53 Lincoln Capri which was heavily modified. I asked what his speed was where the Federales were clocking all of us. He said, "We were clocked at 174MPH." I said, "Wow!!!" to which he replied, "Yeah, we sucked a valve on the previous speed section so we just pulled the plug on that cylinder.........."

That's right! They were doing 174 MPH on just 7 Cylinders!!! That old Lincoln was more NASCAR than anything else!!!

:-)

One of the coolest things in 1994 was having people come up to us who had seen us in previous years. A man and his son came up with some photos of our car taken in '92 and asked if we would autograph the backs! We were more famous than the Astronauts when they came back from the Moon!!!!

OAG Tom

[miraje] 142 MPH in that old Jag? Wow! How many RPMs were you turning at that speed? Tall...

miraje — 5/22/2024 10:50:22 AM

142 MPH in that old Jag? Wow! How many RPMs were you turning at that speed? Tall gears in the back?

I remember reading in a car mag that Lincoln (or was it Cadillac?) won some of the early races and used that success in their advertising. That mix of old American iron and European sports cars is something pretty unique in car racing,

I was looking for an old Nash Healey, but they're probably too rare and expensive to risk in a crash. I had a '51 bathtub Ambassador, years ago, that had the same big OHV 6 as a juiced up, dual carb version that powered the Healey.

I got just over half way through your video when I had to pause it. I'll finish viewing it today.

Thanks again,
-JB

[OldAIMGuy] Yes, it's scheduled again for 2024 here: lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx I've hea...

OldAIMGuy — 5/22/2024 8:56:52 AM

Yes, it's scheduled again for 2024 here:

lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx

I've heard that it's morphed over the years. Some of the trip includes speed events at race tracks instead of just two lane roads.

I'm sure they've added some guard rail since I was last in the event!!!

Our old XK 140 was clocked by the federal highway police at 142 MPH on one of the speed sections in norther Mexico. I was at the wheel and my brother was Co-Piloto for that section. There was so much air collecting under the car that it felt like is was floating!!

Each race was about 2000 miles long. So, three times 2000 makes that old Jag a 6000 mile Mexican warrior. Also, each year we drove the car about half that on the way to Tuxtla Gutierez just to get a feel for driving in Mexico with traffic. All in all we had only two problems in all those miles. We had a rear tire fail at speed in '92 and we had the battery "kill switch" fail in '94. Not bad for an ancient kitty!!

I'm glad you enjoyed it. If you look on Youtube, you'll find other years of the PanAm race in video form. "The Drivers Cut" from 1991 is a good one.

Best wishes,
OAG Tom

[miraje] And on a different sort of race, I got a laugh over these "old school" NASCAR fi...

miraje — 5/21/2024 5:43:50 PM

And on a different sort of race, I got a laugh over these "old school" NASCAR fisticuffs. Rumble in the pits, post race. Kyle Busch is an ass, LOL!

outkick.com

[miraje] re: La Carrera Panamericana Thanks for that video. I'll bet that was a fun expe...

miraje — 5/21/2024 5:38:01 PM

re: La Carrera Panamericana

Thanks for that video. I'll bet that was a fun experience. :-) Are they still running that race every year?

[longz] Congrats! Awesome!....Thanks for sharing!

longz — 5/21/2024 4:31:46 PM

[OldAIMGuy] For those of you who like cars from the '50s and '60s, and who also like Pink Fl...

OldAIMGuy — 5/21/2024 4:22:10 PM

For those of you who like cars from the '50s and '60s, and who also like Pink Floyd, here's a video from the 1991 La Carrera Panamericana. I drove in this event in 1991 and 1994 taking 10th in class in '91 and 3rd in 1994. My dad and brother drove in 1992 and also took a 3rd in class.

youtube.com
(About 1 Hour long video)

BTW, we beat the guys from Pink Floyd even though their Jaguars were faster than ours. (ours was a production car where theirs were pure race cars). The reason was that we didn't crash or break our car! (they did!)

Our trusty 1955 XK 140 Jaguar Coupe:

(Note all the Armco guardrail to keep us from plunging off a cliff!!!)

Best wishes,
OAG Tom

Buy from the Scared; Sell to the Greedy.....

[miraje] Here are some really cool wagons on Hemmings.. hemmings.com I'd take the '71 C...

miraje — 5/12/2024 2:50:21 PM

Here are some really cool wagons on Hemmings..

hemmings.com

I'd take the '71 Chevelle SS out of this bunch..

[longz] BIG WILLY: Giant Nearly 2-to-1 Scale 1942 Willys MB Flatfender Jeep | EP33 (yout...

longz — 5/7/2024 7:51:42 PM

BIG WILLY: Giant Nearly 2-to-1 Scale 1942 Willys MB Flatfender Jeep | EP33 (youtube.com)

[OldAIMGuy] Wow! that got my restoration juices flowing! I can already feel the busted knuck...

