Wednesday WALK to work . . .

Why fire up the Dodge to walk a half mile?  I just throw on my Yak Trax (special traction footwear) and take off to the coffee shop.  I bid a "good-morning" to all the local businessmen and patrons of this fine establishment.  Then I'm off again, through Central Park (not shoveled? huh?), make a loop past the theatre and then duck into Car Quest - housed in the old vintage, deco Trowbridge Grocery Store building.  My friend Doug owns the building and runs the store.  More gossip, more coffee (now with a donut) and I continue this power-walk past more people waving and smiling - and starting their days with kids to school and having a job - and going to work.  I feel fortunate.  (PS. that's not my parking ticket)

Sound City DVD

The documentary SOUND CITY that Dave Grohl and friends put together is great.  Add it to your collection to be watched over & over & over again . . . How this "board" which was purchased by a guy who just wanted to make some money in the music business - became a unique and legendary sound for all these different upcoming musicians - and the classic albums they produced at Sound City . . . it's just a great storyline.  Some critics say the later part of this feature is just Grohl promoting himself . . . but, I disagree.  It's like a kid who appreciates an antique car, an old Harley, a classic guitar . . . Grohl took the board down,
disassembled it, packed it, shipped it with care - and reassembled this thing to make music again - preserving it's heritage, to function - what it was designed to do.  The final scene with (basically Nirvana) but with Paul McCartney filling in is totally awesome.  What a rad song, and McCartney is just a god of rock who can do anything.  Nothing compares.  It almost brought tears to my eyes - you could just see Grohl, Smear, Nova . . . just diggin' it - like a dream.  Buy it - Watch it and Save it. 

Aromas Coffee House

When I catch that "french toast" smell of roasting coffee beans . . . mmmmmm, I have to go get some.  It makes our little neighborhood smell so good.  There's lots of good coffee out there . . . I'm happy we have a place like this - in Charles City.

Drag Racing: Movie Reviews

The movie Snake & Mongoose is very weak.  No empathy for characters, weak story-line, too clean of uniforms, perfect hair, it's so fake and unrealistic.  Spotless clean rail dragsters parked all cock-ways next to their pull-type campers with no tools or extra slicks anywhere - no nitro tanks, no oil, what-the-hell - they must run perfect right-outta-the-box? The race scenes are so staged (studio shots) with the cars lined up - then they "crop in" real racing footage of actual runs.  The girls don't look like 60s or 70s chics at all. Flash footage of real drag racing gals like Linda Vaughn or Jungle Pam, and you about fly out of your chair.  It's a good movie to make fun of . . . my wife was like, "That doesn't even look right, does it?" . . . No sweetie, it doesn't.  They didn't even get the Movie Name right - I grew up watching these guys race on television, (I still have the hot wheels and track somewhere) - and the media always referred to them as:
The Mongoose and The Snake !  Mongoose comes first . . . then Snake (sorry Don, didn't you edit this thing?) D+

Now, if you want to see pretty damn good drag racing movie - Buy: Heart Like a Wheel.  True empathy for characters, the actors are awesome, the story-line is superb(Shirley's career of coarse) and much of the racing footage is Shirley's car (with Tommy Ivo driving) and the interviews after the movie with Shirley, Garlits, Kalitta and Tommy himself - are classics in themselves. A-

Working

Harley '40ULH ready, Harley '49FL ready, Harley '56KHK almost ready, Harley '75XLH ready, Harley 74" pan wheels ready, Chevy '60 283 gettin' there . . .

email from Mert . . .

I got an email from Mert Lawwill today.  It's really neat this guy actually responded to my "very good question" that I had . . . not too busy for me.  Mert is one of my all time heros of racing and engineering design.  He manufacturers parts for people with disabilities and makes their lives richer, fuller and more worthwhile.  These products help people.  His hard work and dedication doesn't go unnoticed, and he's been so much more that just a famous motorcycle racer and promoter of our sport. 
But, I gotta say . .  when you see the "In-Box" is a reply from Mert . . . it's like - Alright !  Dude ! 
So cool.  Thanks Mert.

Kenny Roberts

Are those wheels magnesium?  They sure are neat.

Honing 1939 Knucklehead Cylinders

Advanced Cycle sleeved these cylinders for me . . . and I bored and honed them for new pistons.  Nicest set of 4-Fin cylinders in the country !

Harley Racers

 

Road Racing, Flat Track and TT . . . with basically the same engine.

Random Stuff . . .

80" Flywheel Casting Number

Hawbaker had a great couple weeks . . . 

Won a motorcycle ice race in Wisconsin

and a snowmobile race in Clear Lake !

Harley VL Cylinders: They need valves, guides & a fresh bore.

Iowa can be very barren in the winter.

 Rochester Harley-Davidson Schedule:

MC 10.5:1 Forged Pistons w/Offset Pins

Now this is a 4 X 4 !

Always a good time in Des Moines

McFarland's Micro Machine Shop

My friend Jeff does a lot of my machine work - and it's great to see him progress from a hobby - to a skilled machinist.  He's old-school all the way.  This type of machinist is formed from old-time techniques.  No fancy shit.  It's a dying breed - and we need to keep it alive.  Making jigs and fixtures to assist in the machining process.  We've tackled all types of broken and battered parts - and put them back into service.  I have a workin' knowledge I've acquired from my dad.  I bring measuring devices, indicators and some of my our fixtures - so it's allowed us to basically fix-a-lot-of-shit - and make it reliable and functional again.  Pictured above is his Mini-Bridgeport he's built from scratch.  He's currently working on the lead screw and belt drive system.  It will run - and actually machine, small micro parts - mostly brass and aluminum.  The Micro-V-Twin engine was also built from scratch.  The arm on the front will advance the timing - it will actually run.  He's working on the fuel system.  His shop is heated with this big wood burner, old machines . . . a metal storage bin full of steel bars, brass, aluminum . . . shavings everywhere.  Cold beer - cigarette smoke.  Fun stuff !

Land of the Rising Sun

Almost forgot about this one - in Japan

New Club: The Side-Valve Sliders

S.V.S.

Side-Valve Sliders

Must ride a side valve

Ride at least one time - every month of year

Members now include:

Noot Jr, Rattlecan, Pat 

and whoever wants to chime in . . .

Bud's Ironhead - No Warrants

It's finally done.  All gone through.  Ready for Action.  A bit more than 32 pennies, but the Down Boys will be Rockin' . . . Preserve our heritage - Rebuild Vintage !

Panhead Cylinders

Bored & honed for NOS H-D pistons . . .

Painted with H-D Hi-Heat Silver Barrel Paint

Good Swap Meets

Al's Stroker Motor

My dad checkin' piston clearance, overlap, endplay . . . all the checks you make when building these motors.  Al does his own final assembly.

Weird 1952 Cases

My motor is a 1952.  It has a hydraulic lifter "clean-out" filter screen provision cast into the cases, which is strange since the oil passages for the hydraulic lifters have never been drilled (under the tappet blocks).  Panhead hydraulic lifters were moved from the pushrods to the tappet blocks in 1953. This clean-out screen was to filter debris from the lifters.  The factory apparently started casting the clean-out into the cases in 1952?  I have a clean-out that really doesn't function in the manner it was designed to . . . and since I run solid lifters, it doesn't really matter.  Huh.  Why do I dwell on such subjects????