OldAIMGuy — 4/29/2024 9:06:13 AM

Wow! that got my restoration juices flowing! I can already feel the busted knuckles and skin peeling back from rusty fasteners! I better get an updated tetanus shot!!

Thanks for the link.

I'd probably choose the '61 E-Type roadster for its originality and bring it back from its purgatory of over 50 years in storage. The XK 140 Open Two Seater would be my second choice. Lots of sheet metal is now available for some of these older XKs. (and it appears this one might need some!) The XK120 Coupe comes third. Lots of potential there.

Best wishes,
OAG Tom

[miraje] Thought you might find this interesting, Tom. Some old Jag barn finds. Which one...

miraje — 4/28/2024 1:16:29 PM

Thought you might find this interesting, Tom. Some old Jag barn finds. Which one would you take?

hemmings.com

[OldAIMGuy] Hi James, the '67 E-Type was full synchro but the '53 had a crummy crash box. N...

OldAIMGuy — 4/26/2024 9:53:36 PM

Hi James,
the '67 E-Type was full synchro but the '53 had a crummy crash box. No synchro on 1st and nothing very good on 2nd or 3rd. We changed out the box for a more modern box which was full synchro a d much stronger.

On the track, even in more modern cars with stick shift, I still double clutch on downshifting. That's to keep the rear tires from losing traction while under heavy braking while setting up for the approaching corner.

OAG Tom

[miraje] Today one can buy a drop-in Pertronix for old cars and do away with the points a...

miraje — 4/26/2024 7:03:17 PM

Today one can buy a drop-in Pertronix for old cars and do away with the points and condenser.

Hi Tom,

I'm with you 100% on that. Although I like to keep old classics as stock as possible, an electronic ignition upgrade makes tuning and running them so much easier. Had a condenser go bad on my '67 Chevy and I had a hard time diagnosing the problem. Engine running rough and crapping out.

I never bothered with a timing light, either. Just kept advancing the distributor until it started to ping on test drives, then backed it down a hair, tightened it up and off we go.

I'm not much of a mechanic (all thumbs), but I like to play with the simple stuff.. :-)

Great weekend for you, too.

Regards, James

PS: Were your old Jags full synchro or did you have to play with some double clutching? I learned about that the hard way as a teenager, but that's another story..

[OldAIMGuy] Hi M, Re: 1967 XK-E Type.......... It was a sweetheart of mine for around 3 yea...

OldAIMGuy — 4/26/2024 5:05:19 PM

Hi M, Re: 1967 XK-E Type..........

It was a sweetheart of mine for around 3 years. My cousin owned it and sadly drove it through salty Northern winters. It was originally painted black. When I got it I repaired the rusty stuff and painted it charcoal gray metallic. It still looked wicked good at night in that color and really sparkled in the sun. I put a lot of time and effort into that car and learned a lot about Jag engines, electrics and performance. It gave me the confidence to tackle the XK 120 project.

After the E-Type shut off after running through a puddle, I decided to tame the ignition. I bought a "Capacitive Discharge Ignition" kit from Radio Shack and soldered it together. (BTW they could be assembled for either positive or negative ground!) Where I used to get ~5000 miles on a new set of points and questionable ignition any time the humidity got above 50%, adding the electronic ignition to the E-Type made it run like Mr. Lucas had never been born!! I drove it another ~25,000 miles with it and never again changed the points. It also never again shut off in a downpour. So many things got better with that Radio Shack kit! Better battery life with quicker starts, Rain Proof, etc. The Capacitive Discharge jumped the spark plug voltage from around 8K cranking and around 12K running to around 20K cranking up to around 35K running. What a difference!

Today one can buy a drop-in Pertronix for old cars and do away with the points and condenser. They work great. But, I'm still proud of my kit assembly and what it did for that old E-Jag. Pertronix is a must for anyone with an old English sports car. Or for any old U.S. car for that matter. There may be other drop in Points replacement electronic ignitions like theirs, as I've been away from such things for a while.

Have a great weekend,
OAG Tom

pertronixbrands.com

[miraje] Is that your E-Type n the first pic? Did you ever race that one? IMO, those Seri...

miraje — 4/26/2024 3:28:32 PM

Is that your E-Type n the first pic? Did you ever race that one? IMO, those Series 1 example are just about the most gorgeous cars ever produced..

[OldAIMGuy] Yep, I bought it in 1973 for $900. It was running, so was probably worth it. I d...

OldAIMGuy — 4/26/2024 12:49:06 PM

Yep, I bought it in 1973 for $900. It was running, so was probably worth it. I drove it home and got there in one piece! Here's what it looked like when I bought it:

I took it all the way apart in the '70s, had kids in the '80s and neglected it and in '89 rebuilt it as a Vintage Race car. Here's a shot of it in its debut in late '89. Our first race was on Grand Bahama Island in January of 1990.

Lots of fond memories. It was reasonably fast - faster than the brakes liked! In a 10 Lap race I had to think and plan for the brakes. Too fast at the first 5 laps and I had to coast the last 5!!!

Best wishes,
OAG Tom